TERRY
Charlie? Charlie "Big Time"?
The muscular, deformed mutant that is Big Time approaches him and laughs.
BIG TIME
In the flesh.
He violently rips Terry's chair out of the ground, and smiles menacingly just inches from his face.
BIG TIME
*chuckles* I'm gonna enjoy every minute of this.
Big Time tosses the chair across the room, smashing it against a wall and hurling Terry to the floor, dazed and weak. He fails to notice his former friend rush up on his side and kick him in the ribs, causing him cough up blood.
BIG TIME
What's the matter, Terry? Can't handle anymore?
Terry gets up and slowly wipes his mouth of blood.
TERRY
How'd you get out, Big Time? I thought you were serving your sentence out at Blackgate.
Terry takes a swing at his mutated former friend, his fist colliding with Big Time's face. Blood and saliva fly.
BIG TIME
I was...
He delivers an earth-shattering blow to the concrete floor beneath him, but Terry leaps out of the way as his enlarged fist smashes the floor.
Big Time turns around, grinning. Terry leaps over and ducks behind some nearby crates.
BIG TIME
But a little lawyer named Maxwell Worthington made sure I got out. And of course, got what I wanted..
Big Time smashes a line of crates with his arms, tossing aside the remnants as he looks for his enemy. Terry breathes slowly as Big Time comes near the crates he's been hiding behind.
BIG TIME
REVENGE!!!
The crates split into a million tiny and jagged pieces, leaving the meta human both angry and confused. He glares around, clenching his fists.
BIG TIME
Where are you, McGinnis? Come on out! You can't hide forever!!
Big Time turns around as a finger taps him on the shoulder.
TERRY
Dude, you look like you're on fire! Maybe a little something to cool you down.
Terry grins as he sprays fluid out of a fire exitinguisher he's holding, blinding Big Time before lifting the extinguisher and causing the metal to collide with his skull. The meta human falls flat on his face, groaning weakly.
Terry bends down, placing himself a few inches from Big Time's line of hearing.
TERRY
Sweet dreams.
An intercom system crackles, and a slightly familiar voice comes on.
New Riddler.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
Excellent work, Terrence. But that was only a test of what's to come.
Terry glances around as he witnesses a rusted grey door open up, splitting the painting of a large green question mark in half as it goes up.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
You'd better hurry. Before long, this room will fill up with nerve gas and you'll be dead. Is that really what you want?
INT. HOLOVID ROOM
Terry approaches the room ahead hesitantly, walking inside. The door seals quickly behind him, leaving Terry in a very lighted room with only himself and his thoughts.
Suddenly, holograms of all his friends and family appear, standing before him in expressionless faces. His mom, Max, Matt, and even Bruce.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
And now, Terrence, your true challenge begins.
TERRY
What did you do to them?!!
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
Oh, it's not what I did to them. It's what they did to themselves.
The camera shifts as all of the holograms are viewed. We pause at Dana's holographic image, her hand on her hips.
Terry's eyes widen.
TERRY
*softly* Dana?
INT. MONITOR ROOM
Maxwell's arm reaches out, and he presses a random red, squared button on the keyboard.
INT. HOLOVID ROOM
As Terry approaches her hologram, it fades out and sinks back down to the floor in a flash of light.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
*laughs insanely*But of course, minus one.
Terry grits his teeth.
TERRY
You sick son of a bitch! Where are they?!!
INT. MONITOR ROOM
The New Riddler lays back in his leather chair, his fingers pressed against his cheekbones.
NEW RIDDLER
That's for me to know and for you to figure out. That is...
CUT TO HOLOVID ROOM
Terry angrily bares his teeth and clenches his fists.
NEW RIDDLER
Providing they're not already dead.
TERRY
They're not!!!
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
Your stubbornness outweighs everything about you. No matter, your first challenge awaits beyond the door ahead of you.
The brown door in front of Terry flashes red and it slides apart like an elevator door.
INT. RIDDLER ROOM #1
He stares up in horror to find his friend and fellow ally, Maxine Gibson suspended in midair; her hands are bound by chains and very large buzzsaws slide violently back and forth on the glowing green floor below her. She's kicking and flailing in fear and desperation. Tears stream down her face.
MAX
Terry...HELLP!!!
Terry eyes widen in horror at this sight.
TERRY
Max!!
Suddenly, a large tv screen turns on across from him, revealing a red haired young man wearing glasses and a dark suit with green question marks imprinted upon it.
NEW RIDDLER
Be careful now. Every second you waste standing on that platform is another second she gets closer to her drop below. I'm giving you 15 seconds...starting...NOW.
The screen goes black as a clock with red, bolded text reading: 00:15 appears.
MAX
Terry! You gotta get me out of this thing!
TERRY
HANG ON!
He looks up at rafters above, noticing a lever kind of device attached to a rafter. He breathes in, and makes a daring leap to the top, coming face to face with the thing lowering Max at a constant, slowly increasing rate. He bends down, and with all his strength he rips it out of it's screwed in position, and runs as the metal rafters begin to loosen and collapse. He leaps back onto the platform, watching as the buzz saws below short fuse and explode in a dance of spark and flame.
Terry looks down at his friend who's still desperately clinging on for life.
TERRY
*panting* You all right?
MAX
Well...I would be completely be fine if you would...pull me up and get me out of these chains!!!
Terry yanks the chains upward, finally pulling Max to safety and helping her loosen her chain.
TERRY
*smirks* You okay, now?
Max stands up, rubbing her bruised wrists.
MAX
*laughs silently* Yeah. You could say that, I guess. Getting kidnapped by some lunatic and put in a death trap isn't exactly how a girl wants to spend the first few days of her summer vacation. What does he want, anyway?
TERRY
*solemly* Me.
Max looks shocked.
MAX
You? Terry...does this creep know you're Batman?
TERRY
Yes...I don't know how and I don't know why, but I'm going to find out as soon as I find everyone else and get back the suit.
He turns away biting his lip, sighing.
TERRY
Just, stay here...don't follow me. This is between me and him.
The TV screen behind him flashes back on to life. It's the Riddler.
NEW RIDDLER
Congratulations, Batman. Perhaps you're smarter than I'd previously thought. Good! The ability to adapt to one's environment is such an admirable quality.
TERRY
*frowns* Just shut your mouth and show me the next room.
The New Riddler chuckles and sighs.
NEW RIDDLER
Very well, then.
INT. MONITOR ROOM
The New Riddler presses another button on the keyboard, which turns white and activates a makeshift metal bridge that causes the platform to turn around and become a part of it.
Terry steps across the bridge, then glances back at Max sorrowfully.
TERRY
Wish me luck.
She nods, rubbing her arms and elbows.
INT. RIDDLER ROOM #2
The door seals behind Terry, and he falls a few feet to a hard floor below. He groans and picks himself up, looking around curiously. A bulb above flicks on, and Terry sees Bruce dressed in the original Batman costume and weakly kneeling in a puddle of water and hooked up to electrical wires.
Tears stream down his face.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
So, what's it going to be, McGinnis? Your real family?
A second lightbulb flickers on to reveal Terry's mom and his brother, Matt, hooked up to more wires and weakly holding onto each other as they sit in the same pool of water.
Terry is frozen with fear.
The camera pans in on Bruce, who's still crying.
NEW RIDDLER (V.O)
Or your shoulder to cry on?
To Be Continued.