The tail had followed him across three streets, keeping a consistent but discreet distance. Rorschach had to admit—the other guy was good.
Without a solid background in counter-surveillance, most people wouldn't even notice. Jarvis, for example, hadn't sensed a thing from beginning to end.
Unfortunately for them, what they didn't realize was that Rorschach had already locked onto his pursuer's heartbeat. Every breath, every whispered transmission to his superior—it was all crystal clear.
"Report your location!"
"Sir, the target is heading north on 71st Street."
"Good. A special operations team is en route. ETA: twenty minutes. Keep eyes on."
"Understood, sir."
"Special ops? Bit of an overreaction," Rorschach muttered under his breath. Whoever was behind this clearly thought highly of him.
Not that he was worried. With the skills he had now, a few agents weren't going to change anything.
Still, this meant he might not make it to Stark's on time.
"Jarvis, can you pull over up ahead for a moment?" Rorschach asked, sitting up straight.
Jarvis glanced over, puzzled. "Is everything alright, Mr. Rorschach?"
"Just remembered something I need to take care of. Won't be long—maybe just a little late."
"I see. Would you like me to assist in any way? I've been with Mr. Stark a long time—small errands are no trouble."
"No, it's personal. Nothing complicated, I'll handle it." Rorschach gave him a nod of appreciation.
Jarvis hesitated, then offered, "At least let me drop you off closer to your destination. Afterward, I'll pick you up and take you to Mr. Stark."
"I appreciate the thought, Jarvis, really. But there's no need."
"In that case, I'll inform Mr. Stark of the situation," Jarvis said politely, pulling the car to the curb.
Rorschach nodded, opened the door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Just as he expected, the Ford that had been trailing them pulled over as well. The flat-topped young agent stepped out moments later, staying on his tail with practiced subtlety.
Rorschach acted unaware, walking at a steady pace through the streets. Two blocks later, the buildings thinned out, and the surroundings grew more isolated. The agent finally noticed.
Too quiet.
Was he discovered?
No—it couldn't be. He mentally reviewed his every step. Everything had been clean.
Then, the sharp chirp of a car horn behind him.
Five black SUVs rolled up in formation, flanking both sides of the street. The lead car swerved, blocking Rorschach's path.
Doors flew open.
A total of twenty agents jumped out, weapons raised, rifles pointed directly at him.
"Ah. Stryker," Rorschach muttered, instantly recognizing the setup. And when he saw a certain chatty presence among them, the picture became complete.
"I knew it."
From within the encirclement, Wade emerged, grinning like an idiot.
"You must be wondering, 'Who are these guys? What do they want? Are they gonna kill me?' Bla bla bla…"
Without Stryker to rein him in, Wade's motor mouth was in full swing.
"Let me help. About a month ago, Ohio. A playground. You killed a beast—not literally, but you know what I mean, right?"
"You talk too much," Rorschach cut in, deadpan.
He was starting to get why people wanted to kill those who talked endlessly. For a second, it felt like his head was trapped in a mosquito swarm.
"Let's not waste time. You tell me your purpose, and I'll decide whether or not to kill you. Sound fair?"
"Whoa, easy. I'm getting to it! You interrupted me!" Wade looked a little wounded. "So you admit it—you killed the guy. Great!"
Rorschach scoffed. "At this point, does it matter whether I admit it or not?"
Even Stryker, listening in through the comms, snapped: "Wade, for God's sake, stop the chatter and just get it done."
Wade sighed, then turned serious. "Alright. You're coming with us. Simple."
Rorschach tilted his head thoughtfully. "So, if I go with you, are you planning to step forward with your left foot first… or the right?"
Wade blinked. "Uh… does that matter?"
He wasn't sure if this was some kind of code or trap.
"I don't like people who step forward with their right foot first," Rorschach said flatly. "So I'm going to kill you."
And with that, his eyes flared red.
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