Fractured Mask is the third episode of Batman: The Enemy Within. The episode follows Bruce Wayne/Batman as he is unexpectedly reunited with Selina Kyle/Catwoman and deals with the consequences of the Pact's attack. The episode was released on November 21st 2017.
Plot[]
Following their surprise meeting, Bruce and Selina formally introduce themselves. Whilst the Pact recover from their battle with the Agency, the two scan Riddler's eyes to create retinal records. Selina also gives her condolences on Lucius' death and reveals how she got involved with the Pact.
Shortly after finishing, Bane or Harley Quinn return from fighting the Agency. Suspecting a mole among them, Harley takes control of the Pact and injures anyone who disagrees with her. Shortly afterwards, she approaches Bruce and shows him Riddler's laptop, which is currently encrypted and she is unable to decipher. Believing there to be something in his hideout, she sends him with John to investigate, though Bruce recommends that Catwoman comes along to help them.
Arriving at Riddler's hideout, Bruce sends John and Catwoman to investigate whilst he takes a call from Waller. Whilst talking about the operation, Waller claims that she was unable to communicate with her agents due to the EMP and apologizes for what happened. Knowing the Pact are closer to their goal, she recommends that he stays undercover to find out what they are planning. Having searched the parameter, Catwoman and John return and the group break into the area. After being caught by Det. Bullock, Bruce is forced to either bribe or knock him out.
Whilst investigating Riddler's lair, Bruce learns that Selina was an associate of the criminal and had known him for some time. Working with both her and John, they uncover another trap left by Riddler. Managing to solve it, Bruce and Catwoman make their way deeper into Riddler's lair whilst John stands guard. During this, the two discuss why they are involved and discover a computer, which is locked with the same encryption as Riddler's laptop. Finding and using a decryptor, they learn that Riddler had files from SANCTUS and that he was investigating a project called Project LOTUS. Failing a retinal scan, the computer self-destructs, though Bruce manages to remove the decryptor in time.
After learning about Harley's laptop, Catwoman decides to steal it and stop the Pact's plans in retribution for their possible involvement in Riddler's death. She handcuffs Bruce to a chair, steals the decryptor and tries to escape, but he fights back, briefly subduing her. After she gains the upper hand, he uses one of Riddler's canes to destroy the cuffs and pursues Catwoman. The two fight, but Selina manages to escape, during which she mentions Harley's laptop. John, having realized that Bruce has leaked information, confronts him, suggesting that they talk somewhere else.
Visiting Café Trisle, the two buy drinks and talk about Bruce telling Catwoman about the laptop. Though John does consider helping him, he also considers telling Harley to get her to notice him. Having noticed some flirting between Bruce and Catwoman, he asks him about their relationship. Seeing this opportunity, Bruce offer to give John advice to get Harley's notice in return for him helping steal the laptop. Depending on what he chooses to tell John, the following will happen.
If Bruce chooses to tell him to be himself, John admits to being unsure about his true self, but admits to having felt it trying to burst out. Suggesting that he tries to bond with Harley, John asks Bruce to pretend to be her and the two make a number of pretend conversations between him and her. Upon seeing the Batsignal, Bruce decides to leave and lies to John where he's going. Having found their conversation insightful, John promises to help steal the laptop for Bruce and offers to pay for the drinks, only to notice Bruce has left.
If Bruce chooses to tell him to try and manipulate her, he tells him the base form of manipulation to achieve "love" and suggests it to get Harley's attention. Deciding to use manipulation to learn more about Bruce, John, using napkins and coffee, makes an number of Rorschach tests and asks Brue to answer them. Upon seeing the Batsignal, Bruce decides to leave and lies to John where he's going. Though he understands Bruce a bit better after the conversation, he decides not to get it for him, but offers to pay for their drinks, only to notice Bruce has left.
Finding Gordon on the roof of the GCPD headquarters, Batman is confronted about his absence during the fight between the police, the Agency and the Pact. He also shares suspicions that Lucius Fox was involved in criminal activities, believing that this is the reason why he was murdered. He has also begun to suspect Bruce Wayne of being a criminal, due to testimony from the guard Harley knocked out, finding poorly made dummy footage and Bullock telling him about Wayne's appearance at Riddler's lair. Due to Wayne being protected by Waller, he asks Batman to bring the billionaire in for questioning.
Gordon also informs him about his knowledge of Catwoman's return and tells him that he is organizing an ambush to arrest her. When Gordon leaves, Batman has the option of either informing Selina about it or not letting her know. Regardless of the choice made, he discovers John on the roof, making shadows with the Batsignal. Upon seeing Batman, he offers to steal the Riddler's laptop from the Pact and help him bring them down, but asks that Harley be spared from arrest. He also takes a selfie with Batman, with the vigilante having the option to destroy the phone to keep the mystery.
Later, Bruce arrives back at the Old Five Points to retrieve the laptop. Whilst there, he witnesses Bane kill one of his men during brutal interrogation and Mr. Freeze's disregard for life, when he tests a freeze grenade on a number of their men. Talking with John about stealing the laptop, Bruce agrees to distract Harley whilst he does so. After John makes an offer to help Harley, she dismisses him and talks to Bruce, telling him not to interfere with John and use him to his own advantage. Depending on whether Bruce told Selina about the GCPD ambush, the following will happen.
If Bruce informed Selina about the ambush, John leaves the office and reveals that he was unable to find it. Moments later, Bruce receives a text from Catwoman, showing her with the laptop. Deciding to track her down, Bruce calls Alfred to tell him about what had happened and asks for him to send a Batsuit, so he can go after her. Catching up to Catwoman on the rooftop of Gotham City Hall, she thanks him for tipping her off about Gordon and his ambush. Reminiscing about the night they first met, they enter a brief fight, culminating when Batman manages to get the laptop away from her. When Batman confronts Catwoman why she stole it, she reveals that she had wanted to stop the Pact's plan, in retribution of Riddler's death on her own terms. After he asks for the decryptor, she offers to work with him to stop them and give him it and goggles to replicate Riddler's eyes. Batman can then leave to investigate it alone or offer Catwoman to come to the Batcave with him, which she will accept.
If Bruce didn't inform Selina about the ambush, John leaves the office with the laptop and leaves without a word with Bruce. Asking Alfred to send a Batsuit to a location, the two meet up outside the Stacked Deck. Hiding on a fire escape, Batman meets with John. Despite his feelings about stealing from Harley, he gives the laptop to Batman. Afterwards, John asks the vigilante to teach him on how to throw Batarangs, which he can either accept or decline to do so. Regardless, he will leave to investigate the laptop. Upon arriving at Wayne Manor, he discovers Selina in the parlor, nursing injuries she has sustained during the fight with the GCPD. Having fled to Wayne Manor for safety, Alfred arrives and tells him about her "motorcycle accident" and how he patched up her injuries. Asking for some privacy, Selina reveals that she has noticed the effects of his torture and tells him about the ambush. Believing him to be aware, she confronts him about why he didn't tell her and reveals her intention to get revenge on the Pact for their supposed involvement in Riddler's death. She offers to give him the decryptor and the goggles, but if he lets her help him. Depending on the decision made, Bruce can either do so, receiving both from her willingly, or tries to steal it from her, culminating in a fight that injures her further and forces her to leave. If the former is chosen, Bruce can invite her into the Batcave to help investigate the laptop.
Arriving back at the Batcave, Bruce hooks the laptop to the Batcomputer and uses the goggles to access the laptop. If he offered Selina the opportunity to enter the cave, she will thank him for doing so and reveal her feelings towards him. Whilst the Batcomputer scans the laptop for viruses, he and Alfred discuss the Pact's plans and, if he chose to do so, why he let Selina into the cave. He also receives an upgraded set of contact lenses, which have been updated to detect thermal temperatures including sub-zero. Whilst investigating the files on SANCTUS, Bruce discovers that Project LOTUS is a biological weapon capably of killing people at small doses, along with its location underneath the Bodhi Spa. After discovering links to the Agency, he calls Waller and arranges to meet her at Wayne Enterprises.
Upon arriving in his office, Bruce discovers Tiffany in his office and is arrested by Gordon and the GCPD. Just as they prepare to take him away, Waller and Avesta arrive and demands him to be released. Having had her authority challenged, Waller fires Gordon and takes control of the GCPD. After he and the officers leave, Bruce talks to Tiffany about why he is being protected by the Agency. When she questions why he is being protected by them, Bruce can either reveal he is Batman to her or not tell her. If the former plays out, she thanks him for telling her and offers to help him in his operations. Regardless, she leaves to let Waller talk to him.
Whilst there, Waller reveals that SANCTUS was actually a former division of the Agency that was believed to be shut down long before she joined. She reveals that she had come to Gotham not only to try to stop the Pact but also find the black site and shut them down. She and Avesta propose a plan to bring the Pact to the blacksite and let them try to battle SANCTUS, reducing the possible casualties and allow the Agency to stop them without risking casualties. Regardless of his feelings towards them, she recommends that he investigates the blacksite and see what the defensive measures are before they attack.
Investigating, Bruce is able to find a number of defensive measures within the Spa, as well as where the entrance to the lab is. After reporting these to Waller, he finds that Bane has been following him and suspects that he is actually the traitor. He also reveals that he had deduced that the Spa is where the blacksite is and that he had been hiding this from Harley. After knocking him out and bringing him back to the Old Five Points, he leaves Bruce to be interrogated by Quinn in her office.
Though Harley seems oblivious to what has happened, even covering for why Bruce had been investigating, she reveals that the laptop has been stolen and tells him that he and Catwoman are the only two suspects she has. She threatens to harm Tiffany if he is discovered to be the traitor and leaves John to interrogate him. Fearing for Bruce's safety, John suggests that they pin the blame to Catwoman, telling him that there is no other option to protect himself. When Harley returns, Bruce is forced to chose whether to give himself or Selina up.
Bruce decides to give Selina up, maintaining his cover but putting her at risk. Whilst Freeze prepares a cryogentic chamber to murder her in, Selina tries to escape, damaging the box, but being caught by Victor. With her arm frozen in the struggle, the Pact decide to place her within one of Riddler's murder boxes instead, whilst they try to raid the blacksite. As the episode ends, Bruce is forced to leave her behind whilst he joins them on their heist.
Bruce decides to blow his cover, protecting Selina but putting himself at risk. After preparing a cryogentic chamber to execute him in, they place him within the chamber and release Catwoman to help them in the heist. Despite John's protests, the Pact activate the chamber and leave Bruce to be executed, during which Harley promises to harm Tiffany and those closest to Bruce. The episode ends with Bruce trying to break out whilst the chamber's windows are encased in ice.
Cast[]
- Troy Baker as Bruce Wayne/Batman
- Anthony Ingruber as "John Doe"
- Enn Reitel as Alfred Pennyworth
- Murphy Guyer as James Gordon
- Dave Fennoy as Lucius Fox
- Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller
- Emily O'Brien as Iman Avesta
- Valarie Rae Miller as Tiffany Fox
- Laura Post as Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Computer
- J.B. Blanc as Bane, GCPD #2
- Matthew Mercer as Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, Timothy, Goons
- Laura Bailey as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, GCPD #1
- Keith Szarabajka as Harvey Bullock
- Robin Atkin Downes as Riddler (Cameo)
Gallery[]
Images[]
Trivia[]
- The title of this episode refers to how Bruce's undercover jaunt in the Pact has damaged his reputation and caused Gordon to become suspicious of him.
Videos[]
Batman The Enemy Within - EPISODE THREE TRAILER-0
Episode release trailer
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