Batman and Robin - A New Serial

by RevolutionMan

New adventures of the dynamic duo in script form. It presumes NO connection to any established continuity, but will obviously borrow heavily from the mythos without being an origin story. Some characters will be re-named. Some "laws" will be broken. A serial adaptation that will progress until it isn't fun for me anymore. Enjoy.

7. 7 - Rosevale

INT. BATCAVE

A beleaguered Robin winces in a chair as Alfred's steady hands sew shut the gaping bloody stab wound in his shoulder left by Zomyaev. He's also hooked up intravenously to a blood bag.

Batman pulls up King's bio on the large monitor.

ROBIN
That's him. That's the third man from the hotel. He hired Verity, and he's the one who had her killed.

BATMAN
His name is William King, aka "the Clock King". Obsessive compulsive, meticulously executes his plans down to the second. He fancies himself an English gentleman, even though he's Irish.

ALFRED
(scoffs)
Damn, Irish.

BATMAN
There are currently ten active warrants for his arrest in over four countries, mostly for heists of one kind or another. It's rumored he was the one behind the Central City Museum robbery a couple years back. The take from that job alone was estimated at over thirty million and would be his greatest theft to date, if it was actually him.

ROBIN
What he's got planned is bigger than that. I heard him say it.

Batman works at the computer.

BATMAN
I've been doing some research, trying to identify possible targets that have anything to do with the water or boats. There's a new cruise ship leaving port in Miami in three days, called the "Millennium Star of the Sea". It's the largest cruise ship on the planet and tickets for her maiden voyage are in high demand. There's going to be a lot of money on that boat in the accumulated wealth of its passengers.

ROBIN
(shakes head)
No, this is going down tomorrow. I heard him tell Verity this was the eve of the biggest job of his life.

Batman cycles through to another potential target.

BATMAN
The Dutch Ambassador, Esmee Brecht, is due to arrive at Port Lawrence at three tomorrow afternoon. Her mother and father were both killed in a plane crash when she was seven, so she never flies. Estimated net worth: $112 million.

ROBIN
Why would he need an engineer to kidnap or assassinate an Ambassador?

BATMAN
Nothing else stands out as an immediate target. Unless he slips up between now and the morning, we might have no choice but to assume the target is somewhere in Gotham Harbor and just cover our home turf.

ROBIN
That's a big assumption.

ALFRED
And an even bigger harbor.

BATMAN
Rosevale's stuck in the harbor until the Sionis takeover goes through. Maybe Bruce Wayne should pay them an unscheduled visit in the morning. I could let the hardware planner take me on a tour of the data center; see how much dust all those empty servers have collected since the DoD contract fell through.

Batman turns away from the computer and walks over to inspect Robin's wound.

BATMAN
How's the shoulder?

ROBIN
Hurts.

BATMAN
I wasn't asking you.

ALFRED
The blood made it look worse than it is, but I'd be interested to hear what Dr. Thompkins has to say in the morning about the scans I sent her.

ROBIN
Is this the part where you yell at me?

BATMAN
I'm not going to yell at you. You're an adult. You're old enough to learn from your own mistakes. I just wish you would, before you get yourself killed. If you had given me your location-

ROBIN
You would have sent me home, King still would have gotten away, and it'd be your shoulder Alfred would be stitching up right now.

BATMAN
I would have gotten King.

ROBIN
There were three of them.

BATMAN
I'm Batman.

ROBIN
That's not an argument!

ALFRED
Hold still, please, unless you want this scar jagged like a bow-legged street walker from Cardiff.

ROBIN
They split up. The only way to get King would have been if you had had my back, if it had been Batman and Robin working together; one of us taking on the goons, while the other cut off the exit route. But you're too busy playing dictator. I'm your partner, not your pawn.

BATMAN
The proper move would have been to follow them back to their hideout.

ROBIN
I couldn't do that.

BATMAN
Why not?

ROBIN
Because I couldn't!

BATMAN
That is not an argument.

Robin fights the urge to scream. He exhales deeply and hangs his head.

ROBIN
They killed her right in front of me. He shot her right in the chest.

Batman and Alfred share a concerned look as Robin exhibits a moment of vulnerability and regret.

BATMAN
This isn't the first time you've watched someone die. It's not even the first time this week.

ROBIN
It's also not the first time this week it was my fault. Isn't that what you're trying to say?

BATMAN
You made it personal. You can't ever make it personal.

ROBIN
And this isn't personal for you?

Robin taps the bat symbol on Batman's chest several times in succession.

ROBIN
This? This, here? Don't tell me this isn't personal.

Alfred finishes the last stitch and picks up a pair of scissors. Robin looks back.

ROBIN
Are we done?

Alfred cuts the stitching thread.

ALFRED
Finished.

Robin stands up, yanks the IV out of his arm, and gets in Batman's face.

ROBIN
You're not pulling me off this case. I'm going to the harbor tomorrow, with or without you.

BATMAN
I believe you.

ROBIN
Start working up where you want me while "Bruce Wayne" takes his tour of Rosevale. I'm taking a shower.

Robin walks off. Batman and Alfred watch him go.

BATMAN
Did that punk just give me an order?

Batman walks away to start working up a plan. Alfred shakes his head.

ALFRED
(under his breath)
Takes after his father.

Alfred cleans up.

EXT. ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

If you were to only look at the clear blue sky and bright sun, you might think we were somewhere tropical, sunbathing on a beach with a mojito. You would be wrong.

Bruce Wayne emerges from a limousine driven by Alfred. He wears a trim tailored suit and thousand dollar sunglasses. Around him, the port is bustling, with monstrous ships both loading and unloading their cargo containers via enormous cranes.

But Bruce's eyes go only to Rosevale; a cross between a stealth ship and a barge carrying what looks like half of a sideways black skyscraper with the Wayne Enterprises logo emblazoned across it. It is ugly, immense, and... alone. She just sort of sits there in the water. All the work being done is being done around her.

Two additional vehicles pull up behind Bruce. His entourage consists of Lucius Fox, twin administrative assistant BILLIE and SOPHIA (30's, brunettes, hired for beauty but retained for capability), and bodyguards JAYAKUMAR (weathered tough) and STADEN (just tough).

LUCIUS
Thought you were skiing.

BRUCE
You can ski on water.

Lucius shakes Bruce's hand.

LUCIUS
Have you ever met Coughlin? You don't have to laugh at his jokes. You're the boss. Just know that we're all going to be very uncomfortable if you don't.

Lucius leads Bruce towards the ramp to board the ship.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

CAPTAIN MIKE COUGHLIN (60's, skinny, full of himself) leads Bruce's group on a tour of the main deck, along with hardware planner GEORGE ARGENTA (50's, round in the middle, crewcut).

COUGHLIN
Behind you is "Kansas", our house; that's the crew quarters, the mess, hospital, and rec room. One day, I'm gonna figure out how to drop it on my ex-wife.

Bruce and Lucius share a look. Coughlin continues...

COUGHLIN
In the ass section, we don't have a hold, but you've got your engines, weapons system, sonar and radar detection grids, and the bridge command center, where I mostly just pretend.

BRUCE
Don't you mean the "aft" section?

COUGHLIN
No, I mean the ass section. She's got a big ass, don't you think? Kind of like my ex-wife.

The ladies look uncomfortable. Finally, Bruce smiles to break the tension.

LUCIUS
I'm sure Mr. Wayne would very much like to see the command center. It's quite impressive.

BRUCE
Yes, show me the toys.

Coughlin sighs and begrudgingly leads them to...

INT. COMMAND CENTER - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR

The extra large command center looks more like something you'd see on Star Trek than a ship of the line. There's a centralized captain's chair on a swivel so whoever is sitting in it can look straight on at whichever of the various command stations in the round he chooses. This is all on an elevated platform overlooking the operations center, where maintenance and observation of the engines, weapons, and other key systems takes place.

Despite its massive size, only a skeleton crew of four people man the controls.

Captain Coughlin continues the tour.

COUGHLIN
On the open water, today's typical barge can travel safely up to around thirteen knots. That's around fifteen miles per hour. Thanks to Rosevale's advanced hydrofoil propulsion system-

LUCIUS
Courtesy of Waynetech's Applied Sciences Division.

Bruce winks at Lucius.

COUGHLIN
-Uh-huh. As I was saying, we can actually almost double that speed, traveling close to as fast as one of Uncle Sam's submarines. Can't do it sitting in the harbor, of course, but what are you gonna do?

Bruce takes a seat in the captain's chair and makes himself comfortable.

BRUCE
How do you fire the guns?

COUGHLIN
We never got our guns, but we do have anti-aircraft countermeasures, a pair of mid-range Hypertiger missiles we could probably be arrested for still having onboard, and a stealth mode option that renders us virtually undetectable to sonar and radar providing we aren't traveling at top speed, they don't have our transponder frequency, and we aren't visible to any Tom, Dick, and Harry who simply looks out the window at our giant fat ass.

ARGENTA
Would you like to see the data center now, Mr. Wayne?

BRUCE
Yeah, sure, whatever.

Bruce stands. Coughlin reclaims his chair.

COUGHLIN
I have some work to do here. I'll see you again at lunch.

Bruce and Lucius follow Argenta. The entourage follows.

SOPHIA
(to Billie)
Thank god. If I have to listen to that man talk about the ship's ass one more time, I am going to scream.

BILLIE
And what's with that smell? Is he wearing ladies perfume?

They laugh.

INT. SECURITY DESK - OUTSIDE DATA CENTER - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR

Argenta leads the group to the security desk just outside the data center where a single security guard, FREDDY HAMWICK, guards the door and monitors the security feed.

ARGENTA
Freddy, here, is our resident guard dog. Freddy, I'll need the door.

Freddy stands to greet them.

FREDDY
Just give me one minute to pull that up.

ARGENTA
(to Bruce and Lucius)
Ordinarily, access to the data center is restricted. You need a security badge and then there's fingerprint authorization.

Argenta points to the fingerprint scanner.

ARGENTA
Additionally, these doors are titanium, and once you go through the first one, you're subjected to a quick x-ray scan, like when you go to the airport.

BRUCE
They do that?

Argenta looks confused. Lucius to the rescue.

LUCIUS
Mr. Wayne has his own private jet... and airport.

ARGENTA
Oh. Well, okay. It's harmless, but access is restricted to one person at a time. Since we're a large group, Freddy's going to override it, anyway.

FREDDY
(to Argenta)
I just need your access code, George.

Argenta shows Bruce and Lucius a pager-like device he removes from his belt buckle.

ARGENTA
This mobile code generator, or MCG, generates a new seven-digit access code every eight hours based on the half-life of a small radioactive element inside. It's completely random and totally secure.

Argenta shows Freddy the code. Freddy enters it into the computer and a red light over the door turns green.

FREDDY
You're all set.

ARGENTA
Thank you, Freddy.

Argenta opens the door and escorts the group into...

INT. DATA CENTER - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR

The data repository; basically rows and rows of metal cabinets filled with servers, only a few of which are actually running.

ARGENTA
We have about fifteen thousand square feet of raised floor space on three different levels; about a thousand racks housing anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five servers each. That comes out to around twenty-two thousand servers. Not all of them are on, of course. The ones that are, mainly serve as a backup to our own server farm in Des Moines.

BILLIE
(looking around)
Where are all the people? It's like a graveyard.

ARGENTA
There's about as much to do. When we signed on, we were going to be partnering with the Department of Defense as the world's first fully mobile data repository. We would hold all of their top secret information and keep it on the move so terrorist organizations and other aggressive foreign powers couldn't ever have a single site to target. Now, we pretty much just sit here.

BRUCE
But it's all state of the art. Good old fashioned 21st century money pit.

LUCIUS
That should change soon. We're in the process of locking down new customers, as well as convincing legacy accounts to make the switch over to our new platinum service. Don't you worry, Mr. Argenta, we'll have you logging overtime hours and complaining about holiday pay soon enough.

Argenta nods as the tour continues.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

A bit later, Bruce walks the main deck alone. He walks up to the railing and looks out over the harbor, taking in the fresh air, but wary of the attack he expects is imminent.

BRUCE
Report.

EXT. PARKING LOT - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

At the highest point of elevation in a visitor's parking lot, Alfred sits inside the limousine monitoring police channels.

RADIO (V.O.)
Fifty-five, please advise, will you be 10-15 with 657f's?

Alfred lowers the radio volume.

ALFRED
All clear from my vantage point, sir. Though, I do believe I witnessed a seagull giving your car the stink eye.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce allows himself the slightest smirk.

ROBIN (V.O.)
Clear from above.

EXT. TOP OF CRANE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Perched at the top of the highest unused crane, Robin, wearing a jetpack, keeps a lookout.

Directly to his right, a seagull gives him the stink eye.

ROBIN
But I did find Alfred's seagull.

The seagull squawks at Robin.

ROBIN
He's a jerk.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce leans against the railing.

BRUCE
All right. Wait another thirty minutes, then check in with Gordon. See if he got anything out of Zomyaev and Slagg.

Lucius walks up behind him.

LUCIUS
I'll never fully grasp how you manage it.

BRUCE
Manage what?

LUCIUS
To slip out of a crowded room, with state of the art security - security I designed, mind you - where you're the main focus of attention, all without anyone noticing.

BRUCE
Occupational necessity.

LUCIUS
Tell that to Jayakumar and Staden. You don't pay them enough to embarrass them on a regular basis.

BRUCE
Point taken. Give them a raise.

Lucius smiles.

Bruce sniffs the air, grows concerned.

BRUCE
You smell that?

Lucius sniffs the air. They look around.

ROBIN (V.O.)
Trouble.

A far off siren wails.

Bruce and Lucius run to the other side of the deck where they see thick plumes of black smoke billowing up from the hold of a massive cargo carrier docked nearby.

BRUCE
Alfred, bring the car around.

Bruce heads for one of the ramps leading back to the dock.

EXT. PARKING LOT - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Alfred steps on the gas and the limousine tears out of its parking spot on its way back to the dock.

EXT. TOP OF CRANE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Robin affixes a breathing filter to his mask, then stands and faces the direction of the plumes of smoke. He spreads his arms out at his sides as his cape goes rigid in the shape of a hang-glider. Air explodes out the back of his jetpack and the Robin takes flight.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce reaches the top of the ramp just as his bodyguards, Jayakumar and Staden, appear on deck.

JAYAKUMAR
Mr. Wayne, you shouldn't go off on your own like that.

Staden sees the smoke.

STADEN
Jesus, that's a lot of smoke.

More sirens go off, closer. Emergency lights on the Rosevale flash.

COUGHLIN (V.O.)
Attention. Attention. We've just received word from the dockmaster. One of the cargo ships is on fire. Emergency procedures mandate we evacuate the ship. Repeat, all personnel, evacuate the ship.

BRUCE
(to Staden and Jayakumar)
Where are the girls?!

Argenta, Freddy, Billie, and Sophia emerge from a door leading inside.

ARGENTA
What's going on?

BILLIE
Oh, my god!

FREDDY
Look at that!

SOPHIA
Is that a fire? Is something on fire?

Captain Coughlin and the four members of the command center skeleton crew come running from the direction of the command center.

COUGHLIN
Everyone off the ship!

He spreads out his arms and herds them like sheep down the ramp. He very nearly knocks Billie right off her feet.

EXT. GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Emergency marine firefighter boats sail in the direction of the smoke, sirens wailing, emergency lights flashing.

EXT. CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Black as night smoke pours out of the massive vessel's cargo hold. Soot stained crew run down the ramp to the dock to evacuate. They hold their sleeves to their faces to try and filter the air as they breathe it in. All are coughing.

Some of the crew can't get off the ship due to being on the wrong side of the smoke. They jump overboard to escape.

The incident commander, CHIEF LINCOLN, barks orders to FIRST RESPONDERS.

CHIEF LINCOLN
Get everyone back! Come on, everyone off the ship!

Lincoln intercepts a UNIFORMED MAN coming off the Orinoco.

CHIEF LINCOLN
Hey, hey, I need to know what we're dealing with!

UNIFORMED MAN
I don't know! We're only carrying grain, wheat, nothing crazy.

CHIEF LINCOLN
All right, get back. Get back!

He turns to his men.

CHIEF LINCOLN
We need masks!

EXT. MAIN DECK - CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Robin lands on the deck and activates the infrared frequency on his mask's lens clips.

ROBIN'S POV: We see the infrared heat signatures of crewmen running for their lives. We see some jump overboard. There are three crewmen collapsed on a flight of stairs leading down into the hold whose heat signatures we can clearly see.

ROBIN
What the-? Where's the fire?

Robin runs for the hold.

EXT. ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce lets the women run down the ramp first, then Lucius and Argenta. At that point, his bodyguards physically drag Bruce down the ramp, who is followed by Captain Coughlin. Jayakumar and Staden are a little too zealous, though, and run right up onto the heals of the slow-footed Argenta, knocking the man flat on his face at the bottom of the ramp.

Bruce and Freddy help Argenta to his feet.

Two firetrucks and an ambulance pull up. Three EMTs get out of the ambulance. We only see the chief's face as he approaches.

EMT CHIEF
(to Bruce)
Is everyone all right?

Bruce watches as several firemen run onto the Rosevale.

BRUCE
Yea. Where are they going? The fire's way over there.

EMT CHIEF
There's been a threat made on the port.

Lucius overhears.

LUCIUS
Terrorists?

EMT CHIEF
We're not sure, but we have to clear every ship. Is there anyone still onboard?

COUGHLIN
You need to go to that first block. There might be a few men from the night shift still sleeping.

EMT CHIEF
All right, we need everyone to stay back. There's a staging area about half a mile that way if you need medical attention. Can you get yourselves there?

The EMT Chief points.

LUCIUS
(nods)
Yeah.

EMT CHIEF
All right, you need to go. Go now!

All three EMTs follow the firemen onboard the Rosevale. Bruce watches them with suspicion.

INT. CARGO HOLD - CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Smoke fills the hold. If not for his mask lenses and breathing apparatus, Robin wouldn't be able to see or breathe. He runs past the first two crewmen on the steps and reaches the third. He removes the grappler from his belt and soft-releases the grapnel to gain access to the rope inside.

He bends down and ties a knot around the man with the rope.

ROBIN
Really hope you didn't eat breakfast today, guy.

BRUCE (V.O.)
Report.

ROBIN
A little busy. I'm in the hold of the ship. I've got three down, trying to get them out.

BRUCE (V.O.)
I can't get to you right now. Can you tell how the fire started?

ROBIN
No fire.

Robin runs to the second crewman and ties a knot around him with the same rope line.

EXT. ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Over by one of the firetrucks, Staden and Jayakumar frantically search the nearby area.

Around a shipping container, Bruce hides from their sight.

BRUCE
What do you mean there's no fire?

ROBIN (V.O.)
I mean, there's no damn fire. I've got nothing on infrared. It's just a lot of smoke.

Bruce furrows his brow.

INT. CARGO HOLD - CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Robin finishes tying up the third man.

ROBIN
I gotta go.

With the three men tied to the line, Robin fires up the jetpack. He rises into the air a few feet, but the weight of all three men holds him down like an anchor.

ROBIN
Dammit! Come on!

Robin gives it more power, but it isn't enough. He shuts it down and lands on the stairs.

Thinking fast, Robin takes the rope and passes it over his shoulder and under one side of the jetpack. He then uses the jetpack as a boost to help him climb the stairs manually, dragging each man up behind him one step at a time.

EXT. ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Confused, Bruce walks toward the firetruck while deep in thought. Staden and Jayakumar see him and run over.

JAYAKUMAR
Sir!

STADEN
Mr. Wayne, we must insist you stay-

Bruce sees Argenta showing Freddy the MCG from before.

BRUCE
What's wrong?

Argenta shows Bruce the MCG.

ARGENTA
Oh. Landed on it when I fell. Damn thing broke.

The splashing of water is heard.

A great "WHOOSH" emanates from the rear of the ship as the hydrofoil engines come online and the vessel begins to move. Everyone looks.

COUGHLIN
Why the hell are the engines on?!

Bruce, suddenly piecing everything together, grabs the MCG from Argenta's hand and reads the last number; "8-2-5-1-2-1-2". It's the same number the referee at the shock match gave to Pryce, and is the code that gives unfettered access to the data center contained within the ship.

Bruce immediately turns and runs for the nearest ramp leading back onto Rosevale.

JAYAKUMAR
Mr. Wayne!

Jayakumar and Staden chase after him.

BRUCE
(to Robin over radio)
The smoke is a diversion. The target is Rosevale. Repeat, the target is Rosevale.

Bruce runs up the nearest ramp just as the Rosevale starts pulling away from the dock. Jayakumar follows, but Staden stops at the bottom of the ramp.

The ramp twists and falls into the water. Bruce jumps and grabs onto the railing, pulling himself up and onboard. Jayakumar is too late and falls into the water.

Bruce looks back at the dock just as Alfred pulls up in the limousine and gets out. They stare at each other a moment, from a widening distance.

Bruce move away and gets to work.

EXT. MAIN DECK - CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Smoke continues to pour out of the cargo hold for several seconds... and then...

Jetpack and legs strained to their max, Robin climbs out of the hold, dragging the three crewmen behind him. Firemen wearing oxygen tanks and masks board the ship and run over to help, each taking a different crewman.

With the crewmen safe, Robin takes a moment to catch his breath, then runs to a place with a clear view of the harbor to search for the Rosevale.

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce hides behind a corner to spy on a group of fake firemen, led by an EMT we now recognize as Foulkes. One of them holds what looks like a rocket launcher they must have smuggled onboard disguised as some other piece of equipment. But instead of a rocket, they load it with a round device about the size of your average landmine. We recognize it as one of the devices King was working on in his clock shop.

One of the thugs latches himself to the ship's railing so he can safely lean over the side. He fires the launcher, sending one of the mines directly toward the side of the ship near the water line. It magnetizes and sticks to the hull.

ROBIN (V.O.)
I see the Rosevale. Moving to pursue.

BRUCE
(whisper)
Wait. Do not approach. Something's happening.

ROBIN (V.O.)
Say again?

Foulkes loads the launcher with another mine and the thug shoots it against the hull a few feet away from the other one.

BRUCE
They're affixing some sort of mines to the side of the hull. My guess is, if anyone makes a move on the ship, they'll sink it. Likely hostages onboard. You have to contact harbor patrol, the coast guard, and Commissioner Gordon. Have them setup a blockade, but warn them not to make a move on the ship.

EXT. MAIN DECK - CARGOSHIP ORINOCO - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Robin nods.

ROBIN
What about you?

EXT. MAIN DECK - ROSEVALE - GOTHAM HARBOR - DAY

Bruce's face turns serious.

BRUCE
I'm gonna go to work.

Bruce runs off in the direction of the command center.

-To be Continued...

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