Here is the complete version of the first part of the Jason Todd script I wrote a few years ago. I apologize for the screwed up layout, but no matter how many times I tried correcting the problems, instead of getting fixed, it just kept coming out bad in different fashions.
I never did come up with a title for this story...maybe something like "Can You Ever Go Home Again?"
FULL PAGE
JASON TODD, in his
RED HOOD apparel, stands on a rooftop overlooking Gotham City. Snow falls around him; an electronic
billboard behind him reads “ONLY 3 SHOPPING DAYS LEFT UNTIL CHRISTMAS! GO TO
WWW.IWANTTOYS.COM FOR RUSH DELIVERY!”
JASON TODD
(Caption)
Another white
Christmas, another day for family and friends, another day to pretend it’s all
okay,
Page 2
1- Jason hops down
onto the fire escape, taking the long way to the street for once.
2- As he descends,
he passes a window with Xmas light and a tree
3- A family eating
dinner together
4- An older man by
himself watching TV in the dark
5 - Jason stops
halfway down, looks out over the city…
JASON TODD
(caption)
No crime. Maybe the first day since Bruce… (pause)
Page 3
1- An open window,
minimal Xmas decoration, a single father and his kid arguing over something
catches Jason’s attention for a moment.
2- Back to Jason
perched on the fire escape…
JASON TODD
(caption)
…since Batman
abandoned this hellhole.
3 - Jason hops
down into a familiar alley from the fire escape. Graffiti is visible reading,
“ABANDON ALL HOPE YOU WHO ENTER CRIME ALLEY”
JASON TODD
Wherever you went,
whatever you’re doing, I hope you know that you gave up. In the end, Bruce, you gave up.
4- Jason pops the
seal off his Red Hood helmet.
5 - Jason kneels
down, setting the helmet on the ground to his side, a slight smile on his face.
6 - Tight on Jason
placing two bullets on the ground next to a couple of withered roses, something
left over from Bruce’s yearly visit.
Page 4
Jason stands over
the flowers and the bullets, helmet in hand at his side, staring at this
landmark in Bat-history, the smile on his face faded to solemnity. The snowfall is getting harder, and you can
see the kid from earlier storming away in the BG.
JASON TODD
What would Mommy
and Daddy think of you right now Bruce? What happened to that precious vow you
drilled into my head once upon a time?
Page 5
1 - Jason turns
his head to an off panel yelling voice.
Come back here
Jason!
2 - Father from
previous page standing under streetlight, dressed in some sort of overalls, as
if he worked in a factory. A package is in his left hand, a cell phone in his
right. In BG, the figure of Jason Todd can be seen scaling back to the rooftops
via “Batline”.
FATHER
Jason! Jason! Get
back here son!
FATHER
Hello? No, he’d
rather run off than talk to his mother.
Page 6
1 - Jason Todd,
with helmet back on, watching from the rooftop as the kid Jason runs down the
street.
(caption)
Well this may end
up a way to cure my boredom.
2 - CLOSE Kid
Jason stops running, dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, long sleeved thermal
shirt, shoes that are one stitch away from falling apart, skull cap, and no
coat.
3 - Kid Jason
wanders into a different alleyway, looking over his shoulder to make sure
Father isn’t following him.
4- Kid Jason runs
smack into the chest of a massive individual.
5 - Kid Jason
looks up, eyes wide…
KID JASON
Oh $*&^!!
6 - Kid Jason is
staring up at AMYGDALA, a man not seen in a long time.
7 - Terrified Kid
Jason backing away from Amygdala, Jason Todd barely visible in the BG on a
rooftop.
AMYGDALA
Why are you come
into my alley?
Umm, umm, uhhh.
(yelling)
WHY YOU COME TO MY
ALLEY?
I just wanted to
get away!
Page 7
1 - Amygdala’s
body language is evident of the rage fading as quickly as it came. His shoulders drop, his eyes get soft, and a
child-like innocence takes the place of the raging hulk.
Oh. I tried to get
away before too, that’s how I got here to my new home.
Home? This is your
home?
AMYGDALA
You don’t like my
home? What’s wrong with my home?
(scared)
Nothing. Nothing’s
wrong with your home, it’s nice. Big.
3 - Amygdala lets
out a deep breath and relaxes. It’s
obvious he’s regressed from the last time he was seen in Nightwing.
AMYGDALA
It not as nice as
my last home, but that went boom a long, long time ago.
KID JASON
Boom?
Yeah, explodeded.
4 - Kid Jason
backs away a little as Amygdala sits down on a stack of old cardboard
boxes. The snowfall has started to
lighten up, as have the winds whipping the debris around.
KID JASON
What did you d….I
mean what happened?
5 - Jason Todd
descends from the rooftop onto a nearby fire escape, attempting to get a closer
listen to Amygdala’s tale.
7 - Amygdala looks
up to the sky, like he’s searching for the answer somewhere up there, a bit of
a mournful look on his face.
AMYGDALA
Ummm…I don’t
remember so good, but I think I was watching TV when my whole home just went
KABOOM! There was smoke and fire and
somehow I made it alive, and at the funeral it was just me and the nice guy
with black hair.
KID JASON
Do you remember
his name?
No. But he was a nice guy, always made sure I
took my pills he did. He might have
helped me get a job too at that prison I worked at maybe.
KID JASON
Okay, so how’d you
end up here at…at your new home?
I runned…
AMYGDALA
(caption)
The policemans
tried to find my family, but I hadn’t seen them since they put me in a hospital
before the doctors did sumthin’ to me.
AMYGDALA
(caption)
I think, I think
they tried to put me in their car, but I didn’t wanna go. I think maybe I hurt somebody bad…
AMYGDALA
I think I broked
their car too, but then I just ran cause I think they tried to shock me. I can’t think too good, my medicine got burnt
up in the fire and I wasn’t feeling good that day.
5 - Jason Todd has
fully come to ground and is listening from the shadows.
KID JASON
(off panel)
What did the
doctors do ta ya?
AMYGDALA
Did sumthin’ to my
brain that was s‘pposed to make me better. But now I’m s‘pposed ta take
medicine all the time and I don’t got none.
Ain’t had any for a long time, long as I been here.
KID JASON
How long’ve you
been here?
AMYGDALA
I dunno. I ran from the policeman ‘til I couldn’t run
anymore and then I was here, and then you was here. Ummm…I think this is the second time it’s
snowed since I been here. No one tells
me nuthin no more, no more friends…
8 - Finally
shattering his fear, Kid Jason puts a comforting hand on Amygdala’s shoulder…
I guess, uh, I
guess…you’ve got a friend now.
1 - Amygdala’s
eyes light up like the fourth of July, a huge grin on his face as he stands up,
dwarfing Kid Jason.
Friend? I have a friend? FRIEND!!!!
2 - Amygdala
scoops up Kid Jason and gives him the bear hug to end all bear hugs, spinning
around in jubilant celebration.
FRIEND! FRIEND!
FRIEND! I HAVE FRIEND!
4 - Kid Jason’s
face is turning a light shade of blue as Amygdala’s hug squeezes the life out
of him.
KID JASON
Can’t….breath….st….op…
AMYGDALA
I sorry
friend. Sometimes I don’t know when I
hurt sumthin’ cause I’m really strong, even when I was small.
(coughing)
Hard to believe
you were ever small…
AMYGDALA
You make fun of
me? YOU MAKIN’ FUN OF ME?!?!?
8 - Kid Jason
backpedals, taken totally off guard by his new friend’s explosion…
No, no, no! I was just havin’ fun with ya! That’s what
friends do sometimes, have fun with each other!
(confused)
Really? Have fun?
Last friend who want’d to have fun wore a talkin’ sock on his hand. His fun was robbin’ a store and tryin’ to
kill Batman. This is more fun…
Page 10
2 - Amygdala sits
down on top of a dumpster against the wall, Kid Jason kind of mulls around the
area, kicking at cans and the like
AMYGDALA
Why you run away
friend?
I guess I was tired of dealin’ with it all.
Tired of being a disappointment.
3 - Jason Todd
winces at that word, cueing a flashback to…
4 - Batman #424
when Jason let someone die, telling Batman “He Slipped”
5 - Back to Kid
Jason and Amygdala, Kid Jason looking at something in his hand that he picked
up off the ground.
KID JASON
See, I guess I’ve
been blamin’ my dad for my parents breakin’ up. He works all the time, never
home, hell he won’t even be home for Christmas.
7 - Tings down at
the feet of Jason Todd.
8 - Jason Todd’s
face looks softer than it has previously…
Page 11
AMYGDALA
(clueless)
Chris’mas?
Yeah,
Christmas. So I told him I hated him,
and that I wanted to go live with my mom.
Didn’t realize how much it hurt him.
3 - Flashback to
Batman #425 when Jason Todd’s mistakes cost three people their lives, and
Bruce‘s disappointment…
4 - Kid Jason sits
down as Amygdala stands up and wanders over to the opposite side of the
alley. The entry to the alley is visible
in the BG behind Kid Jason, the snow and winds have started to pick up again.
KID JASON
So he picked up
the phone, dialed my mom up, and told her I had a question to ask her. Truth is there’s no way in hell I would wanna
go live with that…that…that bitch!
6 - Flashback to
Batman 427 as Sheila Haywood stands next to the Joker over Jason Todd’s bloody,
beaten body.
7 - Kid Jason, his
head also in his hands, wipes the tears away.
KID JASON
She’s the terrible
one. She cheated on my dad, she left us high and dry, she…
(off panel)
WAAAAAAAAAH! My
mommy sucks! WAAAAAHHH!
JERRY
Life sucks kid,
parent suck too. Why don’t ya go and cut
yourself over it?
(swinging the bat
at his side)
But first…why
don’t you give us everything you got?
1 - Jason Todd
slides his Red Hood helmet back on over his face. Is that melted snow or a tear on his cheek?
3 - Jerry steps a
little closer to Kid Jason, crowbar pointed at the juvenile as he falls
backwards over the box he was sitting on.
JERRY
Better yet, how
about you take us to your daddy’s house and give us everything he’s got too.
(giggling)
And then you can
take us ta yer mommy’s house and we can take what she’s got too!
5 - Same, but a
massive hand has grabbed Evan around the neck.
6 - Amygdala,
roaring incoherently, slams Evan’s head into the brick wall of the alley.
7 - A bloody smear
is left behind as his dead body slides to the ground.
8- Kid Jason
hiding behind the dumpster from earlier...
Page 13
AMYGDALA
WHY YOU TRY HURT ME? WHY YOU HURT?!?!?
2 - Lynn charges
at Amygdala with a bat in hand.
3 - Amygdala
snatches the bat in one hand while snapping Lynn’s neck with his other hand
4 - Kid Jason
tries to stand up from behind the dumpster, but Lynn’s body slams against the
wall over his head and slides down right in front of him.
5 - Kid Jason runs
out from behind the dumpster,
6 - Joe catches
him, puts a gun to his head
7 - A gloved hand
comes out of the shadows, crooked blade in hand, and slits the throat of the
would-be killer.
JASON TODD
Not a good idea.
8- Kid Jason runs
without looking back as Amygdala, in the BG towers over Jerry.
Page 14
JERRY
I just wanted some
money! I just needed some money! Don’t
kill me!
Page 15
2 - Amygdala puts
one foot on the chest of Jerry and begins to push.
3 - Blood begins
to pour out of Jerry’s mouth as Amygdala’s weight crushes him
JERRY
Just….had….feed….kidsss
5 - Tight on Kid
Jason retching his guts up behind a stack of boxes and trash…
Page 16
FULL PAGE
Standing there,
covered in blood and sweat, Amygdala’s breath is heavy and visible in the cold
December air. Faint strands of “Here
Comes Santa Claus” can be heard from one of the few shops still open on the
street only yards away.
Page 17
1 - Kid Jason
emerges from his hiding spot, wiping vomit off his chin…
KID JASON
Oh, my goooooooo….
3 - Amygdala, his
faces inches away from Kid Jason’s, contorted in fit of rage, slobber flying as
he yells.
AMYGDALA
WHY YOU HURT ME?
WHY YOU BRING MEN TO HURT ME?
(wincing)
I didn’t do
anything. I just wanted to be your friend.
LIAR! NOT FRIEND!
YOU HURT ME! BRING MEN TO HURT ME!
KID JASON
(screaming)
HELP! HELP!
SOMEBODY HEL…
AMYGDALA
(insane calm)
Not friend, you
liar, just like everybody. Now you die,
no more hurting Amyg…
6 - A pair of
gunshots ring out from off panel, blood splatters across the face of Kid Jason.
Page 18
FULL PAGE - KID
JASON’S POV
Jason Todd stands
there with a smoking gun in each hand, Red Hood helmet on, crooked knife
visible in his waistband “utility belt” still stained with blood. The wind whipping garbage and snow around at
his feet, the dead bodies of Jerry and Joe on the ground. The only sound is that of “Here comes Santa
Claus” fading into “Silent Night”…
Page 19
1 - Jason Todd
puts one more bullet into the head of Amygdala for good measure before he so
much as looks at Kid Jason.
2 - Kid Jason,
trembling, crying, covered in blood, throws up what little was left in his
stomach. This kid isn’t meant for such
violence.
3 - Jason Todd
squats down and locks eyes with Kid Jason for the first time. Amygdala’s brain matter, skull, and blood are
matted into the kid’s hair and all over his face. It’s like Jason is truly seeing the result of
his methods for the first time.
KID JASON
Why?
What?
KID JASON
W…w…why did you
kill him?
He was going to
kill you. Don’t…don’t think for a second
he was your friend kid.
KID JASON
He was sick…you’re
sick. This is…this is just sick.
KID JASON
There’s dead
people. Oh god there’s dead people. And you…you…you’re okay with this?
(somber)
None of these
people will ever harm another soul kid. No one like you will ever be hurt
again.
(gagging)
But none of ‘em
will ever get a chance to do right either.
This guy, I didn’t even know his name yet…I didn’t even…
KID JASON
…didn’t even know
his name.
JASON TODD
It was Amyg…it was
Aaron. His name was Aaron. Go home to
your Dad kid, he’s probably worried sick.
And don’t take it for granted, you never know when he’ll just…be….gone.
FULL PAGE-
OVERHEAD
JASON TODD
(caption)
Doubt…
1 - Jason Todd in
Red Hood helmet speeding away on a motorcycle, snow and wind swirling all
around him.
(caption)
..the last thing I
need is doubt. But what that kid said, I
can’t shake it.
JASON TODD
(caption)
I looked at him;
all I could think of was Bruce. An
alley, a gun, a blood covered kid.
Bruce.
JASON TODD
(caption)
I’ve heard it all
before, the lines about redemption, but this was different. It wasn’t coming
from holier-than-thou Batman…
JASON TODD
(caption)
It was the face of
innocence. It was Dick at the circus, it
was me and Dent, it was…it was Tim and Boomerang‘s kid.
JASON TODD
(caption)
But that way,
Bruce…Batman’s way, it hasn’t worked. Joker’s still out there, Harvey,
Cobblepot, Bane, even…even Bane.
Page 21
1 - Jason Todd
sits up out of the snow bank, protected from any serious injury by his helmet
& body armor. The bike though, the bike is not so good, fixable, but
unrideable.
Bane…even Bane.
(caption)
Bane shattered
him, broke him, and Batman still let him live.
It’s like he forgave him, like he didn’t hold that hate in…in his heart.
3 - Jason Todd
walking down the road with the bike despite intense snowfall and bone chilling
winds. One gun is missing from his waist
holster, unknowingly left buried in the snow.
JASON TODD
(caption)
It wasn’t about
hate for Bruce, it…it wasn’t about revenge.
Justice, always justice, blind justice.
He believed in it, maybe to a fault, but he believed in it.
4 - Jason stops
walking, pops off his helmet, and looks into the snow. In the BG, a set of bars, like a gate, are
visible.
(caption)
Maybe justice
isn’t possibly always, maybe rehabilitation doesn’t always work, but for Bruce,
it was enough to know he tried. As long
as he tried…
5 - Interior of
the Batcave, still in disrepair from the Black Glove, shot on the shattered
case containing Jason Todd’s Robin costume.
JASON TODD
(caption)
I don’t know if
I’ll ever find my way back to your side of the fence Bruce, if I’ll ever be as
“Batman” as you dreamed, save that for Tim and Dick, but maybe…just maybe...
Page 22
FULL PAGE
Jason Todd stands
just outside the gates of Wayne Manor.
It’s hard to tell the state of the Manor due to darkness and the snow,
but it seems as if some windows are still busted out, the scars of what
happened in RIP still remain. I’m
picturing a panel from Robin #7 when Bruce sees the state of the manor under
AzBats watch. It’s looming, towering over
Jason Todd, imposing, with the words “WAYNE” on the top of the gate half covered
in snow.
JASON TODD
..maybe it’s time
to go home again.
TO BE CONTINUED....
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