COMMISSIONER GORDON: The Joker won.

Gordon stares down at the scarred side of Harvey Dent.

GORDON (cont'd): All of Harvey's prosecutions, everything he fought for...undone. Whatever chance you gave us of fixing our city dies with Harvey's reputation. We bet it all on him. The Joker took the best of us and tore him down. People will lose hope.

BATMAN: They won't. They must never know what he did.

GORDON: Five dead, two of them cops...you can't sweep that up.

BATMAN: No. But the Joker cannot win.

Batman crouches to Dent's body.

BATMAN (cont'd): 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.

GORDON: No!

BATMAN: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." I can do those things, because I'm not a hero, not like Dent. I killed those people, that's what I can be.

GORDON: No, you can't! You're not!

Batman hands Gordon his police radio
BATMAN: I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be. Call it in.

INSERT CUT: Gordon stands at a large podium at Dent's funeral. Behind him is a large photograph of Dent smiling

GORDON: ...a hero. Not the one we deserved, but the one we needed. Nothing less than a knight, shining

GORDON (V.O.): They'll hunt you.

BATMAN (V.O.): You'll hunt me. You'll condemn me, set the dogs on me.

Gordon takes the axe to the Bat Signal -- sparking, smashing

BATMAN (V.O.): ...because it's what needs to happen.

INSERT CUT: Alfred holds the letter from Rachel. Thinking.

BATMAN (V.O.): Because sometimes the truth isn't good enough...

Alfred burns the letter from Rachel

BATMAN (V.O.): ...sometimes people deserve more.

Lucius Fox types his name into the sonar machine. Fox hits the "X"

BATMAN (V.O.): Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.
The machine flashes red "self-destruct warnings". Then dies. Fox smiles to himself

Batman hurries off. Limping into the shadows.

GORDON'S SON: Batman? Batman! Why is he running, Dad?

GORDON: Because we have to chase him.

EXT. WAREHOUSE -- CONTINUOUS

As Cops race into the buildings the dogs get the scent and pull away from the doorway, following the shadow into the stacks of shipping containers...

INT. WAREHOUSE -- CONTINUOUS

James looks at his father, confused.

SON: He didn't do anything wrong.

Gordon stares after the Batman. The sound of the dogs becoming louder and more ferocious.

GORDON: Because...

EXT. DOCKSIDE ROOFTOPS -- CONTINUOUS

The Batman LURCHES between shipping containers. Stumbling. Bleeding. He makes it to the bat-pod...
GORDON: ...he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero.

The bat-pod streaks through Gotham's underground streets, the Batman's cape fluttering behind. A wraith...

GORDON (cont'd): He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.

The Batman races up a ramp into a blinding light