Children of the Knight
The Last Flying Grayson
written by
BirdBoy1994
edited by
ProfessorPoet1990
Based on characters appearing in
The DC Comics "Batman"
TEASER
EXT. GOTHAM CITY - NIGHT
Vivid sapphire sky. An intense moon is partially obscured by thin clouds. The air is filled with the wailing of police sirens and chatting crowds as a bat glides into view. It soars over the stone and metal towers of the bustling boroughs below.
The sounds of the city give way to carnival music as the bat swoops through a suspension bridge covered in stone gargoyles and gothic flying buttresses. The flying rodent snags a bug out of mid-air and lands atop a billboard that reads, "This weekend only, The World Famous Haley's Circus."
Far off behind the billboard, darkened carnival games surround an enormous, well-lit circus tent. Its vibrant red & yellow stripes contrast with the backdrop of the bridge from earlier.
INT. CIRCUS TENT - BACKSTAGE - NIGHT
A man, woman, and teen boy sport matching acrobat attire as the previous act walk backstage. Dick Grayson (14, a light olive-skinned pretty boy with blue eyes and a curly mop top) anxiously nods as the performers pass. John Grayson (40, a blue-eyed man with a warm presence and a strong jaw) puts his hand on his son's shoulder.
JOHN
Lighten up, Dick. Everything's gonna be fine.
Dick tries to interject, but Mary Grayson (40, a sweet, enchanting Romani woman with long curly hair) consoles him.
MARY
Don't fret now, miro chavo. Stage fright hits us when we least expect it, but after all the practice, you're gonna be great.
She gives the boy a motherly peck on the cheek, and he smirks.
INT. CIRCUS TENT - NIGHT
Amongst the crowd of cheering patrons, A BLUE-EYED, EBONY-HAIRED MAN in a black suit sits with his arm around his date. The couple shares a laugh as the ringleader, MR. HALEY, steps onto center stage.
MR. HALEY
Thank you, you've been such a wonderful audience. It brings me great pleasure to introduce our headlining act this evening. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Flying Graysons!
Spotlights point to the top of the king poles as John, Mary, and Dick all wave to the crowd. The safety net is removed as the ringleader continues
MR. HALEY
As always, this high-flying family will be performing their famous death-defying trapeze act without the safety of a net!
The audience stares with amazement as the gymnasts soar above them. Amid the roaring audience, a MOBSTER dressed in a brown coat calmly watches the acrobats. When the finale looks imminent, he produces a Motorola MicroTac flip phone.
CUT TO - Dick nervously grasping a trapeze on the king pole. He looks out for reassurance. The older Graysons nod from the far trapeze.
His parents sway forward. Dick swings towards them. The Mobster dials a number. Dick backflips forward and snags his parents' ankles. They rock the trapeze backward.
Dick uses the momentum to vault ahead. The crowd applauds as the boy executes a quadruple somersault to the far king pole.
As he sticks the landing; the goon hits call...
...BAM! A charge is set off where the trapeze is held together. Time slows. Sound fades away. The trapeze falls mid-swing.
John flails, desperately searching for stability that simply isn't there. Mary cries out to her son in terror.
Dick locks eyes with her. He futilely lunges out to grab them.
In that moment, time speeds along normally as the older Graysons plummet 40 feet. Sound comes back in as John and Mary hit the ground with a loud, solid thud.
The audience is flung into a frenzy as the Mobster slips out. The Ebony Haired Man jolts up. He stares at the bodies on the ground. His expression is of someone who's seen this sight before. He turns his gaze to the top of the king pole.
CUT TO - Dick wailing, half over the edge of the landing, arm still extended towards his parents.
END OF TEASER
ACT 1
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS - NIGHT
Red and white lights swirl along the side of Haley's big top. The fairgrounds are surrounded by blue and white Plymouth Diplomat cars as the Gotham City Police Department work to sort out this very public catastrophe.
Officers work crowd control along a police-taped perimeter. Detectives take statements all around the midway. Under the circus tent, forensic investigators survey the interior for clues.
We turn our attention to the tent's entrance where DETECTIVE RENEE MONTOYA (mid-30s, Latina, a 5'3" beacon of authority with endearing eyes) enters the crime scene.
She talks to the MEDICAL EXAMINER before making her way over to OJAS JINDAL(35, male, Indian, nerdy). He squats in front of the wreckage in a white hazard suit, sifting for clues.
MONTOYA
Hola. Find anything?
OJAS
Yeppers. We've recovered what looks like pieces of multiple pipe bombs. From what we've pulled, looks like there was at least half a dozen.
MONTOYA
How did no one see that many explosives attached to the rigging?
OJAS
No clue.
MONTOYA
Jesus, why go through all that trouble just to target two trapeze artists?
OJAS
Three.
MONTOYA
What?
OJAS
Did they not brief you? There were three performers. John and Mary Grayson, and their son.
MONTOYA
So where is he?
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS MIDWAY - NIGHT
Amidst the cops and carnies, a sullen Dick Grayson sits on a bench wrapped in a blanket. OFFICER ELLEN YIN (late 20's, female, Asian, strong yet sincere) watches over him.
Two ambulances reverse through the crowd as we see Montoya, Ojas, and the Medical Examiner exit the tent to greet them. The emergency vehicles stop in front of the big top entrance, just a few yards away from Dick and Yin.
The boy subtly directs his attention to the ambulances as THE CORONER (60, slender, apathetic) climbs out. He gives the Medical Examiner a half-hearted handshake and proceeds to enter the tent. The young man returns to staring at the ground as Yin walks over to meet Montoya.
MONTOYA
Hola Yin. How's the boy holding up?
YIN
As well as can be expected. Bennett tried to get a statement earlier, but it wasn't going anywhere. So the lieutenant sent him to interview the Ring Leader. He put me in charge of watching him in the meantime. The poor thing hasn't said a thing all night.
MONTOYA
Pobrecito. He's been here for hours too. And no one else has come for him?
YIN
Not even CPS.
MONTOYA
I'm gonna try to talk to him again. Can you see where CPS is?
YIN
On it.
Yin walks off as Montoya takes a knee in front of the boy.
MONTOYA
Hi Richard. I'm Detective Renee Montoya. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Montoya produces a water bottle as a peace offering. He doesn't respond. Montoya retracts the water and continues:
MONTOYA
If you're not ready to talk, I get it. Is there anything I can get you?
The boy shakes his head without looking up.
MONTOYA
So do you prefer Richard, or is there another name you go by?
(a beat)
Would you like if I called you Rich, or Ricky, or...
DICK
Dick.
MONTOYA
What's that?
DICK
Everyone calls me Dick. It's short for Richard.
MONTOYA
Well then, it's nice to meet you, Dick Grayson.
She holds out the bottle of water again. The young man looks up, grabs it, and takes a drink.
MONTOYA
Now that we know each other a little better, would you be willing to answer a few questions for me?
DICK
I'll do my best.
MONTOYA
Do you know of anyone would wish any harm towards your family or the circus?
The boy shakes his head.
MONTOYA
Can you think of anything strange or out of the ordinary that may have happened in the past few days?
Before Dick can answer, his gaze shifts past Montoya. The newly orphaned boy gives a mournful expression as the detective looks over her shoulder.
At the Big Top's entrance, we see two body bags wheeled out on stretchers. Dick sits in silence as he witnesses his parents being unceremoniously loaded into the back of the ambulances.
Montoya looks back at the now teary-eyed boy whose gaze is completely transfixed on the stretchers. She gives the boy an anguished apology, then b-lines for the Coroner. As the furious detective marches away, we ZOOM IN on Dick's teary eyes as he blinks...
MATCH CUT TO:
BEGIN FLASHBACK:
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS MIDWAY- MORNING
Dick opens his eyes revealing it's the morning before the accident. He sees two semi trucks unloading bleachers in the spots where the ambulances were.
MARY (O.S.)
Where are you?
Dick turns towards the call, revealing he's now in his street clothes. The midway is filled with crew members assembling booths and raising concession stands. Mary approaches her son in casual wear.
MARY
There you are. Why aren't you getting ready for tonight? If you're going to be doing your quadruple flip as the finale, then you need have it down perfectly.
DICK
I've still got loads of time, the stuff's not even up. Besides, I can't even do it without you and dad.
Dick rolls his eyes as Mary speaks a mile a minute.
MARY
You've done nothing all day. You haven't even started your warm-ups yet. Do you think I'll let you pull that crazy stunt tonight in you don't...
Dick groans and tries to calm his frantic mother.
DICK
Mom! I'm going to be alright, ok? I promise I've got this. I've been training as far back as I can remember, and I've been taught by the best.
Dick gives a cheesy smile and shrugs. His mother chuckles and rolls her eyes.
MARY
Alright smart aleck, but we still need to run through it a couple more times before tonight.
DICK
Of course.
Mary hugs her son and kisses his cheek. Dick sighs as he hugs her back.
MARY
(IN ROMANI)
I love you, my son.
DICK
(IN ROMANI)
I love you too mom.
MARY
Your dad and the others will be back soon with the new rigging, and as soon as those bars are up, we're rehearsing.
DICK
Yes ma'am.
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS BACKLOT - MORNING
Tall, temporary chain-link fences enclose a sea of unhitched semi-trucks, caravan trailers, picnic tables, and carnival performers. Dick enters this bustling backlot and heads to his family's trailer.
Along the way, the boy is greeted by fellow performers in Russian, Spanish, Italian, and French.
Dick in turn cheerfully responds each performer in their respective language as he finally returns home.
EXT. GRAYSON FAMILY CARAVAN - NOON
Dick exits the trailer in a blue and yellow leotard with track shorts while eating an Irish pasty.
While on his way to the midway, the boy gets sidetracked as he sees a Black Lincoln Mark VII pull up to the side gate of the backlot. As the immaculate car is waved through, Dick walks over to get a better look.
The car pulls up to the mobile office of Mr. Haley and two large men in black and gray semi-formal attire exit the vehicle. One of them is the mobster from the teaser. The men walk over and knock on the office door as the young man admires the car. While gawking, the boy spots a bumper sticker of a black skull with a white handgun in the middle of its forehead.
The Mobster from earlier notices Dick eyeing the car and calls out with a sneer.
MOBSTER
Hey kid. Look with your eyes, not your hands.
Before Dick can respond, the door to the office swings open
MR. HALEY
Can I help you gentlemen?
MOBSTER 2
As a matter of fact, you can. We're here to sort out a little hiccup with your payment. Don't worry, we can be very accommodating.
MR. HALEY
Please, step into my office.
The 3 men file into the roll off. Dick walks over to the window to eavesdrop, but is interrupted by his father.
JOHN
Whacha doing there, boyo? You should be heading over to help raise the new trapeze.
DICK
Hey dad, what's up with those guys?
JOHN
They work for the collections department for the scaffolding place. Apparently, something went wrong with the payment for the new gear, but they let us bring all the stuff over while they iron out the kinks with Mr. Haley.
DICK
Well that's cool, but they still seem kind of sketchy to me. Y'know?
JOHN
It's Gotham City, son. The whole place is kind of sketchy. Not everything that comes out of this city is that bad. You're a prime example of that.
DICK
I prefer to think I was born in the circus vs. born in Gotham.
John chuckles at Dick-
JOHN
Anywho, we better get back before your mother puts us both through the ringer.
DICK
Yes sir.
END FLASHBACK.
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS MIDWAY - NIGHT
We come back to Dick snapping out of his daze. Montoya is chewing out the Coroner. While she's preoccupied, Dick seizes the opportunity to sneak away and confront . He ditches the blanket wrapped around him and books it towards the back lot.
EXT. FAIRGROUNDS BACKLOT - NIGHT
Having slipped by the officers near the ambulance, Dick cautiously makes his way to Mr. Haley's trailer. Silently, the shell-shocked boy slides through the fence and B-Lines for the mobile office from earlier.
Creeping alongside the dimly lit trailer, the young acrobat hears voices inside as he slinks towards the back door. Through the window we see a fearful Mr. Haley backing away.
MR. HALEY O.S.
This circus is my family. If I suspected anything I would've prevented it!
BATMAN O.S.
(voice modulation)
Your expression says otherwise.
A chorus of shattering glass and furniture rings out. Frightened, Dick jumps away from the wall, and turns his attention to the nearby window, staying out of sight.
Through the pane of glass we see the Mr. Haley stumbling backwards, trembling.
MR. HALEY
Two men showed up saying they worked for Tony Zucco. They wanted protection money. I said no.
BATMAN O.S.
(voice modulation)
And you went to no one?
MR. HALEY
This isn't the first time the circus has been threatened. We've always taken care of our own, but there's never been this type of retaliation before.
Mr. Haley trips, knocking down a lamp on his way down. As he quakes in fear, the monstrous shadow of his interrogator grows larger on the wall.
MR. HALEY
There were no signs of tampering. We didn't know there was a bomb inside!
In that moment the dark figure rushes Mr. Haley, smashing the fallen lamp in the process. The interrogator grabs Mr. Haley, and pushes him against the window Dick is looking through, leaving a crack in it.
Simultaneously, Dick moves away from the window, hugging the wall just out of eyesight of the two inside the trailer.
BATMAN O.S.
(voice modulation)
What else aren't you telling me?
MR. HALEY
They told me if I came to my senses, I could still send the money to the warehouse.
BATMAN O.S.
(voice modulation)
Which warehouse?
MR. HALEY
Sionis Steel!
The man is let go as the silhouette of the dark figure can be seen leaving through the front door. We hear a sci-fi sounding engine rev up and peel out off-screen.
Heart racing, Dick waits to make sure the visitor is gone. Stunned by what he's witnessed, the lad takes a moment to let everything sink in.
Gaining some composure, the boy makes his way back to the caravans and containers, leaving Mr. Haley weeping in his trailer.
EXT. HALEY'S CIRCUS PACKING CONTAINERS - NIGHT
Diligently going through a few containers, Dick fills a backpack, dons the motor daredevil's jacket with pads and a yellow cape attached, and grabs green riding goggles and a helmet. He then proceeds to take one of the stuntman's dirt bikes, and ride towards the warehouse across the bridge.
END ACT 1
ACT 2
EXT. SIONIS STEEL MILL - NIGHT
Dick parks the motorcycle, ditches the helmet, and runs up to a towering steel gate. It's locked.
Through the fence, he spots a black car next to the building. The young man produces binoculars from the bag, and notices the skull sticker from earlier.
DICK
Gotcha!
Not missing a beat, the boy bags the binoculars and ascends the gate as if it were child's play. Dick runs up to the black car and discovers a slew of similar ones also parked alongside the warehouse. A more upscale black car is at the head of the line.
The boy walks to the front of the convoy and examines the luxurious ride, noticing a similar bumper sticker on it. This one brandishes a three-pointed crown in the middle of the black skull's head.
Our hero then peers through the windows of the sparsely lit building with his binoculars and sees MOBSTERS toting automatic weapons. We see the two Mobsters from the flashback are escorting an older, CHUBBY MAN with graying slicked back hair up a flight of stairs. The mobsters laugh as they enter the office at the top of the facility.
Teaming with rage, the boy backs away and searches for a way up to the office from the outside. After circling around the back, he finds what he's looking for. Effortlessly, Dick shimmies up a drain pipe to the roof.
EXT. ROOF OF THE SIONIS STEEL MILL - NIGHT
Chest pounding, the young man pulls out a dagger clearly used for throwing in a circus act. He examines the blade, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
DICK
This is it you bastards.
The nervous young man death-grips the knife and sluggishly creeps towards the door. As he moves, a seemingly familiar, monstrous shadow of a bat can be seen soaring above him.
In the blink of an eye Dick is tackled, dropping the blade.
The boy does a kip up and regains his footing. A MASKED WOMAN stands before him dressed in purple and blue tactical gear, a cape, and a bat-eared cowl with white eyes.
BATGIRL
(modulated voice)
You need to leave. Now!
Awestruck, Dick suddenly notices the knife on the floor and looks at the office door again. His eyes then dart between the knife and the woman before he dashes for the weapon.
Batgirl lunges for a double leg takedown, but the boy flips over her without missing a beat.
Taken off guard by this, the woman spins around and quickly closes in on the boy. She slides into a sweep kick, sinking the boy a few feet from the knife.
Frustrated, the young man does a backwards somersault and tries to tackle the masked bat. The woman wastes no time as she throws the charging teenager, subduing him in an armlock.
BATGIRL
(modulated voice)
Are you gonna stop this nonsense?
Wincing, knowing he's been beaten, the boy nods.
BATGIRL
(modulated voice)
Good. Now, look inside.
She turns his head toward the nearby skylight. Dick complies and she lets go. The boy sees dozens of guards amongst huge crates filled with guns. We see two spinning objects thrown from inside the building killing the lights in the area the gangsters are occupying. The guards yell as shots ring out.
Dimly illuminated by the moonlight and flashes of gunfire, the boy watches as the entire room of thugs are slowly disposed of one by one.
ROOF OF SIONIS STEEL MILL
The boy is startled by a sudden smashing of glass. He spins around to see what happened, revealing he is now alone on the rooftop. After a brief moment of confusion, he runs towards the edge of the roof to find the mobster from the teaser dangling from a tether that leads from a broken window.
As he gawks at the man he also spots that the gates on the opposite end from where he entered are open, and the luxurious black car is gone. Police sirens can be heard closing in from a distance.
In a panic, the boy finally retrieves the knife and hurls it off the roof. We see it land in the bushes outside of the facility.
Angry and overwhelmed, the young man climbs down and takes a seat on the curb. The sirens grow louder as Dick sits defeated, realizing his chance to find his parents' killers has slipped away.
EXT. SIONIS STEEL MILL - NIGHT
The first squad car screeches to halt. Its door swings open to reveal Montoya. She sprints towards Dick. His arms crossed and face buried. The detective kneels next to the boy, more relieved than angry.
MONTOYA
Thank God. What on Earth were you doing?
Abruptly, Dick raises his head, his eyes puffy and cheeks soaked. Montoya stops and embraces the bawling boy as police run past them trying to get control of the situation.
INT. RENEE MONTOYA'S SQUAD CAR - NIGHT
Dick sits forlornly in the passenger seat as Montoya drives them to the Gotham City Police Department.
MONTOYA
You want to get the guys who did this to your family. I get it. But you can't be going off on your own like that. If you had told me about those men who came by the circus, I could have helped. We would've gotten there sooner and figured out who was running the show.
DICK
Their boss is named Tony Zucco.
MONTOYA
(A beat)
And what makes you think that?
DICK
When I bailed, I went to talk to Mr. Haley. He said that those guys worked for Tony Zucco, and that they could be found at the scaffolding place. That's why I was there.
MONTOYA
How did you get him to tell you that?
DICK
I didn't. He was talking to someone else when I got there. I just eavesdropped.
MONTOYA
Who was he talking to?
DICK
I... I think it was the Gotham Demon.
When I got to the warehouse, he was already there.
MONTOYA
Wait a minute. You saw Batman?
DICK
I think so. I only heard his voice at the trailer, but at the warehouse...
MONTOYA
What about the warehouse?
DICK
I'm not entirely sure, but dudes were being picked off left and right like something out of a horror movie. It had to have been him. I don't know who else could do that.
Montoya shifts her gaze nervously, then continues.
MONTOYA
Alright. What else happened?
A flash of the altercation between Dick and Batgirl is shown. He freezes, then withholds that information.
DICK
Nothing. I just watched as that thing laid into those mobsters, and at some point Tony Zucco got away.
MONTOYA
You saw Boss Zucco?
DICK
If he's an old, Al Capone-looking dude that drives a high-end car, yeah. I think I did. He slipped out while it all hitting the fan.
Montoya sits astonished for a second, then sighs.
MONTOYA
This just got a whole lot more messy. I'm sorry Dick, but because of what you saw, you're going to have to go in for more questioning.
DICK
Because of the Gotham Demon?
MONTOYA
Because of Tony Zucco. We've been after him for years, mainly for extortion and arms dealing, but now for murder. He's managed to slip through our fingers with his lawyers and connections, but with your help we can tie him directly to this. A lot of things are about to be set in motion.
DICK
What's going to happen next?
MONTOYA
Well, now we're going to the precinct to meet with a CPS agent who is going to make arrangements for where you'll be staying tonight. Once I inform my superiors about what you've told me, you're going to become an expert witness in our case against Zucco, and be placed under protection. Meanwhile, they're going to begin the process of getting you situated with a new legal guardian. Your testimony is going to not only get a mob boss off the streets, but nail the person responsible for your parents' murder. Having said that, when they officially take your statement downtown, you need to keep one thing in mind.
DICK
What's that?
MONTOYA
You might not want to mention anything about Batman, Gotham Demons, or whatever else you want to call it. That would call into question the validity of your testimony.
DICK
You don't believe me?
MONTOYA
You just said you weren't certain what you saw. Dick, a witness claiming a monster intimated a circus owner and terrorized a
factory is gonna get laughed out of court.
(sigh)
Listen, do you want to get your parents' killers?
DICK
Of course I do!
MONTOYA
Then you need to leave that part out. I'm going to level with you. I'll be the first to admit how strange this city is, but I also lived here long enough to know how it works. We're already fighting an uphill battle to expose Zucco for what he really is. If you go in there talking about how a giant bat helped you do it, it's over. I'm sorry it has to be this way, and that you have to take this on in the first place, but I promise you that if you help us that we will be able to get that bastard. What do you say?
DICK
Alright. I promise I'll help you to bring Zucco down.
CUT TO- Montoya's car driving towards the city on the gothic bridge from the teaser. Roll credits.
END ACT 2
THE END