Original subtitles

Clang clang clang whirr.

Hey, Chris, you get a haircut?

Yeah, I figured it's the only thing

he'll see from up there.

'Oh, yeah. The big boss is visiting today.'

You have a great view from your office, Mr. Fox.

Call me Lucius. And I agree.

I never get tired of watching the process.

Everyone working together like that

all those people. It's like a giant machine.

More like an efficient team

one Bruce hardly needs to worry about.

It's what makes the other part of his life possible.

You mean the other part of his life

in which he appears at museum dedications and fashion shows.

I mean, fighting crime.

You mean, fighting crimes of fashion.

Dick, he knows I'm The Batman.

I was a close friend of Bruce's father.

After the tragedy, I was happy to offer

what little help I could.

It was more than a little.

Lucius helped construct the Batcave.

And on the rare occasions he lets me

I get to lend a hand with some of the Bat-gadgets.

I do love tinkering with the Bat's Shadow Tek.

Oh! Well, then, yay!

So we're just throwing around words

that start with Bat now. That's fun.

Lucius, you clearly have the factory running

as smoothly as ever.

I don't know why I even bother with these visits.

Maybe you just come by to see an old friend.

Hm, it doesn't sound like me.

So who else knows?

Is there a list or something?

Is it on the Internet

brucewayneisbatman.org?

Lucius Fox is the only one

you didn't already know about.

And he'll be the last.

I try not to make a habit of having

to rely on other people

especially to keep my secrets.

What? Who are you?

Wait.. A-ah!

Can't ID 'em from here.

ID them? I can do that.

Bad guys. And pretty ordinary ones, too.

We can handle this.

Uh, didn't we just get in trouble

last week for freelancing?

The boss was very clear.

He said to wait while he scoped out the situation.

Okay.

We waited.

Hey! Uh..

Well, I'm already bored.

Any way to make this more interesting?

'We could take them down while reciting'

the alphabet backwards. Aahh!

Gotcha, birdbrains.

Whoosh

thud.

Guess they weren't so ordinary after all.

Maybe they were those superstrong zombie thugs.

We would have had them if you'd waited!

Look, I know being a costumed crime fighter means

never having to say I'm sorry.

But, yeah, we're sorry.

No, it's my fault.

Maybe I've been relying on you two more than I should.

This never happened when I worked alone.

Detective John Jones. I'm new to the force.

I've heard about you and your mission

to protect Gotham. Admirable.

Did you see what these guys were stealing?

The shipment belonged to your company.

My company?

Wayne Industries has had

an unusually high volume

of shipments going in and out

of the city this week.

It's no surprise that someone with sticky fingers

finally took notice.

Mind if I inspect this property

back at my headquarters?

Fine by me, but you'll need

Bruce Wayne's permission.

I can secure it.

I'll bet you can.

It's a new project.

WayneTech research really paid off this time.

We've developed whole new metals, hybrids.

It's pretty exciting if you're into metallurgy.

That's the reason for the extra shipping.

I thought that project was still

at the development stage.

It is, but the development

is requiring some supplies.

Really, there's nothing you need to worry about.

'You should have those crates sent back here unopened.'

Send them back unopened?

I see. Well, thank you.

Keep working.

Commissioner Gordon vouched for Detective Jones.

And his records from Denver check out.

Clang 'Wow!'

But there's nothing before Denver

like he didn't exist.

Hey! Uh, a-a-ah..

Okay, it is so my turn.

This is so cool!

I didn't know Wayne Industries made anything like this.

We don't, and if Detective Jones is right

my company's been shipping things like this

all over the world.

Clearly, this is part of some alien conspiracy

to mass-produce these babies

ship 'em all over the world

where they await their signal

to take over the human ra-a-ace!

Whoa! Unh!

Crash.

New project, huh?

What's it for?

We'll keep an eye on Lucius

but I wanna find out if Jones knows more than he's letting on

about whatever's going on at Wayne Industries.

Then let's pay the detective a visit.

I'll pay him a visit..

Alone.

- Uh, Batman... - Don't bother.

I know you're not human.

- I suppose this changes things. - Not really.

Click You're coming with me.

I have some questions for you detective.

Bam.

Humans.

You act like you've never seen

a shape-shifter before.

Tell that to Clayface.

Crash.

He flies, too.

Great.

Huh?

Let's see if you can keep up.

Bang.

I can dance all night. Ugh!

- 'So can I.' - So it would seem.

But why waste time? Who are you?

My name is John Jones, I'm a detective

just like you..

Bruce.

I'm one of the good guys.

Thanks.

So. Alien.

All my life.

Telekinesis. Neat party trick.

How heavy can the object be?

I could lift you and your best friend

that is, if you have one.

You miss being back home on Mars?

I never said I was a Martian.

Never had to. Martians hate fire.

How do you know anything about Martians?

I've dedicated my life to studying all fields

of knowledge, no matter how obscure

including thousands of years of recorded human encounters

with extraterrestrials, the Mayans

ancient Egyptians, crop circles.

I could teach a college course on Martians

except I always filed them away under urban legends.

Like alligators in the sewers.

I've fought them, too. Why'd you run?

You might have exposed me

turned me over to the authorities.

I can't allow that, not now.

Guess we both guard our secrets fiercely.

- Coffee? - We're fine, thanks.

So how'd you figure out Batman was Bruce Wayne?

- Read your mind. - Hm.

- Something wrong? - No, it's just..

That's cheating. Read my mind now.

- What? - You heard me.

You're thinking of a dog you owned as a boy.

- Location of the Batcave. - I distinctly saw...

A mental image I conjured up to block my real thoughts.

Trick I picked up from some Tibetan monks.

Anyone ever tell you you're a little paranoid?

My partners, all the time.

I'm stunned. You have partners?

I do, though sometimes I wonder

if things might be easier without them.

You may need all the help you can get with what's coming.

'And I've done my homework, Bruce, it is coming.'

- Make no mistake. - What is?

Something big, maybe too big for The Batman to handle alone.

Why don't you just tell me what you know and let me

decide what The Batman can handle alone?

I'm not the only thing from outer space

that's come to Gotham, but right now

I'm the only thing that can stop it.

- Stop what? - Invasion.

Alien invasion..

The end of your world.

Can I get you anything else?

Hm..

'They're called The Joining'

a synthetic alien race

that's ravaged over half the galaxy

like some plague of locusts

devouring and incorporating the technologies

of every world they encounter.

And they leave nothing in their wake

but empty husks of planets.

Synthetic race. The Joining are robots.

Mm-hmm, built by a long-forgotten race

who became their first victims.

'And they feed off technology?'

Anything industrial, mechanical

they simply take it and use it.

It becomes a part of them, it's how they evolve.

That's why they were targeting Wayne Industries.

You're responsible for developing

some of the most advanced technologies on this world.

By the way, nice car.

Rang it with my mind.

Batman? What.. Is something wrong?

I need to ask you some questions about those shipments.

- Who's this? - This is Detective Jones.

- He's here to.. - Hah!

'I knew it was a replicant'

'because I didn't get a reading off him.'

- 'No emotions.' - 'So you kicked his head off.'

Yes.

Perhaps I should have mentioned I was going to do that.

Perhaps.

This is part of the standard MO

of The Joining.

Seems pretty complicated.

Not for them, they're a linked system, a network

parts of one big machine, really

like one huge robot as big as a city.

You know, Batman, most humans would be pretty thrown by this.

I'm not most humans.

If there's any chance that Lucius is still alive

we have to find him.

Then let's ask someone who knows.

Great danger.

- I can't believe this. - Really? Because robotheads..

Well, that's totally what I'm expecting on a Wednesday.

And this guy, just some guy waltzing into the Batcave

didn't have a blindfold on or anything!

Robin, I think we should be focused on the robothead.

Lucius is still alive. You're certain?

If you're trying to nod, you need a neck.

He's alive.

The real Lucius is being held

at the Wayne Industries factory.

'We are using him for information'

'but soon, he will no longer be helpful.'

- Ready? - Find Lucius.

Stop alien invasion, save world.

Sounds easy enough.

'Lucius!'

Follow me!

How about first one to Lucius wins?

Fine time for him to leave us out of things.

Robots. This is like the biggest case we've ever faced!

Good robots, too!

That thing looks just like a real person!

I know! Anyone we know could be a robot.

Oh, it wouldn't fool us if we knew the person.

- Would it? - Maybe not.

They'd probably be a little roboty

detached, unemotional mechanical.

- Kick his head off. - You kick his head off.

Attempt to do any such thing, and I assure you

there will be no hot, buttered raisin scones

for either of you for a year.

Only Alfred sounds that much like Alfred.

Yup.

It knows we're here.

Ping ping ping tzing tzing tzing

thud.

Let's call it a tie.

Lucius?

I knew you'd come.

- What.. - He's with me, Lucius.

We're getting you out of here.

No, forget me. I'm not important.

You don't have much time to..

We're too late.

Told you I could float you and your best friend.

Faster, we don't know how much longer

these things are just gonna sit here.

Bang.

It's begun.

- Where are they going? - Anywhere.

Everywhere that's vulnerable..

Everywhere on earth.