Watchmen Page #3

INT. HOLLIS MASON'S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

CLOSE ON:
A FRAMED PHOTO of the first Watchmen--identical to

the old one in Blake's closet. Holding the photo is HOLLIS

MASON. He puts the photo down, but we don't see his face yet.

HOLLIS (O.S.)

He was young and arrogant, but what he

lacked in experience, he made up for in

. tenacity.

As he speaks, we PAN ACROSS various FRAMED MEMORABILIA: The

first is a NEWSPAPER CLIPPING dated 1958: MYSTERIOUS MASKED

MAN CLEANS UP WHARFS--the caption underneath reads "Hero

Calls Himself The Nite Owl."

HOLLIS (O.S.) (CONT'D)

Guess I was that way too, when I started.

I'll never know what possessed me to put

that mask on the first time.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

8.

CONTINUED:

HOLLIS (O.S.) (CONT'D)

It started with the villains, y'know,

people forget that. Pirate outfits,

ghosts. Gangs that thought it was funny

to dress up and pull heists, crap like

that.

PAN ACROSS:
Another FRAMED CLIPPING, dated 1962: NITE OWL

FORMS WATCHMEN--COSTUMED HEROES COMBINING FORCES! "'We're

going to clean up this town!' Says costumed crusader."

HOLLIS (O.S.) (CONT'D)

So a few cops, we decide it might be

funny to mask up too. Be anonymous. Take

these guys on at the street level, right?

Then the media got wind, ran with it,

turned it into a whole different beast.

PAN ACROSS:
A GOLD STATUE of NITE OWL in his Sixties-era

costume. The plaque below reads: IN GRATITUDE, 1969. Another

clipping:
"Hero Retires, Reveals Identity In Tell All Book."

Finally, we come to HOLLIS MASON (aka Nite Owl), 70s, though

his eyes sparkle with strength and his face still shows the

edges of a born hero. The TV is on in the background.

HOLLIS (CONT'D)

Superheroes, Supervillians--you know who

I ran into the other day at the market?

The Screaming Skull. We chatted for a

while. Turns out he's a born again.

DAN (V.0.)

No way.

We see who Hollis is speaking to--DAN DREIBERG (the second

Nite Owl), late 30's, handsome, though he's let himself go

the past few years--his edges have gone soft. He was in the

photo of the new Watchmen in Blake's apartment.

HOLLIS:

All the nuts that started popping up,

I'll tell ya. Who was that midget you and

your partner chased down years ago?

What'd he call himself?

DAN:

The Big Figure.

HOLLIS:

Big Figure. A midget bad guy. Guess it

doesn't get lower than that, does it?

Hollis laughs at his own joke; Dan chuckles, polite.

(CONTINUED)

9.

CONTINUED:
(2)

DAN:

(glances at his watch)

Wow, it's really late.

Dan stands, finishes his beer. Hollis sees him to the door.

HOLLIS:

Well, even though I spent my time

catching real bad guys, you were still a

better Nite Owl than I ever was.

DAN:

That's bullshit, Hollis, and you know it.

They hug.

HOLLIS:

With all this talk of war, all that's

going on in the world, it's a shame the

government forced all you guys out.

Before Dan can answer he notices a breaking news report on

the TV:

ANCHORWOMAN:

This just in--masked vigilante Rorschach

has assaulted a New York City police

officer who was guarding a crime scene in

the early morning hours. Rorschach is on

the FBIs ten most wanted list for

violation of the Keene Act, which banned

masked heroes ten years ago.

Dan and Hollis watch as an image of Rorschach flashes on

screen.

HOLLIS:

Well, forced all of you guys out except

one.

(BEAT)

Next week?

Dan nods, then leaves.

EXT. HOLLIS MASON'S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

Dan descends the stairs. He pulls up his collar against the

cold and walks down an alley. A SIGN below Hollis' apartment

reads:
"MASON AUTO REPAIRS--Obsolete models a specialty!"

10.

INT. SUBWAY - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

Dan rides the subway, lost in thought, when a group of GANG

MEMBERS, wearing yellow and black BANDANAS brush past him.

ONE stops. Dan's leg is out, a couple inches too far.

GANG LEADER:

Move your leg.

DAN:

What?

GANG LEADER:

I said move, dick.

Dan finally realizes what he's talking about. Dan meets his

eyes, for just a moment and draws back his leg. The

Gang Members snicker at Dan as they pass.

EXT. DAN DREIBERG'S TOWNHOUSE - LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING

Dan walks down the empty street to his TOWNHOUSE, digging for

his keys. Then he stops, suddenly alert.

His front door hangs slightly OPEN--the LOCK'S been SMASHED.

There's a LIGHT on inside. Cautious, Dan enters the house.

INT. DAN DREIBERG'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Dan quietly approaches the light coming from his kitchen. He

hears odd, metal scraping SOUNDS.

INT. DAN'S KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Dan enters the kitchen, stunned to find--

DAN:

Rorschach.

Rorschach sits at the table, mask half up, eating a cold CAN

OF BEANS.

RORSCHACH:

Hello Daniel. I helped myself to some

beans. You don't mind?

DAN:

No, of course not. You uh, want me to

heat some up for you?

RORSCHACH:

No need.

(CONTINUED)

11.

CONTINUED:

Rorschach finishes the can of beans, stands, pulls his mask

back down. There's a strong familiarity between the two but

at the same time, Dan is wary.

DAN:

You were on the news. They say you

attacked a cop.

RORSCHACH:

Minor wound. Won't need hospitalization.

DAN:

Other than that . How have you been

keeping?

RORSCHACH:

Out of prison. So far. Look at this.

He tosses Blake's happy face pin onto the table. Dan picks it

up, runs his fingers over the RED-BROWN SPLOTCH.

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