1 [voice]

[anunluckypenny]

[Maybe the amplified ticking that only just stopped had gotten to her. Maybe the reality of her situation took five days to hit home. Whatever the reason, Penny doesn't sound particularly chipper. One might go so far as to say that she sounds outright shocked.]

Oh my god. This is all completely real, isn't it? Not just the City, but all of it. What Hammer said, the death ray, Billy, dying, coming here... all of that actually happened.

The City and the dying--that I can deal with. Death happens like everything else, right? But Billy's a supervillain... a real villain with a death ray and everything. And Hammer's supposed to be a hero and he actually told everyone that we slept--oh god. Laundromat-frozen yogurt-shy Billy has a death ray and Captain Hammer's a total... a total jerkface, and he never did care about the homeless, and why does that bother me more than Billy being Dr. Horrible? But Billy--Dr. Horrible--didn't actually shoot anyone, and Hammer made the death ray explode...

And then--

[There's a long pause, but the recording continues. Penny's quieter when she speaks again, as if she's not talking directly into her network device.]

That really happened. All of that happened.

Billy's sweet and a supervillain, Hammer's--and then what happened to the shelter when the death ray exploded? Who else...?

[Another pause. This time the pause stretches into silence until the device times out.]

Comments

[punchedhitler]

A death ray?

Penny....are you okay?

[anunluckypenny]

Bil--Dr. Horrible had this death ray, only it didn't work and things happened and I can't believe Billy's a villain because he's so much sweeter than Captain Hammer and I'm so sorry I told you all of that because you probably think I'm completely crazy now.

[Aaaaand a pause to breathe.]

Yeah. Yes. I'm okay, Steve. Everything's okay.

[punchedhitler]

I don't think you're crazy.

[Quiet]

It sounds like you went through a lot.

[anunluckypenny]

...Really?

[There's no sniffling, really. At all.]

I don't know. Plenty of people've been through worse.

[punchedhitler]

[He hears you, Penny. Super-soldier hearing]

It doesn't mean what you went through wasn't rough.

[anunluckypenny]

[Super-soldier hearing? Drat.]

No, maybe not... but what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

[That was the feeblest feeble attempt at a joke ever.]

[punchedhitler]

It can.

[anunluckypenny]

I'm so sorry. No one should have to deal with this--me, I mean. It's okay... I'm good.

[punchedhitler]

Don't be sorry, Penny.

[anunluckypenny]

[quietly] Okay.

[punchedhitler]

Is it-

Do you want some company?

[anunluckypenny]

Yeah. Company would be... but not if you're busy or anything.

[punchedhitler]

Where are you?

[anunluckypenny]

The welcome center? It's a nice place... thanks for bringing me here.

[punchedhitler]

[Steve shows up about twenty minutes later. He has a hot chocolate for her, too]

Hey, Penny?

[Peeking into the room the clerk said was hers]

[anunluckypenny]

Hey.

[She smiles and gestures to the other side of the bed, which is pretty much the only piece of furniture. The center's spartan, but functional.]

Thanks, Steve. For coming over. Sorry it's not cozier.

[punchedhitler]

It's okay. I would have invited you over but my apartment is kind of a mess.

[He sits on the bed, which protests a little, and hands her the hot chocolate]

Here, I brought this for you.

[anunluckypenny]

That's what apartments are for... messes. And living in, but mostly messes.

[She takes it gingerly. If Steve didn't look too young for her and she didn't think that her brain was a little out of whack, she'd consider asking him to marry her on the spot.]

Thank you. You really think of everything.

[punchedhitler]

You're welcome. I know what it's like to get here and remember things like that.

[anunluckypenny]

Really? ...Do you want to talk about anything?

[punchedhitler]

[He shakes his head]

No, I'm dealing with it.

[anunluckypenny]

That's cool. If you ever need an ear, though...

[Good hot chocolate, by the way.]

Can I ask you something really weird?

[punchedhitler]

[He looks over at her and nods]

[anunluckypenny]

Okay.

[She pauses as if working out how best to phrase this.]

Could I have a hug, maybe? Please?

[punchedhitler]

[He takes a moment to kind of - well, okay. A hug is innocent. He carefully takes her in his arms. It's a little awkward but Steve is warm and solid]