Prologue.

She didn't know whether or not it was the bullet wound in her side or the fact that she spent the better part of her day judging and killing criminals. It didn't really matter at this point, Anderson was numb mentally and physically.

Everything the Hall of Justice did to train and prepare her for being a Judge was nothing like she faced today. Technically she failed but her strong psychic abilities proved to be invaluable in the field. Mega-city one needed her more than it realized. So here she was, standing in her small cramped apartment trying to make sense of it all.

The bathroom was even worse. There was just enough room to have a tiny shower, a poor excuse of a sink, and a toilet.

Getting a good look at herself in the mirror, she wasn't a rookie anymore. The rest of her innocence was left behind in Peach Trees. Probably erased after executing one of the thugs that begged her for mercy. She had a job to do.

"Attempting to murder a Judge is punishable by death," Dredd's voice echoed in her mind. In their line of work, hesitation could mean death. All the rationalization still didn't make her feel good about herself. It made her want to vomit. So she did. After a couple of dry heaves she rinsed out the salty bitterness and began to strip.

She turned the shower on and gave a verbal command for the water temperature and pressure. Feeling satisfied with scolding hot, she looked in the mirror at her body. All the cuts, bruises, dirt, blood, and grime made her look completely different. Gone was the beautiful young woman and in her place was a killer.

The skin around her bullet wound was redding and swollen. She would have to get professional help later, but not right now. Now she wanted to wash todays shit from her body.

Anderson stepped into the hot spray and closed her eyes. After today the cramped shower and scolding water was a godsend. The water was hot to her skin but she didn't care. The hotter the better. Anything to forget how fucked up her first and last day was.

Twenty-five minutes later she had enough. It was virtually impossible to see from all the steam. Anderson took her towel and wiped a streak across the mirror. She was clean and her yellow blond hair was shiny and vibrant once more. It was the polar opposite of what she was feeling.

Having dried off she hung up her towel and walked back to her bed. Finding a too-big t-shirt, she put it on and pulled on some cotton shorts and collapsed on the bed. Exhaustion finally caught up to her and she was asleep in a few minutes. The nightmares would be worse now. More so than ever before.

She was falling. Falling to her death. But it was alright, Anderson looked around at everything in slow motion. Smoke and ash filled the air and her lungs. It hurt so much. It would be over soon. The ground approached and she closed her eyes. Completely accepting of her fate. Glad that it would all be over in a moment. But that moment never came. Instead she opened her eyes and saw that she was tied to a table, covered in drying blood. The smell was almost unbearable. Then a familiar face came into focus.

"You are so fucked, bitch." Kay's voice echoed in the concrete room.

Anderson's heart dropped into her stomach. Kay approached her and he unsheathed a vicious looking knife.

"If I don't come back, you might not want to get taken alive. Your call." That's all Anderson could think about.

"You should have listened to him. Now I get my turn, bitch."

Kay began to cut the pants off of her. Anderson started to panic and try to escape. But Kay just laughed. "Oh you think you're getting out of this, don't you?" HAHAHAHA, that's cute." Your Judge buddy is a hundred floors down, probably bleeding out."

Kay resumed disrobing her with his knife. Anderson fought but to no avail. In a few moments she was nude. Completely at Kay's mercy. Kay stepped back and looked at her. He whistled."That other bitch has nothing on you, honey. It's a shame for what I'm about to do to you."

At that moment Kay took his knife and gently stroked her abdomen with the blade. Cutting her just enough so a red line appeared. "This is only the beginning." with that being said, Kay grabbed her arm and held it stretched out. Anderson tried to scream but the gag in her mouth prevented it. Kay took the knife and starting to cut a notch at her wrist. Anderson was crying now, wishing he would just finish her off.

"Can't do that baby, there's much more to do." It was like Kay was in her mind. This was hell if it existed. Kay took the knife and in one pull he skinned the top of her arm off. She screamed into the gag and Kay just laughed. Anderson blacked out with his laugh echoing in her brain. She screamed again and sat up in her bed.

Drenched in sweat and shaking with terror, she attempted to regain some composure.

"Fuck, oh fuck." Cassandra muttered into the dark.

Being a victim to night terrors already didn't help her cause any. Watching your parents die to radiation induced cancer as a child will do that to you. Especially when you're a Telepath.

Normally she could just shake them off, but the Peach Trees incident will change a person. Now she gets why Dredd is such a cold calculated person. There's no place for emotions on the the streets of Mega-City 1.

Deciding that sleep was no longer an option, Cassandra got up and walked over to the tiny fridge stationed in the opposite corner of the small room. The only contents were leftover take-out from a Tai place a few levels down. Smelling the package made her lose any appetite she might have. Fortunately there was a half empty bottle of rum in the door.

"That'll have to do then." Pulling the bottle out she reached up into a cabinet and searched for a cup. Pleased with a old plastic cup she returned to her bed and sat on the side, poured a few shots and drained the glass empty. She poured another and repeated the cycle.

An hour later the blue cup was gone. Cassandra lay sprawled across the bed with an almost empty bottle clasped in her left hand. She pulled the bottle to her lips and drained the last of the warm nectar and tossed the bottle somewhere near the bathroom.

The alcohol made her feel a different kind of numb. A numbness that held her whole body. The only thing that wasn't numb was her sharp mind. Even liquor couldn't dull her memories or senses enough.

"Looks like I'm going to the liquor store later." Cassandra sighed and rolled over to look at the wall. The gray painted concrete stared back and offered no comfort. Feeling dissatisfied Cassandra rolled over to face the other wall, expecting it to be different. The only difference was the bathroom door. But that too, didn't offer any comfort.

"Fuck it, I need to get outta here." Cassandra got up and pulled her shoes on, walked to the door and stopped. She could feel a familiar presence at the back of her mind. Cassandra felt anger, masked by a wall of control. Then it hit her.

"Dredd." She opened the door and Dredd was standing there, with is finger on the doorbell.

They both looked at one another for a moment until Dredd spoke up.

"You alright, Rookie?" Dredd's raspy voice filled the tiny room.

Cassandra couldn't find the words to reply. All she managed to say was, "Dredd? What are yoou doin here?" The rum manged to slur her speech.

Dredd just stared back unmoving for a moment.

"Well, I'm waiting."

A few seconds went by then Dredd finally answered. "Just came to check on you. You left in a hurry."

Cassandra took a second to reply. "Well here I am." She let her arm fall to here side with a soft clap, and walked back into her room. "Come inside if you like. I'd offer you a drink but I finished it off before you got here."

Dredd took a step into the tiny apartment and looked around.

"You like?"

Dredd made a grunting noise and turned to Cassandra.

"Anderson, we have to talk." The higher ups' want to make you a Judge. You passed your examination today."

Cassandra thought a moment before speaking. "Fuck. The. Higher. Ups." She slurred the words together and unceremoniously sat on her bed. Lips pouted and looking at Dredd.

Dredd stood there contemplating his words carefully. "You proved yourself today, Anderson. Based on what I saw, you could make a competent Judge."

Cassandra let the words sink in before speaking. "Yeah, well I don't wanna be a Judge. So you can tell the brass where they can shove their expectations!" Cassandra was standing now, having found the courage to yell at the most feared Judge in Mega-City 1. It was probably the Rum, but that didn't matter now.

Dredd didn't flinch, he let her say what she needed to say before speaking.

"It's perfectly natural to feel this way. You were put in an extraordinary situation and you prevailed. Remember you saved me in the lab. You got what it takes Rookie." Dredd remained motionless and his stoic face never changed.

Cassandra didn't think of it that way. She really did save Dredd's life back in Peach Trees. Then soon after he was patching her up.

"So we're even now? I kill a Judge and you patched me up in the elevator?"

"You didn't kill a Judge, Anderson. You executed a criminal that betrayed the law. The judgment was sound, Rookie."

Cassandra gave a sort and stared at Dredd waiting for him to speak again.

Dredd continued to stand motionless. Then looked down at Cassandra's side.

"You should go get that looked at." Dredd deadpanned. "It's starting to bleed again."

Cassandra didn't even notice the warmness spreading down her side.

"Oh fuck me," she exclaimed. All the moving around must of aggravated the self sealing stitches.

Without thinking, Cassandra peeled the soiled shirt off and flung it across the room. She staggered towards the bathroom, looking for something to clean up with.

Dredd turned away to give her some privacy.

Water started to run in the bathroom. Quiet curses emanated out of it followed by mumbling.

Dredd took this moment to look around Anderson's apartment. It was sparse save a framed picture next to the bed. He picked it up to examine it. On one side was a tanned man with dark hair with a blonde woman next to him. In the lower middle was a girl with vibrant yellow blond hair and a toothy grin. Without a doubt, it was a smaller younger Anderson. Except this girl looked happy. Dredd thought back to what the chief justice said.

"Cassandra Anderson, 21. She grew up in a block one-hundred meters from the boundary wall. Both parents died to radiation induced cancer..."

The water stopped running and a few swears later, Cassandra emerged from the bathroom cleaned up looking for a shirt to wear.

Dredd put the picture down and handed Anderson a navy wife beater next to the bed.

"Here."

"Oh, thanks." Anderson took the shirt and Dredd turned away once again.

"i know what it's like." Dredd said all of a sudden.

Confused, Anderson turned to him with a concerned look. "Know what's like?" She left it at that waiting for a reply.

Dredd took a moment and replied. "Losing your parents."

"When I was five my parents were killed during a block war. Stray gunfire came into out apartment. I watched them bleed out." Dredd said no more.

Cassandra stood there dumbfounded. In the academy she had heard about how ruthless Judge Dredd was. All the other cadets admired him. Everyone thought he was just a heartless person with no past.

Dredd turned to look at her. "Now we're even, Rookie."

He walked back to the door and without turning around, "Let's go to the med clinic. Can't have you bleed out on me."

Cassandra was still in shock form what he told her until his voice rang out again. "Come on Anderson. I'll carry you if I have to."

"Oh, right. "

She grabbed her coat and I.D. and followed Dredd out the door.