I own neither Naruto nor Watchmen. But I do own the DeWitts.

Linda DeWitt is a bitch. Yeah.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Walter blinks, and looks down at the little girl talking to him. She has a fistful of his pants leg and is pulling at it, hard. She's maybe four, and has red hair that curls around her shoulders, the same shade and curl his hair has. She has chubby round cheeks.

"Practicing." He says, "Who are you?" She giggles, as if this is funny.

"I'm Emmy Scarlet DeWitt, 'a course! Everyone knows that!" Her pale blue eyes peer at him curiously, a frown briefly curving her cupid's bow of a mouth. "Howcome you don't know that?"

Walter frowns back.

"I just moved here."

"Really? Welcome to Konoha, I guess!" She lets go of his pants leg, and spins around a few times before stopping to look at him again. Her light blue dress swirls around her legs. It matches her eyes exactly. It matches Walter's eyes too. "What's your name? Do you like it here? I think Konoha is way better than other places!"

"I'm Walter. Kovacs. And um, yeah, I think Konoha is nice."

"Now you're talking, you talk funny! You got a- a accent! You was practicing, like my big brother Jacob! He's a ninja, you know. Kara's starting to practice too, and she's bigger than you. She's going to ninja school soon. When I'm big I'm going to be a ninja too! My Daddy was a ninja, but he died and I'm sad 'bout that but I'm going to be just as good as he was. And I'll wear one 'a those headbands!"

Overwhelmed by the speech coming out of the tiny girl, Walter has a thought. A horrible thought.

"Was your dad's name Charlie?" She shuts her mouth, staring, all vivacity and ruffles.

"Wow!" She exclaims, "How'd you know? Everyone in Konoha knows, 'cause he's famous!"

Walter says nothing. Silence is safer than words.

"Well?" She prompts.

"My dad's name is Charlie, too." He says reluctantly.

"Really? You look a little like my Daddy! I'm gonna tell my mom!"

"No."

"Yes! You stay right here, an' I'll be back!" Emmy heads off, out of the shade provided by the park trees, then wades through the crowd of children at the playground.

She runs to a brunette woman in a pale green dress the color of apples, and grabs her hand. As Emmy drags her mother over, the woman's free hand comes up and smoothes Emmy's curls and smiles.

In that moment, the woman who must surely be Mrs. DeWitt is radiant. She is pretty, round cheeks and a heart-shaped face like Emmy's, only more finely boned. She looks like everything a mother should be.

She looks nothing like Walter's mother.

Walter looks at her, and of course his father would choose her, this lovely, kind creature, over his pug-nosed, fat swearing whore of a mother.

In that moment he knows he is nothing more than a mistake, one left uncorrected until it was nine months too late. He knows this suddenly, like he knows the sky is blue.

Emmy finishes pulling her mother over, and drops her hand to point at Walter.

"This is Wally-Walter, mom!" She says, bouncing a little. "Doesn't he look just like Daddy?"

Linda DeWitt stares at Walter like she's seeing a ghost. The healthy color drains from her shapely face.

"Emmy," She says slowly, and even her voice is beautiful, "You should stay away this boy. He isn't nice."

"Yes he is!" Emmy pouts, "He's way nicer than Jacob ever is!"

"No Emmy." Mrs. DeWitt takes her child by the hand. "He's a bad boy-"

"No!" The redheaded girl whines, pulling on her mother's hand,

"-Yes! He is! And I don't want to see you talking to him again. Ever again." She looks him right in the eye, spine straight and proud.

"Don't you dare come near my daughter again you filth." Walter's mouth goes dry. He cannot help but stare, numb. "We're leaving."

Mrs. DeWitt picks up Emmy and leaves.

Leaving Walter behind.

Now he understands why ninja must kill their emotions.

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