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darkly_ironicTitle: No Happy Endings (7/? - "There's No Recourse")
Rating: PG-13
Paring: slight Billy/Penny
Word Count: 1689
Summary: The Hero is dead, and the Villain has taken over the city. Caught between worlds, all Penny wants is to get back to a normal life, only to find that she's already a pawn in epic struggles she didn't even know existed. AU from 'Slipping'.
Penny made tea. She didn’t know what else to do. When she got back to the lab Billy was pacing and muttering, and Moist was perched on a stool by the counter.
Billy jumped when he saw her. “Penny!”
“Sit,” she told him. He did, awkwardly, and Penny pressed a mug of tea into his hands. He stared at it in bewilderment.
“You drink it,” Moist supplied. He grimaced at Penny. “Overwork.”
“I’m sure villainy is very tiring,” Penny said sweetly.
“It’s going to get worse.” Billy’s face had taken on the bland, slack look Penny was beginning to dread. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”
Penny blinked. Did he know? Calm down, how could he?
“If you came here to be safe, I’m sorry but here isn’t going to be better then where you were. The whole city will be leveled soon. Do you have any friends or relatives a very long way away?”
Penny didn’t, but she had no interest in leaving, not now.
“What are we doing?” Moist asked. Water droplets were running down the legs of the stool and condensing in a puddle at his feet.
Billy set down the untouched mug and started pacing again. “The League’s got a headquarters in the mountains. They expect me there day after tomorrow.”
“And I’m coming with you?”
Rubber boots squeaked against the damp floor. “No. This is League members only, no henchmen.”
Moist opened his mouth to protest, but Billy cut him off.
“—But that’s fine, because I need you to take Penny and get as far away from here as you can. Apparently San Francisco’s nice.”
Moist was looking mutinous, but Penny was still processing the part of that statement that involved her.
“I’m not leaving,” she said, surprising both of them.
“Penny—”
She needed to get back to the city. If she could warn the Heroes’ Guild, surely there was still time to stop the ELE and save everyone. Captain Hammer would help—
“Penny.”
She had to stay, even if it killed her. All of her life she had run. Away from her family when she was sixteen, her fiancé when she was twenty. When Captain Hammer had casually insulted her at the dedication of the homeless shelter, and in its aftermath, when she’d abandoned Billy when he most needed someone to pull him back from the edge. Penny wouldn’t run away this time though. She couldn’t.
There was suddenly an arm around her shoulder, a careful half-hug. She hadn’t even noticed Billy getting so close.
“Why don’t we eat lunch?” His voice was very quiet. “We can talk after that.”
For a moment Moist looked like he was going to say something, but a quick warning glance from Billy stopped him. Penny frowned.
“What are you up to?”
Billy looked affronted. “Nothing!” Penny decided to play along. Billy looked like hadn’t eaten in days—maybe he would calm down once there was some food in him.
* * *
Lunch was awful. Apparently neither villain nor henchmen were cooks, because the extent of their abilities seemed to be re-heated lasagna from a box. Penny picked around the meat, and tried to look like she was enjoying it.
After a quiet and uncomfortable meal, Billy brought out desert. Penny stifled a smile when she saw it. Frozen yoghurt. Of course. It tasted a little off to her though, maybe a different brand? Billy didn’t seem to be having a problem with his. Moist wasn’t eating much, but that was easily accounted for— it looked like his hand was sticking to the chilled spoon
“How long have you been saving this?” Penny asked, only half joking.
“Something wrong with it?” He raised his eyebrows, challenging her.
“I guess not…” Something was very definitely wrong. Penny pushed her chair back and got up. She just needed a glass of water, then she’d be fine. Maybe the lasagna had been bad. Or maybe it was the yoghurt after all—
Billy caught her as she collapsed.
“What did you do?” Moist was asking. Penny could barely hear him, but he sounded upset.
“It should wear off in a few hours. She was going to be stubborn otherwise.”
“Doc, no.”
“You’ve got no choice!” Billy’s voice was distant but triumphant. “The Heroes’ Guild should be here in a few moments. I called them when I was getting the yoghurt, and told them they’d better show up soon if they wanted Penny back alive. You’d better get going.”
“You’re joking!”
“No, sorry. Come on.” He bent down and whispered in Penny’s ear. “I’m sorry.”
She tried to open her eyes, and tell him exactly what she thought of his ‘sorry’, but it was too late. Everything was black and calm and completely quiet. It’s kind of peaceful, was Penny’s last conscious thought, then, nothing.
* * *
Penny woke up in pieces. The first thing she was aware of was a rattling noise, and a vibration all around her. Then she opened her eyes and saw that it was dark outside, and she was in the front seat of a car, held upright by the seatbelt. Moist was driving. She tried to say something, but only a mumbled ‘urg’ came out.
He glanced over at her. “Hi. How’re you feeling?”
Penny swallowed a few times and tried again. “Where are we?”
“San Jose.” He checked his watch. “12 hours exactly. He was right about something.”
“Where is he?”
“Probably with the rest of the ELE by now. Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Yeah. Why are you doing this?”
Moist sighed. “Look, you should get some sleep. I thought we could spend the night in San Francisco, get going again in the morning.”
“Can I make a phone call?” Penny was trying to remember what her plan had been before Billy drugged her.
“To the Heroes’ Guild? Yeah, I know.” Penny was staring at him. “It was kind of obvious, with Johnny Snow following you and everything. It’s too late for that, but you can try.” He clumsily pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “Call away.”
She took it, but hesitated. This was too easy. Then she shrugged and dialed then number Justice Joe had made her memorize if she needed to reach him.
“I’m sorry, the number you dialed is no longer in service—”
“Not going through?” Moist asked.
“…No…”
“It probably never worked. They wouldn’t want anything that could be linked to them falling into ELE hands. If they had figured out you were a spy, the Heroes probably would have denied they ever met you.”
“But you knew. And Billy…”
“He guessed. He’s not stupid, even if he does love you.”
“You said you were glad I had come—”
“He’s been worried about you, and—” Moist hesitated and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “I’m worried about him. He’s changed, and I think he knows it, and it scares him.”
“Billy wasn’t prepared for Dr. Horrible taking over, was he?”
Moist looked confused. “I guess that’s one way to put it.”
The conversation died, and they drove on in silence. Penny kept almost falling asleep, then jerking herself awake. After a while Moist took an exit off the freeway, and pulled into the parking lot of a cheap chain motel.
“Can’t go any further,” he told Penny simply. He did look tired.
There were two suitcases in the back of the station wagon. Penny waited with them while Moist booked them rooms. Both were on the second floor, with Penny’s a few doors down from Moist’s. To her surprise, he handed her one of the suitcases with her keys, and after she locked the door and collapsed onto the bed she saw there was a tag attached to the handle that read Penny in Billy’s untidy scrawl. She decided she would see what was in it in the morning, and promptly fell asleep.
* * *
Penny felt much better and furiously angry the next morning. How dare he drug her and ship her halfway up the state? Was she supposed to realize that he was right, and she needed to get out of the city? And how was threatening his closest friend helping matters? Poor Moist. He had sounded as unwilling to leave LA as she had.
The suitcase was still lying where she’d left it, on its side at the foot of the bed. Penny heaved it onto the bed, and unzipped it. Billy had packed it with clothes that she thought at first where actually hers, then realized were all new. Everything was the right size as well. Of course they would be, Penny realized, remembering the times Billy helped her fold her clothes back at the Laundromat.
There was something else in there though, wrapped in a plastic bag. She pulled it out gingerly, then almost dropped it when she realized it was a small ray gun, a handbag-sized version of his Death Ray. She re-wrapped it quickly and buried it back under the bottommost pair of jeans.
There was knock at the door. Penny checked the peephole. It was Moist, weighed down with bags of take-out.
“Hi,” he said. “Sleep ok?”
Penny nodded. “You?”
He shook his head. “Bad dreams.”
She’d never thought of villains having nightmares before.
“Look, I know this isn’t exactly—” He swallowed hard and tried again. “I know these aren’t the… best circumstances, but Penny, I am sorry about this. It wasn’t my idea. And I’m as stuck here as you.”
“I know.” Penny was distracted by the smell of bacon coming from one of the bags. And was that pancakes…?
“I just want you to know you’re not a prisoner.”
“Thanks. Can we eat?”
Moist grinned and handed her the bags, but for the rest of the morning, all Penny could think about was the Death Ray in her suitcase. She knew it was going to go off—they way things were heading it had to, sooner or later. All she could hope was that it wouldn’t be aimed at one of her friends, but she wasn’t even sure now who her friends were.
Rating: PG-13
Paring: slight Billy/Penny
Word Count: 1689
Summary: The Hero is dead, and the Villain has taken over the city. Caught between worlds, all Penny wants is to get back to a normal life, only to find that she's already a pawn in epic struggles she didn't even know existed. AU from 'Slipping'.
Penny made tea. She didn’t know what else to do. When she got back to the lab Billy was pacing and muttering, and Moist was perched on a stool by the counter.
Billy jumped when he saw her. “Penny!”
“Sit,” she told him. He did, awkwardly, and Penny pressed a mug of tea into his hands. He stared at it in bewilderment.
“You drink it,” Moist supplied. He grimaced at Penny. “Overwork.”
“I’m sure villainy is very tiring,” Penny said sweetly.
“It’s going to get worse.” Billy’s face had taken on the bland, slack look Penny was beginning to dread. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”
Penny blinked. Did he know? Calm down, how could he?
“If you came here to be safe, I’m sorry but here isn’t going to be better then where you were. The whole city will be leveled soon. Do you have any friends or relatives a very long way away?”
Penny didn’t, but she had no interest in leaving, not now.
“What are we doing?” Moist asked. Water droplets were running down the legs of the stool and condensing in a puddle at his feet.
Billy set down the untouched mug and started pacing again. “The League’s got a headquarters in the mountains. They expect me there day after tomorrow.”
“And I’m coming with you?”
Rubber boots squeaked against the damp floor. “No. This is League members only, no henchmen.”
Moist opened his mouth to protest, but Billy cut him off.
“—But that’s fine, because I need you to take Penny and get as far away from here as you can. Apparently San Francisco’s nice.”
Moist was looking mutinous, but Penny was still processing the part of that statement that involved her.
“I’m not leaving,” she said, surprising both of them.
“Penny—”
She needed to get back to the city. If she could warn the Heroes’ Guild, surely there was still time to stop the ELE and save everyone. Captain Hammer would help—
“Penny.”
She had to stay, even if it killed her. All of her life she had run. Away from her family when she was sixteen, her fiancé when she was twenty. When Captain Hammer had casually insulted her at the dedication of the homeless shelter, and in its aftermath, when she’d abandoned Billy when he most needed someone to pull him back from the edge. Penny wouldn’t run away this time though. She couldn’t.
There was suddenly an arm around her shoulder, a careful half-hug. She hadn’t even noticed Billy getting so close.
“Why don’t we eat lunch?” His voice was very quiet. “We can talk after that.”
For a moment Moist looked like he was going to say something, but a quick warning glance from Billy stopped him. Penny frowned.
“What are you up to?”
Billy looked affronted. “Nothing!” Penny decided to play along. Billy looked like hadn’t eaten in days—maybe he would calm down once there was some food in him.
* * *
Lunch was awful. Apparently neither villain nor henchmen were cooks, because the extent of their abilities seemed to be re-heated lasagna from a box. Penny picked around the meat, and tried to look like she was enjoying it.
After a quiet and uncomfortable meal, Billy brought out desert. Penny stifled a smile when she saw it. Frozen yoghurt. Of course. It tasted a little off to her though, maybe a different brand? Billy didn’t seem to be having a problem with his. Moist wasn’t eating much, but that was easily accounted for— it looked like his hand was sticking to the chilled spoon
“How long have you been saving this?” Penny asked, only half joking.
“Something wrong with it?” He raised his eyebrows, challenging her.
“I guess not…” Something was very definitely wrong. Penny pushed her chair back and got up. She just needed a glass of water, then she’d be fine. Maybe the lasagna had been bad. Or maybe it was the yoghurt after all—
Billy caught her as she collapsed.
“What did you do?” Moist was asking. Penny could barely hear him, but he sounded upset.
“It should wear off in a few hours. She was going to be stubborn otherwise.”
“Doc, no.”
“You’ve got no choice!” Billy’s voice was distant but triumphant. “The Heroes’ Guild should be here in a few moments. I called them when I was getting the yoghurt, and told them they’d better show up soon if they wanted Penny back alive. You’d better get going.”
“You’re joking!”
“No, sorry. Come on.” He bent down and whispered in Penny’s ear. “I’m sorry.”
She tried to open her eyes, and tell him exactly what she thought of his ‘sorry’, but it was too late. Everything was black and calm and completely quiet. It’s kind of peaceful, was Penny’s last conscious thought, then, nothing.
* * *
Penny woke up in pieces. The first thing she was aware of was a rattling noise, and a vibration all around her. Then she opened her eyes and saw that it was dark outside, and she was in the front seat of a car, held upright by the seatbelt. Moist was driving. She tried to say something, but only a mumbled ‘urg’ came out.
He glanced over at her. “Hi. How’re you feeling?”
Penny swallowed a few times and tried again. “Where are we?”
“San Jose.” He checked his watch. “12 hours exactly. He was right about something.”
“Where is he?”
“Probably with the rest of the ELE by now. Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Yeah. Why are you doing this?”
Moist sighed. “Look, you should get some sleep. I thought we could spend the night in San Francisco, get going again in the morning.”
“Can I make a phone call?” Penny was trying to remember what her plan had been before Billy drugged her.
“To the Heroes’ Guild? Yeah, I know.” Penny was staring at him. “It was kind of obvious, with Johnny Snow following you and everything. It’s too late for that, but you can try.” He clumsily pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “Call away.”
She took it, but hesitated. This was too easy. Then she shrugged and dialed then number Justice Joe had made her memorize if she needed to reach him.
“I’m sorry, the number you dialed is no longer in service—”
“Not going through?” Moist asked.
“…No…”
“It probably never worked. They wouldn’t want anything that could be linked to them falling into ELE hands. If they had figured out you were a spy, the Heroes probably would have denied they ever met you.”
“But you knew. And Billy…”
“He guessed. He’s not stupid, even if he does love you.”
“You said you were glad I had come—”
“He’s been worried about you, and—” Moist hesitated and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “I’m worried about him. He’s changed, and I think he knows it, and it scares him.”
“Billy wasn’t prepared for Dr. Horrible taking over, was he?”
Moist looked confused. “I guess that’s one way to put it.”
The conversation died, and they drove on in silence. Penny kept almost falling asleep, then jerking herself awake. After a while Moist took an exit off the freeway, and pulled into the parking lot of a cheap chain motel.
“Can’t go any further,” he told Penny simply. He did look tired.
There were two suitcases in the back of the station wagon. Penny waited with them while Moist booked them rooms. Both were on the second floor, with Penny’s a few doors down from Moist’s. To her surprise, he handed her one of the suitcases with her keys, and after she locked the door and collapsed onto the bed she saw there was a tag attached to the handle that read Penny in Billy’s untidy scrawl. She decided she would see what was in it in the morning, and promptly fell asleep.
* * *
Penny felt much better and furiously angry the next morning. How dare he drug her and ship her halfway up the state? Was she supposed to realize that he was right, and she needed to get out of the city? And how was threatening his closest friend helping matters? Poor Moist. He had sounded as unwilling to leave LA as she had.
The suitcase was still lying where she’d left it, on its side at the foot of the bed. Penny heaved it onto the bed, and unzipped it. Billy had packed it with clothes that she thought at first where actually hers, then realized were all new. Everything was the right size as well. Of course they would be, Penny realized, remembering the times Billy helped her fold her clothes back at the Laundromat.
There was something else in there though, wrapped in a plastic bag. She pulled it out gingerly, then almost dropped it when she realized it was a small ray gun, a handbag-sized version of his Death Ray. She re-wrapped it quickly and buried it back under the bottommost pair of jeans.
There was knock at the door. Penny checked the peephole. It was Moist, weighed down with bags of take-out.
“Hi,” he said. “Sleep ok?”
Penny nodded. “You?”
He shook his head. “Bad dreams.”
She’d never thought of villains having nightmares before.
“Look, I know this isn’t exactly—” He swallowed hard and tried again. “I know these aren’t the… best circumstances, but Penny, I am sorry about this. It wasn’t my idea. And I’m as stuck here as you.”
“I know.” Penny was distracted by the smell of bacon coming from one of the bags. And was that pancakes…?
“I just want you to know you’re not a prisoner.”
“Thanks. Can we eat?”
Moist grinned and handed her the bags, but for the rest of the morning, all Penny could think about was the Death Ray in her suitcase. She knew it was going to go off—they way things were heading it had to, sooner or later. All she could hope was that it wouldn’t be aimed at one of her friends, but she wasn’t even sure now who her friends were.
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 04:30 am (UTC)I want to know what's happening back at LA!!
no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 10:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 06:06 pm (UTC)Originally, Billy and Moist weren't going to find out about Penny working for the Heroes until later, but the more I thought about it, that seemed a bit too naive even for Billy...
Thank you! : )
no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 05:58 pm (UTC)It gets back to LA soon, I promise! : )
no subject
Date: 2010-06-20 08:00 am (UTC)>> “He guessed. He’s not stupid, even if he does love you.” <<
AWWWWWW!
I feel so many things in a chapter it's impossible to get them all down and convey them properly! I'm like- Oh no, he din't!! (all gangster like) and then Penny wakes up and it's Oh, he SO did. He is SO going to get killed for that!
And Penny waking up furious is hilarious. Hilarious is my new favourite word apparently :P
I love Moist.
And I like the length and substance of the chapters- sometimes I feel like some fic *cough, mine, cough* are sooo padded out, this is refreshing and awesome :)
no subject
Date: 2010-06-23 02:11 am (UTC)I'm really happy you enjoyed it! This was a tricky chapter to write-- I think I went through three or four very different drafts. I'm so glad it worked!
Aww, I love you fic! I've read a bit of your HIMYM fic, and thought it was wonderful! : D