Terry walks in wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
The dog is barking, running up to him, and Mary isn't far behind.
"I don't even want to know," she says, after taking in her half-naked son. "I was going to ask why your brother had to take the bus home, but I don't want to know. From now on you will either be here, at school, or picking up and dropping off Matt. Do you understand?"
"Fine," Terry mumbles. The dog is still barking.
"And you need to get rid of that animal."
Terry has been walking away. Now he freezes, looking back at his mother, angry. "What?"
"It made a huge mess, it's constantly barking, the neighbors are complaining, and I can't afford the extra rent and deposit. Get rid of the dog."
Terry marches toward his room. "If he's going, I'm going, too."
"Terry—"
The door slams between them. Mary looks exhausted. She gives up, walks away.
In the bedroom, Terry throws a few clothes on and sinks to the floor, staring at the mess of boxes in front of him. In a short montage, he rifles through the things, apparently looking for something, finding nothing. Finally, he throws himself back on the bed. He glances over. Batman's cape is lying beside him.
He rolls it up, stuffs it into a bag, and heads out.
Interior dance hall. Strobe lights and pulsing music. The place is dark, the crowd manic. Terry sits off to the side, his eyes probing the crowd. Finally seeing something, he presses forward.
"Dana!"
Dana turns around, and her expression goes cold.
Terry starts to say, "I've been trying to call you," but she interrupts.
"I don't want to talk to you."
"I'm sorry."
"Dad is right, you should just drop out of school. Why bother pretending you're ever going to do anything with your life? It's all a big joke, right? I'm just part of the joke!"
Terry fumes. "I said I'm sorry."
"I'm not your jailbait anymore," she sneers, turning to the boy at her side. "Come on, Nelson."
They melt into the crowd together. Terry stands with his back to the camera, fists knotted, motionless in the sea of dancers.
Exterior club. Terry approaches the dog, which is tied to a street lamp. Terry has just undone the leash when his phone rings. Looking at the screen, he sees a picture of his mother and rolls his eyes. After thinking for a moment, he picks up.
"Hello—"
Mary is sobbing. "Terry?"
Cut to interior McGinnis apartment. Mary has been roughed up. She and Matt are tied back to back on the floor, next to an overturned lamp. A gloved hand has been holding the phone up to Mary. Now we pull back to see a thuggish figure wearing a mask that completely conceals his identity, even disguising his voice.
Now he speaks into the phone. "What does Derek Powers know?"
Cut back and forth from the apartment to the club.
Terry looks helpless, terrified. "What?"
"I have your mother and your brother at gunpoint. Better answer honestly. What does Derek Powers know?"
"I – I don't know! He asked if I found any of my dad's work stuff. He offered me money—"
"What did you tell him?" the thug demands.
"Nothing! I figured he was just trying to find out whether he had to kill me, too!"
Terry hears a gunshot. He flinches, starts screaming, "No!" The dog barks nervously. Terry is fighting tears. "Man, I promise, I don't know anything and neither does Powers! Just tell me what you want and I'll get it for you! Please!"
"One last chance to tell the truth," the thug growls.
"Oh, God, that's the truth. That's the whole truth."
There's a click. Terry looks at the phone. CALL ENDED. Still holding the leash, he breaks into a dead run.
