EXT. MONASTERY DAY – NIGHT
A Buddhist monastery in a mountainous region. A HOODED MAN with a backpack steps through the gate and walks down the dirt path. The gate opens behind him and an OLD MAN steps out.

OLD MAN
Where are you going, friend?

HOODED MAN
To Gotham City. I'm going home.

OLD MAN
Revenge will not bring you satisfaction.

HOODED MAN
Who mentioned revenge?

OLD MAN
A man who leaves in the middle of the night is a man who doesn't want his friends
to attempt to change his mind… I wish you would reconsider, but if you will not…
good luck.

HOODED MAN
…Thank you.

The HOODED MAN turns and walks away down the road.

EXT. GOTHAM ALLEY – EVENING
CAPTION: ONE MONTH LATER
BATMAN swings down on a wire, kicking a THUG in the back of the head. BATMAN lands and punches another THUG. He grabs THUG #2 by the throat.

BATMAN
I know Black Mask paid you to make a hit here. Who was the target?

THUG #2
…You.

A fire exit bursts open and dozens of other THUGS run out armed with knives, bats, pipes etc. BATMAN throws THUG #2 into the crowd knocking several others over. A fight ensues. BATMAN knocks out one guy but another jabs him in the back with a cattle prod. BATMAN convulses and falls to his knees. THUGS crowd around and start beating him with pipes and bats.

KNIFE THUG
Make way, let me at him!

A small round pellet hits the KNIFE THUG in the face, knocking him back. A huge cloud of smoke erupts from the pellet. The THUGS look confused.

THUG #3
Hey!

THUG #4
Where did that come from?

BATGIRL
Up here.

BATGIRL glides from a nearby rooftop landing in the fray. She kicks several THUGS at once, clearing space around BATMAN. BATMAN stands and the smoke clears. BATMAN elbows a THUG in the face while behind him BATGIRL kicks one square in the chest.

BATMAN
That was good timing Barbara. Why are you here?

BATGIRL
My dad's missing.

BATMAN
What?

BATMAN catches a THUG's bat as it comes down on him. BATGIRL punches a THUG.

BATGIRL
A crane operator on the docks saw a group of guys in clown makeup carrying
barrels into a warehouse. Dad figured Joker was up to something and went down
there with eleven officers, all armed to the teeth.

BATGIRL dodges a knife thrust. BATMAN punches the THUG with the cattleprod.

BATMAN
And Joker kidnapped them?

BATGIRL
I'm not sure. No one heard from him after he left the station. I put a tracking
device in his phone. Alfred's tracing it now.

A ring sound is head. BATMAN and BATGIRL each touch the right ear of their cowls while fighting/dodging THUGS.
SFX: RRRRING RING

BATGIRL
Alfred, tell me it's good news.

ALFRED(O.S.)
I can't be certain, Miss Gordon. I've traced your father's signal all the way to
the Eastside Harbour, but it stops by a warehouse near the dry docks.

BATMAN headlocks a THUG.

BATMAN
That area was home to a number of lead works in the past. The signal may be being
blocked.
BATGIRL kicks one THUG in the face while preparing to punch another.

BATGIRL
I'm going to check it out.

BATMAN grabs a THUG from behind, squeezing his neck with his forearm.

BATMAN
No. If Joker's behind this, he did it to get my attention.

A THUG shoves BATGIRL to the floor and runs away, hopping on a motorcycle.

BATGIRL

Son of a-

BATGIRL chases after the THUG. BATMAN grapples to a nearby roof.

ALFRED (O.S.)
Should I prepare the biohazard suit if you're going near that much lead, sir?

BATMAN
Very funny Alfred.

BATMAN heads to the docks via the rooftops.

INT. APARTMENT – EVENING
CAPTION: TWO WEEKS AGO
The HOODED MAN sits at a desk in a Gotham Apartment. The desk and wall are covered in maps, sketches and notes, as well as a needle and thread. A thick book rests in the centre of the desk. Written in it are dozens of names. The HOODED MAN makes a phone call.

HOODED MAN
Hello? It's me again… Riddler? No! It's… The Reckoner. I made placed an order
with you and you said phone back today. …Okay. …Alright. …I'll see you then.

EXT. GOTHAM STREET – NIGHT
A dingy street. Beneath a dull street lamp the HOODED MAN knocks on a metal door with no handle. A peephole opens. It's quite low on the door.

VOICE
Name?

HOODED MAN
Reckoner.

The door swings open and the HOODED MAN enters. The room is very dark, lit by a single light bulb hanging over a desk. The man who answered the door heads to the desk and climbs onto the rather high stool. It is JERVIS TETCH – THE MAD HATTER. He opens a box on the desk and removes a metallic headband.

HATTER
Here it is. My opus.

HOODED MAN
How effective is it?

HATTER
Total cerebral dominance. Manage to slip one of these onto the President, you
could become Dictator of America, hyeh.

HOODED MAN
Impressive. Though my target is much more local.

EXT. EASTSIDE DOCKS – NIGHT
BATMAN glides along at the Eastside Docks. He lands outside a warehouse whose main doors are already opened.

BATMAN
Alfred, I'm there.

ALFRED (O.S.)
I'll have Lucius on standby with the lead poisoning antidotes.

INT. WAREHOUSE GROUND FLOOR - NIGHT
BATMAN enters the warehouse. It's a large, relatively empty room. The only thing of note are fifty or so barrels with Joker faces painted crudely on them. BATMAN peers into one: it contains a mix of solid pieces in some sort of mushy substance. BATMAN takes a sample of it for later. He heads up the stairs.

INT. WAREHOUSE THIRD FLOOR – NIGHT
BATMAN enters the third floor. It is empty.
SFX: RRRRING RING
He touches his right ear.

BATGIRL
Oh… So the lead isn't blocking the signal.

BATMAN
I didn't want you getting involved with Joker if you didn't have you.

BATGIRL
Why not? I've been doing this for a while, Bruce, I can handle myself. If that
psychopath has my father, I want to help find him.

BATMAN (ignoring her)
I haven't found him yet. I'm on the third floor and there's no sign of anyone.

BATGIRL
Hmph. I caught the motorcyclist. I'm on my way to you now…

INT. WAREHOUSE GROUND FLOOR – NIGHT
Five men in clown makeup enter the warehouse. They douse the whole floor with petrol then set it alight.

INT. WAREHOUSE FOURTH FLOOR – NIGHT
BATMAN emerges on the fourth floor. It at first appears as empty as the others, then BATMAN notices a table in the centre of the room, beneath a spot light. He approaches. On the table is a book, the same book from the HOODED MAN'S desk. Twelve more names have been added, the last of which is 'JAMES GORDON.' The PA system above the table crackles.
SFX: KRRRR KR KRRR

VOICE (O.S)
I see you found my list. Unfortunately I wasn't able to trace back further than
couple of years, but… I figure it's enough to make my point. I had added myself
but then I decided if I did that then I'd have to include a couple of hundred
cases of limps… amputations… brain damage. In the end I decided to be brief and
just include your friends gathered downstairs.

BATMAN
I don't enjoy trading philosophy with a PA system. Show yourself.

Twelve men in identical outfits step out from behind support pillars. They wear black robes, similar to those worn by lawyers. They also wear black coifs with white masks covering their faces. One man wears a sash reading 'Foreman.' They encircle Batman. Another man emerges, dressed similarly to the others, but wearing a lawyer's wig. He continues to speak into the microphone.

HOODED MAN (In-person and via speaker)
You seem disappointed. Were you expecting the Joker?

He tosses the microphone aside.

HOODED MAN CONT'D
Sorry for the deception but the Commissioner was unlikely to come out for
anything less than the big guy.

BATMAN
If you're not with Joker then who are you, 'your honour?'

HOODED MAN
I'm no judge Batman, merely a lawyer. And I brought you here so you can be held
accountable before a jury of your peers.

BATMAN
Accountable for what?

Close up on the HOODED MAN. Around his eyes, burnt skin can be seen.

HOODED MAN
For the lives you have ruined.

- END OF PART ONE -