Fugitives

The end is near. Nope. We escaped the asylum and became America's heroes. Brain trauma, survived that. I saw the light, maybe that was the glowing blue giant Dr. Manhattan who revived me. Rift between worlds that doesn't touch anything, yawn. The life of Watchmen is very boring. Maybe that's why the original Watchmen do this mentorship thing, out of boredom.

Rorschach was at the estate, who knows why. He has great timing. His arrival happened just before I cut open my chest to reveal a device my parents put in, square envelope size. The thing was suppressing my superpowers. Some Watchmen from both teams encouraged me to remove it. I said "I don't feel like giving myself a concussion from whatever powers I suddenly have." I took a torch to my chest. It left a scar but sealed the slit.

Rorschach took his black and white mask off for no real reason. He replaced it at lunch. After some drama with Joey shooting Michael's arm for summoning his mase and a bunch of alien looking things trying to take me, during which I got shot and Michael almost killed Joey. After that I had a training session.

I got a one minute head start against the original Watchmen. I had to stop the human Watchmen and reach a device hidden in the woods behind the property to trap Dr. Manhattan. I had a rifle slung over my back, my usual sidearm and mask, I rode into the woods on an ATV from my head start.

First to find me was Nite Owl, he tackled me off the ATV. I pulled the keys out as I went down, preventing a crash and possible fire. I pushed him off me, we stood. I smacked his goggles with my sidearm then fired a shot in front of the lenses, his goggles had night vision. Busted blackness to blinding bright. He was rather unharmed but knocked out of the fight.

I rode away, the Watchmen knew where the device was but I didn't. Silk Spectre and Ozymandias found me next, Rorschach wasn't in on the exercise. Both Laurie and Adrian are formidable opponents not to downplay Daniel as a threat. They tried to corner me. As they attacked I dove and rolled away. Their equal momentum hurt each other. I ruled Ozymandias more dangerous, considering his Cold War scheme made him a killer. As soon as he was down I knocked him out with the butt of my rifle. Silk Spectre recovered so I started a small hand-to-hand battle with her. She hit her head on a tree and that was that. My bike was disabled before the battle really began.

My last opponent was the boss level of this game. Dr. Manhattan himself. Luckily prior battles had only helped me, the Watchmen knew where the device was so they were guarding it unknowingly. I ran in the direction they'd been herding me away from. Dr. Manhattan came up behind me. I knew better than to drop and start shooting like every instinct was telling me to do. I just ran faster. Dr. Manhattan had a strength that was also a weakness. He was a glowing blue giant. I weaved around under treetops, using the height difference to my advantage. Dr. Manhattan had fought in Vietnam, guerilla tactics were a Viet Cong favorite. I reached the device, stopped and slammed my hand on the button when Jon was above me. Exercise over. I helped Silk Spectre up after hitting the button.

I said "I won." We all left the woods together, allies again.

Agents were waiting, for who knows what. I was taking in my victory stupidly as we left the woods. That's when things turned on their head. The original Watchmen fought the agents, who wanted to make me a government asset upon learning I can take both Watchmen teams. We all became fugitives on the run because of it. They tried to use my team against me. President Ronald Reagan was in power. James Carter knew better than to mess with me and Reagan wouldn't do this to America's heroes. Rorschach and I tracked the conspiracy to a government agency's director. I fired the conspiracy ending bullet.

Rorschach almost tried to tell me that I handled it wrong, I said "Misuse of federal resources. He's worst than a common criminal. He uses justice to validate his crimes, people like him use us to further justify breaking the law they swear to protect."

Rorschach could've argued a quick kill is too good for him by my logic but didn't. We got back inside the van, I said "We're going straight to the White House. Reagan maybe new but he needs to learn quick not to mess with us. He wasn't involved in this. FBI Director William Sessions did it alone."

Michael kept calm as he said "You just killed him."

I said "Yes I did. Let's get things sorted out with President Reagan before this spirals."

Adrian said "Okay." He pulled away and stopped at the safe house before driving to the White House.

We marched into the Oval Office unhindered, everyone wearing their pin and costume. I said "President Reagan, your FBI director is dead. He orchestrated the manhunt for us under false pretenses. Which is both stupid and illegal as it is misappropriation of federal resources. We need to ensure no one follows in his footsteps so let us be clear. We want to renew our agreement we had with your predecessor President Carter and I want a full pardon for all crimes committed as a side effect of this unnecessary manhunt. Do we have an arrangement? Keep in mind I know a few people your administration has already aggravated by allowing your director to hunt us Watchmen."

President Ronald Reagan said "You listen here, I don't know what you're talking about with this supposed manhunt but my administration hasn't gotten enough underway to have anything to do with this. You just admitted to killing my FBI director."

I pulled out a tape recorder and Jon shut Reagan up, I played back William's full confession, he made while playing cocky. Reagan said "Alright. I understand how this works. Robert James is your liaison. No charges will be filed against you."

I said "Works for me. We're reinstated with the same deal we had with President Carter."

Reagan said "I didn't say that. According to your arrangement you get full military honors if you decide to leave the service. I will have a new deal drawn up, don't get cocky."

I took the letter opener from his desk and held it up to his neck, "Don't mess with us Ronald. We'll keep our current arrangement or maybe we'll just move to some enemy state and offer them the same thing. Agent Chet Hilts asked Comedian and me to go undercover as assassins, I won't pretend to be something I'm not. Killing the President of the United States could get us somewhere with any enemy state. Can we keep our current deal?"

Reagan said "Just verifying your identity. You really are insane. We have a deal." I flicked the knife away so quickly Reagan's hand flew up to check for a wound.

I shook his hand and we returned to the estate. During the ride, Dan asked "Were you really going to kill the US president?"

I said "The part of our agreement he referenced says we get honors no matter what kills us or who we work for when we die. Meaning if I'm working for Adrian and die of a heart attack I don't lose my military honors. I would kill the president for threatening me."