Act II, Scene I

A car being driven through Gotham's busy morning traffic. Jason White sits on the back seat, clutching a schoolbag, looking like someone heading to the gallows. Lois sits in the front seat, applying lipgloss as she tries to steal a march on the traffic.

LOIS: I thought Metropolis was bad. This would be so much easier if Clark were taking you. Stupid mudslide. Stupid Peru.

JASON: It'd be so much easier if I wasn't going at all.

LOIS: Jason we discussed this.

JASON: No, Mom, you discussed this at me.

LOIS: We could be here for weeks. I'm not prepared to let you miss that much school. I don't care how well you're doing. Plus, Clark and I are going to be busy, so you need somewhere to be during the day. Dammit, move!

She honks the horn in sheer frustration, checking her watch and rolling her eyes.

JASON: Can't I stay with Dad? In LA? Clark could have me there in like, an hour.

Lois stops pounding on the horn. Her expression becomes troubled, and she hesitates before replying.

LOIS: Honey, Richard is-

JASON: Dad. Why can't you even call him that now? You two hate each other that much?

LOIS: Of course not. We just fell out of love with each other. I know that's hard to understand.

JASON: White lies always are, Mom. Dad still loves you. When I stayed with him at New Year, I could see it.

LOIS: (mutters)You pick a hell of a time to start growing up on me…

JASON: I like Clark, Mom. I do. But I miss my Dad. I miss how he was there when I needed him. Clark's so busy with (he mimes with his hands raised up in the air) and that's cool and stuff, but…

He shrugs, unable to come up with anything more eloquent. Lois stares blankly ahead at the road, emotions raging across her face. We get the sense that she knows exactly what her son means.

Car horns blare from behind her, and Lois belatedly realises she should be moving. She slams hard on the accelerator and the car lurches forward. Lois composes herself and glances in the rear-view mirror, to find Jason idly looking out of the window.

He huffs on the glass of the window and begins to draw with a fingertip as they stop-start through the Gotham rush hour.

We cut to the car pulling into park at the entrance to an ornate building. Lois gets out and Jason does the same, shouldering the schoolbag as he does so. He closes the door and we see his doodle - the Bat insignia.

They walk inside. We see Lois talking to a middle-aged woman who regards Jason keenly. Lois gets down and hugs her son, who looks only slightly uncomfortable by such public displays of affection. We see her whisper something in his ear. He rolls his eyes and nods. She walks away and waves goodbye.

We stay with Jason as he's led through corridors and deposited outside a classroom. The teacher walks out and converses with the middle-aged woman, before the middle-aged woman departs and the teacher looks down at Jason - she has kind eyes - and smiles, putting her hand comfortingly on his shoulder and escorting him inside.

TEACHER: Class, this is Jason White, from Metropolis. He's going to be joining us for a little while so I want everyone to make him feel very welcome.

CLASS: (in unison) Good morning Jason.

TEACHER: There's a seat over there sweetie, next to James.

Jason goes and sits, not meeting the eyes of any of his classmates. He looks uncomfortable.

TEACHER: History textbooks everyone. Page 142. Jason…can you share with James?

Jason glances across at the boy sitting nearby. The boy nods at the teacher and pushes his desk across, smiling shyly and rolling his eyes in the universal greeting of 'school, lame huh?'. Jason manages a small smile in return. They begin reading together.

We cut to a little later, and the recess bell rings out. The class files out and Jason sits, a little unsure of what to do.

JAMES: You can come with me. If you like. I um. I know it's hard not knowing anyone. I just joined here last year.

JASON: Yeah. Sure.

The two boys walk out of class together.

JAMES: This place is kinda okay. It's a bit um. Snooty. But my Dad got a big promotion and he said this place would be, like, safer I think. Something like that.

JASON: Safer?

JAMES: Yeah. My Dad's the um, Police Commissioner.

JASON: Wow.

We cut to the boys walking outside into the schoolyard. It's leafy and green and ornate and the various students of the school are playing in an orderly fashion.

JASON: So he knows Batman? Your Dad?

A flash of something passes across James' face. He looks away.

JAMES: I'm not really, uh, s'posed to talk about that…some of the others here, they, um, they give me a hard time sometimes.

JASON: (incredulously)No kidding? These guys?

And right on cue-

BULLY #1: Hey, Gordon!

JAMES: Aw, crap…

He turns, and is almost immediately pushed in the chest by the larger boy, who looks at least two years his senior. He's large, broad-shouldered for his age. Two almost-equally large henchmen trail along in his wake. The kids in the yard start drifting by, sensing trouble with the ancient instincts of all children for a potential fight.

BULLY #1: Did you see your best bud get his ass whupped on TV last night by Superman? Man, that was the funniest thing I ever saw.

His henchmen snicker.

BULLY #1: They oughta fire your Dad. How long now is he gonna pretend to be looking for him, huh?

JAMES: Leave me alone.

BULLY #1: Everyone knows they worked together. Probably still are. Your Dad probably pulled the trigger on one of those cops himself-

Seeing red at this, James swings a fist, but the bully simply catches it in his large paw and throws it aside effortlessly. The bully takes a step closer.

And Jason White very calmly steps in front of him, standing square between him and his target.

JASON: Hey. I'm new. Can someone tell me where I can get some bananas? How 'bout you? Got some sort of lever you push to get one dispensed? Is that how it works?

BULLY #1: (sizing Jason up) You gotta be kidding me. What are you, six or something? Look. I'll cut you a break, since you're new. Get outta my way.

JASON: I'm gonna go right ahead and make you the same offer. Since I'm new here and all. Take the rest of the pack and go pick fleas off each other's backs.

The bully roars with anger and swings a punch at his younger, smaller, thinner challenger. Or at least, tries to. Jason dodges the punch as if the bully's moving through treacle and plants a foot on his backside as he swings and misses, pushing and sending the boy sprawling headfirst into the ornate fountain that serves as the centrepiece to the picturesque playground.

He comes up, spluttering and choking, soaked to the skin. Everyone stands agape, except for Jason, who simply stands there radiating calmness.

BULLY #1: Get him!!!!

As he launches himself from the fountain back into the fray, his two accomplices lurch belatedly into action.

We don't see what happens next. Instead we stay on the watching kids and especially on James, and we hear plenty of sound effects; plenty of 'oooof's and 'yeeeeow's and one particularly long drawn out 'get him off of me get him OFF OF MEEEEE'.

And we travel upwards, to the roof of the school, to where Superman is sitting perched on the tiles, watching the scene unfurl below. His expression is a mix of paternal concern and a large quantity of fatherly pride.

Only now do we see the fight itself, or rather, the aftermath. Two of the boys - the henchmen - are on the floor, panting and quite terrified by the looks of them. Jason is standing above them, still maintaining that air of placid impassivity. He looks down at them.

JASON: So you're what passes for tough kids in Gotham, huh?

Behind him, the main bully rises to his feet. He glances around for a weapon, sees a pile of building materials nearby, lifts a large concrete slab and raises it high above his head, meaning to bring it down on Jason's unwitting skull-

-and then he shrieks in pain, drops the slab and begins slapping at his own ass with his hands, looking like a demented turkey trying to escape the Thanksgiving feast.

BULLY #1: I'm on fire! I'm on fire! I'M ON FIRE!!!!!

Panicked, he runs for the fountain and plonks his butt into the cooling waters, to much hilarity from the assembled children. His henchmen wisely use the distraction to make good their escape back into the bowels of the school. Jason looks confused for a moment and then glances upwards.

SUPERMAN: (murmurs) Careful, kid. I won't always have your back.

JASON: (murmurs) Thanks.

SUPERMAN: I was late arriving. Did they deserve it?

JASON: You bet they did.

Superman smiles at this, nods, tips the boy a salute, and zips off into the skies in an instant. No-one else but Jason seems to have noticed him.

A crowd of kids assemble around Jason. James, who had begun to surge forward himself, is unable to push through and eventually gives up and simply goes to where his bag lies on the ground and picks it up, heading back for the school's interior himself, just as the recess bell goes.

JASON: Hey. James! Wait.

James turns, and sees Jason jogging to catch up, pushing through the last of the crowd as politely as is possible. He reaches his new friend and smiles, and James smiles back.

JAMES: Thanks.

JASON: Don't sweat it.

JAMES: Where'd you learn to fight like that?

JASON: Umm. You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

JAMES: Oh yeah? Well I got some secrets of my own.

And we cut to the two of them in class, whispering to each other, seemingly in a competition for who can get whose eyebrows to climb the highest…

Act II, Scene II

In stark contrast to the beginning of the previous scene, this one finds a car driving alone, through the deserted byways of a cemetery. It's a large car, and as it comes to a halt, we see its occupants are Alfred and Bruce Wayne. Alfred opens the door for his master and Bruce gets out, carrying two large wreaths.

They walk together in silence.

Destination reached, they stop, and we pull back to see the graves they were walking to. The name on the one on the left reads RACHEL DAWES. 1976 - 2008. BELOVED DAUGHTER. TAKEN TOO SOON FROM THOSE SHE LOVED.

Bruce drops to his hunches and lays a wreath on the grave. We stay with Alfred at a respectful distance from Bruce, though we see Bruce's lips moving, we don't hear a word of what he's saying.

Bruce stands and moves to the right, to the second grave. It reads HERE LIES HARVEY DENT. 1972-2008. GOTHAM'S WHITE KNIGHT.

We cut away to Bruce's face and linger there for a long moment. When we go back to the tombstone, we move down a little so we can read the line below.

INCORRUPTABLE.

Bruce lays the wreath on Harvey's grave. He turns and walks away, not back towards his car, just away over the peaceful greenery and beautiful verdant surroundings of the cemetery. Alfred follows behind him.

Bruce stops at the side of a gorgeous teardrop-shaped pond. He looks out over the water for a moment, until Alfred comes to a stop beside him. Bruce seems about to say something, but checks himself, seemingly unable to think of the right thing to say.

ALFRED: You know something, Master Wayne?

Bruce closes his eyes. He's been waiting on this, and he's not looking forward to what Alfred is about to say to him. Not one bit.

ALFRED: I should have brought some bread.

Bruce looks over at him quizzically at this odd thing to say.

ALFRED: For the ducks.

Bruce looks and indeed, there are several ducks swimming out on the pond.

BRUCE: I can only imagine your embarrassment.

ALFRED: Am I detecting a certain amount of sarcasm, sir?

BRUCE: Come on, Alfred. You watch the damn news. You were monitoring the telemetry on the Tumbler. And since I got back last night you haven't asked me a thing about what happened.

ALFRED: You escaped. I assumed that was the important part.

BRUCE: I found it three weeks ago, Alfred.

ALFRED: Found what, sir?

Bruce turns to face his long-time friend and protector, genuine annoyance written on his face. Alfred remains cool as ever.

BRUCE: That bug you and Lucius planted in the suit! I found it and I kept it in there and so I know you heard every damn thing that was said last night on that rooftop, so don't play dumb with me!

ALFRED: Were it not for that 'bug', I would have had greater difficulty locating you when you were ambushed not three nights ago. Lucius and I were concerned-

BRUCE: -oh, so Lucius is concerned, but not concerned enough to help me, not concerned enough to do the job I employed him to do!

ALFRED: Lucius isn't worried about the bloody Batman, sir. And to be frank neither am I.

BRUCE: You once told me Batman could make the choice no-one else could make - the right choice. And yet now all I hear from you, from Lucius, is quit, quit, quit. What's changed, Alfred?

ALFRED: What's changed? Oh I don't know, sir. Couldn't possibly say. So how does Lex Luthor want you to help him bring down Superman then?

Bruce rears back as if stung.

ALFRED: Maybe, just maybe, the people of this city have been treating you like a criminal for so long you're beginning to think like one. To act like one.

BRUCE: He's dangerous, Alfred! The power he has-!

ALFRED: That may be. But are you consorting with Luthor because you genuinely believe Superman and whoever else he's brought here could be a threat? Or is it because he beat you in a fight?

BRUCE: I don't have to explain myself to you!

ALFRED: No. I suppose you don't. I am just the staff, after all, although I do seem to remember someone telling me that I was all they had.

BRUCE: Well. That's about to change.

ALFRED: Sir?

BRUCE: Alfred Pennyworth, you've been in my family's service for thirty-three years. I'm retiring you, on full pay, plus a 2 million dollar lump sum bonus. The Wayne cottage in Sussex is yours, I'll have the legal department send you the deed.

ALFRED: You want me to resign? I won't. Never in a million years.

BRUCE: Okay. You win, Alfred.

He walks to Alfred and puts his hand on the older man's shoulder. Alfred looks at his long-time charge, clearly horribly confused and upset, his eyes wide.

BRUCE: You're fired.

And he walks off, leaving Alfred staring out over the pond, utterly dumbstruck.