Catwoman

Season #1 Episode #2

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FADE IN ON:

INT. TEMPLE OF BAST -NIGHT

START ON THE FACE of A GOLDEN CAT STATUE. This is the cat-

god BAST, lithe, noble, beautiful. CAMERA MOVES to reveal

the statue is 50 feet tall, dominating this space. Other

images of CATS --hieroglyphics, ceramics --abound, as do -

REAL CATS, hundreds of them, slinking in the shadows on rampscut into the sandstone walls of this Egyptian temple.

At Bast's feet, EIGHT ACOLYTES in GOWNS kneel in a semicircle

around a flaming BRAZIER. Some of the women WEEP,

others PRAY or stare stoically ahead. From outside, we now

hear DISTANT SCREAMS, the sounds of MARAUDERS. There's a

RHYTHMIC BANGING at the massive BRONZE TEMPLE DOORS.

EXT. TEMPLE OF BAST -NIGHT

THE TEMPLE is an impressive place of worship --taperedcolumns and an ornate Egyptian facade --at the apex of ahilltop VILLAGE, in FLAMES, under ATTACK by a PERSIAN ARMY.

SUPERIMPOSE:
"496 B.C."

WHAM! THE STEEL PRONG of a mounted BATTERING RAM swings intothe ornate DOORS of the temple. PERSIAN SOLDIERS operate thebrutal siege engine, SLAM the doors again and again.

INT. TEMPLE OF BAST -NIGHT

The HIGH PRIESTESS wears a special HOODED WHITE GOWN thatmostly conceals her face. She moves from one ACOLYTE to the

next, pours a DARK LIQUID from a bejeweled decanter intogolden goblets, then pours one for herself. She raises her

goblet toward BAST, as do the others --they drink in unison.

HIGH ANGLE as the GOBLETS CLATTER to the floor and the WOMEN

SLUMP to the ground... dead. PULL BACK --we're watchingthis from the PERSPECTIVE of an EGYPTIAN MAU CAT --slim,

elegant, dark-spotted gray and black fur, a SCARAB MARK onits head.

(CONTINUED)

2.

CONTINUED:

THE MAU lets out a CRY... which prompts an eerie, growingCHORUS of MEOWS and HOWLS from the other CATS.

THE CATS emerge from the hiding places en masse, leaping fromniches, converging on the bodies. The MAU leads the way,

moves to the high priestess and puts its mouth to hers...

ON THE TEMPLE DOORS -at last they BUCKLE and swing open.

THE SOLDIERS, bearing TORCHES and SWORDS, storm inside. Theygrab anything of value, SMASH and DEFACE everything else.

At the foot of BAST lie nine ROBES... but there's no sign ofthe women who wore them. SOLDIERS slash the robes with their

swords anyway, then snatch up the goblets for booty.

An unearthly CRY --half-human, half-feline --from somewhere

high above the rampaging soldiers. They freeze, lookingaround frantically. More EERIE CRIES echo off the walls,

from all directions. The SOLDIERS raise their weapons,

clustering defensively. From out of the shadows above them,

DARK HUMAN FORMS suddenly leap down with impossible agility.

STAY ON THE FACE OF BAST, peering down impassively. The

torch-cast SHADOWS of the violence below play upon thestatue's golden surface... FLAILING SWORDS, the swiftSILHOUETTES of NAKED WOMEN. We hear the GUTTURAL CRIES of

the soldiers, clearly outmatched in this mortal combat.

MOVE TO THE CATS, perched above the fray, looking downward as

they pace the temple's ledges and ramps excitedly. THE MAU

takes a final look at its handiwork, then leaps up, slinksthrough a crevice at the roof, and emerges on -

CUT TO:

A ROOFTOP:

We hear the modern SOUNDS of passing AUTO TRAFFIC. CAMERA

ROTATES to reveal -

EXT. EDNA'S NEIGHBORHOOD -DAY

THE MAU settles by a SATELLITE DISH, looking down on a

present-day suburban street, a busy main drag. MARSHLAND and

WATER are visible not far away, light RAIN FALLS.

(CONTINUED)

3.

CONTINUED:

SUPERIMPOSE:
"2500 YEARS LATER."

The MAU watches as, ACROSS THE STREET, a BUS pulls away fromthe curb to reveal a WOMAN in a HOODED WHITE PONCHO

--the outfit recalls the high priestess of Bast.

The HOOD is thrown back, revealing PATIENCE PRICE, 25-35,

attractive but inclined to conceal her looks --hair over her

face, baggy clothes under her poncho. She's cautious, eagerto please, to do what's expected of her

--a bit of a doormat.

Patience looks up from an address scribbled on a scrap of

paper, and straight toward the cat on the roof --almost as

if she'd sensed its presence. She smiles.

THE MAU holds her gaze for a beat, then slinks out of sight.

EXT. EDNA'S HOME -DAY

An eccentric, ramshackle home amongst neat, well-kept houses.

PATIENCE moves to the front door, RINGS. As she waits, she

notes the lawn GRASS grown high, CLIMBING CAT SCULPTURES onthe shingles. A SIGN by the door: "FELINE RESCUE SOCIETY."

EDNA POWERS opens the door on a chain. She's 50-70, a former

academic, intelligent, charming, but quite intimidating.

EDNA:

Yes?

PATIENCE:

Hi, Edna Powers?

(off her nod)

I'm Patience Price, I called about adopting a cat?

I saw your flyer at my vet's office -

EDNA:

Oh yes, do come inside.

EDNA undoes the chain, opens the door for her.

INT. EDNA'S HOME -LIVING ROOM -DAY

PATIENCE, out of her poncho, fills out a questionnaire on aclipboard. Numerous CATS roam the premises. Feline artwork

and curios, scratching posts, furry toys... cat paradise.

(CONTINUED)

4.

CONTINUED:

PATIENCE:

... Ma'am?

EDNA is putting out DRY CAT FOOD in numerous BOWLS.

EDNA:

You may call me Edna.

PATIENCE:

Edna. Some of these questions are... kind ofpersonal. Do you really need to know how many, um,

partners I've had in the past year?

EDNA:

I'm not interested in your love life. But I do

want to know what sort of home environment you'reoffering, your degree of commitment...

PATIENCE:

Guess I wouldn't need the cat if...

Patience forces a laugh, fills in a ZERO and passes theclipboard to EDNA. The woman puts down the cat food, slipson the reading glasses she wears on a chain around her neck.

EDNA:

The application is mostly a formality. I have a

sense about people.

PATIENCE:

Well, I've always liked animals.

(not enough)

Cats specifically. I mean, I love them... worshipthem, even.

EDNA seems satisfied, returns to reading Patience's answers.

THE MAU, meanwhile, comes around a corner into the room,

peering curiously at Patience --who dangles her handinvitingly. He rubs his face against her hand.

PATIENCE smiles, coos at the cat --which grabs her hand hardin his CLAWS. PATIENCE stifles a yelp, yanks her hand back.

(CONTINUED)

5.

CONTINUED:

PATIENCE:

Son of a -

EDNA:

Excuse me?

PATIENCE:

Nothing... handsome cat. I've never seen one like

him.

THE MAU jumps into Patience's lap, settling in. Edna,

surprised and almost suspicious, eyes the cat.

EDNA:

Her. That's Midnight, an Egyptian Mau. Normallyshe doesn't trust people -

EDNA reaches a hand toward MIDNIGHT --the cat's fur stands

up, she HISSES and SWIPES at Edna.

EDNA:

See? Even I can't get near her... Very strange.

(glancing at theapplication)

So. You left out your parents' address.

PATIENCE:

Well... they're both dead.

EDNA:

No hereditary illnesses, I hope.

PATIENCE:

Private plane crash. I was eleven. Actually, thelast thing they gave me was a kitten... Fatso.

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