K:

You have shown exceptional development over the past few months,

He's buttering you up, wants to make you feel like he respects you. Don't trust him.

"Rorschach, I know. Teachers do this sort of stuff all the time."

Just don't wanna send you in blind, is all.

Enough progress that you've caught my eye. I had my doubts at first, but after giving you Walter's belongings-

When did he do that? He's one who gave you mask? Grappling gun? Costume? Is that how you came to own them?

"Technically, Dan gave it to me. But Adrian was there."

Why give it to you?

"I wish I knew." It's getting easier and easier to lie to him. So easy to fake ignorance. But I can feel his confusion, wondering why his old belongings wound up in my how well you took to them, I found myself convinced."I wonder who tried to convince him in the first place?" I pondered.

You're starting to think like detective.

I had grown accustomed to how Rorschach gave praise. He never said "good job" or anything like that, he would just state a fact about my progress, and move on, as if he didn't want to dwell on it. I didn't mind it, I preferred it actually. I don't take compliments well, so his method appealed to me.

On October 13th, 1996, please attend the press conference at Veidt Industries. Please arrive at 9:00 sharp, three hours before the press has been told to arrive. You may either come in costume, or there will be a room provided to you for the purpose of changing into your costume.

Arrive in costume, there may-

"Be cameras around?"

I smirked, a bit pleased I had beat him to the punch. His 'lessons' if you could call them that, I had learned well.

You will be briefed extensively on the details of the team, for your own benefit, and because the press may wish to question you about your involvement once they arrive. You will be introduced to your future team mates, and after the press conference, you will be driven to the temporary headquarters of your team. You will be given a room, several tutors for both traditional and nontraditional schooling.

You will not be paid for any work you do on the team, but room, board, facilities, utilities, and food are provided free. You will be expected to meet certain standards of physical, mental, and emotional tests.

"What does he mean by emotional tests?"

Means you're going to talk to doctor so Adrian can know if you're crazy.

"… So… don't tell anyone that I hear you?"

Under no circumstances.

"Got it."

There will be a weeklong series of tests to make sure you can reach all of these standards. If you cannot, you will enter into a three month trial period, where you will be coached and tutored to ensure you meet them.

Once the trial period is over, you will be formally inducted into the team. You will have a representative from human resources whom you can speak with concerning any needs or wants you may have.

"I notice he doesn't mention what will happen if I still don't meet the standards after the three month trial period."

Probably killed. Veidt is no stranger at tying up loose ends. Would rather kill you than have you tell anyone what really goes on in there.

"Do you really think it's going to be that bad in there? That people would want to stop what he's doing?"

Wouldn't be surprised. We'll find out.

I sincerely hope you find fulfillment in working with Watchmen 2.0, and in being the best you can be for this country.

Hmm. Interesting, he almost sounds patriotic on paper.

"A lot of businesses are starting to do this. They associate themselves with the government, to gain support from any conservative citizens. Did they do this when you were-" I barely managed to catch myself before I said alive. Luckily, he didn't dwell on it.

No. But Veidt has never hidden his disgust for America. Always talking about how it needed better leadership, about how he could lead it better, about how he could change it and make it better. Once he came to power, he changed everything.

"Like how oil and gas companies aren't charging us such ridiculous prices anymore, because of how he bought them out and is giving us clean, renewable energy for cars and buildings, without firing ground workers or lower management from the oil and gas companies, just giving them new jobs working for him?" I pointed out. I was no stranger to any news programs before I had run away from home, and even afterwards, now, I still kept up to date with the newspaper Rorschach liked to read, The Frontiersman. It was a paper that focused on the negatives in everything, unlike how other newspapers were starting to write 'fluff articles' about stuff like the locally famous zoo panda giving birth.

Not saying he's a tyrant. Just saying he uses methods that go against fundamental American ways.

"Fair enough." I mumbled. I didn't put much stock into politics.

Concerned about your competition though. Veidt's son will have an edge over you, he's clearly been training. Others on list, you thought Dan's twins might be there? They've likely been trained from a young age, and their parents are both fighters. Orphan from foster care troubles me, he's a wild card.

"I get what you're saying, but I'm not supposed to be the best out of them, I just have to pass a standard, and I'll have plenty of time to do it."

No telling how high standard is. With all others being obviously skilled, might be higher than you're level. I need to start being harder on you in training.

I bit my lip, glancing down at my body.

I have never had much body fat, a life of poverty and malnutrition had seen to it that anywhere I was supposed to have curves, was only bone. Muscle hadn't developed much either, as I had never been on any kind of sports team. Sure, I had played basketball at recess, and skateboarded, but I never had any type of fitness plan to stick to. I was small enough to be agile, and light enough to be fast.

But it had been about two months having Rorschach in my head, and about one month under his training. I noticed that whatever little body fat I had managed to accumulate over the years had vanished completely. I could see clear lines under my skin now, separating biceps from triceps, and my stomach into the neat squares of abs.

It's not that my muscles had grown (much), it was just that there was nothing covering them anymore.

My hands and feet had developed calluses that almost hurt whenever I would drag my hand across my cheek, or over my shoulder. Blisters obtained by slamming into thug's faces, or wooden boards (for lack of a punching bag), or swinging on the grappling gun, had hardened into an armor of skin.

My nose and right cheek had scabs from when he made me hold a hand stand position for half an hour, and I barely made ten minutes, my face breaking my fall onto the concrete floor of my safe house.

Bruises dotted my body like a Dalmatian's spots, most of them on my torso and arms.

Burn marks caressed my left ankle from last week, saving a baby and a toddler from a burning car.

I knew without even moving, that every muscle on my body ached because of all the running, and pushups, and sit ups, and punches, and kicks.

I'm not so sure my body can handle him upping the training. But I knew he didn't care what I thought. He would do whatever he thought he needed to, to shape me into what he wanted me to be.

I thought back to what he had said about Cole, and his training. I hadn't seen Cole since that night at my apartment, over a month ago. I missed him, to be honest. I had had zero interaction with anybody but Rorschach for over a month. Occasionally the thugs I would fight against threw out some clever banter during a fight, but I never replied more than with small threats, like, "You seem to like talking. I'll have to take your tongue first." And then once the beat down ended, and it was torture and interrogate time, the tongue would be the first to go. After that, the thug usually had to write down whatever info we needed... if Rorschach hadn't broken his fingers as well, that is.

What kind of bothered me is that I had always had Cole's back. Not in the most obvious way, but I had known in my own mind that if anyone messed with Cole, I would be there to bash them into the ground. And after that night at my apartment, I now knew that Cole would have my back as well. The Cole from high school, who would take a video if me getting jumped behind the cafeteria was no more. Now, there was a kid there who might jump into the brawl with me, and we'd either get out of it, or go down swinging.

It was nice, knowing that I had that kind of friend now.

It was also nerve wracking, wondering if that had been taken away from me by Adrian's training, or subtle brain washing.

"Do you think... Cole is still going to be the same?" I asked.

Don't count on it. Might have been your friend, but also, Veidt. Has been raised by Adrian, likely will show same underhanded characteristics. In the end, betrayal is definite.

"Definite is a strong word." I protested. "Cole isn't like Adrian... he isn't so... cold."

Believe what you want, just be observant, and don't debate facts.