hello daniel. i helped myself to some beans. you don't mind?
no need.
minor wound. won't need hospitalization.
out of prison. so far. look at this. he tosses blake's happy face pin onto the table. dan picks it up, runs his fingers over the red-brown splotch.
human bean juice. it belonged to the comedian. he's dead.
murder. someone threw him out a window.
an ordinary burglar? kill the comedian? ridiculous.
maybe. or maybe someone's decided to kill off costumed heroes.
is that what they're saying about me now? that i'm paranoid?
one of our own has been murdered. i thought you might be interested. an attack on one is an attack on all of us, right? dan hesitates.
yes. i know that. anyways, i thought i'd let you know. just in case.
i remember. used to come here a lot. back when we were partners.
you quit. rorschach disappears into the subway tunnel, leaving dan to reminisce alone. dan glances at his old costume hanging.
quiet, whore.
dr. manhattan. dr. manhattan continues about his business when his girlfriend, laurie jupiter, 30, very much in her prime, enters from the other end.
nice to see you too, silk spectre.
sorry, miss jupiter. i thought i should tell you the bad news--the comedian has been murdered.
i have my own theories. but neither of you seem too concerned.
sounds like you may have had a score to settle. you or your mother.
--i'm not here to judge the moral discrepancies of a man who died in service of his country.
i came here to warn you both, just like i warned adrian and dan. i believe someone may be targeting masked heroes--
it took a lot of effort to get in here. i'm not leaving before i've-- with a look, dr. manhattan makes rorschach disappear.
--had my say rorschach realizes what just happened. checks himself, his surroundings. reorients himself. with nothing else he can do, he heads down the road.
that's true. but something like this seems too big. too bureaucratic.
of course it does. justice matters.
edgar william jacobi. also known as edgar william vaughn. also known as william edgar bright. also known as moloch.
lie again, i'll break your arm.
you attended a funeral today. why?
how did you know blake was the comedian?
you were enemies for forty years. why would he visit you?
the comedian? crying?
what did he say?!
scared of what?!
hm. funny story. sounds unbelievable. probably true. rorschach glances around the kitchen. he opens some drawers, looking inside. he picks up a stack of mail, flips through it. one of the envelopes contains a pension check from "pyramid industries."
clean? i searched your house. found illegal drugs.
laetril. phony medication made from apricot pits. illegal.
what kind of cancer?
fine. you're off the hook, for now. if you remember anything else, leave me a note in the trash can opposite the gunga diner at fortieth and seventh. keep out of trouble, moloch.
"i am pagliacci." blake flies toward frame on his silent trip to the ground.
good morning, daniel. i brought in your paper. dan reads the headline: "dr. manhattan leaves earth."
the comedian murdered. dr. manhattan exiled. two of us gone within a week. who's next? veidt? ms. jupiter? me? you? rorschach turns for the door as dan reads the story.
by the way, that new lock broke after one shove.
get a stronger one, daniel. you can't be too security conscious these days.
rorschach's journal, october 19th. someone tried to kill adrian veidt. proves mask killer theory--the murderer is closing in. pyramid industries is the key. rorschach approaches a trash can. he rummages through it and finds an envelope. he opens it and finds a note that reads: "tonight 11:30, m."
checked mail drop, got a message from moloch. was just going to pay him a visit. rorschach turns down an alley, approaches a dumpster. he reaches behind the dumpster.
somebody tried to shoot the world's smartest man today, moloch. moloch sits at the kitchen table. close on: moloch's hand. an ignored cigarette smolders. in his other hand, a note.
the hitman worked for pyramid industries. so did janey slater and everyone else dr. manhattan allegedly gave cancer to. and last time i was here, i saw a pension check sent to you from the same company-- obviously a front set up by whoever it is that killed the comedian, that pushed dr. manhattan over the edge, that wants us masks dead. is that why you left me a note in my mail drop? you have something to confess? rorschach turns. a hole gapes between moloch's staring eyes. a pistol lies on the table--moloch's dead. rorschach carefully pulls the note from moloch's hand. it's the note rorschach had left in moloch's refrigerator, the one that reads: "look behind you." behind rorschach, blinding light glares through the window.
no.
no. no, no, no
framed. set up. walked right into it. stupid, stupid, stupid.
heh. never. never surrender. rorschach takes an aerosol can and a pepper shaker.
when you are
ten years. i've waited for this. he beckons them forward. the cops pile into him. rorschach brutally disables six cops before he is overwhelmed.
no pain. must get up. find who framed me-- a cop kicks him in the throat. rorschach drops again.
no no no no no no! the cop peels back the shifting mask to reveal the homeless man from the news stand. he screams at them wildly.
my face! give it back to me! rorschach is finally beaten, surrounded by cops, as moloch's house blazes in the background.
give me back my face!
no. the psychiatrist sits back, considering rorschach carefully.
a prison is a prison.
a pretty butterfly. the psychiatrist holds up another blot-card.
some nice flowers. the psychiatrist eyes him, dubious. holds up another card. flash of: rorschach as a little boy looking up at two older boys, teasing him. calling him "son of a whore." rorschach just wants to be left alone when one of the boys spits in his face. suddenly, rorschach's face changes. he attacks the boy like a wild animal--biting, clawing .
clouds. the psychiatrist sighs, puts the cards down.
why are you here with me, doctor?
there's other men in here with behavior more extreme than mine. of course, they're not famous. you want to know about rorschach, doctor? i'll tell you about rorschach
men get arrested. rorschach raises the cleaver, high over his head
a tremor of impact shook my arm. warm blood splashed my face. it was walter kovacs who screamed, who closed his eyes-- it was rorschach who opened them again. the silence reels out rorschach you see, doctor. god didn't kill that little girl, fate didn't butcher her and destiny didn't feed her to those dogs. if god saw what any of us did that night, he didn't seem to mind. from then on, i knew. god doesn't make the world this way. we do. the psychiatrist rises shakily. he crosses to the guard.
none of you understand. i'm not locked up in here with you. rorschach is placidly dragged off into darkness
you're locked up in here with me.
big figure. small world.
tall order.
fat chance. the fat thug reddens. he dives forward, hands swiping for rorschach.
your hands. my pleasure. rorschach snaps fat thug's pinky fingers. fat thug shrieks. rorschach roughly binds the fingers around the bars. dumb thug tries to reach the welder around fat thug's body.
one-nothing. come and get me.
hmm. never disposed of sewage with a toilet before. obvious, really. big figure looks very small and alone now
two-nothing. your move. panic stricken, big figure moves, or rather, runs. rorschach calmly follows him out of the cell.
hello, daniel, ms. jupiter. excuse me, i just have to visit the men's room. he disappears into the dark bathroom. laurie watches after him in stunned disbelief.
we can leave now. he walks off.
good advice. i'm sure there are many who'd agree with you. behind them: bloody water floods from the bathroom door as they go.
good to see you in uniform, daniel. what happened? finally taking the mask-killer seriously?
of course you haven't been attacked yet. funny, most everyone else has.
i believe so. rorschach sits in the pilot's seat. dan turns to laurie, high on adrenaline and love. dan moves in to kiss her--
daniel.
i don't think this can wait.
no time for heartbreak, daniel.
tactical error, daniel.
i hate this. how long are we going to stay down here? daniel! dan says nothing. rorschach puts on his costume.
you're letting fear paralyze you. and that woman--
unnecessary? cowering in the sludge, from the authorities, that's unnecessary. rorschach pulls his mask on, turns.
while we waste time, the mask-killer gets closer. we need to get to pyramid industries. dan sits at the computer.
sitting at a computer? no. we need to trace the killer--hit up underworld contacts, squeeze people. you've forgotten how we do things. you've been lazing around too long.
you are a good friend. i'm sorry that it is sometimes difficult with me. touched, dan shakes his hand. an awkward, lovely moment.
you sure this is the correct location, daniel?
daniel.
daniel. rorschach is looking down at something. dan heads over and sees a dead body in the early stages of decomposition. he turns the body over--bullet between the eyes just like moloch . but we recognize the corpse--it's journalist doug roth.
yes. doug roth. journalist who grilled dr. manhattan on national television.
hmm. journalist set up dr. manhattan, was probably working to set up veidt also. dan stands there thinking. as if hit with an epiphany. he opens his mouth like he can't believe what he's going to say.
veidt? behind everything? makes no sense.
that doesn't explain the attempt on veidt's life.
but why?
not now, daniel.
the engines--
fine like this.
hitler was a vegetarian. if you're squeamish, leave him to me. we won't get a second chance.
he's not. listen to his voice.
impersonated dr. manhattan. murdered millions of people. call off your cat. call off your cat and face me!
no, don't let him escape!
you're joking, of course. rorschach walks toward the exit.
never. not even in the face of armageddon. never compromise. adrian and jon's eyes meet--an unspoken communication. seeing this, dan runs after rorschach.
back to the owl-ship. back to america. people must be told. evil must be punished.
suddenly you've rediscovered humanity? if you had cared from the start, none of this would be necessary. none of this would have happened. so what are you waiting for? do it.
do it!!!! jon waves his hand and blows rorschach apart. dan collapses to his knees, sobbing. jon contemplates the burn-mark where rorschach stood only seconds ago, then disappears-- --reappearing across the hall where laurie is. she is also in tears, watching all the horrible footage on the tv screens.