REVENGEANCE

A different version of the comic book scene in Batman: Under the Hood.

REVENGEANCE

(In an abandon building in Gotham City Batman is confronting his resurrected ward, Jason Todd, who is holding captive his killer, the Joker.) 

Jason: After this long and I finally have your attention?

Batman: Jason, I-

Jason: What? ‘I tried to save you’? You think that I’m upset that you didn’t save me?

Batman: Yes. I tried to rescue you, but I wasn’t there in time. I failed you.

Jason: YES, you did fail me. You failed me by letting this derange lunatic live! Bruce, I’m not grudging that you didn’t save me, I’m grudging that this sick clown is still breathing! You’re dead wrong to believe this is about me not being saved.

Batman: Jason… I can’t go killing men. It’s not my way. After you died and I confronted Joker I almost did kill him. I was so close to falling off the edge, but that’s what he wants. He wants for me to break, cross the line. So badly I wanted to end him. So badly I wanted to end him and stop him from hurting anyone else.

Jason: Don’t give me that crap. I’m sick of all you heroes being too afraid to get your hands dirty. I’m not saying to end every scum you come across, I’m talking about him!

Jason points his gun to Joker who’s tied up in a chair; he begins to laugh as he scoots towards Jason.

Joker: HAHAHAHA! Oh so much fun this is! We have our own little Dr. Phil show right here! H-hey boy; tell me, do you have daddy issues?

Jason: SILENCE YOU FREAK! Tick me off and I will end you!

Joker: Funny, last I checked it was I who ended your life, which also had a tick.

Jason aims his gun towards the Joker to inform him to be silent.

Joker: You’re no fun…

Jason: This lunatic killed me, he killed me and it was all a joke to him. You played along with it by letting him live.

Batman: Jason, it’s all a game to him, just as it was all but a game to you when you were Robin. You-

Jason: I HAD one second to accept my death. I only had ONE second to accept that I wouldn’t see tomorrow, that I wouldn’t reach to be Dick’s age, that I wouldn’t ever see you again. One second.

Batman: Jason… I… I know that was difficult for you, something I’ve never taught you. I never taugh-

Joker: I DON’T know about you two, but it seems to be getting rather serious in here.

Joker begins to scoot closer to Jason.

Joker: Tell me boy, have you ever thought that some things that are dead are… Well meant to be dead?! I do have to give it to you for coming back from the dead just to make this dream party come true. OOH, the question that even the “World’s Greatest Detective” has to ask; How did you do it?

Batman throws a batarang to Joker, hushing him for the time being.

Batman: Jason, I’m sorry.

Jason: Oh, you’re “sorry”?! If you’re apologizing to me then it better be an apology for not ending this psychopath! How many more people does he have to hurt till it’s been enough?!

Batman: I’VE TRIED, more than once and each time I almost just cut the strings! There would be nothing happier to me than avenging your death. Recently when I nearly beat him to death, I thought how everyone would have understood my actions. Nothing inside of me would have hesitated either, but Jim showed up and he prevented me with my own life.

Joker: Wow, you really are a Dark Knight. You really had me believing that you were actually going to kill me! Here I thought I knew better.

Batman: I thought I knew you better. We first began off with your sick little game, began getting more and more dangerous. You took Jason from me, you’ve handicapped Barbara! I can’t give you the agony you’ve caused, but I sure as hell can bring you close to it!

Batman begins to move closer to Joker, but Jason places his hand onto Batman’s shoulder as he also pushes him back.

Joker: SAVE ME!

Jason: So now you’re going to try and kill him? I’ve seen this look on you before, I remember that one case you worked on, the anger he caused you, the look in your eyes. I loved it, but now? This intervention is all it really takes? You’re allowing me to hold you back. But why am I? Because you should’ve done this long ago! I came back from the dead; I found that I wasn’t avenged! Hell you even have a new sidekick! And Joker isn’t dead?!

 Batman: I had to move on! And I’m allowing you to prevent me because this is all part of your game; you want me to do what should’ve been done. But no Jason, I won’t.

Jason: Really?! You won’t stop him from hurting anyone else, for good?! I get that you had to move on, but you might’ve just spat on my grave keeping Joker alive. This filth roams the streets you protect and can harm anyone, and you’ll just lock him up for him to break out. Would you have stopped him if it was your special prodigy rather than me?!

Batman looks down as his face reveals pain. Jason angrily looks to Joker who smiles up to him.

Jason: That’s it, tonight is the night that he gets the last laugh!

Joker: Whoa, whoa, whoa… Whoa. To be fare there is nothing you have against me on trial. Batsy, take the boy’s toy; he’s beginning to get triggery…

Jason: THE GAME ENDS TONIGHT!

Joker scoots back as he narrows his eyes to Jason, slowly his expression rushes to anger.

Joker: Let me tell you something, boy blonder! The game ended years ago when you were dead! You got in my way! Once when the first little Robby left the nest I had Batman all to myself! Just as it was meant to be... But then you came along! That’s when the game ended, when I left you alone to die, nearly beat you with that crow bar and left you with the bomb! Rid of you to leave me back with the one player I need, but then you came back! If it should be anyone angry tonight it shouldn’t be you or Birdbrain, it should be me! I have all rights reserved! You ruined everything! Everythi-!

A loud bang erupts and unleashes silence. Jason fired his gun in the air, silencing Joker and spooking Batman and the clown along with his scream.

Jason: ENOUGH!

Author's Note

This was written for an essay I had to do in my acting class. Sorry for any errors.