04x08 - I Know Why the Caged Cat Sings

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Young Justice". Aired: November 26, 2010 to present.*
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Join the teenage superheroes as they struggle with life issues as they save the world.
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04x08 - I Know Why the Caged Cat Sings

Post by bunniefuu »

[Cheshire] Argh!

[Artemis] Don't move a muscle.

[Cheshire] Wow, I am
completely at your mercy.

[Artemis gasps] You...

I suppose now you bring me to justice,

let your new friends interrogate me.

I wonder if your position's
secure enough

to survive them learning
everything I know.

[Lady Shiva] Let me make this
perfectly clear.

Surrender is your only option.

I will keep my daughter
and the two apostate Shadows

for, of course, an example
must be made of them.

You, Artemis Crock,

will be allowed to leave unharmed.

[Lady Shiva] Take it or leave it.

[theme music playing]

- Supper's ready!
- Thanks, Ma.

Pa and I just want to get
the tractor up on blocks.

- Then we'll be right...
- Oh, no.

You two will get to talkin'

and we'll be waiting on you for an hour.

Put that thing down and come wash up.

Yes, ma'am.

[Lois] Gotta learn that trick, Martha.

[Martha chuckles] I've got a feeling
you have tricks of your own, Lois.

How does fried chicken
and cornbread sound, Jonny?

Great! Will Uncle Conner be here?

[Wolf howling sadly]

Tigress, listen.

Orphan's working on her chains,
but she needs time.

[Oracle] Stall.
Keep the bad guys talking.


There's one thing I need to know.

Were all your confessions just an act?

[chuckles] Not the facts.
Those were all true.

My father did k*ll my sister.
But that was a mercy.

And as for my mother and her family,

I'm thankful

Vandal Savage saved me
from such a mundane life,

elevating me to a destiny
of greatness at his side.

So these half-truths

and the Glamour Charm
that faked your injuries?

All designed to engender
instant sympathy.

[Tigress sighs] So this was never
about putting a mole on the team.

[Black Spider] Yawn!
Been there. Done that.

No. This was about my daughter.

[Tigress scoffs]

Maybe a little.

But I'm guessing

the main objective was infiltrating

the Justice League's computer system.

[Tigress] Stealing our intel's
been a long-term goal of the Light


since the day I first joined
the Team ten years ago.


A little longer. I'll send
specs to your HUD,

[Oracle] so you can give them
something to brag about.


The Shadows used the Fog then, too.

But this? This was next level.

Organic Infiltrators.

They had the advantage of
being undetectable to your scans.

[Tigress] But the disadvantage

of having a short range
and brief shelf life, right?

Minor inconveniences.

All I required was
a distraction to deploy them.

So I was just a distraction?

[stuttering] I swear I didn't
know they were using me.

It would hardly have worked if you did.

You never developed
the proper espionage skills.

You were never truly with the program.

[Cassandra] Always unfavorably
comparing life here on Santa Prisca


with how it was on Infinity Island

under Ra's al Ghul and Sensei.

So I approached my sensei
with these concerns.


[Lady Shiva] I had similar suspicions

and put them to the test.

You let me overhear your plan
to place Cassandra as a mole!

We gave you every chance

to prove us wrong by doing nothing.

[Lady Shiva] Instead,
you proved yourself a failure


by attempting an escape which we allowed

so that you might warn the heroes
which also suited our plans.

As your arrival created confusion
and prolonged any decision

about my future with the team.

Giving you the opportunity
to fulfill your mission.

[Tigress] The fight
at the Vault was staged


to get you close to your target

while keeping us distracted.

[Computer] Not recognized.
Access Denied.

[Tigress] So that you could
release your organic fog.


[Cassandra] And reclaim it
almost as quickly.


Then all I needed was
to get back to Santa Prisca

to transfer the data to the Light.

Too bad we screwed
that last bit up for you.

[Cheshire] Betcha Daddy won't like that.

The Light may be disappointed.
But I am not.

I have my daughter back.

Night vision! Now!
Shadows, hold the door!

You used me!

Please. You're lucky anyone
could find a use for you.

Tigress, Orphan's not ready for Shiva.

[Oracle] We can't ask her
to fight her own mom.


[Tigress] Right.

[Rictus yells]

Switch dance partners!

[Black Spider] Ha! Gotcha!

[Black Spider shouting] No. No! No! No!

[Cheshire] Artemis!

[shadow] Generators are back online!

[Lady Shiva] Enough is enough!

[shadow] Get those lights back up!

[Lady Shiva] Again, surrender
is your only option.

[surprised yelling]

[Black Spider mumbling] What happened?

[surprised cries]

[Cheshire] Push them back in!

Jonny, we talked about this.
Uncle Conner passed away.

[Wolf whimpering sadly]

I know. He can't come to our house

'cause he "passed it away".

But every time we come to
Grandma and Grandpa's house

Uncle Conner meets us here with Wolf.

Every time.

And Wolf's here.

So Uncle Conner won't pass us away now!

Jonny, your uncle has d*ed.

This means that the part of his journey

where his body is alive is over.

His body doesn't breathe anymore,

it doesn't play anymore.

And, well, we don't get to
spend time with him anymore.

Why?

[Clark sighs]

Inside a living body,
there are many little parts

that each do an important job

to keep a body healthy and alive.

Now if some of these parts
stop doing their jobs,

the body can stop working and die.

And that's what
happened to Uncle Conner.

But even though we don't get to see

or spend time with Conner anymore,

because his body is dead,

your memories of him
will always be alive...

[Clark] in your head and in your heart.

And these pictures

can remind you of those memories.

[Martha] And we believe
that when our journeys end,

we will see him
and everyone we love again.

Huh.

You dare betray me?

[Shade] I owed Cheshire a debt.
She and I are now even.

[Cheshire] Agreed.

Well, we are not even.

[Shade] No. Which is why
I hereby tender my resignation

to the League of Shadows.

From this point forward,

the Shade is strictly freelance.

The New Genesphere has you
in her sights, Shiva.

Do not move.

Onyx, Orphan. Get Tigress aboard and
dress her wound. Keep the pressure on.

I admit I cannot prevent your escape.

- [Tigress] Ow!
- [Lady Shiva] And I will

even cede Cheshire and Onyx's departure

despite their crimes
against the Shadows.

[Lady Shiva] But I must insist
you leave my daughter behind.

Not going to happen.

My shadows are everywhere.

You know this, Cassandra.

They watch your friends, your comrades.

Stay with me, daughter,

else my Shadows shall hunt down
every one you care about.

[Cheshire] That's a poor bluff, Shiva.

And with one word from me,

your friend Barbara Gordon will be
dead before you return to Gotham.

Orphan, no!

[Cheshire] Let her finish it, Sis.
It's better for all of us, believe me.

No! We don't turn kids into K*llers!

[Oracle] Orphan, stop.
This isn't what you want.


[Lady Shiva cries in pain]

[Oracle] Please, Cassandra,
you're free now.

You don't have to be the w*apon
your mother tried to create.

I wasn't trying to save Joker...

I was trying to save... you.

Whom do you think
you are fooling, child?

I saw it in your eyes.

You are still an assassin.

[Lady Shiva] In allowing
these people to adopt you,

you believe you have rejected me,

declared yourself an orphan.

But you are no orphan.

You are Cassandra Wu-San.

Come back to your mother
when you are ready to admit

who you really are!

Didn't think so.

So like the Cheshire Cat,
I'll just disappear.

Then she just let me go.

I Hate to say it, but Crush...
Sportsmaster was right.

She's weak, Sensei.

She is family, Jade. Recruit her.

[Artemis] I'm telling you,
Dad was right about her.

Jade's just like him.

[Paula] She's family, Artemis.

You did the right thing letting her go.

The justice system won't turn Jade.

Only family can do that.

But Jade's afraid to open her
heart and be part of a family.

She doesn't want to take that risk.

Doesn't want the responsibility.

[Paula] Unfortunately,
she got that from me.

When you were both little,

I abdicated all responsibility
to your father.

He wanted to train you.

I wanted to walk away.

It took this chair, six years in prison

and losing my family
to teach me these lessons.

I hope Jade is a quicker study.

[Paula] If you see her again,
you must convince her.

[Cheshire] There. You'll be good as new.

Then I'm making the call.

I can't believe I'm letting you
talk me into this.

You want me to talk you into this.

Hey, Artemis, What's up?

Hi, Will.

Uh, Listen, I wanna ask your permission

to bring someone over to the house.

Another stray?

You could say that.

[Lian] Is that Aunty Mouse? Hi!

Hi, baby girl.

Aunty Mouse, look what I made [chuckles]

[Lian] It's a Mommy-Mask!

Wait! Will, Lian, I'm sorry.

[Tigress] It's a great mask,
but I have to call you back.

[Tigress groans in pain]

Jade!

[airplane receding]

[Tigress] Jade...

Jonny's asleep. He seems okay.

[Clark] I'm glad Jonny's okay.
'Cause I'm not.

If I had gotten to Mars
five minutes sooner...

You would have d*ed alongside Conner,

leaving your son without a
father and me without you.

I know that sounds selfish, but...

I'm the selfish one.

Ten years ago,
I couldn't get over myself.

I had all these excuses, suspicions.

All this misplaced blame.

I couldn't see him for who he was.

[sighs] I wasted so much time.

But you fixed that.

Conner knew you loved him
like a brother.

And he felt the same about you.

Loving each other...

that's all any of us can do.

I hope you're right.
God, I hope you're right.

How far ahead is she?

[Oracle] Her stolen helicopter has about
ten minutes on you. But you're gaining.


And she's still on course
for Infinity Island?

[Oracle] Still. Yes.
Why would she go there?



I have no idea.

And I can't believe
you tagged my sister.

[Tigress] Didn't you trust her?

[Oracle] Of course not!

But I tagged all of you.
Wasn't gonna lose anyone else.


Still like to know whose voice is
coming out of that little bat-bug.

There she is!

[Artemis] Jade! Please...
[breathing heavily]

I'm not sure why you came,
but you have to see

you are following in Dad's footsteps.

You know that's not the way.

I'm nothing like dad!

Listen, Mouse,
you want this cat to change?

Why? So I can join
your little playgroup?

Kind of pointless when they're
gonna kick you out any minute.

[Cheshire] They're never
gonna trust you.

Not unless you tell them
the truth and bring me in.

I'm betting you can't bring
yourself to do either, right?

Didn't think so.

[Onyx] She's turning!

[all gasp]

[Sensei sighs in frustration]

Another as*ault on my meditation space.

[Red-Hooded Ninja]
The Great One will not be pleased.

You again.

[Sensei] Did you come back
to live or to die?

Ah, to die, then.

[Cheshire yells]

Artemis, get out of the way.
This needs to end now!

What are you talking about?

Are you trying to get yourself k*lled?

- Yes, she is.
- No!

She knows she has no fight here,

save the fight she has with herself.

Artemis, please. Just go back home.

Ah. She doesn't want witnesses.

That's not it! I'm...

I'm just sending her
back where she belongs.

Home. With Will and Lian.

I am only living there because you left.

I had to leave!

Because you couldn't be bothered?

Because you couldn't
handle the responsibility?

- [Cheshire] No!
- [Tigress screams] Then why?

Because I'm too much like Dad!

I don't want Lian turning out like me.

We are both children of our parents.

But at some point,
we decide who we want to be.

[Tigress] Our parents, our upbringing,

none of that has to define us.

Aren't I proof

DNA doesn't define destiny?

I chose my destiny a long time ago.

[Tigress] It's never too late
to change your mind

to change who you are.

But changing takes time and work.

You've just got to be willing
to put both in.

Maybe with a little help from family,

say, a sister who still loves you.

You mean a sister who lives
with my ex and my daughter?

I can't take you away from them,

and I can't be a part of their lives.

Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

- Yes, you can...
- Don't you get it?

I wouldn't be joining them.

I'd be bringing them
into my cage with me.

[Onyx] We all build our own cages.

It gives us something to run away from.

See, I was raised
by my maternal grandfather.

Will Everett, "The Amazing Man".

[Onyx sighs] He was good to me,
but I felt trapped.

Papa Willie was always
more Booker T than Malcolm X.

He believed in leading by
example, doing the right thing,

which sounds great,
but it would never be enough.

The world was never going to just
catch up and recognize our worth.

Even as a kid, I was...
I was frustrated and angry.

I wanted more.

Then, Sensei found me,

promised I could make a difference,

change the world,
throw off the old order.

So I ran away.

And here on Infinity Island,

the Shadows felt like my new family.

Yeah. The Shadows did better
by me than Sportsmaster ever did.

[Sensei scoffs]

That was a very low bar.

Certainly by now, you both understand
that what you experienced here

was not family... but manipulation.

Of course, the Shadows kept an eye
on the daughters of Sportsmaster

and the granddaughter of Amazing Man

from the moment each was born.

Thus when we saw opportunities
to take you, we did.

My role was to create loyalty.
To create fanatics...

[scoffs] A job I did too
well on Lady Shiva.

But Papa Willie...

He d*ed a few years later.

I left a man who loved me.

He loved me, and I never saw him again

Exactly. I'm glad
you finally understand.

The shadows made you into weapons.

But, per the Master,

we are no longer in that business.

I believe we can help
the both of you now,

but only if you
approach your rehabilitation

with open eyes.

I can't believe
you are even considering this!

[Ra's] It merits consideration.

Well, if it isn't the Great One himself.

Artemis Crock.

I understand... even respect
your skepticism.

But you have my word.

If these two choose to stay,
we will strive to help them.

And as a friend of yours
is fond of saying,

[Ra's] "Ra's al Ghul is many things..."

"...But a liar isn't one of them."

Jade, what's the end game here?

Are you just trading
one kind of cage for another?

I don't know, Mouse.

But this honestly feels

like a step in the right direction.

Doesn't it?

I can't believe
I'm saying this, but... [sighs]

It does.

For me, too. I wanna stay.

You are both welcome among our family.

Our true family.

I plan on coming back
to check on both of them.

Count on it.

We have no objection.

You are welcome here at any time.

[Tigress sighs]

You count on it too.

You're not getting away from me
that easy.

I think for the first time ever...

I'm glad of that.

[Jonny laughing]

"There's no greater agony

"than bearing an
untold story inside you."

Maya Angelou, I Know Why
The Caged Bird Sings.

[music playing]
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