INT. BRUCE'S BEDROOM. -- LATER
Young Bruce's form can be seen huddled in the darkness of his bedroom. Aside from the rain falling outside, the only sound that can be heard is Bruce's continued anguish sobs. Lesly Tompkins can be seen trying to comfort him near his bed, but she is invisible to the boy.
LESLY TOMPKINS
Bruce, please let me help you. I know I can't know how you're feeling, but I know that YOU don't want to continue this way. Neither does Alfred.
She pauses.
LESLY TOMPKINS
And you're parents wouldn't either.
Bruce stops making noises. His face emerges from behind his arms, a look of pure rage showing in the dim light.
LESLY TOMPKINS
Bruce?
Bruce screams at the top of his lungs as he begins to tear apart anything he can get his hands on.
BRUCE
SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Lesly is beyond shocked at this outbreak.
LESLY TOMPKINS
Bruce stop it! You'll hurt yourself!
She tries to restrain him, but he fights her grasp, lashing out blindly, kicking over "something". Bruce's animal screams have brought Alfred to the door.
ALFRED
Bruce?! My god Lesly, what did you do?!
He rushes over to try to help Lesly restrain Bruce, but even with the two of them, it is difficult to control Bruce's rampage.
LESLY TOMPKINS
I didn't do anything, I was just speaking to him!
Bruce nearly over powers the both of them, but they eventually manage to wrestle him to the ground.
BRUCE
DON'T TALK ABOUT MY PARENTS! You're not them! Daddy, don't let him hurt mom! NOOO! I didn't do ANYTHING! I COULD HAVE SAVED THEM!! Their dead because of me. "I" killed them!!!
Bruce again dissolves into sobs as he stops trying to get away from Alfred and Lesly's hold, while they themselves are speechless. Alfred looks to Lesly in bewilderment, but Lesly has a look of understanding on her face, and guilt.
LESLY TOMPKINS
(quietly)
Oh God, I'm so sorry bruce.
ALFRED
What happened?!
LESLY TOMPKINS
(to Alfred)
I had no idea Bruce felt guilty about his parents death. I just said that they wouldn't want him to be upset. I guess in Bruce's mind, he feels that he deserves to be miserable.
Bruce has now cried himself to sleep, so Alfred and Lesly let go of his still form and let him sleep where he lays.
ALFRED
That's bloody nonsense! Bruce was not in the least responsible for what happened! How could you suggest such a thing?!
Lesly puts her finger to her lips, alerting Alfred to the sleeping bruce at there feet. Alfred gets the idea and he and Lesly walk towards to doorway so they can talk without disturbing bruce.
LESLY TOMPKINS
Alfred, "I" am not suggesting anything of the sort. Bruce is. His feelings of loss have been displaced by guilt. Perhaps because their killer hasn't been found, he has no face, so to speak, and Bruce is looking for someone to blame. It is also probably due to his young age. I'm sure he will eventually realize that he has no reason to blame himself for what, what happened...
She fades off, again being reminded of the horrible fate of her friends from so long ago. A tear drops from her eye, but she quickly regains her composure. Alfred sighs.
ALFRED
I miss the them to.
They both share the silence between them.
INT. WAYNE MANOR. -- DAY
Lesly is sitting with Alfred in the large mansion's living room. She is in the phone.
LESLY TOMPKINS
(on the phone)
Yes, some negligible improvement...I know, he's not physiologically stable yet, I think if more time is...yes, I will mention it to him, but I won't suggest it professionally, no, not until he has more time to sort through his feelings...I believe that isn't necessary, not yet. Ok, goodbye.
She hangs up the phone. Alfred has waited patiently.
ALFRED
Well?
LESLY TOMPKINS
I was reporting on my treatment of Bruce. Alfred, I have to be honest with you. Bruce has taken his parents death much worse then, well, frankly worse then I've ever seen ANYONE take to such a loss.
ALFRED
So, what do you suggest I.., We do?
LESLY TOMPKINS
Ordinary therapy doesn't seem to be having much of an effect on Bruce, and it's been eight weeks.
She pauses.
LESLY TOMPKINS
If Bruce doesn't come out of this fugue of his soon, he may never be able to live a normal life. More drastic measures may be necessary to help lead him back to a stable mind.
Alfred begins to see where she is heading.
ALFRED
An institution?
LESLY TOMPKINS
It may not have to come to that. It's up to Bruce. If he can show some signs of, a sign of heeling.
There's a long silence.
LESLY TOMPKINS
Alfred. DON'T let it come that. Please.
Her voice breaks slightly she finishes. Alfred closes his eyes for a moment, then he looks to Lesly with a look of determination.
ALFRED
I promise to do my best to help Bruce. I'm sure between the three of us, we can find a way for bruce to heal.
INT. BRUCE'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Bruce is sleeping, but not peacefully. He is twisting and turning in his bed. His face, a mask of pain. We enter his dreams.
A skewed landscape is seen, as far as the eye can see. The sky is full of dark clouds, twisted and ghastly. It is the graveyard where the funeral was held. Only here there is only one headstone, and it is immense, so much that it casts a long shadow, up until the face of Bruce Wayne, standing still, facing the huge distorted stone figure. We can only see bruce's face, his body is hidden in the headstone's shadow. Again, a storm begins to brew. Lightening flashes, and Bruce gets a good look at what the altered headstone now reads: "Thomas and Martha Wayne, parents of Bruce, their killer."
BRUCE
No!
He begins to stumble away from the headstone, and when he is out of it's shadow, he sees that his body is covered in blood. Bruce only gapes in horror as he examines himself, finding blood everywhere, but no more so the on his hands. He gives a gasp of fright and turns around, only to find himself in an ally. THE ally.
BRUCE
NO!! There's nothing I could have done!
He turns again to run, only he stops dead in his tracks. He sees his parents on there knees, a dark figure holding a gun to their heads.
BRUCE
Mom, dad! I'm coming!
He begins to run, but he seems to be running in place, gaining no ground. Then it happens, again. BANG. BANG. Bruce screams, as he now reaches his fallen parents, the dark figure still hidden in the shadows. Bruce reaches to his father, his face in a pool of his own blood.
BRUCE
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!
He turns his father's face over to be seen, and he sees it, covered in blood, when his eyes open. Bruce chokes in shock.
THOMAS
Bruce, you failed us!
Bruce staggers back, his father's corpse still looking at him with accusing eyes, when he bumps into the dark figure, now behind him. Bruce turns to look up into his face, and he sees himself.
KILLER BRUCE
Have a nice life kid!
And with that, the alt-Bruce puts the gun in his own mouth, and pulls trigger. The shot is still heard as Bruce wakes up panting and shaking. He looks at his hands, and again he shakes his head, not believing what his subconscious is telling him. He grabs his head, and runs out of his room.
EXT. WAYNE MANOR. -- CONTINUOUS
Bruce runs out the back of the mansion, where the light of predawn is splashing along the cliffs of the Wayne Estate. Bruce is drawn to the sounds of waves far below him. He is sobbing uncontrollably, in a state of mania. He makes his way to the edge of the cliffs, and there he stops crying. He just looks at the rolling waves, almost in a trance, when his faces changes. He begins to back up, wanting room for jumping. As he steps back, his feet feel the ground give way beneath him. He falls through a crack, a dark hole in which he disappears from the faint light of the coming dawn.