Yada yada I own nothing.
Drinking Walter's coffee is like drinking mud infused with sugar. I struggle to get it down my throat almost as hard as I try to keep up the smile, thanking him again. At least it's woken me up. I shoo him out of the room, so I can get dressed in the new under-armor. It's like a spandex almost, quite comfortable, adds that extra edge against bullets. Just in case. I stop to look in the mirror. My headache is almost gone, and the hangover isn't so obvious now that I've slept. I look like me, with my drab hair, and shoulder flab. And I'm happy with it. Screw Adrien's pretty-boy opinion. I don't look half bad. I'm so glad I've started working out again. I flex a few times, smiling at the man in the glass.
"Enough vanity, Nite Owl. Child waiting. Duty calls. Suit up." Walter is suddenly in my room again, tossing me my costume. He must have come up through the floor.
"Jesus, Walter! Don't do that! Nearly had a heart attack." I climb into the suit, almost falling in my haste. Walter catches me, and I get hit with a wave of deja vu. That time, the only time, that I fell of heat exhaustion in Archie. I blush as my cheek brushes his chest. "W-Walter?"
He stiffly sets me to my feet, turning his back, putting distance between us. "Rorschach." He corrects. "Yes, Nite Owl?"
He's in his mask, under his second face. God dammit. Oh well. I pull on the goggles, shrugging. "Nothing. Let's get going." Why is he so cold? What did I do? Why did he put up this barrier again? I ponder as we awkwardly descend into the nest. Rory is already in Archie's cockpit, suited up and ready to go. He seems especially enthused, bouncy, even. He must be eager to show off to Wal-.....Rorschach. "Take 'er up, Son."
I sit back, Rorschach next to me. A silence stretches between us for about half the ride, him staring out the window while I quite literally twiddle my thumbs, just waiting. To my surprise he breaks the silence. "Nite Hawk good name. Will make good Hero. Should patrol."
He still isn't looking at me. I blink. "No. No, He's too young, Rorschach. He's not even ten... six months until his birthday, we can discuss it then."
"Age just a number, Nite Owl. Child ready. Knows city needs help. Perfectly capable." He's turned to face the front now, still not looking at me even as I fix him a glare from behind my goggles.
"No." I say it with more venom, and perhaps more harshly than needed, and Walter bristles. The mask is shifting faster, a fight is going to break when Rory's voice brings peace.
"We're here."
Walter looks through the window, confused. The Guardians are already mostly assembled on the rooftop of an old abandoned cellophane factory. The Silhouette and The Nurse are leaning against each other, sharing a cigarette. The Ninja and Hat Man are chatting quietly, comparing methods. Comedian is smoking a cigar off to the side, and Mothman is trying to look like he's got something to do, alone in his corner. Rorschach receives curious and not altogether friendly glances from all, even as I quickly explain that I've found a good Rorschach that will bring honor to the name.
We wait, chatting tensely. It's The Ninja that eventually voices what we're all wondering. "Anyone know where Ozzy is? He's never late like this. He's usually here first."
The Silhouette pouts dourly, her dark purple lipstick accentuating her pout. "I hope pretty boy didn't get whacked."
"Oh." The word comes from Rorschach. He's sifting through his pockets now and I feel a cold pit in my stomach. He pulls out a piece of purple paper and offers it to the group. "Met with Veidt before finding Nite Owl. Was asked to forward this."
To whom it may concern;
Due to matters outside my control, I have found it necessary to attend to my business outlet in Guam. I shall return A.S.A.P., I assure you. Please carry on without me.
V.
The paper has water marks and red blotches. Blood and Tears. Oh. God. Silence all around. Rorschach pushes the paper back into his pant pocket, and no one dares breathe.
"Sorry about paper. Damaged in pocket." It's an excuse, and I know it's a lie. The Comedian seems to know as well.
"Bullshit." His voice is gruff, and not all that unlike Blake's. I don't like how this is going. "Bull-fuckin'-shit. Nite Owl, who is this goddamn newbie anywho? NO ONE knows Ozzy, no one would just 'run in to him', no one 'cept you. If anyone was gonna know when Pappa fuckin' purple smurf ain't going to be showin', it's YOU, not some new masked freak."
The ice in my stomach grows as I feel the group murmur their assent. Walter hasn't moved, though his face is swirling. He's not happy.
"Smurfs are blue, Billy."The Nurse pops her gum to punctuate her sentence.
"That's why I specified purple, dyke. Don't correct the Comedian. Doesn't anyone else find this a little fuckin' fishy? Does he even HAVE an outlet in Guam?!"
The Silhouette grabs her lover about the waist, frowning with her chin on the white clothed shoulder. "Billy, play nice or be castrated. Though this does smell, Owl. How do we know he ain't been running around and whacked off our leader? After all, that's supposed to be your job."
I blush, though this is hardly the time. "Um... A...Adrien does have an outlet in Guam, he...he took me there..... and uh...." Walter is NOT happy about that 'whack off' comment, though I can't see his face. Verbally, I flounder. We stand, a herd of sheep without our Boarder Collie, turning against each other. Much to my surprise it's Rory that saves my hide. I'm so proud of my son. He's come so far, from the scared child I picked up in a rotting apartment. He's just stuck his head out of Archie, shouting to get our attention.
"I know he ain't been running around whacking nobody. Papa said he had to leave to check up on work before he left last night. He'll be back soon. Please leave Rorschach alone, he's awesome. And Billy...you're a bully!" He then brings his head back into Archimedes. Last night? When he dropped me off, after our trip. I guess he must have mentioned ... maybe this does add up. Maybe Walter didn't kill Adrien. Maybe....
There's a slow disperse of the crowd. Everyone loves Rory, everyone can trust that child. He's a terrible liar, or at least he lets on to be one. Only Comedian hangs back, everyone else going to their general quarter, dealing with their usual line of criminal scum. I start to pull Rorschach to Archie, wanting to avoid altercation. He doesn't budge. I give a few more ineffectual tugs before giving up, walking towards Archie, but staying in ear-shot.
"Listen here, Queerbait. The kid might vouch for you, and that's nice for now, but don't think you're not on my rada-"
Walter's fist makes a brief connection with Comedian's jaw, the Comedian stumbling back, spitting out a few teeth. "Not. Gay."
"Jeshush Chrisht. You're a frucken shycko."
I double back. "Rorschach. Comedian. No inter fighting. Comedian.... Billy.... lay off the sexual insults. Seriously, Linda's going to really castrate you if you keep insulting her girlfriend. And... leave Rorschach the hell alone."
"Or what, Owl?"
Rory pipes up again. "I'll bite you!"
"Son, hush! Grown up time."
I ignore the "aww" focusing more on the fact my lover suddenly has Billy by the throat, letting his feet dangle off the edge of the rooftop, speaking in his gravely monotone.
"Bother me, bother Nite Owl, dare to THINK about what you're planning to do to Nite Hawk, and I will kill you." He fakes a drop, and I yell... and he lets Comedian's feet touch solid ground again, spitting beside him...through the mask.
I don't think, just follow Walter back into Archie.
Once we're in the air, I pull Walter to the back, offering him a coke as I help myself to one. "What he's...planning to do to... Rory?"
"Doesn't succeed. Don't worry."
"But..."
"Don't. Worry." He says it the way he said no bacon. He knows I will anyway, but... he told me not to, so it's my own fault.
"Is it...my fault, that whatever almost happens happens?"
"No. Mine. Don't worry. Doesn't happen, so no point in worrying."
"If...it's your fault. Can't you stop it?"
"No."
And that's the end of that discussion, it seems. He won't tell me anything more.
He gets up, going to the cockpit, handing over the bottle of coke to Rory. I don't like that, my son is rather caffeine sensitive... oh well, just one coke won't kill him. I smile a bit as I get close enough to hear snatches of conversation.
"You stay in the middle. Nite Owl and I cover your flanks. Just worry about straight ahead. Will protect you."
"Rorschach! Nite hawk is not patrolling with us!"
"Yes he is."