GORDON
Nothing wise in what you do, Flass.
FLASS
Yeah? Well, Jimbo, you don’t take your taste – makes us guys nervous you might decide to roll over –
GORDON
(irritated)
I’m no rat, Flass. (Calmer.) In a town this bent, who’s there to rat to, anyway?
Flass laughs at this, hits the gas.
EXT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT 69
Gordon slams the car door. Watches Flass pull away. Weary. Someone watches him from a doorway. It is Wayne.
INT. FALCONE’S CLUB – NIGHT 70
Judge Faden sits sandwiched between two Girls, drink and cigar in hand. Falcone gets up from the table.
FADEN
Carmine! Where are you going?
FALCONE
Duty calls. You have yourself a good time, Judge.
Falcone leans in to the Club Manager.
If he’s too cheap to get a hotel, at least make him take his car around to the alley. (Shakes his head.) No class.
Falcone heads into his back office.
EXT. FALCONE’S BASEMENT CLUB, DOCK AREA – NIGHT 71
Judge Faden exits the club, a Girl on his arm. Faden guides her into a waiting limo. A Street Person comes over to the rear windows of the car, knocking. The Driver gets out.
DRIVER
Get lost!
The Driver kicks the Street Person away from the limo. A Homeless Man warming by a fire starts shouting. It is the Homeless Man that Bruce gave his coat to years before. The coat is worn but recognizable.
HOMELESS MAN
Leave him alone! Let him be!
The limo moves off. Close on the Street Person watching it leave. It is Bruce. He glances down at a tiny camera in his lap. Smiles at the screen: Faden and the Girl.
INT. GOTHAM COURTHOUSE – DAY 72
Rachel sits at the lawyer’s table watching, appalled, as a thin, bespectacled man testifies. This is Dr. Crane. He clears his throat, nervous. Leans in to the microphone.
CRANE
In my opinion Mr. Zsaz is as much a danger to himself as to others …
A shaven-headed prisoner sits in the dock. Victor Zsaz.
… and prison is probably not the best environment for his rehabilitation.
INT. STAIRCASE, DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE – DAY 73
Rachel hurries down the marble stairs after Crane.
RACHEL
Dr. Crane!
CRANE
(guarded)
Yes, Miss Dawes?
RACHEL
You seriously think that Victor Zsaz shouldn’t be in jail –?
Crane looks at her, bewildered.
CRANE
I would hardly have testified to that otherwise, would I, Miss Dawes?
They pass through the doors into the portico.
RACHEL
This is the third of Carmine Falcone’s thugs that you’ve seen fit to have declared insane and moved into your asylum …
CRANE
Well, the work offered by organized crime has an attraction to the insane.
RACHEL
Or the corrupt.
Crane turns to Rachel. Stares. Then speaks over her shoulder.
CRANE
Mr. Finch, I think you should check with Miss Dawes here just what implications your office has authorized her to make. If any.
Crane walks off. Finch comes over, takes Rachel’s arm.
FINCH
What’re you doing, Rachel?
RACHEL
(annoyed)
What are you doing, Carl?
Finch takes her elbow and guides her into a doorway.
FINCH
Looking out for you. (Glances around.) Rachel, Falcone’s got half the city bought and paid for … drop it.
RACHEL
How can you say that?
FINCH
Because much as I care about getting Falcone … I care more about you.
Rachel looks at Finch. Smiles sadly.
RACHEL
That’s sweet, Carl. But we’ve been through all this …
Across the car park, sitting in a doorway. A Street Person watches Rachel kiss Finch on the cheek. Moving closer, we see that the Street Person is Wayne. He watches them for a beat, then moves along.
INT. LIBRARY, WAYNE MANOR – NIGHT 74
Wayne, cross-legged on the floor, studies papers and photos: Gordon, Rachel … Wayne picks up Rachel’s picture: a long-lens candid photo of her leaving work.
Wayne hears a chittering. He rises, moving out into the main hall …
INT. MAIN HALL, WAYNE MANOR – CONTINUOUS 75
Wayne stares: a small shadow flutters around the ceiling.
ALFRED
(o.s.)
A blessed bat again, sir.
They nest somewhere on the grounds.
Wayne watches the dark shape flicker around the ceiling.
EXT. GROUNDS, WAYNE MANOR – DAY 76
Wayne walks across the gardens to the greenhouse. He wears a long overcoat, a coil of rope over one arm.
INT. GREENHOUSE – CONTINUOUS 77
Now derelict. Glass cracked or missing, paint peeled from wrought iron. Wayne stands in the entrance, remembering –
Insert cut: Rachel, laughing, sprinting between the tables.
INT. DISUSED WELL SHAFT – MOMENTS LATER 78
Darkness, punctured by light as boards are yanked, splintering from the mouth of the well, high above.
Wayne lowers himself down the shaft, overcoat billowing. He undoes his rope at the bottom. Turns, finding –
The dark crevice between the rocks. Wayne crouches, pushing into the blackness, crawling through into –
INT. CAVERNS – CONTINUOUS 79
Wayne climbs down a jagged rock crevice. Air blows in his face. The crevice widens into a low-ceilinged chamber. Wayne hears the rush of water. He crouches, advances through the low chamber. It turns downwards, steeper – Wayne carefully slides on his back, lowering himself into –
Limitless black. Wayne stands. A roar of water now. He reaches into his coat, pulls out a chemical torch. Cracks it, throwing light into –
A vast cavern. An underground river, a jagged ceiling, far above, which, as Wayne peers, starts to move –
Bats explode from the ceiling. Thousands descend, screeching, attracted to the light. Wayne instinctively crouches. But as they swarm around him terrifyingly –
Wayne rises to his feet amidst a cyclone of bats, watching the fluttering blackness with a profound calm.
And he knows the symbol he must use.
INT. FALCONE’S BASEMENT CLUB, BACK OFFICE – NIGHT 80
Falcone slides a drink across his desk to Crane.
CRANE
No more favors. Someone’s sniffing around.
FALCONE
I scratch your back, you scratch mine, Doc. I’m bringing in your shipments.
CRANE
We’re paying you for that.
FALCONE
Maybe money isn’t as interesting to me as favors.
Crane leans forward. Icy calm.
CRANE
I’m aware that you’re not intimidated by me, Mr. Falcone. But you know who I’m working for … and when he gets here –
FALCONE
He’s coming to Gotham?
CRANE
And he’s not going to want to hear that you’ve endangered our operation just to get your thugs out of jailtime.
Falcone considers this. Nods.
FALCONE
Who’s bothering you?
CRANE
There’s a girl in the DA’s office …
FALCONE
(shrugs)
We’ll buy her off.
CRANE
Not this one.
FALCONE
Idealist, huh? Well, there’s an answer for that, too.
CRANE
I don’t
want to know.
Falcone looks at Crane with thinly disguised contempt.
FALCONE
Yes, you do.
INT. BOARD ROOM, WAYNE TOWER – DAY 81
A board meeting in full swing. Earle presiding.
EXECUTIVE
… but we’re showing very healthy growth in these sectors –
FREDERICKS
I don’t think that Thomas Wayne would have viewed heavy arms manufacture as a suitable cornerstone of our business –
EARLE
(irritated)
I think, Fredericks, that after twenty years, we ought to be at a point where we stop asking ourselves what Thomas Wayne would have done …
INT. OUTER OFFICE, WAYNE TOWER – CONTINUOUS 82
A young, beautiful Assistant at her desk, head down.
WAYNE
(o.s.)
Good morning, I’m here to see Mr. Earle.
The Assistant reaches for a list. Impatient.
ASSISTANT
Name?
WAYNE
Bruce Wayne.
The Assistant starts looking for the name. Then realizes. She looks up. Staring. Wayne, immaculately turned out (suit, tie, perfect hair). He smiles. She smiles back.
INT. BOARD ROOM, WAYNE TOWER – CONTINUOUS 83
Earle looks at Fredericks, annoyed.
EARLE
Thomas Wayne wouldn’t have wanted to take the company public, either, but that’s what, as responsible managers, we’re going to do …
Earle hits the intercom.
Jessica, get me that prospectus.
Silence.
Jessica …?
INT. RECEPTION AREA – CONTINUOUS 84
Earle whips open the door. Wayne, his back to Earle, has his arms wrapped around Jessica’s hips, showing her a golf putt along the carpet …
EARLE
Jessica, who’s answering the phones?!
WAYNE
It’s Wayne Enterprises, Mr. Earle – (Turns to Earle.) I’m sure they’ll call back.
Earle stares. Dumbstruck. Wayne smiles.
EARLE
Bruce?
Board members lean over, staring through the door.
We thought … you were dead.
WAYNE
(smiles)
Sorry to disappoint.
Fredericks smiles. Wayne hands Earle his putter.
INT. EARLE’S OFFICE, WAYNE ENTERPRISES – LATER 85
Earle pours Wayne a cup of coffee. Cautious.
EARLE
You realize, Bruce, that it’s too late to stop the public offering …
Wayne takes the coffee. Smiling reassuringly.
WAYNE
I understand. I’ll be handsomely rewarded for my shares. I’m not here to interfere – I’m looking for a job. (Off look.) I just want to get to know the company that my family built.
EARLE
Any idea where you’d start?
WAYNE
Applied Sciences caught my eye.
EARLE
(surprised)
Mr. Fox’s department? (Shrugs.) Perfect. I’ll make a call.
Wayne nods. Rises.
EARLE
Oh, and Bruce? Some of the secretaries and so on … because of your name they may assume …
WAYNE
I’ll be absolutely clear with everyone that I’m just another humble employee.
INT. FINCH’S OFFICE – DAY 86
Rachel hands Finch paperwork. He studies her.
FINCH
Have you seen him yet?
RACHEL
Who?
FINCH
Wayne.
RACHEL
(confused)
Bruce? What do you mean?
FINCH
You haven’t heard? It’s been all over the news today. He’s back.
Rachel stares. Taking it in.
INT. APPLIED SCIENCES DIVISION – DAY 87
Lucius Fox, an African-American man (fifty-two) reclines at a desk in a darkened room. He looks at Wayne over his glasses.
FOX
Environmental applications, defense projects, consumer products … all prototypes, none in production at any level whatsoever.
WAYNE
None?
Fox pauses, turns to Wayne, a wicked gleam in his eye.
FOX
What did they tell you this place was?
WAYNE
They didn’t tell me anything.
FOX
Earle told me exactly what it was when he sent me here …
Fox throws a switch – lights flicker on, revealing a massive warehouse, stacked with shapes under dust covers, tools, lab equipment …
… a dead end where I couldn’t cause any more trouble for the rest of the board.
Fox leads Wayne through the stacks.
WAYNE
You were on the board?
FOX
Back when your father ran things.
WAYNE
You knew my father?
FOX
Sure. Helped him build his train.
Fox leads Wayne to an area stacked with harnesses.
Here we are.
Fox pulls out a box. Inside: a grappling gun and harness.
Pneumatic. Magnetic grapple. Monofilament tested to 350 pounds.
Wayne feels the weight. It is light. Strong. He picks up the harness that goes with it. Shoulder straps with a wide, hi-tech belt. Wayne shoves the back end of the gun into the belt buckle – it clicks into place.
INT. SAME – MOMENTS LATER 88
Fox leads Wayne through some tall crates.
FOX
Beautiful project, your dad’s train – routed right into Wayne Tower, along with the water and power utilities. Made Wayne Tower the unofficial heart of Gotham. Course Earle’s left it to rot …
Fox stops at a tall crate. Checks paperwork. Opens the crate: a body suit – clear silicone over jointed armor.
Here it is: the nomex survival suit for advanced infantry. Kevlar bi-weave, reinforced joints …
Wayne feels the fabric of the suit.
WAYNE
Tear-resistant?
Fox hacks at the suit with his pen – it doesn’t even mark.
FOX
This sucker’ll stop a knife.
WAYNE
Bullet-proof?
FOX
Anything but a straight shot.
WAYNE
Why didn’t they put it into production?
FOX
The bean-counters figured a soldier’s life wasn’t worth the three hundred grand.
Fox looks at Wayne. Suspicious.
So what do you want with it, Mr. Wayne?
WAYNE
I want to borrow it. For spelunking. (Off look.) You know, cave-diving.
Fox shrugs. Puts the lid back on the crate.
FOX
You get a lot of gunfire down in those caves?
WAYNE
(smiles)
Listen, I’d rather Mr. Earle didn’t know about me borrowing.
FOX
Mr. Wayne, the way I see it …
Fox waves his arm, taking in the enormous facility.
All this stuff is yours, anyway.
INT. CAVERNS BENEATH WAYNE MANOR – DAY 89
Wayne, high on the cavern wall, in climbing harness, hammers a bracket into the rock securing a line of industrial lamps.
WAYNE
Okay! Give it a try.
Alfred throws a switch on a portable generator: the lamps flicker on, dimly lighting the length of one wall. Alfred peers at the damp, dingy surroundings.
ALFRED
Oh, charming.
Alfred sees the bats covering the entire ceiling.
At least you’ll have company.
Wayne rappels to the cave floor, looks up to a high corner: crumbling brickwork. Alfred follows his gaze.
Must be the lowest foundations of the south-east wing.
Wayne climbs up, pok
ing through the rock ceiling: the bottom of a wrought-iron spiral staircase. In the center of the spiral: a dumb-waiter lift, fallen off its track. Wayne grabs the chains of the lift, rattles them – sending a wave echoing up into the darkness.
ALFRED
During the Civil War your great -grandfather was involved with the underground railroad. Secretly transporting freed slaves to the North. I suspect these caverns came in handy.
Wayne jumps down. Moves to the small river. Follows it to where it disappears under rocks. Steps over. Alfred follows. The roar of water gets louder and the light gets brighter as Wayne follows the tunnel around a dog-leg, emerging –
Behind the face of a waterfall. Wayne grins, hops across slick rocks right up to the beautiful curtain of water.
WAYNE
(awe)
Alfred, come up here.
Alfred is twenty feet behind on the dry rocks.
ALFRED
I can see it very well from here, thank you, sir.
Wayne, mesmerized, reaches for water that is liquid light.
INT. BATCAVE – DAY 90
Wayne places two bronze gauntlets on a trestle table. Fires up a paint sprayer. Coats them matt black. Wayne moves onto the body suit. Starts coating it black.
INT. SAME – LATER 91
Wayne is showing Alfred diagrams. We catch only glimpses.
ALFRED
If we order the main part of this … (Points.) … cowl from Singapore …
WAYNE
Via a shell corporation.
ALFRED
Indeed. Then, quite separately, place an order through a Chinese manufacturer for these –
Alfred points at a diagram which looks like a pair of horns.
WAYNE
(nods)
Put it together ourselves.
ALFRED
Precisely. Of course, they’ll have to be large orders to avoid suspicion.
WAYNE
How large?
ALFRED
Say, ten thousand.
WAYNE
(smiles)
Least we’ll have spares.