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The Script
A Justice League Unlimited Story
by BillA1
Copyright June 2010
Rating: (PG)
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Disclaimer: The characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman, Flash & Sonia Alcania and their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from the animated Justice League series episodes "Flash and Substance" written by Matt Wayne, "Starcrossed, Part 3" written by Dwayne McDuffie and "Mystery of the Batwoman" written by Michael Reaves and Alan Burnett. My sincerest thanks Merlin Missy for the beta; however, any mistakes she missed are mine.

A/N: If the characters seem out of character, then they probably are.

The Script

Rating: PG

Synopsis: Making a movie about the Justice League can have deadly consequences. A DCAU Wally West /Flash Story.

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CHAPTER ONE
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Vivian – "Well! What will your first step be?"
Marlowe – "The usual one."
Vivian – "I didn't know there was a usual one."
Marlowe – "Oh, yes. It comes complete with diagrams on page forty-seven of "How to be a Detective in Ten Easy Lessons," correspondence school textbook." - The Big Sleep, 1946

(Two years ago at Wayne Entertainment Studios, Hollywood)

It was days like this that made Martin Taylor hate his job. He had all the perks the head of a major studio should have: a big home, a big office with solid wood furniture and a chauffeur-driven fancy car. Yes, he had all the perks and, sadly, all the headaches.

Today's headache was particularly painful. Across from him sat a young man whose father had gone to school with Taylor many years ago and who had prevailed upon Taylor to give his son an interview. But surprisingly, the kid didn't want a job; he wanted to pitch a screenplay. Taylor looked down at the script in front of him and then back at the kid. Even if the script was good and this one wasn't, it was just another screenplay about a subject people had tired of and had tried to shove into their collective dim memory.

The kid was probably wearing the only suit he'd ever owned because it was about one size too small all the way around. Taylor sighed. It was never easy to tell someone that the product they thought was the best thing since sliced bread just didn't cut it. And it was harder when an old school chum asked hoping that Taylor would say yes to his kid. Taylor looked down at the script again, looking for the kid's name. It was Morant, Jonas Morant.

"Well, what do you think?" Morant asked. "It's got love, betrayal, sex, lots of sex, blood and gore. This is a box office killer. With the right casting, it will beat the socks off those pirate movies and big glittering vampire movies."

Taylor tried to smile, but failed miserably. "Look, Jonas," Taylor said. He stood up and walked around his desk until he stood in front of the seated Morant. "We think the script has potential, but we're not ready to produce it just yet. Our production team still says the time is not right and there could be legal problems should the principals decide to sue for defamation."

Morant pushed his seat back and stood. "That's a bogus argument and we both know it. Those guys won't sue. They don't dare sue. The last thing they want is to go to court on anything, because they can't prove defamation. And the way you disallow the damn suit in the first place is to invite them to be the technical advisors on the film. Everyone knows that except you guys at Wayne Entertainment."

Taylor took a deep breath and frowned as Morant continued. "Look, the word is out all over town. You guys aren't interested in making movies. All you want to do is buy scripts about the invasion to keep the movies from being made."

Taylor moved back behind his desk, sat down and motioned for Morant to have a seat. Morant refused and continued to stand as Taylor said, "We're prepared to offer you $250,000 for the script plus one half of one percent of net profits after the film is released."

Morant laughed, shook his head and said, "Thanks, but no thanks. First, we both know you're never going to make this movie because you're offering too much money. This is a great script and I'll find someone to make this movie. Mark my words. You're making a bigger mistake than John Travolta did when he turned down the lead in Forrest Gump."

Morant snatched the script off Taylor's desk and stormed out, calling out over his shoulder as he left, "I WILL find someone who has the brass gonads to tell the story of the Justice League collusion with the Thanagarian invasion. Mark my words, I WILL find someone."

(Six months ago – Watchtower Executive Conference Room)

"You can NOT be serious," GL shouted as he slammed his fist on the table. "This is insulting. It's a piece of crap." Wally watched as GL picked up his copy of the movie script Bats had given everyone last night, and slammed it on the table.

"It's considered artistic license with a real event and it's legal," Bats said in his 'I am Batman voice.' GL got the hint and sat down, but it was clear he was still unhappy.

Shayera looked over at GL, before pushing her copy of the script toward the center of the table. "This is trash. According to this, I have some sort of magic crotch that made you all bend to my will."

Wally snickered, but stopped when Diana said, "Lantern is right. It is crap. Did you read this horror on page 27?" She read from the script, "It's the night before the Thanagarian commander speaks before the World Council. Wonder Woman and Superman are naked in bed together and Wonder Woman says, 'Take me, Superman. Take me hard. Make me forget that I come from a land of only women. Make me scream your name. Oh yes…like that. More…'" Diana crumbled the paper in her hand. "This is drivel and it's all lies."

Wally wanted to laugh at Diana's somewhat animated reading, but resisted the urge, fearing Diana's response, and frowned instead. "Well, I object to looking like a complete klutz in this," Wally said, "but the part about you coming from a land of only women isn't a lie. And that's the problem. You'd have to prove in court what part of the script is untrue."

"Well then, we'll go court to stop this," Diana snapped. "They can't be allowed to tell these falsehoods without consequences."

Bats glanced at her for a moment and then stared straight ahead as he asked, "And what is your answer when the movie company lawyer asks you under oath if you ever had sex with Superman or do you still just prefer women?"

"What?" Diana stammered. She looked at Bats with a look Wally would later describe as wilting. "Who I sleep with, if anyone, isn't anybody else's business." Her emphasis on the words 'if anyone' wasn't lost on Wally and he figured it wasn't lost on either Supes or Bats if they were paying attention.

"It is if you go to court to prove someone is wrong about your sexuality or your sex partners," Bats snapped back. Diana slumped in her chair like she'd been shot in the heart.

The room was quiet for a moment before Superman spoke. "She got your point, Bruce. We all get it. Guess there's nothing we can do about this, huh?"

Bats shook his head. "I'm told by my lawyers that by their asking for a technical advisor we have two options. We can ignore the request or say no outright, but then we waive our right to dispute the theory of Shayera's magic crotch."

Shayera glared at Bats, but he ignored it as he continued, "Or we can say yes and request that they shoot according to the script we approve without changes and that we get an advance screening. Doing that, however, would mean we'd have to have someone on the set during production."

"Then we say no," GL spat out. "There's no way one of us should get stuck on a movie set for months while they - "

Shayera cut him off. "Lantern, we need to think about this," she said. Wally's eyes widened because he couldn't recall the last time he heard Shayera refer to GL as 'Lantern.'

"For you men this isn't a big deal," Shayera continued, "but Diana and I come off as sluts. I expect to have my reputation trashed. It's the price I pay for being Thanagarian and a symbol of the invasion. But it's not fair to the rest of you. If we have a chance to influence the way the tale of the invasion is told, we should take it. Otherwise the movie becomes our history and the truth gets buried."

"Are you volunteering to be a technical advisor on this movie?" J'onn asked. The Martian had been silent up to this point in the discussion.

"No!" Diana and John chorused.

Shayera's frown momentarily deepened, but softened as GL added, "And you need to stop that, Shayera. No one expects that you willingly submit to having your name trashed. Your reputation is just as important as anyone else's in this room."

"I'll do it," Wally grinned. Even he was surprised when six heads whipped around to look him and six sets of voices shouted as one, "You?"

"Sure," Wally shrugged. "I have some vacation days from work. I know a couple of people in Los Angeles I can spend time with. How hard can it be?"

(Now)

There was a slow, gentle and almost musical breeze blowing as the Green Lantern, with his arm in a cast, approached Hawkgirl. She stood with her back to him on top of the crater where the Justice League orbiting headquarters had just crashed to Earth destroying the Thanagarian wormhole generator.

She looked strange and vulnerable in the Earth clothing of jeans and tee-shirt she now wore. Her arms were folded across her chest as if to protect herself from a cold and now very hostile world. In the space of a few days, she'd gone from hero to spy to traitor to outcast. She was alone in her thoughts and now alone in this world.

"Don't you want to know what the vote was?" Green Lantern asked.

Hawkgirl didn't turn at the sound of his voice, instead continuing to stare straight ahead. "It doesn't matter. We all know that it's best that I leave," she answered.

"So where are you going to go?" Green Lantern asked as he rubbed the back of his neck with his one good hand.

Hawkgirl turned around to face him, but kept her arms folded. "I don't know," she said softly. "Some place where I won't be a distraction to the League."

Green Lantern cleared his throat. "I understand…but I…we wish you wouldn't go."

She gave him a very small and strained smile. "I'll never forget any of you, but we all know that if the League is to go on and do good work, it's best that I leave for now. But I promise I'll come back if I'm needed."

"Take care of yourself, okay?" he said as he stepped toward her. There was sadness in his eyes.

She dropped her arms to her side as she answered, "You too." She stood there for a long moment staring at him, as if she wanted to hug him, but was held back by some unseen force. Then she leaped in the air and spun back to face the Green Lantern. In mid-air she rapidly spun around again and again like a top and then screamed, "Goddamnit. Somebody get me down before I throw up. This isn't funny!"

"Cut! Cut! Cut! What the hell happened?" the director yelled.

"She was supposed to turn right when Scott said his line," someone called out. "Instead she turned left and the glide wires got crossed."

As members of the special effects crew lowered her to the ground, Hawkgirl pointed at Green Lantern. "This is Scott's fault. He stepped into my light forcing me to turn right." She looked at the director. "Look at the damn video. This pig stepped into my turning spot."

"Pig?" the man she'd called Scott yelled back. "Dammit, Millie, you're the ham here. For God's sake, woman, when you say your line, leave! Don't stand there like you're waiting for me to say something. I have a news flash for you, you cow. I don't speak again until you leave. I have the closing line, not you. Stop chewing up my scenery."

"Cow?" Millie screamed back as she unfastened her wire harness. "You're a rank amateur and this script is rank and I do mean rank as in stink the place up." She turned to the director. "I'm done. Get my stunt double to do the rest of this shot. I'm in my trailer." Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Millie stomped off the set followed quickly and quietly by her personal assistant, Karen.

The director lowered his head and exhaled loudly. "Get the doubles on the set," he called to someone behind the camera.

Wally was sitting in a chair behind the camera and grinning to himself. Those two actors, Millie Henoc and Scott Murphy, had more interpersonal stuff going on than John and Shayera ever did. They bickered and argued all day long about every scene they were in. Still, even he had to admit that there was something not quite right with this particular scene and the supposed conversation between John and Shayera, but both John and Shayera were adamant that this was what they wanted said, if anything had to be said, at all. Personally, Wally didn't believe for one moment that this scene was necessary, but it was in the approved Justice League script and his task had been to ensure the movie making team didn't deviate from that script without his clearance.

It was a typical Hollywood production, Wally thought. It was cast with beautiful women and handsome men and while Wally was happy with the really good looking actor who played him, he was certain GL would be less than pleased with the "pretty boy" who portrayed him. Scott Murphy looked younger, was taller and sounded less gruff than John. Yeah, there was no way John would be happy this casting choice. Wally, on the other hand, was sure that posters of Scott Murphy would adorn the bedrooms of teenaged girls across the globe after this film came out because he was that handsome.

"Flash, looks like we're finished shooting for the day." Wally looked up into the face of the director, Matt Hedges. "I'm going to send the crew home. We'll start again tomorrow. Looks like Millie has had enough." He shook his head as he said, "I just hope Norman shows up tomorrow."

"Norman?"

"Norman Reese, the special effects supervisor," Hedges answered. "He's the man who normally controls Millie's glide wires, flight scenes and the Green Lantern special effects. First time since I've known him that he's missed a day of work. He didn't call in or anything." Hedges paused and sighed. "The replacement the union sent just isn't used to working with Millie." He smiled and whispered to Wally, "Between you and me, I think Scott contributed to that scene being fouled up as much as Millie turning in the wrong direction."

Wally nodded not so much in agreement, but as an indication that he heard what Hedges had said. "What time do we start tomorrow?" he asked.

"Seven," Hedges answered. He gave Wally a sheet of blue paper. "Here's tomorrow's call sheet."

Wally glanced at the paper without actually reading it. He then folded it and said, "Right. See you tomorrow." With that, Wally raced out of the sound stage and headed back to Central City.

Shayera liked coming to Central City. She especially liked it when her schedule and Wally's allowed them to dine together away from the Watchtower cafeteria. Hal's Diner was one of those small corner mom & pop places where "mom" was the waitress and "pop" was the cook.

Shayera ordered the pot roast. Wally ordered his usual: half a dozen hamburgers, fries and three large strawberry milkshakes. Even after watching Wally wolf down this type of meal for years, she marveled at a metabolism that would allow him to consume such massive quantities without putting on a pound.

They'd both finished their meals and the waitress was clearing their table when Wally leaned back and said, "Mabel, tell Hal he outdid himself again. That was a great meal."

Shayera nodded in concurrence and Mabel smiled. "I'll tell him, Flash. You know, hearing that will make his day." She gathered up the dishes and Wally leaned forward toward Shayera. "Next time I open my mouth and volunteer for something like this, just hit me with the mace and kill me outright. It can't be more painful than this."

"I can do that."

"I can't believe I burned all my vacation days on this and it's not even close to being finished." He pushed a copy of Variety, the Hollywood trade newspaper, toward her. One of the story headlines read: Personality Clashes Abound on the Justice League Set!

Shayera frowned, but didn't read the articles. "I'm sorry it's not going well. You know, maybe we should have said no after all and taken our chances with the film."

Wally shook his head. "Nope, that first version of the script completely trashed us and made it look we wanted the invasion to succeed so we could build the binary fusion generator to destroy New Mexico or something."

Shayera shrugged. "I guess it's good we get the truth out there."

Wally leaned back. "Speaking of truth, they filmed yours and John's farewell to each other today."

Shayera's eyes narrowed as she leaned back and cleared her throat. "And?"

Wally smirked and leaned forward resting his elbows on the table. "Nothing. It was just as you and John agreed it was."

Shayera said nothing for a moment, then flashed a look of anger. "'Agreed it was?'"

Wally frowned, put his left hand up in the air signaling Shayera to hold and raised his right hand to place a finger to his ear. "Go ahead," he said. Shayera nodded, realizing that he was receiving a directed transmission from the Watchtower communications center. It was a call she wasn't receiving.

"Yeah," Wally said. "Put him through. Flash here. What? Where? Be right there." He removed his finger and exhaled sharply. He turned to Shayera. "I've got to go back to the studio."

He signaled Mabel, who quickly returned to their table. "Some dessert, honey?"

"Not right now, Mabel, but I'll be back for some of that homemade banana cream pie tomorrow." He stood and put two twenty dollar bills on the table. "Keep the change. My friend and I have to leave on an emergency." Mabel nodded.

"Leave?" Shayera didn't try to hide her confusion as she placed a ten dollar bill on the table. If there was an emergency, how come she didn't hear anything in her comm-link? "To go where? What happened?"

"We're going to Hollywood." Wally said. He placed his finger to his ear and said, "Watchtower, two to beam up." He turned to Shayera. "That call was from the studio. The Green Lantern just died in your arms."

Shayera's jaw dropped.

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