Act III, Scene IV
The Antarctic tundra. As the camera moves forward through the snow and ice and high winds, visibility increases until shapes loom out the white. We see Richard's plane. Richard, Clark and Jason are on the ice. Richard and Clark are wrapped up against the elements, whereas Jason's wearing only thin coverings. Richard looks uncomfortable at this.
Everyone has to shout slightly to be heard over the wind.
RICHARD: I keep getting the urge to wrap you up! You sure you're not freezing to death?
JASON: I'm fine! I'm…
He staggers a little, holding his head again. Clark and Richard look at each other.
CLARK: Come on! We'd better get moving inland before the weather gets any worse!
RICHARD: You've got the GPS and the satellite phone?
CLARK: (holding them up)Got 'em!
RICHARD: I'll stay here as long as I can! But I need to protect the plane, it might be our way out of here! So if I need to take off and land somewhere else, I have to!
CLARK: I understand!
JASON: Come on! It's over there! (he points) I can feel it! Can't you two feel it?!
Clark extends a hand but Richard surprises him by hugging him.
RICHARD: Look after him.
CLARK: I will.
He gets down to bid farewell to Jason, even as Clark clambers onto what looks like a sled and secures himself to it. As Richard speaks to Jason, we see him affixing straps to the boy.
RICHARD: You were right. It has been too long. I'm sorry.
JASON: I love you, Dad.
RICHARD: I love you too, son. Now (he grins, if a little forcedly) mush!
JASON: Hang on, Clark!
He turns and begins to run across the ice, no longer concerned with human speed, but now pulling Clark Kent along behind him on the sled with the supplies. Despite this weight dragging him back, he still rips across the surface much faster than sled dogs or even a snowmobile could hope to match.
Clark's head jerks back and we see his body bouncing along as he tries gamely to hold on.
We go back to Richard as he watches the strange sight of a small boy dragging an adult man on a sled into the tundra disappear into the distance. There's nothing but anguish written all over his face.
Act III, Scene V
Outside shot of the WGBS building. A piece of scaffolding exists around the hole at the top where the luckless gang member was incinerated.
Inside, Tania Moon is sitting at her desk, looking into a small compact mirror as she retouches her makeup. A young, nervous male assistant appears in the mirror behind her.
ASSISTANT: Uh, Miss Moon…?
TANIA: (rolling her eyes, snapping the mirror shut) Yes?
ASSISTANT: Your new camera operator is here. I thought you might wanna meet him and give him the, uh, usual instructions?
Tania stands. She's tall, leggy, dark-skinned, and pretty, and completely aware of each of these qualities. She flicks her hair and nails the assistant with another glance.
TANIA: Show me.
He takes her to an adjoining office.
ASSISTANT: He's in there.
She walks in, to find-
TANIA: Okay let me get a few things straight with you. I have one rule. I am the centre of the shot. I don't care what's going on behind me, understand? It could be the Hindenburg blossoming into flame. It could be a mushroom cloud over the White House. It could be Elvis rollerblading down Madison with Marilyn. I don't care. I am the centre of the shot. They can make room. Got it?
JIMMY: Got it.
It's Jimmy Olsen. He's in a suit, he's sweating profusely, and he's clutching a sheaf of papers. He's also completely and utterly in love at first sight.
TANIA: These your credentials?
JIMMY: Uh? (looks down at papers) Y-yes…
Tania snatches the papers from him and scans through them. Jimmy looks nervous, and as we go closer on his face, we turn until we're actually going inside his right ear. A tiny little device is inside.
We cut to Lois, parked outside the WGBS building in her car. She's in front of a laptop, has an earpiece of her own which she keeps pressed into her ear and a microphone, which she speaks into now. There's a picture of the WGBS building on the laptop screen.
LOIS: Relax, Jimmy. If there's one thing I can do, it's forge a CV. How do you think I got hired at the Planet in the first place?
Back to Jimmy. Tania's eyes are still scanning the documents ahead of her. And Jimmy's eyes are scanning in front of him, too…
LOIS: (V/O) Eyes up, Olsen.
Jimmy's eyes leap like salmon up a waterfall, back to a respectable viewing height just as Tania finishes reading the CV. She seems grudgingly impressed.
TANIA: Not bad. Though you don't look old enough for Tiannamen Square.
Lois bites her lip.
JIMMY: I moisturise.
TANIA: Huh. Well, go get yourself kitted out. Word has it those guys with the pocket bazookas aren't done with Metropolis yet. Welcome to WGBS.
She turns with a hair-flick and walks out. We see her do it in slow-motion as Jimmy looks on adoringly.
LOIS: (V/O) Jimmy.
He doesn't reply.
LOIS: (V/O) Jimmy!
JIMMY: (murmurs, snapping out of it somewhat reluctantly) Okay, okay. What now.
We go to Lois. She's got a detailed schematic of the WGBS building on the laptop in front of her. Her fingers fly on the keyboard.
We follow Jimmy as he winds his way through the corridors of WGBS. Security and staff occasionally pause to give him questioning looks, but he flashes his shiny new WGBS pass at them and they seem satisfied. Lois talks to him through the headset and earpiece, tracing a line on the schematic in front of her, until finally Jimmy reaches an office doorway, after having watched a guard walk past and disappear around a corner. MORGAN EDGE is written on the door. Jimmy swallows.
JIMMY: I'm here.
LOIS: Okay. You probably won't have much time, Jimmy.
Jimmy reaches into his pockets and produces a small device. He presses it to the doorway and it begins softly bleeping almost immediately. Lights flash across its surface.
LOIS: (V/O) (urgently)You didn't let anyone touch that thing, did you Jimmy? Besides you?
JIMMY: Course not. Where'd you get this stuff anyway…
LOIS: S.T.A.R. labs. Here's a tip, Jimmy. Always give favourable write-ups to scientists. (pause) 'Cept the mad ones.
The device stops bleeping and flashes white. Jimmy removes it from the door, pockets it, closes his eyes, swallows, and pulls down the handle…
..the door opens. Jimmy exhales. Footsteps are heard from around the corner. Jimmy gets inside the room and closes the door softly behind him just as the guard re-appears. He waits until the footsteps retreat into the distance before taking a proper look around. Morgan Edge's office is huge, spacious, luxurious, with greenery, a fish tank built into the wall, floor-to-ceiling windows of Metropolis and a killer view. On the desk a PC sits.
JIMMY: Okay. I'm in.
LOIS: Just like we rehearsed, Jimmy.
Jimmy nods. He retrieves a USB key and inserts it into the PC. Immediately a window opens on Lois' laptop that says SYNCHRONISING…SYNCHRONISING…
JIMMY: Done. What now?
Lois doesn't reply, so Jimmy begins looking around. He lifts a few of the things sitting on Morgan's desk, including a squat little machine with a hole in one end. He puts a pencil inside and we hear a whirring as it's sharpened instantly.
Jimmy makes an impressed face. He pulls out a fountain pen from his pocket and slowly, inexorably, his eyes are dragged back to the sharpening machine...
JIMMY: Lois?
He toys with the notion of putting the pen into the machine. As we cut to Lois, we see her eyes wide. A limousine has just pulled up to the WGBS building. Morgan Edge steps out with three of his bodyguards. He walks inside.
LOIS: Jimmy…don't panic. Edge is back. He's on his way up.
She closes her eyes in despair as we hear the distinct sounds of a Jimmy Olsen panic come down the transmission line. We stay with Lois.
LOIS: Jimmy! Stay with me. The connection between Edge's PC and mine isn't up yet. I need you to wait. Plant the bug on his desk.
JIMMY: (V/O) Bug???
LOIS: I gave it to you earlier. The pen?
Back to Jimmy. He's looking down at the inky remains of a fountain pen, shredded to pieces.
JIMMY: Aw, crap. Uh, Lois…the pen's kinda, uh…
He examines the remains. Wires dangle from the pen's tube. He sweeps up the debris and drops it into the wastepaper bin.
JIMMY: …out of action.
The window on Lois's desktop now says SYNCHRONISED.
LOIS: Connection's established. Get the key and get outta there!
Jimmy, not needing to be told twice, yanks the USB key free from the PC and dashes to the door. He opens it a crack - and the guard comes around the corner, forcing Jimmy to close the door again until the guard makes his sweep of the corridor. When he's gone, Jimmy re-opens the door - only for the elevator doors to 'ding' open and for Morgan Edge to emerge and head directly towards him.
JIMMY: Oh God oh God oh God oh God-
He dashes around the room, desperately looking for a place to hide, until he happens upon a walk-in closet containing suits. He hides amongst them, closing the door behind him, just as the main office door opens and closes.
We follow Morgan Edge as he enters the office, alone, his bodyguards standing outside. He walks to his desk, sits down, and immediately picks up his phone. We cut to Jimmy in his hiding place as we hear Morgan's voice outside, not loud enough to pick up any of what he's saying.
LOIS: (V/O) Jimmy - wherever you are, you have to get closer. I can't hear a thing.
We cut to Lois as she begins to explore the contents of Morgan's private network. Files and folders are everywhere - it's a maze. Lois clicks from one to another, trying to find something, anything.
JIMMY: (whispering as loud as he dares)Closer? Are you crazy?!
LOIS: (V/O) Jimmy do you want to be the one Perry sends for coffee forever?! You do this, you get this scoop, you get us something we can use on Edge, and I promise you Perry White is gonna think the sun shines out of your aperture. Now do it!
Jimmy gulps, but he slides forward and inches the closet door open a crack. The sound of Morgan's voice is much less muffled now.
We cut to Lois in the car as Morgan's voice filters through to her. She's just opened a folder called WWOR. In it is a document called PROJECT DARKSEID. She double-clicks…
EDGE: (V/O) Tonight. I want the entire building razed to the ground, do you hear me? Topple that globe. There'll be no Superman here to catch it this time. If I can't have the Planet, I'll destroy it.
And that's when the alarms go off.
Lois' laptop receives a massive power surge, the screen cracking and warping before her horrified gaze. It bursts into flames. Lois squawks in alarm and tosses the laptop out the driver's side window so it lands on the sidewalk beside her car.
In Morgan's office, alarms continue to whoop. The security guards rush in as Morgan leaps to his feet, fanning out to cover him.
MORGAN: (barking into the intercom)Network hack! Lock it down! Trace the signal!
He glares at his screens for a moment, then starts scanning his office, motioning to his guards to start fanning out. Jimmy retreats as far as he possibly can into the suits hanging in the walk-in closet.
JIMMY: Lois…Lois help me…
We cut to Lois. She looks grim as she opens the car door.
LOIS: I'm coming, Jimmy.
The closet door opens. We see a flash of Jimmy Olsen's terrified face for a moment before we go back to Lois.
LOIS: Jimmy? Jimmy?!
More guards run out from the front entrance of the WGBS tower. One looks suspiciously at Lois - and then his eyes travel downward to where she's standing. Right beside a still-smoking laptop.
GUARD: Get her!
His companions start to run toward Lois. She scrambles back into her car and guns the engine, barely managing to get away before they reach her. As she pulls away, two WGBS vans screech from the underground car park and begin to pursue her. They're not filled with the usual journalists and camera operators, however, as evidenced when a bullet shatters her back windshield.
Far above, Morgan Edge watches from his penthouse window as Lois' car winds its way through the traffic. He speaks into a radio communicator.
EDGE: No shoot to kill! I want her alive. I have to know what she knows.
He turns back to Jimmy, who's being held by two of his security guards. Jimmy is absolutely scared out of his wits, but is doing his best to put on a brave face.
JIMMY: You can't just shoot at people in the middle of Metropolis! The police will-
EDGE: (chuckles) Kid, the police are too busy trying to clean up the wreckage of the attacks. There's not a cop for five blocks. Besides, who's going to run the story? I own this town's news. Now…as for you….
His smile vanishes. He reaches out and takes Jimmy's WGBS ID badge from his shirt.
EDGE: …an employee? Tut. Tell me, "Jimmy Olsen", was our…severance policy…ever explained to you?
We cut back to the car chase. Lois is weaving in and out of traffic as best she can, and doing quite a decent job. She ducks her little compact between several rows and across a busy intersection, and one of the chasing vans is taken out by a heavy rig coming across from the left, jack-knifing it so the trailer swings around. The second van barely avoids the outswinging trailer, skidding to a halt beside the exit ramp for the harbour. The driver of the second van takes a second to appreciate his escape…and then his partner points.
DRIVER: What the-
It's Lois. She's spun the car around and far from fleeing, she's actually driving straight for the second van, ready to hit it side-on. The passenger leans out and sprays the onrushing car with bullets, and Lois ducks down, glass covering her.
But it's too late. The driver and his passenger raise their arms to shield themselves but Lois' vehicle crunches into them, knocking them backwards and right over the exit ramp and into the waters of Metropolis bay below.
We stay on Lois' car. The airbag has deployed and for a moment, despite this, we fear that Lois is seriously injured. But no. She raises her head, battered and bloodied but alive.
And SERIOUSLY pissed.
Back at the intersection pile-up, one of the chasing goons is crawling free of the first van, holding his side and moaning, his other hand clutching something.
LOIS: Hey.
He turns, and goggles in astonishment to see-
LOIS: Can I borrow that?
She punches him in the jaw, laying him out, catching the radio in a neat motion as it falls from his unconscious hand.
LOIS: Damsel in distress my ass.
She presses the call button and raises the radio to her mouth.
We go back to Edge's office. His two guards have an arm and a leg of Jimmy Olsen each so he's suspended off the ground. Edge is down on his haunches, talking conversationally to him.
EDGE: One last time, kid. Who are you and who are you working for?
JIMMY: I've told you! My-my-my name is Jimmy Olsen and I work for the Daily Planet!
EDGE: (pats Jimmy on the head)Okay. I believe you, son. I believe you. Now, about that severance.
He stands up and nods to his men.
EDGE: Toss him out the window.
JIMMY: NO!
The goons don't listen. They begin to rush Jimmy headfirst toward the windows at the edge of the office. Edge's radio crackles into life.
LOIS: (V/O) What's Project Darkseid, Morgan?
EDGE: STOP!
Jimmy's progress toward certain death is arrested - just. Edge operates the radio.
EDGE: Let's see. If this cretin is telling the truth about being from the Planet, then that would probably make you Lois Lane. Am I right?
We cut to Lois, currently hotwiring a parked car.
LOIS: Ten out of ten.
EDGE: I'm amazed, Miss Lane. I was given to understand you couldn't blow your nose without Captain Spitcurl around. And yet here you are.
LOIS: You ain't seen nothing yet, Morgan. So here's the deal. I'm going to drive to WGBS tower, and park outside. You're going to send Jimmy out and he's going to get into my car and we're going to drive off.
MORGAN: Oh I see. Of course. Obvious really. And I'd let you do this, why?
LOIS: Come on. I had Jimmy here waltz through your headquarters' security for fun. You seriously think I hadn't planned for this too?
EDGE: Interesting point, Miss Lane...
Edge looks to Jimmy, still suspended. He nods to the goons. They drop Jimmy, and he stands, looking as if he's about to collapse at any given moment.
EDGE: How did you get past security?
Jimmy manages to retrieve the door opening device and hands it to Edge, who takes it from him and examines it.
EDGE: Cute. Pointless, but cute.
LOIS: You're right. Get rid of it.
Edge tries. It's affixed to his hand. He tries again, still to no avail. Lights flash across the device's surface. Edge begins to look distinctly worried by this new development.
LOIS: Real cute, huh? And you should see the amount of high explosive in there. Positively dinky.
We cut to outside WGBS Tower. Lois' new car pulls up. After a few anxious moments, Jimmy Olsen walks through the entrance doors. Armed guards flank him on either side, following his every movement, something he's only too acutely aware of. Eventually he gets to Lois' car and gets inside.
EDGE: (V/O) Disarm this thing!
LOIS: Ouch. Y'know, disarm might be an unfortunate turn of phrase there Morgan…
She switches off the radio and they set off at high speed.
JIMMY: I'm alive. I'm alive oh God I'm still alive thank you God thank you Lois I love you did I mention I love you? (beat) Um,where are we going? Cos, uh, a hospital would be good. Or a bar. Yeah. A bar would be great.
LOIS: To the Planet. We have to warn them what's coming. We have to get help somehow. Plus, the detonator for that explosive was on the Kentucky Fried Laptop. Figure we have about ten minutes before Morgan works that out…
We cut away on Jimmy's expression of horror, terror and admiration as he realises Lois just won his freedom on a bluff.
Act III, Scene VI
Blackgate Penitentiary, Gotham. The huge and forbidding complex is located on an island in Gotham Bay. We see Commissioner Gordon arriving by boat and cut to him being driven inside the main walls, flashing his ID to the guards. We cut to him walking inside and meeting up with a burly red-haired man as they walk around the prison. The inmates are in their cells and cries of 'go to hell, Gordon!' and variations of the same theme ring out as the two men walk.
WALDEN: What are we meant to do here, Gordon?
They have stopped in a quiet place, on one of the top floors, the entire square of the prison laid out below them, a maze of grilled floors and stark cells, each containing a member of Gotham's underworld. Gordon leans on the guardrail and looks down into the pit of criminality below him.
WALDEN: What does the Mayor suggest?
GORDON: (grunts) Suggest? Are you kidding? Garcia's tried to skip town twice since Batman came to visit. I've had to put two men on him to remind him of his civic duty.
More catcalls and threats come their way from below, most of them directed at Gordon. He looks down thoughtfully.
WALDEN: We could…
GORDON: Yeah. We could.
We cut to Gordon in Walden's office. He raises an old-style broadcasting microphone to his lips.
GORDON: Attention. This is Commissioner Gordon.
The prison falls silent as his voice carries throughout, broadcast from speakers scattered throughout the levels, in cells. A few jeers are heard and quickly shushed as inmates crowd around to hear what he has to say.
GORDON: At 8pm tonight, Gotham City will hand over control of law and order, enforcement and judiciary, to Batman. As a consequence of this, you have been deemed no longer a danger to Gotham society and you will be free to leave this prison, should you so choose-
He gets no further. Blackgate erupts. Prisoners jump up and down. Those in communal areas pump the air and high-five, shaking their heads, hardly able to believe their ears.
We go back to Gordon. He waits for the uproar to subside and then he smiles.
GORDON: I should point out that the moment you leave this prison, you will cease to be under our protection. Not only will Batman be given the powers to enforce the law, he will also decide on the correct punishment for offenders.
His latest statement is met with a deafening silence as total as the wall of noise was noisy bare moments before. Prisoners look up at the speakers and at each other, the full implications of what Gordon has just said sinking in.
GORDON: Your choice, gentlemen. Gordon out.
WALDEN: (wiping sweat from his forehead) You got stones big as church bells, Gordon, I'll give you that. You really think this is gonna work?
GORDON: Not on all of them. Not on the dumber ones. But on enough to give us some time.
WALDEN: Time?
GORDON: Time to get our city back. Somehow.
We cut to Gordon getting back into the car again, ready to go to the jetty to go back to Gotham city proper. Walden has come to see him off. They shake hands.
GORDON: Good luck, Governor.
WALDEN: Don't worry about Blackgate, Commissioner.
Gordon gets into the car. He's a deeply worried man, and the diplomatically optimistic face he was putting on for Walden's benefit melts away immediately.
GORDON: (mutters) Blackgate's not the problem…
Act III, Scene VII
Arkham Asylum. Dr. Harleen Quinzel has just finished a phone call. She puts the phone down and begins jumping up and down like an excited toddler. She bursts through the doors of the telephone room and begins running down the corridor until she reaches a particular cell.
She goes inside. The door closes. We don't follow her inside, we just hear her voice through the observation port.
DR. QUINZEL: You're not gonna believe it!!!
JOKER: (V/O) Harley...my dear...you will be amazed at what I'm willing to believe.
We cut to outside Arkham. Five hundred feet above it, in fact, where Batman hovers in mid-air, cape extended.
Waiting.