Gordon slams down the intercom in disgust.
GORDON
Maybe it's something in the water.
Maybe the whole city's on drugs.
EXT. GOTHAM STREETS - NIGHT
Police SIRENS everywhere. A squad car rolls slowly down the street， its spotlight searching the doorways and alleys.
INT. SQUAD CAR - NIGHT
The COP DRIVER yawns， turns to his PARTNER who works the spotlight， now notices something.
COP DRIVER
What's that？
PARTNER
Wino……
（out the window）
Go back to sleep， Ace！
Suddenly： A WHISTLING SOUND through the air！ The two Cops blink， snap their heads forward as the searchlight is trained on：
ANGLE ON BATMAN - THEIR P.O.V.
THE BATMAN！ - Seen in his majestic totality for the very first time. A truly awesome figure from his black cowl to his gleaming black boots. His huge， dark cape billows out ominously behind him.
BACK TO SQUAD CAR
COP DRIVER
Holee shit……
PARTNER
Let's get him！
BACK TO SCENE
The squad car lurches forward！ Batman whirls， runs down an alley. The squad car swings， pulls in after him.
INT. ALLEY - NIGHT
Batman runs with the speed of an Olympic sprinter， but the squad car gains rapidly. He looks over his shoulder.
ANGLE ON SQUAD CAR - HIS P.O.V.
The squad car fills the alleyway.
BACK TO BATMAN
He looks in front of him in horror - another squad car speed at him from the other direction. It too fills the alleyway. There's no place to hide.
ANGLE ON SQUAD CAR #1
Filling frame - the Cops grinning.
ANGLE ON SQUAD CAR #2
Filling frame - the Cops grinning.
BACK TO BATMAN
He stands his ground. Then - curiously - runs directly at the first squad car.
ANGLE THROUGH WINDSHIELD - SQUAD CAR #1
COP #1
What the……？
BACK TO BATMAN - SLOW MOTION SHOT
With a perfectly timed leap， Batman vaults onto the hood of the car in a somersault and does a complete 360 - up the windshield - over the roof - off the trunk - lands on the pavement with the grave of a cat.
ANGLE ON TWO POLICE CARS
They crash head-on with a sickening sound of crunching metal and flying glass. Two groggy Police exit， front doors falling off， try to clear their heads.
EXT. WAYNE MANOR - DAWN
The first orange rays of the morning sun stab upwards through the clouds over Wayne Manor.
INT. YOUNG BRUCE'S LAB - DAY
Young Bruce Wayne's lab room remains much as we remember it， except that the gaping hole in the wall caused by the laser has been reinforced and shaped into a doorway. A make-shift ladder-like stairway leads down into the cavern below.
FOOTSTEPS are heard climbing the ladder from deep within the cave. After a moment， Bruce appears， stripped to the waist， still wearing his utility belt and the bottom half of his Batman suit. His chest and stomach are nicked with small cuts and bruises from his previous night's work. His forehead glistens with sweat born of utter exhaustion. He sits heavily on a cot， buries his face in his hands， looks up suddenly as the door to the lab opens.
Alfred enters， stares silently， first appalled by Bruce's physical condition， then shaking his head with sympathy. Bruce stares back， eyes heavy with lack of sleep.
BRUCE
You……think I'm crazy， don't you？
Certifiably insane.
ALFRED
（pause； smile）
A bit……eccentric， perhaps.
BRUCE
It's……what I have to do， Alfred.
After all those years of searching
—— it was always what I had to do.
ALFRED
If I may be permitted， Sir……
（with difficulty）
I've……never had any children of my
own. Never saw the advantage in it，
considering my profession. I've
always thought myself more talented
at raising flowers than people……
Bruce looks up with a warm smile of gratitude.
ALFRED
Oh， I didn't raise you， Sir， I
simply watched you grow.
INSERT SHOT - GOTHAM TRIBUNE
A Banner edition of the Gotham Tribune cartwheels INTO FRAME： On the front page： fanciful artist's renditions drawn from eyewitness recollections of the Batman.
One is of a menacing black vampire with long， pointed fangs. Another show a dark， furry giant with huge feathered wings. Above them the headline： BAT-MAN INVADES CITY. MASS HYSTERIA GRIPS GOTHAM. POLICE NO MATCH FOR WINGED INTRUDER.
CAMER HOLDS on the newspaper as we hear the jumbled and excited VOICES of REPORTERS underneath：
REPORTER'S VOICE
Commissioner， how do you explain this
Fantastic phenomenon？
GORDON'S VOICE
I can't explain it. I only hope for the
poor fellow's sake， he's sobered up by now.
EXT. GOTHAM COUNTRY CLUB - DAY
Bruce lies on a deck chair by the swimming pool of the Gotham Country Club， his body coated with sun oil. He listens to Gordon's TV press conference on a tiny transistor set next to him. His eyes flutter open with amusement.
TV REPORTER
Well considering the fact he apprehended
four criminals last night， shouldn't we
be calling him……a good Samaritan？
GORDON
Sure. If you feel like calling John
Hinkley a political activist.
Bruce's eyes suddenly bulge wider. He gazes across the swimming pool， transfixed by what he sees.
ANGLE ON SILVER - BRUCE'S P.O.V.
A stunning-looking woman （SILVER ST. CLOUD） steps out onto the high board of the pool， dressed in a daringly-cut shiny white latex tank suit. A shining mane of glistening silver hair cascades down across her shoulders. She pauses， a shimmering white diamond in the sun.
REPORTER'S VOICE
Commissioner， it might surprise you
to know that several polls taken
today show more than eighty percent
of those interviewed approve of
this……vigilante and what he did……
Silver glances over in Bruce's direction. Curiously enough， she seems to smile at him and wave.
GORDON'S VOICE
Well I can't account for public
taste， bit I'd like to warn any
potential copy cats who may be out
there that……
BACK TO BRUCE
Bruce is stunned and confused， but starts to lift his hand to wave back when：
THORNE'S VOICE
If brains were bodies， she'd look
just the same. Can you believe it？
Bruce swivels， lowering his hand. Thorne stands behind him， waves back at Silver who executes a complicated but perfect dive into the pool. She starts to swim across in their direction as Throne grins down at Bruce.
THORNE
Name's Silver St. Cloud. Phi Beta
Kappa， Masters Degree in Political
Science. Just arrived in Gotham to
finish her doctorate on municipal
government and guess which City
councilman drew her as an intern？
BRUCE
（staring）
Taught her much so far？
THORNE
（chuckle）
Not as much as I plan to.
Silver reaches the edge of the pool. Thorne starts to help her out as Bruce continues to start.
SILVER
The water's glorious， Rupert. Come
on in.
THORNE
Never had time to learn how to swim.
Too busy trying to make a living， I
guess. Not like Mr. Wayne over
here……
（chuckle）
Right， Bruce？
（turns）
Silver St. Cloud - Bruce Wayne.
Bruce looks up， totally mesmerized by the sight of her. She gazes down with a devastating smile， the sun sparkling off the beads of water on her face. She is instantly and equally smitten as they lock eyes.
SILVER
Please don't get up.
BRUCE
（lost）
Hmm？
SILVER
I said - please don't get up.
BRUCE
Oh.
（starts to get up）
Sorry……
SILVER
That's all right. I asked you not
to， remember？
BRUCE
（stops）
So you did. Thanks.
SILVER
Don't mention it.
Rupert watches them watching each other. The uncomfortable silence is filled by Gordon's VOICE from the television.
GORDON'S VOICE
And now， if there are no other ques-
tions， it's my birthday tonight and
I have a formal party to get ready
for……
Thorne reaches down， turns off the TV in disgust.
THORNE
That clown has been a disgrace to
law enforcement his entire career.
This city's going to hell in a hand-
basket and some imbecile's giving
him a formal birthday party.
BRUCE
It should be fun. I'm giving it.
Thorne raises his eyebrows. Silver still stares.
BRUCE （CONT'D）
Perhaps the two of you would like to
come？
THORNE SILVER
I'm busy， thanks. I'd love to.
THORNE
（irritated）
Silver， I don't think……ah……
SILVER
If I'm not being too inquisitive，
Mr. Wayne - exactly what is it you
do？
BRUCE
Do？
SILVER
For a living？
THORNE
（chuckles）
You're looking at it.
BRUCE
Actually， Rupert's not being
entirely fair about his……
（nice smile）
Sometimes I go hang gliding.
SILVER
And that's it？
BRUCE
Not quite.
SILVER
I didn't think so.
BRUCE
I have a dog as well.
Silver manages a tiny， unsure smile.
BRUCE （CONT'D）
Wayne Manor. Eight o'clock. I'll
have my car pick you up.
THORNE
Why don't you take my car， Silver？
In case you want to leave early.
SILVER
I'm very flattered by the dueling
limos， gentlemen， but I can grab a
cab， thanks.
（nods）
Mr. Wayne……
Silver excuses herself. Both men watch her departure avidly.
THORNE
Gotham City's no place for a beauti-
ful woman to be travelling alone.
I'm holding you personally responsi-
ble for her safety， Wayne.
BRUCE
Don't worry， Rupert. I'll treat her
just as if I were in love with her
instead of you.
Thorne's eyes narrow. Bruce smiles ingenuously.
EXT. WAYNE MANOR - NIGHT
Dozens of expensive cars disgorge their passengers in front of stately Wayne Manor.
INT. WAYNE MANOR LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
A lavish party is in progress. A DANCE BAND plays off to the side， under a banner reading "Happy Birthday to the Finest of Gotham's Finest."
Bruce Wayne greets his arriving GUESTS， his neck craning around in vain for a sight of Silver.
Gordon stands by the bar， downs a double scotch， scowls at GUESTS who talks animatedly to him while flapping his arms like wings - doing a crude imitation of the Batman. The Guest howls with
