Watchmen Page #15

DAN:

Jesus! Rorschach

RORSCHACH:

Good morning, Daniel. I brought in your

paper.

Dan reads the headline: "DR. MANHATTAN LEAVES EARTH."

RORSCHACH (CONT'D)

The Comedian murdered. Dr. Manhattan

exiled. Two of us gone within a week.

Who's next? Veidt? Ms. Jupiter? Me? You?

Rorschach turns for the door as Dan reads the story.

RORSCHACH (CONT'D)

By the way, that new lock broke after one

shove.

DAN:

My new lock?

RORSCHACH:

Get a stronger one, Daniel. You can't be

too security conscious these days.

START WORLD MONTAGE:

RORSCHACH (V.0.) (CONT'D)

These days nobody's safe.

We see the same Pakistani Soldiers from before, only now

there are dozens more TROOPS with them, mobilizing on the

border as are their Indian counterparts--

(CONTINUED)

56.

CONTINUED:

CUT TO:
The Chinese Battleships we saw before, moving towards

the coast of Taiwan. They FIRE SHOTS--

CUT TO:
The Israel Missile Control room we were in before now

bustles with frantic action.

AIDE:

--three synagogues were bombed in Tel

Aviv, a bus exploded in Jerusalem--

ISRAELI OFFICER:

Enough!

(BEAT)

Begin the first wave of air strikes.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - WAR ROOM - DAY

A HUGE MAP OF THE WORLD is projected onto the war-room

screens. The President and his ADVISORS look up at it.

SECRETARY OF STATE

The Chinese have already made their move.

India and Pakistan have engaged and

everyone in the Middle East is going at

Israel. Time to start picking sides, Mr.

President.

PRESIDENT:

Forget picking sides--first, are we safe?

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

We've increased security at all entry

points:
water ports, airports and border

patrol.

PRESIDENT:

I want the National Guard put on the

border. As for the rest of it . let's

not jump into the fray just yet.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

Mr. President, I urge you to--

PRESIDENT:

Let's just wait, okay?! Maybe he'll come

back.

(beat, wishful)

Maybe he'll come back.

INT. VEIDT ENTERPRISES - MAIN LOBBY - DAY

Adrian steps off the elevator when he's met by his Assistant.

(CONTINUED)

57

CONTINUED:

ASSISTANT:

Clock's ticking, Mr. Veidt.

ADRIAN:

I know. I'm meeting the toy people, yes?

ASSISTANT:

Eleven-thirty. They want to talk to you

about some new villains for the

"Ozymandias" line.

ADRIAN:

All the old villains are dead.

ASSISTANT:

What's with everybody today? Everyone's

on this death trip.

ADRIAN:

I suppose the threat of war has that

effect.

ACROSS THE WAY, Dan enters the building, intercepts Adrian.

DAN:

Adrian, I need to talk to you.

Adrian looks put off.

ADRIAN:

Dan, I'm sorry, this is a bad time.

DAN:

But what about what happened with ion?

Adrian excuses himself from his Assistant.

ADRIAN:

Jon's departure is terrible. Not only for

what's happening in the world now, but

for what could have happened. The energy

project he and I were working on--it's

dead now .

DAN:

Rorschach came to see me again. Maybe

there's something to this mask killer

thing.

ADRIAN:

Are you still preoccupied with the

ramblings of that lunatic? I really don't

have time for this, Dan.

(CONTINUED)

58.

CONTINUED:
(2)

Adrian walks away, continuing on with his Assistant

when a MAN in a TRENCHCOAT approaches the pair. He DRAWS A

GUN on them .

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

Sometimes I can't bear to watch the news.

It makes it so hard to be

optimistic Is that a gun?

Dan sees what's happening--

DAN:

Adrian!

BANG! The man SHOOTS the Assistant in the gut; Adrian

immediately springs into action--he moves with unbelievable

speed and quickness, grabbing a velvet ROPE-STANCHION--

--DEFLECTING A SECOND BULLET with it--

--and SMASHING IT INTO THE FACE OF THE ASSASSIN, knocking him

into a FOUNTAIN.

SECURITY GUARDS run, guns drawn, toward the fountain where

Adrian GRAPPLES with the dazed man.

SECURITY GUARD:

Mr. Veidt! Let us handle it!

ADRIAN:

Wait, he's got a poison capsule!

He JAMS his fingers into the Assassin's mouth when Dan

arrives.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)

Don't bite down, you scum! I want to know

who sent you!

The Assassin's eyes BULGE

ADRIAN (CONT'D)

I want to know who's behind this!

The Assassin CHOKES and dies. Adrian DROPS him,

unanswered. He looks over at Dan, frustrated.

INT. CAFE - AFTERNOON

Dan and Laurie sit in the back of the cafe, making sure they

have privacy.

(CONTINUED)

59.

CONTINUED:

LAURIE:

Oh my god. Where's Adrian now?

DAN:

Talking to the cops. Thank god he's still

in great shape. You get so caught up with

the whole smartest man in the world thing

you forget what a physical specimen he is-

-he's as fast as I've ever seen him

(BEAT)

What about you? What are you going to do?

LAURIE:

I'm not sure. I can't go stay with my mom-

-I'm sure that's the first place they'll

look. But I need to get out of the city.

It's only a matter of time before they

find me.

DAN:

Listen, why don't you . how about you

stay at my place?

LAURIE:

Oh, Dan, I couldn't impose--

DAN:

It wouldn't be an imposition, I have an

extra room. We're friends. And with

everything that's been happening

LAURIE:

You're buying into Rorschach's "mask

killer" theory?

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