Rogues

Rogues Part 4: Catwoman

PART 4: CATWOMAN EXT. ROOFTOPS - NIGHT Catwoman bounds from rooftop to rooftop and lands in a wide alley. She looks up to see the sign "K.G. Byrd Storage CO." CATWOMAN Honestly Oswald, could you be any more obvious? She checks the door and it opens. CATWOMAN Forget to lock your door Pengy? Or are your goons too stupid to clean up after themselves? She enters the warehouse and three steps in electrical locks activate and alarms sound. The alarm blares, catching Catwoman off guard, and green lights flash in all directions in unison with the alarm. The alarm fades when, on the opposite end of the warehouse, a projection of the Riddler's face appears on the wall. RIDDLER Well well well, Catwoman. You have truly proven to both me and yourself that you are far inferior an intellect than the Dark Knight ever was. In fact, I have set up a series of challenges for you to solve before you can get to that pompous peddler of umbrellas. Good luck, Catwoman. I hope you survive the experience. His last words echo and fade as the projection cuts out. The ground quakes as a series of buzzsaws pop out from beneath the floor and cut down the long side of the warehouse. Catwoman instinctively uses her whip to get on top of a stack of crates twenty-something feet high and observes the rhythmic pattern of the saws. She looks up at a tiny switch on the back of the projector hanging from the ceiling. It is carelessly spray-painted neon green to which Catwoman whips the switch, cutting all power to the saws, lights and locks. Riddler's voice kicks on again. RIDDLER Very clever Selina, but you won't need that bullwhip where you're going. As if on cue, the projector falls to the ground, smashing into a million pieces. But where it used to hang, a riddle is written in the same neon green paint. It reads "The Cat and the Bird are the oldest of foes, an aviary Grand is where his kind grows." CATWOMAN Aviary grand? Bruce would know. Catwoman exits. CUT TO: INT. BATCAVE Barbara Gordon, aka ORACLE, sits at the batcomputer talking to Batman over radio. ORACLE Okay Bruce, there seems to have been a break-in at the K.G. Byrd warehouse in Dresher. Be careful, that's Penguin turf. CATWOMAN Was Penguin's turf. ORACLE Selina. What're you doing here? (to Batman) Bruce, hold on. Don't go in yet. She's in the batcave. CATWOMAN Tell Bruce to listen up. He'll want to hear this too. ORACLE I'll put him on speaker. Oracle pushes a button and Batman's voice comes through. BATMAN What do you want, Selina. CATWOMAN The warehouse you're at is not just a Penguin front. It was a trap set for me by the Riddler. BATMAN So you set off the alarm? CATWOMAN Yes, it was me, but that's not why I'm here. Riddler for some reason wants me to go through a series of his "challenges" before I can get to Penguin. ORACLE So Penguin basically hired Riddler to kill you. CATWOMAN Pretty much. BATMAN Forget it. CATWOMAN I didn't even ask for anything. BATMAN You were about to. CATWOMAN I can't do this alone. I don't have the resources you have to take him down. BATMAN Sorry Selina, but I can't stop my patrol just because you have some problem with someone who hasn't done any real harm in years. CATWOMAN Fine. I'll take care of it myself. And Bruce, you won't find anything in that warehouse. I checked. CUT TO: INT. CLOCKTOWER - LATE NIGHT Oracle wheels into her apartment. Catwoman is there waiting. CATWOMAN Took you long enough. ORACLE What're you doing here? CATWOMAN Come on, Barb. I need your help. ORACLE You heard what Bruce said. CATWOMAN Yeah but he won't have to do any of the legwork. Come on, for old times sake. Catwoman walks over to a bookshelf and pulls a book out. The whole shelf opens up revealing a batgirl costume encased in glass. CATWOMAN How long has it been? Ten years? ORACLE Fifteen. CATWOMAN Well at least you still have us "Birds of Prey." Bruce doesn't need to know. ORACLE Fine. Oracle wheels up to her computer. ORACLE But this better not take too long. CATWOMAN With the best hacker in Gotham, we should be done with this in no time. ORACLE So what's the first riddle? CATWOMAN "An Aviary Grand is where his kind grows." ORACLE Aviary grand? Got it. The Grand Aviary on Eyrie Avenue. CATWOMAN Of course. I should've known. ORACLE But you didn't. Catwoman grabs a comm off the table and fastens it under her mask. CATWOMAN Shut up. I'll give you the next clue when I get it. See you later, Babs. Catwoman exits through the skylight. CUT TO: INT. GRAND AVIARY The Grand Aviary is an abandoned arena-like structure with decaying plants and trees everywhere. The ceiling is a large glass dome and the only birds to be found are pigeons desperate for shelter from the city streets. Catwoman drops in from the roof using her whip as a rope and gingerly lands on the balls of her feet; careful to not set off any traps. She looks around and makes her way to the base of one of the trees. She's halfway there when she trips a motion sensor. Alarms blare as green light fills the room in familiar fashion as the Riddler's projected face appears on the floor. RIDDLER You made it? All by yourself? Good! A lobotomized monkey could have figured that one out. You're gonna have to do a lot better that that if you're ever going to see Mr. Cobblepot again. Is it true cats always land on their feet? Large, unseen mechanisms whir, groan and grind all around the aviary. Catwoman looks around as all the exits are sealed shut. Even the glass ceiling is encased in a metal canopy. There is no escape. Waves of knives fly at her knees. She backflips to avoid injury, all the while looking for an exit in vain. Visibly tired, Catwoman calls for Oracle on her comm. CATWOMAN Oracle! I need help! Give me an exit! ORACLE I've got your location. There should be a maintenance gate disguised as a bush on the southwest wall of the arena. CATWOMAN I see it! Thanks Babs. Making my way there now. Catwoman acrobatically reaches the hatch, opens, enters, and closes it behind her. She navigates the vents when her comm deactivates. CATWOMAN Babs? Oracle? RIDDLER (V.O.) I'm very disappointed in you, Selina. Using your boyfriend's IT girl to cheat in our little game? Very disappointed indeed. CATWOMAN What do you want. RIDDLER (V.O.) Now, now. You changed the rules. I guess I can change them too. Babs eh? I think I'll be dropping by Ms. Gordon's little tower this evening. Or am I already there? CATWOMAN Nygma you son of a bitch! RIDDLER (V.O.) Finish my game and maybe you'll see her alive. I can't let you cheat me in this manner anymore. A bird of prey never strikes twice, yet cats aren't welcome in this paradise. CATWOMAN Too easy. CUT TO: EXT. BIRDS OF PARADISE RESTAURANT Catwoman silently opens a rear window and jumps through it. She lands inside, ready for anything when the doors fly open revealing Batman. BATMAN Catwoman! CATWOMAN It's you. I thought you said you couldn't break patrol for just one person? BATMAN Oracle. CATWOMAN I'm sorry, I didn't think- BATMAN Exactly. You're in over your head. CATWOMAN That's not what you told me earlier. They both approach the empty dance floor. BATMAN That was before you dragged Barbara into this. And besides, if what you told me is true. If Penguin hired Riddler for all of this, you'll need my help. CATWOMAN I've dealt with old fish-breath before. BATMAN Not like this. The other day at the Iceberg Lounge I saw something in him I haven't seen in years. Fear. Fear and desperation. And when a man like that gets desperate I don't want to- Look out! Batman grabs Catwoman's head and together hit the deck. A blow dart soars through the air from one of the Tiki idols and lands in Batman's shoulder. He passes out. CATWOMAN Come on Bruce, it's just a pinprick. You've had worse. She tries to shake him awake with no luck. A projector pops out of a tree right across from the two of them. It shines it's projection on the dance floor and the Riddler's face is displayed. RIDDLER Ha ha ha ha! No use trying to wake him Kitty-Cat. My new an improved NygmaTech Darts have tips coated with a toxin of my own design. He has less than six hours before the poison reaches his heart. He of course has an antidote in his cursed utility belt but unfortunately for him the Dark Knight himself is the only one who can open it. Steel doors close and lock at all exits. RIDDLER Here's the game Selina. Are you listening? The only way out is through the tunnel to your left. Trees fall revealing a secret passage dug through the wall heading deep within the earth. RIDDLER If you want your precious Batman to live then take the utility belt with you through the tunnel where my genius self will open it. CATWOMAN What's the catch? RIDDLER A catch? Naturally but you really don't have any other options do you? The dart shorted out all the electronics in his suit so forget about calling for help. And I would hurry if I were you, he doesn't look too good. Catwoman reaches around Batman's unconscious body and struggles to unlatch the belt. CATWOMAN God damn it Bruce, why did you have to come here and help me. Now I have to go and save your heavy ass for the twelfth time. The belt releases and she darts into the tunnel. Catwoman emerges from the darkness into an electronic wonderland of a basement as the Riddler feverishly types at a massive monitor with Matrix-like code on it. Riddler turns around startled. RIDDLER Oh! It's you. You must excuse the mess, I wasn't expecting company. CATWOMAN Cut the shit Nygma. You know damn well why I'm here. RIDDLER Oh yes, the Utility Belt. The mythical container of Batman's most private gadgets and gizmos. CATWOMAN Just get the damn thing open. She tosses the belt at Riddler. RIDDLER And quite resilient I see. Riddler walks over to a workbench with soldering irons on it. He dons steampunk style goggles and after a few sparks the pockets all open simultaneously. RIDDLER Eureka! CATWOMAN About time. The antidote? RIDDLER Ah yes the antidote. Riddler secretly pockets a small device from the belt. RIDDLER It must be around here somewhere. Here it is! Riddler hands Catwoman the antidote along with the belt. RIDDLER Now you run along and save your boyfriend. CATWOMAN What about Barbara? RIDDLER Go back the way you came, third corridor on the left. CATWOMAN That's it? I thought Penguin wanted you to kill me. Riddler returns to his station. RIDDLER Oh he does. But I have my sights set on greater things than his bird brained schemes. CATWOMAN And what if Ozzy learns you failed? RIDDLER Ah, yes. That. Considering I just saved Batman's guano I hope you would find it within yourself to leave Mr. Cobblepot alone for the time being. Good day Ms. Kyle. CATWOMAN See ya later Eddie, always a pleasure. Catwoman ascends the tunnel to the restaurant where Batman still lies unconscious. She hurries over to him and applies the antidote. Batman wakes and checks for his utility belt. He notices it on the floor beside him. BATMAN What have you done! Batman snatches up the belt, rises, and fastens it. BATMAN Where is it? Where is the Micro EMP Emitter? CATWOMAN I think Nygma has it. He pocketed something right after he opened it to get the antidote. BATMAN The what? CATWOMAN You were poisoned. BATMAN Oh. Where's Barbara? CATWOMAN Down the tunnel, third corridor on the left. BATMAN I'll get her. CATWOMAN What about your EMP thing? BATMAN That's up to you. With the right uplink, that device has the potential to shut down every electronic device in the city. You have to stop him. I know you will. They kiss and Batman taps a code on his wrist which triggers an explosion of the blocked door. Through the hole you can just make out the Batmobile, guns smoking. Batman dashes through the tunnel to save Oracle. Catwoman exits through the hole. She grapples up the side of the adjacent building. CUT TO: EXT. TOP OF GCTV BUILDING Catwoman scales the roof to see Riddler hooking up the EMP to the main antenna. CATWOMAN Hello again, Eddie. RIDDLER Selina, I thought we had an understanding. Before Riddler could react Catwoman is on top of him, scratching and punching him in the face. He breaks loose and a fistfight starts. Catwoman, clearly the better fighter, maintains the upper hand long enough to snag him with her bolas. The bolas tie his right hand to the railing of the roof. Riddler's face is bruised and bloodied but he is alive. Catwoman detaches the EMP from the antenna with her claws. She walks over to Riddler to gloat. An explosion shakes the building. Catwoman looks to the horizon and sees Arkham Asylum in flames. Her eyes go wide. END OF PART 4