Chapter 14

Alice was beginning to worry. It had been a very long time since she'd hidden in the crawl space in the wall and she was growing nervous. Why hadn't Rorschach come to get her yet? Had something happened? Was he hurt? Had the bad man done something to him?

She looked at the door of the crawl space, wondering if she should climb out of there and go looking for him. Would he want her to do that? Would it be wise?

"No, he'd want me to stay here and wait for him," she said to herself.

Alice would have to just wait, even if she didn't want to. So she did, pulling her legs close and wrapping her arms around them. She would wait. She just hoped he would come for her soon.

Please don't for get about me. Please be okay. Please come for me, I don't want to be here any longer. Please.

Please.

For a man who was out of shape and out of practice Daniel was having a pretty easy time taking out Giovanni Fiorina's thugs. It wasn't too long before he'd taken them out and was running into thew house to find his friend and the person he'd come there to rescue. Daniel just hoped he wasn't too late.

Please, Rorschach, don't murder anybody this time. Let the man live. The police will take care of the rest.

Who was Daniel kidding? Ever since the death of Blair Roch mercy was a foreign concept to Rorschach. If he wanted to prevent him from killing anybody he would have to stop him before that.

He just had to find him first.

It wouldn't be too hard to find Rorschach he was still in the room where he'd been tied up, ready to beat the tar out of Giovanni whom he'd rushed at. The mobster had seen him coming and moved out of his way to avoid being hit. That only gave him a little more time because Rorschach was not going to give up on teaching him a lesson so easily.

When Rorschach came at him again he broke into a run, grabbing the door handle and opening it before rushing out of the room and down the hall with the masked vigilante hot on his heels.

Rorschach wouldn't let up on the guy either, he would continue to chase him for as long as it too. This disgusting monster was going to be forced to feel the pain he'd inflicted on that family until Rorschach chose t end it for him in the most painful way possible. This was going to end today and Alice would not have to live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.

He might have failed to save one child but this time he was going to ensure the child could grow up.

Today, your hold over this city ends. I hope you already have a cemetery plot and tombstone picked out.

As he chased the man he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A person that looked a lot like Daniel had stepped into the hall. That would have given him pause in any other situation but he was focused on his mission and ran right past him without even a glance in his friend's direction.

Daniel wasn't important at the moment and he could always ask him how and why he was in the house after he took care of this scumbag.

Daniel had been looking for Rorschach when the mob boss had run past him followed by his friend. He'd paused, eyes widening as the two continued down the hall, well aware Rorschach hadn't even given him a second thought. He knew his friend had something else on his mind, and Daniel knew exactly what it was. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

He was going to kill the man. Daniel could not let that happen.

The former Nite Owl took off after him. "Rorschach, wait!" he called to the other man. "Whatever you're planning on doing, don't!"

But the masked man was ignoring him. Instead of even acknowledging his friend he quickened his pace, closing the gap between himself and his target. Daniel should have known this would happen and also sped up.

He had to catch up with Rorschach before Rorschach reached the man. If he could even catch up with him. Rorschach was pretty fast for somebody so short. It must be due to him still being in shape, unlike Daniel who'd practically let himself go since he'd retired from being a costumed hero.

Maybe I should take up jogging in the park, he thought, huffing and puffing as he ran. It couldn't hurt.

First things first though.

Rorschach was aware Daniel was chasing after him and he had a pretty good idea why. He ignored him though, knowing the man would just try to keep him from doing what his friend considered unlawful. Nite Owl would never understand that removing scum was better than allowing them to live, especially monsters like Giovanni Fiorina who would just get a light sentence if any at all. He would be doing the general population removing this man from the land of the living.

Nobody was going to stop him and that included Daniel Dreiberg.

He was catching up with the mobster now. It was time to end this. Throwing himself forward he tackled the man to the floor, landing on top of him and immediately jamming his knee into his spine to prevent him from getting up again as he grabbed his right arm and yanked it behind him.

As he did this he could sense Daniel had caught up with him and had come to a completed stop. He could also hear him puffing like a train he couldn't help himself from feeling disgusted by the sound. What a pathetic tub of lard Nite Owl had become.

"Rorschach-" he began.

"No, don't even start Daniel," he cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

"But-"

"No!"

Daniel fell silent but he could still feel the man's eyes on him, watching him and judging.

Let him judge. Daniel had always been soft anyway. He never had what it took to make the tough decisions. It was just how it was. He was just going to have to deal with it. Rorschach wasn't like him and didn't want to be like him. That was why he'd rolled over and stopped fighting crime while Rorschach refused to comply. Somebody had to take out the trash after all.

Giovanni Fiorina was trash and it was time to put him out with the rest of it.

"If you do this you will be just as bad as him." Daniel said, unable to hold himself back any longer.

Rorschach turned to look back at him, the ink on his mask moving into a rather unsettling pattern. Was nite owl being serious?! Did he even know anything about the monster on the floor? Or did he simply make such an outrageous claim because Rorschach was going to kill the man?

Probably the latter. Daniel seemed to be ignorant on why he did such things. Wouldn't surprise him in the least.

Unfortunately Daniel had distracted Rorschach long enough for the mob boss to to be able to free himself. When he felt the man's grip loosen he jerked sideways knocking the masked vigilante off of him and then scrambling to his feet and running away. Rorschach shot the former Nite Owl an accusatory look.

"Did that on purpose," he stated.

Daniel didn't argue with him there wasn't a point.

Rorschach got up off the floor., still clearly unhappy about what had just happened. He didn't bother trying to chase him down again, Daniel would never let him and he was probably far away by now. If he wanted to deal with the man he would have to do it later when the former Nite Owl wasn't around to see him do it.

"Happy now?" he asked him. Before Daniel could respond he said. "Now that you're here might as well help me find the girl."

"Where is she?" he asked him.

"Told her to hide till this was over," he said. "Come on."

Rorschach passed by him, hands his his pockets and his posture rigid. Daniel followed him but kept his distance. He could tell his friend was making an effort to keep from exploding so he decided not to antagonize him. At least now he had his mind on something else, finding the girl which had been the reason for this entire misadventure to begin with.

Daniel hoped they found her soon, he just wanted to leave this place and go home before the authorities came and made things worse.

Alice was beginning to think Rorschach had forgotten about her. It had been so long since she'd hidden in the crawlspace.

Maybe he didn't forget at all. Maybe he's dead and won't be coming for me. I'm going to be stuck in this place for the rest of my life and die in this hole, waiting for him.

She started crying as the horrible thought ran rampant in her mind. I'm going to is going to save me. nobody cares about me. Mommy. Daddy. I want you to be alive again and save me!

Just when she was about to give up all hope her ears picked up the sound of a voice calling for her. "Alice!"

Alice lifted her head, listening carefully. She couldn't be sure, but the voice sounded like Rorschach. She heard it again, this time closer.

"Alice! Alice Blake!"

It was Rorschach! He was alive and he hadn't forgotten about her after all!

Relief washed over her and she quickly climbed out of the crawlspace, rushing out of the bathroom and running straight toward that voice. Then she saw him and nothing else mattered. She sprinted toward him, jumping right at him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"You came for me!" she exclaimed. 'You didn't forget about me!"

Rorschach reaching down and patted the girl on the head, letting her hug him without protest. "Promised I would," he reminded her. "Don't break promises."

Daniel watched this without a single word, though it surprised him that Rorschach was actually allowing somebody to touch him. This girl was be something special if he was letting her do so. He wondered how things led up to that but decided not to ask about it. Rorschach wouldn't tell him anyway, he might even deny the whole thing.

Oh well.

After a few more moments he cleared his throat to get their attention. Rorschach stiffened as if he'd just remembered Daniel was with him and turned his head to look at him.

"I don't mean to interrupt but I think we should get out of here," Daniel said. "Before the police arrive to investigate the little,, car accident in the front of the house."

"Right." Rorschach said. he looked down at the girl. "Alice, we have to leave now."

'Okay..." she agreed all too happy to do so.

Rorschach took her hand as he turned back to nite owl. "let's go. Pointless to linger."

Daniel nodded.

They got out of there.

A/N

I have no idea what to do next.