The Dark Knight Rises Page #8

INT. BANE'S LAIR, SEWERS - CONTINUOUS (NIGHT)

They approach a figure, turned away, crouched in the

firelight. Bare-chested, muscular, masked. Bane. A crooked

line of scar tissue runs the length of his spine...

BANE:

Why are you here?

The Thugs drop Gordon at Bane's feet.

THUG 1

Answer him!

Bane slowly turns to the Thugs.

29.

BANE:

I'm asking you.

THUG 1

It's the Police Commissioner.

BANE:

And you brought him down here?

THUG 2

We didn't know what to do. We -

BANE:

You panicked. And your weakness

costs three lives.

THUG 1

No, he's alone -

Bane flips the Thug's chin up and to the side with a crack.

Thug 1 drops. Bane turns to Thug 2.

BANE:

Search him. Then I will kill you.

The Thug, terrified, pulls out Gordon's badge, wallet,

gun...and the folded papers of the speech he did not read.

Bane takes these one by one with quick glances. He stops at

the papers. Unfolds them...

As he reads, Gordon rolls off the steps, dropping into the

rushing flow of water - gunshots ring out...

THUG 2

He's dead.

Thug 2 trails off as Bane looks up from the papers...

BANE:

Then show me his body.

THUG 2

That water runs to any one of the

outflows - we'd never find him.

Bane turns to the Lead Mercenary.

BANE:

Give me your GPS.

Lead Mercenary hands him a GPS - Bane tucks it into Thug 2's

jacket, zips it up like a mother sending her kid to school.

30.

BANE:

Follow him.

THUG 2

Follow him?

Bane shoots Thug 2, kicks him into the water. Turns to Lead

Mercenary.

BANE:

Track him. Make sure both bodies

will not be found. Then brick up

the south tunnel.

EXT. WATER TREATMENT FACILITY - NIGHT

Blake comes out to the catchment basin. He spots something

stuck up against the grille, thrusts his hand into the

raging waters - Gordon is there, alive. Just. Blake pulls

him up onto the concrete, hoists him up, hurrying...

INT. FRONT HALL, WAYNE MANOR - DAY

Alfred opens the door to reveal Blake in his dirty uniform.

BLAKE:

I need to see Bruce Wayne.

ALFRED:

I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne doesn't take

unscheduled calls. Even from police

officers.

BLAKE:

And if I go get a warrant, in the

investigation of Harvey Dent's

murder? Would that still count as

unscheduled?

INT. STUDY, WAYNE MANOR - MOMENTS LATER

Blake is sitting, drumming his leg, nervous. Wayne enters.

WAYNE:

What can I do for you, officer?

BLAKE:

Commissioner Gordon's been shot.

31.

WAYNE:

I'm sorry to hear that -

BLAKE:

He chased a gunman down into the

sewers. When I pulled him out he

was babbling about an underground

army. A masked man called 'Bane'.

WAYNE:

Shouldn't you be telling this to

your superior officers?

BLAKE:

I did. One of them asked if he saw

any giant alligators down there. He

needs you. He needs the Batman.

WAYNE:

If Commissioner Gordon thinks I'm

the Batman he must be in a bad way

-

BLAKE:

He doesn't know or care who you

are. (Off look.) But we've met

before. When I was a kid. At the

orphanage. See, my mom died when I

was small. Car accident, I don't

really remember it. But a couple of

years later my dad was shot over a

gambling debt. I remember that just

fine. (Looks at Wayne.) Not a lot

of people who know what it feels

like, do they? To be angry. In your

bones. People understand, foster

parents understand. For a while.

Then they expect the angry kid to

do what he knows he can never do.

To move on. To forget.

Wayne stares at Blake.

BLAKE:

So they stopped understanding and

sent the angry kid to a boys' home

- St. Swithin's. Used to be funded

by the Wayne Foundation. See, I

figured it out too late. You have

to hide the anger. Practice smiling

in the mirror. Like putting on a

mask. You showed up one day in a

cool car, pretty girl on your arm.

(MORE)

32.

BLAKE (CONT'D)

We were so excited - Bruce Wayne,

billionaire orphan. We made up

stories about you. Legends. The

other boys' stories were just that.

But when I saw you I knew who you

really were... (Beat.) I'd seen

that look on your face. Same one I

taught myself.

Blake gets up to leave. Wayne is lost in thought.

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