Spiritual Succession

In the Line of Kings

(Warnings: Watchmen and V for Vendetta crossover, AU, M for later violence, theorized after-plot to both comics, some movie adaptations)

Even though it had been four long years since that day, the revolution, his voice still soothed her to sleep. The Land-Of-Do-As-You-Please existed in her younger days, cherished in the heart that still clung to the love he had forever left for her. His face was the one she saw in the mirror every time she donned their mask, sometimes her fingers brushing across the reflection, tenderly stroking a plastic jaw, etched deep with artificial lines and exaggerated features. It was easy to pretend that he might still be alive, at least in her.

Evey always dreamt of him when she could, straining to keep his memory alive when no one else could. All else were dead, except her, the last vestige of his legacy that wore his raiment and mask. In the time since then, the four long years since his death, she'd taken whatever means necessary to emulate her mentor perfectly, to preserve his memory through his actions, his philosophies, his ideas. It even came to the point that her stand-in and underling, Dominic Stone, swore that she was exactly like him. It was an illusion extended by a voice-changer embedded in the mask perfected to sound almost exactly like V, developed by her mentor.

The dull sound of footfalls through the cavernous dressing room, Evey catching sight of her older protege in the mirror. Dominic was thirty years old now, a good-looking man in his own right, nine years older than she. Dressed in full costume, they mirrored each other.

"Dominic? You're back from patrol a little early, don't you think?" Evey questioned, their masked faces nearly level as she stood to face him.

Dominic removed his top hat and cloak, draping them on a washi-screen barrier, the mask and wig becoming removed as well. "Evey, I found something...it seemed important, so I didn't want to stall."

Evey removed her mask as well, breaking the supposed tradition of anonymity set by her mentor, done so after the many years spent in friendship. She watched Dominic expectantly as he rummaged through in interior breast pocket within the tunic, finally producing a white fragment that fit perfectly in the cusp of his palm, charred though it was.

Without hesitation she took it as it was proffered it to her, eyes fixated upon the object as she smeared a gloved hand against it, rubbing away the soot caked on. It revealed to be a material like poly glass with an upward indentation, white as porcelain, a faint blush of pink coating the outer side. It was exactly like the cheek of a Guy Fawkes mask.

"Where did you find this?" Evey asked in a whisper, a rare lump beginning to form in her throat.

"During my patrol, I found it in the ruins of the Prime Minister's headquarters, beneath where the Subway used to run. There wasn't much else, but when I saw it...I knew that it was meant for you. I think it was meant to find its way back to you, somehow," Dominic explained, his hand closing Evey's around it.

Evey held it to her chest, feeling tears bead in her eyes. "Thank you, Dominic... Can you leave me alone for a moment?" her voice trembled, her usual control wavering.

Dominic smiled softly before leaving the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

Evey crumpled to the ground, knelt over as she sobbed pathetically, nothing like the stoic masked women V had groomed her to be. Even after all this time, she still loved him so much. Even though he'd never intended to be anything but the embodiment of an idea, separate from any human identity, her love for him was real. To this day the hole in her chest had never healed, every fifth of November marking a day both of sadness and joy in her. The end of a dictatorship, and the noble end of her only true love.

A few minutes later, when all tears had been cried, she resolutely dried her eyes. She went to a corner of the room where she found a workbench she sometimes used to fashion metal implements. Scrap wire was quickly cauterized into a strong frame by torchlight, fashioned around the shard, fitting securely and tightly in. Finding a chain to a bare necklace, she fed it through a small loop, then fastening it to her neck.

"Are you okay, Evey?" Dominic walked in, watching as she tucked the necklace in her tunic. She buttoned it up again, a hand lingering where it rested against her sternum.

She looked up. "I'm perfectly well. You know, he was alone down there for four years. Now he'll be able to see how much London has changed. I think he'll be happy, don't you?"

"I think he'll be proud, Evey. Proud of what you've accomplished."

"It's good to see that you take such a proactive interest in politics, Mr. V, but must you sneak up on me every time you wish to speak? Norsefire is good and dead, you know. You have nothing to fear, my good man," Tony Blair laughed amicably, raising his eyes from his work at the desk and rising to greet Evey, she having entered rather quietly.

"Hello, Mr. Blair. I thought it might be an appropriate time to have a little chat," Evey greeted gracefully, tipping her conical hat, her voice disguised by the voice-changer.

"Ah, the monthly check-up. Honestly, I was actually looking forward to this greatly. You see, the reforestation campaign is a huge success. In just two years, we've restored nearly 20% of our forests to pre-war levels, and the number keeps rising. The turf homes have become hugely successful, and we've resettled 50% of people, up 7% from last month. It's a little slow, but we've recently hired Mr Jacque Fresco and we're set to begin construction on communities based on his designs no later than December. Everything has been absolutely riveting since the new millennium," Blair finished, folding his arms proudly as a slight wind ruffled the papers on his desk.

"This is how humanity was meant to live, V. In absolute harmony with nature and themselves. Someday, I want the United Kingdom to be the flagship of paradise all of humanity should strive towards," Tony commented almost quietly, his gaze resting amid the rooftops of London, glistening solar tiles of every rooftop set ablaze the pleasant November sun. Tree tops rose above the chaos of the city, part of a new ordinance known by everyone as the Eden Promise, which had been set in motion in the spring of 1999, several months after the revolution, a decree that as much nature as possible would be planted within the cities as well as in rural areas.

"And I will gladly serve the people in achieving this dream. Mr Blair, it gladdens me to see that the fruits of our labor have become rewarded so richly. May I ask if you'll be in attendance of the anniversary memorial this evening?" Evey asked, circling around his desk to come at his side. Sunlight poured in through the open window, the Guy Fawkes mask becoming lit to an intense and blinding pearl.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I hope you don't mind, but I also wanted to conduct a reading of the Principles of Union, the new constitution we passed a few years ago. I think it would be important to remind everyone of what we achieved after dispelling the tyranny of Norsefire," Blair stated, hands clasped behind his back.

The Principles of Union were a sort of amalgamation of the every democratic country's constitution, as well as England's own, with many recommended freedoms littered throughout to adjust them for future times, and peppered with some of V's own ideals. Although it was nothing like anarchy, it called for mass representation by the common people and abolished things like the House of Lords, stripping away hierarchical roles in favor of a nearly perfect democracy. It favored people, civil liberties, the freedom of happiness and helped recreate England to one that she was proud to have had a part in creating. Corruption was nearly obliterated and the country was learning to gather itself and stand again.

"It's hard to believe that the terrible war had been started on the ravings of a madman! Imagine, this all could have been averted if only that journal hadn't been published!" Blair suddenly cried, raking his fingers through his hair.

"Journal? Ah yes, the one published by the missing, former American vigilante...Rorschach, was it? I suppose one could understand the moral dilemma of such a fellow, having to choose between one's personal convictions of justice and a false sense of peace," Evey surmised with detached empathy.

"He was a madman. If only that Adrian Veidt hadn't been investigated. Imagine how much tyranny and oppression and death could've been averted..."

"The only way a phoenix can rise is from the ashes. At the time, we'd been a cog of a machine with the machinations destined to doom us all. Surely, even you can see the necessity in light of the tragedy," Evey remarked, clasping her hands together.

"I know; the Cold War, the Manhattan Disaster of '85, World War III, Norsefire, and now us. All of that is behind us, but still, doesn't it make you even slightly chagrined that we could've avoided so much suffering had this never occurred?" he steamed, gesticulating grandly, face pulled taut by slight anger. "I'm sorry, it doesn't really matter now, does it? Still, the rest of the world is in shambles, and we're almost completely oblivious to it."

"However the world chooses to be reborn is none of our business; their futures belong to them. For even noble ventures can spell the ruin of the beneficiaries. You're sending missionaries around the world, aren't you?"

"Yes, but with care. They certainly aren't of religious ilk, but even then I've my reservations. You see, the ones I sent to America haven't returned, and I'm growing rather concerned. After the onslaught of nuclear war and the fake attacks perpetrated by Veidt, they've been upset by civil war for nearly thirteen years now. Even other European countries are struggling greatly. It seems they need some saving grace for themselves," Blair said, glancing at Evey pointedly.

"Whether I would be of such use remains to be seen. Good afternoon, Prime minister."

Blair swept his gaze across the room in confusion, finding that V had disappeared into thin air.

"Yes, good afternoon, indeed..."

The growing reach of night had already blanketed all of the English sky, dotting it with a few reluctant stars, the even darker silhouettes of the buildings around them stood jagged and silent against the midnight resplendence. Multitudes of people were gathered before the hollow remains of the former Prime Minister's residence, the last testament to her love's last act, sagging sadly amid the bright promise of of the city around it.

Evey had perched herself on a rooftop very near to the gay celebrations taking places, the streets bright with small booths lining either side, a diversity of attractions delighting young and old alike. Since legal immigration had been reinstated, minorities once again seen walking the streets, something she'd found herself oddly missing.

Youngsters darted amid the crowds, many donning amateur renditions of V's outfit, Guy Fawkes masks charging to and fro like aimless ghosts.

Evey clasped the necklace as the reading of the Principles of Union began, a hush falling over the crowd as they dutifully listened to Tony Blair, each bowing their heads in silent gratitude as they recalled the nightmare that had once plagued them. A shiver trembled down her spine as she remembered her parents, of V saving her from the Fingermen, of the night when Parliament had been destroyed as a prelude for what would come a mere year later.

Her thumb kept rubbing its slightly raised surface, remembering how she had held his face, many times in the course of that year. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she simply tore off her hat, mask, and wig to rub her eyes, trying to will herself not to cry again.

"So, here you are," a teasing voice greeted, patting her short, tightly curled hair.

"You've really improved in stealth. Nothing like the man who made a fish flopping on suspended tin sheets sound quiet," Evey replied smartly, smiling wryly, trying to hide her evident sadness.

Dominic settled next to her, resting his arms on raised knees as they both leaned against the second tier of a building close to the celebrations. "You're not wearing your disguise. That's rare," he quipped, aimlessly stacking her wig, mask, and hat neatly.

Evey fingered the shard. "I guess I just wanted to be me tonight," she answered unhelpfully, though he saw through that.

"Evey, you know, I like it when you don't wear the mask, the ensemble. You're a beautiful woman, and we don't need to hide from the government anymore," Dominic coaxed tenderly, stroking the side of her face with his hand.

"I'm not doing it for myself. I'm doing it because I think part of me is fighting to remember him," Evey sniffled, tears bubbling up in her eyes. "With every passing day, his memory slips a little more away."

Dominic wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her comfortingly close. His other hand worked to remove his own hat, mask, and wig, laying them aside. "What V did for this country can't ever be compared. But, Evey, I don't think he'd want you to experience prolonged suffering just out of mourning for him. If I were him, I'd want you to be happy with someone. Someone who wants the same ideals and dreams for this country as you. ...You know, I can be that person for you..."

Evey gazed up at him pleadingly. "Dom..."

"I think that my feelings for you aren't exactly secret. But, Evey, I'd never force them on you. I'll be your friend, your ally...but I just think you should know, I'm always here for you. I can be something more, if you want it. Just remember that, Evey." Dominic continued to hold her close, proving to be more comforting than the November cold.

"I still love him so much. More than I did back in the day. I love him so much, it hurts," Evey whispered, barely enough to be heard above the cacophonous fireworks.

Multitudes of color lit the faces of buildings and people alike, crackling and roaring booms splitting the night air. The air suddenly grew still as from the ruins of the old governmental buildings, two lone streaks of flame arced to form a 'V', a halo of smaller fireworks framing it. Evey stared, transfixed, remembering that night, a final tear sliding down her cheek.

Evey rose, pulling on the mask, wig, and hat. "I'll see you back at the Gallery, Dominic."

Before Dominic could question her motives, she leapt deftly off the side, lost to the shadows below.

The remains of the old Underground had been preserved, perhaps out of the respect for the one route that signified the death of an old era, the one last machination that had crystallized its demise. The claustrophobic tunnels held no light and instead consumed it, the rank sweat of the city below seeping down to cool below. Rats skittered in terrified squeaks as she tread down them, the rot of wooden tracks heady in her nose. The darkness swallowed her, but it was comforting instead of threatening.

She silently picked her way down, relying only on a scant memory of the platform, starting she had sent her last good-bye from. The rest she depended on a memory of the world above. Since his death, she had never trespassed in this place that held one of her saddest memories, leaving it be.

Her mind easily navigated the Underground despite her supposed limitations. The years spent honing her abilities had slowly crafted a being nearly like V, although she knew she could never match artificial engineering and extraordinary willpower in order to exact justice. Her time had been spent creating, old enemies dying like withering roses blasted by intense heat. She had no vendetta of her own except the revival of her country.

Evey soon came to where the tumultuous blast had begun, mentally calculating where the cabs had been, where his body had been lain, the trajectory of the debris, the propulsion of metals and explosive material; all done with swift mental alacrity. Her eyes roved the ashen ground, the corrugated architecture, the aimless piles of soot and shrapnel. She spotted the faint indentation of boots identical to hers and immediately drew towards the location.

Her mind became locked on her one goal, thinking of no one and nothing else. Sharp eyes found the rag that consisted of material like the one used in her tunic, a patch of stiff leather from a boot, a charred tuft of artificial hair.

She combed through the area before coming upon a startling discovery: close to the site of where she found the small remnants of V's, a pile of white, powdery dust was found.

Her mind quietly withdrew from its cold calculation, letting the irrational, emotional one take over, something that happened rarely. Evey knelt weakly to where the pile of glass shards were, assuming a fetal position as she held the small fragments of him close, letting a sweeping air of nostalgia fill her, the tears spent. The lump grew in her throat as she tried to fill herself with him, to simply remember his comforting presence from that night all those years ago.

A wave of comfort settled over her, body once stiff now relaxing. Evey could smell the Violet Carsons that he had always carried, perhaps from tending such an abundant amount. She imagined herself being held by him, the sadness melting away into one of love.

Just trust me, Evey, and we can wipe it all away.

"Wipe away what?" she asked the hollow air.

All the pain, all the cruelty, all the bereavement.

"What for?"

We can start again.

Evey never really had taken herself as the type to sleep in such an unlikely and dreary place. She hadn't moved throughout the night, almost in a comatose stasis she'd slept so deeply and for so long. Refreshing as it felt, a tinge of guilt crept into her mind at the fact that she'd neglected to contact Dominic before sleeping the night away amid all of this ruination.

She coughed a few times, blinking blearily before stiffly sitting up, her joints creaking in protest from sleeping oddly for so long.

The first thing that met her eyes was a glowing orb of blue light suspended in air, somewhat large. The imperceptible sound of breathing, that was not her own, drifted into her mind. Her hand still clutched V's remnants in a vice, squeezing tighter when she realized that she wasn't alone.

Evey's mind foolishly entertained a childish thought, blurting it out to the meditative figure hovering with its back to her. "V? Is that you?" she whimpered, her voice still held by sleepiness and disbelief.

The light blue-skinned being seemed to have heard her, slowly facing her, keeping a perfect meditative stance. Evey stared, transfixed at such a spectacle. She and the being met gazes, his eyes opening to a pair of nebulae, not truly eyes, but still striking through to her soul.

"You're Evey Hammond, and this is the London Underground. You have many questions, but I don't have time to answer them all," the being began, his voice soft-spoken and shy, his accent American.

"I don't know who you are, but why are you here? Wait...you're Doctor Manhattan. I remember now..." Evey trailed off, remembering that she'd read about him in that journal sometime ago, in the paper before Norsefire had taken over.

"You know who I am, and you probably know many answers to the questions you seek. However, in about a minute, I'm going to show you myself what happened through my own perspective," Manhattan stated with a bit of detachment, locking eyes with her.

"What are you—"

Evey had no time to react as Manhattan held his hand before her face, sparks contacting her skin, making smaller hairs stand on end.

A reel of events sped through her mind, like a film fast-forwarding. And yet, every picture registered with surprising clarity as she saw the events through his eyes, piecing together what had happened during those dark days.

Evey's knees buckled when he'd finished, huffing slightly from the mental exertion. A long strain of time had passed through her mind, yet barely a second lapsed when he finished.

"Incredible. I knew that you're abilities are extensive, but I had no idea—"

"I'm sorry, "Jon interrupted, "but I must act on my determined path and I cannot deviate from it. You see, I'm going to take you to America and we're going to work with former comrades of mine to help rectify the problems there. You must understand."

"Things are much better here, but I can't just leave without saying where I'm going. Doing so would arouse too much suspicion, and I have a friend that I just can't abandon. I have to tell him where I'm going. And besides...I'm not sure how people would react to you being here. I mean, people are still on edge, because it was your invention that kinda acted as an accomplice in the first place."

"I am aware of global sentiment regarding the belief that I was an accessory to the pandemics. Evey, I came here knowing what I'd face, but that still isn't enough to stop me. My motivations are different from a human's. I act on what I do, which to you would be what would come. I simply am, and I simply do. There is no human emotion involved in my rationale," Jon explained, slowly righting himself, standing tall.

"Alright, then what are we doing? Tell me," Evey demanded lightly, folding her arms.

"I alerted your acquaintances already. Dominic received a note from you, as did Prime Minister Tony Blair. You'll be receiving calls from them on your mobile phone now."

As if on cue, the small earpiece in her left ear began ringing. She pressed her finger to it, answering, "Hello?"

"Evey! Hey, I got your letter. Do what you have to, alright? I'll hold down the fort until you get back. Don't worry about me or the Gallery; everything will be fine," Dominic said all at once, denying her the chance to speak as he hung up. He had the habit of doing that constantly, which slightly irked her, but was a blessed relief as things suddenly became very odd and urgent.

She slowly gazed at Jon incredulously before the earpiece began trilling again. "Hello, Mr. Blair?" She cursed herself for forgetting her voice-changer, swiftly re-affixing the mask to her face.

"V? Odd, for a moment you sounded like a woman. Well, I'm glad to hear that you approved of the celebrations last night."

"Slight interference. I was inspecting the Underground as part of my morning patrol. Yes, they were excellent. If you'll excuse me, I have pressing matters to attend to. Good morning, Mr. Blair," Evey finished quickly, disconnecting the call.

She ripped the mask from her face. "Hm. Would've taken me at least a few more minutes to travel between them so quickly. Very impressive, Doctor."

Evey fell silent, her face falling as she reluctantly opened the fist containing the small remnants, gazing over them sadly. "You know, I've never left London before in my life. True that it was a prison for a good portion of my life, but it's still home, you know? And in a way, I'll be leaving V."

Jon stared at her apathetically before raising a hand, a cloud of dust and glass powder swirling around him, thinning into a ribbon like the rings of Saturn.

She watched in complete and silent fascination as Jon fused the glass shards into viscous glass, white hot. Then, he coaxed the remnants of V gently with telekinetic ease, her squeezed hand slowly unfurling. Those small treasures floated through the air towards him. Next, he compressed each artifact to each glass bead, fusing them together one by one, encasing each vestige in a glass bubble. The suspended necklace became encased by more melted glass from the remains of the glass coffin, a resin to protect it. The Doctor finally affixed each bead to the newly reinforced chain, careful to avoid damage to any of the objects preserved inside, the black dust forming small black beads like onyx that filled the chain entirely, veneered by the glass from the coffin. A last flash of white light partially blinded her, until she felt a weight settle around her neck. Evey gazed at it in awe, too speechless to utter even a simple thanks.

"The black beads not of the glass contain both the glass from his coffin and his ashes. It's all there, for it's all very easily identifiable to me. I understand how humans are very sentimental regarding their loved ones. Your beloved will always be with you, Evey. This should make parting from this place much...simpler, I suppose," Jon explained, walking before her, placing a glowing hand on her shoulder.

Evey wordlessly unbuttoned a few buttons of her tunic, a finger stroking over the mask shard, the glass beads, and the ones crystallized black like onyx. She tucked it securely inside, then buttoning her tunic back up.

"That necklace will stay near you forever. I made it so it would recognize your vibrational signature, so it will always find its way back to you."

Evey simply enveloped him in a hug, whispering, "Thank you so much. This means so much to me."

"Creating such things comes as naturally to me as breathing does to you. I simply anticipated how hard it would be for you to say good-bye, so of course this was the most rational course of action. Come, we must go," Jon said urgently, as steady as his voice was.

Evey nodded, releasing him and finding her things, replacing the mask, wig, and hat. She adjusted her cloak, and raiment, pulling up the boots, making some last minute checks over herself. "I'm ready," she announced, looking expectantly up at him.

Jon took a hand, and in a ring of quantum energy, they were off.

"Jon!"

Evey's vision swam with gray spots as she regained herself, slightly jarred by the instantaneous travel. The blurriness wore off quickly enough as she saw that she was face-to-face with a woman with blonde hair cut to the nape of her neck. Her intense chocolate eyes glared at them both, unsettled by the new arrival.

"Sandra? Is everything okay?" an aging man with similarly colored color asked, entering the living room the four of them were now in.

"Jon? What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back, ever," Laurie folded her arms, slightly standoffish.

"Who is this?" Daniel inquired of Evey, inspecting her warily.

"Let me explain myself. I'd appreciate if you'd sit down, you included, V," Jon requested softly, waiting until they did so. Evey sat on her knees on the floor, knowing that she might not be particularly welcome to sit on any of the furniture pieces, what with their sudden intrusion.

Dan placed a soothing hand on Laurie's shoulder, and she reluctantly sat on the love seat next to her husband.

"I suppose, to begin, I should start with why I'm here in the first place," Jon began. "To put it concisely, I was successful in creating new life. I found a planet much like Mars and began rapidly evolving the microorganisms sheltered beneath the polar ice caps. I created an atmosphere much like ours, melted the polar ice caps and depleted underground reservoirs, forming a single ocean. I raised land to form continents, accelerating the development of microorganisms into specified life forms, from plants to bacteria, to underwater life and birds and land-dwellers. All of this I achieved in the passage of time much like the biblical parable of creation. And finally, once life had developed and the land was verdant and untouched, I created the first man and the first woman in mankind's image. I studied them as they became evolved, as they grew from unsophisticated ape-like men to people exactly like us. In what was like the blink of eye, they progressed through history like we had over a million years ago, progressing from simple beings to highly intelligent beings of our level. They warred with each other, formed tribes, kingdoms, empires, and finally nation states. They developed simple technology, and before long achieved space travel and harnessed nuclear power. Their nations went to war and eradicated all life, eliminated their species entirely. From their destruction, I started over, skipping their creation for a second time. Animals and plants rule that planet, no humanoids existing whatsoever. It was then that I saw a parallel of myself speaking to you as I am now. And I've come here to avert the very crisis that destroyed them, that could destroy all of you," Jon explained, finishing his long-winded explanation.

"You always denied that you god-like. I don't believe you anymore, Jon," Laurie finally spoke. "Alright, what are we doing?"

"You mean, what we're going to do, right?" Dan asked, sounding slightly confused.

"Jon sees time differently than we do. He's like Adrian with televisions in the respect that multiple realities, from his future, his past, all exist simultaneously. It took me awhile to understand, personally," Laurie explained to Dan, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Pardon me, for the intrusion, but I believe suspending my greeting would only be of the utmost rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself: I am V, of England. It is my highest honor and pleasure to meet you both," Evey introduced, plucking off her hat and dipping for a sweeping bow, causing Laurie to giggle slightly.

"It's good to meet you, V," Dan smiled warmly, shaking her hand. "Never thought I'd see another mask around here."

"V, V... Ah, I remember you. You're that revolutionary that spearheaded the fight against that fascist dictatorship in England. I honestly couldn't believe the full story when I read it. And to think that you alone were responsible for so much..." Laurie stood, shaking Evey's hand.

"The man you're thinking of died four years ago, Laurie. This is his successor, Evey Hammond, who was also construed as an accessory of terrorism by Norsefire," Jon told her.

Laurie took a double take between them, in disbelief. "But, V's voice..."

Evey took off the hat, wig, and mask. She set them on a wing back chair, gazing at them silently, sadness in her eyes. "It's an illusion, so people don't know that he died. In reality, only I and my apprentice, Dominic Stone, know that he died. V killed off the last of those who knew about him, as well as many of the corrupt government officials. Those who didn't die by his hand were executed back in 1999. As far as England is concerned, he still lives. He died on November 5th, 1998..." Evey clarified. "Do you want to meet him?"

All three turned towards her, Dan and Laurie's faces being the only ones that registered surprise. Evey unbuttoned her tunic to her collarbone, unfastening the necklace and handing it to Laurie. She and Dan studied respectfully, knowing full well what the necklace was for, before handing it back to Evey.

"It's a beautiful way to remember him. I'm so sorry for your loss, though," Dan consoled, taking his wife's hand and squeezing it.

Evey smiled sadly. "Jon made it for me," she said as she wore the necklace around her neck again.

"I could tell. He may not show it, but he's a very thoughtful man," Laurie praised, smiling slightly at Jon, who smiled softly back.

"I'm glad that you're all acquainted now, but I still have to explain my plan. What poses the greatest threat to all life is that corrupt regimes may come to power, as they did in England. As I'm sure you're all well-aware, the very same thing is happening here, and I fear that the worst has yet to come. The nuclear holocaust we experienced targeted only major cities, under Veidt's plan. What really happened was the third World War. Right now, the civil unrest perpetrated by the war is causing militant political groups to vie for power all over the world, each trying to claim their nation's helm. And if more dictators come to power, I think it's guaranteed that a true nuclear holocaust would be the first consequence."

Jon continued, "My hope is that we can circumnavigate this fate for America, and perhaps emulate V's success in England. From there, we could go on to other countries, perhaps do the same for them. I would reveal myself publicly, but I'm afraid past sentiment may not make for the most receptive of greetings. Successful as the indictments were against Adrian, and though I was officially pardoned, many inevitably correlate me with the disaster. That's why I've come to you three. Although, we'll be needing one more."

Laurie folded her arms. "I can understand the thinking behind this, but it's hard enough keeping these rampant gangs here in New York in control. It's only getting worse, but now you want us to free the whole country from this? Jon, for god's sake, I'm almost 53 years old! I'm not the young, stupid teenager I used to be and I certainly don't think that we can take on this global threat alone."

"I'm almost near the brink of retirement, myself. I'm honestly flattered that you still have faith in us, Jon, but I really hope that your future involves a better option than killing ourselves for the sake of retribution for the planet. In all honestly, I feel like you're underestimating yourself. Can't you just handle this on your own?" Dan figured, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wish it were that simple, but if I deviate from this course, it wouldn't end as you imagine," Jon said.

"I want to follow in my predecessor's footsteps, and do something great. I've learned all I could from him, and taught myself whatever I knew was necessary. But all I ever did in the end was pull a lever that triggered the last leg of the revolution. I didn't plan any of it. I still haven't done anything like that yet. I'm more than capable, I suppose, but America isn't England. I wouldn't know where to begin here," Evey admitted, bowing her head slightly. "But, um, who's this other person you mentioned? Another ally?"

"Anyone I can think of is already dead," Dan noted dryly.

"While I was still on my planet, creating life, I discovered that I could bring back humans from the past. Anyone from Alexander the Great to Ghandi, even Hitler or Stalin, with their memories fully intact, prior to their deaths of course. It was something I never thought I was capable of. And the person who piqued me the most was Rorschach," Jon began, seizing their attentions with that one name.

"You brought him back?" Dan asked breathlessly, reeling at the news. 'What did he say Jon?" Laurie looked less than enthused at the news.

"We spoke at length. He told me everything about himself, and we spoke about the incident with Adrian. I told him what was happening on Earth, and he became extremely interested. He told me to bring him back. He wants to help us," Jon said.

"But Jon, you murdered him, remember? Besides, he hated mankind, except his twisted ideal of it. Maybe he was better off dead. He certainly wanted it," Laurie scoffed slightly, furrowing her brows in irritation.

"Laurie!" Dan chastised.

"It's alright, Dan. When I told him that his journal had been published and he'd posthumously achieved his goal, I made him realize the gravity of what truly happened. Veidt had been arrested and executed, but renewed war had broken out, as we both know. He had achieved his aims, but at the consequence of the third World War. Rorschach still has a strong sense of justice, and had taken a feeling of responsibility regarding his actions. While he does see things in black and white, he clearly knows that letting dangerous, militant factions vie for power would have many negative consequences. Particularly, he doesn't want to see Communism or Socialism spread," Jon concluded.

"If you bring him back, then what?" Evey asked.

"While it will be successful, he will have no memory of ever talking to me. It's almost like the religious conception of past life regression. In actuality, it's simply the mimetic legacy we all carry as our particulate make-up changes form through generations, the matter that consists of all of us harboring memories from past forms. You can't remember it, but it's the reason some people feel connected to places or people, such as how Adrian felt connected to Alexander of Macedonia. Although, he will have a sense of agreeing with me, and therefore he should be cooperative. In any case, I will brief him when I finish, and we can set about our plan," Jon finished, falling silent before disappearing in a nova wave, the blast upsetting fragile objects in the room.

Evey swept back some hair that had been ruffled by Jon's disappearance.

Laurie sighed loudly while walking over to Every, circling an arm around the slightly shorter girl's shoulders. "Dan, I think I'll help Evey settle down. I'm not sure how long Jon will take, but you might as well relax for a bit."

"Of course. We're glad to have you here, Evey," Dan said, waving them off as both women disappeared down a hall.

Evey threw a gaze back at him before refocusing on the rooms within.

She touched a hand to where the pendant rested, hoping everything would turn out okay.

Last thoughts: Okay, well, there goes the first chapter of my first superhero crossover. I hope you liked it, otherwise I guess you would've read to the end.

Just to clarify, no one in this fic will in an OC, if I can help it. If you read V for Vendetta through, you'll know that Evey rescued Dominic Stone near to the end and basically repeated the succession anew, like V had done with her. Really no insight was given into his character or anything, so I did as best I could to make him a decent albeit minor character. For the most part, I'm trying to strictly stick to Moore's stories, with a few changes, like the nuclear holocaust instigated by Adrian in the movie adaptation of the Watchmen. Other than that, I can't think of any changes that have been made. Comic book crossover are very common in the industry, so I think the possibility of something like this really isn't that improbable of happening. Also, the open-ending left by Moore really left a lot of room for something like this to come to mind. My headcanon also thinks that V for Vendetta is the spiritual successor to Watchmen, and that after the publishing of Rorschach's journal, I imagine that maybe a year or two later a serious investigation might have been launched and that after indicting Adrian and arresting him, the USSR might have renewed their fury against the US and might have even seen it as a ploy, or made up their own conspiracy theory. And in the global panic that followed, it might have been during the time following the Watchmen that Norsefire was created and took over the UK, and all of the terrible things happened. Like when Evey describes her personal story to V, the war she mentioned began when she was 7, in 1988. That was only three years after the events of Watchmen, when the war between the US and the USSR peaked at its worst. These connections feel so plausible, and I feel like a story like this could've really happened. That Doctor Manhattan had gone through his experiences and came to an epiphany, or premeditated movement, that he would act on. Maybe it's too convenient, but for this story I want to limit his power and influence like it was in Watchmen. After all, he has the capability to be an absolute God-mod, which would ruin any story. So I want to limit his role to that of an impersonal god who limits himself, not meddling too much in the affairs of humans.

I'll also admit, some of the material is based on my own beliefs, like how an intelligent creative source could've created everything science knows of, and also some New Age beliefs as well. The Venus Project for instance, and other New Age ideas and societal ideologies, like humanity living in complete harmony with the earth and whatnot. Sure, maybe it's a little wishy-washy, but with the way the world is flubbing right now, we really need to evolve our social structures and whatnot. Also, my other goal is to create a partnership between Rorschach and Evey/V. I really like them as characters, and I feel like their dichotomies could be really interesting for them both to overcome.

Lastly, I'm referencing the hell out of the DC wiki, the Watchmen wiki, and the source material from the comics and movies themselves. I want to make this as authentic and true to Moore's vision for his characters, so that you guys will be pleased as well.

In any case, see you in the next chapter!

~Peace, G.