"The last idiot like that I had to deal with ended up charging Blasto alone," Quarrel declared as Taylor returned to the safety of her room, rounding out the groups discussion of idiots in the Teeth. "Of course, it was probably less painful than what I was planning for him .."

"So the Teeth have a new minimum required level of intelligence?"

"Given that you are the uh, second or third Butcher to be able to speak in complete sentences," Detonator began, correcting herself after almost forgetting the first, "the Teeth have needed to be good at interpreting what we were trying to say. And in some cases remember that I ran with Lustrum."

There was the sense of a shudder running through all the male Butchers.

"I only wish you'd have let someone else deal with them," Dodger declared.

"You'd still have heard about it…"

"And they'd still have deserved it, I just wouldn't have been there to see."

"You wouldn't have seen them in custody," Taylor asked as she finished storing her personal snacks.

"Like the police would accept statements from anyone associated with the Teeth. Besides, they gave men a bad name."

"My way was better," Amazon insisted. "No chance of tricking someone into healing them and then going back to their old ways."

"I never killed anyone."

There was a pause at the third Butchers statement.

"Um…"

"It was an accident. Why do you think I committed suicide by Cape immediately after? I was responsible for ending a life, when I'd dedicated mine to protecting others! And then the voices… I couldn't take it. It was only after you inherited, when we were alone in the silent emptiness, that I was able to come to terms with it."

"You were too soft-hearted to be a real hero," VII was the first to respond.

"None who would dismiss a crisis of faith as being weak deserves the title Hero," the first declared, the loudest of thirteen voices speaking against VII.

"I wasn't expecting any support. Thank you all," Dodger managed.

"You have to remember there are Villains and then there are Villains. Not all who go into crime had a choice," Forge declared.

"Take me for example. I was mostly staying out of things, then the Butcher attacked me and I ended up inheriting," Detonator agreed. "Hey wait, that was you!"

"And my point is proven."

Taylor couldn't suppress a laugh at the interaction between V and VI.

If she'd considered what it would be like inheriting before her first outing as a hero she would have expected the voices of a bunch of violent psychopaths telling her to go out and kill people.

Sure, there were some like that, but overall they seemed much closer to normal people.

She had heard about the third Butcher being a hero before, but what that meant about him, his acting as a voice of reason amongst the others, had never occurred to her.

"Propaganda."

"Sorry?"

"The PRT and news crews spin a lot of propaganda about the Butcher," Hunter elaborated. "In a way most of us are victims of being Butcher as much as the others we've killed. VII the most obvious exception."

"How do you mean?"

"III was a Buddhist. I doubt this is how he intended to escape the cycle of rebirth."

"I didn't follow that interpretation of Buddhism."

"Is that why you were so affected by Spotters death?"

"Plus it is hard to talk philosophy about actions as a Cape with religious figures. Well, maybe at confession but I am hardly an expert."

"We need Capes who reach a religious position in their hero identities."

"Or villain identity."

"I don't think that would work with a lot of religions…"

{}

In the end Taylor didn't get to field test her outfit that night.

Between the collective getting distracted by the failed mugging only to end up discussing which religions could have a supervillain spokesperson and the presence of Bastion in the Ward common area, apparently waiting for her to try sneaking out and proving she hadn't been ill (or possibly doing his job as Protectorate liaison with the Wards, it was hard to tell the difference sometimes), her opportunity to get out without being seen was lost.

Not that she really needed to sneak out.

Probably.

It wasn't completely inconceivable that her sneaking out, after a sick day, and a new independent appearing could be seen as connected.

Still, given that the secret was no longer 'acting as an independent hero while theoretically a Ward' but rather 'secretly the Butcher, after an accident while acting as an independent hero while theoretically a Ward', it was definitely better to be safe.

So she hadn't got to try out her costume.

Or seeing the result of teleporting while out of phase.

On the other hand, staying up for around forty hours straight was starting to strain the Noctis side of Butcherhood.

Butcherdom?

Whatever the word was.

What that meant was that she ended up getting a proper nights sleep for the first time since someone from the Teeth distracted her at a bad time.

Okay, what had actually happened was she spotted Bastion in the common area and headed back to catch her couple of hours sleep to wait him out, then only woken up gone morning.

Still, she hadn't had any more dreams from Detonator (sure, Amazons weren't much better, but at least none of the women were related to her) and it wasn't like she'd missed anything by not going out, was it?

{}

Shadow Stalker stormed into director Piggotts office, clearly only just holding herself back from slamming her hands on the desk.

The director satisfied herself with just raising an eyebrow.

The psycho- the girls outbursts had been growing increasingly common over the period of 'backbenching' Piggott had selected as a good punishment.

With Shadow Stalker blocked from active duty and the 'school' having it made clear to them that the PRT would be going after them if Hess was allowed to go back to her old ways, there wasn't a whole lot of outlets for her aggression.

And of course each and every time she boiled over too far her punishment increased.

Sooner or later she'd learn to keep herself in check.

Or get herself thrown in juvie.

"Purity's been sighted in Boston."

"Your point?"

"The nazis are weak with her missing. She's their heaviest-*

"They still outnumber us."

"We're better than the losers Kaiser still has with him."

"You are still off all duties which could involve combat," Piggott reminded her. "And between Kaiser, Stormtiger and Hookwolf we would take too many casualties if we moved now."

"You mean we got more bodies, even if none of them are at my level, and even with one of the biggest villains gone we can't do anything?"

"You keep saying 'we' when I think you mean to say 'you'. But allow me to let you in on a secret. Things do not happen in a vacuum. Should we move on the Empire, even with one of their stronger Capes out of the city, that invites the Merchants, the ABB and all the other upcoming gangs to take the opportunity to attack us. And that's assuming Purity is still in Boston."

Shadow Stalker visibly seethed in front of her.

"When am I off the baby duties?"

"Currently? Next week. Given your current track record? You may get to do a patrol as a Protectorate member before you have to retire."

Normally Piggott wouldn't enjoy this so much.

Of course, normally she wasn't dealing with someone who'd been compared to Rinke…

{}

Ana made it clear that she'd been waiting to see if Taylor was going to show up, practically grabbing her as she entered the school.

If she noticed how Taylor automatically tensed at the presence of someone excited to see her she didn't show it.

"You really need to learn that you're safe unless Danger Sense goes off."

"If that's the case, how did VII inherit?"

"I sensed it, but was exhausted. Plus the danger was everywhere."

"What happened to you yesterday?"

Taylor wrenched her attention from the Butchers discussion of how Danger Sense hadn't stopped the next inheriting back to Ana.

"I wasn't feeling too good. Guardian decided I should stat home."

Such as it was.

"You're feeling better now though?"

Taylor nodded. "Seems what I really needed was a proper nights sleep."

"You did mention you having been getting much sleep. Is it because of you moving?"

"Well, she wouldn't have run into us if she didn't, so…"

"It's related," Taylor decided to go with.

"It's too bad it came to a head yesterday. We had a surprise visit from some Wards to give a talk! Oh wait, you said something about rumours that your bullies were Wards…"

"It isn't as though they could have been the same Wards," Taylor pointed out, "unless they could teleport or were from out of town. You don't need to feel guilty about being excited."

"If you can accept that these Wards didn't cause you to Trigger why the # & did you go out and kill me?"

It's the same system that let them get away with it, Taylor answered. Any system that lets anyone get away with what they were doing can hardly be expected to produce heroes. That on top of the teen dramas I was already dreading, and I'd have avoided the Wards completely if I had the chance. I'd have been happily heroing around the Bay.

"With its nazi holes with rumoured trafficking links to a base for systemized brainwashing, its 'Asian extraction' holes involved in human trafficking and its druggy holes who forcefully addict victims to their product, all of whom would be highly interested in a Cape capable of killing the Butcher…"

In fairness, I only discovered I was capable of killing the Butcher by accident-

"That's so much worse! Can't you at least tell people it was a cunning plan you used to kill me, rather than just tearing out my heart by accident?"

"... did look like she was bothered by something though. I wonder what could worry a precog like that? Hopefully just something personal. I mean, what if it's about an Endbringer? Or the new Butcher?"

Butcher XV returned her attention to her friend rather than her predecessors voices.

"If it's something important she's going to pass it on to whoever needs to know."

"I guess… oh right, I was supposed to tell you what work you missed yesterday, not just about the Wards visit! So the English and history departments grouped together to set homework about what life could be like if technology still used an outdated source of power…"

{}

Taylor didn't get a chance to grab her costume before running into Roulette.

She hadn't yet had a chance to perfect the costumes backpack form yet after all.

"I wanted to apologise and introduce myself," the proper Ward began.

"You don't need to," Taylor responded immediately, not wanting to feel any pressure to unmask, before frowning. "Apologise for what?"

"I think your teacher accidentally unmasked you yesterday."

There was a pause.

"What?"

"Taylor, you need to start a List. That teachers name would do."

"I guess I can see where they were coming from," Roulette mused out loud, twisting her hands. "I mean, most schoolkids like heroes, and what to be a hero. So what's the harm in telling a Ward the name of the kid off sick?"

"Because children are oh so trustworthy."

The sarcasm was so strong Taylor was surprised Roulette didn't respond.

"You know who I am?"

"And that's why I need to do this." Roulette took off her mask. "Hello Phase. I am Desdomona Shelly. Dez for short."

For a moment Taylor considered ignoring the offered hand, but paused.

If Roulette had used her real name that would have been it.

She hadn't chosen to let the Ward in on her secret. She didn't have the right to use her name!

But… she hadn't.

She had found it out by accident, and rather than anything else, had come to apologise.

She took Dez's hand in her own. "Pleased to meet you Dez. I would tell you to use mine, but, well…"

"It would be too easy for someone else, who hasn't done anything to even try and earn your trust to hear," Dez finished for her. "I don't blame you. I swear some heroes have nearly used my real name in the field. And not always Wards either."

"That seems… hard to believe."

"Too many people try copying the cartoons," Dez growler, clearly dealing with bad memories. She shook herself. "I'm planning to go out later, as I'm off duty today, so I would invite you, but there are other Wards involved so…"

"Best to avoid the awkwardness. I understand," Taylor told her. "I was already planning to head out anyway."

"Stay safe. If you spot the Butcher call us, okay?"

"Best avoid any mirrors."

{}

Taylor had found an old, disused warehouse to change in while trying to perfect her costume.

It was still just as disused as when she'd found it, making it the perfect place to get changed to try out the latests model.

One advantage she had with the whole 'secret identity' thing was that each version of the costume required her power (or rather Shapers power) to put on or get off.

As a side effect, this let her simply step into it, and feel the fabric close behind her.

"So, which name are you using?"

Taylor frowned.

"Well, as a Ward I am only allowed one Cape identity, so I need to think of something good…"

"Really, Gunmouth? Or should that be Stitch-Face? Or Aztec?"

Taylor flinched slightly.

"Th-those aren't identities," she defended. "They're… urban legends. At best."

"Not Aztec. You know, the latest Butcher? Who you went out as how many times?"

"I never identified myself as Aztec," she protested. "That's simply a name on PRT paperwork."

"Ri-ight. Is Egypt nice this time if year?"

"The plan was to use the identity of Aztec to stop people worrying that Butcher had completely vanished while establishing yourself as a new hero wasn't it?"

Taylor froze.

"You seem to have a bit of a problem with your whole 'technically follow all the rules' plan."

"So what? Fake Aztecs death and set up as the new independent hero… whatever I go with?"

There was a pause.

"Setup some punk as a decoy Butcher and watch the chaos of people trying to track them down. I like it," Bull declared.

"One problem. How does she fake her death believably without risking the guy inheriting?"

"She can phase. Let someone stick a spear or something through her and play dead."

"And if the power drops again Quarrel?"

"When I had to disappear I would use my teleport. Jump to the same place then out and it gives a good impression of having been blown up."

"Asides from the blast giving away the destination."

"So we find someone with major collateral damage from their powers and trick them into trying to kill 'Aztec', teleport away without an explosion and start up under a new name."

There was a pause.

"We've had worse plans.'

"But how to teleport without exploding?"

Taylor hesitated.

"Well, we were going to find out what happens if I teleport while phasing…"

AN: It looks like Purity will be playing fake Butcher. Something I really wasn't planning, but which just came together.

Omake

Dodger laughed as he dodged around the attacks from Spotter, leader of the Teeth since the death of Butcher, and the various members of the Teeth with him, making it clear how easy it was for him to escape injury with his power to sense incoming attacks.

Inside he was much more panicked.

It was against his religion to kill, and there was no way he could take the entire group prisoner.

Any attempts to capture one of them would see the others take the first opportunity to free them, an opportunity that would soon occur when he had to face the others.

He had backup on his way, but given how exhausted he was already becoming, they wouldn't get here in time.

He could run of course, and with his power to help maybe even get away, but that would go against the teachings of his mentor Mouse Protector.

As heroes they were there to inspire innocents as much as to face villains.

If he left here and now, that inspiration would be crippled-

Incoming attack, that had slipped past his danger sense. A quick step to the left, pulling the arm and the weapon within from behind him round his front, as his power directed.

There was a wet sound.

The Teeth froze.

Dodger looked slowly around to where he had redirected the attack.

Spotter stood there, transfixed by the knife in his chest.

"Why are you all standing there? Get him!"

He was already hallucinating the sound of his victims voice.

The Teeth broke, fleeing.

Leaving Dodger alone.

With the body of his victim.

"Come back here," the voice called again.

Dodger couldn't help but agree with it.