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So far:
Batman and Superman met during Batman's disastrous attempt to arrest John Corben. The Dark Knight's lack of familiarity with Metropolis put him on uneven ground, and Corben's kryptonite shiv was nearly the death of the Man of Steel. Perseverance won out, though, and Corben was brought down and taken into custody by Metropolis' Special Crimes Unit. When Superman recovered from his wounds, Batman told him that Corben stole the kryptonite for Lex Luthor. Luthor, of course, has no intention of being implicated in Corben's crimes.
Lucius Fox (Ernie Hudson) is starting his morning. He might be in a hotel, or a borrowed conference room at LexCorp Tower. He's eating breakfast while staff bring him reports and such. He answers a call from Bruce Wayne (Richard Armitage). Bruce is also beginning his morning, but he might be working out or stretching in his hotel room. Maybe he's icing his knees or shoulders; we see the bruises and cuts normally covered by his suit.
Bruce tells Lucius that they need to stay in Metropolis for at least another day while he does some fact-finding. He asks Lucius to look closer into LexCorp's books and designs, any incongruities. Lucius tells him they'll need a cover story for why they're staying. Bruce says he has a story, but he needs Lucius' help selling it to the Board.
Cut To: The Daily Planet
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| "Can an iPad recreate that hot-off-the-presses newsprint smell? What, it can?!!" |
Clark Kent (Jon Hamm) sits at his desk across from her, sort of lost in thought. Lois asks him if he's ever seen Superman take a beating like this. Clark's mind is elsewhere; he doesn't even respond. She throws a paperclip or something at his head, getting his attention. He tells her he can't think of an explanation for what happened. Lois speculates that if John Corben was strong enough to almost kill Superman, maybe Corben is an alien, too. For that matter, maybe Batman is. (Lois could namedrop or imply references to Wonder Woman and other heroes at this point.)
Clark: "You think the Batman is an alien?"
Lois (beat): "Well, what do you think he is?"
Jimmy: "Bruce Wayne!"
Clark is startled by Jimmy Olsen (Kevin McHale) blurting out what he was thinking, but Jimmy wasn't reading Clark's mind. No, a crowd of newsmen and women have gathered just outside the bullpen, because Bruce Wayne has walked in the door. Lois bolts up and rushes to meet Wayne. Clark is much more cautious, watching Bruce carefully, wondering why he's here. Jimmy orbits Bruce like a satellite, taking more pictures. Bruce is annoyed, like outside LexCorp.
Perry White (Tim Matheson) cuts through the crowd, introduces himself to Bruce. He asks what the Planet can do for him. "I needed to buy a paper," Bruce says. The crowd laughs. Perry says Bruce can have the latest edition on his desk. He won't even charge Bruce the three dollars.
"No, I mean I bought The Daily Planet," Bruce says. The crowd doesn't laugh. Perry's jaw slackens. Over at his desk, Clark grimaces. He knows somehow Bruce Wayne, the Batman, figured out that he, Clark, is secretly Superman.
Jimmy continues to take pics until Bruce puts his hand on Jimmy's shoulder and says, "Kid, your job literally depends on you never, ever taking another photo of me as long as you leave." Then Bruce tells Perry that the editor's phone is ringing and that it's the president of Wayne Enterprises' publishing division wanting to talk to him.
Jimmy continues to take pics until Bruce puts his hand on Jimmy's shoulder and says, "Kid, your job literally depends on you never, ever taking another photo of me as long as you leave." Then Bruce tells Perry that the editor's phone is ringing and that it's the president of Wayne Enterprises' publishing division wanting to talk to him.
Perry leaves and the crowd disperses. Bruce walks over to Clark's desk, chatting with Lois Lane, answering a few fluff questions. "Mister Kent," Bruce says pointedly, "I believe there are still some unanswered questions between us." Lois' eyes glance from one man to the other. "For the interview," Clark explains, acting nonchalant.
We then cut to Bruce and Clark stepping out onto the roof of The Daily Planet building. The globe statue hovers above them. Bruce comments on the view, acting not-at-all concerned about the heights or exposure. Clark, by contrast, is barely able to contain his frustration. Bruce knows his secret identity and bought his employer. Is he playing some dangerous game, or does he have world class control issues.
Bruce tells Clark that the stolen kryptonite is the reason he's still in town. He knowns John Corben brought the kryptonite to the LexCorp factory. Bruce needs to find out what Lex Luthor plans to do with an alien meteorite that can kill Superman. Batman is going to the factory that night.
(The last line Bruce delivers is deliberately identical to the question Clark Kent asks Lois Lane when they drive away from the Middleton Space Center.)
That night, Clark Kent goes to the Special Crimes Unit station. He talks to Detective Turpin (Mike Starr), who has been a reliable source in the past, trying to get an interview with Corben or Corben's attorney. Neither of them pay any attention to a somewhat suspicious-looking uniformed police officer walking past them and heading upstairs.
In the squad room of the SCU, Captain Maggie Sawyer (Sabrina Lloyd) addresses a few of her detectives, saying she just got off the phone with the police commissioner in Gotham and he won't give them any jurisdictional problems. One of the young detectives asks her if Commissioner Gordon said anything about Batman and they all crack jokes.
The mysterious cop comes upstairs, watches Sawyer and the other detectives. No one is looking at him, and we watch the mystery man physically change his face and shape to look like Dan Turpin. He breezes through the squad room, casually acknowledging a few others as he does. He corners a young detective. His eyes flash and he asks what room John Corben is in; the detective, in a kind of haze, tells him Interview Room One or whatever. "Turpin" moves on toward the interview room.
Maggie Sawyer sees "Turpin" walk down the hall as the other cop walks up to hand her a file. She thought Dan was downstairs shooing away a reporter. The other cop says "Turpin" was asking about Corben's room. Maggie gets suspicious, not that there's something wrong with Turpin, but that he's facilitating an interview between Corben and the press. She follows him to reprimand him on it.
"Turpin" goes to the observation room adjoining Interview One, and sees Corben (Michael Biehn) and Corben's lawyer through the two-way glass. He watches them for a minute and then simply walks through the mirror. He phases through it, not breaking, not touching any surface, just materializes ghost-like on the other side.
Corben sees it and bolts up out of his seat. The lawyer didn't notice how "Turpin" came in and asks him to leave so he can continue deposing his client. "Turpin" reaches out to the lawyer and his fingers phase through the lawyer's head as seamlessly as he passed through the two-way mirror. The lawyer spasms and bleeds out of his eyes, nose and mouth, before collapsing dead on the floor. Corben screams for help. As he makes a run for the door, "Turpin" grabs him and lifts him off his feet. His fingers coil like snakes around Corben's throat. His eyes glow as he says, "I haven't killed one of you humans in too long. I forgot how much I like it."
BANG!
Just before "Turpin" kills Corben, a gunshot rings out and a bullet flies from the observation room, striking "Turpin" in the chest. He staggers back. More gunshots shatter the two-way mirror and rip through the killer's midsection and face, knocking him down. Corben lands sprawled on the floor. Maggie Sawyer stands in the observation room, smoking gun in hand.
Downstairs, the lobby reacts to the sound of gunshots. Cops race upstairs. The real Dan Turpin, who had been talking to Clark, ditches the reporter and heads upstairs with the crowd. Clark pulls his glasses down and looks upstairs. His X-ray vision gives him a hint as to what's happening. He rushes against the crowd of cops and heads for the bathroom.
Cops rush into the interview room, checking on Corben, the lawyer, and the body that looks sort of like Turpin. Then the body lashes out, violently, hurling the cops against the walls. He stands, shedding his Dan Turpin disguise, and reveals himself as Commander Blanx (Thomas Kretschmann) a pale-green Martian warrior. Maggie grabs Corben and pulls him into the hall, keeping her gun drawn on Blanx. She orders him to put his hands up and surrender.
Blanx smiles and quite simply disappears. Maggie backs up cautiously and ushers Corben down the hall where more cops are coming. When she turns around, Blanx appears between her and Corben. He grabs her and slams her head into the wall, and she crumples unconscious.
He turns his attention back to Corben as cops appear at both ends of the hall with guns drawn. As the cops get ready to fire, the floor between Blanx and Corben explodes as Superman flies up to that floor.
To Be Continued…
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| If you've been waiting for this fan-cast story to turn into slash fiction… just wait! |
Clark: "You bought the Planet?"
Bruce: "Yep."
Clark: "How many of your people told you buying a newspaper in this market was a horrible idea?"
Bruce: "All of them."
Clark: "But you did it anyway?"
Bruce: "Yeah. I also bought a bank or two in Kansas."
Clark: "What?"
Bruce: "First Savings & Loan, I think, in--"
Clark: "Smallville? You bought a bank in Smallville?"
Bruce: "Or two."
Clark: "Are you threatening my parents? The people who work here? Mister Wayne, you better know that threatening my friends and family is threatening me. You understand what that means, right?"
Bruce: "I do, and if I wanted to threaten you, I have a piece of rock from outer space that should do it."
Bruce tells Clark that the stolen kryptonite is the reason he's still in town. He knowns John Corben brought the kryptonite to the LexCorp factory. Bruce needs to find out what Lex Luthor plans to do with an alien meteorite that can kill Superman. Batman is going to the factory that night.
Clark: "I could back you up."
Bruce: "I don't need backup. And if the kryptonite is there, you won't be much help. But you can do something. Corben's being held at the SCU."
Clark (understanding): "He can implicate Lex Luthor. If he talks, he can bring Luthor down."
Bruce: "And how do you think Lex feels about that?"
(The last line Bruce delivers is deliberately identical to the question Clark Kent asks Lois Lane when they drive away from the Middleton Space Center.)
That night, Clark Kent goes to the Special Crimes Unit station. He talks to Detective Turpin (Mike Starr), who has been a reliable source in the past, trying to get an interview with Corben or Corben's attorney. Neither of them pay any attention to a somewhat suspicious-looking uniformed police officer walking past them and heading upstairs.
In the squad room of the SCU, Captain Maggie Sawyer (Sabrina Lloyd) addresses a few of her detectives, saying she just got off the phone with the police commissioner in Gotham and he won't give them any jurisdictional problems. One of the young detectives asks her if Commissioner Gordon said anything about Batman and they all crack jokes.
The mysterious cop comes upstairs, watches Sawyer and the other detectives. No one is looking at him, and we watch the mystery man physically change his face and shape to look like Dan Turpin. He breezes through the squad room, casually acknowledging a few others as he does. He corners a young detective. His eyes flash and he asks what room John Corben is in; the detective, in a kind of haze, tells him Interview Room One or whatever. "Turpin" moves on toward the interview room.
Maggie Sawyer sees "Turpin" walk down the hall as the other cop walks up to hand her a file. She thought Dan was downstairs shooing away a reporter. The other cop says "Turpin" was asking about Corben's room. Maggie gets suspicious, not that there's something wrong with Turpin, but that he's facilitating an interview between Corben and the press. She follows him to reprimand him on it.
"Turpin" goes to the observation room adjoining Interview One, and sees Corben (Michael Biehn) and Corben's lawyer through the two-way glass. He watches them for a minute and then simply walks through the mirror. He phases through it, not breaking, not touching any surface, just materializes ghost-like on the other side.
Corben sees it and bolts up out of his seat. The lawyer didn't notice how "Turpin" came in and asks him to leave so he can continue deposing his client. "Turpin" reaches out to the lawyer and his fingers phase through the lawyer's head as seamlessly as he passed through the two-way mirror. The lawyer spasms and bleeds out of his eyes, nose and mouth, before collapsing dead on the floor. Corben screams for help. As he makes a run for the door, "Turpin" grabs him and lifts him off his feet. His fingers coil like snakes around Corben's throat. His eyes glow as he says, "I haven't killed one of you humans in too long. I forgot how much I like it."
BANG!
Just before "Turpin" kills Corben, a gunshot rings out and a bullet flies from the observation room, striking "Turpin" in the chest. He staggers back. More gunshots shatter the two-way mirror and rip through the killer's midsection and face, knocking him down. Corben lands sprawled on the floor. Maggie Sawyer stands in the observation room, smoking gun in hand.
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| Surprise! It's not J'Onn! |
Cops rush into the interview room, checking on Corben, the lawyer, and the body that looks sort of like Turpin. Then the body lashes out, violently, hurling the cops against the walls. He stands, shedding his Dan Turpin disguise, and reveals himself as Commander Blanx (Thomas Kretschmann) a pale-green Martian warrior. Maggie grabs Corben and pulls him into the hall, keeping her gun drawn on Blanx. She orders him to put his hands up and surrender.
Blanx smiles and quite simply disappears. Maggie backs up cautiously and ushers Corben down the hall where more cops are coming. When she turns around, Blanx appears between her and Corben. He grabs her and slams her head into the wall, and she crumples unconscious.
He turns his attention back to Corben as cops appear at both ends of the hall with guns drawn. As the cops get ready to fire, the floor between Blanx and Corben explodes as Superman flies up to that floor.
To Be Continued…
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