Disclaimer: I don't own Discworld or Watchmen, they are the property of Terry Pratchett and Alan Moore. And no, I still don't get paid for this, but I keep negotiating with the Gunga Diner...

Sorry I've been so long to update it but I had college obligations and I was looking (and I am still looking) for ideas for the rest of the story.

Moreover, the scenario for the rest of the story has obliged me to revise my old chapters, like this one, a little.

Enjoy and tell me what you think of it by so far, it would be really appreciated !

Chapter 6: The yellow and black Phantasm

Quite early in the morning, the Dean was reading the newspaper in the Great Hall (1), on the front page could be read: A new masked hero in the Shades: Grey Wolf, he began to read the article on the masked hero, apparently he had struggled with the help of Fredson and his mysterious mentor against criminals who were assaulting a seamstress and second her Fredson's mentor's name was Rochnan or Ronald, something like that, and he wore a white mask with moving black stains.

This time it was enough, measures had to be taken against Rincewind and this nutjob, but nobody dared to disturb Rorschach, moreover he had an alibi , he was in the library every nights and the Dean himself had seen him bent over many big books, whereas Rincewind always found a way to sneak out when approached.

"Archchancelor, look at it !"

He showed him the article.

"Concerning the mask, I know you didn't believe me but now, look ! There's a name ! A name !"

"And what name, please ?"

"Second the young lady who has been rescued something like Rochnan or Ronald, personally I think it sounds a lot like Rorschach, don't you think ?"

"If I've understood well, you disturb me because a man, whose exact name isn't known according to this piece of paper, would be called like our guest. Do you remember what I told you about the mask, last time ?"

The Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I remember very well. You said that if this Fredson managed to get a similar mask, then why another guy could not do so."

"And I'll answer the same thing concerning this name. Merely coincidence, nothing more."

"Quite a coincidence, admit it !"

"You really want to prove that Rorschach and Rincewind don't respect our deal with the Patrician obviously, but you seem to forget the main reason why this masked hero the Times is talking about cannot be Rorschach: he's stuck in the Library most of the time ! I would rather see him out playing hero instead, personally I think it's more healthy. And even if he was teaming with these two vigilantes like you seems to think, he wouldn't break the deal: these heroes don't fight licensed assassins and thieves after all."

"Yes, but there would still be a problem if it was the case: Rincewind is not with him, the Time doesn't say an extremely coward wizard is hanging around with these two costumed freaks."

"Well, since Rorschach doesn't leave the University Rincewind doesn't have to go out. Problem solved; Here ! I've seen something moving !" he shouted, turning around suddenly, and he shot through the shrub.

The Dean wondered how the few animals which still were around the University could still be caught by Ridcully, they had to be deaf, quite a problem for the evolution of species.

"Come Dean, let's see what I caught."

Archchancellor Ridcully shot everything and everywhere when he heard a noise he thought to be of animal's origin, which caused some trouble with the servants but no mortal accident until now, the most serious accident was a pierced ear, to avoid any danger, everyone tried to go as far as possible from the Archchancellor when he was seen with his crossbow.

He noticed going past the shrub that he hadn't hit a comestible prey, except for some tribes of Howonda eventually. The bolt had reached Rorschach, more precisely his hat which were stuck in a tree because of the bolt, the faceless man was busy removing the bolt from the tree when the two wizards appeared. He had returned later than usual, he choose to take care of one last thief, which retarded him, he didn't expected to see wizards at such an hour and Ridcully was supposed to be jogging at that moment, not hunting.

"Hello Rorschach ! Glad to see you leave the Library sometimes."

« Morning Ridcully, Dean, » he replied in a voice that didn't sound at all like the one of someone who nearly got his head pierced by a projectile.

"Archchancelor," muttered the Dean. "Maybe you should ask him if he's all right , you know; and don't point that thing on me ! It's loaded !"

"Don't be a crybaby, Dean. And what's the point of asking him if he's all right ? He's not hurt, you can see it, right ?"

"It's about politeness, Archchancelor."

"Coming from you, Dean, it sounds really weird talking about politeness. By the way, don't you wanna ask to our guest how he can be in two places at the same time ? The Dean really wants to know how you can do that Rorschach... Rorschach ?"

The two wizards turned back to notice that the crusader had gone.

"Well, the fellow is definitely distant," said Ridculy shuddering

"Only distant ? Completely antisocial, yes !" yelled the Dean

"BULL'S EYE !" boomed the Archchancelor who had just shot on a duck, new comer in Ankh-Morpok absolutely unaware of the dangers of the University for the winged people. "What did you just said, Dean ?"

·][·

Rorschach got away from the two nuts while they were discussing. If someone else had done that to him, this person wouldn't be able anymore to use his fingers, if the person in question was lucky, but Ridcully was a wizard and even if he had learned that wizards were not supposed to overuse their powers, he didn't want to fight with someone who could throw fireballs at his face, the issue of the fight would be too predictable. First his trench-coat, now his hat, which has resisted many years in New York without getting torn by a bullet or anything, he wondered if his uniform would last long ere. Fortunately, it still remained thread.

·][·

At nightfall, Ridcully walked towards his room after jogging around the building thirty times. All the other wizards were sleeping at that moment, he was the only one able to see the students jumping the wall and he saw, as usual, Rorschach heading towards the Mended Cauldron. He and the students had something in common: they thought nobody saw them. Although Ridcully had noticed for many nights the vigilante's little game he didn't do anything to stop him for various reason. First, he didn't saw him as a bad lad, secondly he didn't want to give the Dean the satisfaction of acknowledging he was right and finally their guest respected the agreement since he only attacked the Shades' scums. As for Rincewind, from what he could see, he was respecting the agreement too. Everything was fine.

·][·

The three vigilantes only had the time to go through two streets in the Shades that screams broke the silence.

"Three men against one girl, cowards ! We got to help her !" said Grey Wolf in a angry voice while they were reaching the place of the aggression.

"A seamstress," precised Rorschach

She had to be a seamstress, being scantily dressed like that.

"What does it change ?" asked the young man who was about to fight, but the other teen dissuaded him from doing so:

"I don't think she needs us, pal. Look."

Indeed, the girl had just thrown on the ground two of his aggressors and was about to get it over with the last one to whom she gave a punch that made him fall on his back, he caught the girl's right leg but she had him drop it by pushing a pointed heel in his hand. He writhed in pain. She was tying them up when the vigilantes approached her. Seeing her closer, Rorschach noticed she looked a lot like Silk Specter, except her hair was pale-blond, she wore a black leotard, a transparent yellow babydoll and a black corset.

She left a yellow card with black kiss on near the "aggressors".

"Are you alright, Miss ?" asked Grey Wolf

"She's not the one with the pierced hand, lad !" said his partner

"Nice from you to ask, Grey Wolf that's it ? An you must be Fredson and Rochnan or Ronald ?" asked the girl

"Rorschach." He wondered how stupid was the woman they rescued last time, unable to remember a simple name. "You fight well, for a seamstress. You're one of the Satan Sisters ?"

"Rorschach, the Satan Sisters must be about thirty," pointed out Fredson

"I am not a seamstress, sir, but my mother is."

"You dress like her so."

She was upset.

"Not this kind of seamstress ! The kind who uses fabric, threads, scissors, you see ? But she mostly make clothes for the kind of seamstresses you referred to earlier, so it's the only suit I've been able to find."

"Not good for fight, hey ?" said Fredson. "Stiletto heels, does not protect from cold or blows..."

"Why should it protect me from blows ? The fact it doesn't cover much distract the attention of my adversary, I can fight more easily and I don't get wounded. As for the stiletto heels, as you may have seen they're sharp enough to compensate the problem you got walking with it."

Rorschach had never thought of this reason to explain the few differences between a female costumed-hero and a whore, normal, he didn't think like the scum he was fighting, especially when it comes to women.

"By the way, what is your name ?" asked Grey Wolf. "I know it would have been more polite to ask you it earlier but..."

"The yellow and black Phantasm, but you can call me the Phantasm," she was smiling and was very close to Grey Wolf saying that, too close. What was wrong with the boy ? wondered Rorschach, he clearly didn't appreciate since he was blushing and trying to move back, why hasn't he pushed her away yet ?

Suddenly, the girl fell, she picked herself up and saw a white face with tricolors stains above her.

"Fredson, why did you do that ?" asked the teen in the wolf costume who turned towards the pissed girl. "Sorry, he's not like that usually. Apologize," he muttered to his partner

"Why should I ? It's her fault, this bitch shouldn't have... HEY !"

The so-called "bitch" had just slapped him. He fought back giving her a punch.

Grey Wolf tried to end the fight, first by speaking to the opponents, but they were so busy insulting each other that they didn't hear him. So he decided to separate them physically, after he dodged a quite dangerous lost knock he turned towards Rorschach:

"Please, help me to separate them before they really get wounded ! Don't just look at them !"

Rorschach had indeed done nothing except watching the two masks fighting, mainly because he didn't disapprove of Fredson's behavior. He reacted normally towards an insult, like his partner should have, too soft, like Daniel, see if he could fix it. He finally decided to grab Fredson, while Grey Wolf was doing the same for the Phantasm, after Grey Wolf nose bled because of a punch of Fredson before they really get wounded as the Wolf-like mask stated earlier. How could they fight crime otherwise ?

They released them after they calmed down, then Grey Wolf goes between them and started talking to his comrades by using the voice:

"Now, shake hands and apologize. Please."

Reluctantly, the Phantasm shook Fredson's gloved hand, the boy briefly contemplated breaking her fingers but renounced, but was still giving him a black look.

Suddenly, a cry pierced the night and the two reached the source of it, even before Rorschach or Grey Wolf.

·][·

"Did you really need to do this to these men ? I mean they surrendered..."

"Could have been a trick," answered Fredson

Grey Wolf sighed and turned towards the Phantasm:

"And was it necessary to pierce his hand with your stiletto ?"

"He was trying to get his knife back."

He was about to argue that Fredson had taken the knife from the man and that he looked more like a man begging for mercy than a threatening thug.

"Tell them something," he asked to Rorschach

The vigilante, who was about to leave, turned towards the two young ones and just said:

"You did right. See you all tomorrow."

"Wait ! They did right ! These men were not threatening the old lady anymore !"

He remembered the old lady the two thugs were threatening with a knife seemed more scared by her saviors than her aggressors, so much that he feared she would have a heart-attack.

"They deserved punishment."

"Wait, you said "see you all", you mean the Phantasm too ?" asked his younger counterpart

"Yes. Just don't fight each other again."

He had yo admit it, the Phantasm was a more than decent fighter from what he had seen this night, even if he despised her costume as much as Silk Specter's one and her attempt to seduce another mask even more.

The faceless young vigilante groaned and swore under his breath as he was leaving whereas the Phantasm was grinning, as for Grey Wolf, he just hoped they would not fight again.

·][·

And for four night they didn't, they didn't talk to each other, but this was already better than expected Grey Wolf decided not asking for too much for the moment. The problem, from his point of view, not from Rorschach's, was that they both had become very violent towards smug, even the not-so-harmful ones (2), if he didn't understand such a violence, Rorschach had an hypothesis about it: they were taking out on criminals to avoid any confrontation between themselves, as long as there were enough punks to keep them busy in the streets there should be no fight like when they first met.

Unfortunately, this night no criminal, not even a little dealer. And the tension between the two was rising, without anything to punch so that it goes away.

Grey Wolf talked with his comrades to pass time.

"You should wear a mask, you know," advised Grey Wolf. "To protect your identity and so on."

"I don't need a mask. I don't often go out and believe, if you saw me as a civilian, you wouldn't think one second that I could be the Phantasm. You don't want me to hide my face entirely like Stain-face, right ? You don't want me to hide such a pretty face behind some mask, do you ?"

The second attempt of seduction on his friend since they first met her. What did that bitch believe she was supposed to do ? Dating ? That was it, he could have stand for the insult and the "Stain-face" thing, but not for that. So he fought back by yanking her hair first.

"Hey ! What's wrong with you ?"

"Sorry, just wanted to check if you at least wear a wig. OUCH !"

She pinched his cheek badly.

"Sorry, I just wanted to check if it was your true face. You must really be ugly if you hide it entirely like you do, if you looked as good as your friend you wouldn't need it."

"You, bitch... OW !"

The two teens started shouting: Rorschach had just grabbed them by their ears.

"What did I say earlier ?"

"No more fighting !" they answered in a perfectly synchronized tone

Then he released them thinking it would be a lesson, and also because he pulled too much fabric without doing it on purpose while grabbing the boy's ear, which revealed a little bit of skin at the neck, he could have unmask a fellow costumed-hero, which would have been awkward, especially coming from him.

"Save it for criminals. Understood ?"

They nodded, rubbing their painful ear,s and then they all separated without having arrested any criminal, a wasted night second Rorschach who hoped the two teens would remember it, he was also trying not to think that Fredson could feel a little more than friendship for his partner since he fought with the girl twice after she attempted to seduce him. No, he had to be wrong, just a good friend protecting his friend from depravity, that was certainly more like it, yes (3).

(1) Usually he is still sleeping like every wizards, except Ridcully, but he had an indigestion which impeached him to do so.

(2) "Harmless" is an adjective that doesn't apply to any criminal in the Shades.

(3) He really hoped his hypothesis was not true since Fredson and Grey Wolf looked a lot like him and Nite Owl, it would be too disturbing.

That's all for the moment, I'll try to update soon, promise.