The HoneyBee and The Bat

Hiding In The Shadows

It is raining. The citizens of Gotham are walking, using umbrellas or hats to cover themselves.

Bruce Wayne: Thursday. October 31st.

A gas arc bulb burns to life... glowing brighter and brighter. As the light intensifies, raindrops illuminate, beating and dancing chaotically on the hot lens of a searchlight. A bacchanalian Times Square vibe. Costumed Halloween revelers swarm wet sidewalks in the glow of neon and LED.

Bruce Wayne: The city streets are crowded for the holiday. Even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos is the aliment, waiting to strike like snakes. But we're there, too. Watching.

On the sidewalk, in the sea of cosplayers, clobbers, tourists, a man walks, wearing an army jacket, knit cap, and a duffel on his shoulder. He looks like a Drifter. Followed by his side, a woman is wearing a black raincoat, the hood over her head, covering any of her features. A duffel is also on her shoulder.

Both Drifters' intense eyes watch as they walk.

Bruce Wayne: Two years of night have turned me into a nocturnal animal.

Inside the Bodega, a few costumed shoppers are inside; a guy in a hoodie and crude green sad clown mask steps to the counter.

Bruce Wayne: We must choose our targets carefully.

The Robber nervously pulls a gun on the cashier, "C'mon! Give me the money!"

"Okay!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

"Alright, alright!"

At the Colossal Gotham Bank, three vandals spray paint the huge pillars.

Bruce: It's a big city. We can't be everywhere.

The vandals are wearing Fawks masks; one lights a Molotov cocktail, hurls it, shattering the glass front door. Inside a speeding elevated train, eight gang members in skull face paint carouse.

Bruce: But they don't know where we are.

The gang watching the cellphone recoils with laughter when the gang leader notices a lone passenger rising as the train slows. He turns to a younger member, nodding toward the passenger with a menacing smile as the young member looks anxiously.

Fingers quickly smear black camo paint around fierce eyes, veiled in darkness. Both Drifters army duffels are on the wet ground. Both bags are open to reveal masks.

While a silhoutted man stands beside the searchlight, waiting.

Bruce: We have a signal now, for when we're needed. But when that light hits the sky, it's not just a call...

He's perched atop an abandoned, half-built skyscraper, the bright beam reaches upwards, sparkling in the rain.

Bruce: It's a warning. To them.

Outside the Bodega, Sad Emoji bolts out towards a dark alley. When he spots two pedestrians gaping up at the sky in alarm, he slows, peering up to see the Bat Signal looming.

Bruce: Fear... is a tool.

Sad Emoji stops, panic dawning as he turns to the dark alley. He backs away into the street, but a car skids, hitting him. The Taxi Driver shouts, "Are you outta your mind?! Watch where you're goin', drophead!" He drops, but fear lifts him, and he just keeps running as the sounds of a helicopter grow.

At the Colossal Gotham Bank, a vandal hears the copter, he peers up at a police chopper, soaring past the Bat Signal in the clouds.

Bruce: They think I'm hiding in the shadows...

He drops his spray can, startled as it clatters. It rolls ominously under a dark archway, and he stares, chilled.

Bruce: But I am the shadows.

A siren approaches, the vandal spins, joining the others as they flee, leaving the painted letters spell 'BROKE!' on the pillars; behind, a fire rages in the building, flames rise as a menacing low rumble builds.

In the elevated train platform, the train screeches to a stop. The lone passenger emerges onto the deserted platform when he hears footsteps and laughter behind; he turns, startled. The eight skull faced gang members are behind him. The Young Member stands coiled - a haunted look in his eyes - the others watch with phones raised, filming.

The Jokerz Leader urges the young member, "C'mon, c'mon." He hesitates, losing nerve - and the Passenger bolts. Jokerz Leader shouts, "Get him!" He turns to the young member, "What are you doing?!"

The gang ploughs forward, knocking the young member down as they race past. They pounce on the passenger. The Gotham Resident cries out, "Somebody, help me! Help! Help!" The Jokerz Member points at the passenger, "Where you goin', huh?! C'mon. You can't move, huh?"

The young gang member hears the train roaring off beside him. He then spots the Bat Signal in the sky. His eyes dart around as screams approach. He turns, and the leader yanks the young member to his feet while the group holds the passenger. A dreadful silence sets over the station as the train roar recedes.

The Jokerz Leader pats the young member, "Now knock his ass out." A Jokerz Member laughs, "Showtime! Showtime, man! C'mon, do it, man!" The Young Member stares, steeling himself when slow bootsteps echo from somewhere in the station. Everyone turns, looking anxiously around. The young man's eyes stare into a dark void beneath an overhang. The others look, too. 

CLICK... CLICK... CLICK...

Two masked figures, one shrouded in black and one black with yellow, appear like an apparition from the shadows, stepping into the rain. It's Batman and Honeybee.

Jokerz Leader laughs, "You seeing this guy?" Everyone stares, unnerved. The leader smirks, sizing up what he assumes is just another Halloween costume, "The hell are you supposed to be?!"

The leader raises his hands, ready to fight. Honeybee slowly tilts her head to Batman. She remains still as the leader swings, but Batman seizes his arm. A martial artist's savage grace, using his attacker's momentum to wrench him off balance, snapping his arm sickingly. The leader screams as Batman silences him again with a rain of head-snapping jackhammer punches in the face. And like that, the Leader is down, bleeding, moaning. Batman kneels there for a long, scary beat, eyes veiled.

The Batman answers roughly, "I'm vengeance."

A Jokerz Member gasps, "Oh, shit. It's him and Honeybee..."

Batman looks up at the others, who gaze back, stunned -­ when a trio of gang members rush at him. As Batman dispenses with them all at once in a fluid, but totally street-fight realistic attack of kicks and hard fist blows; Batman takes hits too, but his terrifying skill keeps impact from landing. Panic rips through the gang as Honeybee joins, knocking a few members down to the ground, her metalic wings knocking the air out of them. The young member's eyes widen as he sees someone pulling out a .38 Special.

"Hey, man! Nonononono--!"

Batman spins, seeing the gun, and starts right for it. The gang member opens fire. Batman flinches as the bullets disappear into his suit's ballistic fiber. He advances, grabbing the member's still-firing gun arm in one hand and his throat in the other.

As the gang scatters from the bullets, a bright blue taser current zaps from Honeybee's gloved fingers, hitting the gang member's neck. The gang member drops from Batman's hold, convulsing.

Batman slowly lifts his head, looking for more comers... The few remaining on their feet gape, frozen. Honeybee watches as they break into a run, all except the youngest gang member, who hesitates briefly under Batman's stone-faced gaze in awe, then races off. Batman looks down to discover the passenger, knocked to the ground in the chaos; he raises his hands, terrified.

"Please don't hurt me..."

Batman just gazes strangely, cocking his head, taking a step slowly toward him -- the Passenger braces himself. As Batman peers down at something beside the passenger's head, a reflection on the wet ground. The Bat Signal. Batman turns to see Honeybee gazing up at the Signal, both wondering how long it's been there.