The Boy

The Batman :
Is that what I think it is..?

 

Kid Flash :

(He doesn’t like being called an ‘it’….)

 

Superboy :

I’m Superman’s Clone.

 

THE BATMAN :

Apple Pie.

The Devil’s Food.

SUPERMAN :

Something tells me this isn't about dessert.

THE BATMAN :

The Boy needs You. 

SUPERMAN :

No. He needs you. 

He needs Red [Tornado]

I'm just a constant reminder 

of What He's Not.

THE BATMAN :

Sorry, Clark, but you're 

DEAD WRONG.

Look, I know he troubles you.

But he's here. 

You have to get over 

the How and Why —

Trust Me on This :

THIS Boy Needs 

His Father.

SUPERMAN :

I'm NOT His Father.

I'll take that pie to go.

Prof. IVO :

Oh. Hello.

SUPERBOY: 

You? You're Ivo? 

I'm whelmed.

Prof. IVO :

You're One to Talk.

Now, since when does 

The Big Blue Boy Scout 

have a brat?

Superboy :

He doesn't.

Prof. IVO :

Yeah. If you say so.

My Android has 

The Strength of Superman.

What chance do you have?

[GROWLS]

[GRUNTING]

Prof. IVO : 

Oh, sorry. Did that strike a nerve?

Amazo, strike a few more.

AMAZO :

Access Black Canary.

[SCREAMS]

[GRUNTS]

Access Flash.

[GRUNTING]

Prof. IVO : 

Oh, no wonder Daddy 

keeps you hidden away.

You're not really doing Justice to 

the old S-shield, are you? Ha.

Martian Manhunter.

[GRUNTING]

Access Superman.

[SCREAMS]

[GIBBERING]

Finish him.

Priority Alpha.

So you changed too.

You kidding?

I feel naked in civvies. Still tracking the parts?

They were heading through Gotham. But they veered.

Wait. Dude, they're at my school.

[GROANING]

That all you got?

Access Captain Atom.

[GRUNTING]

[CLAPPING]

I don't usually attend these things in person...

...but, heh, this was too good to miss.

AMAZO: 

Access Superman.

[GRUNTING]

KID FLASH: Yoink.

Martian Manhunter.

Access Red Tornado.

[GROANING]

Access Captain Atom.

Access Black Canary.

Superman.

Martian Manhunter.

Superman.

[SCREAMS]

Martian Manhunter.

Access Black Canary.

Superman.

Access Black Canary.

Oh, yawn. Normally, Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle.

But what's the point?

You're all such poor copies of the originals.

[GIBBERING]

So everyone keeps saying.

It makes me angry.

Wanna see me channel that anger?

Great. He's gone ballistic again.

Maybe not.

Amazo, protect your master.

Priority alpha.

Captain Atom.

Anyone wanna play keep away?

Ooh, ooh. Me, me. Access Superman.

Martian Manhunter.

Superman.

ROBIN: Help me disassemble him. Now!

Dude, the guy has no head.

AQUALAD: Don't take any chances.

Superboy. Are you all right?

I'm fine.

Feeling the aster.

Hey, where's Ivo?

THE BATMAN: 

The Amazo android is in pieces again, being safely being analyzed at the two separate S.T.A.R. Labs.

But Ivo escaped.

And since he originated the tech he's arguably more dangerous than the android.

Capturing the professor will be a League priority.

But we understand your mission encountered other complications.

Complications come with the job.

Your ability to handle them has impressed the League.

SUPERBOY :

The whole League?

THE BATMAN:

Given time, yes.

Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads.

Of course, there's no shame in asking for help.

That's why the League exists.

Because there are some problems 

even we can't handle individually.

Please.

If we needed help, we'd never get the chance to ask.

Look familiar?

You were following us. Babysitting.

You still don't trust us. 

We didn't follow you.

And that's not your arrow.

But that means... Speedy.

He has our backs.

Souvenir.

[SUPERBOY CLEARS THROAT]

I'm ready. Good.

Because I'm here.

Yer Main Man, Lobo :
Look at Da Little SUPERMAN.

 

I know dis kid.

 

From Earth and Stuff.

 

Little Superman on a Field Trip?

Didya bring the whole Little Justice League, too?

 

Jon Kent :

SuperBOY.

 

Yer Main Man, Lobo :

What?

 

Jon Kent :

You and all your little 

Galactic Bounty Hunter Pals

can call me 

SuperBOY.

 

Yer Main Man, Lobo :

Uh-huh.

 

Jon Kent :

Yeah, “Uh-huh.” 

 

Yer Main Man, Lobo :

Guess no one ever told you yet —

 

Jon Kent :

What’s THAT?

 

Yer Main Man, Lobo :

Yer A Man when YOU DECIDE ta Be...

…ain’t no one handin’ out certificates or nothin’.

 

DECIDE to.

 

Cheers to The House of FRACKIN’ El.

Say Hi to yer Pops. Heh.

 

 

 

Terry McGinnis: 

How could you do it to me, Bruce?!

 

Bruce Wayne: 

The only thing that matters is The Mission. 

You know that.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

What about people, Bruce? 

Dick, Barbara, Tim, Selina - 

they all loved you, but eventually 

every single one of them left you! 

Ever wonder why?

 

Bruce Wayne: 

Not for an instant. 

They quit because when it came down to it, 

they didn't have the heart for The Mission. 

Are you about to quit too? 

It doesn't really surprise me.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

My Dad wasn't a superhero. 

He didn't save the world from the near-apocalypse of '09, 

he never went toe-to-toe with Mr. Freeze, 

but he was a good man just the same. 

 

Even after he and Mom got divorced, 

he always tried to do the right thing. 

 

My brother and I were always provided for; 

when Mom couldn't quite make the bills, 

he always helped out. 

 

He tried to teach me right from wrong - 

would have too, if I'd ever listened to him. 

 

And he never laid a hand on me, 

although Lord knows I was asking for it.

 

Bruce Wayne: 

What's your point?

 

Terry McGinnis: 

[angrily] 

"What's my point"?! 

My Point is, I never once doubted

he loved me with all his heart! 

 

My Point is, all those 

warm feelings 

I had for My Dad -

turns out they were 

just another lie! 

 

Another in a long list of things you've stolen from me! 

My Point is, I just found out that 

Warren McGinnis isn't my father! 

YOU are.

 

Bruce Wayne:

 ...What do you want from me?

 

Terry McGinnis: 

I wanna know 

The Whole Truth.

 

Bruce Wayne: 

Sounds like you already do.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

Guess I didn't wanna believe you were so incredibly ARROGANT

that you thought The World couldn't go on without you.

 

Bruce Wayne: 

Or someone like me. 

It's not arrogance, it's fact.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

You set the whole thing up!

 

Bruce Wayne: 

How? You were already a teenager

when I first met your mother.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

I don't know. Maybe you dug up some of that old Cadmus nanotech,

used it to have my genes rewritten to match yours!

 

Bruce Wayne: 

That technology's been illegal for over 40 years.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

Didn't stop The Joker 

from using it on Tim Drake!

 

[Bruce's eyes widen in shock over the comment]

 

Terry McGinnis: 

[remorseful] 

All right, low blow. 

[smiling sarcastically] 

Because you'd NEVER lie to me, right?

 

Bruce Wayne: 

Fine. Believe what you want. 

But you know 

as well as I do,

accident or not -

it's a good thing that 

You're almost 

A Clone of me. 

 

The World DOES 

need A Batman, 

and it always will. 

 

[suddenly groans in pain, clutches at his heart and tries to open a medication bottle] 

 

The Mantle of Batman 

is An Honour, Terry... 

 

[groans again, spilling the bottle and pills across the floor]

 

Terry McGinnis: 

You know what, Old Man? 

All those years, turns out 

everybody was right.

You are insane. 

Being Batman's 

no honour.

It's a Curse.

 

 

Amanda Waller: 

Honey, Bruce didn't overwrite your DNA with his - I did.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

[astonished] 

How? Why?

 

Amanda Waller: 

Because The World 

always needs a Batman. 

 

Not that I always thought so, mind you. 

Before you were born, 

Bruce and I were enemies. 

 

His Justice League was easily the most powerful force on Earth. 

As you know, I was in charge of Project Cadmus.

Over the years I came to respect Batman,

even Trust Him.

 

Terry McGinnis: 

I guess the law of averages 

means somebody'd have to.

 

Amanda Waller:
Did you know I was The Government Liaison

with the Justice League for a while? 

 

I met some extraordinary 

people in that job,

but none of them were 

the equal of Batman.

 

Terry McGinnis:

[bitterly] 

Right, who could be?

 

Amanda Waller: 

Not My Point.

I saw him Save The Day dozens of times

with nothing but his wits, body and will.

 

But I saw something else as the years passed -

he was getting older. Slower.

 

Soon he'd have to retire, or more likely,

someone would finally manage to kill him.

 

The Thought of A World without 

Batman was unacceptable. 

So, I decided to make 

a new one.

 

I used my old Cadmus connections 

to gather the technology necessary for 

Project : Batman Beyond. 

 

Bruce's DNA was easy 

enough to obtain. 

He left it all over town. 

 

[Terry gives her a look] 

 

Not REMOTELY what I meant! 

 

[Cut to a shot of Batman being bandaged by a paramedic] 

 

Then I found a young Neo-Gotham couple,

with psychological profiles nearly identical

to those of Bruce's parents. 

 

Your Father thought he was 

getting a flu shot —

actually it was a 

nanotech solution

programmed to rewrite 

his reproductive material

into an exact copy 

of Bruce Wayne's. 

 

A little over a year later, 

Your Mother gave birth 

to You, a child sharing 

half her genetic material... 

and half Bruce's. 

 

But when you're making A Batman,

genetics is only part of The Story - 

the rest is Tragedy.

 

[Cut to outside a movie theater playing The Grey Ghost Strikes; a young Terry leaves with his parents while Waller narrates]

 

Amanda Waller: 

Stop Me if You've Heard it Before :

You're eight years old, 

Your Parents have just 

taken you to a rousing 

adventure film, 

a grand time 

is had by all.

 

[Cut to theater parking lot; The Phantasm waits in The Darkness]

 

Amanda Waller:

But unknown to you, 

a mysterious figure
hides in The Shadows.

My Plan was simple - 

The Killer would leap out 

at you and kill Your Family.

The Trauma would 

put you on The Path 

to becoming Batman.

One Problem: 

My Assassin wouldn't 

pull The Trigger.

 

[Phantasm backs off and leaves unnoticed; cut to Phantasm with Waller]

 

Amanda Waller:

I argued with her, but 

deep down, I knew 

she was right.

 

People say Batman's obsessive,

that he'd do anything to achieve his goals -

but he'd never resort to murder.

So if I was to honor all he stood for...

neither could I.

 

Terry McGinnis:

And yet my dad wound up murdered, anyway.

Don't you get it?

 

No matter what you did or didn't do,

I was gonna end up being Bruce's carbon copy. It was Fate.

 

Amanda Waller:

You know, the Lord's been a great comfort to me all these years.

 

Try not to look so surprised.

Yeah, I've got a lot to answer for when I meet Him,

but I'd like to believe for all the harm I've caused,

I've also done some good.

 

Maybe the angels need a sharp sword too.

 

Like The Good Book says,

He moves in mysterious ways.

 

His Plan is A Mystery,

but here's what isn’t :

 

He gave us Free Will.

 

We choose our own Fate,

for Good or Ill.

 

I've known Bruce Wayne for over fifty years,

and I've been keeping an eye on you your whole life.

You're not Bruce's Clone, 

You're His Son.

 

There are similarities, mind you,

but more than a few differences too.

 

You don't quite have his magnificent brain, for instance.

You do have His Heart, though.

 

And for all that fierce exterior,

I've never met anyone who cared as deeply

about his fellow man as Bruce Wayne -

except maybe you.

 

You wanna have a better life than The Old Man's?

Take care of The People Who Love You.

Or Don't. It's Your Choice.

 

 

 

Bruce Wayne:

You're in My Chair.

 

Terry McGinnis:

Yeah, guess I am.

[gets up]

 

Bruce Wayne:

Where the devil have you been?

[sits down]

 

Terry McGinnis:

I had some stuff to take care of.

 

Bruce Wayne:

Enigma's overrated - especially at 3 A.M.

You could've called.

I made you some soup, but it's cold.

 

Terry McGinnis:

Sorry - didn't mean to worry you.

 

Bruce Wayne:

[trying to open his medication bottle]

I was WORRIED about Gotham.

If Batman's not around--

 

Terry McGinnis:

[opens bottle for Bruce and holds out the pills]

I've got it covered. Always.

 

Bruce Wayne:

[looks at Terry for a moment and takes the pills]

Kent called. Nothing apocalyptic,

he just wants your opinion on a case he's working.

Said you could meet him at the Metro Tower.

 

Terry McGinnis:

Right. Better suit up.

[heads for Batcave entrance]

 

Bruce Wayne:

You should eat something first.

Keep up your strength.

 

Terry McGinnis:

When I get back.

 

Bruce Wayne:

You're a stubborn piece of work,

you know that?

 

Terry McGinnis:

[smiling]

Just like My Old Man.

 


JANEWAY: 

Take us out of warp.

Open a channel. 


 

SESKA 

[on viewscreen]: 

Chakotay, they're going to take Your Son. 

When Culluh saw the baby --

I hear them coming. 

I don't have much time. 

When he saw the baby wasn't his --

Please Chakotay, help us. 

Not for me, for Your Son. 

 

(Static on the viewscreen.) 


CULLUH [OC]: 

I told you to stay out of here. 

 

SESKA [OC]: 

No, please don't. 

Don't take him! I beg you. 

No! Please, no! 


 

CULLUH [OC]: 

I'm taking him! 


 

SESKA [OC]: 

No!

 

[Ready room]

 

CHAKOTAY:

This is not My Responsibility!

She has no right to expect me to --

 

JANEWAY:

She knows you, Chakotay.

She knew how you'd react when you saw

Your Son in Danger.




CHAKOTAY:

I have a duty to this crew.

I can't just leave and go looking for the child. 


 

JANEWAY:

And I'd never consider letting you go into

a Kazon-Nistrim stronghold by yourself.

 

If we do this, we do it together.

That's something else Seska would know, too. 


 

CHAKOTAY:

Do you think it's A Trap?

 


JANEWAY:

Do I think Seska is capable of manipulating

you and me with this?

Oh, yes. 


 

CHAKOTAY:

On the other hand, it was time for her to deliver,

and that baby we saw did look

part Cardassian and part human. 


 

JANEWAY:

And knowing Culluh, I'm sure his pride was wounded

when he realised the child wasn't his.

It makes sense, Chakotay. It might all be true.




CHAKOTAY:

Still, the safest thing would be to

ignore this message and resume our course. 


 

JANEWAY:

I'm not going to resume our course just yet.

 

I want you to think about it, Chakotay.

This has to be your decision.

 

If you choose to go after him,

I know I speak for the entire crew,

Starfleet and Maquis alike, when I say

We'll Stand Behind You.

 

[Chakotay's quarters]

(Chakotay goes on a vision quest.) 


 

CHAKOTAY:

A-koo-chee-moya.

We are far from the sacred places of our grandfathers.

We are far from the bones of my people.

 

But I ask, on this Day of 

Sorrow and Uncertainty,

that The Wisdom of My Father 

find me, and help me understand 

my dilemma.

 

Speak to me, Father.

Speak to Me in My Dreams. 


 

KOLOPAK [OC]:

I've never seen you so troubled, Chakotay.

[Forest clearing]

(Kolopak is carefully building a fire.) 


 

CHAKOTAY:

I have a son, Father. 


 

KOLOPAK:

A Son, Chakotay?

Oh. This is the reason for your despair.

Was he born with two arms and two legs and a heart that beats? 


 

CHAKOTAY:

Yes, but --


 

KOLOPAK:

Then it's a cause for celebration.

You will make a fine Father. 

You needn't worry. 


 

CHAKOTAY:

I'm not sure I'm willing

to be A Father to him. 


 

KOLOPAK:

Hmm. Not willing? 


 

CHAKOTAY:

He was born without my consent.

I had no part in it. 


 

KOLOPAK:

No part in it?

Well, it's been a long time, 

so forgive me, but —

it seems that I had to play a part

before Your Mother could conceive. 


 

CHAKOTAY:

My DNA was taken from me,

used by a woman to impregnate herself

without My Permission.

 

KOLOPAK:

I see. You're trying 

to decide whether you should

accept The Child in Your Heart. 

 

CHAKOTAY:

It's more than that. 

 

KOLOPAK:

But it must begin with that! 

 

CHAKOTAY:

How do you take 

A Child into Your Heart 

Who is Forced upon You 

by A Mother's Deception? 


 

KOLOPAK:

He knows nothing of Deception —

He is Innocent.

 

....Centuries ago, 

when The Women of Our Tribe

were raped by White Conquerors,

many gave birth to Their children --

and We did not reject Them.

They were accepted 

by The Tribe.

 

One was a direct ancestor 

of Ours, Chakotay.

His Name was Ce Acatl.

He became 

A Great Leader of Our People.

 

Here is A Man — who was given Life,

without His Mother's consent.

 

Are you so different from her?

 

And is Your Child so different 

from Ce Acatl...? 

 

CHAKOTAY:

No. 

 

KOLOPAK:

He is Your Son, Chakotay,

and he is A Child of Our People.

 

[Briefing room]

NEELIX:

I've been in touch with the Talaxian mining colony on Prema Two.

They're willing to come to our assistance if we run into Trouble. 

 

PARIS:

That's good for about forty hours 

if we average warp two.

After that we're out of their comm. range.

 

JANEWAY:

Well, it's nice to know we have friends in the area.

Thank you, Neelix. 


 

TUVOK:

I recommend a full diagnostic of our tactical array prior to the start of the mission, Captain. 


 

JANEWAY:

Agreed. But I want more from Tactical, Lieutenant.

I want to anticipate a trap, and I want a few tricks up our sleeves if we need them. 


 

KIM:

Captain. I could programme the deflector grid to make it look like we have help on the way.

I'll show you what I mean. Excuse me, Doctor. 


 

TORRES:

Echo displacement. 


 

KIM:

Exactly. This is how we'd look to the enemy's sensors.

If we generate multiple decoy images like these, the Kazon would think that ships are coming toward us.

We could create as many as we want. 


 

JANEWAY:

That's a good start, Harry.

It should distract them for a while.

But what else can we do if we're eventually

intercepted by a superior force? 


 

EMH [OC]:

If you don't mind, I do have something to add. 


 

(Kim restores the EMH to the wall monitor.) 


 

EMH [on monitor]:

Thank you. Captain, I hesitate to offer suggestions

in a field of endeavour that is not within my usual area of expertise.

 


JANEWAY:

Please, Doctor, your suggestions on any subject are always welcome. 


 

EMH [on monitor]:

Really? In that case, you may expect several more on a variety of matters in the near future.

Right now may I suggest that we also consider attempting to create an actual holographic illusion of friendly ships? 


 

TORRES:

With all due respect, Doctor, we can't even figure out how to project you into this room.

How are we supposed to create holographic ships in Space? 


 

EMH [on monitor]:

I would humbly submit that My Programme

is far more sophisticated than your run of the mill hologram.

In fact, projecting the illusion 

of a large, three-dimensional object 

has been a trick of Magicians for centuries.

 

PARIS:

We'll just do it with Mirrors. 

 

EMH 

[on monitor]:

Mister Paris's predictable attempts 

at humour notwithstanding,

that is precisely what I would suggest.

 

Installing holo-emitters along the hull

with parabolic mirrors to enlarge the images

as they are reflected into space.

 

KIM:

We're going to use up a lot of our Power reserves trying to pull it off.

 

CHAKOTAY:

If these ships can fool the Kazon, it's worth it.

 

TUVOK:

But can they? 

If the Kazon scan the holograms,

they will immediately realise

there are no life signs on board,

no power signatures.

 

JANEWAY:

Okay, so we can't fool them for long,

but maybe it'll be long enough.

 

It's an advantage, and we'll need

every advantage we can get on this mission.

Work with the Doctor on it, B'Elanna.

 

Mister Kim.

Cut power to all systems to minimum requirements.

I don't want to show up on any Kazon long range scanners.

 

Mister Paris, 

locate the warp signature from Culluh's ship

and set a course to follow, warp two. 

 

PARIS:

Aye, Captain. 

 

JANEWAY:

Dismissed. 

 

CHAKOTAY:

Uh, excuse me, but there is one more thing.

 

Thank You.

'This policy and reverence of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot relish them. 

I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; who sways, not as it hath Power, but as it is suffered. 

Come to me, that of this I may speak more. 

If Our Father would sleep till I waked him, 

you should half his revenue for ever, 

and live the beloved of  Your Brother, 

EDGAR.'