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VICKI WHY DID YOU KILL MY STORY? |
PROVOST Close the door. (waiting for her to calm down) Your story isn't news.With Shaw dead -- |
VICKI But the project's still going ahead!If attacking homeless people in the park isn't news, I'd like to know what is -- |
PROVOST There's a psycho out there in a mask and cape -- killing off Gotham's most prominent citizens!That's news. (beat) I've known Randall Shaw all my life.His family is in mourning.And it just so happens I don't believe in slandering the dead. |
VICKI Mr. Provost -- how much money do you have tied up in the Park Tower project? |
PROVOST Vicki...I'm going to forget you made that remark.For the sake of your job, I suggest you do the same. -- and HIS FACE TURNS PALE as he stares down at the contents: a small business-sized card, signed with a BAT-EMBLEM... |
THOSE WHO FEED ON THE SOUL OF GOTHAM |
WILL SUFFER MY WRATH |
REPORTER I Mr. Barrett!Any comment on the arraignment? |
REPORTER II Is it true bail was set at two million dollars? |
ATTORNEY Stand back!My client has nothing to say at this time! As the car pulls out into traffic, we see a flock of PIGEONS taking wing from their perches on the statues outside the Hall of Justice. PIGEONS fill the frame, swooping down toward the CAR, which is idling at a traffic light far below. The liveried DRIVER drums his fingers as he waits for the light to change.BARRETT's in the back, speaking into his cellular phone. |
BARRETT It's time we called an emergency meeting of the Raven Society.Get back to me... |
DRIVER Just washed it, too. BARRETT and the DRIVER exchange a mystified look.A small, blinking CAPSULE has just lodged in the wiper-blade assembly... Just as the light changes, the CAR EXPLODES into a million fragments -- leaving a BLACKENED CRATER in the middle of the intersection. |
ALFRED The Fluegelheim called again, sir.They want to know if you'll be attending the opening of the new Egyptian exhibit. |
BRUCE Cancel. |
SEKOWSKY Jeez!Talk about gratitude -- !! |
BRUCE Well, Alfred, it's official.I'm a wanted man. (beat) "New evidence"...I've gotta find that woman.Did you check the personals? He throws a nervous look at ALFRED.ALFRED speaks into a microphone: |
ALFRED Who's there? |
GORDON Jim Gordon, Alfred.I've got to see Bruce. |
ALFRED Mr. Wayne will see you, sir. A curious BRUCE ushers GORDON into the library, gestures toward the liquor cabinet.The Commissioner nods his head no. He's fidgety, ill at ease -- he obviously doesn't want to be here. |
GORDON Sorry to bother you.Bruce -- I'll get right down to it.You knew Shaw and Barrett -- |
BRUCE I saw them occasionally.We all sat on the board of the Fluegelheim... |
GORDON Did you have any...dealings with them, or -- |
BRUCE No.I never liked the way they did business. |
GORDON The thing is, Bruce, you're all lumped together in the public mind -- the Five Families of Gotham, that sort of thing -- and, uh... (taking a card from his pocket) Harrison Provost got this in the mail. |
BRUCE Then Batman is behind all this. |
GORDON Batman or a damned good imitation. |
BRUCE Well.He's changed tactics, hasn't he. |
GORDON (shrugging; at a loss) Shaw, with his high-rises -- Barrett, a druglord, major polluter -- they weren't exactly model citizens.Who knows, it could be some crazy social-conscience kind of thing. |
BRUCE You mean he's going after...the root of the problem. |
GORDON Let me know if you get one of these. We'll put all our resources at your disposal. |
BRUCE Changed my mind, Alfred.I'll be dropping in on the Fluegelheim after all. |
VICKI What is it? |
BRUCE I just had a weird sense of deja vu. |
TIPTREE Harrison -- we really ought to warn Bruce. We owe him that much. |
BRUCE Good to see you two.Looks like the Five Families are suddenly down to three. (looking around) In fact, if somebody dropped a bomb on this room right now -- |
PROVOST Is that your idea of a joke, Bruce? |
BRUCE Not at all.Commissioner Gordon seems to think we should all be hiring bodyguards. |
TIPTREE PROVOST Oh, that's absurd.I already have. |
BRUCE Thing is, I can't imagine why Batman would be after us.Can you? |
SELINA You two look like you need a drink.-- And is this who I think it is? |
PROVOST Selina Kyle -- Bruce Wayne. |
SELINA Our absentee board member!I've been wanting to meet you forever. |
TIPTREE Selina's the new Curator of Antiquities. She brought the Temple over block by block -- |
SELINA You two won't be terribly upset if I borrow Bruce for a moment, will you? |
BRUCE I can't imagine why. |
SELINA Tax year's almost over, you know.I hope we can count on your usual generous donation. (indicating PROVOST and TIPTREE) Someone's got to set an example for those two tightwads. |
BRUCE They're proccupied.This string of murders -- |
SELINA I asked them if they'd consider including us in their wills. (chuckling to herself) They didn't seem a bit amused... She's making small talk with a bunch of STUFFED SHIRTS and their overdressed WIVES.She glances across the room at the statue of Bastet, sees SELINA draped all over BRUCE.A frown crosses her face... She's still clinging to his arm as they stare up at the statue. |
SELINA -- and this is my good friend Bastet, the Egyptian Cat Goddess. |
BRUCE I think we've already met.-- This is quite an expedition you've put together. |
SELINA I'm glad you think so.I have to say, Bruce -- you're not at all what I expected. |
BRUCE Sorry to disappoint you. |
SELINA Oh, it's not that.Not at all.It's just that I'd always heard you were... |
BRUCE What? |
SELINA (coyly) Oh...sort of a... |
BRUCE (smiling; fascinated) No.Come on.What? |
BRUCE Oh.Selina Kyle -- my friend Vicki Vale. |
SELINA The photographer.I've seen your pictures in the Gazette. |
VICKI The Globe. |
SELINA Oh, that's right.The tabloid one.-- What an original dress! |
BRUCE Selina supervised the reconstruction of the temple.Brought it back from Egypt... stone by stone. |
VICKI Really.She must be awfully tired. (to SELINA) How'd you get to be in charge of a huge project like this? |
SELINA It was easy.I slept with the Pharoah. SELINA (cont.) Excuse us, won't you, sweetheart?We have some boring museum business to talk about. SELINA (cont.) I.Short leash. |
BRUCE Pull in the claws, okay?She's really terrific. |
SELINA I'm sorry, Bruce.Sometimes I get a little...aggressive, you know? (handing him a card) Look, I need to talk to you.Come by sometime.I'll give you the private tour. |
BRUCE Wait.Let me explain about Vicki -- |
SELINA (shushing him) I understand.Anyone who's that protective must have a pretty good reason for it. |
VICKI How's "business"? |
BRUCE Relax, okay?I like you better. |
VICKI If you're looking for your fellow millionaires, they left some time back. |
PROVOST Don't worry about that.I've had the office swept for bugs.No one's listening... TIPTREE in his paneled study at home.There's an open bottle on the table and he's been hitting the sauce -- hard.His VOICE QUAVERS: |
TIPTREE It's just so -- unfair.I mean...it was over a century ago.It's not like we're responsible. (hollow-eyed) How could he know?How could Batman know about the Raven Society?? |
PROVOST Who knows and who cares.The point is, it's happened... PROVOST (cont.) I'm clearing out of the country, and I'm taking the raven with me.I suggest you do the same. In the metal shaft on the other side of the grate is a tiny BIRD -- the same one we saw flying down the air shaft.Now that we've got a close-up view, we can see the thin BATTERY PACK wired to its underbelly...and the MINIATURE MICROPHONE taped to its leg. |
PROVOST (O.S.) I'll tell you how to reach me.And don't repeat this to anyone. |
SELINA He's just another rich idiot. (chuckling to herself) The odd thing is, he didn't seem a bit concerned. |
PENGUIN Then he is an idiot. |
SELINA He lives in some big sprawling manor. I'll have to get inside, scope it out... see where he's got the raven stashed. |
PENGUIN How do you plan to do that? |
SELINA How do you think! |
FRICK It's Mr. Provost, sir.He's planning to embark on an unscheduled Christmas vacation. |
PENGUIN Good!That should save us a trip to the bank. |
BRUCE What have we got here? |
SELINA Mummified cats.Bastet's sacred animal. They were buried by the thousands at Bubastis.-- Oh, careful! SELINA (cont.) Canopic jars.In the process of mummification, the internal organs were buried separately. (pointing to each jar in turn) Lungs -- stomach -- liver -- intestine -- |
BRUCE You're in a gruesome line of work. |
SELINA Keeps me interested.And that's not easy to do... |
BRUCE This one I know.It's a gryphon, right? |
SELINA Very good.A mythical demon, half-bird, half-lion...sweeping down from the sky to deliver retribution and justice. |
BRUCE Poor guy.Birds and cats -- you wouldn't think the two halves would cooperate. |
SELINA Only under certain circumstances. (beat) I'm really glad you came, Bruce.I was afraid I'd given you the wrong impression. Or maybe it was the right impression. |
BRUCE What was it you wanted to talk to me about? |
SELINA Your collection.I'd love to see it.I mean, everyone says you've got a fabulous -- |
BRUCE (shrugging) No. |
SELINA It must be strange.Having all that power, and money -- never really knowing if that's what people are attracted to. |
BRUCE What are you attracted to? |
SELINA I think you're a little bit nuts. (beat) I think you're a little -- bored with your life.Having everything you want.No variety, no...danger.And every once in a while you need to take a risk.Shake it all up. |
BRUCE How? |
SELINA Maybe by...coming here today. SELINA (cont.) That's one thing I can give you, Bruce -- danger -- a little something you can't get at home. ...and he SNEEZES IN HER FACE.She backs off in shock as he covers his face.His eyes are watering and he's WHEEZING. She rushes over -- |
SELINA Are you okay? |
BRUCE Is there a cat in here? |