i don't need help.
don't let me find you out here again. batman moves towards the batmobile.
i'm not wearing hockey pads. the "batman" looks down at his makeshift costume as the batmobile roars past.
him again. who are the others?
some of the marked bills i gave you.
time to move in. gordon waves the photo.
one man or the entire mob? he can wait.
do you trust him?
if i get him to you, can you get him to talk?
then you're going to love me. the joker turns. batman catches him with a blow, spins him down and disarms him- the joker's men jump him- batman takes them out two at a time- disarming thugs- breaking forearms- the joker clicks a blade from the toe of his shoe and kicks- jabbing between the plates of armor covering batman's ribcage- batman hurls the joker across the room. one of the joker's men lunges- batman lays him out cold. the joker has another knife pressed to rachel's neck.
drop the knife.
let her go.
are you alright?
he's safe. rachel lies back, breathing. looks up at batman.
i need ten minutes with the scene before your men contaminate it.
no. fingerprints. ramirez looks at gordon. is he serious? gordon points-
i want the joker.
i'm counting on it. batman lets go. maroni falls. and screams.
where is he?
he must have friends.
someone knows where he is. maroni looks up at batman. sneering.
you'd leave a man's life to chance?
his name's schiff, thomas. he's a paranoid schizophrenic, a former patient at arkham. the kind of mind the joker attracts. batman moves away from schiff.
what do expect to learn from him? dent is shivering with frustration.
you're the symbol of hope that i could never be. your stand against organized crime is the first legitimate ray of light in gotham for decades. if anyone saw this, everything would be undone- all the criminals you got off the streets would be released. and jim gordon will have died for nothing. batman hands dent his lucky coin.
you're going to call a press conference. tomorrow morning.
no one else will die because of me. gotham is in your hands, now.
you wanted me. here i am.
where's dent?
then why do you want to kill me? the joker starts laughing. after a moment he's laughing so hard it sounds like sobbing.
you're garbage who kills for money.
where's dent?
i have one rule.
which is?
i'm considering it.
them?
where are they?! he grabs the joker, holding him close-
where are they?! the joker feeds off batman's anger. loving it.
dent knew the risks. gordon looks back- the joker is bloody, but grinning.
i'm sorry, harvey. batman puts dent's damaged coin on the bedside table.
beautiful. isn't it?
and high frequency generator. receiver.
i've got to find this man, lucius.
the database is null-key encrypted. it can only be accessed by one person.
trust me. fox stares at batman.
this is the audio sample. he plugs a usb dongle into the console. a sample of the joker's voice from the call-in news program plays.
if he talks within range of any phone in the city, you'll be able to triangulate his position. lucius toggles a menu. the city is an open book- people working, eating, sleeping. lucius shakes his head.
when you've finished, type your name to switch it off.
fox? there's something going on on the ferries.
do you have a location on the joker?
i have the joker's location-
prewitt building. assemble on the building opposite.
he likes the view. batman gestures towards the view of the ferries.
it's not that simple. with the joker, it never is.
that won't happen.
there's always a catch with him-
i need five minutes. alone-
fox. i need picture.
don't. move. engel nods, terrified.
where's the detonator? the dogs leap at batman- smash him to the ground.
there won't be any fireworks. batman struggles to keep the beam from crushing his neck.
what were you hoping to prove? that deep down, we're all as ugly as you? the joker looks at the clock.
you're alone. the joker crouches down, hovering above batman's face and arms. shows him the remote.
no. but i know how you get these- batman's scallop blades fire out of his gauntlet, nailing the joker in the chest and arm- he staggers back- batman, freed, leaps forward- kicks him over the edge- grabs the remote- the joker giggles as he falls, enjoying the ride. something slams into his leg, and he jerks to a stop- batman's grapple. the joker hollers in pain as batman hauls him up.
you'll be in a padded cell, forever.
this city just showed you it's full of people ready to believe in good. the joker looks up at him. a twinkle in his eye.
what did you do?
lucius. find harvey dent.
you don't want to hurt the boy, dent. dent turns. batman steps from the shadows.
nothing fair ever came out of the barrel of a gun, dent.
what happened to rachel wasn't chance. we decided to act. we three. we knew the risks and we acted as one. we are all responsible for the consequences. dent looks at batman. pleading.
it wasn't.
because you were the best of us. he wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall.
but your fooling yourself if you think you're letting chance decide. you're the one pointing the gun, harvey. so point it at the people who were responsible. we all acted as one. gordon. me. and you. dent is listening, the wheels in his deranged mind turning.
you don't have to-
no. they won't. they can never know what he did.
no. but the joker cannot win. batman crouches to dent's body.
gotham needs its true hero. gently, he turns dent's head so the good side of his face is up. gordon looks from dent's face to batman. understanding.
yes, i can. batman stands. faces gordon.
you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. i can do those things because i'm not a hero, like dent. i killed those people. that's what i can be.
i'm whatever gotham needs me to be.
you'll hunt me.
you'll condemn me, set the dogs on me.
because it's what needs to happen.
because sometimes the truth isn't good enough.
sometimes, people deserve more.