Rorschach's Journal, May 6th, 2009

Rorschach's Journal, Wednesday May 6th, 2009, 9:56 pm

Late in the day. Stomach grumbling. Missed dinner. Hadn't been wandering with End is Nigh sign for a while. Donations had been low as a result. Been trying to find a piece of Plywood that would be suitable for sign construction, since my last sign broke.

Finally found scrap wood behind a local hardware store. Fortunately, the nails already in my wood handle were still usable. Spent another day looking for paint. Resorted to purchasing some cheap paint at the local drugstore.

Sitting now, on the floor of my apartment, paint in hand. Red paint this time. It was what they had on hand in the school supply area. Used my fingers to paint. Made the best of it. It wasn't meant to be a masterpiece.

Spent most of the time shooing James off my small project. Either he would come over and try to stick his nose in my paint cup, or want to sit on the wet sign.

"Get out of here!" I had to snap at one point. He was like a boomerang. Every time I got him off my sign he'd get back on it. Mercifully, he conceded and went to curl up on his pillow, after, of course, urgently grooming one small spot on his side. Why, I didn't know. I found he often did that. I surmised it was a dignity groom. Cats were strange.

After finishing, I looked at my work. It was ok. Got the point across. There were a few drips, but by and large it would serve its purpose. I then propped the sign out of the way so that James wouldn't get to it and decided to wash my hands and get ready for a night stroll.

"You be good, no monkey business with the sign." I said sternly at James who meowed back at me.
Before long I was dressed and out the apartment window.

It had been raining on and off for the last week. The streets seemed perpetually wet. I found myself avoiding large puddles as I walked along the dark misty streets. Even the whores stayed under awnings if they were outside at all. Made for more peaceful streets.

Still, thugs were out and about occasionally. A family had been shot the night before. Some random drive by shooting. I wish there was more I could do to stop those kind of shootings, however I couldn't outrun the cars. I did, however, have excellent vision so I'd gotten many a license plate number to report to police. Anonymously, of course.

I slipped my gloved hands in my pockets as I walked along. Peeped into a store window or two. All was well. Stood and stared at the television in one window. The closed captioning was on and it was the news. Just the tail end, before an idiot buffoonery late night show of some sort started up. A feel good story about a three legged dog and someone adopting him. At least something went well for someone.

I walked a few more blocks and turned a corner. Just in the distance two men were scuffling. The younger smaller man fought hard against his attacker, but was losing the battle. My movement caught his eye and he screamed out for help. Without a moment's though I sprinted up to the larger man and quickly grabbed a finger and pulled it back.

The larger man broke his hold on the younger man, who fell to the ground. The larger then made a grab for me. I snatched another finger. "Before you continue to fight, tell me what's going on here." I couldn't be too careful. It was possible that the young man was the aggressor. One never could tell these days.

The young man held one of his eyes, looking quite upset, "I was coming home from the metro and this asshole attacked me! Wanted to steal my wallet."

"Hey, shut up man! I'll kill you." I pulled his finger back ready to break it.

"Quiet." I ordered calmly. He struggled, so I snapped his finger and took hold of a fresh one. He howled a while before calming down.

The young man continued, "After I gave it to him he said he was still going to rape me and kill me, and not necessarily in that order either." He looked like he was going to cry a moment, genuine emotion. "I don't know what I would have done if someone hadn't come. You're a mask aren't you? Thank God some of you are still around." He said as he wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve.

I turned my patterned face to the larger man. Large, hulking, rough looking, white man with frizzy blond hair.

"Right, you little shit," He sneered at me, "What are you doing to do about it? Breaking my finger, like a pansy little girl? , I'll kill you too and ra….."

Before he could finish I snapped the next finger. He struggled, but I managed to quickly twist his arms till he fell off balance. I then put a heel to the back of his head and knocked him out swiftly. He lay on the pavement, still breathing.

I then looked at the young man, "Be sure to be caref…." Sirens and lights broke off my lecture. A police car came speeding up to interrupt us. "Dammit." I said as I bolted off.

"Stop! Freeze!" A couple of cops leapt out of the car. One stopped at the young man, the other pursued me. This was different than that time at the Rum Runner. No capture this time. I was easy on that Swat team. I'll not be so gentile this time.

I turned the corner and sprinted down the alley as I heard the cop huffing and puffing behind me, slowing down. Just at that moment, a voice on the radio stopped him. "Look, the chief just wants to talk to you!" He shouted after me.

I stopped at the other end of the alley, ready to turn the corner and disappear in the maze of small allies nearby. "No!" I pointed violently at him, "Tricks!"

"Please, he's just coming now. Please, hear him out and then leave if you want." The cop said as he held his arms up to show he wasn't going to try anything. "I'll just stay here and do nothing." He said as looked over his shoulder as someone approached.

It was the officer from the other night. The one who had seen me and not reported me. .

"Rorschach. The same Rorschach?" He said and smiled sincerely.

"What is this?" I questioned with my roughened voice and glanced occasionally to my left to make sure the way was clear.

The chief approached non-aggressively with his hands up. His uniform and coat were wet from the rain, "I remember you, Rorschach. I was a teenager in New York back in the 70's."

He reached to about 10 feet away before I put up a hand for him to stay where he was.

"Sure." I said, curtly.

"Really, my folks were mask supporters. And so was I. I hated that the Keene act put a stop to the crime fighting, but you kept going, fighting for innocent people." He said, "maybe your methods were harsh, but honestly, it's all that people would understand at that point." He tipped his head, "You disappeared for the longest time. Did Manhattan have something to do with that? You can't be nearly 70." He started to ramble.

"This is a trick." I felt some paranoia creep up in me.

"No, no trick. The Keene act was a push by the police so that they didn't have to compete with the Masks. You all had no rules."

"I have rules."

"Yes, I know *you* do, but we have written rules we had to follow. And some resented you." He continued, "But all this time, I believed that we needed all the help we could get. God help us, New York and DC didn't improve with Veidt's plan whether your expose was released or not. Crime didn't subside, it grew worse." He relaxed his arms, "I need your help, Rorschach."

I really couldn't believe my ears. The police were asking for my help. "Nice try."

"Well, honestly whether we admit it or not, you are going to keep on patrolling, so we may as well work together than against each other." The chief said. "I'm a powerful man on the police force. Our methods are failing, Rorschach. The more people we capture, the more they scoff at us and continue to kill innocent people. Like that family last night. Two children under the age of 10 and both parents." He paused, looking upset at that, "We can't be everywhere, and neither can you. But with your help to terrify them, and our help to apprehend them, when we both can, perhaps we can make at least a dent here." He eyed me, “Like the other night, when you took down that gang. You know that lone survivor? He’s in a halfway house now. Turned himself around. Thanks to you.”

"Hurm."

"Of course I sound like an idiot, because you are going to keep doing what you are doing whether I ask you or not, but I wanted to say that, my men and I, we'll not see you if you remove some of the worst from the streets." He paused, "By that I mean the dealers, the murderers, the rapists..."

"I get your point." I said as I stepped back out from the corner. All this talking and still no one had tried to bum rush me. Perhaps he was being sincere. Deciding to take a chance, I walked up closer to the Chief. His name tag said Brennan, "If you truly know of me, then you know not to double cross me."

"I certainly do." He said as he held out a hand for me to shake.

I took his hand and shook. He perked up and shook in return, smiling.

"Leave me to my methods." I said, darkly.

Brennan nodded, "I understand." He said as he released my hand, "I suppose, then, we'll be seeing you." He paused, "Oh, let me give you my phone number." He produced a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. "Don't let anyone know you have it. It could get me into trouble, working with you."

I nodded. Truly, he was going against police rules, but it wasn't something I was too trouble by.

"How can I get a hold of you, if we need to?" He said, sincerely.

I looked up at him, "I'll think about it, and will get back to you. Chief Brennan." I said as he seemed to accept that answer and backed away.

"Fair enough, Rorschach." He said with a smile, and then turned and motioned to his subordinate. They walked out of the wide alley leaving me to myself and the card in my hand.

Bemused, I made my way out of the alley and watched from a safe place as an ambulance carted way both the attacker and victim. Thought about how a police chief can turn his back on the system. His job was to take people in and prosecute them, not work with someone outside the law. Times must be desperate indeed.

Wet night. I shook the water droplets from my shoulders, slipped my hands into my pockets and wandered along the lonely streets away from trouble.

For now, Rorschach.