· 9 years ago · Dec 21, 2016, 01:34 AM
1 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
2 Written by
3 Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
4
5 Story by
6 Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer
7BLACK SCREEN.
8 GORDON (V.O)
9 Harvey Dent was needed. He was
10 everything Gotham has been crying
11 out for. He was...a hero. Not the
12 hero we deserved - the hero we
13 needed. Nothing less than a knight,
14 shining...
15
16The sound of cracking. Splintering. A shape appears, in ice.
17The shape of a BAT. The ice disintegrates...
18
19EXT. GOTHAM STREET - DAY
20
21Gordon stands before a massive picture of Harvey Dent.
22 GORDON
23 But I knew Harvey Dent. I was...his
24 friend. And it will be a very long
25 time before someone inspires us the
26 way he did.
27Gordon, choked with emotion, gathers the papers of his
28eulogy.
29 I believed in Harvey Dent.
30And we FADE TO BLACK.
31 CUT TO:
32
33Racing along a cratered dirt road, and we are -
34
35INT. LAND CRUISER JOSTLING OVER UNEVEN TERRAIN - DAY
36Three Hooded Men guarded by East European Militia. A third
37Militia drives. Next to him is a nervous, bespectacled man.
38
39EXT. AIRSTRIP, EASTERN EUROPE - DAY
40An airstrip overlooking a grey city rocked by artillery
41fire. A bland CIA Operative, flanked by Special Forces Men,
42stands in front of a commuter plane. CIA Man watches the
43Land Cruiser pull up, hard. The Militia Men jump out of the
44vehicle.
45The Driver shoves the bespectacled man in front of the CIA
46Man.
47 2.
48
49
50 CIA MAN
51 Dr. Pavel, I'm CIA.
52Dr. Pavel nods, nervous. CIA Man hands the Driver a
53briefcase.
54
55 DRIVER
56 He wasn't alone.
57CIA Man, confused, spots the Hooded Men. He turns to Dr.
58Pavel.
59
60 CIA MAN
61 You don't get to bring friends.
62 DR. PAVEL
63 (SHAKEN)
64 They are not my friends.
65 DRIVER
66 Don't worry, no charge for them.
67 CIA MAN
68 Why would I want them?
69 DRIVER
70 They were trying to grab your
71 prize. (Smiles.) They work for the
72 mercenary. The masked man.
73
74 CIA MAN
75 (EXCITED)
76 Bane?
77The Driver nods. CIA Man turns to his Special Forces Men.
78
79 CIA MAN
80 Get 'em on board - I'll call it in.
81
82
83EXT. SKIES OVER MOUNTAIN RANGE - DAY
84The commuter plane struggles over snow-capped mountains.
85
86INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
87
88The three Hooded Men kneel by the cargo door, handcuffed.
89CIA Man grabs Hooded Man 1.
90 CIA MAN
91 What are you doing in the middle of
92 my operation?
93 3.
94
95Hooded Man 1 says nothing. CIA Man pulls out a handgun.
96 The flight plan I just filed with
97 the Agency lists me, my men, and
98 Dr. Pavel here. But only one of
99 you.
100CIA Man opens the cargo door. Special Forces hang Hooded Man
1011 out into the howling wind - CIA Man shouts above the wind.
102
103 CIA MAN
104 FIRST ONE TO TALK GETS TO STAY ON
105 MY AIRCRAFT! (Cocks weapon.)
106 SO...WHO PAID YOU TO GRAB DR.
107 PAVEL?!
108
109Nothing. CIA Man fires out the open door and the Special
110Forces yank Hooded Man 1 back in, clubbing him quiet.
111 CIA MAN
112 HE DIDN'T FLY SO GOOD! WHO WANTS TO
113 TRY NEXT?!
114
115The Soldiers grab Hooded Man 2, hang him out the door.
116 CIA MAN
117 TELL ME ABOUT BANE! WHY DOES HE
118 WEAR THE MASK?!
119
120The prisoner says nothing. CIA Man presses the gun to the
121man's hood - he cocks the gun...nothing.
122 CIA MAN
123 LOT OF LOYALTY FOR A HIRED GUN!
124
125 THIRD PRISONER (O.S.)
126 Or he's wondering why someone would
127 shoot a man before throwing him out
128 of an aeroplane.
129
130CIA Man turns to the Third Prisoner. Shuts the cargo door.
131 CIA MAN
132 Wiseguy, huh? At least you can
133 talk. Who are you?
134
135 THIRD PRISONER
136 We are nothing. We are the dirt
137 beneath your feet. And no one cared
138 who I was until I put on the
139 mask...
140
141CIA Man, wary, approaches the Third Prisoner - pulls off his
142hood, revealing a dark mask with a breathing apparatus. The
143eyes behind it are cold. Still. This is Bane.
144 4.
145
146
147 BANE
148 Who we are does not matter. What
149 matters is our plan.
150 CIA MAN
151 (FASCINATED)
152 If I pull this off, will you die?
153 BANE
154 It would be extremely painful.
155
156 CIA MAN
157 You're a big guy -
158 BANE
159 For you.
160
161 CIA MAN
162 (UNNERVED)
163 Was being caught part of your plan?
164 BANE
165 Of course. Dr. Pavel refused our
166 offer in favor of yours. We had to
167 know what he told you about us.
168 DR. PAVEL
169 Nothing! I said nothing!
170
171 CIA MAN
172 Why not just ask him?
173 BANE
174 He would not have told us.
175
176 CIA MAN
177 You have methods.
178 BANE
179 Him, I need healthy. You present no
180 such problem.
181CIA Man laughs for the Special Forces' benefit. A heavy bass
182tone is rising. The Sergeant looks out the window.
183
184
185EXT. SKIES OVER MOUNTAIN RANGE - CONTINUOUS
186The commuter plane is dwarfed by a massive transport plane
187looming over it, dangerously close...
188 5.
189
190
191INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
192The plane lurches. The noise is building.
193 SERGEANT
194 Sir?
195
196 CIA MAN
197 Well congratulations, you got
198 yourselves caught. What's the next
199 step of your master plan?
200
201 BANE
202 Crashing this plane...
203
204EXT. MOUNTAINS - CONTINUOUS
205
206The ramp of the transport opens... Four men leap out on
207tethers - dropping towards the commuter plane, two each
208side...
209
210
211INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
212The Spacial Forces react to the turbulence from the plane
213above. CIA Man looks at Bane.
214 BANE
215 (RISING)
216 With no survivors.
217A Special Forces soldier spins around - an Armed Man is
218outside the window. Bang -
219
220
221EXT. SKIES OVER MOUNTAIN RANGE - CONTINUOUS
222Two men shoot through the windows, the other two attach
223grapples to the fuselage - give the thumbs up - hoists start
224to pull and the tail of the commuter plane is lifted,
225unnaturally.
226
227INT. COCKPIT, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
228The Pilots battle the controls as the plane tilts forward.
229 6.
230
231
232INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
233Like lightning, Bane has the CIA Man is his handcuffed arms,
234legs wrapped around a seat back, The entire cabin upends.
235Tumbling chaos - Soldiers falling - Bane cracks CIA Man's
236neck and drops him onto the Sergeant - they tumble down the
237plane, smashing into the cockpit door with a terminal thud.
238Dr. Pavel, strapped in, pushes against the seat in front of
239him - the plane vibrates, trying to tear itself apart.
240
241
242EXT. ATLAS MOUNTAINS - CONTINUOUS
243The men climb the tail of the smaller plane as it dangles
244helplessly above the mountains. Its wings shear off.
245
246
247INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
248Bane breaks his handcuffs as if they were plastic, then
249opens his legs and drops down the cabin, somersaulting
250gracefully and using his arms to stop himself halfway down,
251by Dr. Pavel.
252
253EXT. SKIES OVER MOUNTAIN RANGE - CONTINUOUS
254The men attach explosives to the tail, then jump away,
255swinging out as the tail explodes.
256
257INT. MAIN CABIN, COMMUTER PLANE - CONTINUOUS
258An explosion takes off the rear door of the cabin - the
259Armed Men drop through the smoke on cables.
260A body bag is lowered into the cabin. Bane lies it on the
261seat backs next to Dr. Pavel and unzips it to reveal a body
262the same age and build as Dr. Pavel.
263
264Bane rips Dr. Pavel's sleeve - pulls out a length of
265surgical tubing - pushes a needle into Dr. Pavel's arm -
266runs the tube to the body's arm... Dr. Pavel watches,
267horrified, as Bane starts compressions on the body's chest,
268drawing Dr. Pavel's blood across the tube and into the
269body...
270
271An Armed Man pulls Hooded Man 1 up through the cabin and
272out. Bane stops Hooded Man 2.
273 7.
274
275
276 BANE
277 Friend. They expect one of us in
278 the wreckage.
279The man nods, unhooks himself, takes Bane's arm.
280
281 HOODED MAN 2
282 Have we started the fire?
283 BANE
284 (NODS)
285 The fire rises.
286Hooded Man 2 hands Bane his line. Bane clips it around Dr.
287Pavel, takes out a knife and cuts Dr. Pavel's seat belt. Dr.
288Pavel panics, flails. Bane takes his arms. Gentle.
289
290 BANE
291 Calm, Doctor. Now is not time for
292 fear...
293Bane slides Dr. Pavel out of his seat. They hang in the
294vertical, windblown cabin. Bane takes out a detonator.
295
296 BANE
297 That comes later.
298Bane presses the detonator - the cabin drops from around
299them, revealing the terrifying drop to the peaks below. Dr.
300Pavel screams as they are hoisted up towards the transport,
301and we -
302 CUT TO:
303
304
305EXT. GOTHAM - EVENING
306Drifting over the vast city...
307 MAYOR (V.O.)
308 Harvey Dent Day may not be our
309 oldest public holiday...
310...moving past the enormous Gotham Bridge...
311 MAYOR (V.O.)
312 But we're here tonight because it's
313 one of the most important...
314...over the Gotham river to the Palisades on the far side...
315 8.
316
317
318 MAYOR (V.O.)
319 Harvey Dent's uncompromising stand
320 against organized crime and, yes,
321 ultimately, his sacrifice, have
322 made Gotham a safer place than it
323 was at the time of his death, eight
324 years ago...
325...finding a party in the grounds of Wayne Manor. The Mayor
326addresses the wealthy and powerful of Gotham.
327
328 MAYOR
329 This city has seen a historic
330 turnaround. No city is without
331 crime. But this city is without
332 organized crime because the Dent
333 Act gave law enforcement teeth in
334 its fight against the mob. Now
335 people are talking about repealing
336 the Dent Act. And to them I
337 say...not on my watch.
338Enthusiastic applause as the Mayor wraps up.
339 I want to thank the Wayne
340 Foundation for hosting this event.
341 I'm told Mr. Wayne couldn't be here
342 tonight, but I'm sure he's with us
343 in spirit...
344
345High above, on a darkened balcony, a lone figure. Watching.
346 MAYOR (O.S)
347 Now I'm going to give way to an
348 important voice...
349
350Down below at the bar, Commissioner Gordon examines some
351sheets of densely written paper. A Congressman muscles in.
352 CONGRESSMAN
353 Commissioner.
354
355 GORDON
356 Congressman.
357 CONGRESSMAN
358 Ever lay eyes on Wayne at one of
359 these things?
360Gordon shakes his head. Gordon's Deputy Commissioner, Foley,
361cuts in.
362 9.
363
364
365 FOLEY
366 No one has. Not in years.
367 MAYOR (O.S)
368 He can tell you about the bad old
369 days, when the criminals and
370 corrupt ran this town with such a
371 tight grasp that people put their
372 faith in a murderous thug in a mask
373 and a cape. A thug who showed his
374 true nature when he betrayed the
375 trust of this great man - (Turns to
376 picture of Dent.) And murdered him
377 in cold blood.
378The Congressman watches a tray of canapés breeze past, then
379grabs the ass of the maid carrying them. She freezes.
380
381 CONGRESSMAN
382 Sweetheart, not so fast with the
383 chow.
384 MAID
385 (turns, tight smile)
386 Shrimp balls?
387The Congressman grabs two. The Maid moves off. The
388Congressman glances down at Gordon's papers.
389
390 MAYOR (O.S)
391 Jim Gordon can tell you the truth
392 about Harvey Dent...
393 CONGRESSMAN
394 Jesus, Gordon, is that your speech?
395 We're gonna be here all night.
396 GORDON
397 Maybe the truth about Harvey isn't
398 so simple, Congressman.
399
400 MAYOR (O.S)
401 But I'll let him tell you himself -
402 Commissioner Gordon?
403Applause. Gordon approaches the mike. Looks down at his long
404speech. Thinks.
405 GORDON
406 The truth...?
407INSERT CUT: Harvey Dent, face half destroyed, threatens
408Gordon's son with a handgun.
409 10.
410
411
412Gordon surveys the audience. Deciding.
413 I have written a speech telling the
414 truth about Harvey Dent...
415Gordon folds up his speech.
416 Maybe the time isn't right...
417Gordon stuffs the papers inside his jacket. The Congressman
418mutters under his breath.
419 CONGRESSMAN
420 Thank Christ for that...
421 GORDON
422 Maybe right now all you need to
423 know is that there are a thousand
424 inmates in Blackgate Prison as a
425 direct result of the Dent Act.
426 These are violent criminals,
427 essential cogs in the organized
428 crime machine that terrorized
429 Gotham for so long. Maybe, for now,
430 all I should say about Harvey
431 Dent's death is this...it has not
432 been for nothing.
433The figure on the balcony turns back into the mansion.
434People clap as Gordon leaves the mike. Gordon approaches
435Foley.
436
437 GORDON
438 The second shift reports in?
439 FOLEY
440 On your desk. But you should put in
441 some more time with the Mayor -
442 GORDON
443 That's your department.
444
445Gordon heads for the line of town cars in the gravel drive.
446 CONGRESSMAN
447 Anyone shown him the crime stats?
448 FOLEY
449 He goes by his gut, and it
450 continues to bother him, whatever
451 the numbers.
452 CONGRESSMAN
453 Must be popular with the wife.
454 11.
455
456
457 FOLEY
458 Not really. She took the kids and
459 moved to Cleveland.
460 CONGRESSMAN
461 He'll have plenty of time for
462 visits. Mayor's dumping him in the
463 spring.
464 FOLEY
465 Really? He's a hero.
466
467 CONGRESSMAN
468 War hero. This is peacetime. Stay
469 smart, the job's yours.
470
471
472INT. KITCHENS, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
473Our Maid dives into the bustle of Wayne Manor below stairs -
474Caterers and Maids, Wait Staff. She overhears another Maid.
475 MAID 2
476 They say he never leaves the East
477 Wing.
478 MAID 3
479 I heard he had an accident - that
480 he's disfigured.
481
482The other Maids signal her to be quiet. All the chatter has
483died. Alfred has entered the kitchen.
484 ALFRED
485 Mr. Till, why are your people using
486 the main stairs?
487Alfred places a glass of water on a tray next to a covered
488plate. Picks up the tray, looks around the chaotic kitchen.
489
490 ALFRED
491 Where's Mrs. Bolton?
492 MAID
493 She's up at the bar, sir. Can I
494 help?
495
496Alfred looks at the Maid. Hands her a key and the tray.
497 ALFRED
498 The East drawing room. Unlock the
499 door, place the tray on the table,
500 lock the door again. Nothing more.
501 12.
502
503
504The Maid nods. Takes the tray.
505
506INT. HALL, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
507Following the Maid through the empty house. She comes to the
508large oak door to the East Wing. Unlocks it...
509
510INT. DRAWING ROOM, EAST WING, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
511The room is dark, quiet. The Maid places the tray on the
512table. She looks at the inner door opposite. It is ajar...
513
514INT. HALL, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
515
516Alfred talks to an elegant woman, thirties, Miranda Tate.
517 ALFRED
518 I'm sorry, Miss Tate, but I've
519 tried. He won't see you.
520
521 MIRANDA
522 It's important, Mr. Pennyworth.
523Her accent is European. Hard to place.
524 ALFRED
525 Mr. Wayne is as determined to
526 ignore important things as trivial
527 ones.
528 MALE VOICE (O.S.)
529 Don't take it personally, Miranda.
530
531They turn to see a man in his fifties. Daggett.
532 DAGGETT
533 Everyone knows Wayne's holed up in
534 there with eight-inch nails, peeing
535 into Mason jars. (To Alfred.) Good
536 of you to let me on the grounds.
537 ALFRED
538 The Dent Act is about all Gotham.
539 Even you, Mr. Daggett. Miss Tate,
540 always a pleasure.
541Alfred turns and walks off. Daggett smiles, glib.
542 13.
543
544
545 DAGGETT
546 Why waste your time talking to the
547 man who threw away your investment
548 on some save-the-world vanity
549 project? He can't help you get your
550 money back. But I can.
551 MIRANDA
552 I could try explaining that a
553 save-the-world project, vain or
554 not, is worth investing in,
555 whatever the return. I could try,
556 Mr. Daggett, but you understand
557 only money and the power you think
558 it buys, so why waste my time,
559 indeed?
560
561She walks away. Daggett watches her go.
562
563INT. DRAWING ROOM, EAST WING, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
564Close on the dinner tray. We hear a labored step approach.
565Bruce Wayne appears, leaning on a cane. Gaunt. Grey temples.
566He lifts the lid of his dinner, then freezes, hearing
567something. He slowly limps into the next room...
568
569INT. SITTING ROOM, EAST WING, WAYNE MANOR, CONTINUOUS
570
571The Maid looks at framed photographs of Rachel, Thomas and
572Martha Wayne. Some are half-burned. She notices an archery
573target, arrows stuck in it. She reaches out. WHAM! An arrow
574sticks into the target - the Maid spins around, flustered.
575Wayne, at the other end of the long room, lowers a composite
576bow. Picks up his cane.
577 MAID
578 I'm, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Wayne.
579 It is Mr. Wayne, isn't it?
580
581Wayne nods, gently. Limps towards her.
582 MAID
583 Although you don't have the long
584 nails... (Nervous laugh.) Or facial
585 scars...
586She trails off, embarrassed. Coy. She seems very young.
587 WAYNE
588 Is that what they say about me?
589 14.
590
591 MAID
592 It's just that...nobody sees you...
593
594Wayne approaches slowly. He nods at her pearl necklace.
595 WAYNE
596 That's a beautiful necklace.
597 Reminds me of the one that belonged
598 to my mother. It can't be the same
599 one - her pearls are in this safe -
600He reaches out with his cane to press open a panel on the
601bureau, revealing a safe door...
602 - which the manufacturer clearly
603 explained is uncrackable.
604
605...which swings open with an awkward creak.
606 MAID
607 Oops. No one told me it was
608 uncrackable.
609
610The Maid suddenly seems more confident. Older.
611 WAYNE
612 I'm afraid I can't let you take
613 those.
614
615She smiles at him. Moves towards him.
616 MAID
617 Look, you wouldn't hit a woman any
618 more than I would beat up a
619 cripple.
620She kicks his cane from under him, smashes him down.
621 Of course, sometimes exceptions
622 have to be made.
623
624The Maid vaults onto the bureau and up to a high window.
625 Goodnight, Mr. Wayne.
626She flips backwards through the window. Wayne smiles, then
627rocks forward on his good leg and rises with athletic grace.
628He looks at the safe, notices something. Powder...
629
630EXT. DRIVE, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
631Moving toward the line of town cars, the Maid pulls off her
632white apron, cuffs and collar, leaving a black dress and
633pearls. A Valet hurries to open a car door for her - she
634slips into a town car...beside the Congressman.
635 15.
636
637
638 MAID
639 Can I have a ride?
640The Congressman, a little tipsy, looks at her hungrily.
641 CONGRESSMAN
642 You read my mind.
643
644INT. EAST WING, WAYNE MANOR - LATER
645
646Alfred enters, to find Wayne kneeling at the safe.
647 ALFRED
648 Miss Tate was asking to see you
649 again.
650
651 WAYNE
652 She's very persistent.
653 ALFRED
654 And quite lovely, in case you were
655 wondering.
656
657 WAYNE
658 I wasn't.
659 ALFRED
660 What are you doing?
661
662 WAYNE
663 Examining print dust. We've been
664 robbed.
665 ALFRED
666 And this is your idea of raising
667 the alarm?
668 WAYNE
669 (SHRUGS)
670 She took the pearls. Tracking
671 device and all.
672 ALFRED
673 She?
674
675 WAYNE
676 One of the maids, perhaps you
677 should stop letting them in this
678 side of the house.
679 16.
680
681
682 ALFRED
683 Perhaps you should learn to make
684 your own bed, then. Why are you
685 dusting for prints?
686
687 WAYNE
688 I'm not. She was.
689
690EXT. ROOFTOP, MAJOR CRIMES UNIT - CONTINUOUS
691
692Gordon brings a stack of files against the air duct, settles
693to read. Next to him is a rusty, broken searchlight.
694 YOUNG VOICE (O.S.)
695 Sir?
696
697A young Cop is standing there. This is Blake.
698 BLAKE
699 I didn't want to bother you up
700 here, but they're looking for you.
701
702 GORDON
703 What's the problem, son?
704 BLAKE
705 Congressman Gilly's wife's been
706 calling. He hasn't made it home
707 from the Wayne Foundation event.
708 GORDON
709 That's a job for the police?
710 BLAKE
711 Sir, I've been a cop for a year and
712 I've only logged half a dozen
713 arrests. When you and Dent cleaned
714 the streets you cleaned 'em good.
715 Pretty soon we'll be chasing
716 overdue library books.
717Gordon smiles at this. Blake looks at his stack of files.
718 BLAKE
719 But here you are. Like we're still
720 at war...
721 GORDON
722 Old habits.
723 17.
724
725
726 BLAKE
727 Or instinct.
728 GORDON
729 What's your name, son?
730
731 BLAKE
732 Blake, sir.
733 GORDON
734 You have something you want to ask
735 me, Officer Blake?
736 BLAKE
737 It's that night. This night, eight
738 years ago. The night Dent died.
739
740 GORDON
741 What about it?
742 BLAKE
743 The last confirmed sighting of the
744 Batman. He murders those people,
745 takes out two SWAT teams, breaks
746 Dent's neck...then just vanishes?
747 GORDON
748 I'm not hearing a question, son.
749
750Blake shifts uneasily. Then looks at Gordon.
751 BLAKE
752 Don't you want to know who we was?
753Gordon turns to look at the broken searchlight. He brushes
754his fingers across its rusted shell.
755 GORDON
756 I know exactly who he was. (Turns
757 to Blake.) He was Batman.
758
759Gordon walks past Blake, heading for the stairs.
760 GORDON (O.S.)
761 Let's go see about the
762 Congressman's wife...
763 18.
764
765INT. EAST WING, WAYNE MANOR - MORNING
766Alfred takes his tray into the bedroom. The bed is empty.
767
768 ALFRED
769 Master Wayne?
770Alfred's voice echoes through the vast mansion. No reply.
771
772
773INT. STUDY, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
774Alfred hits three notes on the piano. The bookcase opens.
775
776
777INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT - CONTINUOUS
778Alfred descends into the caverns beneath Wayne Manor.
779
780INT. BATCAVE - CONTINUOUS
781
782Alfred walks through the arches as the stone floor starts to
783lower, becoming a ramp. At the bottom, Alfred is level with
784a series of dark slate obelisks - a bridge over the water to
785where Wayne sits at a computer atop a massive slate cube.
786
787 ALFRED
788 You haven't been down here in a
789 long time...
790 WAYNE
791 Just trying to find out more about
792 our jewel thief. I ran her prints
793 from the photos she handled -
794Wayne pulls up a mug shot - a fat, male armed-robbery
795suspect.
796 - but she was wearing someone
797 else's fingerprints. She's good.
798 ALFRED
799 She may be. But we have the trace
800 on the necklace.
801
802 WAYNE
803 We do, so I cross-referenced the
804 address she went back to with
805 police data on high-end
806 B-and-E's...
807
808Wayne hits a key. A photograph of the Maid appears.
809 Selina Kyle. The databases are full
810 of close calls, tips from fences...
811 19.
812
813Newspaper headlines appear -
814THE CAT STRIKES AGAIN, POLICE SUSPECT 'CAT' BURGLAR IN JEWEL
815HEIST.
816
817 WAYNE
818 She's good, but the ground is
819 shrinking beneath her feet.
820
821 ALFRED
822 We should send the police before
823 she fences the pearls.
824 WAYNE
825 She won't. She likes them too much.
826 And they weren't what she was
827 after.
828 ALFRED
829 What was she after?
830
831 WAYNE
832 My fingerprints. There was printer
833 toner mixed with graphite on the
834 safe. Gives you a good pull, and
835 it's untraceable.
836
837 ALFRED
838 Fascinating. Maybe you should
839 exchange notes over coffee.
840 WAYNE
841 Now you're trying to set me up with
842 a jewel thief?
843 ALFRED
844 At this point, sir, I would set you
845 up with a chimpanzee if I thought
846 it would bring you back into the
847 world.
848 WAYNE
849 There's nothing out there for me.
850
851 ALFRED
852 And that's the problem. You hung up
853 the cape and cowl, but never moved
854 on. You won't get out there and
855 find a life. Find someone -
856
857 WAYNE
858 (BITTER)
859 I did find someone, Alfred.
860 20.
861
862
863 ALFRED
864 I know. And then you lost them.
865 That's part of living, sir. But
866 you're not living - you're waiting.
867 Hoping for things to go bad again.
868
869Wayne says nothing.
870 Remember when you left Gotham?
871 Before all this. Before Batman.
872 Seven years you were gone. Seven
873 years I waited. Hoping that you
874 wouldn't come back.
875Wayne looks at Alfred. Not understanding.
876 Every year I took my holiday. I'd
877 go to Florence. There's a café by
878 the Arno... Any fine evening I
879 would sit there and order a Fernet
880 Branca...
881INSERT CUT: Alfred seated in a café sipping his drink...
882 I had a fantasy. I liked to imagine
883 that one day I'd look across the
884 tables, and see you. Sitting there
885 with your wife. Perhaps some kids.
886 You wouldn't say anything to me, or
887 me to you, but we'd both
888 know...that you'd made it. That you
889 were happy.
890
891INSERT CUT: Alfred spots a couple at another table and looks
892closer, hopeful. But they are strangers.
893 I never wanted you to come back to
894 Gotham. I knew there was nothing
895 there for you but pain and tragedy,
896 and I wanted more for you than
897 that. I still do.
898Alfred leaves Wayne to his cave. His bats.
899
900
901EXT. WATER TREATMENT FACILITY - DAY
902Blake and his partner, Ross, get out of their patrol car. A
903DWP Man leads them down a long concrete trough.
904
905 DWP MAN
906 They wash up a couple times a
907 month. More when in gets colder -
908 homeless sheltering in the tunnels.
909 We had to pull him to clear the
910 basin, but other than that we
911 didn't touch him...
912 21.
913
914
915They come out by the catchment basin. Above the grille lies
916a body - a teenage boy. Blake looks down at him. Freezes.
917 ROSS
918 What?
919
920 BLAKE
921 Name's Jimmy. He's at St.
922 Swithin's. (Off look.) The boys
923 home where I...I coach some ball.
924
925
926EXT. ST. SWITHIN'S HOME FOR BOYS - DAY
927Blake looks up at the shabby building.
928
929
930INT. ST. SWITHIN'S HOME FOR BOYS - MOMENTS LATER
931Blake is talking to Father Reilly.
932 FATHER REILLY
933 Jimmy hadn't been here for months.
934
935 BLAKE
936 Why?
937 FATHER REILLY
938 You know why, Blake - he aged out.
939 We don't have the resources to keep
940 boys on after sixteen -
941 BLAKE
942 The Wayne Foundation gives money
943 for that -
944
945 FATHER REILLY
946 Not for two years now.
947 BLAKE
948 He has a brother here, right?
949
950 FATHER REILLY
951 Mark. I'll tell him.
952 BLAKE
953 I'd like to, if that's okay.
954 22.
955
956
957EXT. PLAYGROUND, ST. SWITHIN'S - MOMENTS LATER
958Father Reilly watches as Blake sits with Mark - ten.
959 BLAKE
960 I'm sorry.
961
962Mark nods slowly. Staring straight ahead.
963 BLAKE
964 What was he doing in the tunnels?
965
966 MARK
967 Lot of guys been going down the
968 tunnels when they age out. Say you
969 can live down there. Say there's
970 work down there.
971
972 BLAKE
973 What kind of work are you gonna
974 find in the sewers?
975 MARK
976 More than you can find up here, I
977 guess.
978Blake considers this. Troubled.
979
980
981INT. DIVE BAR - NIGHT
982Selina Kyle, in a little black dress, walks in with a drunk
983in a Hawaiian shirt. She sits him on a bar stool - walks
984over to a table where a neatly dressed man, Stryver, sits.
985
986 STRYVER
987 You brought a date?
988 SELINA
989 I like having someone around to
990 open doors for me.
991
992Selina glances around. Things scattered throughout the bar.
993Jumpy. Selina hands an envelope to Stryver.
994 SELINA
995 Right hand. No partials.
996Stryver slides a transparency out of the envelope. Holds it
997up to the light. Four perfect fingerprint transfers.
998 23.
999
1000
1001 STRYVER
1002 Very nice.
1003He pockets the envelope.
1004 SELINA
1005 Not so fast, handsome. You got
1006 something for me?
1007 STRYVER
1008 Oh, yes.
1009
1010Stryver signals a Thug who locks the door. Another Thug
1011joins them at the table. Selina smiles.
1012 SELINA
1013 I don't know what you're going to
1014 do with Mr. Wayne's prints...but
1015 I'm guessing you'll need his thumb.
1016As Stryver checks the envelope again -
1017 SELINA
1018 You don't count so good, huh?
1019 STRYVER
1020 I count fine.
1021The Second Thug puts a gun to Selina's head.
1022
1023 STRYVER
1024 In fact, I'm counting to ten right
1025 now...
1026Selina looks in his eyes. The Thug cocks his gun. She
1027blinks.
1028 SELINA
1029 Okay, okay -
1030
1031She reaches for her purse. The Thug stops her, reaches in
1032himself - pulls out a cellphone. Slides it across the table.
1033 SELINA
1034 My friend is waiting outside. Just
1035 hit 'send'...
1036
1037Stryver looks at the phone. Hits 'send'. Selina sizes up her
1038options. A knock on the door. Second Thug hides his gun. The
1039door opens - a young woman, Jen. She enters, cheerful, spots
1040Selina. Pulls out an envelope, looks around.
1041 24.
1042
1043
1044 JEN
1045 Place is a little dead.
1046 SELINA
1047 (takes envelope, tense)
1048 It'll liven up in a minute, trust
1049 me.
1050 JEN
1051 Everything okay?
1052
1053 SELINA
1054 Great. Catch you later.
1055Jen leaves. Stryver checks the envelope. Satisfied.
1056 SELINA
1057 It would've been a lot easier to
1058 just give me what we agreed.
1059 STRYVER
1060 We can't have loose ends. And even
1061 in that dress, no one's going to
1062 miss you.
1063 SELINA
1064 No. But my friend over there...?
1065Stryver looks at Selina's 'date' drooling into a bowl of
1066nuts at the bar - he looks familiar...
1067 SELINA
1068 Every cop in the city's missing
1069 him.
1070
1071Across the bar, the TV on mute -
1072MANHUNT FOR MISSING CONGRESSMAN.
1073Stryver looks at Selina.
1074
1075 STRYVER
1076 Cute. But they're not gonna be
1077 looking in a place like this.
1078 SELINA
1079 I don't know... You did just use
1080 his cell phone.
1081Stryver glances down at the cell phone as - SCREECH - the
1082Thugs look out the window at cop cars and SWAT units
1083descending on the bar. Stryver glances at the window and -
1084SMASH - Selina CRACKS his head against the table, grabs
1085 25.
1086
1087
1088Second Thug's gun hand, flips over the table, firing at the
1089other Thugs, who drop. The SWATs batter down the door.
1090Selina crouches, cowering, screaming.
1091 SWAT
1092 It's alright, Miss. Just stay down
1093 -
1094The SWATs barrel past, chasing the remaining Thugs back
1095through the bar and out into the back alley. Selina smiles.
1096
1097
1098EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR - CONTINUOUS
1099The Thugs turn and open up on the SWATs with automatic
1100weapons.
1101
1102
1103INT. DIVE BAR - CONTINUOUS
1104Selina moves to the door. Spots the Congressman under the
1105bar, clutching his bleeding leg.
1106
1107 SELINA
1108 Keep some pressure on that,
1109 sweetheart.
1110She adjusts her dress in the broken mirror behind the bar.
1111Moves for the door.
1112
1113 CONGRESSMAN
1114 (WEAK)
1115 Call me?
1116
1117
1118EXT. DIVE BAR - CONTINUOUS
1119Selina waltzes out - right into Blake. She feigns panic.
1120 SELINA
1121 There's a man in there - he's
1122 bleeding!
1123 BLAKE
1124 It's okay, Miss. It's okay.
1125
1126Blake helps Selina down onto the tailgate of a SWAT truck.
1127He heads into the bar, weapon drawn. Selina slips behind the
1128truck and into the night.
1129 26.
1130
1131
1132INT. DIVE BAR - CONTINUOUS
1133Blake enters, gun drawn. Spots the Congressman.
1134 BLAKE
1135 (INTO RADIO)
1136 I've got the Congressman - bullet
1137 to the leg, but he's okay.
1138
1139EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR - CONTINUOUS
1140
1141The SWATs return fire. The Thugs lay down cover fire, then
1142race around a corner into a smaller passage.
1143A cop car pulls up, blocking the mouth of the alley - Gordon
1144jumps out, gun drawn.
1145
1146The SWATs approach the passage, massing on both corners
1147tactically. The two corner SWATs exchange hand signals,
1148counting down... They round the corner, aiming low and high.
1149The passage is empty.
1150
1151The SWATs cover a fire escape, but Gordon spots at once -
1152 GORDON
1153 Manhole!
1154
1155He races to the manhole cover - SWATs wrench off the cover,
1156Gordon grabs a flashlight from the nearest SWAT.
1157 GORDON
1158 You three, down with me. You two,
1159 head down to cover the next exit -
1160
1161 SWAT
1162 Where -?
1163 GORDON
1164 Get the DWP down here, now!
1165
1166Gordon starts climbing down the ladder...
1167
1168INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
1169
1170Gordon moves down the tunnel, flashlight low. Three SWATs
1171fall in behind...
1172 27.
1173
1174
1175EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR - CONTINUOUS
1176Blake comes into the alley. Cops surround the manhole.
1177 COP
1178 Where's the DWP guy?
1179
1180 BLAKE
1181 They went down there?
1182 FOLEY
1183 (shaking his head)
1184 And Gordon took SWAT in after them.
1185
1186INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
1187
1188Gordon hears a noise up ahead - pushes forward, rounds the
1189corner. BANG! GUNFIRE. SWATs return fire, shots sparking off
1190the concrete walls, then - BOOM - behind him the tunnel
1191ERUPTS IN FIRE, blasting the SWATs. Gordon races forward,
1192tearing through the tunnels.
1193
1194
1195EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR - CONTINUOUS
1196Blake jumps back as a fireball bursts out of the manhole.
1197
1198
1199INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
1200Gordon races around a corner, gun drawn. A noise makes him
1201turn - WHACK, he is clobbered from behind by a Thug.
1202
1203
1204EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR - CONTINUOUS
1205Blake pushes forward.
1206 BLAKE
1207 Come on, we gotta get down there -
1208
1209 COP
1210 That was a gas explosion, kid -
1211 BLAKE
1212 Gas? This is a sewer!
1213 FOLEY
1214 No one goes in there till we know
1215 what's down there.
1216 28.
1217
1218
1219 BLAKE
1220 We know what's down there, sir. The
1221 Police Commissioner!
1222 FOLEY
1223 Somebody get the hothead out of
1224 here. And get me a DWP guy!
1225Blake backs off. Gets an idea - goes for his patrol car.
1226
1227
1228INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
1229Thug 1 flips Gordon onto his back.
1230 THUG 1
1231 This one's alive. (Looks closer.)
1232 Jesus. It's the Police
1233 Commissioner.
1234 THUG 2
1235 What do we do?
1236
1237 THUG 1
1238 Take him to Bane.
1239The two Thugs drag Gordon down through the maze of tunnels.
1240As they descend deeper they encounter work crews of muscular
1241men wielding large drills and jackhammers, working the walls
1242and ceiling of the larger tunnels. Some of the men are armed
1243Mercenaries, overseeing gangs of homeless street kids. They
1244stare as Gordon is dragged past. The Thugs drag Gordon
1245between two waterfalls, into -
1246
1247
1248INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - CONTINUOUS (NIGHT)
1249They approach a figure, turned away, crouched in the
1250firelight. Bare-chested, muscular, masked. Bane. A crooked
1251line of scar tissue runs the length of his spine...
1252
1253 BANE
1254 Why are you here?
1255The Thugs drop Gordon at Bane's feet.
1256
1257 THUG 1
1258 Answer him!
1259Bane slowly turns to the Thugs.
1260 29.
1261
1262
1263 BANE
1264 I'm asking you.
1265 THUG 1
1266 It's the Police Commissioner.
1267
1268 BANE
1269 And you brought him down here?
1270 THUG 2
1271 We didn't know what to do. We -
1272
1273 BANE
1274 You panicked. And your weakness
1275 costs three lives.
1276 THUG 1
1277 No, he's alone -
1278Bane flips the Thug's chin up and to the side with a crack.
1279Thug 1 drops. Bane turns to Thug 2.
1280 BANE
1281 Search him. Then I will kill you.
1282The Thug, terrified, pulls out Gordon's badge, wallet,
1283gun...and the folded papers of the speech he did not read.
1284Bane takes these one by one with quick glances. He stops at
1285the papers. Unfolds them...
1286
1287As he reads, Gordon rolls off the steps, dropping into the
1288rushing flow of water - gunshots ring out...
1289 THUG 2
1290 He's dead.
1291
1292Thug 2 trails off as Bane looks up from the papers...
1293 BANE
1294 Then show me his body.
1295
1296 THUG 2
1297 That water runs to any one of the
1298 outflows - we'd never find him.
1299Bane turns to the Lead Mercenary.
1300
1301 BANE
1302 Give me your GPS.
1303Lead Mercenary hands him a GPS - Bane tucks it into Thug 2's
1304jacket, zips it up like a mother sending her kid to school.
1305 30.
1306
1307
1308 BANE
1309 Follow him.
1310 THUG 2
1311 Follow him?
1312
1313Bane shoots Thug 2, kicks him into the water. Turns to Lead
1314Mercenary.
1315 BANE
1316 Track him. Make sure both bodies
1317 will not be found. Then brick up
1318 the south tunnel.
1319
1320EXT. WATER TREATMENT FACILITY - NIGHT
1321
1322Blake comes out to the catchment basin. He spots something
1323stuck up against the grille, thrusts his hand into the
1324raging waters - Gordon is there, alive. Just. Blake pulls
1325him up onto the concrete, hoists him up, hurrying...
1326
1327
1328INT. FRONT HALL, WAYNE MANOR - DAY
1329Alfred opens the door to reveal Blake in his dirty uniform.
1330 BLAKE
1331 I need to see Bruce Wayne.
1332
1333 ALFRED
1334 I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne doesn't take
1335 unscheduled calls. Even from police
1336 officers.
1337
1338 BLAKE
1339 And if I go get a warrant, in the
1340 investigation of Harvey Dent's
1341 murder? Would that still count as
1342 unscheduled?
1343
1344
1345INT. STUDY, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
1346Blake is sitting, drumming his leg, nervous. Wayne enters.
1347
1348 WAYNE
1349 What can I do for you, officer?
1350 BLAKE
1351 Commissioner Gordon's been shot.
1352 31.
1353
1354
1355 WAYNE
1356 I'm sorry to hear that -
1357 BLAKE
1358 He chased a gunman down into the
1359 sewers. When I pulled him out he
1360 was babbling about an underground
1361 army. A masked man called 'Bane'.
1362 WAYNE
1363 Shouldn't you be telling this to
1364 your superior officers?
1365 BLAKE
1366 I did. One of them asked if he saw
1367 any giant alligators down there. He
1368 needs you. He needs the Batman.
1369
1370 WAYNE
1371 If Commissioner Gordon thinks I'm
1372 the Batman he must be in a bad way
1373 -
1374
1375 BLAKE
1376 He doesn't know or care who you
1377 are. (Off look.) But we've met
1378 before. When I was a kid. At the
1379 orphanage. See, my mom died when I
1380 was small. Car accident, I don't
1381 really remember it. But a couple of
1382 years later my dad was shot over a
1383 gambling debt. I remember that just
1384 fine. (Looks at Wayne.) Not a lot
1385 of people who know what it feels
1386 like, do they? To be angry. In your
1387 bones. People understand, foster
1388 parents understand. For a while.
1389 Then they expect the angry kid to
1390 do what he knows he can never do.
1391 To move on. To forget.
1392
1393Wayne stares at Blake.
1394 BLAKE
1395 So they stopped understanding and
1396 sent the angry kid to a boys' home
1397 - St. Swithin's. Used to be funded
1398 by the Wayne Foundation. See, I
1399 figured it out too late. You have
1400 to hide the anger. Practice smiling
1401 in the mirror. Like putting on a
1402 mask. You showed up one day in a
1403 cool car, pretty girl on your arm.
1404 (MORE)
1405 32.
1406
1407
1408 BLAKE (CONT'D)
1409 We were so excited - Bruce Wayne,
1410 billionaire orphan. We made up
1411 stories about you. Legends. The
1412 other boys' stories were just that.
1413 But when I saw you I knew who you
1414 really were... (Beat.) I'd seen
1415 that look on your face. Same one I
1416 taught myself.
1417Blake gets up to leave. Wayne is lost in thought.
1418
1419 BLAKE
1420 I don't know why you took the fall
1421 for Dent's murder, but I'm still a
1422 believer in the Batman. Even if
1423 you're not.
1424
1425 WAYNE
1426 Why did you say your boys' home
1427 used to be funded by the Wayne
1428 Foundation?
1429
1430 BLAKE
1431 Because the money stopped. Might be
1432 time to get some fresh air and
1433 start paying attention to the
1434 details. Some of those details
1435 might need your help.
1436
1437INT. HALL, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
1438Wayne and Alfred watch Blake drive away.
1439
1440 WAYNE
1441 You checked that name? 'Bane' -
1442 ALFRED
1443 Ran it through some databases. He's
1444 a mercenary. No other known name.
1445 Never been seen or photographed
1446 without a mask. He and his men were
1447 behind a coup in West Africa that
1448 secured mining operations for our
1449 friend John Daggett.
1450
1451 WAYNE
1452 Now Daggett's brought them here?
1453 ALFRED
1454 It would seem so. I'll keep
1455 digging.
1456 33.
1457
1458
1459Alfred turns to leave.
1460 WAYNE
1461 Why did the Wayne Foundation stop
1462 funding boys' homes in the city?
1463
1464 ALFRED
1465 The Foundation is funded from the
1466 profits of Wayne Enterprises...
1467 (Off look.) There have to be some.
1468
1469 WAYNE
1470 Time to talk to Mr. Fox, I think.
1471 ALFRED
1472 I'll get him on the phone -
1473
1474 WAYNE
1475 No. Do we still have any cars
1476 around the place?
1477 ALFRED
1478 (LIGHTS UP)
1479 One or two.
1480 WAYNE
1481 And I need an appointment at the
1482 hospital. About my leg.
1483
1484 ALFRED
1485 Which hospital, sir?
1486 WAYNE
1487 Whichever one Jim Gordon's in.
1488
1489Alfred is less excited by this part of the request.
1490
1491EXT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES - DAY
1492
1493Moving towards the tall skyscraper downtown.
1494 MIRANDA (V.O.)
1495 Mr. Fox, I believe in what Mr.
1496 Wayne was trying to do...
1497
1498
1499INT. BOARDROOM, WAYNE ENTERPRISES - CONTINUOUS
1500Miranda is talking to Lucius Fox at the table.
1501 34.
1502
1503
1504 MIRANDA
1505 I'm only asking for explanations
1506 because I think I can help.
1507 FOX
1508 I'll pass along your request. Next
1509 time I see him.
1510Miranda catches something in this.
1511 MIRANDA
1512 He doesn't talk to you either?
1513 FOX
1514 Let's just say that Bruce Wayne has
1515 his...eccentricities.
1516
1517 MIRANDA
1518 (RISING)
1519 Mr. Fox, are you aware that John
1520 Daggett is trying to acquire shares
1521 in Wayne Enterprises?
1522
1523 FOX
1524 I was not. But it wouldn't do him
1525 any good - Mr. Wayne still retains
1526 a clear majority.
1527Miranda leaves. Fox moves into his office - stops.
1528
1529 FOX
1530 Bruce Wayne. As I live and breathe.
1531Wayne rises, pushing hard on his cane.
1532
1533 FOX
1534 What brings you out of cryo-sleep
1535 Mr. Wayne?
1536 WAYNE
1537 I see you haven't lost your sense
1538 of humor...even if you have lost
1539 most of my money.
1540 FOX
1541 Actually, you did that yourself.
1542 See, if you funnel the entire R and
1543 D budget for five years into a
1544 fusion project that you then
1545 mothball, your company is unlikely
1546 to thrive.
1547 35.
1548
1549 WAYNE
1550 Even with -
1551
1552 FOX
1553 A wildly sophisticated CEO, yes.
1554 Wayne Enterprises is running out of
1555 time. And Daggett is moving in.
1556 WAYNE
1557 What're my options?
1558 FOX
1559 If you're not willing to turn your
1560 machine on -
1561
1562 WAYNE
1563 I can't, Lucius.
1564 FOX
1565 Then sit tight. Your majority keeps
1566 Daggett at arm's length while we
1567 figure out a future for the energy
1568 program with Miranda Tate - she's
1569 supported your project all the way.
1570 She's smart, and quite lovely.
1571 WAYNE
1572 You too, Lucius?
1573 FOX
1574 We all just want what's best for
1575 you, Bruce. Show her the machine.
1576
1577 WAYNE
1578 I'll think it over.
1579 FOX
1580 Anything else?
1581
1582 WAYNE
1583 No, why?
1584 FOX
1585 These conversations always used to
1586 end with some...unusual requests.
1587 WAYNE
1588 I retired.
1589 FOX
1590 Let me show you some stuff, anyway.
1591Fox hits a button - the bookcase opens into a hidden
1592elevator.
1593 36.
1594
1595
1596INT. APPLIED SCIENCES - MOMENTS LATER
1597Fox leads Wayne into the vast, gadget-filled space. They
1598pass Tumblers with different weapons configurations...
1599 WAYNE
1600 I figured you'd have shut this
1601 place down.
1602 FOX
1603 It was always shut down,
1604 officially.
1605 WAYNE
1606 But all this new stuff?
1607 FOX
1608 After your father died, Wayne
1609 Enterprises set up fourteen
1610 different defense subsidiaries.
1611 I've spent years shuttering them
1612 and consolidating all the
1613 prototypes under one roof. My roof.
1614
1615 WAYNE
1616 Why?
1617 FOX
1618 Stop them falling into the wrong
1619 hands. Besides, I thought someone
1620 might get some use out of them...
1621Wayne shakes his head.
1622 FOX
1623 Sure I can't tempt you to
1624 something? Pneumatic crampons?
1625 Infrared lenses? Least let me get
1626 you something for that leg.
1627
1628 WAYNE
1629 It's fine the use it gets these
1630 days.
1631 FOX
1632 Well, then I have just the thing
1633 for an eccentric billionaire who
1634 doesn't like to walk...
1635Fox opens a door - we glimpse a sleek vehicle. Wayne's eyes
1636light up.
1637 37.
1638
1639 WAYNE
1640 Now you're just showing off.
1641
1642 FOX
1643 Defense Department project for
1644 tight-geometry urban pacification.
1645 Rotors configured for maneuvering
1646 between buildings without
1647 recirculation.
1648
1649 WAYNE
1650 What's it called?
1651 FOX
1652 It has a long and uninteresting
1653 Wayne Enterprises designation. So I
1654 took to calling it the Bat. And
1655 yes, Mr. Wayne, it does come in
1656 black.
1657Wayne touches its sleek side. Marveling.
1658
1659 FOX
1660 Works great except for the
1661 autopilot.
1662 WAYNE
1663 What's wrong with that?
1664 FOX
1665 Software-based instability. Take a
1666 better mind than mine to fix it.
1667
1668 WAYNE
1669 Better mind?
1670 FOX
1671 I was trying to be modest. A less
1672 busy mind. Yours, perhaps.
1673Wayne looks wistfully at the machine. Turns away.
1674 WAYNE
1675 I told you. I retired, Lucius.
1676
1677
1678INT. EXAMINATION ROOM, GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL - NIGHT
1679Wayne listens, distracted, while a Doctor examines an X-ray.
1680
1681 DOCTOR
1682 I've seen worse cartilage in knees
1683 -
1684 38.
1685
1686
1687 WAYNE
1688 That's good -
1689 DOCTOR
1690 No, that's because there is no
1691 cartilage in your knee. And not
1692 much of any use in your elbows and
1693 shoulders. Between that and the
1694 scar tissue on your kidneys,
1695 residual concussive damage to your
1696 brain tissue and general
1697 scarred-over quality of your
1698 body... (Takes a deep breath.) I
1699 cannot recommend that you go
1700 heli-skiing. About the only part of
1701 your body that looks healthy is
1702 your liver, so if you're bored I
1703 recommend you take up drinking, Mr.
1704 Wayne.
1705Wayne smiles. The Doctor leaves. Wayne pulls on a ski mask,
1706steps to the window, hops up, pulls a wire from his cane,
1707which he clips to his belt. He props his cane behind the
1708frame - jumps out. The wire unspools from the cane as -
1709
1710EXT. TENTH FLOOR, GOTHAM GENERAL HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS
1711Wayne drops three floors...
1712
1713
1714INT. PRIVATE ROOM, GOTHAM GENERAL - CONTINUOUS
1715Gordon lies in his bed, hooked up to machines. Wayne, in ski
1716mask, stands over him. Gordon's eyes flutter open. He tries
1717to speak with a weak, hoarse voice...
1718 GORDON
1719 We were in this together. Then you
1720 were gone...
1721
1722 WAYNE
1723 The Batman wasn't needed anymore.
1724 We won.
1725 GORDON
1726 Built on a lie. Our lie. Now
1727 there's evil rising from where we
1728 tried to bury it. Nobody will
1729 listen... The Batman has to come
1730 back.
1731 39.
1732
1733
1734 WAYNE
1735 What if he doesn't exist anymore?
1736 GORDON
1737 He must. He must.
1738
1739
1740INT./EXT. LAMBORGHINI ON GOTHAM STREETS - NIGHT
1741Wayne pulls up in front of a row of shabby subdivided town
1742houses. Checks a tracking device. Jon, provocatively
1743dressed, leads a Yuppie Banker-type in through a front door.
1744
1745INT. SELINA'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
1746Selina sits in a small room getting ready to go out. She
1747picks up the pearls - hears a disturbance in the hall.
1748 JEN (O.S.)
1749 I told you - money first -
1750 YUPPIE (O.S.)
1751 Goddammit, you took my wallet!
1752
1753INT. STAIRWELL OUTSIDE SELINA'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
1754The Yuppie has Jen against the wall - he reaches back to hit
1755her with an expensive wristwatch-clad arm. But Selina has
1756grabbed his wrist with a powerful grip.
1757 SELINA
1758 Get out.
1759
1760 YUPPIE
1761 She took my wallet!
1762Selina twists his arm behind him in a blinding move.
1763 SELINA
1764 Now.
1765She releases the Yuppie, who moves off down the stairs.
1766Selina turns to Jen. Who is examining a wallet.
1767 SELINA
1768 I told you not to try it with the
1769 assholes, Jen.
1770 JEN
1771 They're all assholes.
1772 40.
1773
1774
1775 SELINA
1776 Okay, the assholes who hit.
1777 JEN
1778 I don't know what he's so upset
1779 about, he only had sixty bucks in
1780 here.
1781 SELINA
1782 Probably the watch.
1783
1784 YOUNG WOMAN
1785 Watch?
1786Selina opens her hand and gives Jen the Yuppie's Rolex.
1787
1788
1789EXT. SELINA'S BUILDING, OLD TOWN, GOTHAM - LATER
1790Selina exits and hails a cab. Wayne watches her go. Then
1791pulls out. Checking his tracker.
1792
1793
1794EXT. MUSEUM, GOTHAM - LATER
1795Town cars dispense Gotham society in tasteful masquerade.
1796Wayne pulls up to the Valet. Paparazzi line the entrance.
1797Wayne uses his cane to get out of his Lamborghini...
1798
1799 PAPARAZZI
1800 Another stiff too old to climb out
1801 of his sports car.
1802 PAPARAZZI 2
1803 No, that's Bruce Wayne! Hey, Wayne,
1804 where you been hiding?
1805Lenses swing onto Wayne, who pushes a button on his key fob
1806- a pulse. The cameras die. Wayne heads to the door.
1807
1808 WAYNE
1809 I'm not sure if my assistant put me
1810 on the guest list -
1811 GREETER
1812 Right through here, Mr. Wayne...
1813 41.
1814
1815
1816INT. MUSEUM - CONTINUOUS
1817A lavish ball - the expressively attired dance under falling
1818confetti... Even Bruce Wayne is struck by the ostentation.
1819He spots Selina dancing with a deeply smitten Rich Twit. She
1820wears a small, velvet pair of cat ears. And the pearls.
1821
1822 MIRANDA (O.S)
1823 Bruce Wayne at a charity ball?
1824Wayne turns to find Miranda Tate, amazed, a small mask her
1825only concession to fancy dress.
1826 WAYNE
1827 Miss Tate, isn't it?
1828 MIRANDA
1829 Even before you became a recluse,
1830 you never came to these things...
1831 WAYNE
1832 True. Proceeds go to the big fat
1833 spread, not the cause. It's not
1834 about charity, it's about feeding
1835 the ego of whichever society hag
1836 laid it on.
1837 MIRANDA
1838 Actually, this is my party, Mr.
1839 Wayne.
1840 WAYNE
1841 Oh.
1842 MIRANDA
1843 And the proceeds will go where they
1844 should, because I paid for the big
1845 fat spread myself.
1846 WAYNE
1847 That's very generous of you.
1848 MIRANDA
1849 You have to invest to restore
1850 balance to the world. Take our
1851 clean-energy project...
1852
1853 WAYNE
1854 Sometimes the investment doesn't
1855 pay off. Sorry.
1856 42.
1857
1858
1859 MIRANDA
1860 You have a practiced apathy, Mr.
1861 Wayne. But a man who doesn't care
1862 about the world doesn't spend half
1863 his fortune on a plan to save it...
1864 (Gentle.) And isn't so wounded when
1865 it fails that he goes into
1866 hiding...
1867Wayne looks at Miranda. Intrigued.
1868
1869 MIRANDA
1870 Have a good evening, Mr. Wayne.
1871Wayne watches Miranda glide away. Then turns to Selina.
1872 WAYNE
1873 Mind if I cut in?
1874Rich Twit turns, annoyed - Wayne hands him his cane. Takes
1875Selina by the waist. She glares at him.
1876 WAYNE
1877 You don't seem very happy to see
1878 me.
1879 SELINA
1880 You were supposed to be a shut-in.
1881
1882 WAYNE
1883 Felt like some fresh air.
1884 SELINA
1885 Why didn't you call the police?
1886
1887 WAYNE
1888 I have a powerful friend who deals
1889 with this kind of thing. (Admires
1890 her cat ears.) Brazen costume for a
1891 cat burglar.
1892
1893 SELINA
1894 Yeah? Who are you pretending to be?
1895 WAYNE
1896 Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionaire.
1897 Who's your date?
1898 SELINA
1899 His wife's in Ibiza. She left her
1900 diamonds behind, though. Worried
1901 they'd get stolen.
1902 43.
1903
1904 WAYNE
1905It's pronounced 'Ibeetha'. You
1906wouldn't want these folks realizing
1907you're a crook not a social
1908climber.
1909
1910 SELINA
1911 (flash of anger)
1912You think I care what anyone in
1913this room thinks about me?
1914
1915 WAYNE
1916I doubt you care what anyone in
1917this room thinks about you.
1918 SELINA
1919Don't condescend, Mr. Wayne. You
1920don't know a thing about me.
1921 WAYNE
1922Well, Selina Kyle, I know you came
1923here from your walk-up in Old Town
1924- modest place for a master jewel
1925thief. Which means either you're
1926saving for your retirement - or
1927you're in deep with the wrong
1928people.
1929
1930 SELINA
1931You don't get to judge me because
1932you were born in the master bedroom
1933of Wayne Manor.
1934 WAYNE
1935Actually, I was born in the Regency
1936Room.
1937 SELINA
1938I started off doing what I had to.
1939Once you've done what you had to
1940they'll never let you do what you
1941want to.
1942 WAYNE
1943Start fresh.
1944
1945 SELINA
1946There's no fresh start in today's
1947world. Any twelve-year-old with a
1948cell phone could find out what you
1949did. Everything we do is collated
1950and quantified. Everything sticks.
1951We are the sum of our mistakes.
1952 44.
1953
1954
1955 WAYNE
1956 Or our achievements.
1957 SELINA
1958 The mistakes stick better. Trust
1959 me.
1960
1961 WAYNE
1962 You think that justifies stealing?
1963 SELINA
1964 I take what I need to from those
1965 who have more than enough. I don't
1966 stand on the shoulders of people
1967 with less.
1968 WAYNE
1969 Robin Hood?
1970 SELINA
1971 I'd do more to help someone than
1972 most of the people in this room.
1973 Than you.
1974
1975 WAYNE
1976 Maybe you're assuming too much.
1977 SELINA
1978 Or maybe you're being unrealistic
1979 about what's really in your pants
1980 other than your wallet.
1981 WAYNE
1982 Ouch.
1983
1984 SELINA
1985 You think all this can last?
1986Wayne glances around at the sumptuous party.
1987
1988 SELINA
1989 There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne.
1990 You and your friends better batten
1991 down the hatches, because when it
1992 hits you're all gonna wonder how
1993 you ever thought you could live so
1994 large and leave so little to the
1995 rest of us.
1996 WAYNE
1997 Sounds like you're looking forward
1998 to it.
1999 45.
2000
2001
2002 SELINA
2003 I'm adaptable.
2004 WAYNE
2005 These pearls do look better on you
2006 then they did in my safe...
2007
2008Wayne rolls her into his shoulder - reaches up to the back
2009of her neck, unclasps the necklace.
2010 But I still can't let you keep
2011 them.
2012
2013The pearls slide off her neck into his other hand. Selina
2014looks at him. Angry. Then kisses him, hard, and disappears
2015into the crowd. Wayne's cane reappears.
2016 RICH TWIT
2017 (ANNOYED)
2018 You scared her off.
2019 WAYNE
2020 Not likely.
2021
2022
2023EXT. MUSEUM - MOMENTS LATER
2024Wayne approaches the Valet. Pats down his pockets.
2025 WAYNE
2026 I must have lost my ticket -
2027 VALET
2028 Your wife said you were taking a
2029 cab home, sir.
2030
2031 WAYNE
2032 My wife?
2033
2034INT./EXT. LAMBORGHINI RACING DOWN STREETS - CONTINUOUS
2035
2036Selina permits herself a little smile as she guns the
2037engine.
2038
2039INT. ROLLS ROYCE - LATER
2040
2041Alfred watches in the mirror as Wayne climbs into the back.
2042 ALFRED
2043 Just you, sir?
2044
2045Wayne gives him a withering glare.
2046 (MORE)
2047 46.
2048
2049 ALFRED (CONT'D)
2050 Don't worry, Master Wayne. Takes a
2051 little time to get back into the
2052 swing of things.
2053Wayne dials his phone.
2054 FOX (O.S.)
2055 This is Fox.
2056
2057 WAYNE
2058 Remember those 'unusual requests' I
2059 used to make?
2060 FOX (O.S.)
2061 I knew it!
2062Up front, Alfred listens. Concerned.
2063
2064INT. BATCAVE - DAY
2065
2066Wayne pushes a button on a hi-tech carbon fiber brace
2067strapped to his good knee - the brace tones. As Wayne starts
2068moving his knee, bending, stretching, Alfred puts down a
2069Thermos.
2070
2071 ALFRED
2072 You've got the wrong leg, sir.
2073 WAYNE
2074 You start with the good limb so it
2075 learns your optimum muscle
2076 patterns.
2077Wayne swaps the brace to his bad knee. Puts his weight on it
2078- the knee bends, kicks. He sits again. Cautious.
2079 Now we tighten it up.
2080
2081Wayne gingerly pushes a button - the brace starts to shrink
2082tight to his leg, digging in. Wayne grits his teeth.
2083 ALFRED
2084 It is terribly painful?
2085
2086 WAYNE
2087 (GRITTED TEETH)
2088 You're welcome to try it, Alfred.
2089 ALFRED
2090 Happy watching, thank you, sir.
2091Wayne shouts as the brace clicks home. He gets to his feet.
2092 47.
2093
2094
2095 WAYNE
2096 Not bad -
2097Wayne executes a perfect roundhouse, knocking out a brick.
2098 Not bad at all.
2099
2100Alfred picks up the brick. Considers it. Uneasy. He follows
2101Wayne across the bridge to the cube.
2102 ALFRED
2103 Master Wayne, if you're considering
2104 going back out there you need to
2105 hear some rumors surrounding Bane.
2106 WAYNE
2107 I'm all ears.
2108
2109 ALFRED
2110 There is a prison. In a more
2111 ancient part of the world. A pit.
2112 Where men are thrown to suffer and
2113 die. But sometimes, a man rises
2114 from the darkness. Sometimes...the
2115 pit sends something back.
2116 WAYNE
2117 Bane.
2118 ALFRED
2119 Born and raised in a hell on earth.
2120 WAYNE
2121 Born in a prison?
2122 ALFRED
2123 No one knows why. Or how he
2124 escaped. But they know who trained
2125 him one he did...R¯'s al Gh¯l. Your
2126 A U
2127 mentor.
2128
2129Wayne takes this in. Shocked.
2130 ALFRED
2131 He plucked Bane from a dark corner
2132 of the earth and trained him in the
2133 blackest disciplines of combat,
2134 deception and endurance. Just like
2135 you.
2136 WAYNE
2137 Bane was a member of the League of
2138 Shadows.
2139 48.
2140
2141
2142 ALFRED
2143 Until he was excommunicated. And a
2144 man considered too extreme for R¯'s
2145 A
2146 al Gh¯l is not to be trifled with.
2147 U
2148
2149 WAYNE
2150 I didn't realize I was known for
2151 trifling with criminals.
2152 ALFRED
2153 That was then. And you can strap up
2154 your leg and put the mask back on.
2155 But it won't make you what you
2156 were.
2157 WAYNE
2158 Which was?
2159
2160 ALFRED
2161 Someone whose anger at death made
2162 him value all life. Even his own.
2163 WAYNE
2164 If this man is all the things you
2165 say he is, then this city needs me.
2166The Batsuit emerges from the cube.
2167 ALFRED
2168 Yes, this city needs Bruce Wayne.
2169 Your resources, your
2170 knowledge...not your body. Not your
2171 life. That time has passed.
2172
2173 WAYNE
2174 I tried helping as Bruce Wayne,
2175 Alfred. And I failed.
2176 ALFRED
2177 You can fail as Bruce Wayne. As
2178 Batman, you can't afford to.
2179 WAYNE
2180 That's what you're afraid of - that
2181 if I go back out there I'll fail.
2182
2183 ALFRED
2184 No. I'm afraid that you want to.
2185Wayne looks at Alfred. Then turns to examine the Batsuit.
2186 49.
2187
2188
2189INT. STOCK EXCHANGE - EVENING
2190A frenzy of trading on the packed floor...
2191Two Traders sit on a shoeshine stand in the lobby.
2192
2193 TRADER 2
2194 You can't short the stock because
2195 Bruce Wayne goes to a party -
2196 TRADER 1
2197 Wayne coming back is change. Change
2198 is either good or bad.
2199 TRADER 2
2200 On what basis?
2201
2202 TRADER 1
2203 I flipped a coin.
2204Near the front entrance: a Food Delivery Guy is standing
2205there negotiating with a Trader.
2206
2207 TRADER 3
2208 No. Rye. I told 'em rye.
2209Trader 3 spots bad news on a screen.
2210 Alright, I'll take it.
2211
2212He thrusts Food Guy a tip and grabs the bag, distracted...
2213At the rear secure entrance: a Motorcycle Courier enters,
2214wearing his helmet - a Female Security Guard gets in his
2215face.
2216
2217 FEMALE SECURITY GUARD
2218 Rookie! Lose the helmet! (Points at
2219 a camera.) We need faces for
2220 cameras.
2221
2222In the rest room: a Janitor mops the floor, shifting out of
2223the way of two Traders who rush in to pee.
2224At the shoeshine stand, Trader 1 waves a bill down at the
2225man shining his shoes without a glance. Shoeshine Man takes
2226the bill, then, as the Traders step off, he reaches into a
2227gym bag and checks an automatic weapon. He clicks the slide
2228home, then hoists the gym bag and heads for the trading
2229floor.
2230At the secure entrance: the Courier pulls off his helmet.
2231The Female Security Guard's eyes go wide.
2232 50.
2233
2234In the rest room: the Janitor reaches into his bucket and
2235pulls out a machine pistol in a Ziploc bag.
2236
2237Near the front entrance: Food Guy pulls an automatic pistol
2238- clubs Trader 3 with it, pastrami flying. Shoeshine Man
2239moves onto the floor, pulls out his weapon.
2240Under the Courier's helmet - a mask. Bane. He grabs the
2241Female Security Guard and throws her into her colleagues,
2242lashing out in four directions with rapidfire lethality.
2243Shoeshine Man fires into the large trading screens. The
2244floor erupts into a different frenzy - traders hit the deck,
2245screaming. Bane moves onto the floor...
2246
2247 TRADER 1
2248 This is a stock exchange, there's
2249 no money you can steal -
2250He dries up as Bane stops. Turns to him...
2251
2252 BANE
2253 Why else would you people be here?
2254Bane grabs Trader 1 by the throat and drags him across the
2255floor to an online automated trades terminal... He puts the
2256man's thumb onto the print reader - the screen lights up.
2257
2258 BANE
2259 Enter your password. Or I send
2260 these men to your home.
2261
2262Trader 1, terrified, types in his password. Outside, sirens.
2263Shoeshine man pulls out a USB drive with an antenna - plugs
2264it into the computer - figures race across the screen...
2265
2266EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE - CONTINUOUS
2267
2268Police vehicles screech into the narrow street -
2269construction vehicles are blocking. Blake argues with a
2270burly Construction Worker.
2271 BLAKE
2272 Move it, now! We've got a
2273 situation.
2274 CONSTRUCTION WORKER
2275 Where can I move it?!
2276
2277 BLAKE
2278 That way!
2279Blake points - but SWAT vehicles pile in, blocking.
2280 51.
2281
2282
2283 BLAKE
2284 Get in your vehicle and stay there!
2285Foley and the SWAT Commander, Allen, approach the entrance.
2286The Market Security Chief walks up, frantic.
2287
2288 SECURITY CHIEF
2289 You've gotta get in there!
2290 FOLEY
2291 This is a hostage situation -
2292
2293 SECURITY CHIEF
2294 It's a robbery! They've got direct
2295 access to the online trading desk.
2296 FOLEY
2297 I'm not risking my men for your
2298 MONEY -
2299 SECURITY CHIEF
2300 It's not our money, it's
2301 everyone's!
2302
2303 ALLEN
2304 Really? Mine's in my mattress.
2305 SECURITY CHIEF
2306 If you don't shut these guys down,
2307 the stuffing in that mattress might
2308 be worth a whole lot less, pal.
2309 FOLEY
2310 Cut the fiber line - shut down the
2311 cell tower. That'll slow them down.
2312
2313
2314INT. STOCK EXCHANGE - CONTINUOUS
2315Shoeshine Man looks up from the laptop.
2316
2317 SHOESHINE MAN
2318 They cut the fiber. Cell's working.
2319 BANE
2320 For now. How much longer does the
2321 program need?
2322 SHOESHINE MAN
2323 Eight minutes.
2324 52.
2325
2326
2327 BANE
2328 Time to go mobile.
2329Shoeshine Man picks up the laptop, slips it into his pack...
2330
2331
2332EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE - CONTINUOUS
2333Allen shouts at his men.
2334 ALLEN
2335 Get the barriers up - no more in
2336 and out on this street!
2337Steel wedge-shaped barriers rise up at the mouth of the
2338street. A Sniper watches the doors through a thermal scope.
2339Six large heat signatures bloom, too big for people...
2340
2341 SNIPER
2342 I've got something -
2343The door explodes. SWATs duck, six sportbikes race out and
2344leap the ramp-like barricades, sending SWATs scattering.
2345Cops scramble to pull their vehicles out to give chase.
2346
2347EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
2348The bikes weave through traffic, Traders strapped to the
2349back, facing backwards - screaming, ties flying in the wind.
2350A cruiser falls in behind.
2351 ROOKIE COP
2352 Shoot the tires!
2353
2354A Veteran Cop sights a shot, but the Traders are in the way.
2355 VETERAN COP
2356 No shot!
2357
2358
2359EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE - CONTINUOUS
2360Foley is barking into his radio.
2361 FOLEY
2362 Back off, back off! They've got
2363 hostages!
2364 53.
2365
2366
2367INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
2368The cruiser follows the bike into a large tunnel. A Rookie
2369Cop looks up into his rear-view.
2370 ROOKIE COP
2371 What's going on with the lights?
2372The Veteran Cop looks back - streetlights and headlights are
2373dying one after another. The darkness is chasing them - the
2374darkness hits them. Their lights, sirens, and engine die...
2375
2376And, out of the silence, a dark shape roars past -
2377 VETERAN COP
2378 It can't be...
2379
2380 ROOKIE COP
2381 The hell was that?!
2382 VETERAN COP
2383 Oh boy. You're in for a show
2384 tonight, son.
2385
2386
2387EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS
2388Food Guy drives the rear bike. He looks back - sees
2389streetlights explode behind him - darkness catching him up.
2390
2391The engine chokes and dies. The Trader jumps off, shouting
2392for the cops. Food Guy turns, pulling his gun. SMASH! - Food
2393Guy is thrown backwards off his bike by a dark wing as
2394BATMAN races by on the Bat-Pod.
2395
2396
2397EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE - CONTINUOUS
2398Foley rushes to Blake's cruiser.
2399 FOLEY
2400 Let's roll, they've spotted the
2401 Batman!
2402
2403EXT. HIGHWAY INTERSECTION - CONTINUOUS
2404
2405The remaining bikes split up as they reach a high overpass.
2406 54.
2407
2408
2409EXT. HIGH OVERPASS - CONTINUOUS
2410Batman pulls up, overlooking the intersection - pulls a
2411rifle-shaped device. A tone builds - he aims it at the bike
2412and fires.
2413
2414
2415EXT. HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP - CONTINUOUS
2416Janitor's bike sparks and dies. Sirens as Cops move in,
2417Another bike splutters and dies - the Hostage breaks for
2418cover.
2419
2420EXT. HIGH OVERPASS - CONTINUOUS
2421Batman sees the last two bikes disappear beneath an
2422overpass. He holsters his EMP rifle and guns the Bat-Pod.
2423
2424INT. BLAKE'S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
2425Foley, in the back, is using the cruiser as a mobile command
2426station.
2427 FOLEY
2428 (INTO RADIO)
2429 Call everyone in - every car
2430 patrol, beat cop, off-duty, too!
2431 Pull 'em in, close every street!
2432 Now!
2433Foley looks out at Gotham rushing by.
2434 FOLEY
2435 I'm gonna do what Gordon never
2436 could.
2437 BLAKE
2438 What's that?
2439
2440 FOLEY
2441 I'm gonna take down the Batman.
2442 BLAKE
2443 Sir, what about the armed robbers?
2444
2445Foley ignores him.
2446 55.
2447
2448
2449EXT. GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS
2450All around the city, cops mobilize - cars, vans, choppers...
2451
2452EXT. HIGHWAY - CONTINUOUS
2453
2454Bane pulls up at speed alongside Shoeshine Man. Shoeshine
2455Man glances inside his pack - signals '2'. Bane turns, sees
2456darkness approaching, reaches back and grabs his Hostage,
2457lifting him onto the back of Shoeshine Man's bike. Bane
2458peels off - Batman stays on Shoeshine Man.
2459
2460INT. CHOPPER - CONTINUOUS
2461A Spotter watches Bane peel off, hits the radio.
2462
2463 SPOTTER
2464 (INTO RADIO)
2465 One bike's pulled off, no hostage -
2466
2467
2468INT. BLAKE'S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
2469Foley listens to the radio, hungry -
2470 SPOTTER
2471 (OVER RADIO)
2472 Should we pursue?
2473 FOLEY
2474 Negative! Stay on the Batman!
2475 BLAKE
2476 But he's getting away!
2477 FOLEY
2478 (ANNOYED)
2479 Who do you want to catch? Some
2480 robber, or the son-of-a-bitch who
2481 killed Harvey Dent?
2482
2483INT. DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
2484Coverage of the pursuit blares from all the TVs, as Daggett
2485and Stryver watch. Tense.
2486 TV ANNOUNCER
2487 People aren't saying much -
2488 frankly, they're too busy - but all
2489 signs suggest that what we're
2490 (MORE)
2491 56.
2492
2493
2494 TV ANNOUNCER (cont'd)
2495 seeing is, in fact, the return of
2496 the Batman...
2497
2498
2499INT. INNER OFFICE, DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
2500Moving in on a shadow, crouched in front of Daggett's safe,
2501working the dial... The shadow slides up a pair of goggles
2502onto the top of its head creating the silhouette of cat
2503ears. It is Catwoman. She turns to the TV, watching the
2504pursuit.
2505 CATWOMAN
2506 Well, what do you know?
2507Catwoman opens the safe. Nothing inside. She frowns.
2508
2509
2510EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
2511Bane slips between two cruisers who tear after the Batman.
2512He jumps up onto a concrete barrier, then down to the mouth
2513of an outflow pipe. He glances at the entire Gotham Police
2514Department descending on one man. Disappears into the pipe.
2515
2516EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
2517
2518Shoeshine Man glances into his pack - the program beeps,
2519finished. He looks back to see the Bat-Pod racing at him,
2520ducks as it comes alongside...riderless. Shoeshine Man looks
2521up, confused. WHUMP! His hostage is ripped off the bike by a
2522low-flying dark shape.
2523
2524Shoeshine Man lays down the bike in a shower of sparks,
2525rolls off dazed. Batman grabs him.
2526 BATMAN
2527 WHAT WERE YOU STEALING?!
2528
2529Shoeshine Man stares. Unafraid. Batman rips the computer
2530from his pack. The screen reads:
2531 APPLICATION COMPLETE
2532
2533Blinding light and noise as police choppers descend - sirens
2534everywhere. Batman grabs the USB drive from the laptop. He
2535jumps on the Bat-Pod - pauses, taking in the sight of
2536thousands of police, cars, choppers, dogs, closing in.
2537 57.
2538
2539
2540 POLICE VOICE
2541 (OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
2542 STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE!
2543Batman looks at the line of stopped traffic. An empty car
2544transporter is below the on-ramp... Batman fires the cannons
2545at the transporter, the near ramp crashes down, and Batman
2546roars towards it - mounts it and jumps onto the on-ramp...
2547
2548INT. DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
2549
2550Daggett angrily grabs some ice cubes for his drink.
2551 DAGGETT
2552 After eight years he has to pick
2553 tonight...
2554
2555 STRYVER
2556 He's drawing the cops off Bane...
2557Daggett watches, intrigued.
2558
2559
2560INT. BLAKE'S CRUISER - CONTINUOUS
2561Foley shouts down the phone.
2562 FOLEY
2563 How did you let him go?!
2564 COP
2565 (OVER RADIO)
2566 He's got a lot of firepower -
2567
2568 FOLEY
2569 And you don't?! We're not letting
2570 one nut with a bad attitude and
2571 some fancy gadgets run this town
2572 down, you hear me?!
2573
2574 COP
2575 (OVER RADIO)
2576 He's heading back downtown...
2577 FOLEY
2578 (EXCITED)
2579 Then he's as dumb as he dresses -
2580 close it down, gentlemen!
2581 58.
2582
2583
2584EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
2585Thousands of police jockey to pursue the Batman as he races
2586back into the downtown area.
2587
2588
2589EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - CONTINUOUS
2590The Bat-Pod tears along, pursued by a phalanx of cruisers,
2591choppers overhead. More cops appear at the far end of the
2592boulevard.
2593
2594The Bat-Pod executes a ninety-degree turn, flipping over as
2595it goes, then guns into the darkness of a large blind alley.
2596Cruisers and choppers block the mouth of the alley. Blake
2597arrives last, his cruiser sealing the bottleneck. Foley
2598swaggers out.
2599 FOLEY
2600 Like a rat in a trap, gentlemen...
2601Foley reaches for a loudhailer. VARRROOOOM!! A noise from
2602the alley that none of the cops have heard before...
2603 VETERAN COP
2604 You might have the wrong animal
2605 there, sir -
2606
2607Spotlights smash on and a massive dark cyclone roars out of
2608the alley, spinning the choppers sideways, dual rotor
2609downdraft forcing all the cops to the ground.
2610The Bat, now black, thunders up and over the entire Gotham
2611PD. Blake slides up to Foley. Dry.
2612
2613 BLAKE
2614 Are you sure that was him?
2615Foley looks at Blake. Thrusts the loudhailer at him.
2616
2617
2618INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
2619Gordon, still hooked up to machines, watches TV. He smiles.
2620
2621 ANNOUNCER
2622 (ON TV)
2623 Police are keeping quiet about the
2624 prospect of a return by the Batman,
2625 but eyewitness accounts seem the
2626 clearly suggests the type of...
2627 59.
2628
2629
2630INT. DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - NIGHT
2631Daggett watches the TV coverage, concerned. Stryver enters.
2632 STRYVER
2633 Bane says the Batman interfered,
2634 but the task was accomplished.
2635 DAGGETT
2636 What about the men they arrested?
2637
2638 STRYVER
2639 He says, and I quote, they would
2640 die before talking.
2641 DAGGETT
2642 (GRINS)
2643 Where does he find these guys?
2644Daggett gets to his feet, relieved, moves to his inner
2645office.
2646 Open the champagne...
2647
2648
2649INT. INNER OFFICE, DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - CONTINUOUS
2650Daggett comes through the door, calling back.
2651 DAGGETT
2652 And can we get some girls in here?
2653 CATWOMAN (O.S.)
2654 Careful what you wish for.
2655Catwoman grabs him, throws him across the room. His back
2656slams against the wall - he draws a gun, but - WHACK! -
2657Catwoman pins his wrist to the wall at shoulder height using
2658the high heel of her boot. He whimpers as she leans in.
2659 CATWOMAN
2660 Cat got your tongue?
2661She plucks the gun from his trembling hand.
2662 DAGGETT
2663 You dumb bitch.
2664
2665 CATWOMAN
2666 Nobody ever accused me of being
2667 dumb.
2668 60.
2669
2670
2671 DAGGETT
2672 Dumb to show up here tonight.
2673 CATWOMAN
2674 I want what you owe me -
2675
2676Click - Stryver has a gun to her head.
2677 DAGGETT
2678 'I want' never gets...
2679
2680Stryver looks appreciatively at Catwoman as she lowers her
2681leg...
2682 STRYVER
2683 Nice outfit...those heels make it
2684 tough to walk?
2685
2686Catwoman digs her stiletto into his calf, hard. He screams.
2687 CATWOMAN
2688 I don't know, do they?
2689
2690Catwoman spins, disarms Stryver, grabs Daggett.
2691 CATWOMAN
2692 So where is it?
2693 DAGGETT
2694 Where's what?
2695 CATWOMAN
2696 The program. The 'Clean Slate'.
2697 DAGGETT
2698 Oh, yeah - the ultimate tool for a
2699 master thief with a record. I don't
2700 have it.
2701The Bodyguard bursts in, gun drawn. Catwoman, holding
2702Daggett, spins, kicking the window with the point of her
2703heel. The glass shatters. She pulls Daggett through the
2704window. He screams - they drop...
2705
2706EXT. WINDOW-CLEANING PLATFORM - CONTINUOUS
2707
2708...ten feet onto the window-cleaning platform. Catwoman uses
2709her bladed heel to cut a rope - the platform plunges down
2710the side of the building.
2711 61.
2712
2713
2714EXT. FLAT ROOF - MOMENTS LATER
2715Catwoman dumps Daggett onto the roof, towering over him.
2716 CATWOMAN
2717 Where is it?
2718
2719 DAGGETT
2720 The 'Clean Slate'? Type in a name
2721 and date of birth and within a
2722 couple hours that person ceases to
2723 exist in any database? Little too
2724 good to be true.
2725 CATWOMAN
2726 You're lying. Rykin Data took it to
2727 prototype stage -
2728
2729 DAGGETT
2730 That's why I bought them. But they
2731 had nothing. It was a gangland
2732 myth.
2733
2734Catwoman leans back from Daggett, taking this in... Shapes
2735drop onto the rooftop. Emerge from fire exits. They're not
2736Daggett's bodyguards, these are Bane's men... Catwoman holds
2737Daggett by the throat, threatening him.
2738 CATWOMAN
2739 Stay back!
2740They continue to approach. One of them screws a silencer
2741onto his gun.
2742 CATWOMAN
2743 I'm not bluffing!
2744 VOICE (O.S.)
2745 They know...
2746
2747All eyes search for the source of the voice. Catwoman spots
2748it - a dark shape, crouched on the roof above: Batman.
2749 BATMAN
2750 They just don't care.
2751
2752As the Mercenary with the silencer looks up, Catwoman leaps
2753forward, grabs his gun. Batman drops into the middle of the
2754fray, fighting back Mercenaries at Catwoman's back - she
2755fires at one, clipping him, he drops. She spins aiming at
2756another's head - Batman yanks her arm down, forcing her to
2757miss the Mercenary. Batman takes him out with a kick.
2758 62.
2759
2760
2761 CATWOMAN
2762 You've got to be kidding.
2763 BATMAN
2764 No guns. No killing.
2765
2766 CATWOMAN
2767 Where's the fun in that?
2768As more mercenaries come out onto the roof, Batman runs for
2769the far edge.
2770
2771 BATMAN
2772 Come on!
2773Catwoman follows, confused, as Batman leaps off the roof.
2774She gets to the edge, pauses to look down into the alley -
2775sees the black angular roof of the Bat, cockpit open.
2776Shots impact around her - she leaps, landing hard, but
2777gracefully on the back of the vehicle, slides into the
2778cockpit. As the engines thunder into life, and the canopy
2779hisses shut, taking bullets from above.
2780
2781 CATWOMAN
2782 My mother warned me about getting
2783 into cars with strange men -
2784 BATMAN
2785 This isn't a car.
2786Catwoman flinches as the Bat thunders into the sky,
2787downdraft forcing the Mercenaries down onto the roof, all
2788but one, who walks slowly across the roof, strong against
2789the wind...Bane. He watches the Bat roar off into the night.
2790
2791
2792EXT. ROOFTOP, SKYSCRAPER, GOTHAM - MOMENTS LATER
2793The Bat lands - the canopy opens. Catwoman jumps out.
2794
2795 CATWOMAN
2796 See you around -
2797Batman steps down after her.
2798
2799 BATMAN
2800 You're welcome.
2801 CATWOMAN
2802 I had it under control.
2803 63.
2804
2805 BATMAN
2806 Those weren't street thugs - they
2807 were trained killers. I saved your
2808 life. In return I need to know what
2809 you did with Bruce Wayne's
2810 fingerprints.
2811Catwoman looks at him. Considering.
2812 CATWOMAN
2813 Wayne wasn't kidding about a
2814 'powerful friend'. I sold his
2815 prints to Daggett. For something
2816 that doesn't even exist.
2817 BATMAN
2818 I doubt many people get the better
2819 of you.
2820 CATWOMAN
2821 Hey, when a girl's desperate...
2822
2823 BATMAN
2824 What were they going to do with
2825 them?
2826 CATWOMAN
2827 I don't know. But Daggett seemed
2828 pretty interested in that mess at
2829 the stock market.
2830Batman considers this. A police chopper sweeps past,
2831searching. Batman turns to it. Then turns back.
2832
2833 BATMAN
2834 Miss Kyle -?
2835But she is gone.
2836 So that's what that feels like.
2837
2838
2839INT. BATCAVE - NIGHT
2840Alfred is studying security camera footage of Bane killing
2841at the stock exchange. A roar builds - the waterfall glows
2842brighter until...SMASH! The Bat breaches, downdraft spraying
2843water. Two cubes rise - the Bat lands, Batman jumps out.
2844Alfred brushes water off his suit.
2845 ALFRED
2846 Very inconspicuous. Shall I tell
2847 the neighbors you got yourself a
2848 new leaf-blower?
2849 64.
2850
2851
2852 WAYNE
2853 We bought all the neighbors.
2854Alfred takes the cowl from him, then the cape, as they walk.
2855 ALFRED
2856 From the look of the television
2857 coverage, you seem to have your
2858 taste for wanton destruction back.
2859 WAYNE
2860 (pulls out USB drive)
2861 I retrieved this.
2862 ALFRED
2863 Shouldn't the police be gathering
2864 the evidence?
2865
2866 WAYNE
2867 They don't have the tools to
2868 analyze it.
2869 ALFRED
2870 They would if you gave them to them
2871 -
2872 WAYNE
2873 One man's tool is another man's
2874 weapon.
2875
2876 ALFRED
2877 In your mind, perhaps. But there
2878 aren't many things you couldn't
2879 turn into a weapon.
2880
2881 WAYNE
2882 Alfred. Enough. The police weren't
2883 getting it done -
2884 ALFRED
2885 Perhaps they would've if you
2886 haven't made a sideshow of
2887 yourself.
2888 WAYNE
2889 Perhaps you're upset you were
2890 wrong.
2891 ALFRED
2892 Wrong?
2893 65.
2894
2895
2896 WAYNE
2897 You thought I didn't have it in me.
2898Alfred looks at him. Puts down the cape and cowl.
2899 ALFRED
2900 You don't. You lead a bloated
2901 police force on a merry chase with
2902 some fancy new toys from Fox. What
2903 about when you come up against him.
2904 What then?
2905
2906Alfred points to the monitor - Wayne sees Bane killing...
2907 WAYNE
2908 I'll fight harder, I always have.
2909
2910 ALFRED
2911 When you had something to fight
2912 for. What are you fighting for now?
2913 Not your life.
2914Wayne moves to switch off the monitor. Alfred grabs his
2915hand.
2916 ALFRED
2917 Take a good look. At his speed, his
2918 ferocity, His training. I see the
2919 power of belief. Of the fanatic. I
2920 see the League of Shadows
2921 resurgent.
2922 WAYNE
2923 You said he was excommunicated.
2924
2925 ALFRED
2926 By R¯'s al Gh¯l. Who leads them
2927 A U
2928 now?
2929 WAYNE
2930 R¯'s al Gh¯l was the League of
2931 A U
2932 Shadows. And I beat him. Bane's
2933 just a mercenary, and we have to
2934 find out what he's up to.
2935Wayne plugs the USB in, hits keys. Text scrolls.
2936
2937 WAYNE
2938 Trades of some kind. Coded...
2939The screen blanks, a thumb print appears.
2940 66.
2941
2942
2943 ALFRED
2944 Is that -?
2945 WAYNE
2946 Mine. Courtesy of Selina Kyle.
2947
2948Wayne pulls out the USB, rises.
2949 Get this to Fox - he can crack the
2950 code and tell us what trades they
2951 were executing.
2952
2953Alfred looks at Wayne. Takes the USB.
2954
2955INT. HALL, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS (NIGHT)
2956As Wayne hits the bottom of the stairs, Alfred calls.
2957
2958 ALFRED
2959 I'll get this to Fox. But no more.
2960Wayne hears his tone of voice. Turns to him.
2961
2962 ALFRED
2963 I've sewn you up and set your
2964 bones...but I won't bury you. I've
2965 buried enough members of the Wayne
2966 family.
2967
2968 WAYNE
2969 You'd abandon me?
2970 ALFRED
2971 You see only one end to your story.
2972 Leaving is all I have to make you
2973 understand: you aren't Batman
2974 anymore - you have to find another
2975 way. You used to talk about
2976 finishing. About life beyond that
2977 awful cave -
2978
2979 WAYNE
2980 Rachel died knowing we'd decided to
2981 be together. That was my life
2982 beyond this cave and I can't just
2983 move on. She didn't. She couldn't.
2984
2985Alfred considers this. Looks away.
2986 ALFRED
2987 What if he had? What if she wasn't
2988 intending to make a life with you?
2989 67.
2990
2991
2992 WAYNE
2993 She was, I can't change that -
2994 ALFRED
2995 What if, before she died, she'd
2996 written a letter? Explaining that
2997 she'd chosen Harvey Dent over you?
2998Wayne watches, confused, as the old man prepares to say -
2999 ALFRED
3000 And what if, to spare you
3001 pain...I'd burned that letter?
3002Wayne stares at Alfred, shocked.
3003 WAYNE
3004 Why would you say such a thing?
3005 ALFRED
3006 Because I have to make you
3007 understand.
3008
3009 WAYNE
3010 You're lying.
3011 ALFRED
3012 Because you are as precious to me
3013 as you were to your own mother and
3014 father and I swore to them that I
3015 would protect you and I haven't.
3016 WAYNE
3017 You're lying!
3018
3019 ALFRED
3020 I've never lied to you. Except when
3021 I burned Rachel's letter.
3022Wayne turns on the old man, furious.
3023
3024 WAYNE
3025 How dare you use Rachel to stop me!
3026 ALFRED
3027 I'm using the truth, Master Wayne.
3028 Maybe it's time we all stopped
3029 trying to outsmart the truth and
3030 just let it have its day. I'm
3031 sorry.
3032 68.
3033
3034
3035 WAYNE
3036 Sorry?! You expect to destroy my
3037 world, then shake hands?!
3038 ALFRED
3039 No. I know what this means -
3040 WAYNE
3041 What does it mean, Alfred?!
3042 ALFRED
3043 It means your hatred. It means
3044 losing the person I've cared for
3045 ever since I heard his first cries
3046 echo through this house. But it
3047 might also mean saving your life.
3048 And that is more important.
3049
3050Wayne looks at Alfred. Furious. Summons the worst thing to
3051say and says it quietly and calmly.
3052 WAYNE
3053 Goodbye, Alfred.
3054
3055 ALFRED
3056 (QUIET)
3057 Goodbye, Bruce.
3058Wayne mounts the stairs...Alfred watches him go. Turns.
3059
3060
3061INT. MASTER BEDROOM, WAYNE MANOR - MORNING
3062Wayne is woken by the doorbell.
3063
3064
3065INT. STAIRCASE, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER
3066As Wayne moves through the empty house, tying his dressing
3067gown, he can't resist one tentative.
3068
3069 WAYNE
3070 Alfred?
3071But Alfred is gone.
3072
3073
3074INT. FRONT HALL, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
3075Wayne opens the front door the find Fox. Fox is surprised.
3076 69.
3077
3078
3079 FOX
3080 Answering your own door?
3081 WAYNE
3082 Yes. Could you decode the trades on
3083 that drive?
3084
3085Fox hands Wayne a newspaper - the main headline:
3086BATMAN BACK TO FOIL OR MASTERMIND STOCK RAID...
3087
3088 FOX
3089 I didn't need to. Page three.
3090Wayne turns the page:
3091WAYNE DOUBLES DOWN - AND LOSES...
3092
3093 FOX
3094 It seems you made a series of large
3095 put options on the futures
3096 exchange. Verified by thumb print.
3097 The options expired at midnight
3098 last night.
3099Wayne looks up from the newspaper, reeling.
3100 FOX
3101 Long term we may be able to prove
3102 fraud, but for now...you're
3103 completely broke. And Wayne
3104 Enterprises is about to fall into
3105 the hands of John Daggett.
3106 WAYNE
3107 The weapons - we can't let Daggett
3108 get his hands on Applied Sciences -
3109 FOX
3110 Applied Sciences is shut up tight,
3111 and off the books. The energy
3112 project is a different story.
3113 WAYNE
3114 Miranda Tate. We need to convince
3115 the board to get behind her. Let's
3116 show her the reactor -
3117 FOX
3118 We're meeting her there in
3119 thirty-five minutes. You better get
3120 dressed.
3121 70.
3122
3123EXT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES RECYCLING PLANT - DAY
3124A scrapyard on the Gotham river. Across the water, the
3125towers of Gotham. Lucius leads Miranda from her car.
3126 MIRANDA
3127 You brought me out here to show me
3128 a rubbish dump, Mr. Fox?
3129
3130 FOX
3131 Bear with me, Miss Tate.
3132They arrive at a Portakabin and enter.
3133
3134
3135INT. PORTAKABIN - CONTINUOUS
3136Miranda looks around the derelict office. Fox smiles at her.
3137 FOX
3138 Keep your hands and feet inside the
3139 car at all times.
3140He hits a button and the floor descends, Miranda is shocked
3141as the office becomes an elevator into -
3142
3143
3144INT. ELEVATOR, FUSION REACTOR - CONTINUOUS
3145They descend diagonally into a massive concrete tunnel...
3146 MIRANDA
3147 This is it, isn't it?
3148
3149 FOX
3150 The reactor is beneath the river so
3151 that it could be instantly flooded
3152 in an event of a security breach.
3153
3154 MIRANDA
3155 Is Bruce Wayne really that
3156 paranoid?
3157 FOX
3158 I'm gonna plead the fifth on that
3159 one.
3160Miranda marvels as they step off the elevator. She spots a
3161figure deep within: Bruce Wayne.
3162
3163 WAYNE
3164 I thought you might like to see
3165 what your investment built.
3166 71.
3167
3168 MIRANDA
3169 No radiation, no fossil fuels.
3170 Free, clean energy for an entire
3171 city.
3172 WAYNE
3173 If it worked. It doesn't.
3174Wayne leads Miranda to the core. Two perpendicular rings of
3175electromagnets suspend a bowling-ball-sized mass of metal.
3176Wayne hits buttons - the ball glows, then dies to cold.
3177 WAYNE
3178 Ignition, yes. But no chain
3179 reaction.
3180
3181 MIRANDA
3182 You've built a lot of security
3183 around a damp squib.
3184Nothing.
3185 About three years ago a Russian
3186 scientist published a paper on
3187 weaponized fusion reactions. One
3188 week later your reactor started
3189 developing problems... (Looks at
3190 Wayne.) I think this machine works.
3191
3192 WAYNE
3193 Miranda, if it were operational,
3194 the danger to Gotham would be too
3195 great.
3196
3197 MIRANDA
3198 Would it make you feel better to
3199 know that the Russian scientist
3200 died in a plane crash six months
3201 ago?
3202
3203 WAYNE
3204 Someone else will work out what Dr.
3205 Pavel did. Someone else will figure
3206 out how to turn this power source
3207 into a nuclear weapon. I need you
3208 to take control of Wayne
3209 Enterprises and this reactor.
3210 MIRANDA
3211 And to do what with it?
3212
3213 WAYNE
3214 Nothing. Until we can find a way to
3215 guarantee its safety.
3216 72.
3217
3218 MIRANDA
3219 And if we can't?
3220
3221 WAYNE
3222 Decommission it. Flood it.
3223 MIRANDA
3224 Destroy the world's best chance for
3225 a sustainable future?
3226
3227 WAYNE
3228 If the world's not ready. Yes.
3229 MIRANDA
3230 Bruce, if you want to save the
3231 world you have to start trusting
3232 it.
3233 WAYNE
3234 I'm trusting you.
3235
3236 MIRANDA
3237 Doesn't count. You have no choice.
3238 WAYNE
3239 I could've flooded this chamber any
3240 time in the last three years. I'm
3241 choosing to trust you, Miranda, and
3242 that's not the easiest thing for
3243 me. Please.
3244His eyes are genuine. Pleading. Miranda nods.
3245
3246 FOX
3247 We have a board meeting to get to.
3248
3249INT. BOARDROOM, WAYNE ENTERPRISES - DAY
3250
3251The Board Members, including Daggett and Miranda, take their
3252seats. Fox at one end of the table, Wayne at the other.
3253 DAGGETT
3254 I'd like to point out that we have
3255 a non-board member here. Highly
3256 irregular, even if it is his family
3257 name above the door...
3258All eyes go to Wayne. An older member of the board pipes up.
3259
3260 FREDERICKS
3261 Bruce Wayne's family built this
3262 COMPANY -
3263 73.
3264
3265
3266 BOARD MEMBER 2
3267 And he himself has run it -
3268 DAGGETT
3269 Into the ground, sir. Anybody
3270 disagree? Check the value of your
3271 shares this morning. Gambling on
3272 crazy futures didn't just lose Mr.
3273 Wayne his seat, it's lost us all a
3274 lot of money. He needs to leave.
3275
3276 FOX
3277 I'm afraid he has a point, Mr.
3278 Wayne.
3279 WAYNE
3280 I understand. Ladies and gentlemen.
3281
3282Wayne glances at Miranda who nods at him. Wayne leaves.
3283 DAGGETT
3284 Let's get down to business.
3285
3286 FOX
3287 Right away.
3288
3289INT. LOBBY, WAYNE ENTERPRISES - CONTINUOUS
3290
3291Wayne exits the building. There is an angry mob of
3292Shareholders and a pack of hungry Reporters.
3293 REPORTER
3294 Wayne, how's it feel to be one of
3295 the people?!
3296
3297 COMPANY VALET
3298 I'm sorry, sir, they had paperwork
3299 -
3300
3301Wayne looks over to see his Lamborghini being towed.
3302 BLAKE (O.S.)
3303 Looks like you need a lift.
3304Wayne turns to see Blake standing by his patrol car. Nods.
3305 74.
3306
3307
3308INT. DAGGETT'S PENTHOUSE - DAY
3309Daggett bursts in, furious. Stryver tries to placate him.
3310 DAGGETT
3311 How the hell did Miranda Tate get
3312 the inside track on the Wayne
3313 board?! Was she meeting with Wayne?
3314 Was she sleeping with Wayne?
3315 STRYVER
3316 Not that we know of -
3317 DAGGETT
3318 Clearly you don't 'know of'
3319 anything, do you?! Where's Bane?!
3320
3321 STRYVER
3322 We told him it was urgent -
3323 DAGGETT
3324 Then where is the masked -
3325
3326 BANE (O.S.)
3327 Speak of the devil...
3328Daggett turns. Bane is already there.
3329 BANE
3330 ...and he shall appear.
3331 DAGGETT
3332 What the hell's going on?
3333 BANE
3334 The plan is proceeding as expected.
3335 DAGGETT
3336 You see me running Wayne
3337 Enterprises?! (Moves towards Bane.)
3338 Your stock exchange hit didn't
3339 work, friend. And now you've got my
3340 construction crews working all
3341 hours around the city? How's that
3342 supposed to help my company absorb
3343 Wayne's?
3344
3345 BANE
3346 (TO STRYVER)
3347 Leave us.
3348 75.
3349
3350
3351 DAGGETT
3352 You stay right there! I'm in
3353 charge!
3354Bane places a gentle hand on Daggett's shoulder.
3355
3356 BANE
3357 Do you feel in charge?
3358Daggett is taken aback. Stryver leaves.
3359
3360 DAGGETT
3361 I've paid you a small fortune -
3362 BANE
3363 And that gives you power over me?
3364
3365Daggett considers the heavy hand on his shoulder. Nervous.
3366 DAGGETT
3367 What is this?
3368 BANE
3369 Your money and infrastructure have
3370 been important. Till now.
3371 DAGGETT
3372 What are you?
3373
3374 BANE
3375 Gotham's reckoning. Come to end the
3376 borrowed time you've all been
3377 living on...
3378
3379Bane gently takes the terrified Daggett's head in his
3380hands...
3381 DAGGETT
3382 You are true evil...
3383
3384 BANE
3385 I am necessary evil.
3386Stryver, on the steps outside the living room, flinches.
3387
3388
3389 SCENE OMITTED
3390 76.
3391
3392
3393INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS - MOMENTS LATER
3394Wayne stares out the window. Blake glances across.
3395 BLAKE
3396 When you began...why the mask?
3397
3398 WAYNE
3399 To protect the people closest to
3400 me.
3401
3402 BLAKE
3403 You're a loner with no family.
3404 WAYNE
3405 There are always people you care
3406 about. You just don't realize how
3407 much until they're gone. (Collects
3408 himself.) The idea was to be a
3409 symbol. Batman could be anybody,
3410 that was the point.
3411 BLAKE
3412 It was damn good to see him back.
3413 WAYNE
3414 Not everybody agrees.
3415 BLAKE
3416 They'll figure it out in the end.
3417 WAYNE
3418 Got anything on Bane's whereabouts?
3419 BLAKE
3420 Yeah, I've got five hundred pages
3421 of tunnel records and a flashlight.
3422 I could use some help.
3423 WAYNE
3424 (THINKS)
3425 You know what? Drop me in Old
3426 Town...
3427
3428EXT. SELINA'S BUILDING, OLD TOWN, GOTHAM - DAY
3429
3430Blake drops Wayne off.
3431 WAYNE
3432 Don't wait. I'll get a cab.
3433 77.
3434
3435 BLAKE
3436 You got money?
3437
3438 WAYNE
3439 (smiles, sheepish)
3440 Actually, no.
3441Blake hands him some bills, watches him cross the street.
3442The radio squawks. Blake reacts - drives off.
3443
3444
3445INT. SELINA'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER
3446Selina is packing a bag. She hears voices in the stairwell.
3447
3448 JEN (O.S.)
3449 I told you, money first.
3450 WAYNE (O.S.)
3451 I don't think so.
3452
3453
3454INT. STAIRWELL OUTSIDE SELINA'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
3455Selina finds Wayne standing there with Jen.
3456 SELINA
3457 He's not a mark.
3458Jen looks at Selina. At Wayne.
3459 SELINA
3460 And he doesn't have a cent to his
3461 name, anyway.
3462
3463INT. SELINA'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER
3464Wayne looks at the cramped space. Selina shifts,
3465embarrassed.
3466 SELINA
3467 Yeah, it's not much. (Smiles.) But
3468 it's more that you've got right
3469 now.
3470 WAYNE
3471 Actually, they're letting me keep
3472 the house.
3473
3474 SELINA
3475 (SHAKES HEAD)
3476 The rich don't even go broke same
3477 as the rest of us, huh?
3478 78.
3479
3480
3481 WAYNE
3482 (spots her bag)
3483 Vacation?
3484 SELINA
3485 Let's just say that I've incurred
3486 the wrath of some people less
3487 susceptible to my charms than you.
3488 WAYNE
3489 My powerful friend hopes to change
3490 your mind about leaving.
3491 SELINA
3492 And how would he do that?
3493 WAYNE
3494 By giving you what you want.
3495 SELINA
3496 It doesn't exist.
3497 WAYNE
3498 He says it does. He wants to meet.
3499 Tonight.
3500 SELINA
3501 Why?
3502
3503 WAYNE
3504 He needs to find Bane. He thinks
3505 you'd know how.
3506 SELINA
3507 Tell him I'll think about it.
3508Wayne nods, starts to leave.
3509 SELINA
3510 Mr. Wayne? I'm sorry they took all
3511 your money.
3512 WAYNE
3513 No, you're not.
3514
3515
3516INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY
3517Blake moves through the hospital corridor, looking for -
3518 79.
3519
3520INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
3521Blake enters. Gordon is sitting up in bed, talking to Foley.
3522 FOLEY
3523 Can we help you, officer?
3524 BLAKE
3525 John Daggett's body was found in a
3526 dumpster an hour ago. I thought you
3527 might like to know.
3528
3529 GORDON
3530 Why?
3531 BLAKE
3532 Because Daggett's name is all over
3533 the permits I pulled to map the
3534 tunnels under Gotham.
3535Blake hands Gordon a stack of files. Foley glares at Blake.
3536
3537 BLAKE
3538 MTA maintenance, sewer
3539 construction...
3540 GORDON
3541 (TO FOLEY)
3542 Where did you get to with the
3543 tunnel searches?
3544 FOLEY
3545 (TO BLAKE)
3546 Remind me to tell the detail to
3547 keep hotheads out. (To Gordon.)
3548 We've had teams down there, but
3549 it's a huge network -
3550 GORDON
3551 Get more men, work a grid. I want
3552 him found.
3553 FOLEY
3554 Yeah, yeah - the masked man. We're
3555 on it.
3556
3557Gordon eyes the files hungrily - glances up at Blake.
3558 GORDON
3559 This is good work. Lose the uniform
3560 - you're working for me now. We
3561 could use some hotter heads around
3562 here.
3563 80.
3564
3565
3566 BLAKE
3567 This could just be a coincidence.
3568 GORDON
3569 You're a detective now, son, you're
3570 not allowed to believe in
3571 coincidence anymore.
3572Blake tries to conceal his excitement from Foley.
3573
3574
3575EXT. WAYNE MANOR - EVENING (END OF DAY)
3576Wayne, covering his head with a newspaper, hurries up the
3577driveway in the rain. Steps into the alcove. Hits the bell.
3578 MIRANDA (O.S)
3579 Nobody's answering.
3580Wayne turns to find Miranda there.
3581 WAYNE
3582 No. I'm on my own now.
3583
3584 MIRANDA
3585 Do you have keys?
3586Wayne looks a little helpless all of a sudden.
3587
3588 WAYNE
3589 Never needed them...
3590She takes his hand.
3591 MIRANDA
3592 Let's find a window.
3593
3594INT. GREAT ROOM, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS (END OF DAY)
3595They force the French windows - enter, brushing off the
3596rain.
3597 MIRANDA
3598 Fox worked the board like you've
3599 never seen - I'm in, Daggett's out
3600 and he's not happy.
3601Wayne sets down the newspaper:
3602FROM BILLIONAIRE TO BUM
3603 81.
3604
3605
3606 WAYNE
3607 Hope you don't like me for your
3608 money.
3609Miranda kicks off her shoes. Glances at the paper.
3610
3611 MIRANDA
3612 Suffering builds character.
3613Then at a photo of Wayne's parents.
3614
3615 MIRANDA
3616 I'll take care of your parents'
3617 legacy, Bruce.
3618Miranda picks up a photo of Rachel.
3619
3620 MIRANDA
3621 Who's this?
3622Wayne looks at her. Can't find words...
3623 MIRANDA
3624 Where's Alfred?
3625 WAYNE
3626 He left. Taking everything.
3627Miranda puts the photo down. Kisses him. Passionately. Then
3628again. He kisses back. Suddenly the lights go out.
3629 MIRANDA
3630 What's that?
3631
3632 WAYNE
3633 (SHEEPISH)
3634 I think my power's been shut off.
3635
3636INT. SAME - LATER (NIGHT)
3637
3638Wayne watches as Miranda tends to a roaring fire.
3639 WAYNE
3640 You're pretty good at that.
3641
3642 MIRANDA
3643 When I was a child we had almost
3644 nothing. But on the nights we had a
3645 fire, we felt very rich indeed.
3646She returns to him, pulling a blanket around both of them.
3647 82.
3648
3649 WAYNE
3650 I assumed your family was wealthy.
3651 MIRANDA
3652 Not always. Not when I was young.
3653
3654He traces a scar on her shoulder.
3655 MIRANDA
3656 An old mistake.
3657
3658 WAYNE
3659 I've made a few myself.
3660She turns to him, tracing the scars across his chest.
3661 MIRANDA
3662 More than a few... (Smiles.) We
3663 could leave. Tonight. Take my
3664 plane. Go anywhere we wanted.
3665 WAYNE
3666 Someday perhaps. Not tonight.
3667She pulls him close. He kisses her. They fold into each
3668other, the warm heart at the center of a vast, cold room.
3669
3670
3671INT. GREAT ROOM, WAYNE MANOR - NIGHT
3672Miranda is sleeping, wrapped in the blanket. Wayne studies
3673her for a moment, then slips out...
3674
3675
3676INT. BATCAVE - MOMENTS LATER
3677Wayne moves to the Batsuit. Picks up the cowl.
3678
3679EXT. SKIES ABOVE GOTHAM - NIGHT
3680
3681The Bat roars towards downtown. Batman kills the lights and
3682main engines - the Bat quietly autorotates into the canyons.
3683
3684INT. MIA TUNNEL - LATER
3685
3686Catwoman on a wall, watching trains go by. She senses...
3687 CATWOMAN
3688 Don't be shy.
3689
3690...Batman is there.
3691 83.
3692
3693
3694 CATWOMAN
3695 Wayne says you can get me the
3696 'Clean Slate'.
3697 BATMAN
3698 That depends.
3699 CATWOMAN
3700 On what?
3701 BATMAN
3702 On what you want it for. I acquired
3703 it to keep it out of the wrong
3704 hands.
3705 CATWOMAN
3706 Still don't trust me, huh? How can
3707 we change that?
3708 BATMAN
3709 Start by taking me to Bane.
3710 CATWOMAN
3711 (SHRUGS)
3712 You asked.
3713Catwoman jumps down. Batman follows. Catwoman leads him down
3714into a service tunnel...
3715
3716
3717INT. SERVICE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
3718Catwoman speaks over her shoulder as she walks.
3719 CATWOMAN
3720 From here, Bane's men patrol the
3721 tunnels...and they are not your
3722 average brawlers.
3723 BATMAN
3724 Neither am I.
3725Catwoman swings into a -
3726
3727INT. SEWER TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
3728
3729A Mercenary patrols. Catwoman comes up behind.
3730 CATWOMAN
3731 He's behind you.
3732 84.
3733
3734
3735 MERCENARY
3736 (SPINS)
3737 Who?
3738Batman hangs upside down behind him.
3739
3740 BATMAN (O.S.)
3741 Me.
3742Darkness smashes onto the Mercenary. Gunfire in the tunnel.
3743Catwoman races along, pursued by a Mercenary. He is yanked
3744off his feet by darkness - he screams...
3745Batman picks off more and more Mercenaries. Screams echo...
3746Batman follows Catwoman through the dark tunnel.
3747 CATWOMAN
3748 Just a little further.
3749A grate slams down, separating them - the lights come on. He
3750is deep inside.
3751
3752
3753INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
3754Mercenaries look down on him from above. Catwoman turns.
3755 CATWOMAN
3756 I had to find a way to stop them
3757 trying to kill me.
3758 BATMAN
3759 You've made a serious mistake.
3760 BANE (O.S.)
3761 Not as serious as yours, I fear.
3762Batman turns. Bane emerges from behind the waterfalls.
3763 BATMAN
3764 Bane.
3765 BANE
3766 Let's not stand on ceremony here,
3767 Mr. Wayne.
3768
3769Catwoman hears the name. Less sure of what she's done.
3770Batman moves at Bane - strikes powerful blows - Bane catches
3771his fist.
3772 BANE
3773 Peace has cost you strength.
3774 Victory has defeated you.
3775 85.
3776
3777
3778Bane SMASHES Batman back - kicks him off the catwalk -
3779Batman drops, uses his cape to land. Bane climbs down on a
3780chain - his men watch in disciplined silence - Batman hurls
3781flashbangs at Bane, who doesn't flinch.
3782
3783 BANE
3784 Theatricality and deception are
3785 powerful agents...to the
3786 uninitiated.
3787Batman lashes out at Bane - Bane counters - they separate.
3788
3789 BANE
3790 But we are initiated, aren't we,
3791 Bruce? The League of Shadows. And
3792 you betrayed us...
3793
3794 BATMAN
3795 Us? You were excommunicated. From a
3796 gang of psychopaths.
3797 BANE
3798 Now I am the League of Shadows,
3799 here to fulfill R¯'s al Gh¯l's
3800 A U
3801 destiny...
3802Batman hurls himself at Bane, throwing him into the
3803waterfall, where he smashes his fists and gauntlets into
3804Bane's mask again and again, water cascading over them.
3805
3806Bane is not moving. Just taking the blows. Batman pauses.
3807Bane's arms SHOOT OUT, SMASHING Batman aside - Bane RISES...
3808 BANE
3809 You fight like a younger man.
3810 Nothing held back. No reserves.
3811 Admirable. But mistaken.
3812Batman hits a switch on his belt - the lights go out - Bane
3813turns slowly addressing all the shadows at once.
3814
3815 BANE
3816 You think darkness is your ally.
3817 But you merely adopted the dark. I
3818 was born in it. Formed by it...
3819
3820In the shadows, Batman circles, looking to strike...
3821 BANE
3822 I didn't see the light until I was
3823 already a man. And by then it was
3824 nothing to me but blinding...
3825 86.
3826
3827
3828Bane lunges backwards into the darkness - Batman's throat in
3829his grasp.
3830 BANE
3831 The shadows betray you, because
3832 they belong to me...
3833
3834Bane SMASHES him into the ground, POUNDING, pounding,
3835pounding the hard cowl with his bare fists until it CRACKS.
3836Bane RISES from Batman, gestures to the ceiling of the
3837chamber - explosive charges have been drilled into holes...
3838 BANE
3839 I will show you where I've made my
3840 home while preparing to bring
3841 justice. Then...I will break you.
3842
3843A Mercenary tosses Bane a detonator - Batman watches through
3844cracked cowl - Bane hits the detonator - explosions BURST
3845over his head as the ceiling CRUMBLES revealing:
3846Applied Sciences - Bane has dropped the bottom out of Fox's
3847weapons store...a camouflage Tumbler rests in the rubble.
3848 BATMAN
3849 No...
3850 BANE
3851 Your precious armory. Gratefully
3852 accepted. We will need it.
3853
3854INT. APPLIED SCIENCES - CONTINUOUS
3855
3856Mercenaries race through the stacks of equipment...
3857
3858INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
3859Batman climbs to his feet, swaying. Bane approaches.
3860
3861 BANE
3862 I wondered which would break first
3863 - your spirit...
3864
3865Batman SWINGS at him - misses - Bane GRABS him, lifts him
3866HIGH.
3867 ...or your body.
3868Bane brings Batman down onto his knee, BREAKING his back
3869with a horrific CRACK.
3870 87.
3871
3872
3873In the shadows, Catwoman looks on. Shocked. Bane crouches to
3874pull the broken cowl off the broken Wayne. Mercenaries lift
3875Wayne's body and carry him off... Bane stares into the
3876hollow eyes of his trophy...
3877
3878Catwoman slinks back into the shadows, and we -
3879 FADE TO BLACK.
3880 FADE IN:
3881
3882
3883EXT. WAYNE MANOR - DAY
3884Blake's cruiser pulls up. He noses up to the windows.
3885Nothing.
3886
3887
3888EXT. SELINA'S BUILDING, OLD TOWN, GOTHAM - DAY
3889Blake sits in his cruiser. Selina exits, wide-brimmed hat,
3890bags. Blake recognizes her. She hails a cab.
3891
3892 BLAKE
3893 (INTO RADIO)
3894 Get Commissioner Gordon. Tell him
3895 I've got a line on the
3896 Congressman's kidnapping.
3897
3898Blake pulls out to follow.
3899
3900INT. TERMINAL, GOTHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY
3901Selina moves through the terminal. She clocks a Uniform Cop
3902staring at her - ducks down a service hallway.
3903
3904INT. SERVICE HALLWAY, AIRPORT - CONTINUOUS
3905The Uniform rounds the corner to find Selina applying
3906make-up.
3907 UNIFORM
3908 Excuse me, Miss. I need to see your
3909 ticket and identification, please.
3910
3911Selina, surprised, fumbles with her purse.
3912 SELINA
3913 Would you mind?
3914 88.
3915
3916
3917She hands the Uniform her hat - punches him through the
3918brim, stuffs him in a closet - plants her mangled hat on his
3919head.
3920
3921
3922INT. JETWAY, AIRPORT - MOMENTS LATER
3923Selina makes her way down the jetway - spots Security at the
3924far end - turns - Blake smiles at her. Badge in hand.
3925
3926
3927INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, AIRPORT - DAY
3928Selina, now in cuffs, looks up as Blake walks in.
3929 BLAKE
3930 I showed your picture to the
3931 Congressman and guess what?
3932 SELINA
3933 Don't tell me, still in love?
3934 BLAKE
3935 Head over heels. Pressing charges,
3936 though.
3937Blake lays a police file down with a thump.
3938 You've made some mistakes, Ms.
3939 Kyle.
3940
3941 SELINA
3942 Girl's gonna eat.
3943 BLAKE
3944 You have an appetite. Why run? You
3945 can't hide from us with this
3946 record.
3947 SELINA
3948 Maybe it's not you I'm running
3949 from.
3950 BLAKE
3951 Who then? Bane? What do you know
3952 about him?
3953
3954 SELINA
3955 (QUIET)
3956 That you should be as afraid of him
3957 as I am.
3958 89.
3959
3960
3961 BLAKE
3962 We can offer you protection...
3963Selina looks at him with contempt. Blake shrugs, switches
3964off the tape, moves to the door.
3965
3966 BLAKE
3967 When I spotted you, I was looking
3968 for a friend...Bruce Wayne.
3969Selina turns to look at Blake. His eyes plead with her.
3970
3971 BLAKE
3972 Did they kill him?
3973 SELINA
3974 I'm not sure.
3975
3976And we -
3977 CUT TO:
3978BLACK SCREEN. Sounds: screaming, laughing, CRYING. Sights:
3979LIGHT, bodies FALLING, a DARK SKULL... And we are -
3980
3981INT. STONE CELL - DAWN
3982Wayne opens his eyes. Unshaven. Filthy. Someone else is in
3983the cell - Wayne cannot move to look - even the attempt is
3984painful...the skull drifts into his sight. Bane. Squatting
3985at Wayne's bedside, muscled shoulders curving into his mask.
3986 WAYNE
3987 Why didn't you just kill me?
3988
3989 BANE
3990 You don't fear death. You welcome
3991 it. Your punishment is to be more
3992 severe.
3993
3994 WAYNE
3995 (SCATHING)
3996 You're a torturer...
3997 BANE
3998 Yes. But not of your body. Of your
3999 soul.
4000Wayne exhales. Eyes losing focus from sheer pain.
4001 90.
4002
4003
4004 WAYNE
4005 Where am I?
4006 BANE
4007 Home.
4008
4009Wayne's eyes dart about: filthy stone walls, distant
4010sunlight from above, iron bars: an underground prison.
4011 Where I learned the truth about
4012 despair. As will you. (Rises.)
4013 There is a reason that this prison
4014 is the worst hell on earth...
4015Bane steps to the bars - looks up at a bright opening five
4016hundred feet above. Like being at the bottom of a gigantic
4017well...
4018 Hope. Every man who has rotted here
4019 over the centuries has looked up to
4020 the light and imagined climbing to
4021 freedom. So simple. So easy. And,
4022 like shipwrecked men turning to sea
4023 water from uncontrollable thirst,
4024 many have died trying. I learned
4025 that there can be no true despair
4026 without hope. (Turns to Wayne.) So
4027 as I terrorize Gotham, I will feed
4028 its people hope to poison their
4029 souls. I will let them believe they
4030 can survive so that you can watch
4031 them clamber over each other to
4032 stay in the sun...
4033Bane points to an old TV, just outside the bars.
4034 You will watch as I torture an
4035 entire city to cause you pain you
4036 thought you could never feel again.
4037 Then, when you have truly
4038 understood the depths of your
4039 failure, we will fulfill R¯'s al
4040 A
4041 Gh¯l's destiny. We will destroy
4042 U
4043 Gotham. And when it is done...when
4044 Gotham is ashes...then you have my
4045 permission to die.
4046Bane rises. Leaves. Wayne drifts back to unconsciousness.
4047
4048
4049EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - DAY
4050A van pulls through the gate. Selina, inside the van, looks
4051up at the formidable grey building.
4052 91.
4053
4054INT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4055Guards lead Selina down the cells. Whistles and catcalls.
4056
4057 GUARD
4058 We're locking her up in here?
4059 WARDEN
4060 The Dent Act allows non-segregation
4061 based on extraordinary need. First
4062 time she broke out of women's
4063 correctional she was sixteen.
4064Selina passes a Huge Inmate who strains through the bars...
4065
4066 HUGE INMATE
4067 Little closer, baby...
4068 SELINA
4069 Why, honey, you wanna hold my hand?
4070
4071Without breaking step, she slips his outstretched hands
4072between her handcuffed ones and cartwheels, snapping his
4073arms - he screams in agony - she keeps walking...
4074 WARDEN
4075 She'll be just fine.
4076
4077
4078INT. WAYNE ENTERPRISES - DAY
4079Fox comes out of the elevator with Miranda.
4080
4081 FOX
4082 I don't see the need for a board
4083 meeting on the energy project -
4084 MIRANDA
4085 Bruce got a lot of things right.
4086 Keeping the board in the dark
4087 wasn't one of them...
4088Fox swings the doors to the boardroom open...
4089
4090
4091INT. BOARDROOM, WAYNE ENTERPRISES - CONTINUOUS
4092The board is there. Scared. At the head of the table - Bane.
4093 BANE
4094 This meeting is called to order.
4095Fox and Miranda freeze. Staring at the mask.
4096 92.
4097
4098
4099 BANE
4100 Chair and President. I also need
4101 one ordinary member - Mr. Fox,
4102 would you care to nominate?
4103
4104 FREDERICKS
4105 No. I volunteer.
4106The dignified older board member gets to his feet.
4107Mercernaries round the three up.
4108
4109 FOX
4110 Where are you taking us?
4111 BANE
4112 Where you buried your resources.
4113 The bowels of Gotham.
4114
4115
4116INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY
4117Gordon, with a Nurse's help, pulls himself to a seated
4118position as Blake watches.
4119
4120 GORDON
4121 So you think our friend is gone
4122 again?
4123 BLAKE
4124 (GRAVE)
4125 This time...he might not be coming
4126 back.
4127Gordon takes this in...Foley bursts in, agitated.
4128
4129 FOLEY
4130 Okay, Commissioner, you were right.
4131 GORDON
4132 What's happened?
4133
4134 FOLEY
4135 Your masked man kidnapped the Wayne
4136 Enterprises board. He let most of
4137 them go, but took three down into
4138 the sewers.
4139
4140 GORDON
4141 No more patrols, no more hide and
4142 seek. Send every available cop
4143 down there to smoke him out.
4144 93.
4145
4146
4147 FOLEY
4148 The Mayor won't want panic -
4149 BLAKE
4150 So it's a training exercise.
4151
4152Foley looks at Gordon.
4153 FOLEY
4154 I'm sorry for not taking you
4155 SERIOUSLY -
4156
4157 GORDON
4158 Don't apologize for believing the
4159 world's in better shape then it
4160 is...just fight to make it true.
4161
4162Foley nods. Leaves. Blake gets up.
4163 GORDON
4164 Not you. You're telling me the
4165 Batman's gone. So you chase up the
4166 Daggett leads, any way you can.
4167
4168Blake nods.
4169
4170INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
4171
4172Wayne lies, weak, feverish. A Prisoner drips water onto his
4173parched lips. An elderly Blind Prisoner squatting by the
4174wall in the next cell rasps something in an ancient tongue.
4175 PRISONER
4176 He asks if you would pay us to let
4177 you die. I told him you have
4178 nothing.
4179 WAYNE
4180 Do it for the pleasure.
4181
4182The Prisoner puts bread to Wayne's lips.
4183 PRISONER
4184 They pay me more than that to keep
4185 you alive.
4186
4187A chant gets Wayne's attention. He rolls his head painfully
4188to watch a Tattooed Prisoner hand a thick rope to a Strong
4189Man, who ties it around his chest, watched by other
4190Prisoners.
4191 94.
4192
4193
4194 PRISONER
4195 He will try the climb.
4196Strong Man starts scaling the wall. The Prisoners' chant
4197grows stronger as he climbs towards the light.
4198
4199Above: Strong Man stops, perched on a ledge, a twelve-foot
4200leap from the rest of the climb... The chanting peaks as
4201Strong Man leaps...misses...falls. The rope catches - he
4202swings into the rock face. Prisoners fall silent as Strong
4203Man is lowered, broken, bloody, to the prison floor.
4204
4205 WAYNE
4206 Has anyone made it?
4207 PRISONER
4208 Of course not.
4209
4210The Blind Prisoner barks at him.
4211 WAYNE
4212 What does he say?
4213
4214 PRISONER
4215 He says there is one who did. A
4216 child...
4217INSERT CUT: a child of about ten looks up towards the light.
4218
4219 PRISONER
4220 A child who had been born in this
4221 hell...
4222 WAYNE
4223 Bane.
4224
4225 PRISONER
4226 An old legend. Nothing more.
4227The Prisoner leaves Wayne's cell - switches on the TV.
4228
4229 WAYNE
4230 Don't.
4231 PRISONER
4232 Whatever they want you to
4233 see...it's happening soon.
4234 95.
4235
4236
4237INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - DAY
4238Bane's men lead Fox, Miranda and Fredericks through the
4239debris. Fox stares at Mercenaries working on his old
4240inventions...
4241
4242
4243EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM - EVENING
4244SWATs and Cops mass around entrances to sewers, tunnels...
4245
4246
4247INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
4248Bane leads Fox and the others to where Mercenaries plant
4249charges on a hewn wall. Dr. Pavel is here. Waiting. Bane
4250nods at his men. The wall blows.
4251
4252
4253EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS
4254A SWAT team about to enter a sewer pipe hear a low echoing
4255boom. They look at each other, then head in. Thousands of
4256Police head into manholes, tunnel entrances, checking
4257weapons, using flashlights...
4258
4259INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
4260
4261Bane leads the way over rubble into the REACTOR. Dr. Pavel
4262follows. Bane approaches the machine. Turns to Fox.
4263 BANE
4264 Turn it on.
4265
4266Fox shakes his head. Bane holds his gun to Fredericks' head.
4267 BANE
4268 I only need one other board member.
4269 There are eight more waiting
4270 upstairs.
4271
4272 FOX
4273 I won't do it.
4274Fredericks trembles. Bane cocks the weapon.
4275
4276 MIRANDA
4277 Alright, stop.
4278She walks up to the scanner. Places her hand on it. It
4279beeps. She turns to Fox. Quietly pleading.
4280 96.
4281
4282 MIRANDA
4283 Lucius, you'll kill this man and
4284 yourself, and barely slow them
4285 down.
4286Fox reluctantly puts his hand on the scanner. Then
4287Fredericks. The core glows brighter and brighter. Dr. Pavel
4288is transfixed.
4289
4290 BANE
4291 Do your work.
4292Bane turns to his men. Gestures at the hostages.
4293 Take them to the surface. People of
4294 their status deserve to see the
4295 next era of western civilization.
4296Fox, Miranda and Fredericks are led back into the rubble.
4297
4298EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - DAY
4299
4300The Mayor, flanked by Security, talks to a crowd of
4301Reporters.
4302 REPORTER
4303 We're seeing literally thousands of
4304 police heading into the sewers -
4305 MAYOR
4306 A training exercise, that's all. If
4307 you'll excuse me, I've got tickets
4308 to watch our boys thrash Rapid
4309 City.
4310The Mayor heads into the stadium with the crowds...
4311
4312
4313INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
4314Hundreds of SWATs wade, flashlights swinging, heading
4315towards the center... Teams are converging from different
4316entry points...
4317
4318
4319INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
4320Blake is on the phone.
4321 BLAKE
4322 I've been to half Daggett's cement
4323 plants, logged locations they've
4324 poured for underground
4325 construction...
4326 97.
4327
4328
4329 GORDON (O.S.)
4330 Anything strange about the
4331 pourings?
4332Blake glances at a large map - dots mark pouring locations.
4333
4334 BLAKE
4335 Honestly, Commissioner, I don't
4336 know anything about civil
4337 engineering.
4338
4339 GORDON
4340 But you know about patterns. Keep
4341 looking.
4342Blake pulls up in front of a cement plant.
4343
4344
4345INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
4346Dr. Pavel finishes his work. Turns to Bane. Grave.
4347 DR. PAVEL
4348 It's done. This is now a
4349 four-megaton nuclear bomb.
4350 BANE
4351 (to his men)
4352 Pull the core out of the reactor.
4353
4354 DR. PAVEL
4355 (HORRIFIED)
4356 You can't. This is the only power
4357 source capable of sustaning it - if
4358 you move it, the core will decay in
4359 a matter of months.
4360 BANE
4361 Five, by my calculations.
4362
4363 DR. PAVEL
4364 And then it will go off.
4365 BANE
4366 For the sake of your family, Dr.
4367 Pavel, I hope so.
4368
4369Dr. Pavel stares as Mercenaries start to disconnect the
4370core...
4371 98.
4372
4373EXT. CEMENT PLANT - CONTINUOUS
4374Blake is led through a fence by a Worker.
4375
4376 WORKER
4377 Boss is about to leave.
4378Blake walks past cement mixers. Spots someone. A Driver.
4379
4380 BLAKE
4381 Hey.
4382The Driver turns.
4383 BLAKE
4384 That was you outside the stock
4385 exchange, right?
4386 DRIVER
4387 When?
4388
4389 BLAKE
4390 When? When half the city's cops
4391 were trying to pull onto Castle
4392 Street and your truck shut them
4393 out.
4394
4395 DRIVER
4396 Oh yeah. You're that cop -
4397 BLAKE
4398 Detective, now.
4399
4400Behind Blake the Worker puts his hand is his pocket...
4401 BLAKE
4402 And as a detective...I'm not
4403 allowed to believe in coincidences
4404 ANYMORE -
4405Blake spins, drawing his weapon. The Worker lunges with a
4406knife, Blake smashes his hand to one side and shoots him.
4407The Driver grabs him from behind. Blake wrestles, but the
4408Driver is strong, trained. Blake can't aim his gun, he fires
4409behind, into a steel mixer - the bullets ricochet, one
4410catches the Driver in the back and he goes down... Blake,
4411gasping, kneels beside the Driver.
4412 BLAKE
4413 What were you doing?! What?!
4414
4415The man dies. Blake looks down at his gun. Disgusted. Tosses
4416is down. Pulls out his phone. Dials.
4417 99.
4418
4419
4420 BLAKE
4421 Commissioner, I'm at the Fourteenth
4422 Street plant with two dead
4423 witnesses and a lot of questions.
4424 Call me -
4425
4426Blake freezes, stooped to pick up his gun. Looking at some
4427empty barrels...
4428 Commissioner, they've got
4429 Polyisobutylene here... (Looks
4430 around.) And motor oil. They
4431 weren't making cement, they were
4432 making explosives -
4433
4434INT./EXT. CRUISER OUTSIDE CEMENT PLANT - MOMENTS LATER
4435
4436Blake grabs his carts - scanning the pattern of the dots -
4437realizes.
4438 BLAKE
4439 Oh, God.
4440
4441Blake fires up the cruiser and pulls out, hard.
4442
4443INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
4444Blake is driving furiously, shouting into the radio -
4445
4446 BLAKE
4447 Patch me into Foley!
4448 DISPATCH
4449 (OVER RADIO)
4450 Foley's overseeing the operation -
4451 BLAKE
4452 They're heading into a trap!
4453
4454
4455EXT. MTA TUNNEL - MOMENTS LATER (DAY)
4456Foley, concerned, takes the radio from a colleague.
4457 FOLEY
4458 Foley.
4459 BLAKE
4460 It's a trap! Pull everyone out!
4461 Bane's been pouring concrete laced
4462 with explosives -
4463 100.
4464
4465
4466 FOLEY
4467 Where?
4468 BLAKE
4469 There's a ring around the tunnels -
4470 they're gonna blow it and trap the
4471 cops underground!
4472Foley looks up with dread at the mouth of the tunnel.
4473 FOLEY
4474 Pull out! Pull 'em out!
4475
4476INT. BOILER ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4477Mercenaries rise from a hole in the floor - Bane emerges...
4478
4479
4480INT. GOTHAM STADIUM - CONTINUOUS
4481The Mayor, in a corporate box, mouths the National Anthem...
4482
4483
4484INT. LOCKER ROOM TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
4485The Mercenaries pull out detonators. Bane listens to the
4486kickoff like a hunting dog sensing the wind...decides.
4487
4488 BANE
4489 Let the games begin.
4490The Mercenaries hit the detonators.
4491
4492
4493INT. SEWERS - CONTINUOUS
4494SWATs react - the tunnel roof behind collapses... Chunks of
4495concrete structure drop - thousands of police throughout
4496different tunnels are trapped...
4497
4498
4499EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - CONTINUOUS
4500The crowd goes wild as a Receiver catches - starts a run -
4501the Mayor looks on, suddenly confused.
4502
4503As the Receiver sprints for the end zone, the field behind
4504him DROPS away in smoking ruins, swallowing Players...
4505The crowd is not cheering but SCREAMING... The Mayor's box
4506EXPLODES...
4507 101.
4508
4509
4510The Receiver, nearing the touchdown, glances back - sees
4511Armageddon - the entire field is now a smoking mass of
4512rubble, but for one strip of turf...Mercenaries pour out of
4513the tunnel, creating a gauntlet...
4514
4515
4516INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
4517Blake's cruiser swerves to avoid eruptions of asphalt. An
4518eruption TOSSES Blake's cruiser onto its roof.
4519
4520
4521EXT. GOTHAM RIVER - CONTINUOUS
4522All bridges, except the Gotham Bridge, suffer controlled
4523demolitions.
4524
4525
4526INT. LOCKER ROOM TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
4527Bane steps into the smoking stadium, a gladiator walking
4528into the arena...TV cameras swing onto him. Passing a dead
4529umpire, he takes the men's headset - surveys the screaming
4530crowd, lifts an arm for silence, raises the mike to his
4531mask.
4532 BANE
4533 Gotham, take control of your
4534 city...
4535
4536
4537INT./EXT. OVERTURNED CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
4538Blake squeezes out of his cruiser, reaches in for the radio.
4539
4540 BLAKE
4541 Foley?
4542 FOLEY
4543 (OVER RADIO)
4544 Jesus, Blake! Every cop in the
4545 city's down in those tunnels!
4546 BLAKE
4547 (REALIZES)
4548 Not every cop...
4549
4550Blake pulls the shotgun from his cruiser - flags down a car.
4551 102.
4552
4553
4554INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4555Gordon's heart-rate monitor alarms. Gordon wakes, groggy...
4556
4557INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY - CONTINUOUS
4558
4559Patients and Doctors crowd the entrance. mercenaries with
4560automatic weapons force their way in - hit the stairwell.
4561
4562
4563INT./EXT. CAR GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
4564Blake drives, swerving around dazed and terrified people.
4565Flames and smoke billow from the sewers.
4566
4567
4568EXT. GOTHAM HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS
4569Blake races up to the hospital entrance.
4570
4571INT. CORRIDOR, GOTHAM HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS
4572
4573Two Mercenaries move room to room, searching.
4574
4575INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4576
4577Gordon pulls himself out of his bed, wheeling his IV.
4578
4579INT. CORRIDOR, HOSPITAL - CONTINUOUS
4580Blake jumps into the corridor, gun raised. Shots echo down
4581the hall - Blake sprints.
4582
4583INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4584Blake leaps into the room, gun high - freezes as warm metal
4585touches the base of his skull.
4586 GORDON (O.S.)
4587 Clear the corners, rookie.
4588Blake turns. Gordon holds his service weapon. The
4589Mercenaries are on the ground, dead.
4590 GORDON
4591 Get my coat, son.
4592 103.
4593
4594
4595EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - CONTINUOUS
4596Mercenaries pull the glowing core onto the field.
4597 BANE
4598 This is the instrument of your
4599 liberation...
4600
4601INT. PENTAGON WAR ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4602
4603Analysts and military personnel assess the situation.
4604 ANALYST
4605 Satellite shows a radiation
4606 spike...
4607
4608 ANALYST 2
4609 Whatever it is...it's nuclear.
4610
4611EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - CONTINUOUS
4612
4613The Mercenaries thrust Dr. Pavel to his knees before Bane.
4614 BANE
4615 Identify yourself to the world.
4616 DR. PAVEL
4617 Dr. Leonid Pavel, nuclear
4618 physicist.
4619Bane turns Dr. Pavel's head for the cameras.
4620
4621
4622INT. PENTAGON WAR ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4623Armed Forces and Intelligence staff scramble to verify.
4624 CIA ANALYST
4625 Pavel was confirmed dead - plane
4626 crash on an Agency pull-out of
4627 Uzbekistan... But it certainly
4628 looks like him -
4629He points to a monitor with a photo of Dr. Pavel. An Air
4630Force General rubs his chin, thinking, nervous.
4631 104.
4632
4633
4634EXT. SKIES ABOVE GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS
4635F-22's streak over the river, sizing up the island.
4636
4637EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - CONTINUOUS
4638
4639Bane rests his powerful hand on Dr. Pavel's shoulder.
4640 BANE
4641 Tell the world what this is.
4642
4643 DR. PAVEL
4644 A fully primed neutron bomb. With a
4645 blast radius of six miles.
4646 BANE
4647 And who can disarm this device?
4648 DR. PAVEL
4649 Only me.
4650 BANE
4651 Thank you, Doctor.
4652Bane snaps Dr. Pavel's neck in front of the world.
4653 BANE
4654 The bomb is armed, the bomb is
4655 mobile, the identity of the
4656 triggerman is a mystery. One of you
4657 holds the detonator - we come not
4658 as conquerors, but as liberators to
4659 return control of this city to the
4660 people. At the first sign of
4661 interference from the outside world
4662 or of people attempting to flee,
4663 this anonymous Gothamite, this
4664 unsung hero, will trigger the bomb.
4665 For now, martial law is in effect.
4666 Return to your homes, hold your
4667 families close, and wait. Tomorrow
4668 you claim what is rightfully yours.
4669Bane turns, leaves the field, followed by his men.
4670
4671
4672INT. PENTAGON WAR ROOM - CONTINUOUS
4673The General breaks the silence.
4674 105.
4675
4676
4677 GENERAL
4678 Pull back the fighters, start
4679 high-level reconnaissance flights.
4680 And get the President on the line.
4681
4682
4683EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - SUNSET
4684Mercenaries hold the bridge. A tank rolls across from the
4685mainland, soldiers behind. The Lead Mercenary uses a
4686bullhorn.
4687
4688 LEAD MERCENARY
4689 Tanks and planes cannot stop us
4690 detonating our device. Send an
4691 emissary to discuss terms of access
4692 for supplies and communication.
4693
4694A Captain steps forward, walks to the apex of the bridge.
4695 CAPTAIN
4696 How many of you are there, son?
4697 (Nothing.) You don't have enough
4698 men to stop twelve million people
4699 leaving that island.
4700 LEAD MERCENARY
4701 We don't. But you do.
4702
4703 CAPTAIN
4704 Why in the hell would we help you
4705 keep your hostages?
4706 LEAD MERCENARY
4707 If people start crossing this
4708 bridge Gotham gets blown to hell.
4709The Captain considers this. Troubled.
4710
4711
4712EXT. SKIES ABOVE GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS
4713As night falls the F-22's peel away from the fire-ringed
4714city. The voice of the President echoes across the
4715airwaves...
4716
4717 PRESIDENT
4718 (OVER RADIO)
4719 The people of our greatest city are
4720 resilient. They have proven this
4721 before, they will prove this
4722 again...
4723 106.
4724
4725
4726INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4727Wayne stares at the old TV. At his burning city.
4728 PRESIDENT
4729 (OVER TV)
4730 We do not negotiate with
4731 terrorists, but we do recognize
4732 realities...
4733Wayne starts to cry.
4734
4735
4736INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS (NIGHT)
4737Blake drives the deserted streets. Gordon is slumped in the
4738passenger seat, listening.
4739
4740 PRESIDENT
4741 (OVER RADIO)
4742 As the situation develops, one
4743 thing must be understood above all
4744 others... People of Gotham, we have
4745 not abandoned you.
4746 BLAKE
4747 What does that mean?
4748 GORDON
4749 It means we're on our own. I have
4750 to get in front of a camera -
4751 BLAKE
4752 Sir, they'll kill you the second
4753 you show your face -
4754
4755 GORDON
4756 The Mayor's dead. I'm the symbol of
4757 law and order. Bane says he's
4758 giving Gotham back to the people -
4759 they need to know that I could
4760 lead.
4761 BLAKE
4762 Bane's not gonna let that happen -
4763
4764 GORDON
4765 Then he'll show his true colors.
4766 BLAKE
4767 And you'll be dead.
4768
4769Gordon says nothing.
4770 107.
4771
4772
4773EXT. GOTHAM STREET - DAY
4774Three camouflage Tumblers roll down the deserted street.
4775
4776EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - MOMENTS LATER
4777
4778A crowd of news crews has gathered. Guards in the towers
4779look down, apprehensive. The Tumblers roll up, stopping in
4780front of the gates. Bane emerges from the lead Tumbler.
4781
4782 BANE
4783 Behind you stands a symbol of
4784 oppression. Blackgate Prison...
4785
4786INT. CELLBLOCK, BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4787
4788Prisoners strain to hear Bane's words. Selina is there.
4789 BANE (O.S.)
4790 Where a thousand men have
4791 languished for years. Under the
4792 Dent Act. Under the name of this
4793 MAN -
4794
4795EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4796
4797Bane holds up a photo of Harvey Dent.
4798 BANE
4799 Harvey Dent. Held up to you, and
4800 over you, as a shining example of
4801 justice and good...
4802
4803
4804INT. BLAKE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
4805Gordon sits watching Bane's speech. Blake gathers supplies.
4806
4807 BLAKE
4808 We're gonna keep moving you, till
4809 we can get you in front of a camera
4810 -
4811
4812
4813EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4814Bane sets fire to the picture of Dent...
4815 108.
4816
4817
4818 BANE
4819 But they supplied you a false idol.
4820 A straw man. To placate. To stop
4821 you tearing down this corrupt
4822 city...
4823
4824
4825INT. CELLBLOCK, BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4826The Prisoners start cheering, shouting.
4827
4828 BANE (O.S.)
4829 ...and rebuilding it the way it
4830 should have been rebuilt
4831 generations ago...
4832
4833
4834EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4835Bane drops the burning picture.
4836 BANE
4837 Let me tell you the truth about
4838 Harvey Dent. In the words of
4839 Gotham's Police Commissioner, James
4840 Gordon...
4841
4842INT. BLAKE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
4843
4844This gets Blake's attention. Gordon watches, uneasy...
4845
4846EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4847
4848Bane unfolds the pages of Gordon's undelivered speech...
4849 BANE
4850 'The truth about Harvey Dent is
4851 simple in only one regard - it has
4852 been hidden for too long. After his
4853 devastating injuries, Harvey's mind
4854 has recovered no better than his
4855 mutilated face. He was a broken,
4856 dangerous man, not the crusader for
4857 justice that I, James Gordon, have
4858 portrayed him to be for the last
4859 eight years. Harvey's rage was
4860 indiscriminate. Psychopathic. He
4861 held my family at gunpoint, then
4862 fell to his death in the struggle
4863 over my son's life. The Batman did
4864 not murder Harvey Dent - he saved
4865 (MORE)
4866 109.
4867
4868
4869 BANE (CONT'D)
4870 my boy. Then took the blame for
4871 Harvey's appalling crimes, so that
4872 I could, to my shame, build a lie
4873 around this fallen idol.'
4874
4875
4876INT. BLAKE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
4877Blake stares at the TV, Gordon's face lowers into his
4878hands...
4879
4880 BANE (V.O.)
4881 'I praised the madman who tried to
4882 murder my own child.'
4883
4884
4885EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4886The crowd is silent, stunned, as Bane continues to read.
4887 BANE
4888 'The things we did in Harvey's name
4889 brought desperately needed security
4890 to our streets... But I can no
4891 longer live with my lie. It is time
4892 to trust the people of Gotham with
4893 the truth, and it is time for me to
4894 resign.'
4895
4896Bane folds the papers. Looks out to the stunned crowd.
4897 Do you accept this man's
4898 resignation?
4899
4900Individuals in the crows start shouting 'Yes!'
4901
4902INT. CELLBLOCK, BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4903Prisoners cheer, pounding against the bars. Selina
4904watches...
4905
4906EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4907 BANE
4908 Do you accept the resignation of
4909 all the liars?! All the corrupt?!
4910More and more of the crowd is chanting 'Yes!'
4911 110.
4912
4913
4914INT. BLAKE'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
4915Blake turns to Gordon, who stares at the TV.
4916 BLAKE
4917 These men, locked up in Blackgate
4918 for eight years, denied parole
4919 under the Dent Act. Based on a lie.
4920 GORDON
4921 A lie to keep a city from burning
4922 to the ground. Gotham needed a
4923 hero, someone to believe in -
4924 BLAKE
4925 Not as much as it does now. But you
4926 betrayed everything you stood for.
4927
4928 GORDON
4929 (looks at Blake)
4930 There's a point. Far out there.
4931 When the structures fail you. When
4932 the rules aren't weapons anymore,
4933 they're shackles, letting the bad
4934 get ahead. Maybe one day you'll
4935 have such a moment of crisis. And
4936 in that moment, I hope you have a
4937 friend like I did. To plunge their
4938 hands into the filth so you can
4939 keep yours clean.
4940 BLAKE
4941 Your hands look pretty filthy to
4942 me, Commissioner.
4943
4944Gordon stares at him. Blake goes back to packing.
4945
4946EXT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4947
4948Bane signals a Tumbler - its turret turns to the prison
4949doors.
4950 BANE
4951 We take Gotham from the corrupt.
4952 The rich. The oppressors of
4953 generations who've kept you down
4954 with the myth of opportunity. And
4955 we give it to you, the people.
4956 Gotham is yours - none shall
4957 interfere. Do as you please...
4958
4959The Tumbler fires, blowing the doors to hell.
4960 (MORE)
4961 111.
4962
4963
4964 BANE (CONT'D)
4965 But start by storming Blackgate and
4966 freeing the oppressed... Step
4967 forward, those who would serve...
4968
4969Bane's men surge through the burning gates...
4970
4971INT. BLACKGATE PRISON - CONTINUOUS
4972Selina watches as Prisoners stream out of open cell doors.
4973She makes her way quietly through the excited throng.
4974 BANE (V.O.)
4975 For an army will be raised...
4976Mercenaries hand out weapons to escaping Prisoners...
4977
4978
4979EXT. PARK BOULEVARD - DAY
4980As Mercenaries shoot open locks, people storm into expensive
4981apartment buildings overlooking the park...
4982
4983 BANE (V.O.)
4984 The powerful will be ripped from
4985 their decadent nests...
4986
4987
4988INT. BEAUTIFUL OLD GOTHAM APARTMENT - DAY
4989People ransack the apartment...
4990 BANE (V.O.)
4991 ...and cast into the cold world the
4992 rest of us have known and
4993 endured...
4994
4995EXT. PARK BOULEVARD - DAY
4996
4997Wealthy people are herded onto the street by Mercenaries...
4998 BANE (V.O.)
4999 Courts will be convened...
5000
5001
5002INT. STOCK EXCHANGE - DAY
5003A kangaroo court is in session, presided over by a Criminal
5004we recognize from Blackgate. Bane watches from the
5005gallery...
5006 112.
5007
5008
5009 BANE (V.O.)
5010 The spoils will be enjoyed...
5011
5012INT. ELEGANT APARTMENT, PARK BOULEVARD - DAY
5013
5014Tough-looking Revellers crack open champagne - spraying it,
5015swigging it - Selina amongst them, watching...
5016 BANE (V.O.)
5017 Blood will be shed...
5018
5019
5020INT. SEWERS - DAY
5021Hundreds of Police living underground. Dividing up supplies
5022lowered by ropes... Ross opens a pack of supplies.
5023
5024 BANE (V.O.)
5025 But the police will live, until
5026 they are ready to serve true
5027 justice...
5028
5029
5030EXT. GOTHAM STADIUM - NIGHT
5031Moving in on the bright glow of the core...
5032 BANE (V.O.)
5033 This great city will endure...
5034Close enough to see the flickering digits of its
5035countdown...
5036 BANE (V.O.)
5037 Gotham will survive.
5038Mercenaries load the core into the back of a black truck.
5039
5040INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
5041
5042Wayne rolls off his cot. Grunts. The Prisoner realizes Wayne
5043is trying to do a push-up. From the next cell, the Blind
5044Prisoner says something...
5045
5046 PRISONER
5047 He says you must first straighten
5048 your back.
5049The Prisoner helps Wayne roll over, painfully.
5050 113.
5051
5052
5053 WAYNE
5054 How would he know?
5055 PRISONER
5056 He was the prison doctor. A
5057 morphine addict who incurred the
5058 displeasure of powerful people.
5059 Including your masked friend.
5060 WAYNE
5061 How?
5062
5063 PRISONER
5064 Many years ago, during a time of
5065 plague, Bane was attacked by other
5066 prisoners. The doctor's fumbling
5067 attempts to repair the damage left
5068 him in perpetual agony. The mask
5069 holds his pain at bay.
5070 WAYNE
5071 Is Bane the child you spoke of? Was
5072 he born here?
5073
5074 PRISONER
5075 The legend is that there was a
5076 mercenary working for the local
5077 warlord who fell in love with his
5078 daughter. They married in secret.
5079
5080The Prisoner takes a rope - ties it under Wayne's arms.
5081 PRISONER
5082 When the warlord found out, he
5083 condemned the mercenary to this
5084 pit. But then exiled him instead.
5085INSERT CUT: the Mercenary is dropped at the side of a barren
5086road. He starts to walk.
5087 PRISONER
5088 The mercenary understood that the
5089 warlord's daughter had secured his
5090 release, but he couldn't know the
5091 true price of his freedom. She had
5092 taken his place in the pit.
5093
5094INSERT CUT: a Woman is lowered into the prison. The
5095prisoners below all have their faces covered with muslin
5096masks...
5097 114.
5098
5099 PRISONER
5100 And she was with the child. The
5101 mercenary's child.
5102
5103INSERT CUT: the Woman watches as the Doctor, (the Blind
5104Prisoner, younger-looking, sighted) examines her small
5105child. The Doctor exits, locking the cell...
5106 PRISONER
5107 One day the doctor forgot the lock
5108 the cell...
5109INSERT CUT: Prisoners move into the cell towards his mother.
5110The child runs at them with a knife...
5111
5112 PRISONER
5113 Innocence cannot flower
5114 underground. It was to be stamped
5115 out. But the child had a friend. A
5116 protector...
5117
5118INSERT CUT: the Protector, face covered, pulls the Child off
5119the attackers. One grabs for the Child - the Protector snaps
5120his arm, carries the Child into a corner...
5121 PRISONER
5122 ...who showed the others that this
5123 innocence was their redemption. The
5124 mother was not so lucky.
5125The Blind Prisoner shouts at the Prisoner. He nods.
5126
5127 PRISONER
5128 This is Bane's prison now. Bane
5129 would not want this story told.
5130The Prisoner pulls - Wayne screams in pain as he is pulled
5131upright. The Prisoner ties him off. Checks his spine.
5132 You have a protruding
5133 vertebra...I'm going to force it
5134 back...
5135 WAYNE
5136 How -?
5137
5138The Prisoner punches Wayne in the back, hard. Wayne screams.
5139 PRISONER
5140 You stay like this. Until you
5141 stand.
5142
5143Wayne passes out from the pain and we FADE TO BLACK.
5144Wayne is hanging in his cell, delirious.
5145 115.
5146
5147
5148 R¯'S AL GH¯L (O.S.)
5149 A U
5150 Did you not think I'd return,
5151 Bruce?
5152R¯'s al Gh¯l, in his Ducard guise, steps in front of Wayne.
5153 A U
5154
5155 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5156 A U
5157 I told you I was immortal.
5158 WAYNE
5159 I watched you die.
5160
5161 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5162 A U
5163 There are many forms of
5164 immortality.
5165Wayne looks inward, remembering...
5166
5167INSERT CUT: R¯'s at the campfire (from Batman Begins).
5168 A
5169 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5170 A U
5171 Once I had a wife. My great love.
5172 She was taken from me...
5173
5174INSERT CUT: the Woman is lowered into the prison...
5175Wayne looks at R¯'s.
5176 A
5177 WAYNE
5178 You were the mercenary. Bane is
5179 your child. Your heir.
5180INSERT CUT: the Mercenary at the side of the road. R¯'s.
5181 A
5182 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5183 A U
5184 An heir to ensure the League of
5185 Shadows fulfills its duty to
5186 restore balance to civilization.
5187 WAYNE
5188 No...
5189 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5190 A U
5191 You yourself fought the decadence
5192 of Gotham for years. With all your
5193 strength and resources, all your
5194 moral authority. And the only
5195 victory you could achieve was a
5196 lie. Finally you understand...
5197 Gotham is beyond saving...
5198 116.
5199
5200 WAYNE
5201 NO!
5202
5203 R¯'S AL GH¯L
5204 A U
5205 And must be allowed to die.
5206CUT TO WHITE. And we are -
5207
5208
5209EXT. STREET, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM - DAY
5210Snow blankets the street. A Tumbler carves tracks as it
5211patrols the deserted street. Blake peers from behind a
5212parked car - he is crouched, feeding a kite string down a
5213storm drain.
5214
5215
5216INT. SEWER TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
5217Ross strains to reach a note dangling on a string - he
5218grasps it. All around him are dozens of Cops living
5219underground...
5220
5221EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
5222Blake winds the string, picks up a jerrycan, hurries off.
5223
5224
5225INT. ST. SWITHIN'S HOME FOR BOYS - CONTINUOUS
5226The home is packed. People, not just kids, huddle in every
5227corner. Blake spots Father Reilly. Hands him the can.
5228
5229 BLAKE
5230 For the bus in case there's a
5231 chance to evacuate. Keep it in here
5232 - people are siphoning parked cars.
5233
5234 FATHER REILLY
5235 Really?
5236 BLAKE
5237 (GRINS)
5238 How do you think I got it?
5239 FATHER REILLY
5240 Right. Any news? Is the
5241 COMMISSIONER -
5242
5243 BLAKE
5244 Less you know, Father. How're the
5245 boys?
5246 117.
5247
5248 FATHER REILLY
5249 Power's been on more, so they get
5250 some TV.
5251
5252Blake smiles. Moves to the door.
5253 Blake, you be careful out there.
5254 They're hunting down cops like
5255 dogs.
5256
5257Blake nods. Leaves.
5258
5259INT. ELEGANT APARTMENT, PARK BOULEVARD - DAWN
5260Following Selina through rooms strewn with trash, empty
5261bottles and sleeping partygoers. She spots a family
5262photograph, glass smashed. A hand lands on her shoulder.
5263 JEN
5264 Who's that?
5265
5266 SELINA
5267 This was someone's home.
5268 JEN
5269 Now it's everyone's home.
5270
5271Selina stares out at a Tumbler rolling by.
5272 JEN
5273 'Storm's coming', remember? This is
5274 what you wanted.
5275
5276 SELINA
5277 No. It's what I thought I wanted.
5278
5279INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
5280
5281The Prisoner unties the rope from Wayne's chest. Wayne
5282stands. Just. Then walks.
5283
5284INT. SAME - LATER
5285
5286Wayne does push-ups. Stronger. The Prisoner watches.
5287 PRISONER
5288 Why build yourself?
5289
5290 WAYNE
5291 I'm not meant to die in here.
5292The Prisoner indicates the TV:
5293 118.
5294
5295
5296SIEGE OF GOTHAM: DAY 84.
5297 PRISONER
5298 Here? There? What's the difference?
5299Wayne ignores this. Focuses on his body...
5300
5301
5302INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
5303Wayne moves to the wall - takes the rope from the Tattooed
5304Prisoner, wraps it around his chest. Curious Prisoners
5305gather, the Prisoner at their head. Wayne looks up at the
5306light, hundreds of feet above. Starts to climb. Prisoners
5307get excited as Wayne RISES - money starts exchanging hands.
5308Reaching the precipice, he checks his rope, looks up at the
5309next handhold, far away. He takes a breath, then LEAPS.
5310His fingers brush the ledge. Wayne DROPS a hundred feet -
5311the rope catches, SLAMMING him into the rock face. The
5312Prisoners disperse, losing interest as the Tattooed Prisoner
5313lowers Wayne on the rope. The Blind Prisoner turns away.
5314
5315 PRISONER
5316 I told you it could not be done.
5317 WAYNE
5318 You told me a child did it...
5319
5320 PRISONER
5321 No ordinary child...
5322INSERT CUT: the Protector fights off prisoners as the Child,
5323older now, moves to the climbing wall
5324 A child born in hell.
5325INSERT CUT: the Child makes the climb...pauses, looking down
5326- making eye-contact with the Protector, who fights off
5327Prisoners... They swarm over the Protector, knives drawn.
5328 A child forged by suffering,
5329 hardened by pain...
5330INSERT CUT: the Child leaps across the abyss, grabbing a
5331handhold on the ledge and swinging up...
5332 Not a man from privilege.
5333
5334Wayne's eyes close in despair.
5335 119.
5336
5337
5338EXT. CHECKPOINT, GOTHAM BRIDGE - DAY
5339Supply trucks await inspection. Mercenaries open an
534018-wheeler - check boxes of rations...wave it on...
5341
5342
5343EXT. SUPERMARKET - CONTINUOUS
5344The 18-wheeler pulls up. A line of Gothamites waits
5345patiently along the sidewalk.
5346
5347
5348INT. 18-WHEELER - CONTINUOUS
5349Three plain-clothes Special Forces Men emerge from the
5350boxes, checking, then concealing weapons. The doors open -
5351they exit.
5352
5353
5354INT. SUPERMARKET - CONTINUOUS
5355The Special Forces Men carry boxes into the store as if
5356delivering. The Store Manager leads them into the back and
5357down into -
5358
5359INT. LOWER STOREROOM - CONTINUOUS
5360Where they are met by four Cops out of uniform.
5361
5362 FOLEY
5363 You have ID?
5364 SPECIAL FORCES 1
5365 Of course not.
5366
5367 FOLEY
5368 How can we trust you?
5369 GORDON (O.S.)
5370 We don't have any choice.
5371
5372Gordon and Blake emerge from the back of the room.
5373 SPECIAL FORCES 1
5374 Commissioner Gordon? Captain Jones,
5375 Special Forces.
5376
5377 GORDON
5378 Captain, glad to have you here.
5379 120.
5380
5381
5382 CAPTAIN JONES
5383 How many of you are there?
5384 GORDON
5385 Dozens. I'd rather not say exactly.
5386 But the men trapped underground
5387 number almost three thousand.
5388 CAPTAIN JONES
5389 What kind of shape they're in?
5390
5391 GORDON
5392 They've been getting water, food.
5393 CAPTAIN JONES
5394 Could we break them out?
5395
5396 BLAKE
5397 Yes, sir - take out the mercenaries
5398 guarding the outflow south of
5399 Ackerman Park, blow the rubble,
5400 you've got a hole big enough for
5401 ten at a time. I'm in contact with
5402 my partner - they're waiting for
5403 the day.
5404 SPECIAL FORCES 2
5405 Men who haven't seen daylight for
5406 three months?
5407
5408 BLAKE
5409 Men with automatic weapons who
5410 haven't seen daylight in three
5411 months.
5412
5413 CAPTAIN JONES
5414 What about the bomb? The satellites
5415 can't see any radiation hot
5416 spots...
5417
5418
5419EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - DAY
5420Blake scouts with Jones. A rumble makes them turn.
5421 GORDON (V.O.)
5422 They keep it on a truck - it must
5423 have a lead-lined roof. They move
5424 it constantly.
5425 CAPTAIN JONES (V.O.)
5426 But you know the truck?
5427 121.
5428
5429
5430 GORDON (V.O.)
5431 They've got three of them. The
5432 routes don't vary much.
5433Two Tumblers lead a massive black truck down the street.
5434Captain Jones reaches into his jacket and triggers a Geiger
5435counter. Shows Blake the display. Nods. One of the Tumblers
5436stops, turns back. Blake leads them down a side street.
5437
5438INT. LOWER STOREROOM - CONTINUOUS
5439
5440 CAPTAIN JONES
5441 What about the triggerman?
5442 GORDON
5443 No leads. It's a bluff - Bane
5444 wouldn't give control of that bomb
5445 to someone else.
5446 CAPTAIN JONES
5447 We can't take that chance. Until we
5448 have the triggerman, we just track
5449 the device, smuggle men over -
5450 BLAKE
5451 While Gotham lives under a warlord,
5452 like in some failed state?
5453
5454 CAPTAIN JONES
5455 Dial it back, officer. This
5456 situation is unprecedented. We
5457 can't do anything to risk millions
5458 of lives.
5459
5460 BLAKE
5461 (TO GORDON)
5462 Aren't you gonna tell him?!
5463 GORDON
5464 Captain, things are more
5465 complicated than you think. There's
5466 somebody you need to meet. Blake?
5467Blake nods, leads Jones and his men up the stairs.
5468
5469
5470EXT. SIDE STREET, DOWNTOWN - CONTINUOUS
5471Blake leads them to the door of an empty bank.
5472 122.
5473
5474
5475INT. TELLSONS BANK - CONTINUOUS
5476They head across the empty lobby to an elevator.
5477
5478INT. OFFICES ABOVE TELLSONS - MOMENTS LATER
5479
5480Blake leads them into empty offices. Cots and makeshift
5481furnishings line the offices and corridors.
5482 BLAKE
5483 I was up here looking for a vantage
5484 point. Found the people who run the
5485 corporation who owns it living
5486 here.
5487 CAPTAIN JONES
5488 Which corporation?
5489 FOX (O.S.)
5490 Wayne Enterprises.
5491Lucius Fox is there, with Miranda Tate.
5492
5493 BLAKE
5494 Captain, meet Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox, I'd
5495 like you to brief the Captain.
5496Captain Jones indicates Miranda.
5497
5498 FOX
5499 Miss Tate is fully aware of the
5500 situation.
5501 MIRANDA
5502 And as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, I
5503 have to take responsibility for it.
5504 CAPTAIN JONES
5505 Why?
5506
5507 MIRANDA
5508 Because, Captain, we built it.
5509 CAPTAIN JONES
5510 You built the bomb?
5511
5512 FOX
5513 It was built as a fusion reactor.
5514 The first of its kind. Bane turned
5515 the core into a bomb, then
5516 disconnected it from the reactor.
5517 123.
5518
5519
5520 BLAKE
5521 And here's the important part.
5522 FOX
5523 As the device's fuel cells decay,
5524 it's becoming increasingly
5525 unstable...until the point of
5526 detonation.
5527 BLAKE
5528 The bomb's a time bomb.
5529
5530 FOX
5531 And it will go off. In twenty-three
5532 days.
5533Captain Jones reels at this news.
5534
5535 BLAKE
5536 Bane's revolution is a sham. He's
5537 watching Gotham rearrange its
5538 deckchairs while the whole ship's
5539 going down. Your appeasement plan
5540 might not be as practical as you
5541 thought.
5542Captain Jones throws Blake a look. Addresses Fox.
5543 CAPTAIN JONES
5544 Could you disarm it?
5545 FOX
5546 I don't know, But I could reconnect
5547 it to the reactor. Stabilize it.
5548
5549 CAPTAIN JONES
5550 We'd have to let the Pentagon know.
5551 SPECIAL FORCES 2
5552 They'll be monitoring our
5553 FREQUENCIES -
5554 CAPTAIN JONES
5555 We have no choice. Let's move away
5556 from this location, then call it
5557 in.
5558 124.
5559
5560
5561INT. TELLSONS BANK - MOMENTS LATER
5562Captain Jones exits the elevator, followed by his men and
5563Blake. Halfway across the floor, hell breaks loose.
5564Mercenaries blast them with machine guns - the lobby becomes
5565a devastating ambush. Blake dives back into the elevator.
5566
5567
5568INT. OFFICES ABOVE TELLSONS - CONTINUOUS
5569Blake flies out of the elevator.
5570
5571 BLAKE
5572 Fox, somebody sold us out!
5573Fox and Miranda burst into the corridor.
5574
5575 FOX
5576 Take Miranda -
5577Blake grabs Miranda, heads for the back stairs. Mercenaries
5578jump out of the elevator, firing high.
5579
5580 MERCERNARY
5581 DOWN ON THE FLOOR!
5582Fox freezes. Lowers himself to the ground.
5583
5584
5585INT. TELLSONS BANK - CONTINUOUS
5586Captain Jones goes down in a hail of bullets. The other
5587Special Forces Men are down. Bane enters, midges Jones with
5588his toe. He is alive. Barely. Bane leans in close. Jones
5589looks up at him, defiant.
5590
5591 CAPTAIN JONES
5592 I'll die before I talk...
5593 BANE
5594 I'm on your schedule, Captain.
5595
5596Bane places his hand over Jones's nose and mouth.
5597 MERCERNARY
5598 There were people living upstairs.
5599
5600Bane looks up, disinterested. Jones is dead.
5601 BANE
5602 Give them over for judgement.
5603 (Indicates bodies.) Hang them where
5604 the world will see.
5605 125.
5606
5607INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
5608Wayne stares at the TV: the Special Forces bodies hang in
5609the cables of Gotham Bridge. Wayne throws a stone into the
5610screen.
5611
5612INT. SAME - LATER
5613
5614Wayne does endless push-ups, squats, stretches. The Blind
5615Prisoner listens. He speaks in an ancient tongue.
5616 PRISONER
5617 He says the leap to freedom is not
5618 about strength.
5619
5620 WAYNE
5621 My body makes the jump.
5622 BLIND PRISONER
5623 (CRACKED ENGLISH)
5624 Survival is the spirit. The soul.
5625 WAYNE
5626 My soul's as ready to escape as my
5627 body.
5628
5629 BLIND PRISONER
5630 Fear is why you fail.
5631 WAYNE
5632 I'm not afraid. I'm angry.
5633
5634Wayne throws punches...focused.
5635
5636INT. UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY
5637
5638Wayne takes the rope at the foot of the climb. Prisoners
5639look up, but none bother to gather round. Wayne starts
5640climbing, determined.
5641He FIGHTS the rock face...breathing hard. Grabs at a rock -
5642it comes away in his hand. He DROPS - SMASHES into the rock
5643face. The Blind Prisoner shakes his head.
5644A Skinny Prisoner playing cards with the Prisoner looks up
5645at Wayne, hanging upside down.
5646 SKINNY PRISONER
5647 Shouldn't you get him down?
5648The Prisoner glances up at Wayne, disdainful.
5649 126.
5650
5651
5652 PRISONER
5653 He'll keep.
5654As Wayne drifts into unconsciousness we -
5655INSERT CUT: Young Bruce lies at the bottom of the well,
5656looking up at his father, lowering down to rescue him.
5657 THOMAS WAYNE (V.O.)
5658 And why do we fall?
5659
5660
5661INT. CAVE PRISON - NIGHT
5662Wayne wakes with a start - the Blind Prisoner is there.
5663 BLIND PRISONER
5664 (CRACKED ENGLISH)
5665 You do not fear death. You think
5666 this makes you strong. This makes
5667 you weak.
5668 WAYNE
5669 Why?
5670 BLIND PRISONER
5671 How can you move faster then
5672 possible? Fight longer than
5673 possible? If not from the most
5674 powerful impulse of the spirit. The
5675 fear of death. The will to survive.
5676Wayne gets up onto his elbow. Looks at the Blind Prisoner.
5677 WAYNE
5678 I do fear death. I fear dying in
5679 here while my city burns with no
5680 one there to save it.
5681 BLIND PRISONER
5682 Then make the climb.
5683 WAYNE
5684 How?
5685 BLIND PRISONER
5686 As the child did. Without the rope.
5687 (Dry laugh.) Then fear will find
5688 you again.
5689Wayne considers this.
5690 127.
5691
5692
5693INT. CAVE PRISON - MORNING
5694Wayne puts some scraps of bread into a rough coat which he
5695folds into a makeshift shoulder pack.
5696 PRISONER
5697 Supplies for your journey?
5698Prisoners nearby laugh. Wayne moves to the cliff face. The
5699Prisoner follows, intrigued by Wayne's new demeanor. The
5700Tattooed Prisoner offers him the rope. Wayne refuses. Starts
5701to climb. Prisoners gather around as word spreads. Wayne
5702makes his way cautiously up the treacherous rock face. Down
5703below the Prisoners start a low chant.
5704As Wayne hoists himself up onto the precipice something
5705EXPLODES from the cliff face. Wayne flinches - BATS... They
5706circle up to the opening above...
5707Wayne closes his eyes. The chant RISES. Wayne takes a
5708breath...opens his eyes...looks down at the drop...up
5709again...then he jumps.
5710
5711Time skips a beat as the Prisoners stop breathing.
5712And Wayne GRABS the ledge above.
5713The Prisoners go WILD as Wayne hoists himself up onto the
5714ledge. The Blind Prisoner nods. Wayne climbs to FREEDOM.
5715
5716
5717EXT. CAVE PRISON, NEAR A FORTRESS - CONTINUOUS
5718Wayne climbs out of the hole and into formidable desolation.
5719He shoulders his pack - spots a large coil of rope attached
5720to the wall. He pushes it into the hole then walks away...
5721
5722INT. BASEMENT, ABANDONED STOCK EXCHANGE - DAY
5723A mass of huddled Gothamites. Professionals (traders,
5724industrialists). In a corner, Fox. Mercenaries come down
5725into the chamber, pull out a man, who starts yelling. It is
5726Stryver, Daggett's functionary.
5727 STRYVER
5728 I want to see Bane! There's been a
5729 mistake! Take me to Bane!
5730Fox watches him dragged upstairs...
5731 128.
5732
5733
5734INT. ABANDONED STOCK EXCHANGE - MOMENTS LATER
5735A kangaroo court. Stryver is dragged before a jeering crowd.
5736 STRYVER
5737 There's been a mistake! Where's
5738 Bane?!
5739 VOICE (O.S.)
5740 There's been no mistake, Mr.
5741 Stryver.
5742
5743Stryver turns to look at the 'judge': Dr. Jonathan Crane.
5744 CRANE
5745 You are Philip Stryver, executive
5746 vice-president of Daggett
5747 Industries? (Off nod from Stryver.)
5748 The same Philip Stryver who for
5749 years lived like a prince off the
5750 blood and sweat of people less
5751 powerful?
5752
5753 STRYVER
5754 Call Bane! I'm one of you!
5755Jeers. Pull back to reveal a silent figure, watching. Bane.
5756 CRANE
5757 Bane has no authority here. This is
5758 merely a sentencing hearing. The
5759 choice is yours, death or exile.
5760Stryver looks around, terrified, as the crowd shouts
5761'Death'.
5762
5763 STRYVER
5764 Exile.
5765 CRANE
5766 (SMASHES GAVEL)
5767 Sold...to the man in the cold
5768 sweat!
5769Mercenaries pull Stryver from the dock...
5770
5771
5772EXT. GOTHAM RIVER - DAY
5773Stryver, with other wealthy Gothamites, is led down to the
5774ice. A Blackgate Inmate undoes his handcuffs, whispering.
5775 129.
5776
5777
5778 BLACKGATE INMATE
5779 Follow the tick ice. Try to swim -
5780 you're dead in minutes.
5781 STRYVER
5782 Has anyone made it?
5783The Blackgate Inmate turns away. Stryver is forced onto the
5784ice. He shuffles forward, listening to the creaking...
5785Stryver is a hundred yards out when the river swallows him.
5786
5787
5788INT. EMPTY OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
5789Gordon stands over a map of the city. A handful of Cops sit
5790around the room. Waiting. Gordon looks at his watch.
5791
5792 GORDON
5793 Where the hell are they? It's not
5794 like we have a lot of time, here.
5795 COP
5796 How long?
5797 GORDON
5798 The bomb goes off tomorrow. We've
5799 got about eighteen hours to do
5800 something.
5801
5802 COP
5803 To do what?
5804 GORDON
5805 We mark that truck. Get a GPS on
5806 it, then we can start thinking
5807 about how to take it down.
5808The door opens and Blake enters, followed by ten cops.
5809Gordon is counting them in. He moves to Blake.
5810
5811 GORDON
5812 (LOW)
5813 That's it?
5814Blake just looks at him. Gordon checks the faces. Realizes.
5815
5816 GORDON
5817 Foley. Where's Foley, dammit?!
5818Gordon heads for the door.
5819 130.
5820
5821
5822 BLAKE
5823 You shouldn't be out on the streets
5824 -
5825
5826
5827EXT. FOLEY'S BROWNSTONE - DAY
5828Gordon hurries up the steps to a brownstone. Stabs the bell.
5829 FOLEY'S WIFE
5830 Jim. He's not here -
5831
5832Gordon, furious, addresses the hallway behind her.
5833 GORDON
5834 You're sending your wife to the
5835 door when the city's under
5836 occupation?!
5837Foley appears at the end of the corridor. Ashamed.
5838 FOLEY
5839 Wait in the kitchen, honey.
5840
5841 GORDON
5842 What did you do, bury your uniform
5843 in the backyard?
5844 FOLEY
5845 Jim, you saw what they did to those
5846 Special Forces.
5847 GORDON
5848 You forgotten all the years we went
5849 out on patrol with every gangbanger
5850 wanting to plant one as soon as our
5851 backs were turned?
5852 FOLEY
5853 This is different and you know it.
5854 These guys run the city - the
5855 government's done a deal with them
5856 -
5857 GORDON
5858 Deal?! Bane's got their balls in a
5859 vice. That's not a deal -
5860 FOLEY
5861 You move against Bane, the
5862 triggerman's gonna hit the button -
5863 131.
5864
5865
5866 GORDON
5867 You think he's given control of
5868 that bomb to one of 'the people'?!
5869 You think this is part of some
5870 revolution? There's one man with
5871 his finger on the button - Bane.
5872 FOLEY
5873 We have to keep our heads down
5874 until they can fix this. If you
5875 still had family here maybe you'd -
5876
5877 GORDON
5878 This only gets fixed from inside
5879 the city, Foley. (Calmer.) Look,
5880 I'm not asking you to walk down
5881 Grand in your dress blues. But
5882 we've got to do something before
5883 this maniac blows us all to hell.
5884 FOLEY
5885 I'm sorry Jim. I gotta -
5886
5887 GORDON
5888 Keep your head down? What's that
5889 gonna do tomorrow, when that thing
5890 blows?
5891 FOLEY
5892 You don't know that's going to
5893 happen.
5894Foley closes the door on Gordon. Gordon stands there.
5895
5896 MIRANDA (O.S)
5897 I hear you're looking for men,
5898 Commissioner.
5899Gordon turns to see Miranda, Blake behind her. Blake shrugs.
5900
5901 MIRANDA
5902 How about me, instead?
5903 GORDON
5904 Miss Tate, I can't ask you -
5905
5906 MIRANDA
5907 My company built it.
5908 GORDON
5909 Bruce Wayne built it.
5910 132.
5911
5912
5913 MIRANDA
5914 And he wanted to destroy it. It was
5915 me who didn't listen. Please.
5916Gordon looks at Blake. Then Miranda. Nods.
5917
5918 GORDON
5919 Let's go.
5920
5921EXT. GOTHAM STREET - DAY
5922
5923A Kid sprints down the deserted street, chased by two
5924Gangbangers. The Kid slips in the snow - the men are on him.
5925 GANGBANGER
5926 You steal from us, you little
5927 bastard?
5928They grab the Kid's backpack, the Gangbanger pulls out an
5929apple, moves to hit the Kid when - SMACK! - his hand is
5930grabbed, and the apple flies into the air as his arm cracks.
5931Selina catches the apple.
5932
5933 SELINA
5934 You boys know you can't come into
5935 my neighborhood without asking
5936 politely.
5937
5938Gangbanger 2 lunges with a knife - she spins him, making him
5939stab himself in the backside. The Gangbangers run off,
5940howling. The Kid eyes her, wary.
5941 SELINA
5942 Never steal anything from someone
5943 you can't outrun, kid.
5944 KID
5945 Now you're gonna take it.
5946
5947Selina looks at the red apple. Takes one perfect bite.
5948 SELINA
5949 Just tax.
5950She tosses him the apple. He takes it and runs.
5951
5952 WAYNE (O.S.)
5953 Pretty generous, for a thief.
5954Selina recognizes the voice. Turns to find Wayne - strong,
5955but weathered. Beard, work clothes.
5956 133.
5957
5958
5959 SELINA
5960 You came back. I thought they'd
5961 killed you.
5962 WAYNE
5963 Not yet.
5964 SELINA
5965 If you're expecting an apology -
5966 WAYNE
5967 It wouldn't suit you. I need your
5968 help.
5969 SELINA
5970 And why would I help you?
5971
5972Wayne pulls a USB drive out of his pocket.
5973 WAYNE
5974 For this. The 'Clean Slate'.
5975 SELINA
5976 You're gonna trust me with that?
5977 After what I did to you?
5978 WAYNE
5979 I admit I felt a little let down.
5980 But I still think there's more to
5981 you. In fact, I think for you -
5982 (indicates USB) this isn't a tool,
5983 it's an escape route. You want to
5984 disappear. Start fresh.
5985
5986She looks at him. Takes the drive, staring at it.
5987 SELINA
5988 Start fresh? I can't even get off
5989 this island.
5990
5991 WAYNE
5992 I can give you a way off. Once
5993 you've gotten me to Lucius Fox. I
5994 need you to find out where they're
5995 holding him. Then take me in.
5996
5997 SELINA
5998 Why do you need Fox?
5999 WAYNE
6000 To save this city.
6001 134.
6002
6003
6004 SELINA
6005 Who says it needs saving? Maybe I
6006 like it this way.
6007 WAYNE
6008 Maybe you do. But tomorrow that
6009 bomb's going off.
6010 SELINA
6011 Get your powerful friend on the
6012 case.
6013
6014 WAYNE
6015 I'm trying. But I need Fox.
6016
6017EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - DAY
6018
6019Gordon and his Men are in two-man teams. Gordon is walking
6020down the street with Miranda. He hands her a Geiger counter.
6021 GORDON
6022 Stay further up the block. (Points
6023 at Men.) They're gonna cross the
6024 street and try and slow the truck
6025 down. As it approaches, hit this
6026 button. If the needle hits two
6027 hundred - give me the signal and I
6028 mark the truck. Okay?
6029
6030 BLAKE
6031 (OVER RADIO)
6032 Heads up.
6033
6034Blake is up on a rooftop. Gordon moves down to the other end
6035of the block. As the truck rumbles into view, Gordon's Men
6036walk out into the street in front of it as if crossing the
6037road. The convoy barely slows. Miranda gives Gordon the
6038signal. As the truck comes past, he tosses a magnetic GPS
6039locator at the lower part of the truck...
6040
6041Gordon regroups with his Men on the corner. Checks his GPS.
6042 GORDON
6043 Got it.
6044
6045They keep moving, turning down the next street...into an
6046ambush. Dozens of Mercenaries, weapons trained.
6047 MERCENARY
6048 Commissioner Gordon, you're under
6049 arrest.
6050 135.
6051
6052 GORDON
6053 On whose authority?
6054 MERCERNARY
6055 The people of Gotham.
6056
6057Blake, from his vantage point, watches Gordon, Miranda and
6058the other Cops being rounded up and led away...
6059
6060INT. BASEMENT, ABANDONED STOCK EXCHANGE - DAY
6061
6062Miranda comforts a crying Woman in the corner. Thugs come
6063down the stairs, laughing, leading a Hooded Prisoner. They
6064kick him down the last step and he stumbles. Fox moves to
6065his aid.
6066
6067 BASEMENT THUG 1
6068 Find this one a spot, he's got a
6069 big day tomorrow.
6070They dump the Hooded Man with Fox.
6071
6072 BASEMENT THUG 2
6073 We all do. It's not every day you
6074 bag Bruce Wayne...
6075Fox hears this. Pulls the bag from Wayne's head. Wayne nods
6076at him, silent. Fox nods back. The Thugs leave. Miranda
6077comes over.
6078 MIRANDA
6079 Bruce?
6080
6081 FOX
6082 You picked a hell of a time to go
6083 on vacation, Mr. Wayne.
6084 WAYNE
6085 How long until the core ignites?
6086
6087 FOX
6088 That bomb goes off in twelve hours.
6089 WAYNE
6090 Unless we can connect it to the
6091 reactor.
6092 FOX
6093 If you can get it there. I'll find
6094 a way to plug it back in.
6095 (Indicates Miranda.) Can you get
6096 Miranda out?
6097 136.
6098
6099
6100 WAYNE
6101 Not tonight. I'm sorry.
6102 MIRANDA
6103 Do what's necessary.
6104
6105 WAYNE
6106 (TO FOX)
6107 Tonight I need you.
6108 FOX
6109 What for?
6110 WAYNE
6111 To get me back in the game.
6112Catwoman comes down the stairs with the Thugs.
6113
6114 CATWOMAN
6115 Sorry to spoil things, boys, but
6116 Bane wants these guys himself...
6117The thugs pull Wayne and Fox to their feet - Miranda looks
6118up.
6119 WAYNE
6120 I won't forget about you.
6121 MIRANDA
6122 I know.
6123
6124EXT. COLONNADE, HOLDING AREA - CONTINUOUS
6125The Thugs lead Wayne and Fox along the colonnade. Catwoman
6126spins, takes out one Thug with a heel, one with a punch to
6127the throat. Fox smiles as she unlocks his wrists.
6128 FOX
6129 I like your girlfriend, Mr. Wayne.
6130
6131 CATWOMAN
6132 He should be so lucky.
6133And she's gone. Fox turns to Wayne. Who shrugs.
6134
6135
6136INT. DARK SPACE - NIGHT
6137Lights flicker on... Wayne and Fox are in the Bat-Bunker.
6138 137.
6139
6140
6141 WAYNE
6142 Any move I make against Bane or the
6143 bomb - the triggerman sets it off.
6144 FOX
6145 They can't be using radio or cell -
6146 too much interference. Infrared
6147 doesn't have the range. It could
6148 only be micro-burst long wave...
6149Wayne opens a panel in the wall, takes out equipment:
6150mini-mines, Batarangs, utility belt...
6151 WAYNE
6152 Could you block it?
6153 FOX
6154 Yes. I need the EMP cannon-guidance
6155 mount from the Bat. You remember
6156 where you parked?
6157Wayne nods. Smiles. The Batsuit rises from the floor...
6158
6159
6160INT. ABANDONED STOCK EXCHANGE - EVENING (LATE DAY)
6161Gordon and his men on trial. Crane presides.
6162 CRANE
6163 The charges are espionage and
6164 attempted sabotage... Do you have
6165 anything to say in your defense?
6166 GORDON
6167 No lawyer, no witnesses. What sort
6168 of due process is this?
6169 CRANE
6170 More than you give Harvey's
6171 prisoners, Commissioner. Your guilt
6172 is determined, this is merely a
6173 sentencing hearing. What's it to
6174 be, death or exile?
6175 GORDON
6176 Crane, if you think we are going
6177 willingly out onto that ice, you've
6178 got another think coming.
6179 CRANE
6180 Death, then?
6181 138.
6182
6183
6184 GORDON
6185 Looks that way.
6186 CRANE
6187 Very well... Death... (Smiles.) By
6188 exile.
6189
6190He smashes his gavel. Bane leans in to one of his men,
6191indicates Miranda.
6192 BANE
6193 Bring her to me.
6194
6195INT. STAIRWELL, SKYSCRAPER - SUNSET
6196Wayne bounds up the stairs. Fox follows, out of breath
6197
6198 LUCIUS
6199 I think it's time to talk about my
6200 year-end bonus...
6201
6202
6203EXT. ROOFTOP, SKYSCRAPER, GOTHAM - MOMENTS LATER
6204Fox emerges to see Wayne uncovering the Bat... As the sun
6205sets, Fox starts pulling apart the gun mount.
6206 FOX
6207 She fly pretty well?
6208 WAYNE
6209 Even without the autopilot...
6210 FOX
6211 Autopilot? That's what you're there
6212 for.
6213
6214EXT. GOTHAM RIVER - NIGHT
6215
6216Gordon and the rest of the men stand at the edge of the ice.
6217A Mercenary fires his gun in the air. Gordon takes a breath,
6218then leads his men onto the ice...which creaks and groans...
6219Further out, Gordon stops - sniffs - looks down: a pool of
6220liquid, beside it: a flare. Gordon picks it up, puzzled.
6221 BATMAN (O.S.)
6222 Light it up.
6223 139.
6224
6225
6226Gordon, energized by the familiar voice, lights the flare -
6227jams it into the liquid, sending a trail of FIRE across the
6228ice - up into a building where it forms the shape of a
6229BAT...
6230
6231
6232INT. FOLEY'S BROWNSTONE - CONTINUOUS
6233 FOLEY'S KIDS
6234 Dad! Check it out!
6235
6236 FOLEY'S WIFE
6237 Honey, take a look!
6238Foley moves to a back window. Sees the flaming sign.
6239
6240
6241EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
6242A Mercenary nervously approaches Bane's back.
6243 MERCENARY
6244 Sir?
6245
6246Bane turns. The Mercenary points at the sign.
6247 MERCENARY
6248 You think it's really him?
6249
6250 BANE
6251 Impossible...
6252
6253INT. FOLEY'S BROWNSTONE, BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER
6254
6255Foley yanks up the floorboards. Pull his dress blues from
6256their hiding place.
6257
6258EXT. OUTFLOW PIPE, ACKERMAN PARK - CONTINUOUS
6259
6260Mercenaries guarding the entrance see the sign. One of them
6261moves out to get a better look. WHAM! He is taken out by a
6262dark figure. The figure steps into the light - it is
6263Blake...
6264
6265
6266EXT. GOTHAM RIVER - CONTINUOUS
6267Batman hands Gordon a metal box.
6268 140.
6269
6270 BATMAN
6271 This blocks the remote detonator
6272 signal to the bomb. Get it onto the
6273 truck by sunrise. They might hit
6274 the button when it starts.
6275
6276 GORDON
6277 When what starts?
6278 BATMAN
6279 War.
6280
6281
6282EXT. OUTFLOW PIPE, ACKERMAN PARK - CONTINUOUS
6283Blake takes out a second Mercenary - moves over to the open
6284manhole. Ross emerges - nots at Blake, who helps him climb
6285out. BANG - Ross goes down as Blake dives for cover. Blake
6286is grabbed by Mercenaries. They detonate the manhole,
6287sealing it, prepare to execute Blake. A dark shape drops
6288onto the Mercenaries... Blake watches, in awe, as Batman
6289takes them out in a fury of punches and kicks - then it is
6290finished. Quiet. One of the Mercenaries moves slightly.
6291 BLAKE
6292 You missed a spot.
6293Batman boots him in the head as he moves towards Blake.
6294
6295 BATMAN
6296 If you're working alone, wear a
6297 mask.
6298 BLAKE
6299 No one cares who I am.
6300 BATMAN
6301 The mask is not for you. It's to
6302 protect the people you care about.
6303
6304 BLAKE
6305 Huh. And you always seem to know
6306 where those people are. How is
6307 that?
6308 BATMAN
6309 I lost someone once. Since then I
6310 break into their homes when they're
6311 sleeping and implant a tracking
6312 device on the back of their neck.
6313
6314Blake laughs. Then feels the back of his neck. Batman tosses
6315Blake a mini-mine.
6316 141.
6317
6318
6319 BATMAN
6320 On three - one, two, three -
6321They throw the mini-mines at the rubble of the entrance -
6322the blasts barely move any rubble.
6323
6324 BLAKE
6325 No offense, but you got anything
6326 bigger in that belt?
6327 BATMAN
6328 That's to warn the men on the other
6329 side.
6330Batman disappears into the shadows.
6331 BLAKE
6332 But how do we -?
6333KAABOOOM! The Bat's cannons light up the night.
6334 BLAKE
6335 Okay.
6336
6337Cops climb out into the cold night - skinny, ragged, but
6338glad to be alive and carrying guns...
6339 BLAKE
6340 What now?
6341
6342 BATMAN
6343 All-out assault on Bane...but you
6344 need to get the people you care
6345 about across the bridge.
6346
6347 BLAKE
6348 Why?
6349 BATMAN
6350 In case we fail. Lead an exodus
6351 across the bridge. Save as many
6352 lives as you can.
6353 BLAKE
6354 Don't you need me here?
6355
6356 BATMAN
6357 You've given me an army. Now go.
6358Blake nods. Turns to leave. Stops.
6359 142.
6360
6361 BLAKE
6362 Thank you.
6363
6364 BATMAN
6365 Don't thank me yet.
6366 BLAKE
6367 I might not get a chance later.
6368
6369Batman nods. Blake disappears into the night.
6370
6371EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
6372Gordon checks the metal box. Puts it under his coat. Nods at
6373his men, hiding in the doorways. Checks his GPS...
6374
6375EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT
6376Batman leads Catwoman to a rusty old container. He opens it,
6377revealing the Bat-Pod. Catwoman's eyes light up.
6378 CATWOMAN
6379 Oh, you shouldn't have...
6380She hops on, feeling the controls.
6381
6382 BATMAN
6383 The mid-town tunnel's blocked by
6384 debris, but the cannons give you
6385 enough firepower to make a path for
6386 people.
6387
6388Catwoman marvels at the controls...
6389 BATMAN
6390 To start it, you -
6391
6392VARROOOM!
6393 CATWOMAN
6394 I got it.
6395
6396 BATMAN
6397 We've got forty-five minutes to
6398 save this city -
6399 CATWOMAN
6400 No, I've got forty-five minutes to
6401 get clear of the blast radius,
6402 because you don't stand a chance
6403 against these guys.
6404 143.
6405
6406 BATMAN
6407 With your help I might.
6408
6409She shakes her head.
6410 CATWOMAN
6411 I'll open that tunnel, then I'm
6412 gone.
6413
6414He looks at her.
6415 BATMAN
6416 There's more to you than that.
6417She stares back at him. Facade slipping a touch.
6418
6419 CATWOMAN
6420 Sorry to keep letting you down.
6421He says nothing. She looks at him, imploring.
6422 Come with me. Save yourself. You
6423 don't owe these people anymore -
6424 you've given them everything...
6425 BATMAN
6426 Not everything. Not yet.
6427
6428Batman turns. Catwoman watches him go. Then fires up the
6429bike and takes off.
6430
6431EXT. STREETS LEADING TO SOUTH TUNNEL - NIGHT
6432
6433Catwoman tears along on the Bat-Pod. She pulls up at the
6434tunnel entrance blocked by stacked vehicles.
6435
6436EXT. DOWNTOWN STREETS - DAWN
6437
6438The army of Cops stands at the low end of the street. At the
6439op is Bane's stronghold - City Hall. Men pour out of the
6440building, forming up into an opposing line.
6441A Cop wearing full dress blues steps forward. It is Foley.
6442The silence is eerie... The numbers look evenly matched -
6443until two Tumblers arrive.
6444 VOICE
6445 (OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
6446 DISPERSE. DISPERSE OR BE FIRED
6447 UPON.
6448The Cops look shaky, pale, but determined.
6449 144.
6450
6451
6452 FOLEY
6453 There's only one police in this
6454 city.
6455He steps forward. The line follows.
6456
6457
6458EXT. CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6459Bane stands in the colonnade. Watching.
6460
6461 BANE
6462 Open fire.
6463
6464EXT. STREET, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS
6465
6466The Tumblers FIRE into the line of Cops, THROWING men into
6467the air, SCREAMING. The line of Cops is about to scatter -
6468WHOOOSHHH. The Bat DROPS down in front of the Cops and
6469BLASTS both Tumblers, FLIPPING them sideways. The Bat RISES
6470and the cops run towards the Mercenaries, firing - until
6471they are close enough to fight hand-to-hand. The street is
6472filled with thousands of men in pitched battle.
6473
6474EXT. STREETS LEADING TO SOUTH TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS
6475Catwoman, hearing the distant battle, blasts the tunnel
6476blockage...the dust settles. Her path is clear.
6477
6478EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
6479Gordon heard the fighting. Checks the box. Nervous.
6480
6481 GORDON
6482 Come on, come on...
6483
6484EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - CONTINUOUS
6485
6486Bane strides through the battle, taking out Cops left and
6487right. A space clears - he is face the face with the
6488Batman...
6489
6490 BANE
6491 You came back. To die with your
6492 city.
6493 BATMAN
6494 No. I came back to stop you.
6495 145.
6496
6497
6498Bane leaps at Batman, smashing powerful blows into his head.
6499Batman ducks, weaves and smashes his fists into Bane's side.
6500Someone is watching from the window of City Hall - Miranda.
6501
6502
6503EXT. GOTHAM STREET - CONTINUOUS
6504The black truck rounds the corner. Gordon signals his man in
6505a Greyhound bus - who pulls across the street. The truck
6506smashes into the bus and stops. Gordon and his men swarm in,
6507blasting at the Guards. Gordon opens the back - empty. No
6508bomb. Wrong truck.
6509 GORDON
6510 That's impossible... Come on! Cut
6511 over to Fifth!
6512
6513They sprint for the next parallel avenue...
6514
6515INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
6516
6517Fox hurries into the reactor - starts throwing switches...
6518
6519EXT. ST. SWITHIN'S HOME FOR BOYS - CONTINUOUS
6520Blake leads the boys out of the home - points down the
6521street.
6522 BLAKE
6523 Knock on doors, spread the word -
6524 the bomb's going to blow! Get out
6525 by the South Street tunnel, or over
6526 the bridge! Do two blocks, then get
6527 back to the bus!
6528The boys race down the street. Father Reilly climbs into the
6529bus.
6530
6531
6532EXT. DOWNTOWN STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6533Batman and Bane fight, Batman pushing Bane back - a Tumbler
6534roars between them, separating them. Batman chases after.
6535 146.
6536
6537
6538INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6539Bane SMASHES backwards through the door, Batman on him.
6540Batman POUNDS Bane against the marble floor. Mercenaries
6541guarding Miranda move towards them -
6542
6543 BANE
6544 Stay back. He is mine -
6545Bane SMASHES Batman's head - moves in for the kill, but
6546Batman SMASHES Bane to the ground, RIPS sideways across the
6547tubes of Bane's mask with the blades of his forearm. Bane
6548bellows, thrashing in AGONY. Batman holds him down with a
6549hand on his throat - searches him with his free hand.
6550 BATMAN
6551 Give me the trigger! You'd never
6552 give it to an ordinary citizen -
6553Bane's thrashing calms as he stares at Batman through
6554pain-soaked eyes...gasping through his broken mask for
6555relief.
6556
6557 BANE
6558 I broke you. How have you come
6559 back?
6560 BATMAN
6561 You thought you were the only one
6562 who could learn the strength to
6563 escape?
6564Bane looks at Batman, curiosity behind his pain.
6565
6566 BANE
6567 I never escaped - R¯'s al Gh¯l
6568 A U
6569 rescued me. That is why I must
6570 fulfill his plan. That is why I
6571 must avenge his murder.
6572
6573 BATMAN
6574 (CONFUSED)
6575 The child of R¯'s al Gh¯l made the
6576 A U
6577 CLIMB -
6578 MIRANDA (O.S)
6579 But he is not the child of R¯'s al
6580 A
6581 Gh¯l...
6582 U
6583Batman flinches, frozen as Miranda leans into his ear...
6584 147.
6585
6586
6587 MIRANDA
6588 I am.
6589Miranda has a knife through Batman's suit, into his ribs...
6590 And though I am not 'ordinary', I
6591 am a citizen...
6592
6593She pulls out the trigger...
6594
6595EXT. FIFTH STREET - CONTINUOUS
6596
6597Gordon spots the second black truck moving down the street.
6598His men pull in front, slowing it. Gordon jumps into the
6599back. The truck accelerates - Gordon drops, hanging on to
6600the bumper, struggling with the box, trying to turn it on...
6601
6602
6603INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6604Batman cannot move to defend himself. He has Bane by the
6605throat, but Miranda has her knife in his side -
6606
6607 MIRANDA/TALIA
6608 My mother named me Talia before she
6609 was killed. The way I would've been
6610 killed if not for my
6611 protector...Bane.
6612
6613INSERT CUT: the child, Talia, makes eye-contact with the
6614Protector, then leaps. Down below, Prisoners swarm over the
6615protector, ripping the muslin from his face. Bane looks up
6616at Talia, says one quiet word -
6617 BANE
6618 Goodbye.
6619Then is overrun.
6620 TALIA
6621 I climbed out of the pit...
6622INSERT CUT: Young Talia stands by the hole looking out at
6623the landscape...
6624 I found my father and brought him
6625 back to exact terrible vengeance -
6626 but by that time...the prisoners
6627 and the doctor had done their work
6628 to my friend...my protector...
6629Talia reaches up to touch Bane's mask.
6630 148.
6631
6632INSERT CUT: the League of Shadows descend into the prison -
6633at their head, R¯'s al Gh¯l. They slaughter prisoners. Then
6634 A U
6635stop. R¯'s al Gh¯l has found Bane, bandaged.
6636 A U
6637
6638 TALIA
6639 The League took us in. Trained
6640 us...
6641
6642
6643INT. TEMPLE, LEAGUE OF SHADOWS - DAY
6644Bane in a prototype mask, stands on logs, blocking blows
6645from men with sticks.
6646 TALIA (V.O.)
6647 But my father could not accept
6648 Bane.
6649R¯'s al Gh¯l watches Bane training. Turns away.
6650 A U
6651
6652
6653INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6654Talia looks into Bane's eyes as she holds the knife in
6655Batman's side.
6656 TALIA
6657 He saw only a monster who could
6658 never be tamed. Whose very
6659 existence was a reminder of the
6660 hell he'd left his wife to die in.
6661 He excommunicated Bane from the
6662 League of Shadows. His only crime
6663 was that he loved me. I could not
6664 truly forgive my father...
6665Talia looks at Batman, cold.
6666 Until you murdered him.
6667
6668 BATMAN
6669 He was trying to kill millions of
6670 innocent people -
6671 TALIA
6672 'Innocent' is a strong word to
6673 throw around Gotham, Bruce. I honor
6674 my father by finishing his work.
6675 Vengeance against the man who
6676 killed him is simply a reward for
6677 my patience...
6678
6679Talia twists the knife in Batman's side.
6680 You see, it's the slow knife...the
6681 knife that takes its time, the
6682 (MORE)
6683 149.
6684
6685 TALIA (CONT'D)
6686 knife that waits years without
6687 forgetting, then slips quietly
6688 between bones...that's the knife -
6689Talia arms the trigger...
6690 - that cuts deepest.
6691She hits the button - nothing.
6692
6693
6694EXT. FIFTH STREET - CONTINUOUS
6695A light on the metal box is blinking. Gordon hangs on -
6696
6697
6698INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6699Talia turns, furious.
6700 BATMAN
6701 Your knife may have been too
6702 slow...
6703A Mercenary steps forward -
6704 MERCENARY
6705 The truck's under attack -
6706Talia looks around, mind racing.
6707 TALIA
6708 Gordon. (To Batman.) You gave him a
6709 way to block my signal. No matter -
6710 (Looks at watch.) He's bought
6711 Gotham eleven minutes. (Shouts at
6712 Mercenary.) Prepare a convoy. We
6713 must secure the bomb until it
6714 detonates.
6715Talia jumps to her feet. Bane grabs a shotgun from a
6716Mercenary - points it at Batman.
6717 TALIA
6718 Not yet... I want him to feel the
6719 heat. (To Batman.) Feel the fire of
6720 twelve million souls you failed.
6721Talia reaches up to Bane's mask, reconnects his tubes,
6722tenderly.
6723 Goodbye, my friend.
6724Bane nods at her, slowly. Talia moves out with the
6725Mercenaries.
6726 150.
6727
6728
6729EXT. CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6730Talia gets into a Tumbler with a Mercenary. Three Tumblers
6731pull out in convoy, blowing anything out of the way - cars,
6732cops.
6733
6734Foley stands in the road, firing his sidearm. Talia's
6735Tumbler SMASHES him out of the way.
6736
6737INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6738
6739Bane grabs Batman, throws him into the floor - checks the
6740rounds in the barrels.
6741 BANE
6742 You'll have to imagine the fire -
6743
6744He shuts the gun - jams it into Batman's face.
6745 We both know I need to kill you
6746 now.
6747He squeezes the trigger. BLAMMM! Bane is blasted across the
6748lobby by cannon fire.
6749Catwoman is there, on the Bat-Pod.
6750 CATWOMAN
6751 The whole no-guns thing? I don't
6752 feel as strongly about it as you
6753 do.
6754
6755EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
6756
6757Blake pulls up to the barricade, leads the kids off,
6758marching them up the bridge, Father Reilly at the rear. A
6759Uniform shouts through the loudhailer -
6760 UNIFORM
6761 Stay there! What are you doing?!
6762 BLAKE
6763 (PULLS BADGE)
6764 Blake, MCU - I'm getting these boys
6765 to safety -
6766
6767 UNIFORM
6768 Safety?! You're gonna get us all
6769 killed. Anyone crosses this bridge
6770 they blow the city -
6771 151.
6772
6773
6774 BLAKE
6775 It's gonna blow anyway. We need
6776 this bridge open right now.
6777 UNIFORM
6778 No one leaves the island. Orders -
6779 BLAKE
6780 Whose orders? Bane's?
6781 UNIFORM
6782 Police Department's.
6783 BLAKE
6784 Haven't you heard the shooting? The
6785 Batman's battling it out with Bane
6786 -
6787
6788 UNIFORM
6789 The Batman's dead. Look, Officer -
6790 BLAKE
6791 It's Detective -
6792
6793 UNIFORM
6794 Well, Detective, you take one more
6795 step, we have to shoot you. Two
6796 more steps, we have to blow the
6797 bridge.
6798
6799 BLAKE
6800 (to the boys)
6801 Wait for me back at the bus.
6802The Boys walk back down the bridge...
6803
6804
6805EXT. DOWNTOWN STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6806Talia's convoy surrounds the black truck. Tumblers off each
6807flank, protecting the bomb as it counts down...
6808
6809INT. LOBBY, CITY HALL - CONTINUOUS
6810Batman looks at Catwoman.
6811
6812 BATMAN
6813 I need you on the ground, me in the
6814 air, we have to force that convoy
6815 east, to the entrance to the
6816 REACTOR -
6817 152.
6818
6819
6820EXT. CITY HALL - MOMENTS LATER
6821Catwoman roars down the steps on the Bat-Pod.
6822
6823INT. BLACK TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
6824
6825Gordon climbs into the back of the truck - the bomb is
6826there, heating up. He looks at the countdown - nine
6827minutes...
6828
6829
6830EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
6831Blake turns back to the Uniform.
6832 BLAKE
6833 Your orders are out of date! The
6834 situation's changed! Listen, I'm a
6835 cop like you. And I'm walking out
6836 there. Please don't shoot me.
6837Blake walks. Shots ring out at his feet. He keeps walking...
6838
6839
6840EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6841The Bat descends on the convoy, Catwoman approaches on the
6842ground. A rolling battle ensues. Catwoman targets the rear
6843of the Tumblers, Batman swings the Bat in low at the
6844junctions, trying to force the convoy east...
6845The Tumbler's gun turrets swing around onto Catwoman. She
6846swerves to avoid heavy fire.
6847
6848
6849EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
6850Blake continues to walk, ignoring the warning shots.
6851 UNIFORM
6852 Son-of-a-bitch! (To his partner.)
6853 Blow it! Before he reaches the line
6854 -
6855His partner arms the detonator. Uniform shouts at Blake -
6856
6857 UNIFORM
6858 Get down! We're blowing the bridge!
6859As Blake looks, disbelieving, the bridge in front of him
6860blasts upwards in a massive fireball. Blake dives backwards.
6861 153.
6862
6863
6864EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6865The Bat blasts away in front of the convoy, making a huge
6866crater in front of a Tumbler and trapping it, rear in the
6867air. Catwoman dodges around it, uses the Bat-Pod cannons to
6868take out another Tumbler... The countdown ticks away...seven
6869minutes.
6870
6871INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
6872
6873As Fox fires up the reactor something catches his eye -
6874something is wrong...
6875
6876EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
6877
6878The smoke clears, Blake sees the impossible gap.
6879 BLAKE
6880 You idiots! You sons of bitches!
6881 You're killing us!!
6882
6883
6884INT. BLACK TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
6885Gordon climbs out the back of the truck but is immediately
6886strafed by gunfire from the Tumblers. He dives back inside,
6887moves to the front of the trailer - looks at the bulkhead,
6888gauging the driver's position. Starts firing blind through
6889the bulkhead -
6890
6891INT. CAB, BLACK TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
6892
6893Bullets fly through the cab. The driver takes one, falls
6894forward, dead. Talia takes the wheel - bullets keep coming.
6895
6896EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
6897
6898Blake races back. Father Reilly has the boys in a huddle,
6899 PRAYING -
6900 BLAKE
6901 Father! Get the boys on the bus -
6902
6903 FATHER REILLY
6904 But there's nowhere to go, son.
6905 154.
6906
6907
6908EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6909The Bat spins down in front of the black truck, forcing it
6910into a hard right turn...
6911
6912
6913INT. TRUCK - CONTINUOUS
6914Talia watches the navigation screen.
6915 TUMBLER DRIVER
6916 (OVER RADIO)
6917 They're trying to force us onto
6918 GRAND -
6919 TALIA
6920 Pushing us to the entrance of the
6921 reactor. They're going to try and
6922 reconnect the core.
6923 TUMBLER DRIVER
6924 (OVER RADIO)
6925 Can they?
6926
6927Talia smiles.
6928
6929INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
6930
6931Fox runs to a ladder. Alarms sound. As he hits the ladder he
6932turns. A massive rumble builds - water SMASHES into the
6933reactor, flooding in from both directions.
6934
6935EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - CONTINUOUS
6936
6937Catwoman comes up behind the lead Tumbler. She blasts it
6938again and again - it flips diagonally into the path of the
6939black truck, causing the truck to lurch onto its side. Both
6940vehicles careen into the mouth of the tunnel.
6941
6942
6943INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
6944Fox loops his arm around a rung of the ladder and braces as
6945a wave smashes into him, painfully...
6946 155.
6947
6948
6949EXT. TUNNEL ENTRANCE - CONTINUOUS
6950Gordon jumps out of the truck, opening the rear doors to
6951expose the glowing core. Catwoman pulls up on the Bat-Pod.
6952 GORDON
6953 Give me a hand!
6954The Bat lands at the tunnel mouth. Gordon moves in to try
6955and grab the core but it is too hot.
6956 Let's get a cable on it and drag it
6957 out! Come on, we're almost there -
6958Laughter. Gordon turns. Talia, lying half out the truck.
6959Dying.
6960 TALIA
6961 Fox showed me how to operate the
6962 reactor core. Including the
6963 emergency flood -
6964
6965INT. REACTOR PLANT - CONTINUOUS
6966
6967Fox pulls himself above the rising whitewater -
6968
6969EXT. TUNNEL ENTRANCE - CONTINUOUS
6970
6971Gordon looks down at Talia. Batman is at his side.
6972 TALIA
6973 There is no way to stop this bomb.
6974 Prepare yourselves... (Looks up at
6975 Batman.) My father's work is done.
6976
6977Talia smiles as her eyes flutter closed. Gordon turns -
6978Batman is at the core, plunging his hands into the heat to
6979attach a hoist from the Bat.
6980 GORDON
6981 What're you doing?
6982 BATMAN
6983 Two minutes. I can fly it out over
6984 the bay...
6985
6986Catwoman is at his side as he works.
6987 CATWOMAN
6988 Rig it out to fly over the water,
6989 then bail -
6990 156.
6991
6992
6993 BATMAN
6994 No autopilot.
6995She takes this in. He stands to face her.
6996 CATWOMAN
6997 You could've gone anywhere. Been
6998 anything. But you came back here.
6999 BATMAN
7000 So did you.
7001
7002 CATWOMAN
7003 I guess we're both suckers.
7004She puts her arms around his neck. Kisses him. Batman moves
7005to the Bat, Gordon alongside.
7006
7007 GORDON
7008 So this is the part where you
7009 vanish, only this time you don't
7010 come back?
7011
7012Batman opens the canopy.
7013
7014EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
7015Blake grabs at the smallest boys, shoving them onto the bus.
7016
7017 BLAKE
7018 Come on! On the bus!
7019 FATHER REILLY
7020 What're you doing?
7021
7022 BLAKE
7023 Protection from the blast -
7024 FATHER REILLY
7025 It's an atom bomb -!
7026
7027Blake turns on Father Reilly, furious.
7028 BLAKE
7029 You think they need to hear that in
7030 their last seconds? You think I'm
7031 going to let them die without hope?
7032 157.
7033
7034
7035EXT. TUNNEL ENTRANCE - CONTINUOUS
7036Gordon puts a hand on Batman's arm.
7037 GORDON
7038 I never cared who you were -
7039
7040 BATMAN
7041 And you were right.
7042 GORDON
7043 But shouldn't the people know the
7044 hero who saved them?
7045 BATMAN
7046 A hero can be anyone. That was
7047 always the point.
7048
7049Batman sits into the cockpit, then looks again at Gordon.
7050 Anyone. A man doing something as
7051 simple and reassuring as putting a
7052 coat around a little boy's
7053 shoulders to let him know that the
7054 world hadn't ended...
7055The canopy closes - and as the Bat fires up Gordon remembers
7056 -
7057INSERT CUT: Gordon, in his uniform, wraps the overcoat
7058around the Young Bruce's shoulders, his eyes reassuring,
7059loving.
7060Gordon looks up to the cockpit -
7061 GORDON
7062 Bruce Wayne?
7063- but is dusted by downdraft as the Bat RISES. Gordon LEAPS
7064out of the way as the core is dragged along and out of the
7065tunnel mouth.
7066
7067The Bat struggles with the weight of the smoking core... A
7068building is in the way - Batman fights the controls but
7069there's no power to get over it.
7070
7071
7072EXT. GOTHAM BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
7073Blake shouts into the bus -
7074 BLAKE
7075 Heads down! Heads down, now!
7076 158.
7077
7078
7079 FATHER REILLY
7080 Blake, they need to make their
7081 peace.
7082Blake turns to him, furious.
7083
7084 BLAKE
7085 They're children! They have no
7086 peace to make -
7087An EXPLOSION from downtown Gotham. Blake looks across,
7088startled, turns to the children on the bus.
7089 Get down! This is it!
7090The smallest of the boys stares through the window past
7091Blake.
7092
7093 LITTLE BOY
7094 No. That's Batman!
7095Blake turns to see the Bat thundering out of the heart of
7096Gotham, trailing smoke, the core hanging from it. It curves
7097dangerously close to the bridge before heading for the mouth
7098of the river...the bay...the ocean...
7099Until a point of light fires into an enormous nuclear BLAST
7100- wind and light and dust blowing VIOLENTLY but harmlessly
7101over the bridge, the tunnel mouth, all of Gotham...
7102
7103As the nuclear dawn fades over Gotham, and we see its
7104inhabitants start to raise their heads, and helicopters and
7105boats converge on the island, we hear a voice. Jim Gordon.
7106 GORDON (V.O.)
7107 'I see a beautiful city and a
7108 brilliant people rising from this
7109 abyss...'
7110Blake pulls out his badge. Throws it into the river.
7111
7112 GORDON (V.O.)
7113 'I see the lives for which I lay
7114 down my life, peaceful, useful,
7115 prosperous and happy...'
7116
7117
7118EXT. GARDENS, WAYNE MANOR - DAY
7119Gordon is reading from A Tale of Two Cities. Opposite is
7120Fox, arm in a sling, and Blake, grim. Another figure is
7121there, whose face we do not yet see...
7122 159.
7123
7124
7125 GORDON
7126 'I see that I hold a sanctuary in
7127 their hearts, and in the hearts of
7128 their descendants, generations
7129 hence. It is a far, far better
7130 thing that I do, than I have ever
7131 done...'
7132Gordon closes the book, looking down at Bruce Wayne's grave.
7133 'It is a far, far better rest that
7134 I go to than I have ever known.'
7135
7136Gordon looks up at the figure standing across from him...
7137Alfred. Tears streaming.
7138Fox places a gentle hand on Alfred's shoulder, then leaves.
7139Gordon and Blake follow. Alfred, alone with the Wayne
7140family, turns to the grave beside Bruce's - the grave of
7141Thomas and Martha Wayne.
7142 ALFRED
7143 I'm so sorry. I failed you. You
7144 trusted me, and I failed you.
7145And the old man's shoulders begin to shake with sobs.
7146
7147EXT. FRONT ENTRANCE, WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS
7148
7149Gordon nods at Lucius. Blake is at Gordon's side.
7150 GORDON
7151 Can I change your mind about
7152 quitting the force?
7153
7154 BLAKE
7155 No. What you said about structures.
7156 About shackles. I can't take it.
7157 The injustice. (Gestures at
7158 gardens.) I mean...no one's ever
7159 going to know who saved an entire
7160 city.
7161 GORDON
7162 They know. (Off look.) It was
7163 Batman.
7164 160.
7165
7166
7167EXT. PLAZA, DOWNTOWN GOTHAM - DAY
7168Gordon, on a platform with dignitaries, watches a statue
7169being unveiled. The curtain parts: Batman, immortalized in
7170granite. We move in on the stone face...
7171
7172 VOICE (V.O.)
7173 Mr. Wayne's will was not amended to
7174 reflect his more modest estate...
7175
7176
7177INT. LAWYER'S OFFICE - DAY
7178The voice belongs to Wayne's lawyer, addressing a small
7179group.
7180 LAWYER
7181 Nonetheless, there are considerable
7182 assets to dispose of... The
7183 contents of the house are to be
7184 SOLD -
7185He glances up to see someone slip into the room - Blake.
7186
7187
7188EXT. WAYNE MANOR - DAY
7189Movers carefully bring artworks and furniture out of the
7190house, watched by a solitary figure. Alfred.
7191
7192 LAWYER (V.O.)
7193 - to settle the estate's accounts.
7194 The remainder is left in its
7195 entirety to Alfred J. Pennyworth...
7196
7197
7198INT. LAWYER'S OFFICE - DAY
7199Blake shifts. Out of place. The Lawyer continues.
7200 LAWYER
7201 The house and grounds are left to
7202 the city of Gotham, on condition
7203 that they never be demolished,
7204 altered, or otherwise interfered
7205 WITH -
7206 161.
7207
7208
7209EXT. WAYNE MANOR - DAY
7210Different movers carry bunk beds into the huge house.
7211 LAWYER (V.O.)
7212 And that they shall be used for one
7213 purpose, and one purpose only...
7214A schoolbus pulls up. Father Reilly shepherds children
7215towards the house. The children look up at the house,
7216wide-eyed.
7217 The housing and care of the city's
7218 at-risk and orphaned children.
7219A sign reads:
7220THE MARTHA AND THOMAS WAYNE HOME FOR CHILDREN
7221
7222
7223INT. LAWYER'S OFFICE - DAY
7224People file out as the Lawyer stands.
7225
7226 LAWYER
7227 My clerk will help anyone with the
7228 smaller correspondences and
7229 instructions...
7230Blake approaches the Clerk. She smiles.
7231
7232 BLAKE
7233 Blake, John.
7234 CLERK
7235 (CHECKS LIST)
7236 Nothing here.
7237Blake realizes, offers her his driving license.
7238 BLAKE
7239 Try my legal name.
7240
7241The Clerk glances at the license. Checks.
7242 CLERK
7243 Yup, here it is.
7244
7245She reaches down behind the desk, sorting through various
7246items, and hands him a sports bag. Blake takes it, curious.
7247 CLERK
7248 You should use your full name. I
7249 like that name... Robin.
7250 162.
7251
7252Blake smiles, embarrassed. Leaves.
7253 LAWYER
7254 Any word on the missing item?
7255 CLERK
7256 No, not yet.
7257 LAWYER
7258 Well, they'd better leave no stone
7259 unturned... We can't just put a
7260 string of pearls on the manifest as
7261 'lost'.
7262
7263
7264INT. APPLIED SCIENCES - DAY
7265Fox stands in front of the second camouflage rotor. Two
7266Techs are examining the controls in the cockpit.
7267 TECH 1
7268 Why worry about the stabilization
7269 software? This whole autopilot
7270 system's obsolete -
7271 FOX
7272 Please, I just need to know what I
7273 could've done to fix it.
7274 TECH 2
7275 But Mr. Fox, it's already been
7276 fixed. (Typed on panel.) Software
7277 patch...six months ago.
7278 FOX
7279 (CONFUSED)
7280 Check the user ident on the
7281 patch...
7282
7283Tech 2 types some more keys. Looks surprised.
7284 TECH 2
7285 Huh. Bruce Wayne.
7286
7287Fox turns away from the rotor, an idea starting to form...
7288
7289EXT. WOODS - DAY
7290Blake sits in his car looking at a GPS device, puzzled.
7291Beside him, the sports bag, open. In it is a piece of paper
7292with coordinates, on top of some climbing rope and shackles.
7293Blake gets out of the car with the bag. Follows the GPS into
7294the trees.
7295 163.
7296
7297
7298EXT. CAFÉ, FLORENCE - DAY
7299Alfred, paper under his arm, heads to his usual table. Sits.
7300 WAITER
7301 Lei e solo?
7302
7303 ALFRED
7304 Si, Fernet Branca, per cortesia.
7305
7306
7307EXT. WOODS - DAY
7308Blake finds a large waterfall... He checks his GPS,
7309confused. Stares at the waterfall. Reaches for the climbing
7310gear...
7311
7312
7313EXT. MCU - NIGHT
7314Gordon steps onto the roof with his pile of arrest
7315reports...
7316
7317
7318EXT. CAFÉ, FLORENCE - DAY
7319As Alfred sips his drink, he glances up at a couple at the
7320next table. Strangers. Alfred looks back down...
7321
7322
7323INT. CAVE - DAY
7324Moving in on the waterfall from inside... Blake bursts
7325through, landing painfully on the shale inside. he gets to
7326his feet, moving cautiously into the cave...
7327
7328
7329EXT. MCU - NIGHT
7330Gordon bangs his files against the air duct, straightening
7331them. He stops. Sees something. The searchlight...fixed.
7332Gordon runs his fingers across a brand new, steel Bat
7333symbol... He looks up into the night...
7334
7335INT. CAVE - DAY
7336
7337Blake lights his torch...then ducks, crouching, as THOUSANDS
7338of SCREECHING creatures descend. BATS...
7339 164.
7340
7341
7342EXT. CAFÉ, FLORENCE - DAY
7343Alfred folds his paper. Pulls out his money, then stops,
7344seeing...across the tables, a familiar couple... Bruce
7345smiles at Alfred, who nods. Bruce turns back to the pretty
7346brunette in pearls. Selina. Alfred pays his bill, content.
7347
7348
7349INT. CAVE - DAY
7350Blake lifts his head, FEELING the bats all around him...
7351Blake RISES, and is SWALLOWED by the darkness of their wings
7352and we -
7353FADE OUT.
7354CREDITS.
7355
7356THE END.