Baby Doll

MAN: Night, Brian! See you tomorrow!

THE SOUND OF A SMALL GIRL CAN BE HEARD. BRIAN GOES TO INVESTIGATE.

BRIAN: Hey, what's the matter? Are you lost, honey?

SMALL GIRL: *tearfully* My big brother went away and left me by my lonesome. Big brothers aren't supposed to do that to their baby sisters!

BRIAN: Here, dry your eyes and I'll help you find a policeman. He'll get you home safe and sound.

SMALL GIRL: You're so nice to me.

SMALL GIRL: *suddenly, her voice sounds more mature* But then you always was the nicest one, Timmy.

BRIAN: You! But how-

BRIAN IS KNOCKED OUT.

SMALL GIRL: Sorry I had to play roughs, Timmy. I didn't mean to.

SCENE CHANGE: A NEWS SEGMENT BEGINS PLAYING.

NEWSWOMAN: Gotham Insider asks, "Where are they now?"

NEWSWOMAN: When her sitcom, "Love That Baby", premiered over twenty years ago, little Mary Louis Dahl became an overnight sensation.

THE NEWSWOMAN POINTS TO AN IMAGE OF THE SMALL GIRL WE SAW EARLIER.

WE ARE SHOWN A CLIP OF THE SITCOM.

NEWSWOMAN: As the adorable Baby Doll, young Mary quickly captured the hearts of millions.

AS BABY DOLL IS UP TO HER ANTICS, HER PARENTS STORM IN.

FATHER: Well, Baby, you'd better have a pretty good explanation for this!

BABY DOLL: I didn't mean to.

A LAUGH TRACK PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND.

WE NOW SEE THAT THIS NEWS SEGMENT IS BEING VIEWED BY BATMAN, ROBIN, AND COMMISSIONER GORDEN.

ROBIN: I remember this show from when I was a kid! It still stinks.

COMMISSIONER GORDEN: Be that as it may, the original cast's actors have disappeared last week.

BATMAN REVIEWS THE PHOTOS OF EACH CAST MEMBER.

BATMAN: And these two?

COMMISSIONER GORDEN: Miss Vance is in the show at Gotham Rep. I have police bodyguards following her everywhere.

HE LOOKS AT A PICTURE OF MARY DAHL.

COMMISSIONER GORDEN: But that other one, Mary Dahl, dropped out of sight years ago. Ironically, the same thing that brought her fame turned her into a recluse.

BATMAN: I read about her once in a medical journal. She was born with Systemic Hypoplasia; a rare condition that kept her from aging.

COMMISSIONER GORDEN: Would you believe she was only twenty years old in that clip? She'd be about 30 now.

BATMAN: It's obvious someone has a vendetta against these actors.

HE EJECTS A VHS TAPE FROM THE PLAYER.

BATMAN: We'll study this and call you back if we-

A FRANTIC CALL CAN BE HEARD FROM GORDEN'S RADIO.

POLICE OFFICER: All units! All units! Gunfire reported at Gotham Rep! They're making a try for Vance!

WE SEE A GUNMAN SHOOTING HIS WAY THROUGH POLICE BODYGUARDS.

POLICE OFFICER: Stay down!

ANOTHER GUNMAN EXITS THE THEATER, MISS VANCE IN HAND.

MISS VANCE: Let me go! Why are you doing this?

GUNMAN: Quiet!

ROBIN: The lady asked you a question, creep!

ROBIN APPEARS AND KICKS THE GUNMAN AWAY FROM MISS VANCE, SENDING HIM INTO A GARBAGE CAN.

ROBIN: How about you answer?

THE FIRST GUNMAN DIRECTS HIS FIRE TOWARDS ROBIN. HE AND MISS VANCE DIVE TO COVER. SUDDENLY, BATMAN KICKS THE GUNMAN AWAY.

AS THE POLICE LOWER THEIR WEAPONS, A LARGE BUS COMES SPEEDING TOWARDS THEIR BLOCKADE, TARGETING MISS VANCE. ROBIN PUSHES HER OUT OF THE WAY. THE BUS IS ABOUT TO HIT HIM.

BATMAN: Robin!

BUT HE'S TOO FAST. ROBIN JUMPS ON TOP OF THE BUS AND ESCAPES TO A LADDER JUST BEFORE IT CRASHES INTO A WALL.

DISTRACTED, BATMAN IS OVERPOWERED BY THE GUNMAN BUT QUICKLY FENDS HIM OFF. MISS VANCE ATTEMPTS TO RUN AWAY FROM THE SCENE, BUT SHE IS TOO SLOW. SHE IS THROWN INTO THE BUS AND TAKEN AWAY

MISS VANCE: No! Help!

ROBINl: They're getting away!

BATMAN: We'll get 'em.

BATMAN ACTIVATES THE BATMOBILE. IT SPEEDS TOWARD THE SCENE.

THE OUTLINE OF MARY DAHL CAN BE SEEN BOUNCING A BALL. SHE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.