Sins of the Mother

Legend tells of a caped crusader Batman, guardian of New Gotham and his one true love Catwoman, the queen of the criminal underworld. Their passion left behind something extraordinary: a daughter, Huntress. Half-metahuman, she has taken up her father's mantle and under cover of the night, fights to protect the innocent and helpless. Joining her in this struggle, Oracle who was once Batman's protÂ¨Â¦gÂ¨Â¦e, Batgirl. She was caught in the crossfire of the war between Batman and Joker. Now she fights crime a different way: A master of the cyberrealms and mentor and trainer to heroes. Together, they have taken in a young runaway, Dinah. A metahuman herself with powers to open hidden doors to the mind powers that she is only beginning to explore. Together, these three are the protectors of New Gotham the Birds of Prey. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, and this is their story. Go down the street then take a right. All right, John I'll see you tomorrow morning. Hey, thanks a lot. Let me know if they have any left. Yeah, this is Spitz. Talk to me. - Are you sure? - Yeah, as sure as I'm talking to you. Used to be there was a price on her head. That still stand? Yeah, yeah, yeah, with one small change, huh? If you lose her, the price goes on your head. Mr. Hawke, you're not gonna believe this. Breathe. Breathe deep, Frank. In through the nose out through the mouth. Find your center. Good. Now, continue. Black Canary. She's back. I can't say I'm surprised. Don't worry. I'll get her. Hmm, if it's meant to be. Frankie make sure it's meant to be. You know, I hope you're just a pickpocket, or else I'd have to hurt you. Nice kick. Come on, faster. Feel that? Again, faster. Not fast enough. Come on, I've almost got it. "Almost" will get you killed, and I'm holding back here. Use that move on a sweep and you'll be on your ass and that's if you're lucky. You gotta bring it. Ow. What the hell was that? Barbara, you're not gonna believe this. - Dinah? - Mom? - You're the Black Canary's daughter? - You have a daughter? - You're the Black Canary? - Could mean you have the Canary Cry. Hold on, she has mind-melding, telekinesis and the Canary Cry? - What Canary Cry? - What telekinesis? Okay, everybody stop. Could you just give us a minute? Oh. Yeah, of course. Helena. A little privacy? - You're a superhero? - Dinah, I can explain. 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 crime-fighting cape. Actually, I don't wear a cape. I Never mind. How do you know all of this? Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm living with Barbara Gordon also known as the Oracle. It's part of my training, sort of like Superheroes 101 the tradition and history you conveniently forgot to mention before you dumped me. But I guess being one of the greatest espionage agents in the world having a 6-year-old kid kind of cramped your style. I did not dump you. I was trying to protect you. I was trying to give you a normal life. It's normal for foster parents to lock their kids in closets until they promise to stop seeing things? When I left you with the Redmonds I didn't think you had metahuman potential. You were 6 years old. You didn't show any signs. - I hoped - You hoped that what? If I was metahuman, they'd beat it out of me? It was the worst mistake of my life. I found out you ran away and that's when I discovered what had been happening. Dinah, please try to understand. I thought you were happy. I thought you were living like a regular kid. I had no idea. - Right. - I'm retired, Dinah. I'm not Black Canary anymore. I'm just Caroline Lance. I came to New Gotham to find you and I would like to be your mother. Wow, Black Canary's daughter. I didn't even know she had a daughter. I always thought she'd be taller, being a legend and all. - We should go in and referee. - I don't think we should interfere. We interfere for a living. Come on. 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. - 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. You know, like normal kids. She'll be okay. She just needs to cool down. I just don't understand how Oracle, the source of all information could have my daughter under her roof and not even know it. She gave us her foster parents' last name. I ran a background check, okay? She was clearly having problems at home. My God, Caroline, this is what we do. We take in and mentor those like us. She's not like you. How would you know that? How would you know anything about her? - I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of this. - You got a problem with me? I'm sure you're a nice enough person, but you are the daughter of a thief. - Excuse me? - Just stay away from my daughter. The last thing she needs right now is your influence. Helena, wait. - What is her problem? 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. Bird-cat thing. Right. I warned you what would happen if you let her get away. Mr. Hawke, I got everybody looking for her. I can find her again if you just Please, can I have a second chance? Not unless you believe in reincarnation. McNALLY: What do you think? Probably a drug deal gone wrong. I'll start canvassing for witnesses. Maybe Forensics will get a print off of that thing. - There won't be prints or witnesses. - How do you know? I just know. Well, aren't we Mr. Negative? I'm not gonna let her get into the life. There's too much to lose. Well, that's a choice we all need to make for ourselves. Can you tell me that you never regret it? What, because I'm in this chair? No. No, I don't regret it. I'm thankful for every moment I have. And 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. Caroline, Dinah has some extraordinary gifts: Telepathy, telekinesis and who knows what else she might develop? She could be every bit as great as you. 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. - It's what she wants for herself. And we Well, I love having her here. She has the heart, Caroline, the one thing all of us in the saving-the-world business can't do without. Well, take it from me, Oracle you can't save the world and be a mother. Maybe she needs a mentor more than a mother right now. I've already made one terrible mistake. I'm not gonna make another. - I'm going to protect her. - But you're gonna deny who she is. If that's what it takes. Dead guy with a knife in his chest. Any ideas? I already know who the killer is. And I know we won't be able to pin this on him. - Maybe you won't. - Just this once, stay out of it. You're the second person to say that today. I was sick of it the first time. What's going on? Nothing. Just, this one, I wanna handle on my own. Right. Don't call me, I'll call you. So much for trust. 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, give me your phone number, something. Yeah. That's what I thought. Like there's a law that says the guy gets to control contact. - God forbid it's me that calls him. - I don't know what you're upset about. It's not like you had the dinner-and-a-movie thing going. Okay, so it's more like meet-me-over-a-dead-body thing. Still, no reason to be so secretive about some street hood with a knife through his ribs. - Dinah, I'm really sorry, uh - Look, there's Look, there's something I really wanna ask you. Gotcha. Willie Cortez. Hmm, quite the rap sheet. - Snitch for the Hawke family. - Hawke? Al Hawke knows I'm here. Listen to me. You need to pack your things. We have to get out of here. A dead street snitch means New Gotham's biggest godfather's after you? A little paranoid, aren't we? 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. I can handle this. Barbara, tell her I can handle this. Dinah, it's It's not for me to say. Caroline is your mother. Really? Heh. Since when? You just come in here and say, "Let's go," and we go? Damn it, Dinah, this is serious. And one day you'll understand why, but for now, please just do what I'm asking. Fine. Fine. You can't do this. Dinah's got her own life. You're the only one in this room that's not a part of it. - That's gonna change. - Yeah. What are you gonna do when she's out past curfew, hmm? - Blast her with your Canary Cry? - What did your mother do? Oh, that's right, she was too busy stealing your childhood. Lady, you do not wanna go there. And you do not wanna lecture me on the choices I make. Please, please, enough, both of you. Please stop. I'm gonna go help her pack. She's wrong about this. - We don't know that. - Yes, we do. - Well, we owe her the chance. - Maybe you do, but I don't. - Is there a back door? - What's the matter? She's gone. Dinah's gone. Hey. Hello there, friend of the beautiful creature that is Huntress. I trust you bring news of her burgeoning desire for the Gibson? Actually, I was just in the neighborhood. Right, 51,563 minutes of unrequited love. No, it's all right, she'll come around. It's only a matter of time. What do you say we, uh, drown our sorrows in a fruity soda? - That sounds like a really good idea. - Coming right up. Thank God. Huntress, I found her. - Where? No Man's Land with Gibson. - On my way. - No. No, let Canary go. - Great idea, sic Big Bird on her. - Look, she's her mother. Best thing we can do is run interference on this Hawke thing. You really think after all these years, he's still after her? 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. Your mother single-handedly brought down New Gotham's most powerful organized-crime family. Oh, these guys were into gambling, extortion, drugs, women. The usual fun and games. Canary infiltrated, became one of them, handed the DA an airtight case. It was It was stuff legends are made of. You know, I saw her engage in battle once. - I was 2 years old. - You couldn't possibly remember that. I remember my mother's womb. - No doubt the root of my claustrophobia. - Okay. Heh, that's good. Um What was she like? My mother, not Not yours. Magnificent. Powerful. Graceful. - Loud. - The Canary Cry? Oh, a sonic wave of unparalleled might able to shatter glass, crumble concrete, burst eardrums. So she could fight, she could cry she could take on lions, tigers and bears. When it comes to one tiny kid, she runs for the hills? Oh I'm sorry. - You did that? - Yeah. Telekinesis? Wait, I thought you were just a touch-telepath. - Well, I just kind of started. - Man, some people get all the best powers. What I really wanna know is why did she give me up? I was trying to protect you. The Black Canary. Oh, my God, I am so I should tell you Uh, I just I need an autograph. Yes, I have to memorialize this moment. This is Hold on, and don't move. She's been spotted at Main and 4th. The boys are getting ready. Uh, thanks, boss. It's a little too '80s for me. Put it around her neck. It'll give you peace. Huh Black Canary and I have many, uh, unresolved issues. - We need closure. - I'll get you closure, all right. The cutting-her-throat-open type of closure. You see, that's the closure that I'm talking about. Mob do something in particular to piss you off? - Other than what they always do? - You're keeping them to yourself. - Must be something big. - I don't know what you're talking about. Secret's out, Reese. That stiff with the knife in his chest last night? He worked for Al Hawke. - I told you to stay out of it. - Yeah, well, I forgot. Kind of egotistical to think you could take him alone. Ooh, says the lone vigilante. I know you think that was supposed to be an insult. - I'll go ahead and be offended. - And you called me egotistical. 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 somebody to get your back and that little police radio of yours isn't gonna cut it. - You're gonna need me. - You saying you're gonna be there? I'm saying that maybe I'll wanna be. - I wanna make it up to you. - You can't. Just you and me. We'll start over. Please, I'd like to get to know you again. Why? So you can leave again? You are too late. I am grown up, and you missed it. 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? Yeah. I sat by that window for days, wondering when you'd come back. - And you never did. - 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 good night, but the feeling just wouldn't go away so I searched your room. There was a C-4 explosive under your bed timed to go off an hour later. 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 the choice you made could kill the person you love most in this world. I have hated you for so many years for leaving me, for not coming back for me. Do you wanna know if I'm telling the truth? Yeah. Then go ahead and find out. I can't. Dinah. - I couldn't find a pen. But I'm thinking this tattoo gun should do the trick. Dinah! What's the matter, Canary? Caged bird lost her song? Heh, clever. Hawke teach you that one? That's it. Get her legs. Are you all right? Are you hurt? - No, why would I be? - Do you know where Canary is? Where'd you see her last? Um, No Man's Land. What's going on? We can't find her. What? Oracle, do you copy? Yeah, I'm here. Find anything? Word on the street is the Hawke family doubled the bounty on Canary's head. - Seems to me, somebody collected. - All right, keep looking. Yeah, I got a pretty good idea where to go next. You said my mother destroyed the Hawke family. She hurt them, yes, but the youngest son, Al, he - He was never indicted. He rebuilt. - Then we know who has her. Let's go. No, it's not gonna be that easy, Dinah. Hawke is a very dangerous man. We need a plan. - You don't understand. I said things. - I want you to look at me. 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. Okay. - Well, I never expected to see you in here. - Al Hawke took a friend of mine. Got hard evidence? I'll get you a warrant, a SWAT team. She'll be dead before you get there. But I think you can help me. I'm a cop. I gotta do things a certain way. It's gotta be legal for me to make it stick. She's about to get her throat cut, and that's if she's lucky. - You can't beat him. - You don't know that. 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're ready to 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. 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. Look, if Al Hawke is holding somebody most likely, it's here. - God, I don't know why I'm doing this. - I do. Yeah, it's all part of the same report. All right. I'Il I'll get it to you. It's an industrial garage down by the river. - I'm on my way. - I'll see what I can pull on the location. - We might able to get remote surveillance. - Do it. Huntress out. - I need the car keys. - Dinah - I have to. - I know. Take this. Constant contact. Clear head, all right? - This is the job. - Right. You're ready for this, Dinah. You're prepared. You trained hard. You know how to do the job. Believe it. We're gonna get her back. It fills my soul with profound inner peace to see you again, Canary. And since when do you have a soul, Hawke? I found my soul the day my father left this earth. Really? Sounds more like you found the self-help section in the bookstore. 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 slow agony. We're good to go, boss. What will be will be. Have you ever seen a boa constrictor crush a man? It's, uh It's exhilarating. To see it squeeze the life force out of this shell we call a body. Oh, come on. What's the hurry? Go, go, go. Spread out. From 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. Sure about that? It's broken. There's no way to turn it off. I can't stop it. Huntress, I need your help. That's enough trouble out of you, huh? Thought you might need someone to get your back. - You got this? - Oh, yeah, yeah. Go. - It's been a long time coming, Frankie. - Yeah? Well, enjoy it, junior, because your time is coming soon. Mom, I can't undo them. - Dinah. I am so proud of you, and this is what you were born to be. I couldn't hope for anything more. - You unbalanced my chi. - Let her go, 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. And I'm a compassionate man. I'll kill her quick. Or not. We gotta get out. This place is gonna blow. - Get Dinah out of here. I'll draw his fire. - I'm not leaving without you. - It's okay, I'll be all right. Thank you. - Save it for later. Mom. No. Let me go. No, Dinah. - What's this? - Thanks-for-the-backup present. This mean we're going steady or something? It's just a ring. It's not even a ring. It's actually a communication thing. - What, you don't like it? - I was joking. Oh. So this communicates with you? Yeah, if something happens you just put your fingers together and squeeze and I'll know that you need me. I guess a phone number is just too simple, huh? I'm not a simple girl. I'm only gonna be with him for a minute. I suppose you're enjoying this. No, I'm not. Only a sick man takes pleasure in another human being's pain. I forgot. You always were above it all. Yeah, 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. We'll see. You really are a monster, aren't you? You just feed off of people. You suck the blood right out of them, and just leave them lying there, broken. Only this time it's a little different, isn't it? It's you who's broken. There is no way in hell I'm letting you get away with this one. Not unless you die. We'll see. Well, that is one thing that I can say about you. You're always optimistic. Jesse. Don't forget to call your mom. She doesn't like being alone. Whatever you say, Dad. We have to do something. She'll come to us when she's ready. - Will she ever be ready? - You were. It just takes a little time. Of course, even you needed a bit of a push. I don't know. It feels like I was holding a photograph in my hand for a moment and then someone took it away. It'll be that and a thousand other things before you're done. It's just I'm a totally different person, you know? There's so much I don't know. The most important thing is that your mother was proud of you. The rest you'll find on your own. No. Not on my own. 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.