Hey everyone! Thanks again for reading and reviewing this! Thankfully this is still 90% Watchmen based so you really don't need to have seen the Krueger/Elm Street films to understand what's going on but just in case here's a bit of background for non Nightmare On Elm Street fans: Freddy Krueger was a child murderer (and quite possibly also a child molester though it was never confirmed) who got off on a technicality. He was then hunted down by the parents of Elm Street and burnt alive in a warehouse where he had taken all the children.

Let's all hope Rorschach never finds that out.

Part III

Laurie was staring at him like he was insane. Not that Dan blamed her of course. He knew how he looked. Bruised, gauzed and bags under his eyes. The only conclusion he and Rorschach had come to over the past day and a half was that the man in his dreams could only hurt him when he was asleep. Something Dan had figured out on his own but Rorschach needed to test the theory anyway by observing him and being underfoot every second of the day. As of right now, Dan hadn't slept for more than an hour in four days as he and Rorschach poured over books concerning dreams and mythology looking for anything that resembled this thing that was happening.

They'd come up with a blank. There was no mention of this man in any of the books that they found and dreams becoming reality was mostly conjecture or unrelated. Dan didn't think he could stay awake much longer. And sleeping in this state with that man rounding every corner in his head was not acceptable. Not with him getting so close to beating Dan every time and Rorschach having to work harder and harder to wake him up. They needed help and there were very few places to turn.

"A man in your dreams is trying to kill you." Laurie stated plainly before picking up her cigarette and wondering if she had a drink around here. The two men seated before her seemed serious enough about their story, but this was just too out there to be real. Then again, though, she did live with a man who was blue and glowed. "And whatever happens in your dream, happens in real life?"

"Yes." Dan stated evenly with Rorschach standing behind him, frustrated and angry. It wasn't often Rorschach faced an opponent he couldn't hit in the face. "We've tested this theory." More than once. Dan thought to himself as he looked down at the new bite marks on his leg. This guy was a total sicko and Dan couldn't wait to get rid of him. Day dreams of beating him in the face and having the damage stick around for once was one of his few happy moments during the day. "It's crazy, but it's true. And he's pretty determined to kill me."

"I take it fighting back doesn't work?" Laurie added thoughtfully. Dan's eyes were wild and it seemed odd seeing and meeting him out of costume for this- especially with his partner still in the full get-up. Rorschach stood behind him, obviously tense and the black slabs of ink swirling and moving. She really hoped that man's madness hadn't spread over to her friend. "Or you would have handled it."

"He can heal himself. Regenerate. Whatever you call it." Dan groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. At least it was clean now; Rorschach had been listening from outside the door in case he fell over asleep in the shower. "I've beat him up so many times I've exhausted myself. And now all I can do is run and hope he doesn't catch me."

"Is it just him in the dream?" Laurie asked, hoping for more information. She put a hand on Dan's knee for comfort. Whether this was real or some side effect of madness, Laurie needed as many details as possible. Maybe she could contact Adrian and get his opinion on the subject.

"Sometimes, no, it's almost always him. I'll run into other people before the attacks happen because he always drops me off in some weird place before I end up in the boiler room. The others either turn out to be him in disguise or are just random." The man swallowed thinking thoughtfully. Dan looked up. "Like those kids."

Laurie blinked. "Kids?"

"Yeah, a few little girls dressed in white jumping roping and singing a creepy poem." Dan waved his hand. He probably shouldn't' have brought up the weird little girls in his dreams at all with Rorschach so close. "They're usually off to the side or in a room somewhere. It's like they don't belong but do in some odd way."

"What's the poem about?" Laurie pushed forward. His dream was sounding like one big Freudian nightmare. Probably symbolic in some way but Laurie wasn't quite sure she wanted to know the analysis. The last thing they needed was another masked hero going off his rocker. "Maybe they're connected, Dan. Tell me all that you can."

The stressed Nite Owl shrugged. "It's a counting rhyme…let me think, uh. One, two, Freddy's coming for you…and it keeps going with something I can't remember and ends with nine ten never sleep again. It's rather fuzzy as I was too busy looking over my shoulder for the guy in the sweater to pay attention to the nursery rhyme!"

"Think the guy's name is Freddy?" Laurie added before leaning back and crossing her arms. She still wasn't completely sure that Dan wasn't just having some serious hallucinations. Dan and Rorschach got beat up all the time on patrol. For all she knew this was an elaborate joke. But, there was something in the way Dan was shaking that made her feel he deserved the benefit of the doubt. "Maybe you have to address him by name or something."

"I guess. Not exactly ready to jump right back in there and face him." Dan looked down at himself. His ribs and wrist hadn't healed and he was sore all over. "I'm a mess, Laurie."

"I don't know what to tell you, Dan." Laurie sighed and rubbed her face. Maybe she should contact Adrian. Let him handle this psychological stuff. Laurie was more of a beat um' and leave them sort of girl anyway. "We can't exactly help you fight in your head."

"I, I know, Laurie. I'm not sure what I was thinking." Dan stood up shakily and grabbed her hand. He let go after a moment and rubbed it. Laurie was a good friend. Rorschach grunted behind him in annoyance and Nite Owl snorted. Dan had, really good friends. "Thanks for listening."

"Are you going to ask Adrian or Jon for help?" Laurie stood up soon after and held his arm to steady him when Dan swayed. She wouldn't contact either of them if Dan was already planning on visiting.

"Adrian thinks its all in my head." Dan muttered. The genius had been the first place they went despite Rorschach's complaints. "He spent a few hours observing me sleep but this 'Freddy' didn't show until after he'd left. When he did show and the nightmare started, Rorschach went to get him again but by the time they'd gotten there I went still. Whatever's doing this is smart and Adrian can't help us without proof. He's not taking my word for it."

Laurie hesitated a bit. "And Jon?"

"No offense, Laurie, but I don't think I want him in my head any more than the burnt man." Dan chuckled. Jon was an absolute last resort considering they weren't sure just what he could do or what effects he'd have. Besides, sometimes Dan wasn't sure that Jon was really there with them even when he was standing in the room. "I'll let you know if we find anything."

"Let me know if you need anything, Dan. I mean it." Laurie grabbed his shoulders tight before giving him a hug. Silk Spectre still wasn't sure if she believed what Dan was telling her – but she knew that Dan believed what he was saying. Laurie rubbed his shoulders and hoped whatever this was worked itself out for the better. Or at the very least there was something she could do to help in some way. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll try." Dan sighed and leant into the hug before walking out. Telling Laurie had made him feel a tad better even if they hadn't come to a solution. Misery loved company after all and it wasn't fair to burden Rorschach with all of it. Though, Dan had to wonder what options he had left.

"Need sleep, Daniel." Rorschach sat with his hands on his knees. Nite Owl was tinkering with some sort of gadget; hands were shaking. Rorschach was used to not sleeping. Could go two, three days easy patrolling the streets as Kovacs or during his night job. But even Rorschach slept. Power naps on the days he pushed it. Never went past three days; wracked his nerves. Apparently it made Daniel grumpy, too. Definitely not healthy. "Going on six days."

"The record is 11 if I recall, and that was without stimulants." Dan popped another energy pill and chased it down with more coffee. He cursed as he spilt a bit down his shirt. Stupid shaking blasted mug. He slammed it down with more force than necessary. He wondered how long Rorschach would put up with his moodiness but it was hard not to be moody when your friend was breathing down your neck every second of the day. "Stop reminding me I'm not sleeping. It's not helping." He snapped at the end.

"Sleep deprivation causing mood swings."

"And stop stating the obvious!" Dan stood up this time and shouted throwing his screwdriver on the ground. "I know! But you're not the one with a psychopath in his head!"

Rorschach merely grunted and let Nite Owl continue his rant. Rorschach had heard worse threats and curses his way before. Daniel at least didn't mean half of what he was saying. Daniel punched the side of Archimedes and Rorschach decided to intervene before he broke his hand. "Focus, Nite Owl. Calm down."

"Right, right. Calm. I'm calm." Dan let his head hit the side of the ship and felt the cool metal pressing into his forehead. Archimedes always made him feel better somehow, even when they weren't flying together. It was one thing to read about symptoms of sleep deprivation, but experiencing them was another. Dan had thought he could handle it but had apparently done nothing but scream at his best friend. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"Can't help it." Rorschach took his had off and smoothed his face against his hair before turning towards the stairs. He wanted a snack; Daniel still had beans in the cabinet if he remembered. "Not a problem."

Dan pushed up and followed his partner vigilante up the stairs knowing he was headed for the cabinets. Rorschach always ate when he came to visit but Dan didn't particularly mind. He was up for a coffee refresher anyway. "It wouldn't be so bad, ya' know if I wasn't all alone in here."

Rorschach nodded. It was amazing the difference made having someone at your back meant in the field. Rorschach would give anything to get in there and throw a punch or two of his own. Let Daniel take a breather. "Would be there if could."

"I know ya' would, buddy." Dan sighed as he stumbled into his kitchen after the masked man. He almost laughed wondering if Rorschach would appear in his dreams with the mask on. Sometimes Dan didn't think there was a person under that thing; that Rorschach didn't even have an alter identity. If he did, Dan had never met him and Nite Owl wasn't all that sure he needed to. Dan slapped Rorschach on the back of the shoulder in a manly, friendly sort of way. "I know you would."

Rorschach walked slower than usual as he approached the stairs leading up and out of Daniel's basement lair. Something wasn't quite right in the room. He turned slowly and saw Nite Owl's uniform still in place on the wall in its protective case. Archimedes still sitting proudly on its stand, begging for flight. An over head light flickered and Rorschach's gaze jumped to it. A second flicker and he calmed. Would tell Daniel light bulb needed changing.

A loud clatter sounded throughout the room and Rorschach tensed again. Daniel had sent Rorschach down to the lair to pick up a set of plans he was working on to help keep his mind busy while he struggled to stay awake. Rorschach had sat down at the desk and read them for a moment to make sure he had the right papers before standing up with them again. There had been no noises during that entire exchange.

Rorschach dropped the pamphlet of papers on the steps before reaching over the edge to pick up a crow bar. Daniel was good for having things like that around in a pinch. He stalked towards the origin of the clatter and looked around to see a stand of tools on its side. "Show yourself!"

Silence.

Rorschach's grip tightened as he turned the corner looking into the darkened areas where the overhead lights just didn't reach. Stands didn't just fall over. Something there in the lair. Rorschach snarled in anger. First all these problems with Daniel and now scum was coming in with the sewage. Rorschach hoped Daniel didn't mind blood spatter on walls. "Come out!"

This time, Rorschach was met with growling. He stilled when he saw it come out from behind Archimedes. Teeth barred, eyes narrowed. Dog. No, Rorschach took a step back. German Shepard. The vigilante wondered how a dog could have wondered into the lair. Clearly had an owner as the red and green striped bandana hooked around its neck attested to. Rorschach lowered his weapon and sighed. Just a dumb mutt. A second growl occurred and Rorschach turned and nearly dropped the crow bar. The dog had a friend. Another German Shepard.

Whose head was split open like a butterfly.

Memories started flooding back to Rorschach like a sick joke. The panties, the burnt ashes, the bones and the dogs growling back and forth fighting over a person. He remembered killing the dogs that had been eating a person. No, not just a person, a little girl. Too young, too cruel. Why? And most of all-

"You were too late."

Rorschach's throat dried like the Sahara and the crowbar did drop this time. As if appearing from no where standing next to the dog was a tiny little girl that matched a certain missing person's flyer. Rorschach could feel Kovacs choking back to life; shaking. Cowering. Weak. Rorschach would kill whoever was playing this joke on him. That girl couldn't be standing there any more than the dog could. "You're dead."

"And whose fault is that?" The little girl mumbled as she played with her dress him. Rorschach noted the same red and green stripes that had been around the other dog's neck lining her dress. Rorschach turned quickly and realized that the first dog had vanished. The girl giggled. "You didn't save me in time, Mister. The big bad man got me."

"Stop this." Rorschach blurted out. He had left his trench coat in the kitchen so he should have almost been cold in Daniel's basement, but it felt as though the temperature was rising. It was too hot. He loosened the collar of his shirt. Didn't help. The girl kept staring at him with those accusing eyes. Rorschach felt like he couldn't breathe. Kovacs was freaking out. Rorschach had to pull up the bottom of his face to gulp in air directly.

Rorschach felt oddly naked exposing that much.

"Nothing to say?" The little girl (who was not Blair Roche Rorschach repeated to himself) asked sweetly. "Why didn't you find me?"

Breathing seemed too hard and Rorschach pushed down on himself and tried to smother Kovacs. Kovacs was dead and he shouldn't be causing a panic attack. "You're not real."

"I'm not?" The girl chuckled happily and Rorschach flinched when her voice began to drop. When she opened her mouth again, the voice was definitely that of an elder male and scratchy. "And what makes you say that?"

It clicked all too sudden for Rorschach and he ducked down to grab his grow bar. "Freddy." He growled but when he looked up the girl was gone. A slight tingle went up Rorschach's throat and there was a warm breath on his ear. Hand on his stomach under the shirt. "That's what my friend's call me."

The crowbar swung through the air from instinct and swung uselessly in the air missing its target. Rorschach looked around at the ready for the man that had been hunting down his best friend. That had been touching him so disgustingly. "Show yourself!"

"If you insist." Rorschach turned to come face to face with the other man who was so close that they could feel each other's breaths intermingling. The smell was rancid; could peel paint. The room was still unbearably hot and felt ten times so with the man invading his personal space. The man was burnt horribly head to toe as if he'd been trapped in a building and left to burn…

Suddenly the appearance of the Blair Roche girl wasn't all that odd. There had been very few men Rorschach had left to burn to death. Very few who had a personal vendetta against Rorschach. His voice answered back strong and determined. Rorschach didn't fear ghosts. "I killed you!"

Freddy took a few steps back and laughed hysterically before displaying a clawed hand in front of him like a fan. "Good guess, but no. You didn't. Unless you've got a kid on Elm Street perhaps?" Freddy paused and shook his clawed finger towards the masked man. "Not that it matters, I'm pretty sure I would have done the same to that little girl myself if I had been the man that killed your inner self."

This man knew too much. If he wasn't the child killer who'd murdered Rorche, than who was he? "What the hell are you!?"

"I thought you knew." Freddy chuckled. "But really, I'm not here to talk." Freddy disappeared and Rorschach started to spin to try and find the man again fully ready to make sure his face got well acquainted with the metal weapon in his hand. Rorschach hissed when he felt something slam into his gut and slice through his back at once. Freddy's voice was in his ear again. "I'm hear to dance."

Rorschach jerked awake screaming his hoarse lungs out. Looked to side quickly to see Daniel standing there concerned; holding his shoulders. Man, dogs and girl was gone. His personal space was no longer being violated. He was no longer being touched. Man was gone. Just the lair and Rorschach sitting at a desk. "Daniel."

"You fell asleep." Dan spoke softly and rubbed the shoulder. He bit his lip feeling almost guilty. He had forgotten almost that Rorschach wasn't getting any sleep either while keeping watch. And he hadn't been drinking the coffee. It's no wonder he had fallen asleep at Dan's work bench in the basement. "You were screaming so badly I heard you upstairs."

He had been asleep? Rorschach's breathing started to calm. "Woke me up?"

"No, you did that on your own." Dan held his face in his hands praying that Rorschach had just had a normal nightmare. Nite Owl really didn't want to consider the other option. "Are you okay?"

"Saw him." Rorschach gripped his fists on the desk. Daniel's tormenter now had a face. And it was uglier than his own. His voice was choked at he spit out the name of the man he was going to bring to justice. "Saw Fred."

Dan was too distracted to put two and two together just yet concerning his friend suddenly seeing his dream attacker. There were other pressing issues to attend to and Dan wondered slightly if this is how Rorschach must have felt walking in on Dan all those weeks ago. Dan felt himself falling into 'mother hen' mode as Laurie liked to put it. "Your back is bleeding!"

Rorschach jerked when Daniel pulled up the shirt to try and access the damage, tried to ignore the feelings of hands on him. Rorschach hated to be touched and- Daniel was shaking. Instantly distracted from his discomfort, the masked man watched his friend fall to his knees. Rorschach tried to turn and see what had been done to himself to cause such a reaction. "What? What is it Daniel?"

"Your…your back." Dan was going to vomit. He held his hand over his mouth and crawled over towards the utility sink as quickly as he could squashing the guilt of just leaving his friend unanswered.

Rorschach stood and walked slowly, even painfully now that he was aware of the bleeding on his back towards the mirror next to Nite Owl's uniform. He could hear Daniel emptying his stomach sickly and echoing in the background. Rorschach turned his back towards the mirror and gaped openly for a what felt like a full minute. Rorschach snarled before slamming a fist into the mirror. Scratched into his back was a single sentence. Bastard even drew a heart next to his signature:

Now I've got two... Love, Fred Krueger.