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PRINCIPLE CHARACTERS HARVEY DENT GOTHAM CITY D.A. HARVEY DENT'S life is just about the best it will ever get: he just married at the age of twenty-nine, and his first child, a boy, was born just two months ago. Of course, as with any good love story, there always seems to be a catch- the case that was just assigned to DENT- to investigate the BATMAN. Is he real, or simply a myth? This is DENT'S assignment, the order coming directly from COMMISSIONER GORDON himself, and it will pull him through hell… but, will it pull him back? COMMISSIONER JIM GORDON The head of GOTHAM P.D., JIM GORDON has been COMMISSIONER for over twenty-five years. Things haven't been the same since GORDON'S wife died nearly a year ago on a fateful December day. His daughter, BARBARA GORDON, has been living with him ever since, bound to a wheelchair- she was the passenger in the same car her mother had lost her life. BARBARA GORDON At twenty-four, BARBARA has more skeletons in her closet than most people gain in a lifetime- for the past year she has been in and out of psychiatrists' office over grief for her mother. Though, she is thankful that her fate was not the same- since the accident, she has dealt with the fact that she will never walk again. Yet, somehow, she knows that greater things are to come her way… under the alias "ORACLE." GILDA DENT HARVEY DENT'S new wife, GILDA recently gave birth to a baby boy by the name of JEFF. BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN Though not much is known about WAYNE, GOTHAM'S mysterious millionaire, many fans know him by another name: BATMAN. WICKED GOTHAM Loosely Based on the DC Comic "BATMAN: LONG HALLOWEEN" Original Story by GRAHAM PASCHALL Screenplay By GRAHAM PASCHALL PROLOGUE EXT.- ARKHAM ASYLUM, NIGHT Cloud loom over head, a full moon brightening up the rather droll building. Like a dark castle, the asylum sits atop a cliff, looking over GOTHAM CITY as if a reminder to criminals as to where they will end up. A black, 50's-esque car pulls up in front of ARKHAM, traveling the winding path up to the windowless building's front door. The automobile stops, and a MAN wearing a light brown trench coat steps out of the driver's side.. An ORDERLY opens the doors for the MAN. Just as the MAN enters the asylum, rain begins to pour down over the grin-less ORDERLY'S face. He closes the door behind the MAN, and begins walking down the cliff. INT.- ARKHAM ASYLUM We follow the MAN, who greets a friendly WOMAN sitting at a desk in the middle of a large, empty room. The WOMAN'S nametag reads: DOLORES BROWN. DOLORES Hello- may I have your name? MAN Yes- HARVEY DENT… I'm hear to speak to… DOLORES' grin goes south, her face becoming much like the grin-less ORDERLY'S. DOLORES Yes, of course… MR. DENT. Right down the hall, third cell on the left. Two ORDERLIES walk down the hall, towards HARVEY. They step up to DENT, and guide him to the third cell on the left. INT.- ARKHAM ASYLUM, CELLS DENT passes the two cells on his left, watching some of the criminally insane, one pacing back and forth across his cell, the other sitting in place, watching through the tough plastic window as HARV passes by. DENT looks forward, continuing to follow the ORDERLIES. We come to the third cell on the left. Without a word, the ORDERLIES abandon DENT in front of the plastic cube. Within the cell, a single white cot sits soundly in the middle of the all-white room. No one is to be seen… though, in the far right-hand corner, darkness shrouds a figure who sits hunched over, leaning its back up against the wall. Before DENT can say a word, he hears a tapping noise coming from behind him. He turns around to see a pale, bald man standing up, tapping his index finger against the window- this is JULIAN DAY, a.k.a., THE CALENDER MAN. Institutionalized for committing crimes exclusively on certain holidays. HARVEY ignores the tapping, and faces the window of the third cell once again. HARVEY MR. CRANE… FIGURE Please, call me JOHN. The FIGURE'S voice is soft, yet eerie- a voice that only the insane could ever capture and behold. HARVEY Alright, JOHN- whatever makes you most comfortable… JOHN Thank you… I like to be casual when talking to cops. HARVEY MR… JOHN, I am not the police, and I'm not here to prosecute you- I'm here to ask a few questions. Help me… and perhaps I can get you a few books in this cell… Though his face is not revealed, it's obvious that JOHN is interested- the silhouette of his head looks up. HARVEY waits for an answer. JOHN You want to know about "THE BAT," don't you? HARVEY Whatever you can tell me would be helpful… JOHN He's no man… he knows no fear… HARVEY Did you get a good look at him? JOHN He's fast- he only appears in the dark, as if he appeared out of thin air… he disappears just as quickly. HARVEY Anything else… JOHN Yes- in exchange for this information, I don't want books; I want something else. HARVEY Oh, and what's that JOHN? JOHN comes out of the shadows, revealing his horrid SCARECROW face. SCARECROW I want to know what you fear tastes like! SCARECROW pounces at the glass. Though it doesn't give, DENT is sent backwards, his back hitting the cell of THE CALANDER MAN. As SCARECROW continues to bang on the large viewing window, the ORDERLIES rush in, sticking tazers through the small air-openings. Grabbing his hat, HARVEY rushes past the ORDERLIES, past DOLORES, and out of ARKHAM. EXT.- ARKHAM ASYLUM, NIGHT Rain pours down, drowning out SCARECROW'S half laugh/ half scream. Placing the hat on his head, HARV gets in his car, and drives down the cliff, back towards GOTHAM. ACT I SCENE 1 INT.- SUBURBAN HOUSE DENT comes through the door, his wife, GILDA, watches TV, their young child sleeping soundly across her chest. A single jack-o lantern flickers violently on a nearby window sill. GILDA Hi honey. Without saying a word, HARVEY removes his hat and coat, hanging both on nearby coat rack. He walks over to a nearby liquor cabinet. GILDA (CONT.) HARV? HARVEY slides open the booze drawer, only it is empty. DENT removes a gun from his side, and places it within the cabinet. Sliding the door shut, he locks it with a single key. Realizing something is wrong, GILDA stands up, bringing baby JEFF with her. GILDA (CONT.) Tough night? HARVEY You have no idea… HARV puts out his arms, reaching for JEFF. GILDA smiles, handing the small child to his father. DENT holds his first-born close. HARVEY (CONT.) [whispering] I will get you out of here… I promise… GILDA moves forwards, embracing both HARVEY and JEFFREY. EXT.- GOTHAM TRUST, DAY The large tower of GOTHAM TURST looms over all of the city. Despite the fact that it is early morning, and the sun came up but three hours ago, the large skyscraper casts and ominous shadow over an entire city block, giving pedestrians the notion of darkness. INT.- GOTHAM TRUST, DAY Within the building, on an upper level, we enter the scene as two figures argue back and forth across a long table. Today is GOTHAM TRUST'S monthly board meeting. The random SUITS look from one side to the other as G.T.'S Bank Chief, RICHARD DANIEL, argues with top shareholder, and millionaire, BRUCE WAYNE. BRUCE Everyone in this room knows where the FALCONES come from! Gambling! Racketeering! Drugs! MURDER! For us to even consider holding their dirty money- WAYNE is cut off by RICHARD. RICHARD BRUCE, BRUCE, BRUCE! Those are some pretty wild accusations! Business is business, and we need all we can get! One of the SUITS speaks up. SUIT #1 I agree MR. WAYNE- despite his allegations, we need all the money we can get. I think we should deal with the FALCONES. The other SUITS nod in agreement. BRUCE Fine- but the day TRUST is taken down with a hail of gunfire… don't come to me. WAYNE storms out of the office- RICHARD just smiles along with the other board members. EXT.- DANIEL'S MANSION, NIGHT Cut to RICHARD DANIEL'S estate, more like a modern castle, located on the outskirts of GOTHAM, stands tall, at least four floors. Two guards, along with dogs, patrol the outside perimeter. INT.- DANIEL'S MANSION, NIGHT RICHARD strolls along a large open room. Moving towards a small bar in the corner of the room, he makes himself a drink. Looking up into the bar's mirror, he spots shadow than a movement by an open window. Turning around sharply, DANIELS drops the glass, splattering the floor with the expensive booze. RICHARD Who's there? Within the shadow on the wall, two white, piercing eyes appear as if out of thin air. They could only belong to the DARK KNIGHT. RICHARD (CONT.) What… do you want? BATMAN The FALCONE'S money: refuse it. RICHARD begins to tremble in his place. RICHARD What are you? With a quick movement, the dark figure disappears back out the open window. DANIELS promptly faints next to the once whole glass. NEWSPAPER HEADLINE BANK CHIEF DANIEL RESIGNS, WAYNE TO TAKE OVER SCENE 2 EXT.- MOVIE THEATER, NIGHT, HALLOWEEN Halloween- trick-or-treaters parade around the street as RICHARD DANIEL and his young girlfriend exit a cinema across the street from a skyscraper reading: FALCONE INDUSTRIES. A black car pulls up… a small automatic machine gun is aimed out the window… a dozen shots are heard… DANIEL falls to the ground in a puddle of blood. The car screeches away. INT.- GOTHAM CITY, NIGHT, HALLOWEEN DENT rides down a busy city street in his large black car. Rain begins to pour down hard. HARVEY rounds a corner, driving right into a line of dead traffic. HARVEY Aw, come on! HARV looks past the grid locked cars in front of him: three police cruisers form a triangle in the middle of the street sandwiched between the movie theater and FALCONE INDUSTRIES. Rolling down his window, DENT sticks his head through the door, watching as two paramedics pull a stretcher towards an ambulance; the body of RICHARD DANIEL. HARVEY grabs his hat, grabs his umbrella, and rushes out of the car. The D.A. jolts past the rows of cars, towards the crime scene. INT.- NIGHT, CRIME SCENE DENT walks past DANIEL'S body lying on the stretcher. Just as he does so, the body begins to shake violently. Eight bullet holes are revealed through the blood stains on his white shirt. Walking further, DENT passes the sobbing, young girlfriend, being interviewed by a police officer. A young cop, Officer TIM DRAKE, kneels down in front of a large puddle of blood on the sidewalk. HARVEY approaches him, kneeling down as well. HARVEY Quite the night, eh TIM? TIM Huh- you said it. HARVEY Any leads? TIM All I know is that it was defiantly a drive-by; it seems nobody in this town really pays attention- even when somebody is shot eight times. HARVEY It had to be the FALCONE'S. TIM No evidence yet- The traffic parts like the Red Sea as a black car with a siren on top weaves its way into the crime scene. COMMISIONER JIM GORDON steps out of the driver's side. HARVEY Excuse me, TIM. TIM Of course, MR. DENT. HARV runs towards GORDON. The rain seems to come down harder. HARVEY Happy Halloween. GORDON You sure? HARVEY lets out a half-hearted laugh. GORDON (CONT.) What do we got here? HARVEY RICH DANIELS… I'm sure you already know what I think… GORDON Let's wait for the facts before we tackle the richest family in GOTHAM. DENT pulls out the revolver from his side. HARVEY Maybe for you! GORDON grabs DENT'S elbow, pulling back. GORDON HARVEY- relax. Just hold off unti- GORDON is interrupted by a loud crashing noise. All look up as glass explodes from the upper side of FALCONE INDUSTRIES. Like an Olympic diver, the purple blur soars out of the broken window atop the large tower. Coming down about halfway, the purple figure removes something from its shoulder, a whip, and uses it to grapple around a gargoyle on the side of the large skyscraper. Like a budgie chord, the purple blurb flies back upwards, using its momentum to swing into a nearby window. The glass crashes as the figure dives back into the building, albeit on a lower level. Down below, DANIEL'S body stops jerking around. One of the paramedics checks his pulse, and, without a word, moves the blanket over his face. The girlfriend begins to scream. GORDON (CONT.) Damn it! Alright, I want everyone in that building NOW! Move! TIM Look! DRAKE points upwards- all look back up at the skyscraper once again. An all- black figure spreads out two gigantic bat-like wings, and dives out of the broken window. GORDON Oh my God. GORDON allows his words to linger. The DARK KNIGHT glides peacefully down the side of the tall building. Coming to the window in which the purple figure had escaped, BATMAN glides gracefully within FALCONE INDUSTRIES once again. GORDON (CONT.) Everyone in there NOW! MOVE! As pedestrians still stare upwards in awe, the eight police officers rush across the street, and into the building. HARVEY Sir- GORDON [still looking up] Go ahead DENT. HARVEY removes the pistol from his side, and chases after the cops, towards the skyscraper just as more police cruisers arrive along with the press. INT.- FALCONE INDUSTRIES DENT enters the surprisingly empty, quiet building. Nearby, a door leading to the stairway sits open, the distant sound of footsteps and murmurs are heard just above the D.A.'s head. HARV moves forward, towards a reception desk- no one is seen. Moving towards the propped open door, HARVEY steps forward, into the open stairwell. INT.- STAIRWELL HARVEY looks upward- nothing but darkness. Gunshots fill the air along with brilliant flashes within the empty void above. There is screaming noises along with the sound of the police screaming. The gunshots end. HARVEY What's going on? Who is it? DENT'S only answer is eight handguns crashing to the ground just in front of him. HARVEY (CONT.) Shit… DRAKE'S screaming body plummets towards DENT. Just as his quickly falling body gets ten feet to the bottom, he is snapped back upwards. His still screaming, flailing body finally settles, a chord wrapped around his ankle, keeping him from hitting the ground. HARVEY (CONT.) TIM! TIM Get me down from here! The door to the stairwell flies open, and five police officers, guns aimed, come through. TIM (CONT.) Help me! HARVEY [to officers] Get him down from there! HARVEY aims his weapon while removing a small flashlight from around his waist. He begins his assent upwards as the halo of the flashlight guides the way into the darkness. INT.- STAIRWAY, HALFWAY DENT passes the seven other cops, all bruised, a few showing off some prominent scratches on their cheeks. HARVEY Go downstairs gentlemen… help has arrived. The bruised officers begin to stand up, making their ways down the stairwell. As the last cop starts his descent, DENT hears what he psychotically mumbles- COP "THE BAT!" It was "THE BAT!" As the officers move out of sight, HARVEY aims his revolver as well as his flashlight. He centers on the walls and the ceiling- nothing but an eerie darkness. He centers on a torn up metal box hanging on the wall. Moving forward, he realizes it's an electrical box- its been torn to shreds. Turning around, he centers the light on the railing- a chord is wrapped securely around it. Looking down the flights, he spots TIM being led to the ground, and out of the rope ties tightly around his ankle. DENT begins to pull the chord upwards, untying the rope still wrapped around the railing. Pulling it all the way off, he sees what it truly is: a twenty-foot long whip. HARVEY A whip… A sound from behind catches his attention. Pointing his flashlight (as well as his gun) upwards, he catches a movement up a few flights. Still carrying the whip, HARVEY begins running up the stairs, towards a now audible crashing and basking noise. INT.- STAIRWELL, TOP Huffing and puffing, DENT reaches the top of the stairs, right to a door reading "ROOF." HARVEY pushes through the door. EXT.- FALCONE INDUSTRIES, ROOF, NIGHT The rain has become a heavy drizzle. DENT turns off his flashlight, tucking it way at his waist once again. He gets a grip on his gun, pointing it forward. He passes a the backside of the large "FALCONE INDUSTRIES" neon sign. From down below, two spotlights shine through the creaks of the "FALCONE" sign, blinding HARVEY momentarily. Within that instance, something takes DENT off his feet. His back smacks against the damp, concrete roof. A figure hunches over him- a dark figure of a woman. She reaches for the whip, taking it from the D.A.'s grip. WOMAN Thanks, doll- I knew I'd get it back sooner or later. DENT slides backwards, out from under the WOMAN- using both legs, he kicks her back to a nearby wall. Getting to his feet, HARVEY points his gun where the WOMAN should be- she is gone. He breathes heavily, turning around in circles, desperately clutching his revolver. HARVEY You are under arrest! You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say- With a crackle of the whip, the pistol springs out of DENT'S hand and on to the ground in front of him. WOMAN (V.O.) Can it fly boy- we're not going anywhere. HARVEY Who- who are you? The WOMAN comes into view, walking sleekly out from under the cover of shadows, snapping the long whip back and forth- she is CATWOMAN. He purple suit shimmers from a mix between the drizzling rain and the spotlights down below. CATWOMAN I have a hunch that you're not here for me… CUT TO- Somewhere else on the roof, just a few yards away from the frightened D.A. and CATWOMAN, they are watched by a man… wearing a cape. CUT TO- The conversation- DENT, with his back up against the wall, stares right in the eyes of CATWOMAN. She moves puts the whip on a hook on her left side- her other hand holds a small bag. She slowly walks towards DENT, coming only six inches away from his body. She lifts her right hand up to his face, digging the three inch claw on her right index finger into HARVEY'S chin. CATWOMAN (CONT.) You're here for 'THE BAT.' DENT grits his teeth together, flinching from the sharp pain. The feline criminal goes from playful to evil in a matter of seconds, gripping DENT'S face with her hand. CATWOMAN (CONT.) That bastard's been riding on my back for too long! What do you know about him? HARVEY That… he's standing behind you! CATWOMAN'S eyes go wide- she spins around facing the DARK KNIGHT in all his glory, his features masked by the shadows. His cape rises upwards like bat wings. The criminal hisses, scratching forward, hitting nothing. DENT goes for his gun. GOTHAM'S SAVIOR kicks forward, out of the darkness. His boot connects with CATWOMAN'S chest, sending her backwards, causing her to drop the small bag. On the ground, she removes the whip from around her waist. Standing up, she snaps the weapon forward, connecting with BAT'S cape as he quickly turns around, taking from his utility belt a single bat-a-rang. Facing CATWOMAN once again, he chucks the transformed boomerang at her legs. In mid-air, the bat-a-rang splits into two, a thin metal rope holding the two pieces together. The airborne weapons hits her legs, wrapping around her ankles. She trips to the ground with a scream. As she desperately claws with the rope intertwined around her legs, THE BAT turns his attention towards DENT, who sits on the ground, aiming the weapon. His face is pale with fear. THE BAT reaches his hand forward as the nearby door burst open, a dozen of GOTHAM'S finest entering the roof. HARVEY turns his head towards the door, and then back at the DARK KNIGHT- only he is not there. A few feet away, a hissing CATWOMAN still tries to cut herself free, but to no avail. GORDON walks up behind DENT as the police cover, the roof. GORDON You alright DENT? HARVEY THE BAT! It was THE BAT! Two officers walk by DENT and GORDON, pushing along CATWOMAN, the chord gone from around her ankles, and instead sporting a pair of handcuffs around her wrists. CATWOMAN You're damn right it was THE BAT! Rain begins to fall hard once again. CATWOMAN (CONT.) Mmm… you know how us kittens just hate water. The feline jumps up, split kicking the two officers in the head. Landing back on he feet, officers open fire as she flips over the side of the building. Leaving DENT still on the ground, GORDON and the other officers race to the edge of FLACONE INDUSTIRES- she is gone. GORDON Damn it! GORDON turns around to see HARVEY standing by CATWOMAN'S lost bag. He picks up the silk green sack, and removes its contents- two solid gold kitten earrings. SCENE 3 INT- GORDON'S OFFICE, NIGHT HARVEY sits quietly in the small chair across from GORDON'S desk, flipping a quarter using his thumb and index finger. His dirty trench coat drips water on the floor. He clutches his soggy hat in his lap. GORDON HARV, I gotta tell you- I'm not so sure you should remain on this case. HARVEY looks up, his eyes widening. HARVEY No- this is my case, and now that I'm sure it exists, I'm going after it. GORDON What are you talking? HARVEY THE BAT, JIM. I saw his with my on two eyes- I think he saved my life. Before GORDON can get another word out, his office door opens. BARBARA GORDON, JIM'S wheelchair-bound daughter, enters the room. HARVEY Hey BARB. BARBARA Long night, eh HARVEY? GORDON You have no idea… BARBARA Dad, I think we should talk… GORDON HARV- take the rest of the night off. HARVEY reluctantly stands up. HARVEY Yeah, no problem JIM. Goodnight, BARBARA BARBARA 'Night HARV. EXT.- GORDON'S OFFICE HARVEY lingers around for a moment- listening in on the conversation. BARBARA (V.O.) What's wrong with him? GORDON (V.O.) [Sighing] I think he's been on the case too long… he thinks he's seeing THE BAT. There is no response from BARBARA GORDON (V.O.) (CONT.) Tomorrow morning, I'll pull him off the case. HARV sighs, and puts on his hat- the filthy water drips down his face. EXT.- GOTHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT, NIGHT On the street, the rain has stopped. HARVEY walks over to his car parked across the street. Walking towards his car, HARVEY sticks his hand in his right pocket. He fishes around for a minute, and worriedly digs his hand into his left pocket. HARVEY Damn it! HARVEY sits down in the middle of the road, leaning back against his car door. Rain begins to pour down hard. ACT II SCENE 1 EXT.- GOTHAM TRUST, DAY, CHRISTMAS EVE Christmas wreaths hang on all the nearby doors- snow flutters down from the sky, blanketing cars and people alike. Busy commuters walk along the street, each one holding loads of bags from various department stores. Everything is cheery. Except for a small red puddle lying just in front of the main entrance to GOTHAM TRUST… a puddle so tiny, it's barely visible to the naked eye. Another splash within the puddle caused by a single red drop coming from above. INT.- GOTHAM TRUST, DAY A hand hangs out a broken window- the broken window from the GOTHAM TRUST board room. The hand's owner, a man wearing a business suit, lies on the floor near the window- his wrists are slit, leading one to believe a suicide… except for the large maniacal grin on his face. INT.- DENT'S HOUSE, DAY GILDA minds to JEFFREY, feeding him his breakfast. HARVEY fixes his tie as the phone rings. GILDA stands up to get it- HARVEY motions for her to sit. HARVEY I'll get it. HARV walks over to the phone hanging on the wall, and answers it. HARVEY Hello?… Yes… [Sigh]. GILDA looks up from JEFFREY who plays with the food on his bib. HARVEY (CONT.) Yeah… alright, I'll be right there… bye. HARVEY hangs up the phone, and turns to MRS. DENT. He walks over, and kisses little JEFF on the head. He stands GILDA up, and embraces her. HARVEY (CONT.) I'll be back later on tonight. GILDA Who was on the phone? HARVEY There was another murder at GOTHAM TRUST… I swear I'll be back. GILDA Goodbye, HARV. HARVEY kisses her cheek, grabs his hat off the coat rack, and walks out the door into a winter wonderland. INT.- GOTHAM TRUST, DAY Five officers stand around the dead body. One makes a sketch of his face plastered over with a gruesome smile. DENT enters the room- he walks right over to TIM DRAKE. HARVEY What's the stor- HARVEY cuts himself off- staring at the victim's wide grin. TIM He's the chairman here. HARVEY Cause of death? TIM We don't know what did this. If it where suicide, there would be a blade nearby… so far we haven't found anything that could be used. And as for the grin… HARVEY Has anybody looked in his pockets? TIM Not yet. DRAKE hands HARV a pair of rubber gloves. Snapping the gloves on, DENT kneels down in front of the corpse. He checks the man's pants pockets- the left one is empty, while the right contains a packed wallet. HARVEY They didn't bother to take his wallet… TIM takes the wallet, setting it down on the board table. The D.A. sticks his fingers into the pocket on the left breast of the suit. His hand lingers for a moment, and a switching noise is heard. HARV lets out a tiny yelp of pain, and pulls something out of the pocket. He inadvertently flings the something across the board table. It stops right before the edge on the far side. Camera zooms in showing a JOKER playing card- four blood soaked blades stick out of the card much like a Chinese star. The card omits a robotic laughing from within. INT.- GORDON'S OFFICE, DAY HARVEY clutches the bagged playing card, staring down at the evil grin of the JOKER logo. JIM GORDON sits at the desk, wrapping a small package with a festive bow- behind the COMMISIONER sits a rather large pile of wrapped presents. HARVEY NAPIER… GORDON Excuse me? JIM finishes wrapping the present, and chucks it behind him, on to the pile of shimmering green and red. HARVEY JACK NAPIER- this was his old calling card. GORDON Now HARVEY, NAPIER'S dead. I saw it with my own two eyes! He fell into a vat of waste- he's not alive! HARVEY Yeah- and who put him in there? GORDON Drop it HARV- it was a figment of my imagination… a shadow of something. HARVEY Have you ever considered that maybe there's a link here? GORDON Listen- GOTHAM TRUST has had some bad luck recently- there was another murder, yes, but that was two months ago. HARVEY Christ- don't you think I remember? GORDON Alright, relax. My point is, if someone wants to take down GOTHAM TRUST, don't you think they would have done it by now? HARVEY What about VAL CLOONEY on Thanksgiving? GORDON CLOONEY died while on vacation- you know that! It was a skiing accident. HARVEY You sure? CUT TO- INT.- AUTOPSY OFFICE HARVEY bursts through the door of a small office with a large window looking in on an autopsy room. An ATTENDANT wearing blue scrubs stands up out of a nearby chair. ATTENDANT May I help you sir? HARVEY I need the autopsy record on VAL CLOONEY? The ATTENDANT sits back down, swivels the chair around, and reaches into a metal file cabinet. After flipping through the miscellaneous files for a moment, he whips out one of the beige folders, and hand sit to DENT. ATTENDANT I believe this is who you're looking for. HARVEY flips quickly through the folder. In frustration, slams the folder shut. HARVEY Who performed this autopsy? The (annoyed) ATTENDANT takes the folder from HARVEY'S hands and opens it to the last page. He scans down to the bottom of the white paper. ATTENDANT A DR. HARLEY QUINN… she's not here anymore. HARVEY [Sighing] Is there any way I can look at the body? ATTENDANT You'll have to go to the morgue… unless he's already been cremated. HARVEY runs out of the small office. CUT TO- INT.- MORGUE With a DOCTOR by his side, HARVEY runs pasty rows upon rows of metal cabinets- cabinets which hold the recently deceased. They come to a door which swings slightly open. DOCTOR This is it… but it shouldn't be open. HARV slowly opens the hanging door. Within the hole is a vast darkness. The DOCTOR reaches in, and pulls out the tray. With a loud cranking noise, the tray comes all the way out. Sitting neatly in the center is a single red package complete with a green bow on top. The DOCTOR removes the lid. HARVEY No, wait! It is too late. A spring pops out of the box. Attached to the spring is a single wooden hand painted white. The faux hand clutches a large cutting knife. The spring is somehow activated, and the hand moves back and forth. The DOCTOR screams as the knife plunges into his chest three times and a green spray hit's the DOCTOR'S face before HARV can pull him away from the box. The rescue is in vain, however. The bleeding corpse of the DOCTOR lies out on the floor, a large grin plastered across his blood stained face. Two security guards burst into the room as HARVEY hunches over the DOCTOR'S corpse. From within the box, the same mechanical laughing is heard. INT.- GORDON'S OFFICE, NIGHT GORDON slams his fist on the large brown desk. HARVEY reads from a large purple card: GORDON HARVEY, this is not the way I want to spend Christmas Eve! HARVEY "Send me THE BAT." Signed the "JOKER." GORDON THE BAT! THE BAT! Enough of THE BAT! DENT jolts out of the smaller chair, dropping the card to the floor. HARVEY Put me back on the case! GORDON Damn it HARVEY! The office door slowly opens, and BARBARA rolls in. HARV takes his seat once again- GORDON follows suit. GORDON (CONT.) Yes BARBARA? BARBARA senses the tension in the room. BARBARA Uh… Mr. WAYNE keeps calling. GORDON [Sighing] Yes… of course. JIM exit's the office. DENT lets out an audible groan, and plants his face in his hands. Quietly, BARBARA brings her hand to the carpet, and lifts up the note that was thrown there by HARV. She tucks the purple card into her pocket, and wheels out of the office. HARVEY lifts his head up, and looks out the office door- watching as BARBARA exit's the police department. The D.A. stands up, and follows her out the door. A confused GORDON walks into his empty office. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., NIGHT Outside of the police department, everything is eerily quiet. A gentle snow falls from the sky, causing a thin icing of the wet condensation to blanket all of GOTHAM. Somewhere, carolers sing. HARVEY looks across the street- BARBARA is helped into a limo by a older gentlemen wearing a suit. HARVEY What the hell… The older man tips his hat to BARBARA, and she smiles back. The chauffeur shuts the back door, and walks over to the driver's seat. Stepping in, the engine starts, and the limo speeds away. HARVEY runs for his car, gets in, and speeds after the limo. EXT.- GOTHAM COUNTRYSIDE, NIGHT The snow seems to come down slightly harder just outside of GOTHAM. The black limo travels down a secluded road surrounded by dense woods. HARVEY'S car, the headlights turned off, follows from a distance so as not to be spotted. Beyond both vehicles, the lights of GOTHAM shine through the trees, barely illuminating the dark forest. EXT.- WOODS, NIGHT The limo stops in the middle of the woods- just in front of a rocky cliff. DENT stops as well from a distance. Fishing into the glove compartment, he removes a pair of binoculars. The chauffeur gets out of the front seat, and strides along to the back of the long car. He helps BARBARA out along with her wheel chair. He wraps a scarf around the young woman's neck, and waves a goodbye. BARBARA smiles and waves as well. With that, the old man gets back in the front seat, and the limo drives off. Looking around, she begins moving the wheels of her chair, moving closer and closer to the rocky cliff… until she eventually disappears. In shock, HARVEY drops the binoculars, and jumps out of the car. BARBARA is nowhere to be seen. Locking his car, he runs to the invisible wall. Like the COMMISIONER'S daughter, DENT enters the facade. INT.- CAVE, NIGHT The suspicious D.A. enters the dark cave with a look of bewilderment on his face. BARBARA is nowhere to be seen. He removes the gun from his side, and makes his way through the lighted cavern. He comes to a bend in the path, and hears some noises coming from around the corner. Sneaking around the bend, he peers through the end of the tunnel. He spots BARBARA speaking to an unknown figure. She hands the person a note. BARBARA Something's up- this was found at the morgue. A black-clad hand takes the note from her hand. Curious, HARVEY packs away his revolver. He moves closer to the turn in the path. FIGURE Hmm… NAPIER… BARBARA Your sure? FIGURE This is his calling card… The mysterious man goes silent. BARBARA What is it? FIGURE Mr. DENT… you may come out now. HARVEY freezes, and slowly rounds the corner. HARVEY I'm sorry I followed you BARB… but, I saw that you took the note, and I was wandering… The D.A. pauses… he is stares open mouthed at the figure in front of him. He is too frightened to move. We get a glimpse at what he sees… he sees the SAVIOR OF GOTHAM… THE DARK KNIGHT… THE CAPED CRUSADER. Music heightens as we get our first real glimpse at THE BAT… we see BATMAN in full costume. The cape, the mask, the gloves, the belt, the utility belt. An overwhelming sight to be sure. HARVEY'S lips shudder. HARVEY The… the… BATMAN Mr. DENT… it's time we explained something to you… SCENE 2 EXT.- COUNTRYSIDE, NIGHT HARVEY'S car races towards GOTHAM CITY. His face is pale like the snow which still coats the city as well as the surrounding countryside. EXT.- GOTHAM SUBURBS, NIGHT HARVEY pulls up in front of his small townhouse. A wreath hangs on the door, a mangles snowman stands on the front lawn, its twig arm extended out in a warm greeting. DENT still clutches the steering wheel even after the car stops, his mind a totally zapped- not able to comprehend what he encountered. Finally, he steps out of his car, and towards the house. INT.- DENT'S HOUSE, NIGHT HARV walks though the front door, missing the coat rack with his hat. In the adjoining living room, GILDA and holds JEFFREY, allowing him to decorate the green tree standing proudly in the center of the family room. GILDA spots HARVEY and walks towards him. GILDA How was your day? She kisses him sweetly on the cheek. HARVEY Unbelievable. GILDA Well… you're home now… and it's Christmas Eve. We should be celebrating! HARVEY [Sighing] You're right… HARVEY kisses JEFFREY'S head, and embraces both GILDA and his son. The Kodak moment is interrupted by a loud zooming noise overhead, much like a small airplane. GILDA That's odd… you don't think they would fly in such weather. HARVEY face turns pale again. HARVEY Stay inside! DENT runs out the door. EXT.- DENT'S HOUSE, NIGHT HARVEY looks upwards as do some of the other nearby residents who where disturbed by the noise as well. A very small, open airplane speeds by over head, only twenty-five feet off the ground. The sound of the small aircraft is almost drowned out by another noise- an evil, maniacal laughter coming from the cockpit. EXT.- GOTHAM CITY, NIGHT As the snow falls, the small plane glides through the air, towards GOTHAM. We get a glimpse of the pilot- THE CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME, THE JOKER. He cackles once again, his dark green hair blowing the breeze. He wears a WWI-era fighter pilot outfit, singing a twisted Christmas carol (sung to the tune of Jingle Bells). JOKER Jingle Bells, GOTHAM smells… The small aircraft flies through the clouds, and right into the city itself. JOKER continues to sing as he whizzes by tall skyscrapers lining the street. EXT.- DENT'S HOUSE, NIGHT HARVEY runs for his car, followed by GILDA who still holds baby JEFF tight. GILDA Where are you going? HARVEY I have to get some help. GILDA From who? HARVEY Just… stay in the house. HARV jumps into his car, starting the engine in one swift movement. The car takes off down the street, past other worried on-lookers. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., NIGHT HARVEY pulls up in front of the police department. He jumps out of the car, and opens his trunk. He pulls out a rather large un-identifiable structure along with a red can of gasoline. He carries the shape into the building. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, NIGHT On the rooftop, GORDON watches the JOKER as the plane circles the city. Behind him, DENT pours gasoline on the structure, which now stands up in the middle of the rooftop. HARVEY He said this would work… GORDON Who? Who said this would work? HARVEY stands back from the structure, searching his pockets for a pack of matches. Coming up empty-handed, he takes out his revolver. Standing back from the gasoline-drenched formation, HARVEY fires a single bullet. GORDON is thrown back as the monument ignites into flames… showing a 6' x 6' symbol of a bat, its wings spread out proudly. It is an early Bat-Signal. CUT TO- EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., GROUND, NIGHT Across the street, on the ground, BARBARA looks upwards, up as the flaming symbol standing upright, a beacon of hope for all of GOTHAM. As the symbol reflects in her lenses, she smiles. Nearby, the chauffer (ALFRED) lets BARBARA into the back of the limo. The car speeds away. CUT TO- EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, NIGHT GORDON stands by HARVEY, looking rather impatient. JIM notices the plane taking an unusual physical formation. EXT.- GOTHAM SKYLINE, NIGHT The JOKER presses a red button sitting in the middle of his flight stick. A large, metal contraption lowers from under the small craft. JOKER Sorry, GOTHAM… but, I've got GAS! Another button is pressed, and the metal contraption resembling a tiny A-bomb begins to open up- a light green hue spreads out and around the machine… it is the CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME'S patent a poisonous gas. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, NIGHT The COMMISIONER watches as the gas seeps out from underneath the airplane. HARVEY watches down below with a pair of binoculars, almost oblivious to the JOKER overhead. GORDON That's it HARV… I'm getting some boys to take that mad man down. He's leaking something. HARVEY Wait- here he comes. HARVEY throws GORDON a pair of binoculars. The COMMISIONER places the binoculars on his face, looking downward. GORDON Holy God… P.O.V.- BINOCULARS, GOTHAM STREETS On the busy streets of GOTHAM, its citizens look upwards at the maniac leaking gas all over their city. All of a sudden, cars begin to halt, screeching to the side of the street. They are making a clear path for the one the only- the (non-Schumacher) Bat-Mobile. The sleek, black vehicle speeds down the street; its single flame propelling forwards from behind. The powerful automobile comes to a screeching halt. The only distinguishable "door" slides forward. A loud firing noise signifies the grappling hook flying out of the car, reaching upwards, and connecting with the small craft overhead, which begins to pull back due to the added weight. There is a slight hissing noise, and the on-lookers watch in absolute awe as the DARK KNIGHT flies out of the cockpit of the Bat-Mobile, the retracting of the grappler pulling him upwards. CUT TO- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, NIGHT GORDON Oh my… HARVEY just smirks, still watching in amazement as BATMAN stands tall on the back of the plane. EXT.- GOTHAM SKYLINE, NIGHT The JOKER'S laughter stops, his large grin becoming slightly less. Still piloting the plane, he turns his head around, facing THE BAT, noticing the symbol on his chest. JOKER So, you're 'THE BAT?' Can't say I wasn't expecting you… oh, well… I bet you weren't expecting this! Without warning, JOKER causes the plane to spin like a corkscrew, causing BATMAN to slip- only by wrapping his arms around the tail does he not fall to the city street below. The JOKER laughs louder than before. JOKER (CONT.) What's a matter BATS? Need a barf bag? Without a word, BATMAN removes a Bat-a-rang from his utility belt, launching it at the gas-spreading contraption connected to the plane. The metal box breaks off, moving down. Using his grappler once again, the DARK KNIGHT'S hook snatches the box the mid-air. Pulling upwards, he gets his hands around the contraption, and launches over the side of the craft, out of the city, and into the nearby harbor. JOKER My gas! You… bastard! BATMAN You're going to ARKHAM… JACK. The CLOWN'S face goes sour once again, but only for a moment. JOKER Really? Because I'd rather just stay right where I am! The plane dodges building left and right before moving out of the city, and over the dank, empty harbor now caked over with ice. EXT.- GOTHAM HARBOR, NIGHT BATMAN Put the plane down JACK, and maybe they'll go easy on you. JOKER Hmm… JACK NAPIER? JACK NAPIER? Where have I heard that name before?… Oh, that's right… I haven't! JOKER leans the flight control forward, sending the small craft twirling downwards, towards the ice-over murky water. The plane screeches across the sheet of frozen tundra and snow. EXT.- GOTHAM HARBOR, NIGHT The sound of rising helicopters is heard from a distance. The JOKER hops out of the pilot's seat, wearing a trench coat and hat over his trademark purple suit. His green hair flows over his face, the nearby dampness shimmers, showing his wicked grin to the audience. Looking around, BATMAN is nowhere to be seen. He slips wildly on slowly breaking ice as two police helicopters flies overhead, their spotlights make the harbor seem like an ice-skating rink. POLICE (V.O.) You are under arrest! Put your hands in the air, and drop to the ground! A news chopper joins the GOTHAM P.D. A third light shines down on the ice. Without warning, the JOKER sticks his right arm under his coat, and reveals a Tommy gun. Grasping the mobster-weapon-of-choice, the CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME unleashes a wave of bullets across the front of the closest P.D. chopper. A Bat-a-rang speeds out of the darkness, knocking the gun from the JOKER'S hands. With a laugh, the criminal laughs maliciously, tossing a small device at the downed plane. Within seconds, the plane explodes into a ball of flames, sending the trio of helicopters backward. With a second evil cackle, the villain runs out of the dizzying spotlights and into the darkness. He is followed by a black figure which streaks right through the spotlight. A single ray of light shines back on the JOKER- he stands tall, the snow surrounding him as if he where stuck in an antique snow-globe. He holds a smiling fish between his index finger and thumb- holding it up before crushing the helpless being in his fist, a strange purple goop leaking between his fingers. A small white tube hit's the ground by the criminal's feet, thrown from within the darkness. A fabulous white flash sends the choppers into a frenzy, sent back by the white glow. Moments later, the flash begins to fade; the choppers gain their composure, and the spotlights fall to the ground once again- first one light shines upon the DARK KNIGHT before the other two take the first's cue, and shine upon THE BAT as well. BATMAN uses his cowl to block the light from his view. POLICE (V.O.) (CONT.) You! On the ground! Without lingering, THE BAT takes off, back into the safety of the darkness. The lights spread out, searching the grounds. Their search becomes more frantic with the screams/cackles of the JOKER along with the swooshing sound of BATMAN'S cape. The three searchlights finally settle on a single figure- that of the JOKER- crouched down in the middle of the harbor. He laughs silently; a single tone cackle that would send chills down the spine of any viewer. The ice begins to give a little more. We get a glimpse of JOKER'S bloodies and bruised face- a thin black chord wraps around his hunched over body. The Bat-a- rang hangs to the side, connected to one end of tight chord. His strange cackling continues; the police choppers begin to descend behind the super- villain's bunched up form. A single red bow sits atop the JOKER'S heavily beaten body. SCENE 3 INT.- DENT'S HOUSE, EARLY MORNING The sun is barely up as HARVEY comes through the front door. GILDA jumps up from a nearby chair, wrapping her arms around HARV. She sobs softly into DENT'S chest. JEFFREY sleeps nearby in a portable crib. GILDA I didn't know what to think… HARVEY It's okay… I'm alright. GIILDA backs away from HARV, facing him. GILDA You where right… you where right! HARVEY What? GILDA Now everybody knows… you where right! The D.A.'S wife runs into the living room, past the Christmas tree, and places her hand on the coffee table, grabbing a black remote control. She snaps on the TV. HARVEY picks up JEFFREY, and walks into the living room, watching the television set. There plastered on the news is the footage of BATMAN; standing in the ice, staring right at the camera before running off into the darkness. The footage rewinds, and freezes on his masked face. REPORTER (V.O.) Once again, these reports are true: Is this 'THE BAT?' Are we safe or should we worry about this possible menace- stay tuned. GILDA turns off the TV, running into HARVEY'S arms who stares blankly at the blank screen. GILDA HARVEY, everyone knows now! HARVEY "Menace?" GILDA HARV- you're a hero! HARVEY [yelling] He saved us! Isn't obvious he's not a "menace?" GILDA backs away. GILDA HARV, please relax. It's okay, we're all safe. HARVEY But… GILDA Don't worry. GILDA places a soft kiss on HARV'S cheek, taking JEFF from his arms. She hunches down, and takes a present out from under a tree, handing it to DENT. GILDA (CONT.) Merry Christmas, HARVEY. HARV smiles, kissing GILDA sweetly on the lips. INT.- DENT'S HOME, EARLY MORNING The phone rings as GILDA helps JEFFREY with opening a large present. HARV picks up the phone, still laughing. HARVEY Hello? BARBARA (V.O.) HARVEY- meet him on the rooftop of GOTHAM P.D.? HARVEY BARBARA? BARBARA (V.O.) You'll know how to get his attention. HARVEY The signal, right? There is no response. HARV hangs up the phone, grabs his coat and hat, kisses GILDA and JEFF, and leaves his home. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., DAY HARVEY steps out of his car, using a skeleton key to enter the police department. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, DAY HARV comes upon the roof, looking for the large Bat-statuette. There is none- instead, it is replaced by a round black disk. Seeing two wires disconnected, DENT walks over, and re-connects them. With a few sparks, the disk lights up, propelling the image of a Bat-symbol into the sky, showing as prominently as the sun itself. EXT.- GOTHAM SKYLINE, DAY Nearby the GOTHAM P.D., the DARK KNIGHT hunches next to a stone gargoyle, watching down below with a pair of small binoculars. Spying the signal, he launches the grappling hook onto a nearby building, swinging through the sky. From building to building, BATMAN finally come to the roof of GOTHAM P.D. EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., ROOF, DAY BATMAN I take it you got the ORACLE'S call? HARVEY "The ORACLE?" BATMAN I'm big on secret identities. HARVEY So I see… BATMAN Come to the street- we're going on a mission. HARVEY Excuse me? A 'mission?' BATMAN'S pale, white eyes stare down at the D.A. HARVEY (CONT.) Alright… DENT walks towards the stairway on the roof- he is not followed by THE BAT. HARVEY (CONT.) What? The D.A. walks towards BATMAN. Within a foot of The DARK KNIGHT, he is grabbed, and pulled over the roof. He is followed downwards by THE BAT, who grabs him around the waist. Shooting his grappler upwards, the hook connects with the roof. The two come within a foot of the street level, before halting. BATMAN allows DENT to the ground before coming down himself. HARVEY You couldn't warn me before you did that?! Walking towards the Bat-mobile, BATMAN clicks down upon a tiny black box, allowing the super car to unlock, the door sliding forward. BATMAN Get in. HARVEY follows his words, hopping into the car. BATMAN follows suit, getting into the driver's side. The door shuts, and the automobiles takes off down the street. EXT.- GOTHAM HARBOR, DAY The Bat-mobile comes upon an old, busted down building which sits besides the frozen harbor. The car halts to a stop, and the window slides open. BATMAN jumps out, followed by HARVEY. HARVEY What are we doing here? BATMAN We're going to stop production on the JOKER'S chemical. The come to one of the building's doors; it's a beaten up, rusted over door with a latch across two chains wrapped around the base of the doorway. HARVEY This place hasn't been touched for twenty years- my dad used to work here when they canned dog food. BATMAN They don't can dog food here anymore. BATMAN swiftly kicks in the chained door. Both enter the old building. INT.- FACTORY The inside is a large intricate mechanism producing the purple liquid used by the JOKER. The two crime fighters are immediately attacked. The WORKERS fire rounds off of an UZI. The DARK KNIGHT tackles DENT to the ground, pinning him behind a large crane. With a flip, BATMAN is off of HARV. We stay on HARVEY despite the sounds of groans and gunshots coming form the other side of the crane. DENT reaches into his jacket, removing his revolver. Crouching down behind the machinery, he takes a peak over the yellow top. He spots the three WORKERS firing blindly at something unforeseen by HARVEY. The D.A. begins to fire blindly, sticking only his arm over the factory equipment. After six shots, the chamber repeats a dull clicking noise- the bullets have ran out and so has the screams of the collective bunch of WORKERS. Peering over the top once again, HARV spots the WORKERS huddled together on the floor- each one bound to the other by a black cable off of which hangs a metal bat. They are all unconscious. HARV walks towards the huddled group; BATMAN is no where in sight. HARVEY Where'd you go? From behind him, The DARK KNIGHT appears, his cape raised up. HARVEY spins around quickly, aiming him empty gun, firing zero rounds. Realizing it's THE BAT, he lowers his weapon, and sighs. HARVEY (CONT.) I could have shot you, you know? BATMAN This way. HARVEY What is it? BATMAN walks off to the back of the plant, followed by HARVEY. They come to a second door, which is promptly kicked open by THE BAT. HARVEY (CONT.) There's a knob here, you know? Without a word, both crime fighters enter the new room, nearly twice the size of the last- and covered wall to wall with stacks and stacks of dirty money. Each individual bill stacked into a foot by foot brick which is then placed into one large cube. Four cubes cover the entire surface of the room, just grazing the ceiling. HARVEY'S face turns pale in amazement. HARVEY (CONT.) You know, if we where two other guys… BATMAN We're not. HARVEY But, if we where… BATMAN Drop it. EXT.- FACTORY, DAY, TIME'S PAST Both crime fighters (as well as the three still unconscious WORKERS) stand by the Bat-mobile… watching the factory, along with the cash, burn to the ground. BATMAN Come on… firefighters will be here soon. HARVEY Not big on publicity, are you? THE BAT looks up, glaring eye to eye with HARVEY. After a long moment, BATMAN drops the gaze, opening up the Bat-car's sliding door. HARVEY (CONT.) You know, BATS, this could be the beginning of a very beautiful friendship. Both men enter the vehicle, driving off leaving only the WORKERS and the building's ashes behind. Nearby sirens are heard coming from the snow-covered island of GOTHAM. SCENE 4 EXT.- ARKHAM ASYLUM, DAY Snow still falls around the asylum, falling all around GOTHAM'S haunted castle. The blanket of white almost makes the building look somewhat peaceful- of course the interior is a completely different story. INT.- ARKHAM, DAY Two ORDERLIES, a DOCTOR, GORDON, and HARVEY walk down the long lane of lunatics- most of them either staring at the wall or staring at the group with a deranged expression. Past The SCARECROW, The CALENDER MAN; past a cell containing a brownish mass- it sits in the center of the room; upon close up, we see this as the super-villain known as CLAYFACE, a face forming in the large brick. We finally come across the cell containing The JOKER. He sits in the padded cell, staring out at the group, his arms bound around him by a straight jacket. DOCTOR MR. NAPIER- the police are here. They'd like some information. JOKER Of course, of course… come in, come in! Care for some tea… sorry no coffee, my Christmas party was such a success, that I'm fresh out! HARVEY Shut your mouth NAPIER! We're not here to chat! GORDON HARV- cool it. HARVEY backs away from the glass. JOKER Now, now, MR. DENT- is that anyway to treat a host? From behind HARVEY, a hand creeps towards him- the hand of a female NURSE. She gets closer, showing that the hand clutches a syringe filled with a purple liquid. Nobody, including HARVEY and JOKER seems to notice it. GORDON continues to speak to JACK NAPIER. GORDON Tell us what we want to know, and perhaps we can compromise on something. The hand rises, ready to stick the needle right into the D.A.'S shoulder. A black-gloved hand comes down upon the female NURSE'S hand, causing her to drop the syringe and let out a loud yelp. All turn around to see BATMAN clutching the hand of the NURSE. She struggles wildly, but to no avail. The crushed needle lies across the floor, the purple liquid causing the ground underneath it to burn through. DOCTOR 'THE BAT!' JOKER HARLEY! The NURSE (HARLEY QUINN) still struggles in the DARK KNIGHT'S grip. The ORDERLIES grab her arms, pulling her away. HARLEY MR. J- I'll get you outta' here! JOKER [sighing] So hard to find good help these days… HARLEY MR. J………………………….. HARLEY'S screeching voice trails off as she is pulled down the hall, and into a room by both of the ORDERLIES. GORDON BATMAN, I presume. The masked man nods at the COMMISSIONER. JOKER No, he's the other lunatic who dresses like a flying rodent! All turn towards JOKER, who begins to laugh gleefully. JOKER (CONT.) Perhaps you should be asking the more topical questions… like what's the difference between me and him? HARVEY Quiet! JOKER Ah, MR. DENT- I don't believe we've been formally introduced yet- they call me… BATMAN JOKER… JOKER Why, BATS, you've remembered my name! DOCTOR Now, now, MR. NAPIER… you don't want… JOKER Shut it, DOC! The DOCTOR is taken back by the comments. DOCTOR Well, then… I'll leave you four alone. The DOCTOR leaves the hall, leaving the three crime fighters and JOKER in staring at one another. A long, awkward moment passes. JOKER Well… what are we going to talk about? HARVEY Who are you? JOKER [groaning] Must we really go through this again… BATMAN What was that fish I saw you holding? It leaked this same purple liquid? BATMAN motions towards the ground, where the purple goop has just about eaten through the ground. NAPIER begins to cackle wildly. JOKER You mean this! Out of nowhere, JOKER brings out one of the fish, chucking it at the re-enforced glass. The fish explodes upon contact, yet the glass does not give despite the acidic substance. JOKER (CONT.) Something's "fishy" here! JOKER laughs even louder at his own bad joke. HARVEY We're not going to find anything here. As HARV and GORDON begin to walk away, BATMAN gives the laughing criminal a long, silent stare. The JOKER stops laughing. JOKER No, wait! Don't you want to know about the present for your wife? CUT TO- INT.- DENT'S HOUSE, DAY GILDA, clutching baby JEFFREY, brings in a package from outside on to the dining room table. It is a bright green package with a single purple bow placed on top. CUT TO- INT.- ARKHAM, DAY DENT stops in his tracks, running back to the clown in his cell. HARVEY What did you say? JOKER Oh, I can never seem to get my Christmas presents delivered in time! No matter- it should be there now! JOKER cackles loudly- without a second thought, HARVEY races down the hall, towards the exit. BATMAN HARVEY- wait! It is no use- HARVEY is out the door, and the sound of the car screeching away almost drowns out that of the JOKER'S laughter. EXT.- DENT'S HOUSE, DAY The snow stops pouring down as HARVEY pulls up in front of his house, running for the door. Upon opening the door, there is an explosion from within. Along with the flames, the acidic, purple goop flings out of the house, hitting certain parts of DENT'S left side, including his face. HARVEY is sent backwards, landing on his lawn into the freshly placed snow. He screams loudly as the acid burns into the flesh on his body. HARVEY GILDA! The Bat-mobile screeches to a halt in front of the DENT residence. BATMAN flies out of the car, kneels down, and picks up the D.A.'S now unconscious body. Three police cruisers join the Bat-mobile on the street, as nearby citizens come out of their homes, staring at the flames as they devour the house. ACT III SCENE 1 INT.- GOTHAM P.D., NIGHT New Year's Eve- decorations hang upon the walls of GOTHAM P.D.; banners and plastic champagne bottles. Inside GORDON'S office is, of course, no party. BARBARA sits across from him. GORDON Poor HARVEY… poor GILDA and JEFFREY. BARBABA Have the reports come back? GORDON Yes… they where positive. Those are the copses. BARBARA looks downward. BARBARA And the JOKER? GORDON It's still believed he was hired by the FALCONES… but, nothing can be proved. The COMMISSIONER begins to breathe loudly before yelling and, with a movement of his hand, he knocks the piles upon piles of files off of his desk. BARBARA flinches from the movement of papers. BARBARA Dad… GORDON No! I don't want to hear it, BARB! JIM'S phone, which lies on its side upon the ground, begins to ring. GORDON hunches over, and picks up the receiver. GORDON (CONT.) Yes… A long pause. GORDON (CONT.) Oh, no… JIM silently hangs up the phone, his head hung downwards. BARBARA Dad? EXT.- GOTHAM P.D., NIGHT Upon the rooftop, the Bat-signal is set, it's yellowish sign shining all across GOTHAM. GORDON stands by the statue, smoking on a cigarette, looking out over the GOTHAM skyline- down at the celebrators on the ground. The expected grappling hook connects with the building, and the DARK KNIGHT gracefully swings upwards, landing besides the signal, rising up in the darkness. GORDON just keeps staring out at the nearby skyscrapers, puffing away at his cigarette. BATMAN You smoke? GORDON Only when I'm nervous. BATMAN What's up? GORDON HARV'S escaped from his hospital room. A long pause. BATMAN I thought he was in a coma? GORDON So did I. The COMMISSIONER flicks the shortened stick over the side of the building, and towards the ground. He turns around, facing the DARK KNIGHT, his voice now taking on a shaky demeanor; his eyes are glazed over, stained from tears. GORDON (CONT.) Can you find him? BATMAN I'll try. GORDON turns back towards the skyline. BATMAN (CONT.) I will, JIM. GORDON turns around once again, towards BATMAN. He is gone. SCENE 2 INT.- ARKHAM, NIGHT A SECURITY GUARD sits in a squeaky chair, watching a small TV where celebrations take place in the streets of GOTHAM. It is 11:50 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The GUARD removes a brown paper bag from under the chair, revealing a tuna sandwich. He sets the sandwich down, and turns around in the chair, facing a row of six screens, each one concentrated on a different part of the asylum- everything is calm. Turning back towards the TV, the GUARD bites into the sandwich just as all the power in the place goes out. GUARD [mumbling, the sandwich falling from his hand and out of his mouth] Shit… Nearby, a shotgun is cocked, its site aimed squarely at the husky GUARD. A single blast, and the ammunition strikes the GUARD in the neck. Close up reveals a syringe sticking out of the portly fellow's neck. The GUARD seeps into a deep state of unconsciousness. The tranquilizer gun is dropped, and a shadow drifts over the man's slumbering body. INT.- ARKHAM HALL, NIGHT The dark figure drifts down the halls of ARKHAM, surrounded by unconscious SECURITY GUARDS. The mystery man carries with him a large machete. Within their respective cages, the patients howl uncontrollably in the darkness, banging and clanging around their cells. MONTAGE- SLAUGHTER AT ARKHAM CUT TO- Police cruisers pulling up in front of ARKHAM. CUT TO- Within one of the many cells, The SCARECROW screams outwardly as the machete makes contact with his forehead. CUT TO- Six officers break through the door of ARKHAM, guns raised as well as flashlights. The surrounded by unconscious bodies as well as the screams of the machete's victims. CUT TO- Another cell, this one with the MAD HATTER. The HATTER back away to the corner, staring out at an unseen evil. MAD HATTER No! Keep away! The figure lurches forward, the machete raised to attack. It swings downwards; the HATTER screams in pain. CUT TO- The rooftop of ARKHAM- the grappling hook makes contact, and the dark outline of BATMAN appears as he touches down upon the gray roof. CUT TO- A bald man in an incubator in the center of the room opens his eyes. This is MR. FREEZE. Within the large tube in which the villain sits, he is surrounded by a strange blue liquid. FREEZE'S screams go unheard to the muffling noise the liquid creates. The machete comes down, slicing open the tubes leading up to the incubator. The blue liquid pours out of the tube, and the weak, shriveled form of FREEZE slides across the plastic floor. Another swing of the large blade, and the villain's life is ended. CUT TO- The DARK KNIGHT comes down from a sky light, illuminated by the brightness coming off of the nearby officers' flashlights. There are various screams of: "The BAT!" and "Freeze!" Obviously, BATMAN does not listen, and disappears into the darkness. CUT TO- Various shots of cell doors slamming open as well as the machete coming down upon flesh. We get the sense of great pain followed by anguished screams. We also get a glimpse of the officers running into the cells, spotting the carnage in a killer's wake. CUT TO- One last cell- we get the behind shot of the killer- he holds the bloodied machete in his right hand, allowing it to dangle to the ground creating a massive red trail of murkiness. As the killer enters this last cell, The DARK KNIGHT drops down from behind- unbeknownst to the killer. CUT TO- The interior of the last cell. The JOKER sits huddle up in a corner, fastened tightly with a straight jacket. The killer enters, closing the door behind him. His face is shrouded in the darkness. JOKER Ah… you must be the one causing on the commotion out there! Come to free me? KILLER [practically mumbling] They're keeping you alive in here… it just doesn't seem right. JOKER And who might you be? KILLER There's two sides to every joke- you, of all people, should know that… tell me, was it a joke when you murdered my family? JOKER'S grin disappears from his face. JOKER DENT… KILLER I see… you thought I was dead as well. The killer moves forward, yet we still get no glimpse of his face. We just hear The JOKER'S screams as the dark figure moves toward him. BATMAN burst through the cell door, spotting the killer as he hold up The JOKER by the neck, who is oddly quiet. BATMAN Wait! KILLER You want to save him? BATMAN It's not worth it… HARVEY. HARVEY turns towards us- we finally get a glimpse of his face, only now he is no longer HARVEY DENT, but the mangled villain known only as TWO-FACE. He wears blood-stained hospital scrubs. TWO-FACE It's too late now… Outside of the cell, the trio hears the voices and footsteps of oncoming police officers. As TWO-FACE lowers The JOKER to the ground, his head slides right off of his neck- the bloodied machete sticking out of his back. BATMAN [reluctantly] I can't let you escape. TWO-FACE I know. HARV removes a pair of hand cuffs from one of his pockets, and arrest himself. TWO-FACE (CONT.) Leave… I'll turn myself in. BATMAN I trust you HARVEY. TWO-FACE Well… Unbeknownst to BATMAN, DENT lowers himself to the ground, wrapping his hands around the machete. TWO-FACE HARVEY DENT is dead! TWO-FACE flings the machete at BATMAN. In the nick of time, the DARK KNIGHT leaps out of the way, the large blade only cutting along his side. DENT dashes for the door, past BATMAN as well as the waiting officers. BATMAN HARVEY- Wait! He runs rights down the hall as the officers open fire, but to no avail. HARV runs right out the door of the facility, and right into the rain. TWO-FACE escapes. The officers runs into the cell, only to find the JOKER'S dead, decapitated body. BATMAN is gone. SCENE 3 INT.- GOTHAM CEMETARY, DAY GORDON and BARBARA look down at a trio of tombstones- one for HARVEY DENT, GILDA DENT, and JEFFREY DENT. GORDON places some red roses, which stands out among the snow covered ground. BARBARA His death was not in vain… GORDON Why do you say that? BARBARA Because… he helped bring a hero to GOTHAM. GORDON How do you know…? BARBARA BATMAN is here to help, Dad… and he will whether GOTHAM excepts him or not. GORDON Are you so sure? BARBARA glances upwards, staring out at GOTHAM CITY which stands tall in the distance. The Bat-signal illuminates the sky above all the building. A smile brightens up the face of BARBARA GORDON. BARBARA Positive. Just before we fade out, we catch the glimpse of BATMAN as he swings from building to building, before gliding directly across the beacon of hope that is the Bat-signal.
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