Catwoman #1
This Town - PART 1
Written by: Jake Beninato
In Gotham City 18 years ago, a 6-year old boy is running around in the street of the city's old Little Italy. The boy has slick black hair which is flailing in the breeze. The boy's father a big set man wearing a nice tan buttoned shirt is sitting with two friends in chairs on the sidewalk each trying to look their best while concealing handguns in their nice brown coat's pockets.
The boy keeps running around playing with a basketball in the middle of the road, a car stops abruptly to avoid hitting him. The driver comes out angry.
Driver: The hell you doing kid!?
The boy's father gets up along with the two other men near him.
The Father: You got a problem here?
The driver turns seeing the dad and the two men.
Driver: Um...no problem sorry.
The driver goes back in and drives away. The father calls his son to him. There the Father puts his arm around the boy's shoulder while the boy holds the basketball. They walk back near where the two bodyguards are.
Father: You can't play like that Philio.
Philio: I can't play basketball?
Father: No you can but not in the street and if you do then be more careful if cars come. Now go inside and play but not with the ball! Just watch TV, I want to talk to Mister Sal and Mister Sergio about some of the stores nearby.
Phillio: Can I help you?
Father: Oh no it's adult business.
Philio: Please?
Father: Hey, I said no. Just go inside and watch TV, take a break, eat lunch, but don't worry kiddo one day you'll be in the business.
Philio: Okay dad!
Philio runs in with the two men: His father, Sal and Sergio watch him as he goes. However, they don't notice a car coming where a guy leans out with a loaded shotgun and shoots Sergio in the chest.
Philio runs back, hearing the noise. He then sees Sal pull a gun but the driver of the other car shoots him with a pistol. The Father runs to Sal's body and takes a gun ready to fire until he notices Philio looking at the quarter-opened door.
The Father looks at him, his eyes focus on Philio wanting to make sure he gets in but it's too late. The Father is killed by the driver and the passenger while he's warning Philio to get back in. Philio then hides inside the house for minutes until he hears the two leave. His mother comes down stairs screaming.
...
On the streets of Gotham today, two guys named Sully and Bigger walk into a local Gotham City business Gotham's Stop & Shop Here store. They walk in were they see the 59-year old store owner Mister Browne.
Sully: Hey there Mistah Browne. Howya doing?
Mister Browne: Fine until you two showed up.
Sully: Well it's called the Stop & Shot. Oh no that's what it's called if you don't have our protection, isn't that right? You should be grateful; our fee is only 30% of whatever you get around this time.
A 15-year old girl walks out of the back of the store.
Girl: Oh hey daddy.
Mister Browne tries to grab a baseball under the counter he's at but Sully puts his hand on Browne's shoulder and gives a sly smile. The other guy, Bigger walks over to the girl.
Bigger: Hey there, my name is David but my friend's call me Bigger (looks down at his feet to show his height of 6'1"). What's your name?
Sally: Sally.
Bigger: Hmmm, Sally, that's a nice name. What's your age?
Mister Browne (angry): Get away from my daughter you bastard!
...
Outside the store, Selina Kyle and her young friend Holly Robinson are walking by to shop at the store but they hear the noise.
Holly: What the hell was that?
Selina: Nothing good, Holly, wait outside.
Holly: Wait why Selina? What do you think is happening?
Selina: Nothing you should worry about. Listen just go down the block and wait for me to get out.
Holly: Alright, and by "me" you mean Catwoman?
Selina: Of course.
Selina smirks at Holly before Holly goes down the block near a corner. She knows Selina is Catwoman, after Selina rescued her from the streets and took her in she knew. Hard to not notice your roommate and mother-figure leaving every night with a cat suit and whip.
Selina goes into an alley near the store and pulls out her Catwoman costume near a dumpster where nobody can see her change.
Selina: Really hope there aren't any dumpster divers today.
...
Sully then grabs Mister Browne's shirt and thrusts him down to the register.
Sally: Daddy!
Bigger pushes her to the wall and puts his hand over her mouth.
Bigger: Now you're going to be quiet and you're going to hope Daddy's pays up.
Sally looks down and sees Bigger has brass knuckles in his leather jacket's pocket. She also sees Sully keep her dad's head into the register. She knows her dad has the baseball bat under the counter and hopes he doesn't use it but he does.
Mister Browne swings a bat at Sully. He hits Sully but doesn't manage to knock him out. Sully touches his head and sees some blood on his hand.
Sully: Okay Browne you asked for it now. Do her Bigger! Do it!
Bigger (to Sully): Got it! (To Sally) don't worry Sally it'll be fast.
Mister Browne (worried): No!
Mister Browne rushes to Bigger with the baseball bat but Sully picks up a stand of chips and popcorn and throws it at Mister Browne's head. Browne drops the bat to catch the stand and when he does he puts it down but Sully has caught up to Browne and kicks him in the gut.
Sully: Pass me the knuckles Bigger.
Bigger passes him the brass knuckles and Sully pushes away with the baseball bat. He goes up to Browne preparing to beat him.
Catwoman: You know the saying the customer's always right?
Sully turns and sees Catwoman (who snuck in from the top window) on the ice machine in the store near the big window. She pulls a whip and lashes at Sully's hands. Bigger then shoves Sally to the ground and turns to Catwoman.
Bigger: Catwoman!
Catwoman: Fat-ass!
Bigger: Why you bitch!
Bigger goes over to the freezer machine.
Bigger: Come down here so I can kick your ass!
Catwoman: Didn't your mother teach you your manners?
Bigger tries to knock over the freezer machine to get her down. His large strength makes it so but Catwoman then jumps and does a backward spiral off it. She lands in front of Bigger and lifts her left up and kicks him across his jaw.
She then turns and gets up. Bigger sees this and tries to rush at her. He tries to punch her but she dodges and claws at him. Bigger, thinking he might get stabbed, immediately gets out of the way but turning. He looks down thinking blood but just sees bits of his red shirt fall down near his jeans.
Catwoman flips over to him eventually managing to get both of her feet onto his face kicking him down. When he gets, up Catwoman uses her whip to knock him back down.
Catwoman: Now just wait a minute here so I can get your part...
She turns to get Sully but he has fled. She just sees Sally helping Mister Browne get up.
Sally: Look out!
Catwoman sees Bigger getting ready to punch her and she moves but still gets a little hit.
Catwoman then gets on the ground with Bigger over here. She then crawls back.
Catwoman: How can you I'm a woman!?
Bigger seems to be fazed by this though briefly before Catwoman kicks him in his groin and takes the baseball bat to knock him out when she smacks him across the head with it.
Catwoman: Night, night, mister...
She goes into his pocket finding his wallet and soon his driver's license.
Catwoman: Rossi, Bruno, 34.
She turns to Mister Browne and Sally.
Catwoman: You two okay?
Mister Browne: Yeah but those thugs been coming around threatening me and my daughter and my business if I don't pay protection money. That guy, Bigger, they called him! Him and his buddy Sully. Thank you, Batwoman.
Catwoman: Batwoman? No sorry you got me confused, I'm Catwoman.
Mister Browne: The thief!? Take whatever you want!
Catwoman (to herself, annoyed): oh my god...anyways yeah deal with that. I'm going to find Mister Sully.
Catwoman then uses her whip to wrap around a bit of the window and uses it to propel her up and bounce off the wall leading her outside the store. Catwoman then looks for Sully seeing him run down to the corner where Holly is.
At the corner Holly turns to see if Catwoman leaving the building and she notices her. Though she also notices the look on her face. She then is knocked to the ground by Sully.
Holly gets up quick and looks at Sully who's getting up.
Holly: Hey watch it...
Holly sees a revolver on the ground near Sully's hands. She realizes he was the trouble in the store. As Sully is getting up Holly kicks him in his face knocking him down again. Catwoman sees this opportunity and rushes towards them by jumping on the roofs of nearby stores.
Sully gets up and sees Holly trying to hit him again but this time he gets up and grabs Holly with his arm around her neck with the pistol to Holly's cheek. This causes Catwoman to suddenly stop.
Sully: Don't move... (Sully puts the gun's safety off) ...or else this girl is getting a goddam bullet in her frigging head.
Catwoman stands there, frozen. Her grip on her whip tightens and grinds her teeth while Sully's grip on Holly's neck grows and puts his pistol closer into her cheek. Catwoman's minds races on how to make sure Sully doesn't escape but to also make sure her best friend dies.
To be continued...