226 INT. THE LAIR——NIGHT 226

    Catwoman continues to drag a balky Max toward the

    generator.

    MAX

    Let's make a deal. OTHER than my

    blood， what can I off——

    CATWOMAN

    Sorry， Max. A die for a die.

    MAX

    Either you've caught a cold， or

    you're planning to kill me.

    Batman does a slide down the grapple that ends in a

    graceful touchdown. Max crawls toward him.

    MAX

    You're not just saving one life，

    you're saving a city and its WAY

    of life.

    Batman heaves a kick into Max that sends him sailing

    against the generator.

    BATMAN

    First you're gonna shut up. Then

    you're gonna turn yourself in.

    CATWOMAN

    Don't be naive. The law doesn't

    apply to people like him！ Or us ——

    BATMAN

    Wrong on both counts.

    He tries to grab Max， but Catwoman makes a lunge for *

    Batman's abdomen sending him reeling. He picks himself *

    up， then， talking in a calming， soothing way： *

    BATMAN

    Why are you doing this？ Let's *

    just take him to the police， then *

    go home together ……

    She's still for a moment， considering. *

    BATMAN

    Don't you see， we're the same…… split

    down the middle…… please…… *

    Batman rips off his mask， looks straight at her. *

    CATWOMAN

    Bruce， I could live with you in *

    your castle forever. Just like in *

    a fairy tale.

    She leans forward as for a kiss. Batman touches her face *

    about to rip off her mask. But she whips back， lashing *

    out at him， kicking him， sending him stumbling backward. *

    CATWOMAN

    I just couldn't live with myself.

    So don't pretend this is a happy *

    ending. *

    Max， recovering， pulls out the Organ Grinder's gun. *

    MAX

    Selina！ Selina Kyle！？ You're

    fired！ And Bruce —— Bruce Wayne！

    Why are you dressed up as Batman？

    CATWOMAN

    He IS Batman， you moron.

    MAX

    （raising the gun

    again）

    Was.

    Max squeezes off a shot at Batman as he rises， nicking

    the Caped Crusader's neck. Now Max swings the gun

    toward Catwoman —— who sexily saunters right at him.

    CATWOMAN

    You killed me， Batman killed me，

    Penguin killed me. Three lives

    down. Got enough bullets to

    finish me off？

    MAX

    One way to find out？

    He fires a shot， that rips into her arm. And another，

    that smashes into her leg. Still coming， she pulls off

    her hood.

    SELINA

    Four， five. Still alive.

    Batman rips off his own mask and woozily holds his

    bleeding neck. He's on his knees， dizzy and weak ……

    BRUCE

    Selina …… please， stop ……

    Max shoots her other leg and the hand holding the stun-

    gun， blowing away the barrel. Selina's left gripping a

    sparking gun-butt. She hobbles forward.

    SELINA

    Six， seven， all good girls go

    to ……

    Max pulls the trigger. But he's shot his wad.

    SELINA

    Hmm， two lives left. Think I'll

    save one for next Christmas.

    Meantime how 'bout a kiss， Santey

    Claus？

    A panicked Max has backed against the generator.

    CATWOMAN

    You're the light of Gotham City？

    So BE the light of Gotham City！

    Selina shoves the sparking half-a-stun-gun into her

    mouth like a suicidal pacifier， then grabs Max in a

    close embrace.

    MAX

    （seriously weirded）

    What're you ——

    She plunges her steel talons into an open fusebox and

    gives Max a stunning kiss！ Their bodies briefly buck

    together before getting lost in a dense display of

    crackling sparkage.

    227 EXT. GOTHAM PLAZA——NIGHT （SAME TIME） 227

    The lights of the city vividly flash on and off， a

    vision that Max had prophesied ……

    The Batm Beacon eerily winks against the sky.

    The grand Christmas Tree brilliantly blinks. Now we see

    that the Plaza is filled with ecstatic Parents， reunited

    with dazed and delighted Children ……

    228 INT. THE LAIR——NIGHT 228

    Catlike screams of joy waft out off the mysterious mist of *

    wattage.

    BRUCE

    Se-li-na Kyle……

    Bruce frantically searches the thickening mist……

    but finds only Max's body， NOT SELINA. He stumbles back，

    as：

    Penguin rises like a wraith behind him， soaking and

    bleeding and sweating. Wiping his brow and gasping for

    breath， he stumbles toward the shorted-out compressor，

    using his long， elegant umbrellas for support.

    PENGUIN

    （pants）

    Gotta crank the a.c. Stuffy in

    here.

    He drops one umbrella. With his free flipper， Penguin

    vainly twiddles the singed dials. Nothing —— the unit's

    kaput. Fiery rubble continues to rain down on the lair，

    raising the temperature even higher. penguin turns away

    in defeat from the busted air-conditioner. And sees：

    A stone-faced Bruce/Batman standing here， pitilessly

    watching.

    PENGUIN

    Without the mask you're drop-dead *

    handsome. So， drop dead. *

    With great effort， he raises his elegant umbrella. And

    fires it. No …… not quite. It's the merry-go-round.

    PENGUIN

    Shit. Picked the cute one.

    Heat's gettin' to me ……

    Penguin reaches down for the other umbrella …… the

    deadly one …… the one that Bruce/Batman is holding.

    PENGUIN

    Hey. You …… wouldn't blow away

    an endangered bird ……

    He desperately tugs at his collar a la Rodney. His face

    is turning a deep， pre-coronary scarlet ……

    Bruce/Batman wordlessly raises the umbrella and aims it

    between Penguin's eyes.

    Penguin pivots. Starts waddling away. Huffing，

    puffing ……

    PENGUIN

    You wouldn't shoot me in the back ……

    would'ya ……？

    Bruce/Batman never takes the gun/umbrella off Penguin ……

    Who is waddling， slower and with greater difficulty，

    toward the once-icy， now-nearly-melted moat.

    PENGUIN

    I'm overheated， is all …… I'll

    murder you， momentarily …… *

    With a last ounce of strength he pulls open his collar.

    PENGUIN

    But first， a cool drink ……

    Then one more step …… and he bellyflops in front of

    one glistening， beckoning chunk of ice that was blown

    out of the water.

    PENGUIN

    Of ice-water ……

    One flipper feels for the block of ice …… it's just an

    inch away …… And then the flipper falls.

    Penguin belongs to the ages.

    A beat， then Bruce/Batman sets down the deadly umbrella

    and silently watches， slightly awed：

    In death， as in birth， the Four Elder Gray Bellied

    Emperor penguins surround their fallen disciple. Then，

    like pallbearers， they lift Penguin's body with their

    beaks and mournfully bear him away， into darkness.

    229 EXT. GOTHAM PLAZA——NIGHT 229

    The bat beacon light， the city lights， and the Christmas

    tree lights continue to flash in wondrous syncopation. *

    The Carolers begin singing again.

    230 EXT. CITY HALL——NIGHT 230

    The Mayor， his staff， and Commissioner Gordon， out of

    their costumes， look up at the flashing bat signal. *

    GORDON

    Think he'll ever forgive us？

    MAYOR

    Probably not. But he'll always

    help us.

    231 EXT. WAYNE ROLLS-ROYCE——NIGHT 231

    Alfred drives. As the limo zips past Gotham Plaza， Bruce

    soulfully gazes out at the celebrants.

    BRUCE

    （numb）

    I guess this mean we won.

    ALFRED

    Yes， I suppose that we did.

    He turns， taking a short-cut away from the crowds，

    through a dark back alley ……

    ALFRED

    Well …… Come what may…… Merry *

    Christmas， Mr. Wayne.

    BRUCE

    Right. Sure. And "Peace on earth，

    good will toward men."

    Suddenly he's brought up short by a loud MEOW. Bruce

    glances behind him ……

    In time to see the shadow of something dart from the

    street into an alley. Was it just a cat ……？ Or some-

    thing taller， shapelier？

    Bruce shivers.

    BRUCE

    And women.

    TILT UP. In the night sky， the Bat beacon blinks on ……

    then off， on then off， as we move closer and closer， till

    Batman's symbol fills the screen …… on， then off ——

    AND CUT TO BLACK.

    THE END