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

[anunluckypenny]

So they say, but I seriously have no idea what's going on right now and I was sort of relying on denial for the first few days but that's not working anymore and I'm really sorry about anything I might've said. I'm pretty sure I'm in shock. Right now.

Explanations! Right. Okay. Go. Or I can go, but maybe you should since you know what's going on.

[amansgottadowhat]

Of course, you are excused. This must be such a confusing time for you. In your point of view, this is the first time you're in this godforsaken city. I can't imagine what this must be like for you, completely new, especially with everyone telling you differently.

Well some of what you're saying is quite confusing. I had heard, before, that you had been killed, but I never quite got the details. I was, and am, of course, devastated about that. Knowing that when I return home, you will not be there. [This, at least, sounds sincere.]

However, as far as what I can inform you of, perhaps you can ask some specific questions? Your 'Billy' is, indeed, Dr. Horrible. It was quite a shock to me, too. [This doesn't.] He is quite the evil genius.

[anunluckypenny]

I don't think I'd call it godforsaken. I kind of like it, actually, even with all of the weirdness and people knowing who I am. They've been really nice about it--the people who know me, I mean.

You hea--you didn't check? To see if I was dead or not? [A normal person would sound offended. Penny just sounds kind of sad.] Yeah, I kind of... you know, shards of exploding Death Ray are pretty dangerous. Do you know if anyone else got hurt? Did the homeless shelter get to open on time?

[She can't wrap her head around Captain Hammer missing her. Surely she was just an unimportant sexual conquest in a long line of unimportant conquests. He had gotten the mayor to sign over ownership of the building and that's kind of a huge thing to do to get a girl into bed, but... he's Hammer. And Penny will think about this on a day where she doesn't feel like having a nervous breakdown.]

I just can't believe it. Billy's so sweet, you know? But I don't know how evil Dr. Horrible really was. He didn't actually shoot anyone, right? Or... I don't know. I don't remember a lot of what happened there at the end too well.

[amansgottadowhat]

Ah-hah. Of course you would. You're always so, [a pause, as he considers the options of adjectives] positive.

I could not. I heard about it in the City, and, at that time, we had stopped- [They'd broken up. Does she know about that? Crap, she probably doesn't, but, how to tell her such a thing gently? He's never had to do this before.] sleeping together. [There. That should cover it. Because sleeping together, like sex, but also, like actual sleeping with each other. After the sex. And the following morning. That explained it.] Unfortunately, I came into the City during my speech, so I do not know anything of what happened after it.

Exploding Death Ray, eh? So that's how it went down. Horrible's Death Ray. He may portray himself as sweet, but he's the one that built the Death Ray in the first place. I don't want to lead you, but that's something to think about.

And speaking of leading, I don't mean to lead you on. It's true we were no longer together the last time you were here, but I always felt, well, quite badly about it. Perhaps if I had done something differently we would still be together. So, perhaps we should give it another shot? Except, for you it would be a continuing shot. What do you say?

[anunluckypenny]

It doesn't hurt to be positive when you can't do much to change what's going on.

Huh? Oh--oh! So that hasn't happened to you yet? Awkward, and yeah, Death Ray, except it didn't kill anyone, so... more of a Make Everyone Panic Ray. [Let's not speak further of Billy.]

You don't? You really felt bad about us not being together last time? [No, Penny. Be strong. You know Hammer is kind of dense and completely self-centered. Don't give in.] I... uh, I don't really know. What you sa--I mean, what happened, and then dying... that made me think about things. I'm not sure if I want to be in a relationship right now.

And besides, dead. No one wants to date a dead girl.

[amansgottadowhat]

I'm sure that it doesn't.

And no, it has not. But it is good to know that the Ray was not utilized for its original intention. Although, knowing him, it would have likely gone awry anyway.

I do. But I understand, as well. This must be such a hard time for you. I shall just say that if you ever need anything, or would just like some companionship, I am here for you. As a friend, if need be.

And nonsense, all that means here is that you need a little extra body heat.