Walter watched his mail drop from afar. The skin on his head felt funny from having his face on for so long. His usual sign was propped against the brick building next to him. Human legs swathed by, the tires of cars rolled against the cracked asphalt.

He was thinking about her again. Kovacs recalled feeling her staring brown hungry eyes on his back at times in the orphanage and feeling it unnerved him. He was bad with people and worse around the opposite sex.

Walter noticed her first. She was very quiet and always sat by herself in the playground area in the orphanage. He liked the way her light blond hair looked in the light, or the way she was so tender to her ever constant teddy bear companion while being fascinated with the dexterity of her small hands. He would even fantasize about being hurt and her gently wrapping him up like the stuffed animal.

When Mike and his cronies started to pick on her, Walter knew it was his job to step in and protect her. And when she finally surprised him with a hug, he was so startled he ran away. His heart thumped a mile a minuet, his hands became sweaty, and his face felt inexplicably hot.

Kovacs knew what had to be done. He could not risk having her in his life, she was to soft for his harsh reality. Sometimes you have to hurt to reach a higher end. Walter knew that he was meant to live as Rorschach to endlessly pursue and punish the filth of the city. The only form of true justice left in the city.

He felt the familiar chill in the air beginning to settle signaling the approaching night. Walter got up and dusted the grime from his pants, picked up his sign and headed toward his the rooftop where his true identity laid.

After hours of intense surgery, it was over. Abby pulled off her mask and was began taking her gloves off to wash up. Robert knocked on the door, Linde walked into the waiting room and told him that the surgery was a complete success.

"Be aware, he needs to heal for a very long time and his lungs and heart may never be the same again." She paused. "Whatever sort of job your father has, I suggest he retires soon."

"Thank you doctor, please wait in here while I arrange someone to take you home." Robert did not take her advice very well. His father was the leading crime boss of the city. No prostitute fucked, no druggie got his fix and nothing got stolen that his Pop didn't have a say in. He walked through the door and motioned for his men to come close. His eye lids closed as the images of last night played again and again.

They were making a huge deal with some fellow business men from the Far East when that masked maniac jumped in and threw the whole thing off. He single handedly killed several of his best men while injuring many more. Amongst the fire fight, his father was nearly killed. Robert explained to his men that his Pops was going to make it.

"Now that that's done, we can move onto getting that piece of shit back that did this to our family." Robert paused to look at them each in the eye.

"Here's the plan. My sources tell me that this Rorschach-ass clown ruffs people up to get his info. I want you guys to spread the word that we're going to have another meeting with those Wasashi guys tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'll gather up the boys and…."

Abby listened to their plan with a hand over her mouth, aghast with horror. She had to warn him about their looming terror. Linde turned and tried to look for an escape when the door swung open.

"Hello again, Doc." said one of the brutes.

"We're going to be taking you home now." The other finished.

Rorschach was out patrolling the lonely streets again. He noted that there were more transients than yesterday and that more litter was lining the gutter. The stout man walked down a dark alley hoping to run into a fight. He wanted to feel his fists against the face of punk again. To shake off any lingering in the agonized screams of a bad guy.

A meow broke his attention. His eyes barely caught the ghostly image of a white spotted cat disappearing behind a building. Rorschach picked up his pace and began following the cat. He turned the corner and continued walking down until he came to a cross road.

Another meow blended among the concrete and asphalt; echoing off the tall buildings. Kovacs turned left and began to go at a trot.

Jim was sitting in the passenger seat again. Robert was having a cigarette as they over looked the bridge. The two men heaved a sack into the river below and walked back. Robert flicked his cigarette off the ledge and got into the driver's seat as his men slammed the doors shut.

"You sure no one will ask questions?" said on of the men.

"Yeah," said Jim, scratching his cast again, a tint of remorse in his tone. "No family and her jobs going to shit. No one would question her up and leaving the joint."

Robert shrugged and stared the car up again. The car went silent. They all knew it had to be done.

Abby hit the steel curtain of water and woke up. There was a gag around her mouth and she struggled against the bondage around her arms and legs. She was sinking fast. The river was turning into a slosh of freezing water and ice from the coming winter.

She could not feel the cold, all she could feel was her entire nervous system burning with white-hot pain. She screamed against the gag, a stream of bubbles expanded the surface, as she kicked her legs. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as the sack began to slip off of her, the ends were sloppily tied and were falling all around her.

Abby twisted her neck, feeling her lungs cramping without air. She thrashed and kicked until her head broke the surface. She inhaled and screamed again.

Abby breathed again, her head accidently falling under water again as it run into her nose. She coughed and began sinking again. Desperate to stay alive, she doubled her endeavor to stay afloat and cried for help.

Rorschach found himself by the river that ran through the city. The cat had mysteriously vanished. He could see the city lights burning, each individual bulb that flared with an artificial shine. The yellow gleam reminded Rorschach of her golden blond hair. He sighed and shoveled his gloved hands into his pockets.

A distant shriek punctured the dark air. Kovacs body hardened as he concentrated his eyes into the black horizon. Another outcry. He could see the white froth of water from someone drowning in the middle of the river.

Abby felt her body going numb, it was becoming harder and harder to keep her head up. Her body stiffened and she felt herself immersing deeper into the icy depths of nothing. Water lapped over her blond hair and she threw her face for one last gulp of air.

She was chilling to the marrow of her bones. Her muscles were freezing over and her lungs were on fire without air. Her vision was darkening, she felt cold all over. Abby was falling deeper, she thought of him for the very last time.

With his coat and hat resting on land, Rorschach jumped into the frigid water to bear the cold with a fierce determination. The current carried him off course. A familiar sting bite down on his side as he continued swimming forward. The person's head disappeared under water. He took a deep breath ducked below. A wasteland of oblivion was below. Rorschach continued his plight onward. He saw her in the distance, her hair suspended above her head.

Her senses were on fire as her entire body trembled with great force. Abby's teeth felt as tough they were about to shatter from the chattering of her blue-lipped mouth. Her skin turned a pale white as the blood vessels on her dermis redirected its flow to the vital organs. She was suffering form hypothermia now.

She was leading against something hard while listening to something thump over and over again. She could scarcely feel herself bounding against the solid thing she was against. Abby's eye lids felt heavy, she felt herself slipping away again.

"Stay awake…." The voice sounded so far away, "…Abby…" it spoke again.

"Walter." She wanted to see him one last time. Please God… That's all I want now. He would always help me. The pangs of anguish reminded her of the time in the hospital rooms.

Abby looked up to see the black and white face of Rorschach staring back. Her neck gave out and she went limp in his arms again.