Written In Blood

by

Andrew Ives & Chris Masson

Jan 2010

PAGE 1
Page is split into three equal vertical panels.

Panel 1
EXT. construction site. Dusk. Growing cloudy. The Skylark Tower is in a state of semi-completion. In centre, we see a stout businessman RANDOLPH, in a pinstriped suit, hanging on by his fingertips from a high girder. In FG, we see just a foot and a leg of his tormentor AUTHOR, treading on Randolph's fingers. We are about 200ft up and looking down at 3/4 angle. Cranes and Gotham buildings, fill the BG.

RANDOLPH
Why me? I'm just a regular
businessman trying to earn an
honest buck.

Panel 2
Similar to above, except closer on Randolph as he now waves a bundle of money upwards, wincing, begging for Author to take it and help him up. We see Randolph has some distinctive blinging cufflinks (ideally micromosaic of a Hydra if it's not too difficult to draw).

RANDOLPH (CONT'D)
Take it! Take it! Name your price!
Anything, just pull me up! Please!
I beg you!

AUTHOR
Save it for Batman.

Panel 3
A silhouette side view of the tower. Author at the top watches Randolph fall, as Dollar bills flutter down.

PAGE 2

Panel 1
Splash page. INT. Splash page panel of the Gotham Gazette news room. A hive of activity. Filling the frame in FG, VICKI VALE is at her desk, on the phone to KNOX. It is an old black 1950s phone. There are a few other people at various desks and walking around the office in BG, carrying files and papers. One of these is DAVID BALFOUR, who has his back towards us and Vicki, who twiddles her pen.

CAPTION
Three days earlier.

VICKI VALE
...and in Killarney, they've just
recovered the boat?

KNOX (phone)
It pulled in to port just a moment
ago.

PAGE 3
This page is split into 8 roughly equal panels.

Panel 1
KNOX is at a payphone at a Killarney dockside. It's completely unlike Gotham, picturesque like Ontario. It's a fishing area. In bg, we see various boats, masts, seagulls, and maybe part of a police car etc. Knox is on phone to Vicki, holding his hands over his ears.

KNOX (CONT'D)
You still there, Vale? I'm telling
you, something just ain't right
about this.

Panel 2
A pleasure boat, used for sea fishing, is pulled back into shore, being recovered. Various cops are walking all around it. We see from the stern that the boat is named "Les Mouettes". Knox continues in VO.

KNOX (CONT'D)
I mean, this Walsh guy, he's been
coming here fishing for years.
Suddenly the heat's on him in
Gotham, he snags the biggest catch
of his life and slips into the sea.

Panel 3
Close up of Vicki back in the newsroom. From side on, we can see slightly more of Balfour in BG.

VICKI VALE
I don't buy it either. So...Walsh
fell overboard where & when
exactly?

Panel 4
Close up of Vicki's hand on a notepad, writing various keywords down - "Walsh, 53yrs", "Killarney", "Les Mouettes", "during night, 10pm-5am?", "19 miles off Red Ro" She continues writing and talking in VO.

VICKI VALE (CONT'D)
...Red Rock Point. Ok.

KNOX
The fishing guys here reckon he'll
wash up in a few days when the tide changes.
There are miles of coves and bays here.
He might never be found.

Panel 5
Zoomed out half-view of Vicki as she continues on the phone, turning more towards us. In BG, Balfour is called into another office and walks by.

VICKI VALE
I think that's the idea. There were
no signs of a struggle?

Panel 6
Back to Knox in Killarney, again in VO. Nothing seems especially amiss with the boat, the cops look rather puzzled. Knox hangs out of the phone booth door as far as the cord will let him.

KNOX (V.O.)
You think he was pushed, Vale?
I mean, there were hoods queueing
around the block to off him. I'll
snoop around and see what gives.

Panel 7
Closer up on the boat, cops are searching it thoroughly.

VICKI VALE (V.O.)
If someone pushed him, they had to
get back to shore. Maybe a local
saw another boat or dinghy pull in
during the night? Maybe even Walsh
himself...anything odd?

KNOX (off)
I'll get back to you later, Vale.

Panel 8
Back in the newsroom. Vicki puts the phone down and whispers to herself towards us, with Balfour listening more intently in BG.

VICKI VALE (whisper)
So...now all we need is "how"
and "why". Hmmm.

PAGE 4
Split into 4 equal horizontal panels.

Panel 1
EXT. Skylark Building construction site. Morning. Light rain. BULLOCK, BOCK and MONTOYA investigate the scene where Randolph landed. Randolph is gone. There are yellow tapes around an impression in the mud, which has become a puddle overnight. They look around. To our left, Bock is crouching, examining the mud, poking it with a pen. Montoya stands behind him. Bullock is to our right, looking upwards.

CAPTION
Early one wet Monday morning.

BULLOCK
Geez. That's a long way up. I wish
people wouldn't drop offa tall
buildings. I guess we oughtta go up
there?

MONTOYA
Do you think he slipped because of
the rain? Could it be that simple?

BOCK
No such luck. Only the surface is
wet. I'd say it was dry when he
landed here, what... six hours ago?

Panel 2
Just Bock & Montoya in this frame, closer in. We see the mud impression better from just above their heads and sundry footprints all around and leading away.

MONTOYA
Construction sites are dangerous
places. It could still be an
accident. Or do you think he
jumped? Seems a strange place to
end it all.

BOCK
Hard to say. Jumpers tend to land
further out. Perhaps those
footprints will tell us something?

Panel 3
The 3 cops walk off together, Bullock in front, still talking.

MONTOYA
Harv, do we have ID on our mystery
faller yet?

BULLOCK
That's the other thing. He had no
ID on him. No money, wallet, watch,
nothing. It seems he was robbed,
then pushed. Or dead already. We
won't know until tests come back,
but he was wearing a suit worth a
month of GCPD pay.

BOCK
Anyone reported him missing yet?

BULLOCK
In Gotham? Nobody notices anyone
'til their bills stop being paid.

Panel 4
They enter a cage lift and all 3 stand facing us. Bullock doesn't like heights or lifts and takes his hat off, visibly sweating at the prospect.

MONTOYA
Which floor do you reckon he fell
from?

BULLOCK
My guess is from the top. I suppose
we'd better start at the top and
work our way down. You know
something...

PAGE 5 + 6
Flashback. Whole double page has a border round it. Bullock talks in VO, using captions fitted in wherever they can go in this border. Muted palette. Story runs across two pages in three rows of irregularly-sized and shaped panels.

Panel 1
INT. Stairwell. 2 COPS follow an OLD LADY up stairs in a grubby block of flats. She is Eastern European, wearing a dressing gown and talking as she walks.

BULLOCK (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"...about this reminds me of
another case I couldn't solve a
while back. Just after No Man's
Land ended. When we were getting
back on our feet."

OLD LADY
I liked it nicer when Mrs Dubrocnik
lived here. But the mice... muj
bože...everywheres they were.

Panel 2
INT. The old lady stands at the top of the stairs. Cop #1 listens with one ear at the door, while the old lady continues talking even though they signal for her to be quiet.

OLD LADY (CONT'D)
Since she left us, God rest her
soul, there was young lads here.
Oh, the smell! Up to no good they
were with them spray cans. And then
the arguings yesterday.

BULLOCK (V.O.)
"I sent Stephen on the Grant St
call. Everyday stuff. Grotty place.
The usual."

Panel 3
Close up on doorhandle and cop's hand. It is locked.

OLD LADY
This used to be such a nice
building. Now you can't go out...

BULLOCK (V.O.)
"Hardly an emergency."

Panel 4
We see Cop #2 shoulder charging the door. Old lady looks on, hands over her face.

OLD LADY
Oh no! You mustn't do like that.

Panel 5
From just outside the threshold, we see into the flat. BUNTING - a balding, middle aged man, sits in just his vest and socks, gagged (with rolled-up paper in his mouth) and duct taped to a chair with his back to us. The whole scene is very drab and dark. The curtains are pulled. This one room flat is shabby in the extreme.

BUNTING (muffled, small writing)
mmm. mmm.

BULLOCK (V.O.)
"Stephen finds this guy there, all
tied up. Bunting I think his name
was. Robbery apparently."

Panel 6
Cop #1 pulls the paper gag from Bunting's mouth. He is unconscious or very close to it. His eyes loll around.

STEPHEN (Cop #1)
Wake up, Pal. It's gonna be ok.

Panel 7
Cop #2 pulls the curtains to let in some light, which is still not very bright. We see him in silhouette. Gas slightly tinges the scene.

BULLOCK (V.O.)
It turns out that Bunting's the
landlord of this whole place. None
too popular apparently. And then
things took a peculiar turn...

Panel 8 (narrow)
Cop #2 spots the window nailed shut.

Panel 9 (narrow)
Cop #1 tries to turn off the oven.

Panel 10 (narrow)
Close up on the old woman's hand on the lightswitch.

OLD LADY
Maybe if I...

Panel 11 (larger)
Whole scene explodes. Debris flies everywhere, including in FG, the doorhandle and lock. End of Flashback

PAGE 7
Split into 4 roughly equal panels, horizontally.

Panel 1
Same as page 4, panel 4 just before the flashback. Bullock is sweating more now as the lift reaches the top floor. He lights one of his usual cigars.

BOCK
In what way is this crime scene similar?

BULLOCK
The victim somehow seemed like the
kind of guy who wouldn't be seen
dead there. Not the usual junkies
and wino bums we tend to rub
shoulders with. Plenty of enemies,
mind you.

Panel 2
EXT. Bock admires the view from the top of the incomplete tower and stands near the edge. The rooftop is very bare, just concrete. In the distance we see plenty of Gotham buildings and a few cranes nearby, consistent with page 1. Bullock stays well away from the edge with Montoya. Bock has his back to us. It's still raining lightly. The sky has a cloudy kind of purple sunrise look to it.

BOCK
"However long the night, the dawn
will break."

BOCK (CONT'D)
Doesn't she look wonderful on days
like this? Gotham with her fresh
rainy smell.

Panel 3
Same as Panel 2 only Bullock puffs away more on his cigar. They all go quiet and think for a moment.

Panel 4
Bock picks up a wet $50 bill from around his feet, very close to the edge. Reverse angle, Bock's feet close up in FG, Montoya & Bullock in BG.

BOCK (CONT'D)
I'd say nobody has been up here
since our victim. Jumpers don't
tend to leave a tip for the police.

MONTOYA
There's not much to trip over
either, unless he was drunk...

BULLOCK
...or trying to fly.

PAGE 8
Made up of 5 panels. 2 equal large panels on the first row, 3 smaller ones on the second.

Panel 1
Close up on a door lock, laying on a desk, as seen through a strong loupe under a UV light. There are bits of many fingerprints all over it, mostly smudged, slightly charred. It is the lock from Bunting's apartment.

CAPTION
"A while back"

Panel 2
INT. Batcave. We see Bruce facing us, dressed as Batman except without the cowl, examining the lock in front of him. In bg, DICK GRAYSON approaches, dressed as a cop and removing his hat.

DICK
Find anything new, Bruce?

BRUCE
Too many fingerprints. All partial
or smudged. Any or none of them
could be our suspect.

Panel 3
Medium close on Bruce as he talks, holding a lock pick.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
One thing does interest me though.
It was locked from the outside. Has
anyone found an old-style, brass
key discarded nearby? About 8.4cm
long.

Panel 4
Medium close on Dick, with Bruce side on.

DICK
Not that I'm aware of.

BRUCE
So there's a chance the culprit
still has it.

Panel 5
Medium close on Bruce as he dons the cowl.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
The real key to this case, lies in
the motive. Find the motive and the
killer will be there, just waiting
for us.

PAGE 9
Page split into 3 equal panels, full width.

Panel 1
Close up on a desk. It is old-fashioned in every way. There is a candle which casts a gloomy light over an antique encrier, a pocket watch with a cracked glass, opened and used as a small desk clock. We can just see the corners of several sheets of paper with some script-style handwriting on them. In FG, we can see part of the shoulder and arm of the writer, which obscures our view of the desk slightly. The time is 11:43pm. Any BG is black.

CAPTION
That evening...

Panel 2
A closer tilted view of the papers, so we can read the script. The hand is slightly in shot, holding a fountain pen. On the papers, we can read:

How precious was my time with my
beloved Lucy? A joy so very brief,
but even now, worth more to me than
anything in this harsh world. A joy
so cruelly curtailed on a celestial
whim. Why did it have to be so? Why
ought I be preserved that evening
when so many did perish?
At first, this very thought did
plague my conscience, tormenting
every waking moment. I slept
little, awoken always by a
nightmarish vision of that time -
those few catastrophic moments when
the sky literally fell in on our
idyllic corner of the world.

Panel 3
Similar to the previous panels, only now with the author's head in the way, viewed almost totally in silhouette. He has his hand covering his eyes, and is crying into it. We are tantalisingly close to seeing his face, but it is still obscured partly by his hand and by darkness.

PAGE 10
This whole page is a flashback, told using a muted palette. One big panel, followed by eight equal 1/16th page panels.

Panel 1
Almost half a page, setting the scene. INT. Victorian style house. There is a fireplace, old fashioned furniture, some glasses and the two characters, Lucy and her boyfriend (who looks not too dissimilar to the writer on the previous page, but not identical) are both wearing clothes befitting the 1800s era. They are rehearsing for a play - they are both holding a small book, reading aloud. We can't see the title. (We are briefly led to believe that they are in the 1800s, but they are actually in 1990s Gotham.)

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
"Jean, I am going now. If you
please to stay on alone, in this
house of mine, where I wish I could
say you are welcome, stay."

LUCY
"It's the man frae Bow Street."

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
"Bow Street?"

Panel 2
Small panel. Closer in on the face of Lucy's boyfriend, holding the book.

SFX
(quiet) rumble

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
"I thocht ye would hear me. Ye
think little o' me; but it's mebbe
a braw thing for you that I think
sae muckle o'..." Did you feel
something then, Lucy? Like a train
or helicopter passing nearby?

Panel 3
Small panel. Closer on the face of Lucy, who takes a sip of drink, smiling.

CAPTION (handwriting)
Never had Lucy looked more
enchanting than she did that
evening.

Panel 4
Same as panel 3. Lucy smiles.

LUCY
Maybe it's the talent police,
coming to arrest you for your
criminal acting.

SFX (quiet in distant BG)
ding ding ding ding

Panel 5
Similar to panel 2, only in profile, also now drinking. Lucy is in the distance with her back to us, fetching some unseen object from a cupboard over where the dinging sound came.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
We've been going over this play
every night for a week. You're
going to be perfect on opening
night. You already are...to me
anyway.

Panel 6
Similar to panel 5, only now closer on Lucy who walks towards us, carrying a small tin. A grotty, vintage tin for biscuits or wafers from the 1920s or 1930s.

LUCY
And I appreciate all the help that
you've given me, my darling. Just
another few nights longer, I
promise. Until I get this accent
just right.

Panel 7
Closer on Lucy's hands as she opens the tin. We can't yet see inside.

LUCY (CONT'D)
I found this tin recently. There's
something inside that I think
Grandpa would've wanted you to
have...

Panel 8
Similar to panel 4, only this time Lucy is presenting a fountain pen to us in FG. The same fountain pen we saw earlier.

LUCY (CONT'D)
...to help with your writing.

Panel 9
Similar to panel 2. He accepts the pen, inspects it and is fascinated by it.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
It's wonderful. Thank you kindly
'wee lassie'.

PAGE 11
Most of this page is still in flashback, muted palette. It consists of 5 panels - 4 almost quarter page squares, followed by a thick black stripe, and a 5th wide panel in normal palette.

Panel 1
INT as before. Lucy & her boyfriend embrace. There is another quiet rumble.

SFX
Rumble

Panel 2
Close on Lucy's hand, taking a pocket watch out of the tin.

LUCY
You remember this? Grandpa gave me
this...well, both of us, really.
For us to sell and set us up in
married life. He wanted us to get a
good start in life together.

Panel 3
Close on Lucy's face, just her expression, a slight tear in her eyes, looking worried. Louder rumble.

CAPTION (handwriting)
It's as if she somehow knew...

SFX
RUMBLE

LUCY
I love you so much.

Panel 4
Close on the watch, which is in pristine condition. We see the face in all its detail. The time reads 7:03 (as stated in Cataclysm). It is held in Lucy's hand, with Lucy's Boyfriend's hand under that.

SFX
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE

Panel 5
After a thick black strip, we return to the earlier scene (page 9 panel 3) at the desk - the mystery author still with his head in hands, sobbing, holding the watch, which we can see has a broken glass now.

CAPTION (handwriting)
...it would be our last together.

PAGE 12
INT. Bullock's office. Normal palette. Page split into 6 roughly equal panels, 3 rows of 2.

Panel 1
Close on evidence bag, being slapped on Bullock's desk by Montoya. It contains a wallet and bunch of ID, credit cards from our mystery faller on page 1.

CAPTION (CONT'D)
A few days later.

MONTOYA
Uniform just brought us this - the
contents of the pockets of some
wino they pulled for D'n'D in the
early hours, shouting at customers
outside a swanky bar.

Panel 2
Bullock in FG at his desk holding the bag up, squinting to read the cards inside, with Montoya in BG.

BULLOCK
A Mister Jeremy Randolph. Ties in
with what we figured. Missing
Persons started taking this name
seriously yesterday evening.

MONTOYA
I thought you said in Gotham,
nobody would notice anyone gone
until they missed a few payments?

BULLOCK
How true. This guy was bankrolling
the whole Skylark Tower project. As
soon as he wasn't around to sign a
cheque, everyone's going frantic.
Must be great to be loved.

Panel 3
Bullock only, at his desk.

BULLOCK (CONT'D)
Except, maybe not everyone feels
the same way. Toxicology said that
he was stone cold sober.

MONTOYA
Money worries?

BULLOCK
You wouldna thought so, but you
can't always tell with these types.
Perhaps you and Bock could poke
around in his financial dealings?

Panel 4
Similar to panel 2 only wider. Bock now appears at the doorway, putting on his jacket.

BOCK
How about his family? Depression?
That sort of thing.

BULLOCK
Could be, but my gut tells me we're
going to find that someone's toes
got trodden on.
Or someone who didn't want this
tower completed. No accident. No
misadventure.

Panel 5
Harvey stands up to leave, takes the bag and all three move towards the door.

MONTOYA
Why would Randolph be at his
building site, at the top, on a
Sunday night?

BOCK
Who knows? Does seem strange.

BULLOCK
It does...unless he planned to
jump. Insurance maybe? Perhaps our
Mr Wino can help us with a few of
these ifs and buts. We're gonna
need some strong coffee.

MONTOYA
He's had plenty already.

Panel 6
We see the closed door to Bullock's office with his name on the glass. Harvey is in silhouette outside.

BULLOCK
I meant for me, along with some
Crispy Cremes. We're gonna have
ourselves a nice long chat.

PAGE 13
INT. Commissioner Gordon's office. It is dark - so dark, we can only really see Gordon in chiaroscuro because of lights outside his window. 8 panels, as 4 rows of 2.

Panel 1
Harvey loiters in the doorway, holding a half-finished donut and knocks out of courtesy on the doorframe.

CAPTION
Late that evening.

BULLOCK
Can I have a word, Chief?

GORDON
What's on your mind, Harv?

Panel 2
Closer on Bullock, looking rather tired and dishevelled.

BULLOCK
Something that might cause a few
headlines in tomorrow's papers.
We've ID'd the tower block faller
from a few days ago.

BULLOCK (CONT'D)
Turns out it was Jeremy Randolph
who was reported missing yesterday.
And now we have a witness from the
scene who reckons he saw someone
else there. Big guy, long coat.

Panel 3
Bullock steps in a bit nearer. Side view of Gordon to the right, Bullock to the left, with the desk, the window and some shadowy distance in between.

GORDON
Nothing your guys can't handle?

BULLOCK
Unfortunately, this witness ain't
great. He's been out of his head on
the sauce for years. Turns out he
dosses most nights at the
construction site.

BULLOCK (CONT'D)
Our witness heard a kerfuffle, then
emerged to investigate Randolph's
wallet, catching a glimpse of the
guy in the long coat making off in
the distance.

Panel 4
Close on Gordon, learning back at his desk, fingers intertwined, looking pensive.

GORDON
And you think there's more to this
guy with the coat?

BULLOCK
I honestly don't know, Commish. I
just figure that Randolph Legal
Services and the press are going to
cause us some heat if we don't get
results double quick.

BULLOCK (CONT'D)
You remember all the protests when
the Skylark building was given the
go-ahead. We were accused of police
heavy-handedness, bribe-taking, the
works. Things could get ugly again.

Panel 5
Gordon gets up and in a fatherly manner, ushers Bullock out of the office again.

GORDON
I appreciate your concern, Harvey.
Thanks for filling me in. You go
home now and get some rest.
Good night.

BULLOCK
You too, Chief.

Panel 6
Similar to Panel 3, only with Gordon sitting against the top of his desk. staring at the floor.

GORDON (quietly)
Did you get all that?

Panel 7
Same as Panel 6, only now with Batman stepping slightly out of theshadows where he has been standing all along, moving towards the window.

GORDON (CONT'D)
We're gathering information on
Randolph's possible enemies. It
could take some time, but however
unpopular he and his ambulance
chasing lawyers may be, we are here
to "protect and serve".

BATMAN
And be seen to.

Panel 8
Gordon stands with his face at the window as he closes it after Batman's departure. Gordon stands looking out at the Gotham skyline. We see him as his reflection on the glass.

GORDON (quietly to himself)
Yes, we wouldn't want vigilantes
loose on our streets.

PAGE 14
Another flashback with a muted palette. We don't see our Author again, but the captions are in his script handwriting, as he commentates on events, whilst writing it as prose.

Panel 1
INT. rubble. A Gotham street demolished by the earthquake. This first panel is mostly black, with an irregular-shaped hole, revealing some feet walking by outside, one with spats and a cane. We can just make out the shape of a figure in this hole, trying to see out, to call out. This is Lucy's Boyfriend from earlier, covered in dust with some blood to his shoulder and mouth, torn clothes etc.

CAPTION (handwriting)
I don't know how long I had been
unconscious. I was awakened by the
pecking of carrion crows, come to
feed on my misery. Featherless
scavengers...

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND (weak)
h e l p m e

Panel 2
EXT. rubble. Now we see more of the same street, similar to how it is in the Cataclysm episode with Penguin, only we now see the other side of this hole from Panel 1, with Lucy's Boyfriend's face just visible, trapped inside. Walking by outside, we see Penguin and two burly henchmen.

CAPTION (handwriting)
...seeking a free feast wherever it
might be found.

HENCHMAN
Why should we pull you out?

Panel 3
Closer on Lucy's Boyfriend's face, looking out of the hole, handing the watch (now with cracked glass) to the henchman.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
I have... this watch... please...
it's very valuable. Get me out and
it's yours.

CAPTION (handwriting)
Pickings on this historically
middle class street were rich indeed.

Panel 4
Close on Penguin's face & hand as he looks over the watch. This is the first proper look at him we get. He should look mean, realistic and in no way likeable.

PENGUIN
Not nearly enough, I'm afraid, my
boy. You'll have to do better than
that. What do you do?

Panel 5
Similar to Panel 3, only now, Lucy's boyfriend looks aghast, even more desperate if that's possible. The henchman is crouching nearby and we see him smiling at Penguin's response.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
Oh please, Sir. I'm a writer.
Plays. Well, I'm studying to be a
writer...and I...

Panel 6
Keeping the watch anyway, Penguin and his two henchmen walk on a short distance.

PENGUIN
I think we saw some firemen a few
blocks away. Maybe they'll get to
you tomorrow or the day after.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND
Noooo! Don't go. Please! I'll do
anything you ask! Please help me!

Panel 7
Closer still on Penguin. Just his monocle and part of his face.

PENGUIN
Anything, eh?

Panel 8
Same scene as earlier panels, only now it's almost night and a much wider shot, showing miles of rubble. Only Lucy's boyfriend remains. He is now freed, standing next to the rubble, trying with all his might to lift off large pieces of masonry in a vain attempt to find Lucy under there. He has to use one arm as the other is injured. He has no shirt, which is torn up as a makeshift bandage.

CAPTION (handwriting)
Lucy had always lived here in
Gotham's Old Quarter. Perhaps it
was only fitting that she died there too.

LUCY'S BOYFRIEND (weak)
Lucy... Lucy...

PAGE 15
Normal palette. 6 Panels - a large one the whole width of a page, then 3 smaller ones on the middle row, then a large & small on the 3rd row.

Panel 1
INT. Penguin's hideout. Large panel. This is some time after No Man's Land and Penguin has done well for himself. It's a big warehouse. In BG, we can see loot of every description all around. Penguin himself is dressed more like Cobblepot, sitting on some super-ornate gilded 18thC chaise longue in a corner of the warehouse that he has decked out like the Palace of Versailles. There are grapes, champagne on ice etc all on hand, some caged birds, and of course several large henchmen.

Panel 2
Close on henchman who looks much like the one we saw in the earlier scene. It is the same guy, only about a year later. He is looking at a handful of keys he has - a bundle on a big ring, some small Yale-type keys and some larger Chubb-type keys. He holds up one of these larger Chubb-type keys in the other hand and asks...

HENCHMAN
Boss, I can't open the strongroom
door any more. Is this the correct
key? We can't get to the shotgun
cabinet.

Panel 3
Close on Penguin looking into bird cage. He is pushing a grape through the bars to the parrot inside - a blue parrot with a yellow ring around its eyes, which is exceptionally rare.

PENGUIN
There are more keys that came with
the cars, jewellery boxes,
padlocks, etc. Maurizio has them.

PENGUIN (quietly to parrot) (CONT'D)
Imbeciles. I'm surrounded by them.

PARROT
Imbeciles!

Panel 4
Again, close on Penguin near the bird cage. He is cutting off grapes with ornate dainty gold grape scissors. In BG, behind all the paintings etc he hears...

CAPTION
Moments later...

SFX
CLUMP

Panel 5
Large panel. Similar to panel 1, only now Penguin dives for cover as bullets rip through much of his ill-gotten gains. Paintings tear, vases explode. Penguin takes cover on the floor by his chaise longue and matching table. The parrot squawks in fright.

PENGUIN
AWWWKKK!

SFX
RATATATATATATATAT, RRRIP, PYEOW,
PYEOW, SQUAWK

Panel 6
In FG, Batman's gloved hand holds up a Chubb-type key very similar to what we saw earlier. Penguin in BG, stands up and gathers his composure, looking angry, putting his monocle back in. (N.B. This key is from Bunting's door and needs to be recognisable to the reader.)

BATMAN
Is this what we've both been
searching for?

PAGE 16
First row: a small and a large panel. Second row: 4 small equal panels. Third row: panels 7 & 8. Fourth Row: panels 9,10,11.

Panel 1
INT. Gotham Police Station holding cell. Penguin looks a bit roughed up, bruised eye, sitting defiantly on a bench, looking down. This panel is viewed through the peephole panel in the celldoor, which could act as a background for the rest of this page.

CAPTION
Later that evening...

Panel 2
Large panel. Incident room. Making up most of the BG, we see a large whiteboard, with details of the Bunting murder (+2 cops + old woman) and the Randolph suspicious death. It is evening. There are not many people about - just Gordon, Bullock, Montoya, Bock. Gordon stands in front of the whiteboard, holding a marker pen. The others stand near a desk, except Bullock who sits casually on it. Mainly we see Gordon, but we can see the tops of the heads of the others.

BULLOCK
Commish, you can leave this case to
us. You've got...

GORDON
Can I? The Bat brings in Cobblepot
with hardly any evidence other than
a hunch. We'd better work out why
or Cobblepot walks free tomorrow.

BULLOCK
Bunting? Skylark? It does sound
like Penguin's M.O. And he does
stand to gain plenty with another
slum landlord off his patch.

Panel 3
Close on Montoya.

GORDON
And what about Skylark? Why would
Cobblepot want Randolph out of the way?

MONTOYA
We don't know that yet, Sir.

Panel 4
Close on Bullock.

GORDON
And the wino's eyewitness account
doesn't really tally up with a
description of Cobblepot, does it?

BULLOCK
No, Sir. It doesn't.

Panel 5
Close on Bock.

GORDON
Has anyone checked Cobblepot's
whereabouts at the time of either
of these two crimes?

BOCK
Not yet, Sir. We're working on it.

Panel 6
Close on Gordon, looking fed up.

GORDON
Batman says he has something
concrete on Cobblepot, but it's
going to take a while. You need to
make sure that we have something
else to hold him on until then.
Come on guys!

Panel 7
Wider shot on Bock, Montoya and Bullock. Bock pulls out an old fashioned envelope, with a wax seal.

BOCK
There is one other thing, Sir. Just
in. We can't tell yet if it's connected.

Panel 8
Close on Gordon's hands, touching it gingerly by the edges, opening the envelope. We can just see the script-written note as it emerges. It reads "Nemo Malus Felix".

BOCK (CONT'D)
There are no prints on it anywhere.

Panel 9
Close on Bock again.

BOCK (CONT'D)
"Nemo Malus Felix". Paraphrasing,
it means, "Peace visits not the guilty mind."

Panel 10
Similar to panel 1, only smaller this time, closer on Gordon.

GORDON
Great...Gotham has another nut!?
Latin doesn't look much like the
Penguin's handiwork to me and I've
known him a long time.

GORDON (CONT'D)
Well, you all know what to do.
Let's hope the Bat's right about
this one.

Panel 11
Close on Gordon writing on the white board. We see his face mostly in profile. He is writing "Nemo Malus Felix" at the bottom.

GORDON (thought) (CONT'D)
Let's pray the Bat's right about this one.

PAGE 17
This page is one row of 3 small panels, with the 2nd being the largest, followed by a white 'page break'. Then comes another row of 3, made up of 2 skinny vertical panels and a 3rd larger one.

Panel 1
INT. Gotham Gazette offices. It's not quite the same as we saw earlier. This is an office off of the main newsroom. Vicki Vale sits in front of a microfiche viewer, which shows headlines from an old 1978 newspaper. There is a phone nearby. (The headline we see is irrelevant to our story, so anything pertaining to 1978 will do - "Sex Pistols' final concert", "Leon Spinks beats Muhammed Ali", "Sweden outlaws aerosols", "Velcro goes on market" or "Soyuz 28 launched". )

Panel 2
Closer over Vicki's shoulder, so we can read the text on the screen. It is just a small side column which reads:

Newspaper
GOLDCREST CASINO FORCED TO CLOSE
DOWN After a month of legal
wranglings, the downtown gaming
house, The Goldcrest, yesterday
closed its glittering doors for the
last time. A legal spokesman acting
on behalf of the proprietor, Mr
Oswald Cobblebot, said that the
casino was closed in accordance
with an out-of-court settlement
with one-time investor, Mr Peter
Walsh who, in a move to silence his
critics, has recently divested
himself of many of his assets, to
allow him more time to concentrate
on his burgeoning political career.
The spokesman added that this deal
was amicable, that the past
differences of both parties were
now settled and that Cobblepot
would now be moving into larger
premises for his import and export
concerns in uptown Gotham. The
casino premises are thought to be
reopening as a jewellery store late
in the Autumn.

SFX
BRRRRING

Panel 3
Vicki turns sideways so that we see her in profile with the phone to her ear and the microfiche blurred in BG.

VICKI VALE
Hi Bruce. This evening? I'm kinda
busy, but... well, actually...

VICKI VALE (whispers) (CONT'D)
This case is puzzling me and I'd
like your input. I know... always
talking shop...heh...you know me.

VICKI VALE (whispers) (CONT'D)
Ok, 7:45pm it is. Your place. Don't
be late this time! See you then.
You too.

Panel 4
After the white page break, we see the hands of a female cashier, taking a cheque (signed by Bruce Wayne) through the teller's window at a casino.

Panel 5
Similar to panel 4, only now she returns a stack of various chips, all labelled "The Iceberg Lounge" (Penguin's casino in Detective #683).

Panel 6
We see Vicki & Bruce in evening wear. Vicki is walking away towards the tables in BG as Bruce loiters in FG at the cashier's window picking up the chips. He whispers to the cashier who we can just about see in profile between the grille bars (winking, because he knows her quite well):

BRUCE (whispers)
I'll be back for more later.

The cashier, RACHEL, is a brunette in her 40s and was obviously a dolly bird back in the day. Now she has been 'promoted' to teller and looks rather tired and fed up with the job.

PAGE 18
Five panels. The top half of the page is split vertically into two equally large panels. The bottom half is split with the left third as a vertical panel, then two horizontal panels.

Panel 1
First of two similar half-page width panels. This shows Vicki & Bruce enjoying their night together. We see from croupier's POV. They are standing in mid-BG at the end of a roulette table FG, both with equal piles of chips. There are a few other people around betting stacks of chips, some cocktails, everyone looks happy.

Panel 2
Second panel, similar to first only much later in the evening. The other players have all gone. Only a waitress remains collecting one of the many empty glasses in BG. Vicki is now sitting and looking fed up. Her chips are down to the last few in her hand. Bruce still has quite a large stack and is standing, albeit now with his bow tie undone.

Panel 3
INT. Back of Bruce's limo. We just see the window wound down and the side of Bruce's face leaning out to call Rachel over as she leaves the, now unlit, frontage of the Iceberg Lounge. The limo is on the road, so we see her from some distance.

CAPTION
Much later that night.

BRUCE
Can I interest you in a lift?
What's a nice girl like...

Panel 4
INT. Back of limo. Rachel gets in and sits next to Vicki, both opposite Bruce. Vicki looks rather put out by Bruce's unwelcome and downmarket acquaintance.

RACHEL
...perhaps I'm not such a nice
girl, Brucie? Haven't seen you
around for some time. And Alfie,
you haven't changed a bit.

BRUCE
How's life in the Iceberg Lounge
treating you, Rach?

Panel 5
INT. Back of limo, closer on Rachel. It's quite dark and we see her face mainly in reflected neon signs, but she is still quite beautiful alongside Vicki. Seeing Vicki rather irked, Rachel overplays the lovey-dovey act with Bruce.

RACHEL
Can't complain. Since the new
bosses moved in after Oswald sold
up, things have been rather quiet.
You're the first high rollers we've
had show up in ages. I figured
straight away there must be more to
it. What's troublin' ya, Brucie?

PAGE 19

Panel 1
Close on Bruce's face. Again, lit mostly by passing neon signs.

BRUCE
There's no fooling you, Rach. You
remember when we first met? A
charity gala evening at the
Goldcrest to raise money for the
Gotham bird sanctuary.

RACHEL
Do I? We were so much younger then.

Panel 2
Wider shot of Rachel & Vicki both sitting with a gap between them. Vicki is still rather stand-offish, but is now listening more intently. She places her handbag between them.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
That night went really well, y'know.
We raised a fortune!
I met you, we had some fun...
takings were up. Working in the
casino back then was just the best.
Of course, I didn't expect it to last.

Panel 3
Flashback to the Goldcrest casino, back in 1978 as described in the microfiche earlier. The palette is slightly muted, but also rather 1970s, so bright pastels, getting on for primary colours, with a white border. Wide panel, whole page width. Wide view of the casino, with a Blackjack table, a croupier, some girls including the younger Rachel, and another table to the left in the distance, with a few more staff. The decor is very gold, red and gaudy. There are no players - they are all finishing up. In BG centre, there is an "Authorised personnel only" door. A few people are looking towards it.

SFX (from behind the door)
CLUMP

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.)
"Soon after we dated for, what, the
third time? Things began to turn
ugly at the Goldcrest."

Panel 4
Small panel. Closer on "Authorised Personnel" door.

SFX
ARRRGH

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.)
"Apparently, some of the investors
wanted a larger share of our
newfound success."

Panel 5
Larger panel. Walsh comes through the door backwards, with an umbrella spike at his throat. The younger Penguin is much fitter and meaner than how we usually see him. He ushers Walsh out of the premises across the casino floor. The staff look surprised.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Oswald saw things differently."

Panel 6
Wide shot. Small panel. Walsh lands on his rear on the pavement outside the Goldcrest. In FG, we see the umbrella spike, glinting.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"That was the first time I ever
clapped eyes on Peter Walsh. Long before
he ever became a councillor or anything."

Panel 7
Normal palette again. Bruce again, similar to Panel 1.

BRUCE
Did you know that Walsh is currently missing?

Panel 8
Normal palette, close on Rachel this time.

RACHEL
That's news to me. Hardly surpr...
Is that what all this is about? You
don't think Oswald has... After all
this time?

PAGE 20
Again this page flits alternately back & forth from the present day to the casino days of the 1970s & 1980s. Palettes alternate too. 9 panels, all quite small.

Panel 1
On Rachel again, only this time, she looks a little annoyed.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
Look, Brucie, I'm not going to land
Oswald in it. He was always
perfectly decent to me. I hardly
hear from you in... I don't know how long.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
And anyways, Walsh came back in
with the Iceberg when Oswald sold
the Goldcrest.

Panel 2
Flashback. Muted palette. A few years later on. The opening ceremony of the Iceberg. Cobblepot and most of the people featured earlier, Rachel included, pose for press photos.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.)
"If I remember rightly, Walsh...
Councillor Walsh as he was back
then, cut the ribbon."

Panel 3
General casino scenes, full of activity. The Iceberg Lounge is doing well and looks much better than the Goldcrest. The decor is blue, white and Arctic-looking.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Things went well again for a
while, but as they say, Brucie,
plus ça change..."

Panel 4
Flashback. The surveillance room in the casino. Rachel is having a coffee, and talking to Second Henchman (similar in build to Author - see Notes). There are several tv screens showing various gaming tables, and Cobblepot having a heated exchange with Walsh in an office.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"I remember hearing rumours from
the staff that it was through Walsh
that Oswald obtained his gaming
license, as Oswald had had a few
unfortunate run-ins with the law."

Panel 5
Same as before, only much closer on the curved CRT screen with Cobblepot & Walsh. Cobblepot is looking irate, banging the desk with his fist.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Apparently Walsh increased his
demands as he became more powerful
in local politics."

Panel 6
Same as before, only now showing Walsh smiling and slipping a big wad of cash into his lapel pocket.

CAPTION (RACHEL V.O.) (CONT'D)
"Soon after that, Oswald sold the
Iceberg Lounge to a foreign
consortium and they went their
separate ways."

Panel 7
Back to Rachel in the car. Now she is looking more pensively out of the side window, with the neon lights illuminating her face.

RACHEL
I heard Walsh bought a boat with
the proceeds and sailed around
Canada somewhere. Can't say I ever
liked the man. Oswald was always
touchy whenever he was around.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
Can you drop me off at the corner
please, Alfred?

Panel 8
Rachel looks in through car window from outside after getting out, and waves a small wave with just her fingers. Bruce sits nearby at the edge of the panel.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
Maybe I'll see you again one day,
Bruce. Y'know, when you're
not...otherwise engaged.

RACHEL (CONT'D)
Thanks for the lift. Toodle-oo Alfie.

Panel 9
INT car. View over Vicki's shoulder towards Bruce. Vicki has her handbag open on her lap and is turning off her mini tape recorder hidden inside it. Bruce has pulled down the decanter and drinks from the back of the seat, and holds a glass towards his mouth.

BRUCE
Well, that was interesting.

VICKI VALE
Very.

SFX
Click

PAGE 21
Nine panels as 3 rows of 3. All small, but not equal in size.

Panel 1
INT. Batcave. Bruce, still in his evening wear, faces us in FG as he operates various computers etc which we only see as lights shining on his face. Alfred appears in BG, carrying a tray with a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

ALFRED
Miss Rachel seems rather to have
confused matters still further, Sir.

BRUCE
Something just doesn't add up,
Alfred. Sure, Penguin could order a
hit on Walsh, but why now? If I
went to Killarney, can I be sure
that Walsh is even dead?

Panel 2
Close on Alfred, handing the tray towards us/Bruce.

ALFRED
Of course, some might say that this
matter is one for the police,
especially now that the odious Mr.
Cobblepot has been apprehended.

Panel 3
Close on Bruce, now sitting by the computers, picks over his sandwich with a slight grimace.

BRUCE
When I confronted Cobblepot, he
seemed genuinely surprised.
Normally, I'd expect some sort of
trap...a backup plan. Either he's
losing it, or...

Panel 4
Alfred comes over and stands with a hand on Bruce shoulder, as Bruce drinks his coffee.

ALFRED
...you're just very tired, Sir.
Anyone entirely innocent ought not
have had the key to the late Mr.
Bunting's apartment without a
proper explanation.

Panel 5
As before, now closer on Bruce.

BRUCE
That's another thing that puzzles
me, Alfred. In the interview room,
Penguin swore blind that I planted
that key, yet I know I never.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
I didn't even know it was the
correct key until I got back to the
Batcave and tried it in the lock
recovered from the scene.

Panel 6
Very close on Bruce's face. He is close to having a Eureka moment.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
All I did was remove the key from
the armaments strongroom, to
prevent the mooks from accessing
their weapons. But then...

Panel 7
Close, but wider shot on both Bruce & Alfred's faces.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
Someone is trying to frame Penguin!
That's it! Bunting first, Skylark
second, and Walsh is probably
connected too.

ALFRED
If you say so, Sir.

Panel 8
Bruce tucks into his sandwich heartily in front of a computer monitor which shines on his face, eating with one hand, working the computer with the other.

BRUCE
Alfred, isn't...

Panel 9
We see a page of The Killarney Courier newspaper website on the big screen, zoomed in mostly on the photo with Bruce silhouetted in FG. It's a photo of the boat being recovered in Killarney, just as we saw it with Knox at the beginning of this story.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
..."Les Mouettes" French for "the seagulls"?

PAGE 22
A stream of panels here illustrating various clues uncovered by all the players. The panels could be scattered about higgledy-piggledy or have each panel separated from the next by a zigzag border, as they are 'simultaneous' rather than sequential. Ideally, this page might have a background showing various clues, such as documentation for the boat purchase or bank statements, house deeds etc, all overlapping and faded behind the main panels.

Panel 1
Knox in Killarney, phones Vicki again from a different phone booth.

KNOX
Get this, Vale. "Les Mouettes" is a
pleasure cruiser, owned by Walsh
since 1989 when he bought it near
new from a dealer here who
remembers him well.

KNOX (CONT'D)
'Sources say' that Walsh paid cash,
which was peculiar, right? On
asking Walsh about how he came to
have so much money on him, he
replied "I got lucky in a casino! I
held all the cards!" and laughed.
How about that?

Panel 2
INT. some kind of Hall of Records office (like Companies House) Vicki Vale walking along an aisle carrying a giant ledger.

CAPTION (Vicki's handwriting)
The clues were everywhere once we
knew what we were looking for.

Panel 3
INT. bank. Montoya & Bock in plain clothes, in a bank. Montoya is flashing her badge to us/the counter staff.

BOCK
We are making enquiries into the
recent financial dealings of the
late Mr Randolph...

Panel 4
EXT. Night. Foot of the Skylark Tower. Batman crouches and takes samples of the earth, putting them in a small vial.

Panel 5
INT. Police interview room. Cobblepot's POV. Mainly we focus on a bagged "Exhibit A" piece of evidence, which is a large Chubb-type key, placed on a white desk at the bottom of the panel and Bullock sitting facing us, looking exasperated.

BULLOCK
So Oswald, let's go through this again...

Panel 6
EXT. Vicki faces us at the top of a small flight of steps leading to a front doorway. It's a wealthy area. Behind her we see parked cars, pavement, a few pedestrians etc. One of these is David Balfour, stopping to watch Vicki, but he is not especially noticeable to the reader because he is half-hiding behind a lamppost. Vicki is wearing a slight disguise - hat, glasses, hair back etc.

Panel 7
We see a panel of door entry buttons. Vicki's finger presses the 4th doorbell button forcefully. The 4th is Walsh's, but the name card is missing. No1, No2, No3 can be any names, written in different fonts or handwriting styles. Eg (1) Callum (2) Dagnino (3) Akazawa.

VICKI VALE
No reply.

SFX
Bzzz

PAGE 23

Panel 1
INT. Author writing at his desk some more. Large panel, about half a page. This looks very similar to the scene we saw earlier, with the encrier, candle etc and now also cufflinks. As before, we can read his writing over his shoulder. It says:

"For weeks I wandered amid chaos. Alone and
griefstricken, bewildered even, I helped free
kindred wretches from would-be tombs of
tumbled masonry. I learned more about
this city in those desperate moments,
than in my whole lifetime before.
That intangible spirit of brotherhood, of
goodwill amongst men, that I had never seen so
apparent, surfacing now through a common plight."

Panel 2
Flashback to the post-quake days. Muted palette. No direct speech. Author continues in handwritten captions. This panel is a whole page width, and split vertically into three with Author's caption across the top of all three, like a triptych. (1) A dusty, weak young boy having a bottle of water poured down his throat by a fireman. (like the famous Australian fireman & koala photo). (2) A woman on top of a pile of rubble, holding a hand up for silence as she puts her ear to the ground to listen. (3) Someone being carried on an old door used as a stretcher by a fireman and other civilians, towards what seems to be a makeshift hospital tent.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting)
"Someone wiser than I once famously
wrote "They were the best of times.
They were the worst of times."
Until then, I had never truly
understood or known how adversity
can galvanise man's deepest
instincts. Now I understand. Oh,
how I understand!"

Panel 3
Similar to panel 2, but with four sub-panels. (1) Author sits on the floor in the medical tent, without a shirt. We don't see his face well as he is tending his own shoulder injury, pulling at a bandage in his teeth. He has a walkie-talkie on his lap. His injuries are all on the mend. We can see he is a large, muscular man. (2) A healthy looter running with a couple of tins of plum tomatoes, from an angry less-healthy pursuing crowd, wearing bandages or hobbling on crutches. (3) a gang member sprays on a wall to signify territory (as happens in No Man's Land) (4) Wide shot. Some tiny figures walking into the distance, along a major road towards a sunset, bordered by scary teetering buildings that have only half-fallen.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"As I healed slowly, as Gotham
healed slowly, I heard tell of more
instances where man's higher
motives had reappeared. Where once
consideration and solidarity stood
strong among us, now flourished
only greed and selfishness.
'Civilisation' was returning."

PAGE 24
Six equal panels. The first acts as a background to the whole page. The other five panels are all in muted flashback tones. The background could even spread across page 25 if possible.

Panel 1
Medium panel. Another view of the writing desk. A new sheet of manuscript says:
"The months passed and Gotham staggered
back to near normality. My tenure as makeshift
aid worker came to an end, and with it, my sole
reason for living. Deferred grievances for Lucy
suddenly came flooding back, intermingled
with myriad troubling recollections,
sleep deprivation, survivor guilt, the stresses
and aftermath - my mind was not my own.
Like many around me, I was within touching
distance of becoming non compos mentis.
I heard a rumour that there existed a fund
for quakeproofing buildings in our area,
in Lucy's street! And that these monies
were squandered amid a sea of corruption.
Oh! How angry that made me!"

Panel 2
Flashback continues, still with Author's handwritten captions. This panel is split into half. (1) shows Author, now dressed in fairly tatty clothes, handing back his walkie talkie and armband to a GCPD cop. (2) Author sits at a table in a pale green room, with one elbow on the table, his hand on his forehead, looking stressed and going through his counselling. We can't see any counsellor. (There's a pot plant in BG, which we'll use later to identify this same room.)

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"Soon my luck took a fortuitous turn.
My aid coordinator, Barbara
Gordon, urged me to see a
counsellor to ease this unbearable
burden on my mind."

Panel 3
Flashback continues. We see Author laying in some kind of hostel bunk bed, writing away, in near darkness.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"My counsellor was an angel
heavensent! Almost immediately, I
found my mindset improving. Over
many sessions with my doctor, I
felt like a new man. My whole
dismal world took on a new light."

Panel 4
Flashback continues. We see Author in the counselling room again. He looks a bit tidier, a bit less stressed. This time we see him from a different angle, across the table, over his counsellor's shoulder. She is mostly in silhouette and we can't recognise her. The pot plant has grown somewhat.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"She asked me about what I had
enjoyed in my life with Lucy.
Writing was what I loved, so, like
Lucy, she urged me to write more.
To write a journal, perhaps of
Gotham's recovery, of my recovery.
To write like I was talking to
another person. Just write. Write -
as I am doing now."

Panel 5
Flashback continues. We see Author wearing the long coat he wears in panel 1. He seems to have procured it from somewhere amongst the post-quake chaos. He looks healthier and tidier now. This time he is sitting on some Victorian-looking steps leading up to a now missing house. In BG, building work is going on. Gotham is getting back to normal. He writes some more in a large notepad on his lap.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"When I told her about how I feared
going insane, she replied "When we
remember we are all mad, the
mysteries disappear and life stands
explained." She was so right! Oh,
how grateful I am to her."

Panel 6
Flashback continues. Counsellor's office. Author, looking better than before, shakes hands with Dr Quinzel. We might recognise her, but just in case we do not, her name is etched on the glass on her door in BG, back to front and partly obscured by them.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"In a matter of months, I felt
strong again. Thoughts turned to
retrieving Lucy's watch. Just this
once was I prepared to do
Cobblepot's bidding to recover it,
but I would make him regret the day
he ever crossed me. Heaven help me
I would!"

PAGE 25
Again, whole page told in flashback except for last panel.

Panel 1
From Author's POV, we see an eviction notice which lies on a grubby old draining board, along with some other unopened old junkmail letters, a lightbulb with broken glass and the filament showing, red gas bills, sundry keys including a big Chubb-style key, a biro, a bottle opener, a reel of duct tape, a dirty bronze hatpin-type pin with an ornate Celtic-looking quatrefoil head to it, a small hammer and a grubby old pink mug that says "World's Greatest Grandma". No direct speech.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"To me it was purely business..."

Panel 2
Author's POV. Author holds the creased eviction notice up so we can read it. Mainly it is just a red title with the rest Greeked out. Author, now gloved, holds the pin up to the words on the letter, as if reading it. In BG, we can see Bunting tied to a chair, sitting in the middle of the room (as seen briefly on page 5), red-faced and ranting sarcastically.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"...until something struck a chord."

BUNTING
She owed me a few hundred bucks! I
gotta eat too - I ain't no charity.
She didn't pay. She's out of here.

BUNTING (CONT'D)
Now you break in on me like some
freakin' Equalizer from Coney
Island just because she's a lil ol'
lady. Well, boo hoo.

Panel 3
Large panel, perhaps shaped like the outline of the two characters. From behind Bunting, we see Author looming large - angry, facing us, in his new and complete outfit. He stuffs the screwed-up eviction notice into Bunting's mouth as a gag. (This is the first time we see Author's masked face properly and it should be a powerful panel.)

BUNTING (CONT'D)
Ain't you got some ghost
train...mpphhh

AUTHOR
You don't realise how easy you're
making this.

Panel 4 + 5 + 6
Author's gloved hands nail the windowframe shut. Author's gloved hands turn the gas hob on.
Author's gloved hand screws the broken lightbulb into the ceiling light, which still has a grubby flowery lampshade.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting)
"From then on, I was just going
through the motions. The job was done."

Panel 7
Author continues talking as he walks out of the room, mainly concentrating on pushing the new spiky pin into his tie, holding a key in his other hand. Bunting struggles and mumbles.

AUTHOR
"And come he slow, or come he fast,
it is but death who comes at last."

Panel 8
Back to Author's manuscript on the desk, not in flashback. It says:
"Disinterested as I was in a power struggle
between rival scumbags over ownership of meagre
slum tenants, I felt a strange relief, almost
accomplishment, in fulfilling my promise to
Cobblepot. Bunting was a carbuncle on the face of
humanity and any regret I felt at the time, was
short-lived indeed. Whether Cobblepot was
destined to become a harsher landlord
was to become academic once I had
fulfilled the promise made to myself."

PAGE 26
Whole page is again told in flashback.

Panel 1
We see Penguin in his hideout, surrounded by the paintings, vases and sundry booty (as on page 15). He is reading a newspaper with his feet up, cigarette holder etc. Author stands in very close FG, with his back to us. The tall henchman is also present in BG.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting)
"I pretended to put aside our differences."

PENGUIN
I like the word "smithereens".
Nyuk! Nyuk! Well done, laddie.

PENGUIN (CONT'D)
You did far better than I expected!

PARROT (quietly)
Imbeciles!

Panel 2
Close on Penguin's hand as he rummages amongst his drawer full of loot and finds the watch.

PENGUIN
A deal's a deal.

Panel 3
Shaped panel. Close on watch as it is handed back. The glass is cracked as it was when Penguin took it.

PENGUIN (CONT'D)
Like the fancy new get-up too. Awk!

CAPTION (Author's handwriting)
"Once Lucy's watch was back in my grasp..."

Panel 4
Medium close on Penguin.

PENGUIN
For a job well done, I may have
something else you could have some
fun with, something from Uncle
Oswald's Toy Box. Something you
could put to good use for me, eh?

Panel 5
INT. Armoury room. Author crouches next to an opened chest in a darkened room with the henchman standing nearby. There may be shotguns etc hanging on the wall. In the chest, there are flashbangs, grenades, sticks of dynamite, various remote controlled triggers, boxes of bullets etc. Author holds a box of flashbangs which he has chosen to take.

AUTHOR
I don't know if I can handle this
much fun. One small box should
suffice.

Panel 6
Author puts Bunting's key in the chest's large keyhole.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting)
"...the tables were already turned."

PAGE 27
This whole page is set in a dark room, where Author has been writing. We see no background, just black. He himself is lit only by candlelight in every panel.

Panel 1
Quarter-page panel. We see the manuscript on the desk, left unfinished. Author is not present. His pen & tie pin lay on top of the paper. There is a candle close by, almost burned through. Manuscript reads:
"I repeatedly scoured the corners of my mind
to no avail. Try as I might, I could not imagine
a crime worthy enough, a victim so
'Penguinesque' in nature that only Cobblepot
could be considered the perpetrator.
My carefully-orchestrated gas explosion hardly
aroused the attention of the cretinous lawmen
that patrol this town. An avaricious money
man fleeces the people, sidesteps the law
and falls to an impeccable death at my
very feet. Where was the self-appointed
Caped Crusader while all this happened?
Must I send these fools an invitation?"

Panel 2 + 3
Quarter page panel combined. Putting on long coat. Putting on gloves.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"At long last, the perfect scenario
presents itself. A third act, so
perfect, so tempting, I can hardly
resist. The stage is set."

Panel 4 + 5
Quarter page panel combined. Putting a flashbang inside his jacket. It is mostly hidden from view by his hand and jacket. Putting the pin in his scarf.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
"Retribution on Lucy's killer."

Panel 6
Quarter-page panel. About to put his mask on, we see Author is David Balfour from the newsroom!

CAPTION (Author's agitated handwriting) (CONT'D)
"Nemo Malus Felix"

PAGE 28-29
Double page scene. Panels run across in three, ideally irregular and not parallel, rows. The brightness of each panel varies depending on whereabouts the characters are in the room and clouds covering the moon. Each panel should be between medium dark & dark, the brighter ones being the more action-packed scenes. [Note also that Walsh's appearance has changed considerably since the casino CCTV tapes. It should be consistent, but not the same.]

Panel 1
Distant shot. INT. Plush library room within a Gotham penthouse. Author sits reading a green hardback book. He is mostly hidden from us in a leather wingbacked chair, and is in the distance. It is night. (We can see this from dark sky, moon and city lights outside the window, some of which slightly illuminates this dark room. There are flimsy net curtains which hang straight. This flat is also quite high up - 3rd or 4th floor.) In FG running towards Author, there are several large cases of books, and in front of those stand other library objects such as a globe, some Parionware busts on plinths, a small stepladder etc. Around the room edges stands a demi-lune table, decanter, tantalus, vase, a painting,
perhaps a model ship etc The whole place looks a million dollars, and is.

Panel 2
Similar to Panel 1, only slightly more zoomed in. In FG, We see the legs of Walsh, in his dressing gown, barefoot, creeping towards Author, armed with a poker. (There is a P monogram on his dressing gown which we may see later).

Panel 3
Much closer, Walsh's POV. We see Author still in the chair, turning around to look at us, with the poker about to strike down on his head, the shadow of it across his face. He looks especially creepy in this half-light.

AUTHOR
The report of your death was an exaggeration.

Panel 4
Author whips up the demilune table like a lion tamer with a chair. The tantalus, decanter, photo frame etc all go on the floor and smash.

AUTHOR (CONT'D)
I wondered how long you would be! I
expected your silent alarm to alert
you sooner.

AUTHOR (CONT'D)
You really should've spent that
money more wisely, Mr Walsh.

Panel 5
Walsh takes a whack at Author who holds the demilune table higher to protect his head. One of the table legs snaps off.

WALSH
What money? Who's Walsh? Where did
you hear all these lies?

Panel 6
Author rushes Walsh with the table. Walsh careens backwards towards the book cases.

AUTHOR
Let's just say that a fat little
bird told me.

Panel 7
Close up on their faces. Author (right) pins Walsh to the bookcases (left). The demilune has the legs broken completely off now and only jagged stumps remain. Author grimaces.

AUTHOR (CONT'D)
I heard about the city funding for
quakeproofing historical buildings.

AUTHOR (CONT'D)
And I know it never happened,
except to this one - yours!

Panel 8
Walsh pokes Author in the guts with the poker.

SFX
ARRRGH!

Panel 9
Author creases over in pain, now having dropped the table, he is half-hiding behind one of the busts on a plinth, with one hand on his stomach and the other on the base of the bust. (It is a bust of Shakespeare like the one in the Batman 1966 show, only white).

WALSH
The money is my concern. Your only
concern is getting out of here alive.

Panel 10
Outline-shaped panel. As Walsh wildly swings the poker at him, Author grabs the base of the bust with both hands and swings it like a very heavy club, which hits Walsh on the chest/shoulder area. Small pieces break off.

SFX
OOOOF!

Panel 11
From the top of the stairs, we see Walsh looking horrified, falling backwards and clutching frantically at bookshelves along the walls of the stairs. A few books fall after him, along with the white Shakespeare bust. In FG, in the corner we see the back of Author's head, as he watches on.

SFX (CONT'D)
NOOOOOOO!

Panel 12
This panel is mainly filled with Walsh's body, viewed from the side, laying on a sub-landing at the bottom of the stairs. The Shakespeare bust is broken in a few large pieces. Some books lay on top of him and a pot plant at the bottom has fallen over, covered him in dirt & leaves. As Author descends the last few stairs, exhausted, holding his stomach, he tosses the green book onto the body which lays on a sub-landing at the bottom of the stairs. The green book is Ibsen's An Enemy of the People.

AUTHOR
"Peace visits not the guilty mind."

PAGE 30
Eight fairly equal panels, with the last one larger.

Panel 1
Close on Author's gloved hand, picking up a chunk of the broken Parionware. It is Shakespeare's face, but cracked diagonally across the mouth, so only the top half of his face remains. It is thin, rather like a white mask. (This is Author's keepsake from this crime).

Panel 2
Author walks away back up the stairs from the landing, taking the piece of Shakespeare's face with him, and slipping it into his deep coat pocket.

AUTHOR (CONT'D)
Nice place you had here.

Panel 3
Same scene, only this time, Vicki Vale (now not in disguise) & Bruce Wayne enter up the few steps to find Walsh's body.

CAPTION
Moments later...

Panel 4
Close on Bruce's fingers, feeling for a pulse in Walsh's neck.

BRUCE
Still warm. Dead, but still warm.

Panel 5
Bruce bounds up the stairs like a superhero, leaving Vicki at the bottom, mostly out of shot.

BRUCE (CONT'D)
I'd better check that nobody's around.

VICKI VALE
Oh Bruce, do you think you should?
I'll call for an ambulance.

Panel 6
Bruce enters the library. We see it from the same angle as earlier, with Bruce in FG and the window in BG. Bruce observes the damage. The window is open and flimsy net curtains sway in the light breeze.

Panel 7
Smaller panel. INT. Close on the window, as before, only with the curtains swaying much more. Bruce has just gone. We see mainly Gotham at night.

CAPTION
A few moments more...

Panel 8
Larger panel. EXT. Night. Batman stands on the corner of the penthouse roof, ideally above a small Art Deco eagle's head gargoyle, surveying the scene. Moon half-obscured by clouds. You know the drill.

PAGE 31
These last two pages take place on the rooftop. It is an undulating rooftop, gables, finials and chimneys etc. Not a flat roof, as is usually portrayed in comics. This is an historical building.

Panel 1
EXT. Rooftop. In FG, Batman turns around atop one of these higher gables, with his back to us. In the moonlight, we see in middle distance below, Author making his escape, glancing over his shoulder towards us & Batman.

Panel 2
EXT. Reverse angle. We see Author running towards us, with Batman gliding down over & behind him.

Panel 3
From the side, we see Batman lands on Author. They roll together in a kind of combined forward roll.

CAPTION (Author's handwriting) (CONT'D)
I relished the chance to humiliate Gotham’s so-called guardian where so many fools had failed.
Panel 4
We see Batman & Author in hand-to-hand combat, from the side in FG. In distant BG, we see Vicki standing in a roof access doorway. She holds her camera up to her face.
Panel 5
Batman’s POV. We see his gloves grab Author by the collar/neck. Author’s mask is coming off. At the same time, we see Author reaching into his jacket inside pocket.
BATMAN (fierce, zig zag speech bubble)
WHO ARE YOU?

SFX
PSSSSHHHH

AUTHOR
You will never know.

Panel 6
White.

Panel 7
Close on Batman’s face, with stars around his eyes. He is temporarily blinded.

PAGE 32

Panel 1
EXT Rooftop. We see the view as before from Batman’s POV, with the used flashbang can laying on the roof, only everything is still very white.

Panel 2
Side on view. Batman in profile, still looking dazed. Vicki in BG is much nearer now. She walks towards us, showing Batman she has her camera, but he can’t see her.

Panel 3
VICKI VALE
I took a photo, just as everything became bright. Maybe it’ll show who...

VICKI VALE (CONT’D)
The ambulance will be here any moment. Maybe you...

BATMAN
I’ll be ok. Once I get back to the Cave with your camera and...

Panel 4
Wide shot. Vicki supports Batman and they walk off together, toward the roof access doorway. (We leave it deliberately unclear whether she knows that he is Bruce or not.) In BG, we see wide Gotham skyline. In FG we see used flashbang can.

Panel 5
Close on Author’s pulled-off mask which lays on the rooftop.

BATMAN (CONT’D)
...once another madman is off our streets.

CAPTION
The End. For now.

Character descriptions:

Batman, Vicki Vale, Knox, Alfred, Bruce Wayne, Penguin (see below), Gordon, Bullock, Bock, Montoya, Dick Grayson, Oracle, Dr Harleen Quinzel all look as per usual.

Author looks somewhat like Derren Brown when "David Balfour", more like a Victorian gent with a translucent 1800s style mask on as Author (see illustration), and vaguely consistent when we see him as "Lucy's Boyfriend" or our mystery writer with his face hidden. As yet, he deliberately has no real name known to us.

Congressman Walsh should look something like the darts player John Part, but grumpier. He wears glasses and a beard originally, but they are removed at the end when he is going by the name of Peter Rick.

Randolph is any generic fat businessman, all pin stripe and braces. Perhaps like a fatter, greyer version of Rafa Benitez.

Lloyd Bunting should be immediately loathsome, a slum landlord not dissimilar to Fagin from Oliver Twist. There's a dealer on Real Deal called Snyder who would fit the bill perfectly.

Lucy looks like a cross between Lucie out of X Factor and Winona Ryder in Dracula. She needs to be an attractive young-ish doe-eyed girl of around 18-20yrs, who is a fan of the 1800s and AmDram.

GCPD Cop #1 & Cop #2 A tall hefty one who barges the door and looks like Martin Keown, who we shall call Stephen. The other cop, who turns the gas off, is a shorter Irish guy with red curly hair (so we can tell them apart easily). We shall call him Patrick Morris.

Penguin (rescuer) henchman, looks somewhat like Sami Hyypia.

Penguin (casino) henchman, similar to Author, only around 40yrs and balding. Looks something like the wrestler Jesse Ventura.

Rachel (cashier) brunette, around 40ish, looks rather world-weary after 20 years of Gotham and casino work.

Rachel (flashback) as above, only 15yrs younger, looking happier and prettier.

Old lady is Czech and looks somewhat like Mamma in Throw Mamma From the Train.