I Am in My Own Way

Why Does Batman Wear a Mask in the First Place...?

Because Bruce Wayne cannot go out onto The Street and do ANY of the things that Batman does on a nightly basis;

As he learns, immediately upon his return to Gotham from his initiatory Martial Arts Training Grand Tour of The World,

No Mere Mortal,
No Human Being
No Real Person 

ever could, no matter 
how extraordinary, rich, or well-resourced.


People can't fire pitons into gargoyles on skyscrapers and go swinging around major cities under cover of night, solve mysteries and thwart crime.

That just doesn't happen, ever -
That means, in which case, that it actually is impossible 
(practically impossible in every way),
since believe me, in almost 80 Years of Batman's career to-date,
plenty  will have tried and failed miserably to emulate his feats.

It's just simply not-possible, then, we must accept -
People just cannot  do those things.
No Human Being could, it's just impossible.

Accepted - So, 
How Do We Do It, then? 
in that case..?


If you can't ever seem to get the kind of answers you want, 
You must ask different questions.

If what you wish to do is something which it is not-possible for any human being in general or you in particular to ever do, then the solution is obvious.

Doing it, however -- 

That will require a non-negotioable, non-refundable investment of a great deal of both of Work, and 
!!MAXIMUM EFFORT!! 
on your part - 

Just so as to ensure that you were, in fact, serious when you insisted that 
This Task  
was 
What You Desired Most to Do in The Present Moment...? 
In the case of the neophyte young Bruce Wayne of course, it was.

And of course it was.
And so when The Answer to The Problem,
the resolution to his crisis of mortal human constraint 
came forth from out of The Deep and presented itself before him, 
as Destiny would insist that it must, at that juncture -- 

The Answer was not a solution to be found anywhere within the mortal human realm or spheres of comptencies,
but rather one of pure, unrefined  atavism.

I SHALL BECOME A BAT

The key point to understand here, is - 

It's NOT a Disguise.

This is what 


INT. HALL/LOUNGE - LATER (NIGHT)

Buffy bursts into the lounge, running as fast as she can. As the camera follows her she goes into slow motion, all sound bleeding out of the sound track.

WHISTLER (V.O.)
Bottom line is even if you see
'em coming, you're not ready 
for the big moments. No one
asks for their life to change,
not really. But it does.
Buffy enters the --

INT. LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT

Sees the carnage.

She spots Kendra lying on the ground, goes to her, cradles her on her lap -- tries to stop the bleeding as Kendra dies right in front of her.

WHISTLER (V.O.)
So, what, are we helpless? Puppets?
No. The big moments are gonna
come, can't help that. It's what
you do afterwards that counts.
That's when you find out who you are.

ANGLE: BUFFY AND KENDRA

We see them from behind, Buffy still holding Kendra's head in her lap, when a policeman's GUN comes into frame.

COP
Freeze!!

ANGLE: TWO COPS

are pointing their weapons, looking mighty tense.

Buffy whips her head around to see them.

BLACK OUT.

Over the title: 
TO BE CONTINUED:

WHISTLER (V.O.)
You'll see what I mean.

END OF SHOW

WHISTLER

It's all on the line here, kid.

BUFFY

I can deal.

(looks at the sword, at him) 

I got nothing left to lose.

She exits. He watches her go, genuine sadness suffusing his gaze.

WHISTLER

Wrong, kid. 

You got one more thing.

ANGLE: THE GARDEN

As Angel approaches Buffy, sword in hand.

SPIKE
God, he's going to kill her. . .
After a moment of intense worry, he shrugs, takes off.

Angel approaches Buffy. She tries to move from the corner, but he moves with her. She's boxed in.

He plays the sword near her face, loving this.

ANGEL
That's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends.
No hope. Take all that away and what's left?
Buffy stares at him, his words hitting home. She looks exhausted, and terribly sad. She shuts her eyes.

He lunges, shooting his arm out, the sword straight at her face.

Without opening her eyes she slams her palms together over the blade, stopping it an inch from her face.

She opens her eyes.

BUFFY
Me.

She jerks the sword back, knocking the hilt onto his face, kicking him solidly in the chest.