A/N: So here's the chapter that explains Dredd's backstory on how he came to New York in modern day. It doesn't completely replace the Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker episode, because there's a lot of things that went on in that that weren't just about Butcher, but this chapter is more in depth on how Dredd came to the present day and changed his name to Billy Butcher.

Anyway, the events of Dredd 2012 are canon, as well as some characters and elements from the comics. I won't say which though yet.

Music: "Mega City One" from Dredd

2111- 10 Years Before Our Time

Judge Joseph Dredd rode his Lawmaster through the streets of Mega City One, momentarily passing Peach Trees Block. Peach Trees… It had been ten years since he and Judge Cassandra Anderson took down the drug lord known as Ma-Ma, distributor of the narcotic called Slo-Mo on the streets. At the time, Anderson had been a rookie, fresh out of the academy, and Dredd was to assess her abilities. By all means, she shouldn't have been a Judge, as she had failed her aptitude test, but Chief Judge McGruder insisted to give her a chance, as she was a psychic who could see the truth in criminals. Even when they busted the drug trafficking in Peach Trees, she should have failed when a low life creep had taken her Lawgiver and stupidly tried firing it. The ID didn't accept his DNA, and his entire arm got blown off, exploding the weapon as well. However, Dredd realized the Justice Department needed someone like Anderson. Someone who would be able to dispatch true justice, not the one sided justice he often gave out to perps.

Even though she had failed twice as a Judge, Dredd knew that he would never be able to dispense true justice. So, when Chief Judge Silver asked if she passed or failed, he lied. Or at least, he said what he believed was his truth.

"She's a pass."

Dredd filed the memory back in his mind, as he saw a bright green van driving sporadically through traffic, hitting several vehicles in the process.

"Dredd to Control, in pursuit of a green colored vehicle. Driver not following traffic laws, Sector 13."

Joseph sped up on his Lawmaster, red and blue lights flashing on the front, while the van continued driving recklessly. Dredd watched, as the back door opened up to reveal a man with body piercings, wearing a brown leather jacket, and the top of his head was painted to look similar to a Judge's helmet.

Dredd scoffed, realizing he was part of a gang called 'The Judged'. He thought Ma-Ma had taken them out when she took over Peach Trees. Guess not.

"See you in Hell, Judge!" the gang member yelled, firing an automatic machine gun wildly. Dredd easily swerved his bike, as the bullets slammed into cars and other vehicles behind them. Judge Dredd looked behind him for a second, seeing several cars had swerved in the middle of the road, with blood on their windshields.

"Control, perps are part of the Judged gang, and firing on civilians." Dredd spoke into his comms. "I'm taking them down."

"Copy that, Dredd. Do you require backup?"

"No." Joseph answered, as he activated the built in guns on the Lawmaster. The mounted guns tore through the van's bumper and back tires, making the vehicle flip over.

"Drokk!" the Judged member screamed, as he was thrown from the vehicle and onto the pavement. Dredd stepped off his bike, putting the kickstand down.

"Bike, activate Crowd Control."

"Crowd Control activated." an automated voice said from the Lawmaster. "Citizens, please step away from the crime scene. Interference will result in an automatic five year sentence in the iso cubes."

Dredd checked the vehicle, seeing that the driver, another Judged gang member, was killed on impact. The other gang member…

Joseph looked up, seeing the perp that tried shooting at him running through the crowd, gun raised.

"Get the drokk back!"

Dredd's face formed a scowl, as he slowly followed the creep into a mall. Joseph held his arms up, gun raised, as he slowly walked through the building, following the sounds of gunfire. He looked from left to right, seeing bodies of civilians, either injured, or dead.

"Control, need a med-evac on my location." Dredd declared. "Multiple wounded innocents, as well as bodies for Resyk."

"Copy that, Dredd."

The Judge turned a corner into a chinese restaurant, seeing the Judged member grabbing a woman wearing a checkered red apron, and held the rifle to her face.

"Back up, Judge!" the gang member snarled. "I'm walking out of here!"

Dredd lowered his arms, and stared down the perp.

"Release the hostage, and I'll grant you a life sentence in an iso cube." Dredd told him.

"That's your offer?" the gang member's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Your crimes are violating traffic, hit and run, and attempted murder of a Judge." Dredd told the perp, keeping his voice calm. "If you do not comply, the sentence is death."

"I'll take my chances." the gang member scoffed, as the woman began crying. "You let me walk, or I'll blow her brains out!"

"Have it your way." Dredd muttered, and raised his gun arm. "Armor Piercer."

The Lawgiver lit up with a light blue color, and Joseph squeezed the trigger. A diamond hard titanium bullet soared out, eating through the metal of the creep's rifle and striking him in the neck. The Judged member gasped, letting go of the hostage.

"Standard."

The gun lit up again, and two seconds later, the perp's head had a nice, clean hole between the eyes.

Dredd approached the body, eyeing the bullet hold in his face, before looking back up to the woman.

"Are you alright?" Dredd asked, changing his voice to sound a little bit more compassionate.

"Yes, thank you!" the woman cried out, hugging the wall. Dredd thought back to a similar situation two years ago, when he wouldn't have cared about the hostage's well being. Back then, he had only cared about the perps and creeps, and never about the civilians, or the victims. He liked to think Anderson changed him that night they were stuck in Peach Trees, facing the Ma-Ma Clan. Maybe that's one of the reasons he had said she passed.

"Control to Dredd. Is the pursuit resolved?"

"Affirmative." Dredd said into the comlink attached to his wrist. "The hostage is secured, the perps sentenced."

"Head over to Tek 21. Chief Judge needs to speak with you."

Dredd walked into Tek 21, the Justice Department's Advanced Technological Research Facility, where Chief Judge Silver stood by the doors with Judge Anderson.

"Chief Judge." Dredd nodded, before turning to the rookie he trained.

"Anderson."

"Dredd."

Silver and Anderson nodded as well, as the three began walking through the halls, catching glimpses of other Judges firing experimental Lawgivers at targets, or seeing Tek Judges working on new devices to help out on the streets.

"What's this about?" Dredd asked.

"Our Tek Division has finished their project on the Proteus time machine." Silver announced. "They have been successful with short range tests. Sending people hours, even days into the future."

"And what does that have to do with us?" Dredd asked gruffly.

"They want to send you into the future by ten years." Anderson answered, as they came to a set of doors labeled 'Project Proteus'. The metallic doors automatically opened with a hiss, and the three of them walked into a Tek lab, with Judge scientists walking around. In the center of the room, there was a large, metallic ring on a platform, with computer monitors off to the side.

"Then why are you here, Anderson?"

"If your comms fail, there's a chance she can communicate with you via her psychic abilities." Silver explained. "It's a long shot, but we haven't figured out a better option."

"How am I supposed to get back?" Joseph asked.

"You are to come back to this building once you make the time jump, and immediately come back." Silver ordered. "Proteus should still be here ten years from now."

Dredd nodded, and after being prepped by the Tek Judges, walked up to the platform, and stepped in the center of the giant ring.

"It'll just take a moment, Dredd." one of the Tek Judges, a man with a red beard and bald head, nervously said. A few more strokes on the computer, and the rings began to rotate, as blue electricity crackled.

"The date you'll be sent to is June 23rd, 2121." the same Judge announced, and hit a final button. "Time Displacement in three, two…"

Dredd's eye wandered, seeing another Tek Judge, one with a black beard and a ring head haircut, was getting too close to the generator that powered the machine. He began to point towards the Tek Judge, but before he could say anything, the Tek pulled out a large metal wrench, and began smashing it into the generator. Anderson noticed as well, but it was too late.

"Stop! Shut it down!" Anderson yelled, running over and restraining the Tek Judge, disarming him of the tool in the process.

"I can't!" the red haired Judge cried out. Anderson, Silver, and the Tek Judges were forced to watch, as the ring exploded in blue light, and Judge Dredd was gone.

"What did you do?" Anderson demanded, grabbing the Tek Judge by the collar.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I got rid of Dredd." the Tek Judge sneered. Anderson looked down at his badge, reading the name Desmon Stich.

"You're the one who wanted to replace street Judges with robots." Anderson realized.

"And Dredd shut my ideas down!" Stich yelled. "He mocked my idea, calling my robots 'Mechanismo'. Well, look who got the last laugh!"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Silver asked sternly. "He could be dead!"

"Oh, boo hoo." Desmon said sarcastically. Anderson grabbed the man's head, using her psychic talent to read his mind, and found everything he said was true. He didn't even care if Dredd died in the accident. He hoped for it, even.

"Desmon Stich, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of a fellow Judge, as well as stripped of your own title of Tek Judge effective immediately." Anderson declared, handcuffing the Tek Judge. "You will spend a life sentence in an iso cube without parole. If there is evidence that Dredd is indeed dead, the sentence will be death."

As another Judge hurried in to haul Desmon away, Anderson turned back to Silver and the red bearded Judge.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"We don't know." the Tek Judge shook his head. Anderson grit her teeth, and activated the comms on her wrist.

"Dredd, do you copy?"

Nothing. No response. Not even static.

"Dredd, it's Anderson. Can you read me?"

Still, not a single sound was heard. Anderson closed her eyes, and tried to hear Dredd's thoughts.

Dredd, it's me Anderson. If you can hear me, please answer.

Anderson concentrated as hard as she could, but she couldn't hear her partner.

"I can't find him." Anderson said grimly, facing Silver.

"Can't even sense him?" the Chief Judge asked, causing Anderson to shake her head.

"Wherever he is, it's not 2121."

Music: "Kay Escapes" from Dredd

June 23rd, 2011

Judge Dredd felt the blue light fade, and found himself in a dirty alley. At first, he assumed the time displacement worked, but then he looked up to the sky, seeing a skyscraper with the name Vought on it in the distance. Dredd frowned, realizing he wasn't in Mega City One anymore.

"Dredd to Control, do you have my location?"

Silence. All he could hear was static.

"Control, do you copy?"

Still, no response. Dredd looked down at his wrist comm, seeing it was sparking. His scowl deepened, realizing it must have fried when he moved his hand through the time displacement field.

Drokk.

Joseph heard a scream behind him, and he turned around, seeing a woman with red hair and in a light gray shirt, being held up against the wall by a man in a brown leather jacket. Dredd frowned, noticing that the man's veins seemed to glow orange for a second, before fading, and his fingernails were unusually sharp, like claws.

"Shut up, bitch!" the man growled. Dredd took note that the man sounded exhausted, and he aimed his Lawgiver at the perp.

"Freeze, creep."

The criminal turned around, staring at Dredd with crazed eyes darting around.

"Fuck off!" the man roared, breathing fire from his mouth. Dredd ducked and looked up, as the man leaped at him, his fist raised. Just before the creep landed, Joseph rolled out of the way, putting himself between the criminal and the woman in the process. The perp's fist slammed into the brick wall that used to be behind Dredd, making a sizable hole. Dredd's eyes widened behind his visor, wondering what kind of mutant this was. He couldn't dwell on that now, and raised his Lawgiver, pointing it at the man's head.

"Hi Ex."

The gun made the familiar humming sound, and he fired off three shots. Two in the chest, one in the head. The rounds exploded, but the creep didn't. Instead, he stepped forward, the bullet holes glowing orange, and light the color of fire raced up his body and healed the wounds.

"Get out of here!" Dredd turned to the woman and yelled. The civilian's eyes widened, and she quickly turned around and ran out of the alley. What the Judge didn't know was she only turned a corner, but still watched the two men fight, fascinated by both of them. On the one hand, the one who attacked her was possibly a supe, but not one she had ever heard of that could breathe fire and have a healing factor like that. And the other, her savior… His appearance looked similar to the vigilante Gunpowder, but with more color.

Dredd turned back to the perp, just in time to feel the creep rake his claws across his chest. Joseph grunted in pain, and stepped back, as the perp grabbed him by the collar.

"Any last words… Dredd?" the creep asked, looking down at his eagle badge.

"Yeah, creep- eat helmet!" Dredd growled, before slamming his head into the perp's. The other man instantly let go, and his body glowed orange again, beginning to heal the split lip he just received.

"You… you son of a-"

The perp stopped, clutching his chest, as orange veins began popping up all along his body. He looked over to Dredd, his eyes glowing orange, and his entire body began to illuminate.

"Help me…"

Dredd had no idea what was going on, but he was sure it wasn't good. In a split second decision, he took the Widowmaker off his back and fired a blast, right at his chest. The slug slammed into the creep's body, making him fly back into the brick wall, just as his entire body exploded. Unfortunately, Joseph was still close enough to get caught in the blast, and he was flung backwards several feet, before roughly landing on his back. He tried to get up, or even move, but he felt too weak. He began to wonder if he was about to die, until a shadow loomed over him. Dredd squinted, making out dark red hair, black pants, and a gray shirt.

The woman he told to leave the alley.

"Told you… to leave." Dredd rasped out.

"You saved me." the woman mumbled, pulling on his arm in a feeble attempt to help him up. "Can you stand?"

With the last ounce of his strength, Dredd placed his hand on the wall next to him, and slowly pulled himself up. He tried to steady himself, but found it difficult, and leaned back against the bricks.

"I… we can't stay here." the woman told him, picking up the shotgun and handing it back to him. Once he gripped the Widowmaker by the barrel, the woman placed his arm around her shoulders. "I can help you patch up at my place."

"What about your law enforcement?" Dredd asked. Whatever time he was in, they had to have some type of police force.

"They're notoriously corrupt." the woman shook her head. "They're either bought by street gangs, or they just turn a blind eye to crime in general."

Dredd grimaced, as they stuck to the back alleys. He didn't want to be lead anywhere by the young woman, but he had limited options. If he stayed in the alley, he'd most likely bleed out. If he waited for law enforcement, by her own admission, he might be executed.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Hell's Kitchen, New York." the woman briskly answered.

"What year?"

The woman stared at him, raising an eyebrow.

"2011?"

Judge Dredd exhaled. Drokk. Whatever that Tek Judge did, it made the time machine malfunction. Instead of sending him forward ten years into the future, it sent him back one hundred in the past. And now, there was no time machine to bring him back. No Tek Division. No Hall of Justice. Grud, the Justice Department wouldn't even be established for another twenty years.

The woman led Joseph to an apartment building, and they quietly stepped inside, going down the hall and opening the door marked 108, and stepped inside to reveal a small room with a brown couch and lamp next to it. On the wall in front was a television, and behind it was a doorway leading to a kitchen and bathroom.

Dredd was led by the woman he saved over to the couch, where he laid on his back.

"I'll get some first aid-"

"No." Dredd told her, beginning to unzip his uniform to reveal the cuts he sustained. He proceeded to reach at his vest and belt, unclipping a dark green pouch with a cross on it. The pouch opened, and he grabbed a small black tube with a yellow cap. He popped the cap off, and ran the tube over the cuts. A light pink substance oozed out, making a hissing sound and cauterizing the wounds.

"What is that?" the woman asked.

"Basic field dressing." Dredd answered, grabbing a device that looked like a small staple gun. He hovered the tool over his wounds and pressed down four times each. Once he removed the gun, she watched, as the stitches closed together on their own, bringing the broken pieces of skin together.

"That's… amazing." the woman gasped, but then noticed there were bruises on the man's chin.

"Your- your face."

"I'll be fine." Dredd shrugged, and was about to get up, but she gently pushed him back on the couch.

"You saved me." the woman repeated, as she went to the kitchen to soak up a washcloth. "It's the least I can do."

"It was my job." Dredd called out. "Creep was breaking the law."

"And it was your job to stop him?" the woman asked, returning with the washcloth. "I'll need to remove your helmet."

Dredd grunted, but decided to comply, and slowly took his helmet off, revealing his black hair and brown eyes.

"Yeah." Joseph murmured, answering her question, as she pressed the cloth to the bruises on his face.

"Where are you from?" the woman asked, still dabbing the washcloth on his wounds.

"What do you mean?" Dredd looked up at her with a frown.

"In the alley, you just… appeared." she explained. "There was blue light, and lightning- it was the shit I'd see in a Terminator movie."

Dredd stared at her, thinking of what he should say. He thought about lying, but he was a Judge of Mega City One. Or at least, he used to be. He wasn't sure of anything from the last hour. As far as he knew, New York, especially a hundred years prior, wasn't in the Justice Department's jurisdiction. Then again, he did lie about Anderson's assessment.

Joseph sighed, and looked up, deciding to tell her truth. She seemed to already know he was from the future, so did it really matter?

"I'm from the year 2111. America is an irradiated wasteland." Dredd revealed. "Within it lies a city. Outside the boundary walls, a desert. The Cursed Earth. Inside the walls, a cursed city, stretching from Boston to Washington DC. An unbroken, concrete landscape. Eight hundred million people living in the ruin of the old world… and the mega-structures of the new one. Mega blocks. Mega highways. Mega City One. Convulsing. Choking. Breaking under its own weight. Citizens are in fear of the street… the gun… the gang. There's only one thing fighting for order in the chaos. The men and women of the Hall of Justice. Juries, executioners… Judges."

"That sounds awful." she murmured, pausing for a moment. Dredd nodded. Yes, it was. Eight hundred million people taking up residence in Mega City One, and every single one of them could be a potential criminal. There were even corrupt Judges, who accepted bribes, or were paid off by gangs, just like the police force in Hell's Kitchen-

"Is that your name?" the woman asked, pointing to his badge and breaking him out of his thoughts. "Dredd?"

Joseph nodded.

"Judge Dredd…" the woman whispered, letting the name roll off the tongue. Dredd let out a small smile, breaking his stoney faced expression, and nodded.

"I'm Rebecca Saunders." the woman held her hand downward. "My friends call me Becca."

"Joseph." Dredd replied, grasping her hand and slowly shaking it.

"Well, Joseph, do you need a place to stay?" Becca asked, smiling slightly. "You did just save me, after all."

Dredd slightly smiled back.

"Yes ma'am."

Over the next several weeks, Dredd became almost a completely different person. He had changed his name to Billy Butcher, and had picked up on the slang used in the 21st century. Instead of drokk, he said 'Fuck'. Instead of grud, it was 'God'. It wasn't even that hard, as two years ago, perps would always use that language, before Mega City One replaced such phrases. He even decided, in a bizarre decision, to talk in a British accent, after having spent a year in Brit Cit once.

With his expertise, he could have easily become a cop, but Becca was against it. Even though he probably would do some good on the force, she was afraid for him. And, as odd as it was, he felt the same way. Strangely enough, Joseph had grown to care for Rebecca, until he finally admitted it. Despite the abstinence training since he was five years old, he was in love. In love with her, and in love with New York. It was like being in this time period was infectious, enticing. He remembered once, when he had journeyed into the Cursed Earth outside of Mega City One's walls and lost his memory for a time, making him take on the persona 'The Dead Man'. But this wasn't memory loss. Whatever was happening to Dredd, it was of his own choice of wanting to stay in New York.

Dredd, or Butcher, as he was now calling himself, settled on a job in security at Stark Industries. He remembered years ago, his niece Vienna had suggested it to him as a safer alternative to being a street Judge, and here he was. He had only met Tony Stark once, at a press conference where he revealed his plans for Stark Tower in Manhattan. Through Stark, though, he found out the thing that attacked him in that alley was a two bit perp named Mallen, who had volunteered for a program nicknamed 'Extremis', which was carried out by Advanced Idea Mechanics, or AIM for short. A few times, Butcher considered going back to his old life as a Judge, but there were superheroes who saved the world. He quickly learned that Stark was the hero known as Iron Man, and a few months ago, someone with a magic hammer had surfaced in New Mexico, fighting a giant metal monster. Whatsmore, there were others with powers, labeled 'supes' by the media, who stopped small time crimes.

It wasn't a full month after Butcher arrived in New York, when he decided to ask Becca the biggest question of his life. Everything had been perfect; the golden ring, the diamond on it… he was overjoyed when she practically screamed yes, and they kissed in the middle of her apartment.

"William Butcher, do you take Rebecca Saunders to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Butcher smiled, turning away from Father Lantom, and looked at Becca. He didn't exactly know the priest, but Becca insisted on letting him marry them, as she had known him for quite some time.

"I do."

"And do you, Rebecca Saunders, take William Butcher to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Becca grinned.

"Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Lantom announced. "You may kiss the bride-"

Becca all but tore her veil off, grabbed Billy by the shoulders, and kissed him. Butcher was surprised for a moment, but wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer. In the pews of Clinton Church, everyone stood up and clapped. Most of the people invited were Becca's family and friends, including her sister Rachel, and a blind man she knew from church as a friend, Matt Murdock. Eventually, the kiss ended, and Billy pulled back to see her face. The face of his wife, now called Becca Butcher. Billy smiled, repeating the name over and over in his head.

Becca Butcher.

He wasn't going to lie, it had a nice ring to it.

"I love you, Billy Butcher." Becca smiled.

"And I love you… Becca Butcher." Billy grinned.

After they married, Billy had saved up to purchase a nicer home, outside of Hell's Kitchen. It took some time moving, especially since it included moving his gear from when he was a street Judge. No way did he want just anyone knowing about that. Once they were completely moved in, Billy had a walk-in safe installed in the closet, where he stored his gear and weapons, in case he ever needed them again. Of course, he would 'play' with them, from time to time, just to keep his aim up...

Butcher had gotten the day off, and coincidentally, so did Becca. They had spent the morning in bed together, listening to the traffic. Billy ran his fingers through her hair, while she looked over to him.

"Hey." she smiled slightly.

"Hi." Billy murmured, dropping the British accent for a moment.

"So, we both have the day off…" Becca's voice trailed away. Butcher smirked, and stared at the closet in front of him. Or rather, he tried staring past the clothes, to the keypad at the back wall.

"Billy?"

"Hmm?" Butcher asked lazily, tearing his eyes away from the closet to look at his wife. God, she was beautiful.

"What were you thinking about?" Becca asked.

"I was thinking… about teaching you to shoot." Billy decided, getting out of bed and going over to the closet. He quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a white shirt with cargo pockets, before parting the clothes to see the keypad at the back. He reached his hand out, stretching a finger to put in the number passcode.

09212012.

Music: "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" from Dredd

The walls parted, revealing the closet's safe full of his gear. Billy looked at his former uniform and helmet, seeing faded scratch marks. He and Becca had patched the suit up as best they could, but the marks were still visible. Nevertheless, it was still way more reliable than the kevlar that the modern police wore.

Butcher took his Lawgiver off the wall, right next to his helmet, pleased to see that there was still a magazine still in there. Then again, why wouldn't there be? He made sure to always have it loaded, and by his count, there was still just enough of each type of bullet.

Billy turned back to his wife, who had put on jeans and a faded black leather jacket.

"You're teaching me with that?" Becca asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Butcher smirked, as he tapped the small blue display on the side of the gun.

Add DNA?

Butcher tapped Yes.

"Hold out your hand." Billy told her. Becca slowly extended her hand, and felt the cold metal placed into her palm. Her fingers curled around the grip and trigger well, and she looked down at the electronic display.

DNA Accepted.

ID OK.

"What kind of gun is this?" Becca asked, looking at her husband. It never occurred to her, in the past two months since they met in that alley, to ask about the question.

"The Lawgiver. It's similar to the Glock people use today." Billy answered. "They can only be fired by the Judges. Their DNA is scanned through the handgrip, to make sure it's them firing, and not some low life perp."

"What would happen if it didn't accept my DNA?" Becca inquired.

"You'd be down one arm." Butcher said bluntly, and he began to walk out of the apartment.

"Where are you going?"

Butcher turned around, smirking.

"We are going to a shooting range." Billy grinned. "I know just the place."

Twenty minutes later, after making a couple stops for shooting supplies, the Butchers were standing outside at an outdoor shooting range. Orange and brown leaves scattered the ground, signaling that it was now the month of October, four months after he came to this time and place. Billy stood close to his wife, positioning her arms in a bent V shape, and aiming at a paper target fifty feet away.

"Right, so before you fire, there's four types of ammunition in the gun you're holding." Butcher told her.

"Aside from Hi Ex?" Becca asked.

"High Explosive round." Billy explained. "Does the same damage as a fucking shotgun blast."

"And the others?"

"Standard FMJ shot, Armor Piercer, and Incendiary." Billy listed off. "Just say the name of the round you want to use, and it'll automatically switch to it."

"Okay… Standard."

The familiar humming was heard, and Becca aimed at the paper target, squeezing the trigger. Billy squinted, seeing a fresh hole in the target's side.

"Not bad." Butcher complimented. "There's also three firing modes: rapid fire, silencer, and semi auto."

"Rapid fire?"

The gun made another humming noise. Becca quickly realized the Lawgiver responded to her speaking, and aimed at the paper target again. She squeezed the trigger, and bullets streamed out, peppering the target with bullet holes.

"Incendiary."

The Lawgiver hummed again, and she pulled the trigger. A ball of light shot out, dispersing into dozens of smaller flares, engulfing the target in flames.

"Is that... white phosphorus?" Becca's eyes widened in worry.

"Yes."

"This won't start a fire, will it?" Becca asked nervously.

"No." Billy quickly said. "Only that paper will burn."

Sure enough, once the paper target was completely burned away, the rest of the incendiary round was gone.

"See?" Billy smirked, as he reached down and picked up the watermelon he had gotten from the store earlier. He walked over to where the paper target used to be, and placed it on the ground. Butcher walked back to where his wife was, and looked over her shoulder.

"Use the Hi Ex round, love." Billy suggested.

"Okay- Hi Ex."

The Lawgiver hummed again, and Becca took a deep breath, before pulling the trigger. Her brain barely even registered the watermelon exploding. One minute, it was there. The next moment, there was nothing but gooey pieces of red on the ground. Becca's eyes widened, surprised there wasn't even any kickback from the powerful bullet.

"Armor Piercing round next?" Becca asked. Billy nodded, and reached down again, grabbing a solid concrete cinder block and heaving it over to where the watermelon was. He set it upright, and walked back to Becca.

"Armor Piercer."

She didn't even need to be told this time. At this point, it came natural to her.

The Lawgiver hummed a final time, and Becca pulled the trigger. The diamond hard bullet rocketed out, hitting the cinder block right at its center. She and Billy walked over to the block, and Becca was able to see a quarter sized hole, straight through the concrete.

"Fucking diabolical, right?" Billy smirked.

Becca smiled, wrapping her husband in a hug, and keeping her finger off the trigger.

"Yeah. Fucking diabolical." she grinned, right before they kissed. The kiss lasted only for a few seconds, and by the time it was over, Becca looked at Billy, noticing him staring at the ground, deep in thought.

"Billy, are you okay?"

Butcher looked back up, a pained expression on his face.

"I'm fine, it's just..." Billy sighed. "Before I came here, to New York, I had a partner. Anderson. At the time, she was just a rookie, and I was tasked to assess her. Powerful psychic too, even more powerful than that kid Mesmer."

"What happened?" Becca asked, worried. "Did she..."

"Die? No." Butcher shook his head. "But we were tasked with testing a Tek Division project, called Proteus."

"Tek Division?"

"The technological and research side of the Justice Department, where I'm from." Billy explained. "Project Proteus was meant to send people into the future. They had already tested out sending people forward hours and days. I was tasked with going into the future by ten years."

"So what happened?" Becca frowned.

"A Tek Judge sabotaged the project, and flung me backwards by a hundred years." Billy told her, staring at the ground. "And all this time, I can't help but wonder if Anderson is still looking."

"What will you do if she does find you?" Becca asked softly.

"I don't know." Billy admitted with a grimace. "But I don't want to go back. I don't want to leave you."

Billy and Becca continued firing down range for a few more hours, until the magazine went dry. The Butchers went home, where Billy taught his wife some fighting techniques he and Anderson had been taught at the Academy of Law. A little bit of Judo, some Brazilian Jujitso, the basics. They'd spar regularly, at least once a week, just so Billy could ensure his wife knew how to defend herself.

That's how Billy found himself standing in the middle of their apartment, both of them wearing tee shirts and shorts. Becca had her hair tied back in a pony tail, while Billy held onto the Lawgiver.

"Why do you bring that out?" Becca asked, pointing to the pistol. "You're not going to shoot me, are you?"

"No." Billy smirked. "You're going to take it from me, and shoot me."

Billy raised his arm, and pointed the Lawgiver at Becca's head.

"Stun."

Just as the gun hummed its tune, Becca elbowed her husband's arm upward. She followed by punching Billy in the gut, not with enough force to actually hurt, but still knocked the wind out of him for the moment. She turned her back inward, pressing it against Billy's chest, and twisted his wrist downward, wrenching the Lawgiver away. Billy groaned, as Becca kicked her leg backward, sending him onto one knee, before she turned back around. Just as she pointed the Lawgiver at Billy's chest, the display screen lit up blue, signaling the gun accepted her DNA.

Becca squeezed the trigger, and tiny blue pellet rocketed out, striking Billy in the chest. Becca flinched, as tiny spurts of electricity arced from the center of Billy's body, and he grit his teeth, fighting with all his might not to slip into unconsciousness. Eventually, the shock faded, and he stood back up, cracking his neck.

"Fuck, I forgot how much that hurt."

"You've done this before?" Becca asked, widening her eyes in shock.

"All Judge cadets had to go through it at least once." Billy shrugged, as he took the Lawgiver back. "Thought I'd throw it in, after teaching you everything else."

"Are you going to shoot me?" Becca asked in a playful smirk.

"Fuck no." Billy answered, walking over to their closet and placing the Lawgiver back in the walk in safe. Once he placed the gun in there, he stepped back and closed the safe, before turning to Becca.

"Ready for another round?"

"Only if it's on the bed." Becca grinned. Billy smiled as well, and they both took off their clothes, falling into bed together.

For the next month, everything had been normal for them, or at least as normal as it could get, living in a world full of superheroes, and different organizations owning them. It wasn't until December 23rd, exactly six months after Project Proteus sent him to this time, when Butcher and his wife were invited to Vought's Christmas party. Unlike when he was dreaming, this memory was much clearer.

Music: "Jingle Bell Rock" by Hall and Oates

In Vought's flat building, just North of Empire State, a party was raging. There was a Christmas tree in the center, towering above everyone, even Homelander. The song "Jingle Bell Rock" could be heard playing over the PA system. Queen Maeve socialized with many of the guests, as she walked around with a drink in her hand. Translucent had dressed up as Santa Clause, and began walking around the building's main hall.

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" the invisible supe said cheerfully. Anyone who looked at him would only see a Santa suit and a white beard, seemingly moving on it's own. "Who's been naughty?"

In one corner of the room, Madelyn Stillwell was conversing with the Deep, as she wore a bright red dress. Upon the Deep's head was an elf's hat, and they each held onto a glass of champagne.

"It's dead center on your brand." Madelyn insisted, before noticing a man with a camera. "You know what, let's get a picture."

"I love pictures." Deep's voice slurred out, a clear indication that he was drunk.

Madelyn and the Deep struck as pose, as the cameraman took a picture.

"One more." Stillwell ordered, and the camera flashed again.

Over at the bar, Billy Butcher filled up two tall glasses of alcohol. One was full of Yuengling beer for him, and the other... not for him.

Butcher turned around, glasses in hand, and walked over to his wife Becca, as she talked to someone from Vought. She looked ravishing, wearing a dark green dress and her red hair hanging down. She had insisted he come as well, complete with a suit and being clean shaven. The shaving part was easy; he made sure there was barely any stubble on his face back in Mega City One. The suit, however... in the end, he wore a three piece, with a white shirt and black coat. She tried to get him to wear a tie, but that's where Billy put his foot down.

Billy smirked to himself, taking a sip of his beer and continued walking to his wife.

"Oi, gorgeous!"

Becca turned around, just in time to see her husband grinning at her.

"Vodka-soda, hold the soda." Butcher held up a glass with a clear liquid in it, a straw poking out the top.

"Thank you." Becca whispered happily, taking the alcoholic beverage.

"Drink's are free, but Grud, the food here's awful." Billy muttered, letting that Mega City One slang slip out. "For fuck's sake, they're a multi billion dollar company."

"Come on, it's not that bad." Becca smiled. "Besides, did you even celebrate Christmas where you're from?"

"Actually, yes." Butcher lightly smiled. "Every year, I would make a point to carve out time to see my niece Vienna. Sometimes it would be just the two of us. Other times, my brothers Dolman and Rico would show up."

"Okay, just let me shake a few more hands, then we'll be out of here-" Becca stopped, seeing Billy had tipped his glass and was chugging the beer down.

"Whoa, easy tiger!" Becca grinned, moving the glass away from his mouth.

"Sorry." Billy sheepishly smirked. "Most alcoholic drinks are banned in Mega City One."

"And smoking cigarettes?" Becca pressed.

"Completely illegal." Billy briskly told her. "Unless you want to suck some while wearing a plastic bubble in the Smokatoriums."

"Sounds like the future really is awful then." Becca playfully smiled. "But I want you to be on your A-game tonight."

"A-game?" Butcher raised an eyebrow. "I like the sound of that-"

"Merry Christmas!"

Billy and Becca looked up the stairs of the building, seeing the one and only Homelander walking towards them.

"Becca." Homelander announced, pointing a finger in her direction. "The new senior director in digital marketing."

"Yes, exactly!" Becca exclaimed, surprised. "How did you know?"

"I have my sources. And also-" Homelander playfully smirked, and held up a hand to the side of his face, pretending to whisper. "-your nametag."

"Yeah, that too." Becca smiled, while Billy chuckled. "Oh, this is my husband Billy."

Becca rested her hand on Butcher's shoulder, while Homelander held out his gauntlet-ed arm.

"Good to meet you." Billy smiled, as he shook the supe's hand. "Billy Butcher."

"Huh. You have a firm grip." Homelander blinked in mild surprise.

"Yeah, you too." Butcher smirked, looking him in the eye. The two stopped shaking, and Homelander turned his attention back to Becca.

"Becca, I heard you handled my takeover, and I loved it." Homelander complimented. "Thank you."

"What'd she take over?" Billy asked curiously.

"Vought's Twitter account." Becca answered.

"She posted my photos, wrote all my messages. She was phenomenal." Homelander gushed.

"Right, so, they thought it was you up there, but it was really Becca?" Butcher asked, raising his eyebrows in confusion. "Ain't that a bit deceptive?"

He couldn't help it. At his core, Butcher was still a Judge who searched for the truth. Hell, in Mega City One, lying to a Judge would land you with four years in the iso cubes.

"Uh, no Billy." Becca laughed nervously. "That's what we do, because Homelander is busy saving lives."

"It's alright." Homelander laughed the comment off. "He's right, it is a little bit dishonest, but since I'm all thumbs when it comes to this stuff, it's best to leave it to the experts, right?"

Becca laughed at his self depreciating joke, as he spoke to her again.

"Hey, I'd love to talk to you about quarterbacking the rest of my social media for me."

"Seriously?" Becca's eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course." Homelander flashed a smile. "It's like my dad always said, surround yourself with people smarter than you."

Homelander suddenly looked past the Butchers, prompting them to turn around and see Maeve several feet away, waving him over.

"Looks like my better half is wanting my attention." Homelander shook his head in amusement. "But we can talk tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Becca nodded.

"Thanks." Homelander smirked, and shook Billy's hand again. "Good to meet you pal. And by the way, love the accent."

Billy grinned. He still kept up the British accent he picked up from Brit Cit, even when he was alone with Becca. It was almost becoming his main voice now. As Homelander walked over to meet Maeve, Butcher leaned in close to his wife.

"How the fuck does he stay in that skin tight suit all day, with his balls smashed up between his legs?" Billy muttered. "My old uniform gave me more mobility."

"Oh, stop it!" Becca laughed, staring up at her husband. "You promised to behave!"

"Eh, let's get the drokk out of here." Butcher told her, letting another Mega City One curse word slip out. Becca giggled, still finding his slang adorable.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Billy mumbled, as the two kissed.

After that, everything had become a blur for Butcher. His wife suddenly disappeared months after the Christmas party. Grace Mallory approaching him, and offering to have a chance at revenge against the supes. Working with the Boys and the CIA for almost nine years, until Lamplighter murdered Mallory's grandchildren to get them to stop their war against superheroes. He barely even paid attention to the Avengers, despite living in New York.

All those events rushed past him like water in a stream. Even the last week escaped his memory too quickly. Meeting Frank Castle and reuniting the Boys. Well, not reunite, exactly, as Diggle had only worked with them shortly after Team Arrow disbanded with the death of Oliver Queen. That had also explained his impatience with Dax.

The point was, Billy felt like he was going two hundred miles per hour, ever since his wife 'died'. Back at Peach Trees, close to twelve years ago for him, he had a complete disregard for his own life, as well as Anderson's, when they faced down Ma Ma. Even after she revealed she had a heart monitor rigged to bombs on the top floors, Joseph took a huge risk by throwing her out the window and watching her plummet to her death. While it was true that the heart monitor's signal never reached the bombs from the ground level, Dredd never actually knew for sure that it would work. He was only interested in justice, his own life be damned. That disregard had been with him that night he blew up Stillwell, until he discovered Becca was alive. Now, seeing her standing in front of that house, he finally had something to live for again.

When it seemed like his only chance to find Becca was gone, Butcher gave in to the pull he had felt for so long. The pull to return to the man he once was. The pull to become Dredd again.

Music: "Lockdown" from Dredd

Billy Butcher finished shaving his beard, and looked in the mirror. Upon seeing his hair was still caked with blood, he lowered his head to the sink, and let the cold water flow down. As the water splashed off his head and into the sink, he noticed it was slowly turning from clear to dark red, before going down the drain. Billy held his head under there, until the water turned back to normal, and he looked up again, seeing his reflection. Behind those dark brown eyes, he saw anger, and control. Anderson had felt it to, when they first met in the Hall of Justice. But there was something else she felt. Something that left her stunned.

He didn't care if he died, as long as justice was served. He never truly cared about humanity, he lost faith in them long ago. That was, until he was partnered with Anderson and they investigated Peach Trees. She made him see that there was still hope. She changed him.

When his wife died, Billy had similar convictions about supes that he once had for mutants. After what Homelander did, he believed they were all evil, and only cared about themselves. In that time, he became reckless, endangering the lives of innocents. He had lost his way, and was quickly spiraling out of control. Once again, his mind was changed, upon seeing Starlight and Frank's interactions. Even in the storm drain tunnels, with Homelander trying to force her to kill Castle, he could read the hesitation in her face. She didn't want to harm him at all.

Billy slowly exhaled, before forming that permanent scowl he used to always have. Old Stoney Face, that's what his nickname was at the Academy of Law, and among fellow Judges. Butcher slipped the helmet over his face, making it so only his nose and mouth were visible, and quietly left the apartment.

Today, Judge Joseph Dredd was reborn.

The Law had returned.

A/N: Now we know how Dredd came to the present, and why he changed his name to Billy Butcher. I hope it made sense, and didn't feel too out of character. I'll admit, it's been awhile since I've read the Judge Dredd comics, so I'm not too sure anymore.

Oh, I'm placing the Dredd 2012 film to be set in 2101, with the Mega City One scenes of the story in 2111. And the title of this chapter is based on one of the comic arcs, but it is in no way connected to it.

Speaking of the comics though, the character of Chief Judge Silver is mostly based on Chief Judge from the 2012 film. They never actually said what her name was, so I decided to make her a different version of Silver from the comics. That'll come into play if I ever do an eventual sequel to this story, without giving away too much.

The next chapter will go back to being heavily based on the episodes. It was exciting to write scenes of the show with Judge Dredd in them. Oh, I know this is largely out of character, but he will remove his helmet from time to time. It will be sparingly, and only for a few seconds though.