Batman Page #8

BATMAN plunges past on the end of a rope. A BLACK-GLOVED

HAND snatches at HOOD III's collar as he climbs and YANKS

HIM CLEANLY OFF THE LADDER. They drop to the lower catwalk.

HOOD IV gapes. He LEVELS HIS GUN at BATMAN, who stands his

ground, holding onto the rails of the catwalk for support.

A bullet hits him squarely in the chest. He does not fall.

HOOD IV turns and scrambles. BATMAN goes to his belt for a

miniature SPEAR GUN. He points it at HOOD IV and FIRES...

planting a BARBED HOOK in the HOOD'S LEG.

ANGLE ON COPS:

staring up in utter disbelief at the action on the catwalk.

COP:

LOOK!

GORDON:

My God... it's him.

ANGLE ON CATWALK

HOOD III, on his feet now, charges BATMAN from behind.

BATMAN -- not even turning to face him -- DROPS HOOD III

with an ELBOW. Now he has a HOOD on either side.

He takes a STEEL BILLY CLUB from his belt, whips it once

through the air. It telescopes out into a FOUR-FOOT STAFF.

Like a drum majorette from hell, he WHIRLS THE STAFF as the

HOODS CONVERGE on him. HOOD III takes a debilitating JAB

UNDER THE JAW. BATMAN SPINS on his heels and SLAMS THE

STAFF into HOOD IV's BACK -- knocking him OFF THE CATWALK

to the factory floor forty feet below!

INT. ACE LOADING BAY - THAT MOMENT

JACK spots a possible out. He hits a button on the wall;

STEEL DOORS RISE to reveal ACE CARGO TRUCKS in the parking

lot outside. Beyond the trucks... AN ARMY OF COPS waiting

for JACK to make his move.

No go. He turns. Behind him, other cops -- the inside team

-- are rushing at him in full riot gear. JACK ducks behind

a forklift and darts into the adjacent room.

INT. CHEMICAL SUPPLY ROOM - A MOMENT LATER

JACK sprints through the room, firing FOUR SHOTS at the

metal CHEMICAL TANKS on the wall. TOXIC CHEMICALS gush out

onto the floor in streams. The streams run together...

begin to SMOKE and SIZZLE.

COPS RIGHT BEHIND HIM. JACK can't resist taking one last

pot-shot at a FIFTH CHEMICAL TANK.

AN EXPLOSION knocks him off his feet.

INT. FACTORY FLOOR - A MOMENT LATER

COPS LOOK ON IN PUZZLEMENT as a RIVER OF CHEMICALS courses

out into the main refinery. A second later, they go UP IN

FLAMES. A WALL OF FIRE bisects the factory floor.

JACK RACES ALONG behind the spreading wall of flame. The

cops can't see him now. He ducks behind a huge machine,

hits a switch -- and SLUICE GATES OPEN. CHEMICAL SLUDGE

begins to churn. A big HOLE IN THE WALL appears as a gate

opens on the East River. It's the waste dump!

Up on the catwalk, BATMAN has a perfect view of JACK. If

JACK can just sprint through the flames without getting

shot, he'll make it to the river. BATMAN hooks a rope to

his Batarang, FLINGS IT at a catwalk across the floor.

JACK bolts. BURSTS THROUGH the wall of fire. And just as he

does --

BATMAN leaps off the catwalk and swings down toward him!

His foot catches a THIRTY-FOOT ROLL of plastic, six feet in

diameter, one of several standing upright on the floor. The

plastic roll DROPS into JACK's path, BLOCKING HIS EXIT.

An instant later, BATMAN lands on top of JACK. Wraps an arm

around his throat and RAISES his free hand. DRUG-TIPPED

STEEL TALONS appear. But before he can paralyze JACK...

VOICE:

HOLD IT!

In all the ruckus, HOOD V has managed to circle back behind

the heavy machinery. Now he's got a GUN pointed DIRECTLY AT

COMMISSIONER GORDON'S HEAD.

HOOD V:

Let him go or I'll do it.

BATMAN releases JACK and stands back. JACK chuckles to

himself:
what loyalty. Then, with plenty of time, he

strolls across the floor to a Jacob's ladder mounted on the

back wall... and BEGINS TO CLIMB toward the catwalks.

All action stops. BATMAN doesn't move. The COPS don't move.

HOOD V stands there sweating, his gun hand shaking as he

waits for JACK to climb safely out of shooting range.

ECKHARDT's pig-like eyes glisten. His hand drops to his

side. He's half-tempted to pull a gun and get the

Commissioner plugged.

ANGLE ON JACK:

at a crouch, groping his way along the rail of the catwalk.

He reaches a paneled glass window propped open by a

supporting rod. It's a forty-foot drop to the swirling

black currents of the East River... and freedom.

He's about to climb out when his eye falls on a .38

AUTOMATIC -- which lies, abandoned, on the gridwork floor

of the catwalk mere yards away.

ANGLE ON FACTORY FLOOR

The HOOD, one arm around GORDON. With his gun at the

Commissioner's temple, he backs slowly toward the door.

HOOD V:

Nobody makes a move. We go out

clean.

JACK'S VOICE

ECKHARDT!!

ALL EYES TURN to the catwalk overhead, where JACK stands

poised with the .38 in his fist. A SINGLE SHOT drops

ECKHARDT cleanly.

The moment's distraction is all BATMAN needs. He hurls a

NINJA WHEEL -- a small, ratcheted, razor-sharp disc -- at

the FOREARM of HOOD V. One jerk of a thin filament WIRE --

a sudden SHRIEK -- and GORDON IS FREE.

The THUG lurches forward. His GUN DROPS to the floor,

DISCHARGING ACCIDENTALLY.

AN UNGODLY HOWL OF PAIN echoes out from the catwalk above.

JACK REELS and STAGGERS, his hands CLUTCHING AT HIS CHEEKS.

BLOOD GUSHES from between his fingers.

JACK NAPIER HAS BEEN SHOT THROUGH THE FACE.

A YOUNG COP, unnerved by the sight of JACK's agonized

pirouette, draws his gun and OPENS FIRE.

GORDON:

NO!!

But the bullet has caught JACK in the arm. He spins,

totters to the edge of the catwalk... and TOPPLES OVER. The

COPS look on helplessly as JACK plunges TWO STORIES DOWN

into a CATCH BASIN full of BUBBLING TOXIC WASTE, SCREAMING

ALL THE WAY.

GORDON (cont.)

Goddammit, we had him. We --

And suddenly, with JACK out of the picture, all attention

focusses on THE BATMAN. COPS reach for their guns, circle

warily around him. Cornered now, he backs off slowly, HANDS

ON HIS BELT.

GORDON (cont.)

Hold it right there, Mister.

THE BATMAN raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. Then

-- as the COPS advance -- he flicks TWO TINY CAPSULES onto

the factory floor.

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