INT: CHURCH. TOP DOLLAR AND MYCA WAITING. GRANGE ENTERS WITH SARA.

Top Dollar: [Watches Myca fingering Shelly's ring. He reaches for it] What's that? Some sort of souvenir there, from your pal? [Snatches it from her neck] I'll just keep it for good luck, whaddya say?

Myca: [Holding Sara's face] Her eyes ... are so innocent.

EXT: ERIC STILL KNEELING BEFORE SHELLY'S GRAVE, HOLDING SARA'S FLOWERS.

[He starts to reach out, when crow sends him image of Sara being dragged away, calling his name. He leaps to feet, enters church, crow flying ahead. Walks down nave to confront Top Dollar. Myca ties Sara in bell tower. Grange in pulpit with laser-scope rifle. Crow lands. Grange sights on Eric, swings to shoot crow. Eric is jolted, spins around. Top Dollar walks out from concealment]

Top Dollar: Quick impression for you: [makes "wings" with hands] Caw, caw! Bang! Fuck! I'm dead!

Eric: Give me the girl, and I'll let you walk out of here.

Top Dollar: Well, well. Why don't you just gimme a minute to think about that, huh. [He walks off a few feet, pretending to think. Eric looks down at crow, struggling on floor, injured but not dead] Nah, fuck it! [He turns, shoots Eric in shoulder, staggering him]

Eric: [Gingerly touching bullet wound] Ah, fuck! [Staggers back and falls]

Top Dollar: Well, well, well. It does seems to me that our little life has undergone a rather significant change in the past few minutes, wouldn't you agree? [Hits Eric, who collapses in agony at his feet. Touches bloody wound] Well, for a ghost, you bleed just fine.

Grange: [Spots crow] It's still alive.

Top Dollar: Well, then kill it!

Grange: [Aims at crow] Bye, bye birdie.

[Before he can shoot crow, Albrecht shows up, shooting. Gun fight between him, Grange and Top Dollar ensues, with Eric trying to dodge bullets. Albrecht kills Grange. Myca grabs crow, flees to bell tower. Top Dollar follows Myca. Albrecht joins Eric]

Albrecht: [Finding shotgun is empty] Ah shit! Well, just came by to pay my respects and here you are getting all shot up again.

Eric: They've taken Sara.

Albrecht: How many?

Eric: Two more. [Gasps in pain] I can handle it, don't worry.

Albrecht: I'm not worried. Look, here's the plan--you stay in front and when they run out of ammo, I'll arrest them.

Eric: That sounds like a great plan. There's just one problem [shows Albrecht bullet wound]

Albrecht: Shit! You're bleeding all over the place. I thought, y'know, you were invincible.

Eric: I was. I'm not any more.

Albrecht: [Sighs] Well, I guess you really will need my help, won't you? C'mon. [He helps groaning Eric to feet, they go to stairwell]

Top Dollar: [In stairwell, Top Dollar hands Myca gun] You take that. [Kisses her, takes Sara up stairs.]

[Myca shoots down at Eric and Albrecht, wounding Albrecht.]

Eric: You were supposed to stay behind me.

Albrecht: I think I messed up.

[Eric painfully climbs stairs, faces Myca holding bird, aiming gun at him.]

Myca: This is all the power you ever had. Now, it is mine. Pity, there's not more time ... [aims at him] for us. [Starts to shoot Eric, crow attacks, pecking out her eyes. She falls down stairwell]

Sara: [From rooftop, where Top Dollar has dragged her] Help, Eric. I'm scared! [Struggling] Lemme go!

EXT: ROOFTOP. TOP DOLLAR HOLDING SARA AT FAR END, ERIC CLIMBS OUT AT OTHER. RAIN SQUALL HITS.

Eric: [Stalking towards them] Let her go! [Stops in front of them] You can have me. I won't fight you.

Top Dollar: Alright! [Throws Sara over the side, draws sword]

Eric: NO!

[Sara slides down roof, catches handhold on edge. Top Dollar fights Eric with sword. Eric grabs finial cross as lightning strikes and uses it for defense. Top Dollar slowly overpowers him. Sara losing her hold, crying his name. Top Dollar drops ring, which rolls down roof, to stop at edge. Eric beaten down, looks at Sara, his back to Top Dollar]

Eric: [Sees Sara hanging, losing hold] Sara!

Sara: [Sees Top Dollar's attack] Look out!

[Sara's warning is too late, Top Dollar drives sword entirely through Eric's body. He arches up in agony, mouthing 'Oh dear God', turns and slumps against roof, gasping, facing Top Dollar]

Top Dollar: You know, my daddy used to say--"every man's got a devil and you can't rest 'til you find him". What happened back there with you and your girlfriend, I cleared that building. Hell, nothing in this town happens without my say-so. So I'm sorry if I spoiled your wedding plans there, friend. If it's any consolation to you, you have put a smile on my face. You got a lot of spirit son, I am gonna miss you.

Eric: I have something to give you. I don't want it any more. [He reaches forward, grabs Top Dollar's face] Thirty hours of pain! [Top Dollar recoils. Eric puts other hand, forcing him back] All at once! [Flashbacks to Shelly's death in ICU] All for you!

[Top Dollar's brain is fried by memories. He falls off roof and is spitted by gargoyle. Eric pulls Sara to safety, they hug. They stagger down stairwell and find Albrecht]

Eric: Go help him. [She runs ahead and kneels by Albrecht, he follows more slowly, painfully]

Sara: Are you alive?

[Eric joins them, sits down, gasping in pain]

Albrecht: Ah. God, I need a cigarette. [Fishes pack out of pocket] Everybody else dead? [Eric takes pack]

Eric: You helped me. [Taps head] What you kept in here saved me. Thanks.

Albrecht: Don't mention it. [Eric lights cigarette] I've been meaning to come to church anyway. [Eric puts cigarette in his mouth, he takes a puff, spits it out in disgust] Oh yuck! I'm quitting as of now ... if I live. [Sirens in background. Eric stands]

Eric: Stay with him until help comes.

Sara: [Looking at Albrecht] He'll be okay, right? [Looks up, Eric has vanished] Eric?

Albrecht: Unh, he does that a lot.

EXT: SHELLY'S GRAVE.

[Eric collapses in front of grave. Sound of sirens pulling up. He's almost too weak to move. Huddles up by grave, shivering, whispering her name]

EXT: CHURCH STEPS. ALBRECHT BEING CARRIED ON STRETCHER, SARA WALKING BESIDE HIM

Torres: [In background] Alright, what's going on in there?

Cop: [In background] Multiple homicides.

Albrecht: At least it stopped raining.

Sara: It can't rain all the time.

Torres: No! I don't believe it! This nightmare your fault, Albrecht?

Albrecht: [To Sara] You go on home.

Torres: Want to tell me what's going on?

Albrecht: Your vigilante's up on the roof ... [grabs Torres by lapel, pulls him down] You missed it.

Torres: Get him outta here.

EXT: GRAVEYARD. ERIC STILL HUDDLING BESIDE GRAVE.

[Shelly approaches, touches him, kisses him back to strength]

EXT: GRAVEYARD. ERIC'S GRAVE INTACT AGAIN, CROW LANDS ON HEADSTONE.

[Sara approaches crow. It drops ring into her hand.]

Sara: Thanks.

CUT TO: EXT: CROW FLYING OVER CITY.

[Voice of Sara]
If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die ... but real love is forever.

---

The Crow: Written Script