Dr Horrible FF: Every Death but One (Dr. Horrible/Penny, PG-13)
Title: Every Death but One
Fandom: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Pairing: Dr. Horrible/Penny
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1,300 words
Disclaimer: All belongs to three Whedons and one Tancharoen.
Spoilers/Warnings: Spoilers for all three acts of Dr Horrible. Warnings for violence and character death.
Summary: Five ways the showdown didn't happen.
AN: I just needed it out of my system?
AN2:
Nominated for Best Relationship-Centric, and Best Angst/Dark. Thank you, whoever you are :)
1. You find yourself on solid ground
He has to move. He has to move, and it has to be now. Billy packs equipment away in a hurry, deciding what he needs and what he can do without. Moist has promised to call if he hears anything, but Billy’s not convinced that it’ll be warning enough.
There’s a noise at the door and he scrabbles for the death-ray. His hands come up with the transmatter ray instead, and he swings it up towards the roof. He really doesn’t want to turn Penny into cumin-smelling shifted molecules. She holds her hands up, with a shy smile still frozen on her lips.
“Penny.”
“Um… Hi, Billy.”
“How did you…?” He shakes his head. “Never mind. What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you.”
“Yes, well, unfortunately Bad Horse is probably trying to do the same thing, so if you don’t mind…”
“What happened?”
“What happened? What happened? I had my moment and I didn’t take it. I had him right there, where I wanted him, and all I could do was stand there. Why am I telling you all this - you were there. So now, now the ELE is after my blood, since, you know, I completely failed to do what they told me to. Public super-villain failure, at that level? After getting that far in the admissions process?”
“Billy.”
“It probably won’t be Bad Horse. I don’t think he does these ones personally. Maybe Snake Bite? At least she’d make it quick. And no death whinny, so at least there’s that.”
“Billy.”
“I’m sorry?”
Wow. He really should have noticed her getting that close. She smells of flowers, girl-sweet. He’s close enough to touch her.
She touches him instead, settling her hand in the crook of his elbow. She smiles. “I was glad you didn’t kill him.”
He sighs, and looks at the ground. “Oh. Him. Yeah, well, turns out I’m not really good at the no mercy deal. If I could just be a little more bloodthirsty...”
She frowns at him. “I’m glad you’re not. If you were, and I still wanted to do this, I’m not sure what kind of person that would make me.”
He blinks. “Do what?”
She leans up, and she’s kissing him, her arms sliding down his to grab onto his hands. It’s over before he has chance to do more than stand there and be kissed. She looks at him. “You’re leaving, I know. I just wanted to tell you: I was really glad, Billy.”
*
2. It might be yours
There isn’t a funeral. Dr Horrible had tried to kill the city’s hero after all. Captain Hammer had a right to kill him. It was a shock - a terrible shock - but nobody says he shouldn’t have done it. It doesn’t stop her seeing Billy’s face every night before she goes to sleep.
There is a gravestone. She had gone to the burial, with a scarf and dark glasses to hide her face. It had just been her and a dark haired man trailing damp footsteps in the grass. Them, and an older blonde woman with the saddest eyes Penny had ever seen. Other than Billy’s, watching her leave the laundromat.
That’s what she sees, every night. Not the blank stare, the only thing she had been able to look at above the gaping hole in his chest. Just his eyes, blue and so terribly sad. Like he was lost, and if she had looked hard enough, maybe she could have found him.
*
3. And Penny will see
Penny doesn’t understand. Not even when he offers her Australia. He offers her everything he can think of: wealth, power, minions cowering at her beautiful feet. He offers to throw all the celebrities out of their mansions and turn them into homeless shelters for her. She shakes her head, and backs away from him. She’s scared. He never meant to scare her.
He had hesitated, there on the stage with Captain Hammer frozen in front of him. But only for a second, before he had pulled the trigger and the so-called hero flew backwards. No last words, no pitiful grandstanding about Dr Horrible’s inevitable defeat. Just death, exactly as he had pictured it. Bloody and untidy and soundtracked with screaming.
If Penny hadn’t been there… If she hadn’t seen it… It’s just the blood. She’s just scared of the blood.
She looks at him. Not scared now, the only one in the room who isn’t. She touches his hand. She says, “I was going to break up with him, Billy.”
He thinks about saying, now you don’t have to. He doesn’t.
She says, “I was going to come find you. I had frozen yoghurt.” Pity in her eyes. And disgust. She asks, “Are you going to kill me too?”
He backs away, horrified. “Penny. I would never…”
“You already did.”
“Not you. You understand. Everything’s broken and with him gone… With him gone we can fix it. Penny, we can-”
She doesn’t run. She looks at him and says, very clearly, “I’m going now. Please don’t follow me, Billy.” Halfway to the door, she whispers, “I thought you were better than this.”
So had he, once.
*
4. Loving you to death
Billy says, “Don’t”.
Captain Hammer ignores him, but suddenly Penny is there. Penny is there, again, to see his humiliation. She looks from him to Captain Hammer and back again. “Billy?”
He doesn’t have the time. Captain Hammer is still waving the death ray at him, blissfully ignorant of the way it fizzes and sparks. Captain Hammer says, “Stand aside, Penny. I just have to hammer this clown, and then you and I can go do some hammering of our own.” He leers, and Billy has honestly never hated someone quite this much. Captain Hammer’s finger tightens on the trigger.
Billy yells, “It’s going to explode, you moron! Can’t you see that?”
“Your lies won’t save you this time, Doctor.”
“It’s throwing sparks. It’s red and flashing - even for a super-idiot like you, that should be a warning sign.”
“Not listening.”
“You could kill everyone!”
“You’re bluffing.” He pulls the trigger.
Billy dives at Penny, pulling her down and away from the explosion. The world falls down around them, he can hear Captain Hammer yelling, and Penny’s heart beats frantically against his chest. There’s debris, and a stab of pain that begins at his ribcage and creeps up until he can barely breathe. Penny’s breath falls on his neck and she whispers his name.
*
5. With my freeze ray
She’s terrified, but she moves. She tells herself, “it’s Billy. It’s just Billy.” Billy who she can barely recognise with the lab coat and the goggles and the wild eyes. It’s his hesitation that clinches it, when he points his gun with a shaking hand. She stands up.
“Billy?”
He wheels around. “Penny? What are you-? You shouldn’t be-. Get out of here.”
“No.”
“No?” He lifts the gun when he says it, and she can’t help but flinch. He looks stricken. “Penny. I would never…”
“Then put the gun down. Please?”
He lowers it to his side before he walks over to her. “I need to do this.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s… it’s him, Penny. He’s the problem. If I can just do this, and get into the ELE, I can change things. I’ll make them better. I know how to do it, if I could just get people to listen.”
“I’m listening. Explain it to me.”
“Penny, I don’t have time to-”
She points, and her hand doesn’t shake. “Looks like you have something there that would give us enough time for you to at least try.”
“The freeze-ray?”
She nods. “Stop the world, Billy. Just us. You and me. Tell me everything.”
He smiles at her: tentative little Billy-smile that she’s missed since he’s been away from her. He takes her hand, and they walk to the machine together. Time stands still.
FIN
Fandom: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Pairing: Dr. Horrible/Penny
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1,300 words
Disclaimer: All belongs to three Whedons and one Tancharoen.
Spoilers/Warnings: Spoilers for all three acts of Dr Horrible. Warnings for violence and character death.
Summary: Five ways the showdown didn't happen.
AN: I just needed it out of my system?
AN2:
Nominated for Best Relationship-Centric, and Best Angst/Dark. Thank you, whoever you are :)
1. You find yourself on solid ground
He has to move. He has to move, and it has to be now. Billy packs equipment away in a hurry, deciding what he needs and what he can do without. Moist has promised to call if he hears anything, but Billy’s not convinced that it’ll be warning enough.
There’s a noise at the door and he scrabbles for the death-ray. His hands come up with the transmatter ray instead, and he swings it up towards the roof. He really doesn’t want to turn Penny into cumin-smelling shifted molecules. She holds her hands up, with a shy smile still frozen on her lips.
“Penny.”
“Um… Hi, Billy.”
“How did you…?” He shakes his head. “Never mind. What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you.”
“Yes, well, unfortunately Bad Horse is probably trying to do the same thing, so if you don’t mind…”
“What happened?”
“What happened? What happened? I had my moment and I didn’t take it. I had him right there, where I wanted him, and all I could do was stand there. Why am I telling you all this - you were there. So now, now the ELE is after my blood, since, you know, I completely failed to do what they told me to. Public super-villain failure, at that level? After getting that far in the admissions process?”
“Billy.”
“It probably won’t be Bad Horse. I don’t think he does these ones personally. Maybe Snake Bite? At least she’d make it quick. And no death whinny, so at least there’s that.”
“Billy.”
“I’m sorry?”
Wow. He really should have noticed her getting that close. She smells of flowers, girl-sweet. He’s close enough to touch her.
She touches him instead, settling her hand in the crook of his elbow. She smiles. “I was glad you didn’t kill him.”
He sighs, and looks at the ground. “Oh. Him. Yeah, well, turns out I’m not really good at the no mercy deal. If I could just be a little more bloodthirsty...”
She frowns at him. “I’m glad you’re not. If you were, and I still wanted to do this, I’m not sure what kind of person that would make me.”
He blinks. “Do what?”
She leans up, and she’s kissing him, her arms sliding down his to grab onto his hands. It’s over before he has chance to do more than stand there and be kissed. She looks at him. “You’re leaving, I know. I just wanted to tell you: I was really glad, Billy.”
*
2. It might be yours
There isn’t a funeral. Dr Horrible had tried to kill the city’s hero after all. Captain Hammer had a right to kill him. It was a shock - a terrible shock - but nobody says he shouldn’t have done it. It doesn’t stop her seeing Billy’s face every night before she goes to sleep.
There is a gravestone. She had gone to the burial, with a scarf and dark glasses to hide her face. It had just been her and a dark haired man trailing damp footsteps in the grass. Them, and an older blonde woman with the saddest eyes Penny had ever seen. Other than Billy’s, watching her leave the laundromat.
That’s what she sees, every night. Not the blank stare, the only thing she had been able to look at above the gaping hole in his chest. Just his eyes, blue and so terribly sad. Like he was lost, and if she had looked hard enough, maybe she could have found him.
*
3. And Penny will see
Penny doesn’t understand. Not even when he offers her Australia. He offers her everything he can think of: wealth, power, minions cowering at her beautiful feet. He offers to throw all the celebrities out of their mansions and turn them into homeless shelters for her. She shakes her head, and backs away from him. She’s scared. He never meant to scare her.
He had hesitated, there on the stage with Captain Hammer frozen in front of him. But only for a second, before he had pulled the trigger and the so-called hero flew backwards. No last words, no pitiful grandstanding about Dr Horrible’s inevitable defeat. Just death, exactly as he had pictured it. Bloody and untidy and soundtracked with screaming.
If Penny hadn’t been there… If she hadn’t seen it… It’s just the blood. She’s just scared of the blood.
She looks at him. Not scared now, the only one in the room who isn’t. She touches his hand. She says, “I was going to break up with him, Billy.”
He thinks about saying, now you don’t have to. He doesn’t.
She says, “I was going to come find you. I had frozen yoghurt.” Pity in her eyes. And disgust. She asks, “Are you going to kill me too?”
He backs away, horrified. “Penny. I would never…”
“You already did.”
“Not you. You understand. Everything’s broken and with him gone… With him gone we can fix it. Penny, we can-”
She doesn’t run. She looks at him and says, very clearly, “I’m going now. Please don’t follow me, Billy.” Halfway to the door, she whispers, “I thought you were better than this.”
So had he, once.
*
4. Loving you to death
Billy says, “Don’t”.
Captain Hammer ignores him, but suddenly Penny is there. Penny is there, again, to see his humiliation. She looks from him to Captain Hammer and back again. “Billy?”
He doesn’t have the time. Captain Hammer is still waving the death ray at him, blissfully ignorant of the way it fizzes and sparks. Captain Hammer says, “Stand aside, Penny. I just have to hammer this clown, and then you and I can go do some hammering of our own.” He leers, and Billy has honestly never hated someone quite this much. Captain Hammer’s finger tightens on the trigger.
Billy yells, “It’s going to explode, you moron! Can’t you see that?”
“Your lies won’t save you this time, Doctor.”
“It’s throwing sparks. It’s red and flashing - even for a super-idiot like you, that should be a warning sign.”
“Not listening.”
“You could kill everyone!”
“You’re bluffing.” He pulls the trigger.
Billy dives at Penny, pulling her down and away from the explosion. The world falls down around them, he can hear Captain Hammer yelling, and Penny’s heart beats frantically against his chest. There’s debris, and a stab of pain that begins at his ribcage and creeps up until he can barely breathe. Penny’s breath falls on his neck and she whispers his name.
*
5. With my freeze ray
She’s terrified, but she moves. She tells herself, “it’s Billy. It’s just Billy.” Billy who she can barely recognise with the lab coat and the goggles and the wild eyes. It’s his hesitation that clinches it, when he points his gun with a shaking hand. She stands up.
“Billy?”
He wheels around. “Penny? What are you-? You shouldn’t be-. Get out of here.”
“No.”
“No?” He lifts the gun when he says it, and she can’t help but flinch. He looks stricken. “Penny. I would never…”
“Then put the gun down. Please?”
He lowers it to his side before he walks over to her. “I need to do this.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s… it’s him, Penny. He’s the problem. If I can just do this, and get into the ELE, I can change things. I’ll make them better. I know how to do it, if I could just get people to listen.”
“I’m listening. Explain it to me.”
“Penny, I don’t have time to-”
She points, and her hand doesn’t shake. “Looks like you have something there that would give us enough time for you to at least try.”
“The freeze-ray?”
She nods. “Stop the world, Billy. Just us. You and me. Tell me everything.”
He smiles at her: tentative little Billy-smile that she’s missed since he’s been away from her. He takes her hand, and they walk to the machine together. Time stands still.
FIN