The Dark Knight Rises Page #24

GORDON:

So you think our friend is gone

again?

BLAKE:

(GRAVE)

This time...he might not be coming

back.

Gordon takes this in...Foley bursts in, agitated.

FOLEY:

Okay, Commissioner, you were right.

GORDON:

What's happened?

FOLEY:

Your masked man kidnapped the Wayne

Enterprises board. He let most of

them go, but took three down into

the sewers.

GORDON:

No more patrols, no more hide and

seek. Send every available cop

down there to smoke him out.

93.

FOLEY:

The Mayor won't want panic -

BLAKE:

So it's a training exercise.

Foley looks at Gordon.

FOLEY:

I'm sorry for not taking you

SERIOUSLY -

GORDON:

Don't apologize for believing the

world's in better shape then it

is...just fight to make it true.

Foley nods. Leaves. Blake gets up.

GORDON:

Not you. You're telling me the

Batman's gone. So you chase up the

Daggett leads, any way you can.

Blake nods.

INT. STONE CELL, UNDERGROUND PRISON - DAY

Wayne lies, weak, feverish. A Prisoner drips water onto his

parched lips. An elderly Blind Prisoner squatting by the

wall in the next cell rasps something in an ancient tongue.

PRISONER:

He asks if you would pay us to let

you die. I told him you have

nothing.

WAYNE:

Do it for the pleasure.

The Prisoner puts bread to Wayne's lips.

PRISONER:

They pay me more than that to keep

you alive.

A chant gets Wayne's attention. He rolls his head painfully

to watch a Tattooed Prisoner hand a thick rope to a Strong

Man, who ties it around his chest, watched by other

Prisoners.

94.

PRISONER:

He will try the climb.

Strong Man starts scaling the wall. The Prisoners' chant

grows stronger as he climbs towards the light.

Above:
Strong Man stops, perched on a ledge, a twelve-foot

leap from the rest of the climb... The chanting peaks as

Strong Man leaps...misses...falls. The rope catches - he

swings into the rock face. Prisoners fall silent as Strong

Man is lowered, broken, bloody, to the prison floor.

WAYNE:

Has anyone made it?

PRISONER:

Of course not.

The Blind Prisoner barks at him.

WAYNE:

What does he say?

PRISONER:

He says there is one who did. A

child...

INSERT CUT:
a child of about ten looks up towards the light.

PRISONER:

A child who had been born in this

hell...

WAYNE:

Bane.

PRISONER:

An old legend. Nothing more.

The Prisoner leaves Wayne's cell - switches on the TV.

WAYNE:

Don't.

PRISONER:

Whatever they want you to

see...it's happening soon.

95.

INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - DAY

Bane's men lead Fox, Miranda and Fredericks through the

debris. Fox stares at Mercenaries working on his old

inventions...

EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM - EVENING

SWATs and Cops mass around entrances to sewers, tunnels...

INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS

Bane leads Fox and the others to where Mercenaries plant

charges on a hewn wall. Dr. Pavel is here. Waiting. Bane

nods at his men. The wall blows.

EXT. LOCATIONS AROUND GOTHAM - CONTINUOUS

A SWAT team about to enter a sewer pipe hear a low echoing

boom. They look at each other, then head in. Thousands of

Police head into manholes, tunnel entrances, checking

weapons, using flashlights...

INT. MASSIVE TUNNEL - CONTINUOUS

Bane leads the way over rubble into the REACTOR. Dr. Pavel

follows. Bane approaches the machine. Turns to Fox.

BANE:

Turn it on.

Fox shakes his head. Bane holds his gun to Fredericks' head.

BANE:

I only need one other board member.

There are eight more waiting

upstairs.

FOX:

I won't do it.

Fredericks trembles. Bane c*cks the weapon.

MIRANDA:

Alright, stop.

She walks up to the scanner. Places her hand on it. It

beeps. She turns to Fox. Quietly pleading.

96.

MIRANDA:

Lucius, you'll kill this man and

yourself, and barely slow them

down.

Fox reluctantly puts his hand on the scanner. Then

Fredericks. The core glows brighter and brighter. Dr. Pavel

is transfixed.

BANE:

Do your work.

Bane turns to his men. Gestures at the hostages.

Take them to the surface. People of

their status deserve to see the

next era of western civilization.

Fox, Miranda and Fredericks are led back into the rubble.

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