Season 2 Episode 17: Trial
My name is Bruce Wayne. When I was 8 years old, my parents were killed by an evil. And so I made a promise to fight that evil. I traveled the world for 18 years, and returned to Gotham City to protect it. Now I have new allies, helping me in my crusade, but I also have new enemies. New threats have arrived in my city, and I must stop them. I am vengeance. I am the night. I am the Batman.
Previously on the Batman...
Shadow is Hush who is Tommy Elliot
Hush gave Gordon evidence on the true identities of Batman and Robin
Batman and Robin are now outlaws
Robin has been caught and unmasked
Hush has lead the police to Bruce Wayne in the Batcave
Bruce has hid his gadgets and has taken apart his Batboat and Batwing
Tommy smiles and grapples out of the Batcave when the elevator comes down. Bruce pulls out his keys and presses a button. The Batmobile turns red, Telltale style. Gordon and another squad of police officers run into the Batcave and point their guns at Bruce.
"Don't move!" Gordon yells.
They all look around at the cave.
"Is this your hideout?" Gordon asks.
"Not exactly a hideout. It's my...Man-Cave..." Bruce answers.
"Wait, what?"
"I'm a really big fan of Batman. Like I LOVE him. Like look over here!" Bruce exclaims.
He runs over the Batsuit.
"It's an exact replica of Batman's Batsuit! It's so cool! And what about this car! It's just like the Batmobile! Aw man, it's amazing. I had that...worker guy over at Wayne Tower build me one just like Batman's." Bruce fanboys.
"Eugh."
"This cave, I think, used to be a lake or something but it dried out, and when I found it, I knew I had to make it into my own collection of Batman memorabilia."
"Well, this is still pretty suspicious, so...we're still taking you in."
Gordon puts Bruce in handcuffs.
"That's okay. Actually, I really wanted to make my car black, but I couldn't. I was thinking about painting it, but then it would just look ugly. Plus it washes off really easily. Do you have a car just like Batman's? You should buy one. Actually you might not have enough money. It's pretty expensive. Maybe I could lend you some money, if I ever get my company back..." Bruce babbles.
The Batman
The cell door closes and Bruce and Dick stay in the same cell. Bruce sits on his bed as Dick rests his head on the bars, with a bandage on his leg.
"It'll be okay, Dick." Bruce says.
"You don't have to lie to me, Bruce. I know it's not." Dick replies.
"We CAN get out of this."
"They found me wearing the Robin suit. How do I come up with an excuse for that in court?"
"Barbara's life could be on the line. We have all night to come up with something."
Dick nods. The news reports on the arrests and the court planning. Alfred watches this from his new house on the TV. He hears a knocking on his door and goes to answer it, seeing two detectives.
"Mr. Pennyworth?" They ask.
"Yes?"
"I assume you've heard about the Batman case. We need to ask you a few questions. I'm afraid you'll have to come back to Gotham."
Hush watches the news as well before heading into the base.
"Finally, the final steps of my plan are being realized." Hush states.
"What are you talking about?" Barbara asks.
"Everyone knows the Batman's secret. That he's Bruce Wayne. He and Dick Grayson have been arrested. If I understand, weren't you two dating?" Hush asks.
"So Wayne was Batman the entire time?" Penguin says.
"Yes." Hush answers.
"And why didn't you tell us?"
"Who cares? You know now."
"So is this it? Is the plan over?"
"Almost."
"Then why is she still alive?"
"Just in case Bruce and Richard don't get sent to prison. We can use her as she was originally intended to be used. As leverage."
"This feels anticlimactic. You did most of the bloody work, why even bring us into it?"
"I needed Crane's toxins to control Gordon, and I needed you to take Wayne's company. You're a businessman."
"And Riddler?" Barbara asks.
"He was just here to go through the plans. Of course, I meant to use that other guy...but he quit before we could. Shame." Hush answers. "But you shouldn't be sad, Cobblepot. Be happy! We beat the Batman! Crane, continue your research! Cobblepot, enjoy your company! And I'll enjoy my revenge."
Penguin walks out of the sewer base. Meanwhile, Bruce and Dick talk with their lawyer before going out for trial.
"I need to know everything, guys." Mrs. Rian states.
"I'm just saying. I was a big fan of Batman, and so I cleared out my...'basement' to fill it with my collectibles. I even made replicas using the money I have...had. I even dress up in the suit sometimes. That explains the photos." Bruce explains.
"When did you take the photos?"
"I didn't. I don't know who did."
"Hm...Mr. Grayson, what about you?"
"I saw the chase throughout the streets, so, in my Robin suit, I ran after them before the real Robin fell, and dropped a smoke bomb. He disappeared, but we must've gotten mixed up and I was arrested."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"...okay."
Bruce and Dick are taken out into the courtroom. Later, Lucius goes up to the stand.
"Mr. Wayne asked me to make him a car and suit that are the ones that you're investigating."
Mr. Henry, the prosecutor, asks another question.
"When did he ask you to make these?"
"...I don't remember the exact date. A few years ago, I think. He didn't tell me why."
"No further questions."
Another few minutes pass by when Alfred takes the stand.
"Do you, Alfred Pennyworth, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I swear."
Alfred sits down.
"So Bruce and Richard have stated that they're just really big fans. Is this true?" Mrs. Rian asks.
Alfred looks at Bruce.
"Every time I walk around Wayne Manor, I see the two of them running around in their little costumes. It's quite amusing actually. Master Wayne actually did ask me to help him clear out the cave underneath the house so he can set up all of his items." Alfred says.
Mrs. Rian turns to the jury.
"Batman had gadgets, and weapons, and tools. None of which were found inside the cave when searched. Batman was spotted with a plane and a boat, once again, were not found inside the cave when searched. If Mr. Wayne really was the Batman, where are those requirements? They were not found. Right, Mr. Pennyworth?" Mrs. Rian exclaims.
"Correct." Alfred answers.
"No further questions, your honor."
Mr. Henry stands up.
"I would like to call to the stand, Dr. Thomas Elliot."
Bruce turns to see Tommy taking the stand. He looks at Bruce, and winks.
"I don't know. Every time I would talk to Bruce, he would always have these strange bruises and cuts and injuries on him. Then I would watch the news and find out that the Batman received the same injuries that night. He would also have to go in a hurry a lot of times. He would just all around act suspicious." Tommy says.
"Hm mm. What do you personally think, Dr. Elliot?" Mr. Henry asks.
"Me personally? I think he is the Batman."
"He thinks he is the Batman. His closest friend."
Bruce scowls. Later, Mrs. Rian stands up.
"I would like to call Commissioner James Gordon to the stand."
Gordon sits next to the judge.
"So Commissioner, in the flashdrive with the evidence you provided us with, there were photos with Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson wearing their costumes without masks. And blueprints for the car and the suit, which Wayne admitted to building after being such a big fan. Where did you the blueprints?" She asks.
Gordon looks at Tommy. Tommy nods.
"I got them from Oswald Cobblepot, who discovered it in the files for Wayne Enterprises." Gordon answers.
"You can say that these photos were taken from inside Wayne Manor, right?"
"Yes."
"Then how did you get those?"
"Get what?"
"The photos. Where did you get them?"
"I, uh..."
"They're just photos, Commissioner. How did you require them?"
"Um..."
"Did Mr. Wayne ever let you into his home?"
"...yes. On Halloween and around Christmas."
"Bruce, were you wearing your Batsuit on Halloween and/or Christmas?"
"No." Bruce states.
"Did you welcome Commissioner Gordon into your home at any other times?"
"Not that I recall." Bruce says.
"So how did you get these photos from Wayne Manor?"
"Uh, I...um...I..."
"Because it seems to me like a huge invasion of privacy. Where'd you even get the flashdrive in the first place?"
The doors behind Mrs. Rian blow open and several armed thugs run inside.
"Everyone on the ground! Everyone on the ground!" They yell.
Everyone lies face down on the floor as an armed thug runs up to Bruce on the floor.
"This is for the 6 ribs you broke last month!" The thug yells.
Then a window in the courtroom breaks. They all turn and see Batman, standing there.
"What the fuck?" The thug says and turns his gun.
Batman charges and knocks the gun out of his hand. He pushes the thug to the ground before lightly headbutting another. He grabs the gun from one's hands, and breaks it in half. He grabs one thug and throws him halfway across the courtroom. One thug gets up, and runs away. Bruce stands up and sees Batman, standing there. Batman narrows his eyes before running towards the broken window and hops through it.
The next day, Bruce and Dick walk into Wayne Manor under house arrest. They meet up with Alfred and hug him.
"Al, it's great to see you again." Bruce greets.
"We missed you." Dick says.
"I know. Christmas Eve, I said terrible things." Alfred confesses.
"But you were right. I stopped doing Venom." Bruce says.
"Bottom line, it's good to have you back." Dick states.
"Obviously you couldn't handle yourselves while I was gone. What's happened?" Alfred asks.
"Shadow is named Hush. He kidnapped Barbara. We took down Riddler. Hush drugged Gordon with fear toxin. Barbara's possibly dead, all of Gotham knows our identities, we've been arrested, Hush is Tommy Elliot, and me and Dick are taking a polygraph test tomorrow." Bruce explains.
"Good lord, I wasn't gone that long."
"So...who was that other Batman in the courthouse?" Dick asks.
"A friend. He owes me a favor." Bruce answers.
"Who?"
"So what was the decision of the jury?"
They turn and see a man walking up to them with glasses on.
"They haven't decided yet, Clark. We're finishing it up tomorrow. Thanks for the work, by the way." Bruce answers.
"You're welcome. Now we're even." Clark says.
"Do you need help with anything else?"
"Can you help me track down a Kryptonian trying to release several other Kryptonian prisoners trying from another dimension so they can take over the Earth?"
"...no."
"I thought not."
"Wait, is that a thing that's actually going on right now?" Dick asks, worried.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it."
"Thanks again, Clark."
"No problem."
Clark takes off from Wayne Manor and into the sky.
"...you're friends with him." Dick states.
"Yeah. Go inside, explain everything that's happened to Alfred." Bruce replies.
"...okay..."
"Is your name Bruce Wayne?"
"Yes." Bruce says inside the GCPD building hooked up to a polygraph machine, with Gordon and an expert. sitting across from him.
"Are you married?" Gordon asks.
"No." Bruce replies.
"Are you the Batman?"
"No."
Gordon looks at the expert. The expert looks back.
"Continue." He says.
"Did you kill my daughter?"
"No."
"Are you just Batman's number one fan?"
"Yes."
Gordon turns to the expert. He shrugs.
"I'm done here." He states and leaves the room.
Bruce exits and sees Dick standing outside.
"Polygraph tests are easy to beat. Just stay clam and you can lie easily." Bruce whispers.
Dick steps inside the room. Back in court, Mr. Henry is making his case.
"So Richard Grayson just happens to look exactly like Robin, and just happens to seen in the same place as the real Robin? But no, they got 'mixed up.' Are we really expected to believe this?" Mr. Henry exclaims.
Mrs. Rian walks into the courtroom and hands the polygraph test results to the judge. Bruce and Dick sit down.
"Everything okay?" Bruce asks.
"Yeah, but I think there might have been a slight flutter in my answers." Dick says.
"Jury?"
"We have come to a decision, your honor. On the count of vigilantism, breaking and entering, tampering with evidence, possible endangering of a minor, murder, and assault and battery, we find Bruce Wayne..."
Bruce and Tommy stare. Alfred and Lucius look down at the floor.
"...not guilty."
Bruce breathes a sigh of relief as Alfred and Lucius smile. Dick puts his hand up for a high five from Bruce, but Bruce ignores him. Tommy scowls with anger. Bruce turns to him, and winks.
"On the count of vigilantism, breaking and entering, tampering with evidence, assault and battery, and assisted murder, we find Richard Grayson..."
Dick looks at them.
"...guilty."
Alfred and Lucius look shocked. Bruce turns to Dick who puts his head into his hands. Tommy turns to Bruce and smiles.
"The court hereby orders that Richard Grayson spends the rest of his natural life in Blackgate Prison. And may God have mercy on your soul."
The judge slams his gavel. The news reports on the story.
Wayne had no idea of Grayson's involvement with the Batman. Grayson was seen multiple times wearing the Robin suit, but unknown to everyone, it was a real suit. Barbara Gordon's body is still missing, as Grayson has been sentenced to a life sentence in Blackgate Prison.
Bruce sees Dick being escorted into a police van and driven away. Bruce steps into his limo, before looking next to him and seeing Tommy there. Bruce immediately grabs him by the throat.
"Why the boy? ... Why the boy?!" Bruce yells.
"I'll tell you if I could." Tommy musters.
Bruce lets him go.
"Thank you." Tommy says.
"Where's Barbara?" Bruce asks.
"She's alive. Trust me. She is. And that's because I'm using her as leverage. The only reason I kept her alive."
"What?"
"You will turn yourself in as the Batman in the next 24 hours, or I will kill Barbara."
"We were friends, Tommy. Why are you doing this?"
"Because I will not be satisfied until I know that you're spending the rest of your life, rotting in a jail cell. And I will do anything to accomplice that goal."
"Dick's innocent. Leave him alone."
"24 hours."
Tommy leaves the limo. He pulls the tracker off his collar and drops it onto the ground.
"How predictable." He comments.
The Batman
A guard walks up to Dick's cell.
"There's been a change. We're moving you to Arkham." The guard says.
Dick is driven to the Asylum and walked through the halls. He sees Killer Croc and Riddler, and Two-Face in the cells before being locked inside of one. One doctor walks up to his cell.
"It is good to see you here, Mr. Grayson. I am Professor Hugo Strange, and I am your psychiatrist." He says.
"I'm not crazy." Dick states.
"Sure you aren't. I am looking forward to our interview so we can talk about...Batman..."
Next Time on the Batman: Birds of a Feather (2x18)
With time running out, Bruce becomes Batman to try and reverse all the damage Hush has caused, while also contemplating whether he should give it all up to save lives.
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