Rorschach's Journal, April 3rd, 2009

Rorschach’s Journal continued. 12:05 am.

Just as the hoodlums finished giving their opinion of me, I lunged forward and grabbed the large man I’d been breaking. I quickly swung him around and held him in front of me as a shield.

“No, no no no no no!” The man yelped just as a blaze of bullets poured forth. His corpulence and muscle mass absorbed each bullet. I pressed my shoulder into his back to keep him there. I could feel his body jerk at every impact as I held him by his upper arms. One bullet managed to pass through his shoulder and whiz by my ear, narrowly missing the left side of my face.

At the sound of numerous impotent clicks and no bullets I dropped the body in the pool of its own blood and looked up and adjusted my gloves. “Well, that didn’t seem to b……gah!”

Luthor “Glass Jaw”, during the shower of bullets, managed to wake up. Hadn’t expected that. Stupid mistake on my part. I hadn’t realized until too late when his fist was connecting with my eye. “Now who’s a sucker?” He shouted.

“Ow” Stunned and off my feet I heard the laughter of the others as footsteps started my way. I looked up as Luthor was standing there, a terrified smile on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I swept a leg over and knocked him off his feet. He fell to the ground in a heap and I scooted up hastily and planted the bottom of my heel up into his jaw. The sound of teeth cracking surprised the others as a few shards flew out of his mouth. Luthor lay motionless on the cobblestone as I leapt to my feet.

The others ran forward and started to swing their fists. I blocked each blow. It had been quite a while since I had fought more than one person. I’d forgotten how exciting it could be, despite the fact that my eye and its socket felt like they were swelling shut. I have to say, they were quite sloppy fighters. Bumbling one might say. Certainly not working as a team.

One pulled a knife and swung at me. I managed to grab his arm and swing him around to use it to stab the other one with it. The third rushed us as I used the one I was holding as leverage and took two steps up the side of the building wall, arced my leg over and came down on the third violently with my foot using that momentum to probably break his neck. He went to the ground.

I released number two as he stood there dumbfounded. His face was bandaged. It was the man from the other night, the one I warned, the one I pressed to the ground for dealing drugs.

“I warned you that next time I found you out here I’d kill you.” I said as I fixed my gloves, “I keep my promises.”

“No, man, no, I-I still have a knife, I….”

A moment later and he was on the ground as well. And I was kneeling a moment, catching my breath. Not as young as I used to be. Though precise and deadly as always, I needed to pause. Just at that, there were shouts from both ends of the alley and the faint flash of blue lights. I figured they’d come. Disappointingly before I got my note written.

I quickly reached into my inner coat pocket and produced my grappling gun, at the ready. Running to the side of the building I pointed it straight up and fired. It hooked onto the top of the building and I hoisted myself up and away, before the police arrived.

I stood at the top of the building and hunched over, peaking over the edge. The police scrambled up and flashed their lights down at the scene. “Oh God, they killed each other. What a f*cking mess!” A young cop said.

“Drug deal gone bad.” Another announced as he pointed his flashlight around. For a moment it swept over me. I ducked behind the brick edge, and then peaked out again. I could see the face of the older cop who pointed his light up. And for a moment he sort of nodded and then looked away, “Get the coroner out here so we can get this mess cleaned up. Stupid gang bangers and their drug fights.”

That was quite odd. I’m sure he saw me. Could he have remembered Rorschach? For a moment I wondered had he just covered for me? Time would tell, as would the news. But for now, the police were not making any attempts at finding me or running to the top of this building.

I walked to the other side of the building and managed to let myself down the other side, quietly. I walked off into the shadows, my fists hurting, my knees hurting and my eye hurting. Still, rewarding after all these years. If only to clean up the city a few people at a time.

Quietly and stealthily, I made my way back home, letting myself in by the window. James was waiting for me, sitting there. He’d managed to taken every sheet of today’s news paper and decorate the place. He waited in a pile of the classifieds as I settled down into the room. “Oh James, I wish you wouldn’t do that.” I said, a little let down. After an eventful night I had this to come home to.

I drew the blind and then took off my hat and coat. Went to the bathroom flipped the light on. As it flickered faintly I looked in the mirror. A drop of red blood soaked through the black and white fibers of my face and I had a moment of panic. “Oh Shit.” I said. I didn’t like to curse, but this was a good case for it. I pulled off the mask and ran the cold water to rinse it, caring for it before caring for my skin. Fortunately, this miracle fiber washed clean of blood easily. It was the only one I had left, and I was not about to lose it.

I looked up at my reflection in the mirror. Though in recent years I could face myself in the mirror more, it was still uncomfortable. The reflection of a human face, a face representing the failings that are what it means to be human. Humans were responsible for so much suffering in the world. And I was one of them, a cause and a victim. At least, my younger self would say that. But ever since that day in Antarctica, that day, I’d come to perhaps tolerate this human face a little more.

My eye was nearly swollen shut. The flesh around it puffy. I hadn’t anything cold to put on it. Perhaps the landlady. I didn’t need that woman’s help. I didn’t need any woman’s help. I said as I splashed water on my face. A small cut just on my cheek oozed more blood for a moment and then stopped. I didn’t need anyone’s help, dammit. “DAMMIT”. I said out loud, startling James. Frowning I tried to dry my face, but with no towel that made it difficult. I thought of Dan, of Shari, of Miss Dorian. Truth was, I did need their help. What was it the Comedian used to say? “God help us all.”

Frowning, I took a wad of toilet paper and pressed it up against my face. I thought of knocking on the landlord’s door, but it was nearly 2 in the morning. So I sat on the floor and laid back. My face throbbed. In the morning I would get some ice, and perhaps some cake somewhere. My birthday had come and gone, unnoticed even by me.

James curled up under my chin and started to purr.
For now, Rorschach