28 (video)

[horrible_penny]

Hey there!

[Penny is, of course, situated in the Welcome Center.  There are a handful of people milling about behind her, but it still seems relatively quiet.]So... welcome to the City! I'd guess some of you've been here before, right? And some of you lived here? Welcome back, and I hope you'll be able to find whoever you're looking for. If

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[horrible_penny]

[No, it doesn't occur to her that this isn't the same Billy that left the City. Not for a moment.]

[horrible_penny]

Billy! You're back!

[Hey, Billy. Have a very enthusiastic hug. Didn't know you two were on hugging terms, did you?]

I knew you'd come back! The apartment's just the way it--well, not quite since your things're in boxes, but it's basically the same, and Babbage is doing fine...

[horrible_penny]

[Oh dear. This situation just became terribly awkward.]

...Your guinea pig?

[Not his guinea pig. She lets Billy go.]

Um. Sorry... there's this other you--I mean, he's you, but I guess he's from a different dimension or... something. [Oops.] How about some hot chocolate?

[horrible_penny]

[She retrieves a cup of hot cocoa for him and tries to think of a nice, non-awkward topic of conversation.]

So... uh. Done any laundry lately?

[horrible_penny]

That... yep. Can't escape that unless you don't wear them. [pause] Which is illegal.

[horrible_penny]

So...

[Because there's no way this could possibly get more awkward.]

...How's home? What's going on there, besides endless cycles of laundry?

[horrible_penny]

[Aha. So this Billy doesn't know that she knows that he's Dr. Horrible. More importantly, he doesn't know about the dying thing. That's good. It's a good way for things to be.]

Oh! That. I'm sure it'll be... great.

[That was convincing. Not.]

[horrible_penny]

[So the Hammer-hate apparently goes across all dimensions.]

You know... you were right about Hammer.