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Act Four

Act Four begins with an exciting car chase. Bruce comments that they really should get bullet proof glass. They eventually end up escaping the bad guys and stopping at the Gotham City Youth Shelter. This is where Susan Dent works.

Bruce arrives and is interrogated by one of the youths. He sees Barbara Gordon, who tells him that "the name is Barb, and I don't know you!" She's working "undercover," she says. "Don't tell my dad! He doesn't know my 'secret identity'!"

Bruce tries to get back on Susan's good side. He apologizes, and asks if she'd like to go out some time. "I thought you were leaving town?" she asks. "I thought I was, too," he told her, but some new things were going on. Susan says she knows, and that Harvey told her he was worried. Bruce made a comment about how surprising it was that Harvey was worried about someone other than himself.

Susan explains why she works at the youth shelter, and the two talk a little bit. As Bruce leaves Susan, a child tells Barbara that "He's way old! Too old!" Barbara is totally crushing.

When Bruce gets back to the mansion, Palantine has left several voice messages. Bruce calls Charles, says he's been busy with some supermodels, and that he must have forgotten to send the paperwork. Bruce's ruse gets him and Alfred talking about Alfred's background, and the time when Alfred came to work for the Wayne family.

The phone rings. It's Sgt. Gordon. He heard about the cars shooting at the Rolls. Lucius tipped Gordon off about "the weekly shipment of hazardous wastes" that was going out that night. Bruce says he'll meet Gordon there, but Gordon tells him not to.

As the call is over, Bruce has a wicked grin. Alfred is alarmed.

Cut to Wayne Chemical. Gordon is there in a dark alley with two of his best officers - Rupert Montoya and Harvey Bullock. Gordon warns Bullock that with all of the donuts he's eating, he's going to get fat. They go, and then a dark figure drops to the ground, dressed all in black. He grins, and starts heading after them... when his arm is snagged by an umbrella handle.

Alfred tells him that if he reveals himself, he can never take that back... that he can trust no one. "Your father trusted people... and now he is dead!"

"What are you saying? You saying somebody he trusted, somebody at WayneCorp killed my father?" Bruce asks.

"Why not? They're trying to kill YOU!"

Alfred gives Bruce some sage advice and dialogue. "So, can we go home now...?"

"No," Bruce tells him. "Gordon still needs my help. I just won't let him see me!"

There's a whole confrontation between Gordon, his men, and the bad guys inside Wayne Chemical. Bruce does what he can to help, staying out of sight. He sees Gordon down below doing his thing, and says to himself "Do I have to do everything around here?" Bruce bumps into a stool with a lunch box on top. He opens it up and begins snacking on the banana. "All this crime fighting sure works up an appetite." The bad guy exits an elevator, and Bruce smashes him with the stool. Alfred yells from up above. "Gordon can't just 'find' that person laying there unconscious!"

Still munching on the banana, Bruce looks down. Gordon is getting closer. He stares at the banan peel. Hrm.

Bruce and Alfred make their exit. Gordon comes in, and sees the bad guy... who slipped.... on a banana peel?!?!

As Bruce and Alfred head back to the Rolls. "I might have found something I'm really good at!" Bruce exclaims. Alfred groans.

Back at the police station, Bruce and Alfred meet up with Gordon and his men. Bruce tells Gordon that he got bored at home and was there all night. It turns out the trucks that were supposed to be used to export chemicals were actually being used to traffic drugs. Gordon tells them that the head bad guy is dropping hints about the higher-ups at WayneCorp, and that he wants to make a deal.

They're interrupted by the desk sergeant. Lt. Flass wants to see Gordon and his men. Bruce and Alfred leave, the mission accomplished.

Flass tells Gordon and his men that they have to cut their prisoners loose, for "illegal search and seizure." Flass comes up with more excuses, and Gordon comes up with a permission from the EPA. Flass smiles, and tells Gordon he's right.

Gordon and his officers return to the interrogation room, happy that they won. The laughter dies away when they get to the cell, and realize that the bad guy's been hung. Dead. The desk sergeant tells them they tried to get to him, but it was too late.

Bruce and Alfred get back to Wayne Manor, where they enter to complete darkness. Bruce hears scruffling noises, and then the lights come on. "SURPRISE!"

All of Bruce's "friends" in Gotham are there. Harvey, Susan, Selena, Lucius Fox, Billie Fox, Jim Gordon, Barbara, Bullock, and Montoya. It's midnight, Bruce is alive, and he's 18! Barbara rushes up to be the first to give him a hug and wish him a happy birthday.

"Bruce owns WayneCorp now, we don't need these!" Harvey explains, throwing the papers into the fireplace. Everyone cheers. The doorbell rings. It's Palantine.

Palantine asks if Bruce ever found the contract, and then looks at the fireplace. "Ah. Well, I thought so..." Palantine tells Bruce he has bad news, that some unpleasant illegal things were found at Wayne Chemical. He says that once word gets out, WayneCorp stock may take a beating. He then tells Bruce he brought him a present... a book, "Business for Beginners." He offers to be Bruce's mentor or advisor in the days ahead.

Harvey calls out for a speech. Bruce tells his new friends that he's got a lot to learn, but he's staying in Gotham City. He's not sure if he can make a difference, but he's going to stick around and find out.

Everyone gathers, and a photo is taken.... the photo we see at the very beginning of this story.

The shot returns to that small cavern. The voiceover from Alfred says "And so, it begins...."

The Verdict

What would happen next? Check out the series outline!