crack crossover ahoy!
So an idea I had a while back got louder the other day (as linked previously on here), and then turned into a full-fledged story.
Snap Time
This is the first time he's been in a museum this late. He also suspects that, if it were ever to happen again, this would be the loudest after-hours museum around; it sounds like there's some kind of party gearing up in the lobby.
But then, considering what drew Dr. Horrible all the way to New York, a party in the lobby wouldn't surprise him one bit.
He's not stupid enough to try to take this mystic tablet thing out of the museum, doubly so since he felt the change in the air at sunset, when the thing went off. Aside from that, he pays attention to national news when he can, trying to keep pace with what heroes and villains in other cities are up to. All the dinosaur tracks and cave drawings and stuff around Christmas had looked suspicious, at first, but he's got a hunch about what brought it on; if he tried to leave the museum, he's not sure he'd make it out alive.
Unfortunately, he doesn't quite get to the tablet for that closer look before a flashlight beam catches on his hand and a voice behind him says, "Okay, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Dr. Horrible sighs. He hadn't forgotten about the one night security guard so much as figured he'd be distracted by all the other stuff running around; this wasn't a turn of events he'd planned for. Still, no one's wringing his neck yet, so it's an improvement over Captain Hammer.
"I just wanted to have a look at the tablet," he says, without turning around. "How did you even know I was here? Motion detectors would kind of be a wash, considering."
"The pharaoh spotted you on his way out," the guard replies. "I gotta say, white lab coat? Not exactly stealthy in a room this dark. You're lucky I found you before the guard jackals did."
That makes him turn around; sure enough, the jackal statues he'd passed on his way in are now glowering in his direction. And holding pointy spear-things.
Possibly he should have thought this through better.
The guard swallows a laugh, then says, "Anyway, where were you planning on having this closer look? Los Angeles?"
"No, right here. I'm not an idiot. I have some portable equip..." He dispenses with the 'ment' as the second part of the guard's question sinks in. "You... know the blog, I take it?"
"Oh, yeah. I try to keep up with the world. Probably a good thing my son's not here tonight after all."
"What, does he have a thing against aspiring supervillains or something?"
The guard snorts. "No, he loves your blog. That's the problem, though - if he met you, he wouldn't be able to shut up about it, and his mother would be all pissy again. Not a fight I want to pick, now that I've got her convinced I have a job that's going to stick."
"Oh. Well, I could... sign something for him or something, if you want. I don't usually run into fans who admit to following."
"Might be a thing. Just... step away from the tablet, please? I can only hold these guys off for so long, and anyway, I have it on good authority it can't be recreated with science. So unless you know where to find some ancient Egyptian priests, it won't do you any good."
"Funny as it may sound, LA's fresh out of those." Dr. Horrible steps back out from behind the sarcophagus, having no desire whatsoever to be impaled by a 20-foot-tall stone jackal. It's a little disappointing, finding out the trip's pretty much a wash - but again, no one's beating him to a pulp so far. He figures that makes the excursion a net plus no matter what.
"Kinda thought they might be. Anyway, since you're here and you know what's going on, you can stick around for the night if you want. Just don't try anything stupid or I'll let Rexie chase you." The guard turns around, holsters his flashlight, and snaps his fingers next to the head; when the light goes off, Dr. Horrible catches himself staring.
(He has to hurry to make it past the jackals, but he does get out of the mock temple unscathed.)
"Wait, wait, wait," he says, once he gets out to the hallway. "You're Q?"
"You know my work?"
"Gotta keep up with the national scene. Otherwise you're not prepared when one of the big names decides to move. But - what the hell are you doing working here?"
The guard smiles. "This is my day job. Even if it is on nocturnal hours."
"Wouldn't think you of all people would need one of those."
"Not strictly speaking, no, but... my ex thinks gadgeteering's too dangerous. I don't think she was listening long enough to actually process why I refuse to pick a side. That and it's nice having an account that's completely free of sketchy money, sometimes."
Dr. Horrible shrugs. "It can be, I guess. So... why haven't you picked a side, if you don't mind my asking?"
"The second I do, my son becomes an acceptable target to the other one. If I stay neutral, I'm the only person in trouble for my actions, and I can handle that happening, if it happens. Nicky thinks it's cool, but I'd rather he didn't get caught up in the dangerous side of it. But for a while, it was the only thing keeping a roof over my head, and it's a good outlet for what I like to do."
"Fair enough." He lets the conversation drop off until they're most of the way to the lobby. "Hey, um. Since the autograph thing came up, how about we trade off?"
The guard stops short. "You... want me to sign something for you? Seriously?"
"You're a legend, in the right circles. I happen to live in one of those."
"Yeah, I guess you do. Even though your phrasing makes it sound like LA's a circle of hell or something."
Dr. Horrible snorts. "Only when Captain Hammer's involved."
It turns out to be a pretty good night, even without the scientific exploration part quite panning out.
Snap Time
This is the first time he's been in a museum this late. He also suspects that, if it were ever to happen again, this would be the loudest after-hours museum around; it sounds like there's some kind of party gearing up in the lobby.
But then, considering what drew Dr. Horrible all the way to New York, a party in the lobby wouldn't surprise him one bit.
He's not stupid enough to try to take this mystic tablet thing out of the museum, doubly so since he felt the change in the air at sunset, when the thing went off. Aside from that, he pays attention to national news when he can, trying to keep pace with what heroes and villains in other cities are up to. All the dinosaur tracks and cave drawings and stuff around Christmas had looked suspicious, at first, but he's got a hunch about what brought it on; if he tried to leave the museum, he's not sure he'd make it out alive.
Unfortunately, he doesn't quite get to the tablet for that closer look before a flashlight beam catches on his hand and a voice behind him says, "Okay, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Dr. Horrible sighs. He hadn't forgotten about the one night security guard so much as figured he'd be distracted by all the other stuff running around; this wasn't a turn of events he'd planned for. Still, no one's wringing his neck yet, so it's an improvement over Captain Hammer.
"I just wanted to have a look at the tablet," he says, without turning around. "How did you even know I was here? Motion detectors would kind of be a wash, considering."
"The pharaoh spotted you on his way out," the guard replies. "I gotta say, white lab coat? Not exactly stealthy in a room this dark. You're lucky I found you before the guard jackals did."
That makes him turn around; sure enough, the jackal statues he'd passed on his way in are now glowering in his direction. And holding pointy spear-things.
Possibly he should have thought this through better.
The guard swallows a laugh, then says, "Anyway, where were you planning on having this closer look? Los Angeles?"
"No, right here. I'm not an idiot. I have some portable equip..." He dispenses with the 'ment' as the second part of the guard's question sinks in. "You... know the blog, I take it?"
"Oh, yeah. I try to keep up with the world. Probably a good thing my son's not here tonight after all."
"What, does he have a thing against aspiring supervillains or something?"
The guard snorts. "No, he loves your blog. That's the problem, though - if he met you, he wouldn't be able to shut up about it, and his mother would be all pissy again. Not a fight I want to pick, now that I've got her convinced I have a job that's going to stick."
"Oh. Well, I could... sign something for him or something, if you want. I don't usually run into fans who admit to following."
"Might be a thing. Just... step away from the tablet, please? I can only hold these guys off for so long, and anyway, I have it on good authority it can't be recreated with science. So unless you know where to find some ancient Egyptian priests, it won't do you any good."
"Funny as it may sound, LA's fresh out of those." Dr. Horrible steps back out from behind the sarcophagus, having no desire whatsoever to be impaled by a 20-foot-tall stone jackal. It's a little disappointing, finding out the trip's pretty much a wash - but again, no one's beating him to a pulp so far. He figures that makes the excursion a net plus no matter what.
"Kinda thought they might be. Anyway, since you're here and you know what's going on, you can stick around for the night if you want. Just don't try anything stupid or I'll let Rexie chase you." The guard turns around, holsters his flashlight, and snaps his fingers next to the head; when the light goes off, Dr. Horrible catches himself staring.
(He has to hurry to make it past the jackals, but he does get out of the mock temple unscathed.)
"Wait, wait, wait," he says, once he gets out to the hallway. "You're Q?"
"You know my work?"
"Gotta keep up with the national scene. Otherwise you're not prepared when one of the big names decides to move. But - what the hell are you doing working here?"
The guard smiles. "This is my day job. Even if it is on nocturnal hours."
"Wouldn't think you of all people would need one of those."
"Not strictly speaking, no, but... my ex thinks gadgeteering's too dangerous. I don't think she was listening long enough to actually process why I refuse to pick a side. That and it's nice having an account that's completely free of sketchy money, sometimes."
Dr. Horrible shrugs. "It can be, I guess. So... why haven't you picked a side, if you don't mind my asking?"
"The second I do, my son becomes an acceptable target to the other one. If I stay neutral, I'm the only person in trouble for my actions, and I can handle that happening, if it happens. Nicky thinks it's cool, but I'd rather he didn't get caught up in the dangerous side of it. But for a while, it was the only thing keeping a roof over my head, and it's a good outlet for what I like to do."
"Fair enough." He lets the conversation drop off until they're most of the way to the lobby. "Hey, um. Since the autograph thing came up, how about we trade off?"
The guard stops short. "You... want me to sign something for you? Seriously?"
"You're a legend, in the right circles. I happen to live in one of those."
"Yeah, I guess you do. Even though your phrasing makes it sound like LA's a circle of hell or something."
Dr. Horrible snorts. "Only when Captain Hammer's involved."
It turns out to be a pretty good night, even without the scientific exploration part quite panning out.