1988
Around Park Row, a happy and laughing family exited a theater. "The Mask of Zorro" was the presentation the family was watching. The family composed of gifted physician and philanthropist Thomas Wayne, kind and beautiful Martha Wayne, and their innocent and playful thirteen-year-old son Bruce Wayne.
THOMAS:
Any thoughts on the movie, Bruce?
BRUCE:
Not bad! Zorro was pretty cool.
THOMAS:
Maybe you can grow up to be Zorro!
MARTHA:
Thomas-
Before Martha could conclude her sentence, a man dressed in black emerged from the shadows of the alley. He took out a pistol and aimed it at the family.
ARMED MAN:
Money, now!
Thomas stopped walking, shocked and horrified. His wife and son were also struck with fear.
ARMED MAN:
DO IT!
Thomas quickly nodded and handed the armed man his wallet.
THOMAS:
Please, take it!
The armed man aimed his pistol closer at Martha.
ARMED MAN:
Jewelry!
A terrified Martha complied and took out her rings. She gave them to the armed man and reluctantly looked at her pearl necklace. It was an anniversary gift from her husband.
THOMAS:
Martha, give it to him.
Martha's hand stumbled on the necklace, but the armed man grabbed Martha and ripped off the necklace. The necklace broke and the white shiny pearls descended to the wet ground.
THOMAS:
Please, sir. We don't want any trouble.
BRUCE:
Dad?
THOMAS:
Everything will be okay, Bruce.
Thomas slowly and peacefully approached the armed man.
ARMED MAN:
Get away from me!
THOMAS:
Please-
In the blink of an eye, the armed man squeezed the trigger, and a bullet hit Thomas in the abdomen. Thomas yelled in pain, and fell to the ground, dead. Martha screamed in horror as she watched her spouse die.
MARTHA:
Help!
ARMED MAN:
Shut up!
Martha tried to run away, but the armed man grabbed her and silenced her with a round to the belly. Sirens were heard, and the man fled. Terrified, Bruce fell to his knees and put his hands on Martha's wound.
BRUCE:
Mom, dad!
A barely-alive Martha focused her eyes onto her son's tear-stained face.
MARTHA:
Bruce, I-
Martha died. Bruce looked at his father, who was unsurprisingly dead. Bruce continued to cry, with the rain according his tears. As he angrily stared at the running bastard who murdered his family, the Gotham City Police arrived at the scene. Bruce looked down at his deceased parents, refusing to leave their side. Police detective James Gordon ran over to the grieving boy.
BRUCE:
Why didn't you arrive sooner?
James sadly stared at Bruce and his dead parents, not knowing how to answer. Bruce looked at "The Mask of Zorro" poster and his wet blood-stained hands.
Days later, at school, the shy and distressed Bruce was walking through the hallway. Everyone sympathetically stared at Bruce, as the news spread fast. Bruce tried to walk to his class-
VOICE:
Bruce!
Bruce turned around to find Vicki Vale - aspiring news reporter and popular classmate, walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around him.
VICKI:
I'm really sorry about what happened, Bruce.
BRUCE:
I appreciate your concern.
Bruce finished hugging Vicki and went to his class.
Later, Bruce was standing outside of Wayne Manor, watching in the distance. The wind blew his hair, and he continuously thought about the traumatizing incident. Clearly, he still hadn't recovered from the experience.
BRUCE (V.O.):
For obvious reasons, Park Row was later renamed Crime Alley. I couldn't completely move on and diminish the trauma. The beautiful and glamorous city I grew up in was starting to get infested with crime. So I did what I could do.
A younger Alfred Pennyworth walked outside Wayne Manor to see Bruce standing in front of Wayne Manor, as a few bats flew over the mansion. Bruce knew from that moment forward what he was gonna do.
BRUCE (V.O.):
I fought to preserve it.