Sins of the Mother Written by: Melissa Rosenberg & Hans Tobeason | Transcribed by: Oracle | Status: Complete EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT We fly through the city, past tall buildings and through the darkness of night. EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT Batman floats on his cape to the ground, moving in slow motion, cape flying around him. ALFRED. (V.O.) Legend tells of a caped crusader, Batman, guardian of New Gotham, and his one true love - Catwoman, the queen of the criminal underworld. EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT A woman in a black leather costume leaps down into the alleyway and crouches. She tilts her head quizzically, like a cat. She leaps to fight Batman, and he matches and blocks her fists - then pulls the Catwoman close to him in an embrace. ALFRED. (V.O.) Their passion left behind something extraordinary INT. THE LAIR - DAY We see Helena standing and smiling, looking to her left. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Helena sneaks into the apartment through the sliding glass doors. ALFRED. (V.O.) - a daughter, Huntress. Half-metahuman, EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT A quick flash of Helena's eye changing to that of a cat's, and then of her flipping to attack someone. ALFRED. (V.O.) She has taken INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Helena rushes onto the balcony, throwing out her arms and - leaping off. She soars out of sight. ALFRED. (V.O.) Up her father's mantel and under cover of the night INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT Helena trades blows with a man, flipping and kicking him, then punching him. ALFRED. (V.O.) Fights to protect the innocent and helpless. Helena looks up in slow-motion. INT. GIBSON'S BAR - NIGHT The elevator opens - revealing Barbara, looking pissed. ALFRED. (V.O. ) Joining her in this struggle, Oracle, who was INT. THE LAIR - DAY We flip through the window and spiral around Barbara at the computer. ALFRED. (V.O.) Once Batman's protege 'Batgirl'. INT. INNER TUNNELS - NIGHT We close in on Batgirls' mask in slow-motion. Then, she kicks out at someone, attacking. ALFRED. (V.O.) She was caught in the crossfire of the war between Batman and Joker. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Barbara flings open the front door and is shocked to find - a shadowy figure clutching a gun. The gun fires. She falls to the floor. INT. THE LAIR - NIGHT A circle of green light comes up around Barbara. It raises into a fully-shaped cylinder around her, graphed with lines and axes. ALFRED. (V.O.) Now she fights crime a different way - a master of the cyber-realms INT. KETTERLY'S HOME - NIGHT Barbara appears in the doorway in her wheelchair, holding a birdarang. She throws it. ALFRED. (V.O.) And mentor and trainer to heroes. INT. THE LAIR - NIGHT In slow motion, Oracle smiles while holding up a birdarang. INT. GIBSON'S BAR - NIGHT Dinah spins around, shocked - she's been caught. ALFRED. (V.O.) Together, they have taken in a young runaway, Dinah, a metahuman herself EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT Dinah reaches out to stop Helena, grabbing her wrist, and sees a montage of images - the Clocktower, Helena entering the building and pressing her hand up on the wall, the dreamworld. ALFRED. (V.O.) with powers to open hidden doors to the mind - powers that she is only beginning to explore. INT. THE LAIR - NIGHT Dinah looks up at the brain scan machine as it whizzes past her face. INT. THE DREAMWORLD - NIGHT Barbara and Dinah clutch each others' forearms as Helena walks towards them. She extends a hand and lays it over theirs, all three women joined together. ALFRED. (V.O.) Together, these three are the protectors of New Gotham - the Birds of Prey. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT The show logo circles on the screen as a bird flies by, screaming in the night. ALFRED. (V.O.) My name is Alfred Pennyworth, and this is their story. EXT. NEW GOTHAM STATION - DAY Busting crowds move in and out of the doors, coming and going. Amongst the passersby, a tall lithe blond woman steps out into the New Gotham sun, a filtered glow blocked by skyscrapers in the dingy city. She looks around her, and then puts her sunglasses on and walks down the steps and into the city, a bag of luggage in her hand. Behind her, a street hood named Willie Cortez steps up and watches her go. He pulls out a cellphone. INT. HOUSE - CONTINUING Where a greasy mobster by the name of Frankie Spitz is talking into a phone. SPITZ. Yeah, this is Spitz, go. He listens to the speaker on the other end. SPITZ. Are you sure? HOOD. Yeah. Sure as I'm talking to you. Used to be there was a price on her head. That still stand? SPIT. Yeah, yeah, yeah. With one small change now. You lose her? The price goes on your head. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - CONTINUING Cortez follows the blond as she walks away. INT. HOUSE - CONTINUING Spitz comes into a new room, sparsely decorated and bare. An aging, wrinkled man with a grimace on his face sits in front of a fireplace, eyes closed, meditating. This is Al Hawke. SPITZ. Mr. Hawke, you're not gonna believe this. HAWKE. Breathe. Breathe deep, Frankie. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Aaah. Find your center. Spitz is quiet, and cracks his neck. This seems to please Hawke. HAWKE. Good. Now, continue. SPITZ. Black Canary. She's back. HAWKE. I can't say I'm surprised. SPITZ. Don't worry. I'll get her. HAWKE. Mmm, leave this one to me. Spitz starts to leave. HAWKE. Frankie - make sure it's left to me. Spitz nods, understanding, and leaves. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - CONTINUING The woman from the station continues to walk down the street, through crowds, and Cortez follows. He walks into an alley - and is immediately kicked from behind, knocking him to the ground. The woman steps on his back, then pulls him him, punches him, and throws him up against the opposite wall. CAROLYN. You know, I hope you're just a pickpocket, or else I'd have to hurt you. She lets him drop to the ground and picks up her luggage, walking away. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - DAY We pan through the sunlit city, past buildings reflecting the day's golden light. INT. THE CLOCKTOWER - CONTINUING Inside a large training room with a wooden floor and gym equipment scattering the walls. Dinah and Helena, in sweats and exercise clothes, are facing off against one another. Dinah kicks Helena, who is pushed back into a combat dummy. HELENA. Nice kick. She moves to punch Helena, but the older girl is too swift and ducks under her arm and gets behind her. HELENA. Faster! Dinah kicks and punches, but each move is blocked by Helena. She grabs Dinah's fist. HELENA. Feel that? Dinah pulls back and punches, but is blocked the same way. HELENA. Again. Dinah does a spinning kick but Helena reaches out and grabs her leg. HELENA. Not fast enough. She tightens her grip on Dinah's leg and twists, sending her flipping over and over in the air, to land on the ground. DINAH. Come on, I've almost got it! She jumps up and rushes Helena again, but is knocked down by the superior fighter. HELENA. Almost will get you killed, and I'm holding back here. Dinah looks over to a rack of weapons, and focuses on a set of nunchakus. They start to shake. HELENA. You do that on sweep and you'll be on your ass, and that's if you're lucky. Dinah continues to look at them, and then without warning, they fly off the rack and hit Helena in the back of the knee, dropping her. HELENA. Ow. She picks up the fallen weaponry, looks at Dinah. HELENA. What the hell was that? Dinah has a sheepish look on her face, also incredulous. INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING Helena rushes to the rail overlooking the ring, eager to share what Dinah has just done with Barbara. HELENA. Barbara? You're not gonna believe this. Dinah rushes up beside her and looks down to see - the blond woman, who recognizes her. CAROLYN. Dinah? DINAH. Mom?! Dinah stares in wonder at the upturned face of Carolyn Lance, her biological mother. Helena, Carolyn and Barbara are all shocked. Opening Credits INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING The women stare in wonder at each other. HELENA. (To Dinah) You're the Black Canary's daughter? BARBARA. (To Carolyn) You have a daughter? DINAH. The Black Canary? BARBARA. (To Dinah) This could mean you have the Canary Cry as well. HELENA. (To Barbara) Hold on. She has mind-melding, telekinesis and the Canary Cry? DINAH. (To Barbara) What Canary Cry? BARBARA. (To Helena) What telekinesis? CAROLYN. Okay, everybody stop. Could you just give us a minute? Barbara doesn't catch on, staring up at Dinah, fascinated by the increase in her powers. She doesn't notice Carolyn staring at her until a moment passes. BARBARA. Oh, yeah! Of course. Helena. A little privacy? The two women back away. Helena and Dinah come down the circular staircase and head off to the balcony, leaving Dinah to confront her mother. DINAH. You're a superhero? CAROLYN. Dinah, I can explain. DINAH. A-a-and not just any superhero, you're the Black Canary! You're supposed to be some, some, big role model, a trailblazer, one of the first women to put on a crimefighting cape. CAROLYN. Actually, I don't wear a cape, I - She stops, realizing she'll get sidetracked, and knows there are more important questions to ask. CAROLYN. - nevermind. How do you know all of this? DINAH. Well in case you haven't noticed, I'm living with Barbara Gordon. Also known as the Oracle? It's part of my training, sorta like 'Superheros 101'. The tradition and history you conveniently forgot to mention before you dumped me?! But, you know, I guess being one of the greatest espionage agents in the world, having a six-year-old kid would've crimped your style. CAROLYN. I did not dump you. I was trying to protect you, I was trying to give you a normal life. DINAH. So it's normal for foster parents to lock their kids in closets until they promise to stop seeing things? CAROLYN. Dinah, when I left you with the Redmonds, I didn't think you had metahuman potential. You were six years old, you didn't show any signs. I hoped -- DINAH. You hoped that what? If I was metahuman, they'd beat it out of me? Carolyn is silenced by this. She was unaware of the way Dinah would be treated after she left her with the Redmond family. CAROLYN. It was the worst mistake of my life. I found out you ran away and that's when I discovered... what had happened. Dinah, please, try to understand. I thought you were happy! I thought you were living like a regular kid. I had no idea. DINAH. Right. CAROLYN. I'm retired, Dinah. I'm not Black Canary anymore, I'm just Carolyn Lance. I came to New Gotham to find you. And I would like to be your mother. EXT. THE CLOCKTOWER - CONTINUING Helena sits on the ledge, poised as if meditating. Barbara sits next to her in her wheelchair, contemplative. BARBARA. Wow, Black Canary's daughter. I didn't even know she had a daughter! HELENA. I always thought she'd be taller. Being a legend and all. She turns and looks over her shoulder, seeing Carolyn and Dinah in a heated discussion through the clock face. HELENA. We should go in and referee. Barbara too turns and looks at the women, then turns back. BARBARA. I don't think we should interfere. HELENA. We interfere for a living. Come on. She gets up and heads inside, Barbara following. INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING Carolyn and Dinah are facing off in the computer ring, arguing. CAROLYN. The life you think you want, Dinah, being a superhero, is not what it's cracked up to be. It's dangerous, it's ugly, it is relentless and it will wear you down. I won't let you throw your future away. Barbara and Helena join the pair. DINAH. Oh yeah? Well you gave up the right to make decisions for me a long time ago. I'm staying at Gabby's tonight, we're studying. She walks away, then turns back to give a pointed glance at her mother. DINAH. You know - like normal kids. And with that, is gone, back towards the area of the building that holds her bedroom. BARBARA. She'll be okay, she just needs to cool down. CAROLYN. I just don't understand how Oracle, the source of all information, could have my daughter under her roof and not even know it. BARBARA. She gave us her foster parents' last name, I ran a background check. She was clearly having problems at home. Carolyn, this is what we do. We take in and mentor those like us. CAROLYN. She is not like you. HELENA. How would you know that? How would you know anything about her? CAROLYN. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of this. Helena gives her a look, angered - is this personal? HELENA. You got a problem with me? CAROLYN. I'm sure you're a nice enough person, but you are the daughter of a thief. HELENA. Excuse me? CAROLYN. Just stay away from my daughter. The last thing she needs right now is your influence. She walks away and Helena starts after her, but is held back by Barbara's hand on her arm. BARBARA. Helena, wait. HELENA. What is her problem? BARBARA. It's not about you. Canary and your mom never... really got along. I think it was some sort of bird-cat thing. Just let it go. She wheels by Helena to go after Carolyn and Dinah. Helena rolls her eyes. HELENA. Bird-cat thing. Right. INT. HOUSE - DAY Cortez is tied up, hands strung above his head, in the same room as earlier. There are open cuts all over his face. Spitz stands across the room and Hawke is sitting lackadaisically on the floor, sifting through a rock-and-sand garden with a small handheld rake. SPITZ. I warned you what would happen if you let her get away. HOOD. Mr. Hawke! I got everybody lookin' for her. I can find her again! It's just - please! Can I have a second chance? HAWKE. Not unless you believe in reincarnation. And with that, Spitz turns and throws a knife which plunges cleanly into Cortez's chest. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT A crime scene. Police litter the scene, which is taped off. Lights flash behind McNally and Reese, who kneel next to the lifeless body of Cortez. MCNALLY. What d'you think, Reese? Probably a drug deal gone wrong. I'll start canvassing for witnesses. Maybe forensics'll get a print off of that thing. Both men stand up. Reese gives McNally a look. REESE. There won't be prints or witnesses. MCNALLY. How do you know? REESE. I just know. MCNALLY. Aren't we Mr. Negative? EXT. NEW GOTHAM - CONTINUING We zoom in on the Clocktower. INT. THE KITCHEN - CONTINUING Where Barbara is making coffee in the upstairs kitchen area. Carolyn stands nearby. CAROLYN. I'm not gonna let her get into the life, there's too much to lose! BARBARA. Maybe that's a choice we all need to make for ourselves. She hands Carolyn a steaming cup of coffee. CAROLYN. Can you tell me that you never regret it? BARBARA. What, because I'm in this chair? No. No, I don't regret it. I'm thankful for every moment I have, I'm thankful for every moment I had before I got hurt. Not being able to walk doesn't affect why I do what I do, it only affects how I do it. Carolyn, Dinah has some extraordinary gifts - telepathy, telekinesis, and who knows what else she may develop? She could be every bit as great as you. CAROLYN. And she could get shot at before breakfast, tortured before lunch and knocked unconscious for dinner, also like me. That's not what I want for her. BARBARA. It's what she wants for herself. And we... I love having her here. She has the heart, Carolyn - the one thing all of us in the saving-the-world business can't do without. CAROLYN. Well take it from me, Oracle - you can't save the world and be a mother. BARBARA. Maybe she needs a mentor more than a mother right now. CAROLYN. Look, I've already made one terrible mistake, I'm not going to make another. I'm going to protect her. BARBARA. But you're gonna deny who she is. CAROLYN. If that's what it takes. EXT. STREET - NIGHT Reese walks across the street, heading for his car. He unlocks the door and opens it, about to get in - and suddenly, Helena lands behind him, a flash of black leather as she gets her balance. HELENA. Dead guy with a knife in his chest. any ideas? He stops and gives her a look, almost not surprised by this anymore. REESE. I already know who the killer is. And I know we won't be able to pin this on him. HELENA. Maybe you won't. REESE. Just this once, stay out of it. HELENA. You're the second person to say that to me today. I was sick of it the first time. What's going on? REESE. Nothing. Just this one, I wanna handle on my own. HELENA. Right. Don't call me, I'll call you. So much for trust. REESE. You want me to trust you? Why don't you try giving me something back? Tell me your real name. Tell me where you live, your phone number, something. She doesn't say anything - she can't share this with him. REESE. Yeah. That's what I thought. He gets in the car and shuts the door behind him, disgusted by her lack of volunteered information. INT. THE LAIR - AFTERNOON Helena sits on the table next to Barbara, who is eagerly searching through files on her computer. Carolyn stands in the background, hands in her pockets, waiting for Dinah to return. HELENA. Like there's a law that says the guy gets to be in control of contact. God forbid it's me that calls him. BARBARA. I don't know what you're so upset about. It's not like you two have the whole 'dinner and a movie' thing going. HELENA. Okay, so it's more like 'meeting over a dead body' thing. Still, no reason to be so secretive about a street hood with a knife in his ribs. The elevator opens and Dinah comes in, in fresh clothes, backpack slung over her shoulder. She walks over to the lair and starts to speak at the same time as Carolyn. CAROLYN. Dinah, I'm really sorry - DINAH. Mom, I'm sorry - They both stop, and Dinah continues. DINAH. There's something I really wanna ask you. But suddenly the Delphi program sounds, alerting Barbara to new information. She downloads it quickly. Dinah and Carolyn come to stand beside her. BARBARA. Gotcha. Willie Cortez. Quite the rap sheet. Snitch for the Hawke family. CAROLYN. Hawke? Al Hawke knows I'm here. Dinah, listen to me. You need to pack your things, we have to get out of here. HELENA. A dead street snitch means New Gotham's biggest godfather's after you? Paranoid, aren't we? Barbara backs up, leaving Carolyn and Dinah next to each other. CAROLYN. Yeah, well, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you. Listen, Dinah, we can't stay here, it's much too dangerous. DINAH. I can handle this. Barbara, tell her I can handle this. BARBARA. Uh, it's... it's not for me to say. Carolyn... is your mother. DINAH. Really. Since, since when? You just come in here and say 'we go' and we go?! CAROLYN. Damnit, Dinah, this is serious, and one day you'll understand why but for now just please do as I'm asking. DINAH. Fine. Fine. Sulking, she walks off to her room to pack. HELENA. You can't do this. Dinah's got her own life. You're the only one in this room that's not part of it. CAROLYN. That's gonna change. HELENA. What're you gonna do when she's out past curfew? Blast her with your Canary Cry? CAROLYN. And what did your mother do? Oh, that's right, she was too busy stealing your childhood. Helena gets a furious look in her eyes and stands up, confronting Carolyn. HELENA. All right, lady, you do not wanna go there. Carolyn does not back down - she looks Helena straight in the eyes, confronting. CAROLYN. And you do not wanna lecture me on the choices I make. BARBARA. Please, please, enough - both of you, please stop. CAROLYN. I'm gonna go help her pack. She walks out of the computer ring and down a side hallway to Dinah's bedroom. HELENA. (Watching her go) She's wrong about this. BARBARA. We don't know that. HELENA. Yes we do. BARBARA. We owe her the chance. HELENA. Maybe you do. But I don't. Suddenly, Carolyn runs back in. We hear her before we see her, alarm in her voice. CAROLYN. Is there a back door? BARBARA. What's the matter? CAROLYN. She's gone. Dinah's gone. Barbara trades looks with Helena, who has an 'I told you so' glance on her face. They know something is wrong. Commercial EXT. NEW GOTHAM - LATE AFTERNOON People walk along the streets as a breeze blows. Among them is Dinah, looking around her cautiously before stopping in front of No Man's Land's Collectables, the familiar purple sign swaying in the wind. INT. NO MAN'S LAND - CONTINUING Dinah comes into the bar via the secret elevator, and heads over to the bar proper, where Gibson is mixing drinks. She takes a seat. DINAH. Hey. GIBSON. Hello there! Friend of the beautiful creature that is Huntress. I trust you bring news of her burgeoning desire for the Gibson. DINAH. Actually, I was just in the neighborhood. GIBSON. Right. Fifty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty-three minutes of unrequited love. It's all right, she'll come around. It's only a matter of time. Whaddya say we drown our sorrows in a fruity soda? DINAH. That sounds like a really good idea. GIBSON. Coming right up. He ducks halfway behind the bar, as though he is reaching for glasses, and secretly one-handedly types on a small computer, "she's here". He smiles at her, comforting, and then hits a button. The screen alerts him that it is sending the mail. INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING Oracle is at her computer, and an alert flashes, telling her she has new mail. She downloads it, and opens it, seeing Gibson's message. She knows immediately. BARBARA. Oh, thank god. Huntress! Found her. EXT. ROOFTOP - EVENING The sun has set, plunging the city into darkness. Helena runs across rooftops and then stops on one, listening. HELENA. Where? BARBARA. (V.O.) No Man's Land, Gibson. HELENA. On my way. BARBARA. (V.O.) No, no. Let Canary go. HELENA. Great idea, sic Big Bird on her. BARBARA. Look, she's her mother. The best thing we can do is run interference on this Hawke thing. HELENA. You really think after all these years he's still after her? BARBARA. She's not being paranoid. Hawke has every reason in the world to want her worse than dead - he blames her for the death of his father. Helena looks surprised, more understanding. She turns and jumps off of the building top. INT. NO MAN'S LAND - CONTINUING Where Dinah and Gibson sit on perpendicular couches, talking. Gibson holds a glass of orange soda. GIBSON. Your mother singlehandedly brought down New Gotham's most powerful organized crime family. All these guys were into gambling, extortion, drugs, women, the usual fun and games. Canary infiltrated, became one of them - handed the D.A. an airtight case... it was... the stuff legends are made of. You know, I saw her engage in battle once. I was two years old. He puts down his glass. DINAH. You couldn't possibly remember that. GIBSON. I remember my mother's womb. No doubt the root of my claustrophobia. Dinah gives him a look - too much information. DINAH. Okay, that's good. Um, what was she like? My mother, not, not yours. GIBSON. Magnificent. Powerful. Graceful. Loud. DINAH. The Canary Cry? GIBSON. Ugh, a sonic wave of unparallelled might, able to shatter glass, crumble concrete, burst eardrums. DINAH. So she could fight... The glass on the table starts to shake ever so slightly. DINAH. She could cry... The glass starts to shake more, vibration rippling across the surface of the drink. DINAH. She could take on lions, tigers and bears... Gibson watches the glass shaking and twitching curiously. DINAH. When it comes to one tiny kid, she runs for the hills? And with that, her will breaks and the glass tips over, spilling its contents over the table. DINAH. Oh... I'm sorry. GIBSON. You did that? Telekinesis? Wait, I thought you were just a touch-telepath. DINAH. Well, it kinda just started. GIBSON. Some people get all the best powers. DINAH. What I really wanna know is... why did she give me up? CAROLYN. (O.S.) I was trying to protect you. Dinah and Gibson turn to see Carolyn standing in the bar behind them, tall and regal, a heartfelt hope in her eyes. Gibson immediately recognizes her. GIBSON. The Black Canary. Oh my god, I am so... He leaps up and rushes to her side while Dinah looks away, almost ashamed. GIBSON. I should tell you.. I just, I need... an autograph. Yes, I have to memorialize this moment. Uh, this is so... hold on, don't move. He rushes off to find something for her to autograph and sign with, leaving the two women alone. Carolyn sits down on the recently-vacated couch and looks at her daughter. INT. HOUSE - NIGHT In the dark and shadowed room, lit with orange. Spitz comes in to tell Hawke the latest news. SPITZ. She's been spotted at Main and Fourth. The boys are getting ready. Hakwe pulls out a box and crosses to Spitz, opening it to reveal a silver lucite collar. SPITZ. Uh, thanks, boss - it's a little too 80s for me. HAWKE. Put it around her neck. It will give you peace. Spitz grins and takes the colllar. Hawke closes the box and heads back to put it away. HAWKE. The Black Canary and I have many years of many unresolved issues. We need closure. SPITZ. I'll get you closure, all right. The cutting-her-throat-open type of closure. You see, that's the closure I'm talking about. EXT. PARK - NIGHT Reese is walking down the sidewalk and stops when he senses something - and turns and sees through the gate Helena, walking towards him. HELENA. Law do something in particular to piss you off? REESE. Other than what they always do? HELENA. You're keepin' 'em all to yourself, so it must be something big. REESE. I don't know what you're talking about. HELENA. The secret's out, Reese. That stiff with a knife in his chest last night, he worked for Al Hawke. REESE. I told you to stay out of it. HELENA. Yeah, well - I forgot. Kinda egotistical to think you could take him on all alone. REESE. Ooh, says the lone vigilante. HELENA. I know you think that was supposed to be an insult, so I'll go ahead and get offended. REESE. And you called me egotistical. HELENA. I said egotistical - but I was thinking idiotic. Look. I know the whole 'count only on yourself' routine - hell, I invented it. One of these days, you're gonna need someone to get your back - and that little police radio of yours isn't gonna cut it. You're gonna need me. REESE. You saying you're gonna be there? HELENA. I'm saying... maybe I'll wanna be. He gives her a sincere look. INT. NO MAN'S LAND - CONTINUING Carolyn and Dinah still sit together, talking. CAROLYN. I wanna make it up to you. DINAH. You can't. CAROLYN. Just you and me. We'll start over. Please, i'd like to get to know you again. DINAH. Why, so you can leave again? You are too late! I am grown up and you missed it. CAROLYN. You're right, I did. I don't know you anymore, you're so different from the little girl I gave up. Do you remember when I took you to your foster parents? DINAH. Yeah. I sat by that window for days, wondering when you'd come back. And you never did. Both women have tears in their eyes, struggling with this conversation. CAROLYN. What you don't know is why. I came home one night, and I don't know how I knew, but I just knew something was wrong. So I went straight to your room. and you were just lying there, sleeping like an angel. So I kissed you goodnight, but the feeling just wouldn't go away, so... I searched your room. There was a C4 explosive under your bed, timed to go off an hour later. Dinah looks up, astonished - she had no idea. She listens to the rest of her mother's story quietly. CAROLYN. If I didn't come home when I did, I... anyway, that's when I realized I wasn't just taking risks for myself anymore. I was putting you in the line of fire every day. Only you didn't know it and you had no way to protect yourself. I don't want you to ever face that moment - the moment when you realize when the choice you made could kill the person you love most in this world. Tears spill openly down her cheek, but she doesn't wipe them away. DINAH. I have hated you for so many years for leaving me, for not coming back for me... CAROLYN. Do you wanna know If i'm telling the truth? DINAH. Yeah. CAROLYN. Then go ahead She extends a hand, palm up, for Dinah to touch. She wants her to use her powers. CAROLYN. And find out. Almost cautious, Dinah reaches out her smaller hand to the older woman's, fingertips almost touching. She is about to take her hand - but can't do it, and pulls back, jumping up. DINAH. I can't. She runs through the bar, escaping the scene, afraid to face her past and her mother's mind. CAROLYN. Dinah! And Gibson is suddenly back, blocking Carolyn's path. He holds out a small metal ink-gun. GIBSON. I couldn't find a pen, but I'm thinking this tattoo gun should do the trick. She ignores him and rushes past, but is too late to stop Dinah from getting into the elevator and pulling the wooden grate down behind her. Carolyn slams her hands on the partition. CAROLYN. Dinah! EXT. NO MAN'S LAND - STREET - NIGHT Out on the street. Dinah comes out of the shop and walks away, down the street. Carolyn comes out behind her and watches her daughter walk away under the street lights. She starts to walk after her - and immediately sees a group of men in black coming up from the subway. More men come down the street behind her and a limousine pulls up. More men close in from the other side, surrounding her, and a dark SUV pulls up in front of her, blocking her exit - and four muscled men in dark clothing step out. Suddenly, we push in on Carolyn as she summons her power, and her hair blows back from her face as the air around her ripples, golden rings of energy drawing in towards her. She gathers her energy, then blows out - the Canary Cry. The men cover their ears as the force of her power starts to take effect - but just as quickly, Spitz slips the collar around her neck, and it glows red, cutting off her power. SPITZ. What's the matter, Canary? The caged bird lost her song? CAROLYN. Clever. Hawke teach you that one? The men surround her and start to tie her up. Commercial INT. THE LAIR - NIGHT Dinah enters and crosses to Barbara, who has a mixed look of relief and fear on her face. BARBARA. Are you all right? Are you hurt? DINAH. No. Why would I be? BARBARA. Do you know where Canary is? Where'd you see her last? DINAH. Uh, No Man's La - She sees the look in Barbara's eyes, and realizes something is up. DINAH. What's going on? BARBARA. We can't find her. Dinah almost breaks down - for all her hatred of her mother, she's still concerned. DINAH. What? HELENA. (V.O.) Oracle, do you copy? BARBARA. Yeah, I'm here. Find anything? EXT. STREET - CONTINUING Helena has one leg extended, pinning the neck of a street rat, who is on his ass on the ground. He looks up at her in fear, choking. HELENA. Word on the street is the Hawke family doubled the bounty on Canary's head. Seems to me somebody collected. BARBARA. (V.O.) All right. Keep looking. HELENA. I got a pretty good idea where to go next. INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING Dinah is outraged and full of worry. DINAH. You said my mother destroyed the Hawke family! BARBARA. She hurt them, yes... but the youngest son, Al, he was never indicted. He rebuilt. DINAH. Then we know who has her, let's go! She starts to turn but Barbara pulls her back. BARBARA. It's not gonna be that easy, Dinah. Hawke is a very dangerous man. We need a plan. DINAH. (Near tears) You don't understand, I said things - BARBARA. I want you to listen, Dinah - She pulls Dinah hard by the arm, forcing her to stand and look into her eyes. BARBARA. Look at me! This is what we do. We save people. But in order to do that, we need to keep our heads - think clearly. Okay? Okay? Okay, this is the job, Dinah. Right here. This is the job. DINAH. Okay. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT We fly through the city, angling past buildings and gliding through the sky until we settle on the familiar police station. INT. PRECINCT - CONTINUING Reese sits alone at a desk, looking at his work. Suddenly sensing something, he looks up and sees Helena in the doorway. REESE. Well, I never expected to see you in here. HELENA. Al Hawke took a friend of mine. She crosses to his desk to talk to him. REESE. You got hard evidence? I'll get you a warrant, a SWAT team. HELENA. She'll be dead before you get there. But I think you can help me. REESE. I'm a cop. I've gotta do things a certain way, it's gotta be legal for me to make it stick. HELENA. She's about to get her throat cut and that's if she's lucky. REESE. You can't beat him. HELENA. You don't know that. He stands up, frustrated. REESE. You know what? You're right. I don't know a damn thing about you, do I? I don't know who you work for. I don't know how come you do what you do. I don't know if you're one of the good guys or one of the bad guys. I don't know why your eyes change before you get in a fight. And I don't know why I feel your presence before I see you. But what I do know... I don't wanna see anything happen to you. HELENA. I don't work for anyone, but I do work with someone. You've seen enough to know that I'm one of the good guys, and I think you know how hard it is for me to ask for help. Both glare at each other, motivated by a steely resolve. Finally, he gives in and writes down something on a piece of paper, which he hands her. REESE. Look, if Al Hawke is holding somebody... most likely it's here. God, I don't know why I'm doing this. HELENA. I do. Behind him, cops pass by, and Reese turns to see them - and turns back to find Huntress gone. EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT Helena stands looking over the city, speaking into her necklace. HELENA. It's in an industrial garage, down by the river. I'm on my way. BARBARA. (V.O.) I'll see what I can pull on the location - might be able to get remote surveillance. HELENA. Do it. Huntress out. She leaps over the side and we follow her as she sails down through the sky. INT. THE LAIR - CONTINUING Dinah rushes to Barbara, frantic. DINAH. I need the car keys. BARBARA. Dinah - DINAH. I have to! BARBARA. I know. She hands Dinah a small gray box. BARBARA. Take this. Dinah opens it to find - a small metal earpiece, which she picks out of the box and sticks into her ear, then covers it with her hair. BARBARA. Constant contact. Clear head, right? This is the job. DINAH. Right. BARBARA. You're ready for this, Dinah. You prepared and you trained hard, you know how to do the job. (Strokes Dinah's hair) Believe it. We're gonna get her back. She hands over the keys, which Dinah takes and rushes from the room. INT. INDUSTRIAL GARAGE - NIGHT Hawke walks over to face Carolyn, who is tied up to a pole. Ropes stretch around her body and over to a heavy piece of machinery. HAWKE. Ah. It fills my soul with a profound inner peace to see you again, Canary. CAROLYN. Since when do you have a soul, Hawke? HAWKE. I found my soul the day my father left this earth. CAROLYN. Really? Sounds more like you found the self-help section in a bookstore. HAWKE. I watched my daddy suffer such torment after you betrayed him. I watched him lying there all alone in prison, his body broken like his spirit. And now, I'm gonna watch you die - in a slow agony. SPITZ. We're good to go, boss. Hawke reaches over to the machine and pulls down the lever. The ropes automatically start tightening, stretching around Carolyn and squeezing her. HAWKE. What will be, will be. He picks up a metal pipe and smacks the lever, swinging it over and over until it finally breaks - the machine cannot be repaired and reversed. Carolyn is doomed. Commercial INT. INDUSTRIAL GARAGE - CONTINUING The ropes continue to tighten around Carolyn. Hawke stands before her, gloating. HAWKE. You ever see a boa contstrictor crushing a man? It's uh, it's exhilarating. To see it squeezing the life force out of this shell we call a body. Suddenly, Helena appears on a landing above the group. HELENA. Oh come on. What's the hurry? SPITZ. Go, go, go, go! Spread out! Men shoot at her. She ducks and leaps off. Behind a wall of barrels, she drops a man, then flips over him, picking him up with her momentum and knocking him into a wall. Hawke stares at Carolyn, confident in his plans. HAWKE. Through my Zen meditation practice, I've learned many things, but chief among them is purity of focus. You see, nothing will distract me from your death. DINAH. (O.S.) You sure about that? She startles him from behind, kicking and punching him. Carolyn grins, and the ropes squeeze tighter around her. Elsewhere in the garage, Helena runs across a wall, dodging bullets. She kick's a guy's gun from him. Back in the center area, Dinah picks up the handle of the machine and tries to hook it in, but to no avail. DINAH. Uh, it's broken! There's no way to turn it off! Kneeling, she inspects the shifting ropes and gears. DINAH. I can't stop it! Huntress! I need your help! Helena punches one of Spitz's men in the mouth, but he comes back at her. She spins, kicking him, and he goes down. SPITZ. That's enough trouble out of you, huh? Helena turns and see Spitz's gun pointed at her. Out of nowhere, Reese appears, pulling Spitz's arm to the side. He hits him in the gut and twists his arm behind his back, disarming him and his gun. REESE. Thought you might need someone to get your back. HELENA. You got this? REESE. Oh yeah, yeah. go. She runs past him. REESE. It's been a long time coming, Frankie. SPITZ. Oh yeah? Well enjoy it, junior. Because your time is coming soon. Dinah rushes to her mother, afraid. DINAH. Mom, I can't undo it! CAROLYN. Dinah. I'm so proud of you. And this is what you were born to be. Oh... I couldn't hope for anything more. The ropes continue to restrict, squeezing the life from Carolyn. Hawke stands up and grabs Dinah from behind and keeps her in a chokehold. HAWKE. You've unbalanced my chi. CAROLYN. Let her go, Hawke. HAWKE. It's a profound moment for me - to have Black Canary's daughter watch her own mother die, just like I watched my father die. Dinah focuses on the collar, which starts to shake. HAWKE. Now I'm a compassionate man. Ignoring him, she focuses, and the collar shakes more. HAWKE. I'll kill her quick - or not. It shakes again, and then unsnaps. Hawke drops Dinah, surprised. Canary sees her opening and takes it - she opens her mouth and the air ripples, her hair flying back, as the golden rings of energy emanate from her mouth, accompanied by a shrill scream. Hawke grabs his ears and staggers back, and is sent flying. He knocks over barrels, which tip gasoline on the ground. Helena is sent flying back as well, though not as violently. Dinah clutches her hands to her head, lying on the ground. Canary turns her head, focusing her scream on the machine, which breaks. The ropes fall from her body and she stops screaming as she steps away from them and the pole. She runs to Dinah and helps her up, flanked on the other side by Helena, who suddenly appears. They all three together run away as Hawke recovers and shoots at them, busting more gasoline barrels. They hide behind a set of more barrels and odd miscellany.s HELENA. We've gotta out of here, this place is gonna blow. CAROLYN. Get Dinah out, I'll control this fire. DINAH. No, I'm not leaving without you! CAROLYN. It's okay, I'll be all right. Thank you. HELENA. Save it for later. Carolyn runs one way, distracting him. She dodges the bullets and rolls over barrels, leaving the girls to run the other, also dodging bullets. Dinah turns back to look. DINAH. Mom! Helena pulls her away, towards the exit. Canary steps up to the plate and unleashes her sonic scream again. It sends Hawke and the girls flying, but pushes Helena and Dinah closer to getting out. From the ground, Hawke shoots at the gasoline, igniting a blaze. It almost reaches another barrel when - EXT. GARAGE - CONTINUING Reese is putting Spitz in the back of his car and Helena and Dinah are running when suddenly - the garage explodes in a cloud of flame. Reese looks up as both women are sent flying, tumbling to the ground as the blaze consumes the building behind them. Both of them turn back, looking. Dinah starts to run for it. DINAH. No! Hurry, no! HELENA. No, Dinah! She pulls her back and they sink to the ground. She cradles the sobbing younger girl as they watch the burning building, flames licking the side and busting the glass windows. We fade to the night sky. INT. PRECINCT - NIGHT Reese sits behind his desk, alone, pondering. He looks up and is once again treated to Helena standing there, with no warning. She walks over to him and hands him a ring, the silver Birds insignia etched into its face. REESE. What's this? HELENA. 'Thanks for the back-up' present. REESE. This mean we're going steady or something? HELENA. It's just a ring. It's not even a ring, it's actually a, a communication thing. If you don't want it -- She makes to take it back and he pulls it away. REESE. I was joking. HELENA. Oh. REESE. So this communicates with you? HELENA. Yeah. if something happens, you just put your fingers together... and squeeze. And I'll know that you need me. REESE. I guess a phone number's just too simple, huh? HELENA. I'm not a simple girl. EXT. NEW GOTHAM - NIGHT We fly through the city, past the shadows. INT. NEW GOTHAM HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUING Reese opens the door and looks in, then turns to where two cops are standing behind him. REESE. I'm only gonna be with him for a minute. They take the hint and move away a bit and Reese enters the room, where we find - Hawke, laid up in a near-full-body cast, burns covering his face. He can hardly talk. HAWKE. I suppose you're enjoying this all. REESE. No, I'm not. Only a sick man takes pleasure in another human being's pain. He joins the mob boss by the side of his bed. HAWKE. I forgot. You always were above the law. REESE. Well I guess we just found out that you're not. You killed a woman practically in front of her own daughter. You've been charged and you will get locked up for this. HAWKE. We'll see. REESE. You really are a monster, aren't you? You just feed off of people. You suck the blood right out of them and you just leave them lying there broken. Well this time it's a little different, isn't it? It's you who's broken. There's no way in hell I'm letting you get away with this one. Not unless you die. HAWKE. We'll see. REESE. Well that is one thing that I can say about you - you're always optimistic. He turns and walks away, heading for the door. Hawke's voice stops him in his tracks. HAWKE. Jesse... don't forget to call your mom. She doesn't like being alone. REESE. Whatever you say, Dad. With a sullen look on his face, Reese walks out of the hospital room, leaving Hawke by himself in the bed. INT. THE LAIR - NIGHT Helena and Barbara stand together in the center of the computer ring, looking out through the large glass clock face, to where Dinah stands alone on the balcony. HELENA. We have to do something. BARBARA. She'll come to us when she's ready. HELENA. Will she ever be ready? BARBARA. You were. It just takes a little time. Of course, even you needed a little push. EXT. THE CLOCKTOWER - CONTINUING Where Dinah is standing by herself, looking out over New Gotham. Helena and Barbara join her. DINAH. I... it feels like I was holding a photograph in my hand for a moment, and then someone took it away. HELENA. It'll be that, and a thousand other things before you're done. DINAH. It's just... I'm a totally different person, you know? There's so much I don't know. BARBARA. The most important thing is that your mother was proud of you. The rest... you'll find on your own. DINAH. No. Not on my own. They all smile at each other. DINAH. I can't look back, you know... all I have is the future. And I think I know what I have to do. For her... and for me. They look up at the moon and Dinah puts her arms around both women, lays her head on Barbara's. They look to the sky and we pan up to the stars shining above, past the moon, and back down over the sleeping city below.