Alfred takes his tray into the bedroom. The bed is empty.
ALFRED
Master Wayne?
Alfred’s voice echoes through the vast mansion. No reply.
INT. STUDY, WAYNE MANOR – MOMENTS LATER 28
Alfred hits three notes on the piano. The bookcase opens.
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT – CONTINUOUS 29
Alfred descends into the caverns beneath Wayne Manor.
INT. BATCAVE – CONTINUOUS 30
Alfred walks through the arches as the stone floor starts to lower, becoming a ramp. At the bottom, Alfred is level with a series of dark slate obelisks – a bridge over the water to where Wayne sits at a computer atop a massive slate cube.
ALFRED
You haven’t been down here in a long time …
WAYNE
Just trying to find out more about our jewel thief. I ran her prints from the photos she handled –
Wayne pulls up a mug shot – a fat, male armed-robbery suspect.
– but she was wearing someone else’s fingerprints. She’s good.
ALFRED
She may be. But we have the trace on the necklace.
WAYNE
We do, so I cross-referenced the address she went back to with police data on high-end B-and-E’s …
Wayne hits a key. A photograph of the Maid appears.
Selina Kyle. The databases are full of close calls, tips from fences …
Newspaper headlines appear – THE CAT STRIKES AGAIN, POLICE SUSPECT ‘CAT’ BURGLAR IN JEWEL HEIST.
WAYNE
She’s good, but the ground is shrinking beneath her feet.
ALFRED
We should send the police before she fences the pearls.
WAYNE
She won’t. She likes them too much. And they weren’t what she was after.
ALFRED
What was she after?
WAYNE
My fingerprints. There was printer toner mixed with graphite on the safe. Gives you a good pull, and it’s untraceable.
ALFRED
Fascinating. Perhaps you could trade notes over coffee.
WAYNE
Now you’re trying to set me up with a jewel thief?
ALFRED
At this point, sir, I would set you up with a chimpanzee if I thought it would bring you back to the world.
WAYNE
There’s nothing out there for me.
ALFRED
And that’s the problem. You hung up the cape and cowl, but never moved on. You won’t get out there and find a life. Find someone –
WAYNE
(bitter)
I did find someone, Alfred.
ALFRED
I know. And then you lost them. That’s part of living, sir. But you’re not living – you’re waiting. Hoping for things to go bad again.
Wayne says nothing.
Remember when you left Gotham? Before all this. Before Batman. Seven years you were gone. Seven years I waited. Hoping that you wouldn’t come back.
Wayne looks at Alfred. Not understanding.
Every year I took my holiday. I’d go to Florence. There’s a café by the Arno … Any fine evening I would sit there and order a Fernet Branca …
Insert cut: Alfred seated in a café sipping his drink …
I had a fantasy. I liked to imagine that one day I’d look across the tables, and see you. Sitting there with your wife. Perhaps some kids. You wouldn’t say anything to me, or me to you, but we’d both know … that you’d made it. That you were happy.
Insert cut: Alfred spots a couple at another table and looks closer, hopeful. But they are strangers.
I never wanted you to come back to Gotham. I knew there was nothing here for you but pain and tragedy, and I wanted more for you than that. I still do.
Alfred leaves Wayne to his cave. His bats.
EXT. WATER TREATMENT FACILITY – DAY 31
Blake and his partner, Ross, get out of their patrol car. A DWP Man leads them down a long concrete trough.
DWP MAN
They wash up a couple times a month. More when it gets colder – homeless sheltering in the tunnels. We had to pull him to clear the basin, but other than that we didn’t touch him …
They come out by the catchment basin. Above the grille lies a body – a teenage boy. Blake looks down at him. Freezes.
ROSS
What?
BLAKE
Name’s Jimmy. He’s at St. Swithin’s. (Off look.) The boys’ home where I … I coach some ball.
EXT. ST. SWITHIN’S HOME FOR BOYS – DAY 32
Blake looks up at the shabby building.
INT. ST. SWITHIN’S HOME FOR BOYS – MOMENTS LATER 33
Blake is talking to Father Reilly.
FATHER REILLY
Jimmy hadn’t been here for months.
BLAKE
Why?
FATHER REILLY
You know why, Blake – he aged out. We don’t have the resources to keep boys on after sixteen –
BLAKE
The Wayne Foundation gives money for that –
FATHER REILLY
Not for two years now.
BLAKE
He has a brother here, right?
FATHER REILLY
Mark. I’ll tell him.
BLAKE
I’d like to, if that’s okay.
EXT. PLAYGROUND, ST. SWITHIN’S – MOMENTS LATER 34
Father Reilly watches as Blake sits with Mark, ten.
BLAKE
I’m sorry.
Mark nods slowly. Staring straight ahead.
BLAKE
What was he doing in the tunnels?
MARK
Lot of guys been going down the tunnels when they age out. Say you can live down there. Say there’s work down there.
BLAKE
What kind of work are you gonna find in the sewers?
MARK
More than you can find up here, I guess.
Blake considers this. Troubled.
INT. DIVE BAR – NIGHT 35
Selina Kyle, in a little black dress, walks in with a drunk in a Hawaiian shirt. She sits him on a bar stool – walks over to a table where a neatly dressed man, Stryver, sits.
STRYVER
You brought a date?
SELINA
I like having someone around to open doors for me.
Selina glances around. Thugs scattered throughout the bar. Jumpy. Selina hands an envelope to Stryver.
SELINA
Right hand. No partials.
Stryver slides a transparency out of the envelope. Holds it up to the light. Four perfect fingerprint transfers.
STRYVER
Very nice.
He pockets the envelope.
SELINA
Not so fast, handsome. You got something for me?
STRYVER
Oh, yes.
Stryver signals a Thug who locks the door. Another Thug joins them at the table. Selina smiles.
SELINA
I don’t know what you’re going to do with Mr. Wayne’s prints … but I’m guessing you’ll need his thumb.
As Stryver checks the envelope again –
SELINA
You don’t count so good, huh?
STRYVER
I count fine.
The Second Thug puts a gun to Selina’s head.
STRYVER
In fact, I’m counting to ten right now …
Selina looks in his eyes. The Thug cocks his gun. She blinks.
SELINA
Okay, okay –
She reaches for her purse. The Thug stops her, reaches in himself – pulls out a cell phone. Slides it across the table.
SELINA
My friend is waiting outside. Just hit ‘send’ …
Stryver looks at the phone. Hits ‘send’. Selina sizes up her options. A knock at the door. Second Thug hides his gun. The door opens – a young woman, Jen. She enters, cheerful, spots Selina. Pulls out an envelope, looks aro
und.
JEN
Place is a little dead.
SELINA
(takes envelope, tense)
It’ll liven up in a minute, trust me.
JEN
Everything okay?
SELINA
Great. Catch you later.
Jen leaves. Stryver checks the envelope. Satisfied.
SELINA
It would’ve been a lot easier to just give me what we agreed.
STRYVER
We can’t have loose ends. And even in that dress, no one’s going to miss you.
SELINA
No. But my friend over there …?
Stryver looks at Selina’s ‘date’ drooling into a bowl of nuts at the bar – he looks familiar …
SELINA
Every cop in the city’s missing him.
Across the bar, the TV on mute – MANHUNT FOR MISSING CONGRESSMAN. Stryver looks at Selina.
STRYVER
Cute. But they’re not gonna be looking in a place like this.
SELINA
I don’t know … You did just use his cell phone.
Stryver glances down at the cell phone as – screech – the Thugs look out the window at cop cars and SWAT units descending on the bar. Stryver glances at the window and – smash – Selina cracks his head against the table, grabs Second Thug’s gun hand, flips over the table, firing at the other Thugs, who drop. The SWATs batter down the door. Selina crouches, cowering, screaming.
SWAT
It’s alright, Miss. Just stay down –
The SWATs barrel past, chasing the remaining Thugs back through the bar and out into the back alley. Selina smiles.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR – CONTINUOUS 36
The Thugs turn and open up on the SWATs with automatic weapons.
INT. DIVE BAR – CONTINUOUS 37
Selina moves to the door. Spots the Congressman under the bar, clutching his bleeding leg.
SELINA
Keep some pressure on that, sweetheart.
She adjusts her dress in the broken mirror behind the bar. Moves for the door.
CONGRESSMAN
(weak)
Call me?
EXT. DIVE BAR – CONTINUOUS 38
Selina waltzes out – right into Blake. She feigns panic.
SELINA
There’s a man in there, he’s bleeding!
BLAKE
It’s okay, Miss. It’s okay.
Blake helps Selina down onto the tailgate of a SWAT truck. He heads into the bar, weapon drawn. Selina slips behind the truck and into the night.
INT. DIVE BAR – CONTINUOUS 39
Blake enters, gun drawn. Spots the Congressman.
BLAKE
(into radio)
I’ve got the Congressman – bullet to the leg, but he’s okay.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR – CONTINUOUS 40
The SWATs return fire. The Thugs lay down cover fire, then race around a corner into a smaller passage.
A cop car pulls up, blocking the mouth of the alley – Gordon jumps out, gun drawn.
The SWATs approach the passage, massing on both corners tactically.
The two corner SWATs exchange hand signals, counting down …
They round the corner, aiming low and high.
The passage is empty.
The SWATs cover a fire escape, but Gordon spots at once –
GORDON
Manhole!
He races to the manhole cover – SWATs wrench off the cover, Gordon grabs a flashlight from the nearest SWAT.
GORDON
You three, down with me. You two, head down to cover the next exit –
SWAT
Where –?
GORDON
Get the DWP down here, now!
Gordon starts climbing down the ladder …
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 41
Gordon moves down the tunnel, flashlight low. Three SWATs fall in behind …
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR – CONTINUOUS 42
Blake comes into the alley. Cops surround the manhole.
COP
Where’s the DWP guy?
BLAKE
They went down there?
FOLEY
(shaking his head)
And Gordon took SWAT in after them.
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 43
Gordon hears a noise up ahead – pushes forward, rounds the corner. Bang! Gunfire. SWATs return fire, shots sparking off the concrete walls, then – boom – behind him the tunnel erupts in fire, blasting the SWATs. Gordon races forward, tearing through the tunnels.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR – CONTINUOUS 44
Blake jumps back as a fireball bursts out of the manhole.
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 45
Gordon races around a corner, gun drawn. A noise makes him turn – whack, he is clobbered from behind by a Thug.
EXT. ALLEY BEHIND BAR – CONTINUOUS 46
Blake pushes forward.
BLAKE
Come on, we gotta get down there –
COP
That was a gas explosion, kid –
BLAKE
Gas? This is a sewer!
FOLEY
No one goes in till we know what’s down there.
BLAKE
We know what’s down there, sir. The Police Commissioner!
FOLEY
Somebody get the hothead out of here. And get me a DWP guy!
Blake backs off. Gets an idea – goes for his patrol car.
INT. SEWERS – CONTINUOUS 47
Thug 1 flips Gordon onto his back.
THUG 1
THUG 2
What do we do?
THUG 1
Take him to Bane.
The two Thugs drag Gordon down through the maze of tunnels. As they descend deeper they encounter work crews of muscular men wielding large drills and jackhammers, working the walls and ceiling of the larger tunnels. Some of the men are armed Mercenaries, overseeing gangs of homeless street kids. They stare as Gordon is dragged past. The Thugs drag Gordon between two waterfalls, into –
INT. BANE’S LAIR, SEWERS – CONTINUOUS (NIGHT) 48
They approach a figure, turned away, crouched in the firelight. Barechested, muscular, masked. Bane. A crooked line of rough scar tissue runs the length of his spine …
BANE
Why are you here?
The Thugs drop Gordon at Bane’s feet.
THUG 1
Answer him!
Bane slowly turns to the Thugs.
BANE
I’m asking you.
THUG 1
It’s the Police Commissioner.
BANE
And you brought him down here?
THUG 2
We didn’t know what to do. We –
BANE
You panicked. And your weakness costs three lives.
THUG 1
No, he’s alone –
Bane flips the Thug’s chin up and to the side with a crack. Thug 1 drops. Bane turns to Thug 2.
BANE
Search him. Then I will kill you.
The Thug, terrified, pulls out Gordon’s badge, wallet, gun … and the folded papers of the speech he did not read. Bane takes these one by one with quick glances. He stops at the papers. Unfolds them …
As he reads, Gordon rolls off the steps, dropping into the rushing flow of water – gunshots ring out …
THUG 2
He’s dead.
Thug 2 trails off as Bane looks up from the papers …
BANE
Then show me his body.
THUG 2
That water runs to any one of the outflows – we’d never find him.
Bane turns to the Lead Mercenary.
BANE
Give me your GPS.
Lead Mercenary hands him a GPS – Bane tucks it into Thug 2’s jacket, zips it like a mother sending her kid to school.
BANE
Follow him.
THUG 2
Follow him?
Bane shoots Thug 2, kicks him into the water. Turns to Lead Mercenary.
BANE
Track him. Make sure both bodies will not be found. Then brick up the south tunnel.
EXT. WATER TREATMENT FACILITY – NIGHT 49
Blake comes out to the catchment basin. He spots something stuck up against the grille, thrusts his hand into the raging waters – Gordon is there, alive. Just. Blake pulls him up onto the concrete, hoists him up, hurrying …
INT. FRONT HALL, WAYNE MANOR – DAY 50
Alfred opens the door to reveal Blake in his dirty uniform.
BLAKE
I need to see Bruce Wayne.
ALFRED
I’m sorry, Mr. Wayne doesn’t take unscheduled calls. Even from police officers.
BLAKE
And if I go get a warrant, in the investigation of Harvey Dent’s murder? Would that still count as unscheduled?
INT. STUDY, WAYNE MANOR – MOMENTS LATER 51
Blake is sitting, drumming his leg, nervous. Wayne enters.
WAYNE
What can I do for you, officer?
BLAKE
Commissioner Gordon’s been shot.
WAYNE
I’m sorry to hear that –
BLAKE
He chased a gunman down into the sewers. When I pulled him out he was babbling about an underground army. A masked man called ‘Bane’.
WAYNE
Shouldn’t you be telling this to your superior officers?
BLAKE
I did. One of them asked if he saw any giant alligators down there. He needs you. He needs the Batman.
WAYNE
If Commissioner Gordon thinks I’m the Batman he must be in a bad way –
BLAKE
He doesn’t know or care who you are. (Off look.) But we’ve met before. When I was a kid. At the orphanage. See, my mom died when I was small. Car accident, I don’t really remember it. But a couple years later my dad was shot over a gambling debt. I remember that just fine. (Looks at Wayne.) Not a lot of people know what it feels like, do they? To be angry. In your bones. People understand, foster parents understand. For a while. Then they expect the angry kid to do what he knows he can never do. To move on. To forget.