FADE IN:

INT. MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

SUPER: Detroit, 1982

A CHILD in a self-styled Batman costume flies around DADDY’s room as he dresses. A blue cape flutters in the child's wake, catching sunlight, flapping over twinkling perfume bottles on the window sill.

DADDY
Go change your clothes! We’re getting married, not saving Gotham City!

The child flits, watching the cape, no intention of changing.

CHILD
What if Mommy comes back?

The cape sweeps a bottle off the ledge. Half full of amber fluid, it crashes to the floor, shattering. The stopper rolls away undamaged. Daddy yanks the child.

DADDY
Why don’t you ever pay attention?

He leans down to pick up the shards of glass, cuts his palm.

DADDY (CONT’D)
You’re gonna ruin this, aren’t you?

Blue cape hanging defiantly, the child picks up the unbroken stopper and bolts from the room, and flies down the stairs on its butt - THUD-UMP, THUD-UMP, THUD-UMP.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The child darts past a blonde woman and two frilly blonde girls and escapes out the front door.

EXT. A BUNGALOW IN DETROIT - CONTINUOUS

Daddy catches up to the child, rushes into the street. Cape flitting between his fingers, brakes SQUEAL as a garbage truck slams into Daddy - killing him instantly.

The child stares; a scream frozen on the masked face.

CLOSE ON
child’s hand clutching the glass stopper. It’s a caduceus, two snakes entwined around a winged staff.