Rorschach's Journal #12

Dan gets us and Archie safely back to hideout. Graceful landing. Figured he'd be a pro at handling joystick. Must be champion at Pong by now. Lonely, womanless years breed best players.

We exit ship. Dan makes face at Laurie like he wants to have another go at something. Still unsure what happened. Simple game of Connect Four with female likely to excite him for weeks. Operation would just about kill him. "Don't Touch The Sides" would sound like dirty talk.

Before anything (or nothing) can go down, blue flash lights up room. Doctor Manhattan standing in front of us. Have to duck out of way. Almost catch his thing in my eye. Seriously, I've seen him with briefs on before. Why he never wears them, beyond me. Think he does it as a means to intimidate other men in room. Only explanation for such blatant display of freeballing.

Manhattan beckons Laurie to come with him. Dan steps in, claims she's his woman now. First time I've ever seen the Doc laugh. Takes a few minutes for him to regain calm. The indestructible man. Can see both his past and present simultaneously. Emotionless and disenchanted by everything the entirety of universe has to offer. This same man somehow finds Dan's situation pathetic enough to disrupt his immovable view of causality.

Suddenly like Doctor Manhattan very much. Great minds think alike. Both of us recognize two darkest most hopeless things in galaxy. The fate of our world, and Dan Dreiberg's love life. Mental high-five.

Manhattan wipes tears from eyes and doesn't even ask Laurie a second time or wait for answer. Just takes her hand in his and they're gone in a cloud of blue sparks. The silence of the room and Dan's confounded expression consumes me. Laugh until face is wet and soaked through.

Board Archie again. Tell Dan we must investigate Veidt's office. Only one who could have pulled off entire evil plot. Were just kidding ourselves running around in circles for so long.

Breaking in is easy. Finding documents we need, easy. Veidt left them neatly stacked and organized alphabetically on desk. Ozy doing his best not to seem the cliché villain. Have to admit: rather impressed. Saved us the stereotypical search through office using flashlights only.

Dan not satisfied. Tries to hack into computer. Needs a password. Tries many things. OZYMANDIAS. PHARAOH. RAMSES. RAMSESII…THE PHARAOH FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAMSES.

Denied every time.

Tell him to step aside. Fingers fly across keyboard. Explain to Dan you have to get inside mind of a monster. Type in name of most sinister beings ever to wreak havoc on the innocent. Shudder in discontent as I strike "Return" key.

EWOKS.

Dan looks at me like he finally got all the evidence he needs. Can honestly say I'm wacko now. Victory is mine when the computer starts to power up. Pull up face just so he can see my smile. He shakes head and starts searching through files.

What are we looking at here? Dan lists off things he finds. Most files seem to consist of Ozymandias and Alexander the Great slash fiction. One entitled: "Ozy and Alex – Commanders of the M-ass-edonians." Fairly creative.

Find folder relating to Pyramid Deliveries. Various work orders read:

"Work Order to Build Secret Antarctic Facility."

"Work Order to Cover-Up Construction of Secret Antarctic Facility."

"Receipt of Successful Cover-Up of Secret Antarctic Facility."

"Note of Inability to Mail Receipt. Request for Current Address."

"Request to Confirm Current Address Submission at Following Antarctic Address:"

Bureaucracy can be hell on secret plans. We print out coordinates and stride off towards Archie. A nod between us. This may be one-way trip.

Take Dan aside. Motion for a handshake. I know I haven't been easy to work with but…Tough to say…I have been, and shall always be, your friend. He smiles. Shakes my hand. He says he's proud to have been my partner. Likewise, old friend.

Joke's on him. Got that friend line from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Would love to see him attempt to tell someone of my candidness one day, only to have them reply with a Vulcan salute and "Live Long and Prosper." That will be my legacy. He may look upon what we had and believe that I didn't care about our friendship. Not true. As crazy as it sounds, hope he realizes I did care.

Cared enough not to drop him down elevator shaft when he pissed me off. Cared enough to not break fingers when he made fun of my sugar cube addiction. Cared enough not complain when we fought his battles—and cared enough to listen to cries when we lost. Being his partner went against everything Rorschach stands for. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise. Men go to jail. Dogs get put down.

Were my best friend, Daniel Dreiberg. Regret every minute of it. But cared enough not to show it…