Wayne dials his phone.
FOX
(o.s.)
This is Fox.
WAYNE
Remember those ‘unusual requests’ I used to make?
FOX
(o.s.)
I knew it!
Up front, Alfred listens. Concerned.
INT. BATCAVE – DAY 68
Wayne pushes a button on a hi-tech carbon-fiber brace strapped to his good knee – the brace tones. As Wayne starts moving his knee, bending, stretching, Alfred puts down a Thermos.
ALFRED
You’ve got the wrong leg, sir.
WAYNE
You start with the good limb so it learns your optimum muscle patterns.
Wayne swaps the brace to his bad knee. Puts his weight on it – tries knee bends, kicks. He sits again. Cautious.
Now we tighten it up.
Wayne gingerly pushes a button – the brace starts to shrink tight to his leg, digging in. Wayne grits his teeth.
ALFRED
Is it terribly painful?
WAYNE
(gritted teeth)
You’re welcome to try it, Alfred.
ALFRED
Happy watching, thank you, sir.
Wayne shouts as the brace clicks home. He gets to his feet.
WAYNE
Not bad –
Wayne executes a perfect roundhouse, knocking out a brick.
Not bad at all.
Alfred picks up the brick. Considers it. Uneasy. He follows Wayne across the bridge to the cube.
ALFRED
Master Wayne, if you’re considering going back out there you need to hear some rumors surrounding Bane.
WAYNE
I’m all ears.
ALFRED
There is a prison. In a more ancient part of the world. A pit. Where men are thrown to suffer and die. But sometimes, a man rises from that darkness. Sometimes … the pit sends something back.
WAYNE
Bane.
ALFRED
Born and raised in a hell on earth.
WAYNE
Born in a prison?
ALFRED
No one knows why. Or how he escaped. But they know who trained him once he did … Rā’s al Ghūl. Your mentor.
Wayne takes this in. Shocked.
ALFRED
He plucked Bane from a dark corner of the earth and trained him in the blackest disciplines of combat, deception and endurance. Just like you.
WAYNE
Bane was a member of the League of Shadows.
ALFRED
Until he was excommunicated. And a man considered too extreme for Rā’s al Ghūl is not to be trifled with.
WAYNE
I didn’t realize I was known for trifling with criminals.
ALFRED
That was then. And you can strap up your leg and put the mask back on. But it won’t make you what you were.
WAYNE
Which was?
ALFRED
Someone whose anger at death made him value all life. Even his own.
WAYNE
If this man is all the things you say he is, then this city needs me.
The Batsuit emerges from the cube.
ALFRED
Yes, this city needs Bruce Wayne. Your resources, your knowledge … not your body. Not your life. That time has passed.
WAYNE
I tried helping as Bruce Wayne, Alfred. And I failed.
ALFRED
You can fail as Bruce Wayne. As Batman, you can’t afford to.
WAYNE
That’s what you’re afraid of – that if I go back out there I’ll fail.
ALFRED
No. I’m afraid that you want to.
Wayne looks at Alfred. Then turns to examine the Batsuit.
INT. STOCK EXCHANGE – EVENING 69
A frenzy of trading on the packed floor …
Two Traders sit on a shoeshine stand in the lobby.
TRADER 2
You can’t short the stock because Bruce Wayne goes to a party –
TRADER 1
Wayne coming back is change. Change is either good or bad. I vote bad.
TRADER 2
On what basis?
TRADER 1
(smug)
I flipped a coin.
Near the front entrance: a Food Delivery Guy is standing there negotiating with a Trader.
TRADER 3
No. Rye. I told ’em rye.
Trader 3 spots bad news on a screen.
Alright, I’ll take it.
He thrusts Food Guy a tip and grabs the bag, distracted …
At the rear secure entrance: a Motorcycle Courier enters, wearing his helmet – a Female Security Guard gets in his face.
FEMALE SECURITY GUARD
Rookie! Lose the helmet! (Points at a camera.) We need faces for cameras.
In the rest room: a Janitor mops the floor, shifting out of the way of two Traders who rush in to pee.
At the shoeshine stand, Trader 1 waves a bill down at the man shining his shoes without a glance. Shoeshine Man takes the bill, then, as the Traders step off, he reaches into a gym bag and checks an automatic weapon. He clicks the slide home, then hoists the gym bag and heads for the trading floor.
At the secure entrance: the Courier pulls off his helmet. The Female Security Guard’s eyes go wide.
In the rest room: the Janitor reaches into his bucket and pulls out a machine pistol in a Ziploc bag.
Near the front entrance: Food Guy pulls an automatic pistol – clubs Trader 3 with it, pastrami flying. Shoeshine Man moves onto the floor, pulls out his weapon.
Under the Courier’s helmet – a mask. Bane. He grabs the Female Security Guard and throws her into her colleagues, lashing out in four directions with rapidfire lethality.
Shoeshine Man fires into the large trading screens. The floor erupts into a different frenzy – traders hit the deck, screaming. Bane moves onto the floor …
TRADER 1
This is a stock exchange, there’s no money you can steal –
He dries up as Bane stops. Turns to him …
BANE
Why else would you people be here?
Bane grabs Trader 1 by the throat and drags him across the floor to an online automated trades terminal … He puts the man’s thumb onto the print reader – the screen lights up.
BANE
Enter your password. Or I send these men to your home.
Trader 1, terrified, types in his password. Outside, sirens. Shoeshine Man pulls out a USB drive with an antenna – plugs it into the computer – figures race across the screen …
EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE – CONTINUOUS 70
Police vehicles screech into the narrow street – construction vehicles are blocking. Blake argues with a burly Construction Worker.
BLAKE
Move it, now! We’ve got a situation.
CONSTRUCTION WORKER
Where can I move it?!
BLAKE
That way!
Blake points – but SWAT vehicles pile in, blocking.
BLAKE
Get in your vehicle and stay there!
Foley and the SWAT Commander, Allen, approach the entrance. The Market Security Chief walks up, frantic.
SECURITY CHIEF
You’ve gotta get in there!
FOLEY
This is a hostage situation –
SECURITY CHIEF
It’s a robbery! They’ve got direct access to the online trading desk.
FOLEY
I’m not risking my men for your money –
SECURITY CHIEF
It’s not our money, it’s everyone’s.
ALLEN
Really? Mine’s in my mattress.
SECURITY CHIEF
If you don’t shut these guys down, the stuffing in that mattress might be worth a whole lot less, pal.
FOLEY
Cut the fiber line – shut down the cell tower. That’ll slow them down.
&n
bsp; INT. STOCK EXCHANGE – CONTINUOUS 71
Shoeshine Man looks up from the laptop.
SHOESHINE MAN
They cut the fiber. Cell’s working –
BANE
For now. How much longer does the program need?
SHOE SHINE MAN
Eight minutes.
BANE
Time to go mobile.
Shoeshine Man picks up the laptop, slips it into his pack …
EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE – CONTINUOUS 72
Allen shouts at his men.
ALLEN
Get the barriers up – no more in and out on this street!
Steel wedge-shaped barriers rise up at the mouth of the street. A Sniper watches the doors through a thermal scope. Six large heat signatures bloom, too big for people …
SNIPER
I’ve got something –
The door explodes. SWATs duck, six sportbikes race out and leap the ramp-like barricades, sending SWATs scattering. Cops scramble to pull their vehicles out to give chase.
EXT. GOTHAM STREET – CONTINUOUS 73
The bikes weave through traffic, Traders strapped to the back, facing backwards – screaming, ties flying in the wind. A cruiser falls in behind.
ROOKIE COP
Shoot the tires!
A Veteran Cop sights a shot, but the Traders are in the way.
VETERAN COP
No shot!
EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE – CONTINUOUS 74
Foley is barking into his radio.
FOLEY
Back off, back off! They’ve got hostages!
INT./EXT. CRUISER ON GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 75
The cruiser follows the bike into a large tunnel. A Rookie Cop looks up into his rear-view.
ROOKIE COP
What’s going on with the lights?
The Veteran Cop looks back – streetlights and headlights are dying one after the other. The darkness is chasing them – the darkness hits them. Their lights, sirens and engine die …
And, out of the silence, a dark shape roars past –
VETERAN COP
It can’t be …
ROOKIE COP
The hell was that?!
VETERAN COP
Oh, boy. You’re in for a show tonight, son.
EXT. HIGHWAY – CONTINUOUS 76
Food Guy drives the rear bike. He looks back – sees streetlights explode behind him – darkness catching him up.
The engine chokes and dies. The Trader jumps off, shouting for the cops. Food Guy turns, pulling his gun. Smash! – Food Guy is thrown backwards off his bike by a dark wing as Batman races by on the Bat-Pod.
EXT. STOCK EXCHANGE – CONTINUOUS 77
Foley rushes to Blake’s cruiser.
FOLEY
Let’s roll, they’ve spotted the Batman!
EXT. HIGHWAY INTERSECTION – CONTINUOUS 78
The remaining bikes split up as they reach a high overpass.
EXT. HIGH OVERPASS – CONTINUOUS 79
Batman pulls up, overlooking the intersection – pulls a rifle-shaped device. A tone builds – he aims it at a bike and fires.
EXT. HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP – CONTINUOUS 80
Janitor’s bike sparks and dies. Sirens as Cops move in. Another bike splutters and dies – the Hostage breaks for cover.
EXT. HIGH OVERPASS – CONTINUOUS 81
Batman sees the last two bikes disappear beneath an overpass. He holsters his EMP rifle and guns the Bat-Pod.
INT. BLAKE’S CRUISER – CONTINUOUS 82
Foley, in the back, is using the cruiser as a mobile command station.
FOLEY
(into radio)
Call everyone in – every car patrol, beat cop, off-duty, too! Pull ’em in, close every street! Now!
Foley looks out at Gotham rushing by.
FOLEY
I’m gonna do what Gordon never could.
BLAKE
What’s that?
FOLEY
I’m gonna take down the Batman.
BLAKE
Sir, what about the armed robbers?
Foley ignores him.
EXT. GOTHAM – CONTINUOUS 83
All around the city, cops mobilize – cars, vans, choppers …
EXT. HIGHWAY – CONTINUOUS 84
Bane pulls up at speed alongside Shoeshine Man. Shoeshine Man glances inside his pack – signals ‘2’. Bane turns, sees darkness approaching, reaches back and grabs his Hostage, lifting him onto the back of Shoeshine Man’s bike. Bane peels off – Batman stays on Shoeshine Man.
INT. CHOPPER – CONTINUOUS 85
A Spotter watches Bane peel off, hits the radio.
SPOTTER
(into radio)
One bike’s pulled off, no hostage –
INT. BLAKE’S CRUISER – CONTINUOUS 86
Foley listens to the radio, hungry –
SPOTTER
(over radio)
Should we pursue?
FOLEY
Negative! Stay on the Batman!
BLAKE
But he’s getting away!
FOLEY
(annoyed)
Who do you want to catch? Some robber, or the son-of-a-bitch who killed Harvey Dent?
INT. DAGGETT’S PENTHOUSE – CONTINUOUS 87
Coverage of the pursuit blares from all the TVs, as Daggett and Stryver watch. Tense.
TV ANNOUNCER
Police aren’t saying much – frankly, they’re too busy – but all signs suggest that what we’re seeing is, in fact, the return of the Batman …
INT. INNER OFFICE, DAGGETT’S PENTHOUSE – CONTINUOUS 88
Moving in on a shadow, crouched in front of Daggett’s safe, working the dial … The shadow slides up a pair of goggles onto the top of its head creating the silhouette of cat ears. It is Catwoman. She turns to the TV, watching the pursuit.
CATWOMAN
Well, what do you know?
Catwoman opens the safe. Nothing inside. She frowns.
EXT. GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 89
Bane slips between two cruisers who tear after the Batman. He jumps up onto a concrete barrier, then down to the mouth of an outflow pipe. He glances at the entire Gotham Police Department descending on one man. Disappears into the pipe.
EXT. GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 90
Shoeshine Man glances into his pack – the program beeps, finished. He looks back to see the Bat-Pod racing at him, ducks as it comes alongside … riderless. Shoeshine Man looks up, confused. Whump! His hostage is ripped off the bike by a low-flying dark shape.
Shoeshine Man lays down the bike in a shower of sparks, rolls off, dazed. Batman grabs him.
BATMAN
WHAT WERE YOU STEALING?!
Shoeshine Man stares. Unafraid. Batman rips the computer from his pack. The screen reads: APPLICATION COMPLETE.
Blinding light and noise as police choppers descend – sirens everywhere. Batman grabs the USB drive from the laptop. He jumps on the Bat-Pod – pauses, taking in the sight of thousands of police, cars, choppers, dogs, closing in.
POLICE VOICE
(over loudspeaker)
STEP AWAY FROM THE BIKE!
Batman looks at the line of stopped traffic. An empty car transporter is below the on-ramp … Batman fires the cannons at the transporter, the rear ramp crashes down, and Batman roars towards it – mounts it and jumps up onto the on-ramp …
INT. DAGGETT’S PENTHOUSE – CONTINUOUS 91
Daggett angrily grabs some ice cubes for his drink.
DAGGETT
After eight years he has to pick tonight …
STRYVER
He’s drawing the cops off Bane …
Daggett watches, intrigued …
INT. BLAKE’S CRUISER – CONTINUOUS 92
Foley shouts down into the phone.
FOLEY
How did you let him go?!
COP
(over radio)
He’s got a lot of firepower –
FOLEY
&
nbsp; And you don’t?! We’re not letting one nut with a bad attitude and some fancy gadgets run this town again, you hear me?!
COP
(over radio)
He’s heading back downtown …
FOLEY
(excited)
Then he’s as dumb as he dresses – close it down, gentlemen!
EXT. GOTHAM STREETS – CONTINUOUS 93
Thousands of police jockey to pursue the Batman as he races back into the downtown area.
EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET – CONTINUOUS 94
The Bat-Pod tears along, pursued by a phalanx of cruisers, choppers overhead. More cops appear at the far end of the boulevard.
The Bat-Pod executes a ninety-degree turn, flipping over as it goes, then guns into the darkness of a large blind alley.
Cruisers and choppers block the mouth of the alley. Blake arrives last, his cruiser sealing the bottleneck. Foley swaggers out.
FOLEY
Like a rat in a trap, gentlemen …
Foley reaches for a loudhailer. Varrroooom!! A noise from the alley that none of the cops have heard before …
VETERAN COP
You might have the wrong animal there, sir –
Spotlights smash on and a massive dark cyclone roars out of the alley, spinning the choppers sideways, dual rotor downdraft forcing all the cops to the ground.
The Bat, now black, thunders up and over the entire Gotham PD. Blake sidles up to Foley. Dry.
BLAKE
Are you sure it was him?
Foley looks at Blake. Thrusts the loudhailer at him.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – CONTINUOUS 95
Gordon, still hooked up to machines, watches TV. He smiles.
ANNOUNCER
(on TV)
Police are keeping quiet about the prospect of a return by the Batman, but eyewitness accounts seem to clearly suggest the type of …
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: The Complete Screenplays with Storyboards Page 30