They send in an interrogator.
The kind that plays psychological tricks to wrangle confessions.
The kind that tries to find an angle. Tell a story. Read body language and unconscious ticks to find someone's guilt.
That game only works if the suspect denies they're guilty.
This one—Francis Quinzel—tries to guess my mind.
I laugh while she tells a story.
A story with abusive fathers and powerless mothers, about a beautiful wife leaving me because of my scars.
Dr. Tinsel did her research. Conducted interviews. Asked witnesses.
She's really obsessed.
Interesting. But not interesting enough.
I want the Bat.
"Evening, Commissioner."
Congratulations, Commissioner.
Dramatic lighting. All dark with one lonesome lamp. Yellow light.
More games.
I like games. Let's play.
"Harvey Dent never made it home."
"Of course not."
Of course not."
"What have you done with him?"
"Me?"
I thought this was a game. Why so serious?
"I was right here."
I was right here.
"Who did you leave him with? Your people?"
Somewhere in the looking glass, a squealer is squirming.
"Assuming, of course, they are still your people, and not Maroni's."
Wet spaghetti.
I won't tell on them. They need me.
But where is the Bat.
"Does it depress you, Commissioner, to know just how alone you really are?"
Are you staring at me because you recognize my face?
"Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current predicament?"
You might be a rat but even rats fear the abyss.
"Where is he?"
Tickity tock.
"What's the time?"
Internal clock.
See—I already know.
"What difference does that make?"
You need a little lesson in timing, Commissioner.
Everyone learns.
"Well, depending on the time "
Everything burns.
"He might be in one spot "
You might be laughing hysterically.
"Or several."
Or blown away. Applauding.
Game time, game time. Gametime!
Come on, Gordon. You've got game. Let's play.
I want the Bat I want the Bat I want the Bat Gotham promised she'd give me the Bat.
She promised.
Come on, Gordon.
Let the freaks out to play. Sit back and watch the professionals. I promise we'll give you a spectacle.
Come on.
I'm a man of my word.
"If we're going to play games—"
Bingo
"I'm going to need a cup of coffee."
Interesting. No more handcuffs.
Let's guess. What games do cops like?
"The good cop/bad cop routine?"
"Not exactly."
Lights
Camera
ACTION
ha ha ha ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha ha ha
Oh.
You.
Well.
Hi Bats.
Listen—I know you like me, but you really need to stop doing that.
See—
"Never start with the head, the victim gets all fuzzy. He can't feel the next—"
Action
"See?"
Better.
And interesting.
You're a fast learner.
Gotham always said you were.
Now I get to see. For myself. Experience.
Sit down. Let's talk.
"You wanted me. Here I am."
When you put it that way, Bats—you make it sound like I've got your leash.
I'm not Gotham, Bats. I'm not the one who made you.
That's not the point.
"I wanted to see what you'd do."
Action reaction, Bats. That's what I want.
Not whoever you think you are under that mask.
"And you didn't disappoint."
There's room for improvement, but you never disappoint.
"You let five people die."
Here—I'll name them in case you forgot:
Brian Douglas, Judge Surillo, Commissioner Loeb, Patrick Harvey, Richard Dent.
Almost Garcia, almost Gordon. Commissioner.
Don't take it personally. I never do.
The citizens do. They're confused whether you're a psychopath or their personal savior.
You're not.
See—you weren't there to see them die.
And that's the point.
You won't be.
"Then, you let Dent take your place."
On television. What kind of message does that send, Bats?
"Even to a guy like me, that's cold."
And hilarious.
"Where's Dent?"
Oh no. Not yet. Not the time. I've got four more minutes.
You want to play twenty questions.
This might be Gordon's territory, but this is my game.
We play by my rules.
"Those mob fools want you gone so they can go back to the way things were."
Boring.
"But I know the truth."
And so do you. You just won't admit it.
"You've changed things."
You've change me.
"Forever."
"Then why do you want to kill me?"
ha ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha
Bats—you know some great one-liners.
"I don't want to kill you!"
I like you. Your sense of humor.
You're not buying it.
Look, Bats—I know how it looks, with the Brian video and blowing up your car. Maybe I'm a little bit sorry about your car.
A little.
But you can buy another one.
Of both. Cars and Brians. They're a dime a dozen—you know that.
There's only one you.
We're made for each other.
I know how it looks, but Bats—you know I'd never kill you, right?
"What would I do without you?"
Seriously. What would I do without you?
What would you do without me?
Isn't that why you're here?
Dent? You're not really here for him. Dent completes himself.
What're you doing here, Bats?
Action reaction.
What do you need?
Reaction action.
Why didn't you turn yourself in?
Why'd you let Harvey take your place?
Why're you still wearing your mask?
You know why.
You're here.
Gotham.
What would she do without us?
"Go back to ripping off Mob dealers? No."
No.
There's no going back.
You've changed things.
You've changed me.
For the better.
"No, you—"
Yes, you.
"You complete me."
I complete you.
Not her.
Not Dent.
Not Gordon.
And never Bruce Wayne.
But me.
Look at you, looking at me.
Look in my mask and see your mirror.
Don't be afraid, Bats.
The only way to know yourself is to stalk your reflection.
Look at me, Bats.
Don't be afraid to laugh.
Gotham—she made us.
She destined us.
There's no going back.
What're the chances that a system could create two—not one—but two freaks like us?
Ask Harvey.
He knows.
It's all in the flip of a coin.
"You're garbage who kills for money."
Money. Money?
No no no no no.
Bats.
Listen.
Listen.
"Don't talk like one of them, you're not."
You're not.
You can't.
We're not.
"Even if you'd like to be."
You're not.
I know.
You're not.
You can't.
"To them, you're just a freak."
A freak.
Insane.
Listen—
Monstrosity and evil are two different things. Not the same side of a coin.
Forget your mission and their order, forget their justice and your crusade.
Listen—
To them, you're just a freak.
"Like me."
Eyes watching.
Listening.
Smile, Bats.
I want to see you smile.
"They need you right now."
They use you right now.
"But when they don't—"
You know what systems do to outcasts, Bats.
And if you don't—you will know.
"They'll cast you out."
Like me.
"Like a leper."
Like a freak.
"See—they're morals."
They think humans are moral creatures.
You bend their morals and I break them.
So they think—we're not human.
We're more human than they'll ever be.
They're not.
"They're code."
They're killing is calculation and everyone has a story.
Everything has a justification.
Do you realize how twisted that is?
People will rationalize anything.
"It's a bad joke."
The longest running joke of all time.
Using stories as justification.
Look at wars. Genocides.
All started for a reason.
When things go wrong—
"Dropped at the first sign of trouble."
When they don't like the joke.
When the system changes and they say some stories are wrong.
When they decide some justice isn't funny.
"They're only as good as the world allows them to be."
Humans are monsters who create systems.
The system creates a game.
A plan.
An order.
But not justice.
Humans are monsters who play by the system's rules.
It's that simple.
"They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you."
You'll see.
"When the chips are down "
All bets are off.
The game begins.
No rules.
"These civilized people."
They know how to play.
"They'll eat each other."
Everything eats to stay alive.
"See—I'm not a monster."
But you are.
And—you aren't. When you have no story.
I have no story. I have no mask.
I have no mask that covers my true face.
You wear a mask that reflects a two face.
"I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."
ACTION
ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha
"Where's Dent?"
Oops.
Looks like Bat's run out of patience.
Don't like what you're hearing, Batman?
I hit a nerve. Sore spot.
"You have all these rules and you think they'll save you."
You have all these masks and you think they'll protect you.
"I have one rule."
Oh Batty boy—you've got more than one rule.
Even I have one rule.
The zero rule.
But let's play along with your little game.
Because
"That's the rule you'll have to break to know the truth."
"Which is?"
"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules and tonight you're going to break your one rule."
You're going to break all your rules.
And after the storm and fury are you going to know the truth.
Because after tonight, you'll have no backstory.
"I'm considering it."
You're going to do more than consider.
You're going to play for yourself, Bats. This isn't something anyone else can do for you.
This isn't something money can fix. This isn't something people can understand.
And in case you're only considering—
If you need a little persuasion—
Well—
"There's only minutes left so you're going to have to play my little game if you want to save one of them."
Expression shutters.
Voice softens.
Grip loosens.
Bats, you're just eating out of my hand.
I can't wait to see when you finally know the truth.
"Them?"
Them.
After tonight, you'll know the truth:
Gotham's played you. She gave you to me on a silver platter.
All I had to do was ask.
She provided.
Showtime.
"You know for a while there, I thought you really were Dent. The way you threw yourself after her."
ACTION
ha ha ha ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha ha ha
The punch line, the punch line!
Bats delivers the punches, I deliver the lines.
"Look at you go."
Look at you play!
See—take away your little bunny, your hope for a normal life and you have nothing left but your mask.
"Does Harvey know about you and his little bunny?"
ACTION
HA HA HA HA
Take away your faith that people need you, take away your cars and toys and manor, and you're nothing but a shell. A case of expensive armor.
"Where are they!"
Keep going Bats.
You're finally in the game.
And it's hilarious.
Take away your story and that's when you stop. That's when you forget.
So play my game of choices, because you never had a choice.
"Killing is making a choice."
Action
HA HA HA HA
Forget your story and stop being Batman. Stop acting Batman.
"WHERE are they!"
Take away your story and that's when you have nothing left but me and Gotham.
So choose.
"Choose between one life or the other."
Choose, because you never had a choice.
"Your friend the district attorney—"
"Or his blushing bride to be!"
Choose, because you complete me.
Action
HA HA HA HA
Take away every rule.
And you become Batman.
ha ha ha ha Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha ha ha
"You have nothing."
You have nothing
"Nothing to threaten me with."
Nothing.
"Nothing to do with all your strength."
No one, no game, no choice, no order.
"Don't worry. I'm going to tell you where they are."
"Both of them."
"And that's the point."
"You'll have to choose."
Desperate.
Let's start with—
"He's at 250 52nd St."
Not what he wants not what he wants not what he wants so frantic for what he wants.
"And she's"
Dead no matter what you choose.
"On Avenue X."
Marks the spot.
"At "
He's frantic.
He's foaming.
A rabid bat to save a blown up bunny.
"Cicero."
"Rachel!"
Hm.
So that's her name.