THE LICENSE
CHAPTER TWO

PAGE ONE (SIX PANELS)

PANEL ONE
We are looking through the BLADES OF A HELICOPTER downwards, as though we are a bird flying above the helicopter. Below, BRONSON and HOPPER, so small as to be almost indistinguishable, stand next to Bronson's truck.

PANEL TWO
We are closer to Bronson and Hopper now, as Bronson carefully examines THE LICENSE.

PANEL THREE
Bronson and Hopper stand by Bronson's truck.
BRONSON
Well, buddy, I could really go for some ice cream.
HOPPER
Woof!

PANEL FOUR
Bronson and Hopper pull into the Dairy King parking lot. 

PANEL FIVE
As Bronson opens the door, Hopper beside him, he is practically bowled over by the force of an angry voice from within.

JERKWAD
...DID I SAY SPRINKLES, YOU STUPID COW?

PANEL SIX
Bronson is in the background, just inside the door. Inside the Dairy King, a jerkwad – think "saw Commando 46 times but was too damn stupid to get into the Marines" – is screaming at his wife fit to burst. Their son, a pop-eyed moppet, is appropriately terrified.

JERKWAD
SO WHY'D YOU GET SPRINKLES? I HATE &^%%$ SPRINKLES!

PAGE TWO (SEVEN PANELS)

PANEL ONE
Bronson looks at his wallet. 
JERKWAD
(off)
JESUS, WHAT THE &^% IS WRONG WITH YOU?

PANEL TWO
Bronson puts his wallet back in his pocket. 
BRONSON
Well okay, then.

PANEL THREE
Bronson is walking over to Jerkwad to tap him on the shoulder. Jerkwad is bigger than Bronson by a good six inches, but there's something very self-assured about Bronson. We're not worried. The kid, meanwhile, is crying.
JERKWAD
SHUT HIM UP! SHUT THAT &^%$ PUSSY UP!
BRONSON
Sir, you may wanna treat the lady and the boy with more respect.

PANEL FOUR
Jerkwad turns on Bronson, in his face, spraying spittle.
JERKWAD
WHO THE &^%$ ARE YOU, PUSSY? YOU WANT TO START SOMETHIN'? HUH?

PANEL FIVE
Bronson stares back in the jerkwad's face.
BRONSON
Just let me get my wallet out, sir.

PANEL SIX
A mirror of CHAPTER ONE, PAGE ONE, PANEL ONE. Bronson's eyes are a little more lined with age, but he still has that calm self-assurance. 

BRONSON
There's something I have to show you.

PAGE THREE (six panels)

PANEL ONE
Jerkwad is examining the License. 
JERKWAD
I ain't even gonna read this.

JERKWAD
(2)
There ain't no piece of cardboard what's gonna keep me from kickin' --

PANEL TWO
Bronson ROUNDHOUSES Jerkwad, sending him flying back onto one of those little tables. 

PANEL THREE
Close on Jerkwad as he gets up, wiping blood from his nose.
JERKWAD
Son of a BITCH! I'm gonna rip you a new --

PANEL FOUR
As PANEL THREE, but Jerkwad is getting a chair in the face.

PANEL FIVE
Bronson is standing over Jerkwad, who is lying in a foetal position on the floor.
BRONSON
Don't get up, man.
BRONSON 
(2)
Take a minute an' think if maybe you coulda handled that different.

PANEL SIX
Lurleen (Jerkwad's wife) speaks from off-panel, interrupting Bronson. Her words will be very small and timid, but I can handle that later.
BRONSON
Maybe you coulda been civil--
LURLEEN
(off)
That weren't so smart, mister.

PAGE FOUR (four panels – three small across top, one huge across bottom) 

PANEL ONE:
Bronson turns to look at Lurleen, who is holding the child.
BRONSON
What's that?
LURLEEN
That weren't so smart.
BRONSON
I figured different.

PANEL TWO
Lurleen keeps speaking. She's grateful to Bronson, but very, very frightened.
LURLEEN
It's Friday, mister. That's why we're here.
BRONSON
I ain't followin'.

PANEL THREE
Lurleen keeps talking.
LURLEEN
Every Friday Harlan brings me an' Horace out here for ice cream with the boys.
BRONSON
The boys?

PANEL FOUR
EXTERIOR of the ice cream place, as a MONSTER TRUCK, loaded to the gills with MONSTER TIRES, huge EXHAUST PIPES, a GUN RACK, etc. etc. squeals into the parking lot. There are THREE HUGE GOONS in the front, and FOUR MORE in the back of the truck. They are all EX-MILITARY GREEN BERETS, so they wear typical stuff like camouflage gear, boots, wristbands, etc.

Don't forget that Bronson's truck and Jerkwad's minivan are also in the parking lot!

LURLEEN
(word balloon comes from the ice cream place)
The boys.

PAGE FIVE

PANEL ONE:
We see the ICE CREAM SERVER KID standing behind the counter holding a phone. BRONSON doesn't look frightened. He looks determined.
ICE CREAM KID
I'm, uh, calling the police, mister...
BRONSON
Get a few ambulances while you're at it.

PANEL TWO:
THE SEVEN BOYS are walking towards the diner, but JERKWAD'S body is flying out the door. For the sake of argument, I'm going to name the seven BOYS Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, and Golf.
ALPHA
What th'...

PANEL THREE:
BRONSON is standing outside the door to the ice cream place, looking tough.
BRONSON
Me and him had a bit of a problem. But I ain't got a problem with you boys. 

PANEL FOUR:
The BOYS are obviously pretty upset. They start getting ready to fight – making fists, rolling up sleeves, looking at each other. 
BRAVO
No, old man, I'd pretty much say you do.

PANEL FIVE:
BRONSON is not backing down facing the BOYS.
BRONSON
This doesn't need to happen.
CHARLIE
It's already happening.

PAGE SIX

PANEL ONE:
Another shot of THE BOYS, sniggering and looking forward to beating the crap out of Bronson. They're overconfident. They're spoiling for a fight because they're big stupid bullies. 
DELTA
Listen, old man. You know why we hang together? We were all Green Beret. 
ECHO
'Fore we got kicked out, leastways.

PANEL TWO
The BOYS get closer. 
FOXTROT
We got thirty weeks of training behind us. We got a hundred fights an' a war behind us.
GOLF
What you got behind you, old man?

PANEL THREE
Bronson is ready to fight.
BRONSON
Nothin' but fifteen years in hell, boys.
BRONSON
(2)
Let's go.

PAGE SEVEN

(FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT)

PAGE EIGHT
(FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT)

PAGE NINE

(FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT)

PAGE TEN (seven panels)

PANEL ONE
Bronson looks down at the prone body of GOLF, twitching on the ground. 
BRONSON
There's a couple things you could learn from this, boy.
GOLF
(a weak “passing out” word balloon)
Going to...kack...kill you...
BRONSON
That ain't one of them.

PANEL TWO
Bronson crouches over Golf.
BRONSON
More to do with respectin' your elders...
SF/X
(police siren)
WEEEOOOOWEEEOOOWEEEOOOWEEEOOO

PANEL THREE
A police car pulls up (could be the same as earlier in Chapter One.

PANEL FOUR
Bronson is standing to greet WYATT, an overweight police officer in his 40s. He and Bronson went to high school together, just so's you know.
BRONSON
Hey there, Wyatt.
WYATT
Bronson. Why am I not surprised?

PANEL FIVE
Wyatt is very disappointed in Bronson. Bronson is pulling out the License.
WYATT
Your momma's gonna just die when you get tossed back in Folsom.
BRONSON
No she ain't, Wyatt.

PANEL SIX
Close on Wyatt reading the License.

PANEL SEVEN
Same as PANEL SIX, but Wyatt looks up from the License.
WYATT
You just hold on a minute.

PAGE ELEVEN

PANEL ONE
Wyatt gets back in his cruiser.

PANEL TWO
Bronson is standing over Golf, looking towards Wyatt's cruiser. 

PANEL THREE
A shot of the cruiser with Wyatt sitting inside it. We can't hear anything, but he's talking on his radio.

PANEL FOUR
Wyatt is freaking out and yelling something into his radio. We still can't hear anything.

PANEL FIVE
Bronson is still standing there.

PANEL SIX
Wyatt is handing the License back to Bronson.
WYATT
Stay outta my way.
BRONSON
You got it.

PAGE TWELVE

PANEL ONE
Bronson is getting back into the truck with HOPPER. 
BRONSON
Hey, buddy – hell, I forgot the ice cream.

PANEL TWO
Bronson's point of view – a parking lot littered with eight unconscious bodies (seven Boys, one Harlan)

PANEL THREE
Bronson looks at Hopper.
BRONSON
Let's get some tomorrow, okay?

PANEL FOUR
The sun is setting, and there's an orange light over everything, as Bronson's truck pulls up to the house. He lives out in the countryside in a two-story white clapboard house, slightly run-down, with a big old-fashioned porch on it. It's in ill repair – Momma hasn't been able to keep things up since Bronson got put away. 

PANEL FIVE
Bronson walks up to the porch, hollering (hands cupped to his mouth)
BRONSON
Momma? I'm home...

PANEL SIX
Bronson notices something off-panel.
BRONSON
...hey.
MR. K
(off)
Hey there, Bronson.

PANEL SEVEN
Mr. K is sitting on Bronson's porch (there are two chairs, and he's in one of them), drinking a beer.
MR. K
I figured we should have a talk.