The End

Years after he left, Dr. Manhattan returns to watch the end of an era.

"Hello Adrian." Jon says.

In the time he's been away Jon has gained more control over his form, allowing him to appear almost human. His eyes are the only thing that gives him away, shining blue and pupil-less from his old face.

"Hello Jon" Adrian wheezes, pausing as a hacking cough wracks through his thin frame.

Jon smiles sadly at him.

"Don't humor me young man, I may be old but I'm not senile. I suppose you want to know what has happened since you left?" Adrian glared at him, but there was no real malice in it.

"If you would." Jon said genially.

Adrian sighed and looked out the window.

"They blamed me, you know. You killed Rorschach, but they blamed me for it. I guess they loved you too much, or perhaps they thought I had somehow tricked you... whatever it was they abandoned me after you left. " Adrian paused to let the coughing pass, waving off Jon's apologies.


"Forget it. Where was I?

They weren't entirely blameless in the deaths of those people and they knew it, that's why they agreed to keep quiet. Do you remember that day, Jon?"

"Yes Adrian. I remember."

"That was the day I learned who would be willing to sell their soul to the devil to make their lives a little easier. You know as well as I do that I didn't have to do what I did. We could have, with your help, figured out some way to disable all the nuclear weapons, or made Nuclear war obsolete, but no one wanted to think that hard, work to find a different solution...

Rorschach was the only one who would not compromise his morals, no matter how singular and deranged they might have been.

I believe that was the real reason they blamed me, because I showed them exactly how despicable and failable they really were."

Adrian was silent for so long that Jon thought he, perhaps, had fallen asleep again.

"After you left Daniel and Laurie got married, had a couple of kids, moved to the wast coast and cleaned up the crime in Los Angeles. Laurie died about 27 years ago, fighting some nutcase by the name of Ambrose. Brutus Ambrose. Obviously an assumed name. Who in their right mind would name their kid 'foolish immortality'?"

"Perhaps they weren't in their right mind." Jon stated.

Adrian glared at him.

"Don't interupt.

Daniel just sort of gave up that day. His family hates me, though they don't know why. one of the few things I'm greatful for is that they kept their promise. Apparently my appearance at Laurie's funeral was the last time he showed any real emotion. I still have a wire from where his punch cracked my jaw."

Adrian smiled in rememberance, then shook his head.

"Daniel ended up in a glorified nuthouse and hung himself 6 years after Laurie died. He left a note cursing my name. The police looked into the possibility that I had murdered him, but the evidence agaist such a conclusion were overwhelming.

I got married a few years after Laurie and Daniel, had three kids, lost one when he joined the military, lost my daughter to crime fighting and my last just sits in his office all day trying to figure out the best ways to make more money.

....I think I failed somewhere, Jon. I look out on this world that I helped build and I can't help but think that it might have been better to let it burn.

Am I wrong, Jon? Is this world so hopeless as I feel?" Adrian asked, his tone defeated.

"No Adrian. as long as there are people willing to do the right thing, there is hope. You're just tired." Jon smiled at him. " Rest now, I'll keep watch."

"You always were a good man Jon, even when I manipulated you." And with that Adrian fell asleep.

Jon kept a vigil over Adrian, all through the night. Just as the sun rose and the light touched his face Adrian gave a last shuddering breathe and died.

"Goodbye Adrian." Said Jon.

When the nurse looked in an hour later the only sign that Jon had ever been there was the single dark crimson rose on Adrian's chest.

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Dark Crimson Roses represent Mourning.

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