31 EXT. PLAZA SIDE STREET——NIGHT 31 *

    Max huffs with growing confidence， into a less crowded

    sidestreet. He trots over a sewer grate.

    32 INT. BENEATH THIS SIDE-STREET SEWER GRATE——NIGHT 32

    Loud animalistic panting and splashing sounds are heard

    as we watch Max stamping across the grate.

    33 EXT. THE PLAZA——NIGHT 33

    Three Clowns spin and fire frantically at the charging

    Batmobile. One dives out of the way.

    The other Two （one， a midget） slam atop the hood as

    Batman roars toward the Batman store and the Fire-

    breather blaspheming the display window.

    The woozy hood-top clowns raise their guns toward the

    windshield， while the escaped Clown rains bullets against

    its back window.

    Batman brakes the Batmobile. The Hoodtop Clowns sail

    into the stunned Firebreather and all three land on the

    merchandising.

    Batman twists a square black Knob. A powerful STEEL JACK-

    TYPE DEVICE jets out the bottom of the Batmobile and

    lifts the vehicle up off the ground. The Batmobile does

    a sharp 180 degree spin. Batman re-twists the knob. The

    jack slams back up into the Batmobile.

    The Exhaust of the spun-around Batmobile volcanoes toward

    the gaping Firebreather， fittingly setting him on fire，

    along with both clowns. The Batmobile thunders at the

    clown who'd escaped.

    This clown grabs innocent bystander Selina Kyle. In the

    scuffle， a heel cracks off one of her shoes.

    The blitzing Batmobile comes to a skidding halt. The

    Clown presses a sleek stun-gun to Selina's neck.

    SELINA

    I probably shouldn't bring this up，

    but this is a very serious pair

    of shoes you ruined. Couldn't you

    have just been a prince and broken

    my jaw？ My body will heal， but

    this was the last pair left in my

    size.

    CLOWN

    All these innocent bystanders and I

    had to pick you ……SHUT UP！

    The Batmboile door whooshes open. Batman pounds straight

    at the Clown， an eerie force of nature. An ACROBAT

    somersaults into his face. Batman casually punches his

    lights out.

    CLOWN

    Listen up， Mister Man-bat， you

    take one step closer and I'll……

    BATMAN

    Sure.

    Batman gunslingers out his grapple speargun. The wired

    hook rockets past the clown's jerking away head and into

    the wall behind him.

    CLOWN

    （jeers）

    Nice shot， Mister……

    Batman yanks the wire， ripping off a chunk of wall that

    smacks the back of the clown's head. As he staggers： *

    SELINA

    You shouldn'a left the other heel.

    With her surviving heel， she kicks the Crumpled Clown's

    knee， knocking him and the stun gun to the ground.

    Batman bends to his vanquished foe. Touches the triangle

    tattoo over his left eye， as Selina gushes：

    SELINA

    Wow. The Batman——or is it just

    "Batman"？ Your choice. Of course. *

    Batman finds himself staring at the lovely young woman. *

    For a moment， time freezes. *

    BATMAN *

    Gotta go. *

    In a wink， he's a half-block away， being schmoozed by *

    Commissioner Gordon. Onlookers CHEER. *

    It's just Selina alone here with her unconscious attacker.

    SELINA

    Well. That was …… very brief.

    Like most men in my life. What

    men？ Well， there's you， but ……

    you need therapy.

    She kneels beside the Clown. Picks up his stun-gun.

    Zaps him， jolting his body a bit.

    SELINA

    Electroshock therapy. What a

    bargain —— we BOTH feel better.

    34 EXT. PLAZA SIDE STREET——NIGHT 34

    Hearing the sounds of cheers， Max smiles and stops atop

    a manhole to wipe his brow. Suddenly， the manhole cracks

    in half， sucking down a wailing Max. The manhole flaps *

    back up into a normal， seemingly untouched position.

    35 EXT. THE PLAZA——NIGHT 35

    The Commissioner hustles to keep pace with Batman.

    GORDON

    Thanks for saving the day， Batman.

    （good natured huff）

    Thanks for making the rest of us look

    like a bunch of dolts …… I'm afraid

    the Red Triangle Circus Gang is back.

    BATMAN

    We'll see……

    Now the Mayor bustles up.

    MAYOR

    The Caped Crusader. We don't

    deserve you！ They almost made off

    with our mover and shaker， Max

    Shreck. But ——

    Belatedly it dawns on the Mayor. He looks around，

    blinking.

    MAYOR

    Where IS that insufferable

    sonovabitch？

    Then he turns back， to Batman. But Batman has vanished，

    too.

    36 INT. SELINA'S APARTMENT——LATER THAT NIGHT 36

    Selina enters， hanging up her winter coat and calling out.

    SELINA

    Honey， I'm home.

    （then）

    Oh， I forgot. I'm not married.

    She wearily laughs at her private joke， then takes in her

    '90's quaint， "feminine" apartment —— pink carpet， cute

    linoleum， a neon "HELLO THERE！" on the wall —— *

    —— a meticulous doll house， a quilt-in-progress， a pretty

    embarrassing assortment of stuffed animals and a Christmas

    tree.

    Through her open window， a feisty， beautiful CAT slinks in.

    SELINA

    Miss Kitty …… Back from more

    sexual escapades you refuse to

    share …… not that I'd ever pry.

    Drink your dinner.

    She sets out a dish of milk. Miss Kitty comes over， purring.

    SELINA

    What did you just purr？ "How can

    anyone be so pathetic？" Yes， to

    you I seem pathetic. But I'm a

    working girl， gotta pay the rent.

    Maybe if you were chipping in，

    'stead of stepping out ……

    She passes childhood PHOTOS of a younger happier Selina on

    a trampoline， on a horse， on a mountain face …… then

    turns on her answering machine.

    As it plays， she opens her Murphy bed， turns down the

    covers ……

    MOM'S VOICE

    （stern）

    Selina dear. It's your mother.

    Just calling to say hello ——

    SELINA

    Yeah right， "but" ——

    MOM'S VOICE

    —— "but" I'm disappointed you're not

    coming home for Christmas. I was

    looking forward to discussing your

    life. To hearing just WHY you

    insist on languishing in Gotham

    City as some lowly secretary ——

    SELINA

    Lowly "assistant". Thank you.

    She fast forwards to：

    LAME BOYFRIEND'S VOICE

    Selina， about that Christmas

    getaway we planned？ I'll be going

    alone. Doctor Shaw says I need to

    be my own person now， and not an

    appendage.

    SELINA

    （scoffs）

    Some appendage.

    As she fast forwards：

    SELINA

    The party never stops on Selina

    Kyle's answering machine …… Guess

    I should've let him win that last

    racquetball game.

    Onto the next message：

    GRUFF WOMAN

    Selina …… We've missed you at the

    rape prevention class …… It's not

    enough to master martial arts. Hey，

    Elvis knew THOSE moves， and he died

    fat. You must stop seeing yourself

    as a vict——

    Onward. Miss Kitty compassionately snuggles beside her，

    as：

    SELINA'S OWN VOICE

    Hi， Selina， this is yourself

    calling. To remind you， honey，

    that you have to come all the way

    back to the office unless you

    remembered to bring home the Bruce

    Wayne file， because the meeting's

    on Wednesday and Max Slavemaster

    will freak if every pertinent fact

    is not at your lovely tapered

    fingertips.

    Selina fires her stun gun at the answering machine， jolt-

    ing it off. Again， she slaps her forehead with her hand.

    Then goes to her closet， puts her coat back on. As she

    exits：

    SELINA

    The file！ You stupid corn dog.

    Corn dog. Deep fried！ Corn dog ……

    37 EXT. THE OLD GOTHAM ZOO——NIGHT 37

    The viewer is suddenly wafting over the creepy panorama

    of an abandoned Zoo Expo Area. *

    We whoosh downward to a DECREPIT "ARCTIC WORLD" PAVILION， *

    and through its Colossal， cracked Observation window.