Gotham
Act 2
Scene 1
INT. POLICE OFFICE –NIGHT-
We are back outside the interrogation room, after BATMAN interrogates FALCONE. HARVEY DENT and JIM GORDON are waiting for him.
DENT
Did he talk?
BATMAN
Not directly incriminating himself, but I got a story on this JASON kid, and his dealer DAMIAN STEPS. GORDON, is there any word on the whereabouts of JASONS father?
GORDON
He hasn’t been seen since he left work yesterday afternoon. But I did get his story.
BATMAN
Spill it.
GORDON
His name is EDWARD CHARLES NASHTON, 48 years old. He’s a collage psychology professor. He is married to RITA NASHTON.
BATMAN
Tell me something I don’t know.
GORDON
As a child, he was extremely intelligent, to the point where his own father was jealous. He was often abused.
Action
HARVEY DENT cringes, but no one notices.
GORDON
He is a master of riddles and puzzles. He is also a computer expert.
BATMAN
Is he known to be abusive to his wife or kids?
GORDON
Nope, but he is known to be a real hard ass on grades. He would often yell at his children’s teachers if they gave his kids a bad mark.
BATMAN
Ok, what about STEPS, what is his story.
GORDON
His real name is DAMIAN STEFANO, but he deals under the name STEPS. He is 25 years old, and repeated two grades. He is well known for getting kids hooked at a young age. Been arrested three times, out on probation, also hasn’t been seen in the last 24 hours.
BATMAN
And you find nothing suspicious about that?
Action
GORDON gets a call on his radio.
DENT
You think STEPS killed them?
BATMAN
I don’t count anybody out.
GORDON
Well you better count STEPS out now, they just found him. His body has just been found in the old Ramen Tunnel, he is dead.
Scene 2
INT. RAMEN TUNNEL –NIGHT-
BATMAN, ROBIN, GORDON, and DENT are at the scene of DAMIAN’s death.
Action
ROBIN inspects the crime scene.
ROBIN
What a horrible way to die.
GORDON
Indeed, boy wonder. We place the time of death around 4 hours ago. No finger prints.
ROBIN
What happened to the window?
Action
They walk towards the two way mirror.
GORDON
That is a two way mirror, like the ones we have at the station. Apparently the killer wanted to see his work unravel.
BATMAN
Are there any suspects?
GORDON
No witnesses, this place have been long abandoned.
OFFICER KENT
Sir, I found something.
Action
OFFICER KENT holds up a tape, with a note that reads “To the DARK KNIGHT.”
GORDON
It looks as though you’ve been challenged to some sort of confrontation BATMAN.
Action
They put the tape into a microcassette player, which has been provided as well.
THE RIDDLER (on tape)
I have great respect for your profession. Or at least, I used to. I used to watch criminals go to jail every day, because of your help. I used to look up to you for that. But then I realized something. That your nothing to be afraid of, BATMAN. With brains, anyone can beat you, including me. You will find me to be your most dangerous enemy yet, due to you having not learned what it means to take a life. I intend to teach you what it takes to defeat an enemy that lies within your own head; after all, education is important. I will leave you two hints to my current location, because you can never learn what you aren’t told. The first hint: What state do people like seeing but not being seen in? Second hint: What is big and bulky, but unable to be seen? Good luck, caped crusader.
BATMAN
Well, COMMISIONER, it looks as though you were wrong about NASHTON, he’s back with a vengeance.
Scene 3
INT. POWER PLANT –TWILIGHT-
THE RIDDLER is at his hideout, which is an abandoned nuclear power plant. He is now wearing a pinstripe suit, white shirt, and green tie.
Action
THE RIDDLER is at his work desk, welding what looks like a question mark cane.
THE RIDDLER
Riddle me this
Action
THE RIDDLER presses a button on the cane, and a long harpoon shoots out, and hits a picture on the wall.
THE RIDDLER
Riddle me that, JUDGE CARROWS.
Scene 4
INT. HARVEY DENT’S OFFICE –MIDDAY-
HARVEY DENT is working on the FALCONE case at his desk, then FIELDS comes in.
HARVEY
Yes?
FIELDS
Sir, I got those FALCONE files you asked me to get.
HARVEY
Good job.
Action
HARVEY grabs the files. FIELDS looks at HARVEYS cluttered desk.
FIELDS
Wow sir that sure is a lot of work. Do you ever plan on leaving?
HARVEY
I got a trial tomorrow JOHN, maybe I’ll sleep afterwards.
FIELDS
What if you lose?
Action
HARVEY reaches into his pocket and pulls out a coin.
HARVEY
FIELDS, a case is a lot like this coin, you have a fifty-fifty chance of winning. Heads.
Action
He flips the coin, which turns out to be heads.
HARVEY
And in my case, I usually win.
FIELDS
Are you saying you always win?
Action
HARVEY nods
HARVEY
All I do is win, because that’s all I need to do.
Scene 5
INT. BATCAVE –DAY-
BRUCE WAYNE and DICK GRAYSON are at the computer, trying to figure out the answers to the riddles provided. ALFRED walks in.
ALFRED
Can I interest you in a sandwich sir?
BRUCE
I’m fine, DICK?
DICK
Sure ALFRED, a sandwich would be great.
Action
DICK slams a newspaper on the table. The title reads “BATMAN and the BOY WONDER, Puzzled by a RIDDLER?”
DICK
God damn it!
BRUCE
It’s just a title, DICK; these guys have to make their money some way, and bad news-
DICK
It’s not the negative publicity! I’m sick of being known as “THE BOY WONDER”! I’m sick of being known as the sidekick. I’m 19; I should be the main event, not the sideshow!
BRUCE
Well, what do you want from me? To quit being BATMAN, so ROBIN can be the hero? For what?
DICK
I’m not going to be ROBIN forever! Soon, it will be ROBIN’S revenge, where I’m my own hero! Tell ALFRED to send my sandwich to my room.
Action
DICK goes away, and BRUCE goes back to his computer.
Scene 6
INT. A BANQUET HALL –NIGHT-
JUDGE CARROWS is tied to what appears to be a giant target. The target lies in the middle of a wall, which is about 50 yards in length. THE RIDDLER’s voice goes on the intercom.
THE RIDDLER
All sit, for the soon to be burial of JUDGE CARROWS! The sacred JUDGE, who time and time again has been called “a soon to be supreme court judge”, is going to hell, for bowing to corruption, and letting mob bosses bribe him! How does he plead?
Action
An arrow shoots the far right side of the wall.
THE RIDDLER
Oh, only the answer of a question for his sins will save him here? I will ask you one question, and if you’re correct, you shall live. Ready to prove you aren’t scum?
Action
Another arrow shoots, this time a little closer to him, but still far away from him.
THE RIDDLER
What is it that nobody can get enough of, but no man what too much of? Oh and there’s a four guess limit, so I would think very hard.
JUDGE CARROWS
Food?
Action
An arrow shoots closer to him, and he can see, that the end of the arrow is shaped like a question mark.
JUDGE CARROWS
Ok, it isn’t food, can it be life?
Action
Another arrow shoots near him.
THE RIDDLER
No, it can’t be life, because right now you can’t get more than what you have!
JUDGE CARROWS
Money! Nobody wants too much of it, but nobody can say no to it!
Action
An arrow shoots.
THE RIDDLER
Just like my arrow, your answer is close, but not there yet!
JUDGE CARROWS is now disheartened, and has no confidence at all in himself. He realizes that anything he would say is wrong, so he says.
JUDGE CARROWS
I plead guilty, on charges of bribery and corruption.
Action
JUDGE CARROWS closes his eyes and waits for an arrow to pierce his body. After a minute of nothing happening, he opens his eye, and the board electrocutes him.
THE RIDDLER
Shocking, isn’t it, that you are literally given the answer; power. You let out the men who killed my son, or gave them lightened punishment because they had power. Well, now you are literally made of power.
Scene 7
INT. COURT ROOM –DAY-
HARVEY DENT is late for what he was told is court. When he walks in, however, the only person in the room is JOHN FIELDS.
HARVEY
Um, sorry I’m late?
FIELDS
Not late, right on time. JUDGE CARROWS is dead.
HARVEY
What?
FIELDS
Yep, he was killed yesterday by the RIDDLER. FALCONE was let out this morning. Funny thing about FALCONE; he hates you, so he requested something of me.
Action
FIELDS takes out a gun.
FIELDS
Still feel your wining?
Action
HARVEY is frozen with shock, but wakes up right when FIELDS shoots. The bullet grazes the side of his head.
HARVEY
It’s a good thing that I never took you hunting fields; you would have scared all the animals.
Action
FIELDS takes out a small flask, and walks towards DENT. He takes off the cap.
FIELDS
It looks like I just got a promotion.
Action
FIELDS pours the acid on DENTS left side, while the right side was covered by a piece of wood from the balcony.
END OF ACT 2