Batman Page #27

EXT. CROSS STREET - A MOMENT LATER - EVENING

The VAN turns right at the intersection. Nothing unusual.

But for some reason, PEDESTRIANS are pointing at the sky,

staring goggle-eyed at the rooftops.

Far above them, a MAN -- dressed in a suit, a tie, a yellow

belt and a BLACK STOCKING MASK -- is gliding across the

intersection on a ROPE.

INT. VAN - A MOMENT LATER

The VAN DRIVER guns through a red light. BRAKES SQUEAL on

either side. In the back of the van, the JOKER GROWLS:

JOKER:

Slow down, you maniac!

EXT. INTERSECTION - THAT MOMENT - EVENING

As the VAN ROARS PAST, a MOUNTED POLICEMAN shakes his fist.

His horse shies, rears back, turns in a circle. He's just

about gotten the beast calmed down when a MAN IN A STOCKING

MASK plummets down on a rope from nowhere and lands

directly behind him on the horse's back.

BRUCE elbows the startled COP. Now there's only one rider.

The VAN turns left. BRUCE gallops straight ahead through

the intersection, hoping to cut the JOKER off.

INT. ALICIA HUNT'S APARTMENT - THAT MOMENT

ALICIA peers out through the window. On the street below,

UNMARKED CARS are converging.

INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT

The JOKER and co. are two blocks away from ALICIA's. They

see a POLICE SWAT TEAM sealing off the building.

DRIVER:

Boss! Jesus! They've --

JOKER:

They'll be sorry. They'll be

sorry. -- GET OUT OF HERE!

EXT. SIDE STREET - THAT MOMENT - EVENING

BRUCE on horseback, charging past elegant old brownstones,

drawing stares from passersby. We get a quick look at the

FLASHING RED SIGNAL LIGHT on his belt.

EXT. RIVERVIEW DRIVE - THAT MOMENT - EVENING

A YELLOW VW BUG rips up the street at 70 mph.

INT. VOLKSWAGEN BUG - THAT MOMENT

We can't see the driver. But we do see, on the seat

beside him, a VIDEO DISPLAY with a shifting grid map of the

city -- and on it, a FLASHING SIGNAL blinking in perfect

sync with the one on BRUCE's belt.

EXT. SIDE STREET - THAT MOMENT

BRUCE sees the VW bug rounding the corner and STREAKING

TOWARD HIM. He reins in the horse; it rears back on its

hind legs in a classic western pose; the BUG zooms past --

-- and ALFRED THE BUTLER heaves out a BROWN LAUNDRY BUNDLE,

neatly tied in string.

BRUCE snatches it out of the air, gives ALFRED a quick

salute -- and the BUG is gone.

INT. JOKER'S VAN - EVENING

The JOKER and his boys are stalled in heavy traffic at the

southern border of Gotham Park. POLICE BARRICADES are

everywhere; the surrounding streets have been roped off for

the birthday gala. HORNS HONK in anger.

JOKER:

MOVE! Can't you do something??

DRIVER:

It's some kind of detour. They're

backed up for blocks!

The JOKER snorts. He happens to glance into the side-view

mirror. What he sees there... CURDLES HIS BLOOD.

JOKER:

Oh my God. How does he do it... ?

EXT. STREET - A BLOCK AWAY - THAT MOMENT

THE BATMAN, IN FULL COSTUMED GLORY, GALLOPING UP THE STREET

ON HORSEBACK -- passing stunned COPS, weaving in and around

the stalled autos, GAINING FAST on the JOKER.

INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT

THE JOKER climbing all over the DRIVER. He HITS THE GAS,

RUNS THE VAN UP ON THE SIDEWALK, and -- at the first

opening he sees -- CRASHES THROUGH A POLICE BARRICADE INTO

GOTHAM PARK ITSELF.

BATMAN is half a block behind him now. As he follows hot on

the JOKER's heels, TWO HELICOPTERS swing into the park from

overhead.

EXT. GOTHAM PARK - EVENING

CROWDS EVERYWHERE. On the central platform where we saw the

FREE CONCERT earlier, an EMCEE mans the microphone:

EMCEE:

-- the most spectacular, most death-

defying aerial stunt ever devised.

Tonight -- for the first time

anywhere -- THE FLYING GRAYSONS!

He points up at the two approaching HELICOPTERS, flying

side-by-side in tight formation some forty feet apart.

ANGLE ON HELICOPTERS

ONLOOKERS GASP as TWO TRAPEZES drop from the bellies of the

twin copters. Dangling from the trapezes are the FLYING

GRAYSONS -- a husband-and-wife aerialist team in spangled

red-and-green suits. They begin swinging toward each other

in a plane perpendicular to the path of the copters.

EXT. GOTHAM PARK - GROUND LEVEL

PANIC DOWN BELOW as the JOKER's van barrels through the

crowd, HORN BLARING. BATMAN is moving up swiftly.

On each wrist he's wearing a MINIATURE ROCKET LAUNCHER. He

lets fly with TWO SALVOS. The first explodes harmlessly

against a tree. The second HITS THE REAR DOOR OF THE VAN --

driving it off the access road down into the brush, where

it nearly topples over sideways.

ANGLE ON FLYING GRAYSONS

GRAYSON has just completed a double somersault in midair,

landing in the capable hands of his wife. Now they're

swinging again, building momentum as he prepares to make

the return leap back to his own trapeze.

INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT

In the bay of the helicopter stands a kid, fifteen,

compact, tough, and wiry: DICK GRAYSON. Like his parents,

he's wearing a red-and-green suit. From the copter, he's

got a perfect bird's-eye view of the BATMAN-JOKER chase.

PILOT:

Ready to go, Dick?

DICK:

What's all the ruckus down there?

EXT. PARK - GROUND LEVEL - THAT MOMENT

The VAN bounces over rocks and bushes, narrowly avoiding

trees, with BATMAN in hot pursuit.

INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT

At the foot of a hill, the JOKER spies a truck. On its

side, in bright red letters, a WARNING: "DANGER -

FIREWORKS. FLAMMABLE LOAD."

The JOKER reaches into the back for a HIGHWAY FLARE.

JOKER:

Head for the truck!

INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT

Hovering over the chase scene, DICK catches sight of the

JOKER. He GASPS IN SHOCK as a LIT FLARE flies from the back

of the VAN... directly into the FIREWORKS TRUCK.

EXT. PARK - GROUND LEVEL - A MOMENT LATER

THE BATMAN is thrown off his horse by the shock of a

massive EXPLOSION. All at once, THE SKY IS FULL of

BURSTING, INCANDESCENT COLORS!!

THE JOKER hangs out of the rear of the van, looking up, an

expression of PURE DELIGHT on his face.

JOKER:

I love fireworks!

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