It had been almost a year since Penny passed away.

Billy sat alone at the laundry mat, not doing laundry, not doing anything. The Evil League of Evil made him feel empty, and that was all he wanted after losing her. When he wasn't Dr. Horrible, he forced himself to be anyone but Billy. He wore suits, chose a new name and a new persona. He pretended to be the opposite of Billy. Now, he was Barney Stinson, confident, charismatic and irresistible. He slept around constantly, hoping at some point he would forget Penny. He never did.

The clock ticked on and he tried desperately to convince himself that he had let go, that he was the horrible villain he pretended to be and had begun to turn into. Every day he became more villainous. He learned to be manipulative and clever and merciless, but no matter what he stole or who he fought, traces of his old self lingered on beneath the surface. I won't feel a thing. He told himself, over and over, failing to keep his countless promises to himself.

As he stared hopelessly ahead at the washing machine, the same one she used to use, he was Billy, as hard as he tried not to be. He shook away the feelings as best he could, and left, forcing himself not to look back.

That night, he begun planning a new crime, desperate for distraction. He was brainstorming what his next move would be when he heard his name on the television.

"Things are getting out of hand. What will he do next? What will be his next move?" He heard a reporter say. After a minute of listening in he also heard that S.H.I.E.L.D. had become involved in "putting a stop to the chaos Dr. Horrible has brought to society." He smiled. This is what he had always wanted. He was finally being taken seriously, if only she were still around to see what he'd become.

He decided one night that it was time for his next crime. It wasn't anything big, just a routine robbery. Dr. Horrible arrived at the largest bank in the city, entering without stealth, freeze ray in hand. He found no resistance, as usual, until he arrived at the vault. A women had been waiting for him, gun in hand. She spoke into a mouthpiece with a serious tone, "I got him."

She was beautiful, but with a cold look in her eye that pushed any doubts from his mind that she would hesitate to kill him. The girl wore a tight, dark blue full-body suit. Her deep brown hair was tied up behind her, bangs falling over her stern face. "Really, Horrible? I'd think a world-renowned villain like you would be a little more careful." She lowered her gun, seeing that he was less of a threat than she had expected.

He ignored her comment, brushing it off and introducing himself in his most suave voice. "Well… hello." He lowered his freeze ray and reached out a hand to shake hers, "I'm Dr. Horrible, I've got a PHD in horribleness." He winked.

She rolled her eyes, pushing his hand away, "Is that your catchphrase? Really? I expected more from you."

"I do have a few others." He pointed out.

"Like what?"

"Suit up!"

"That one is a lot better."

"So, down to business?" He said, again in the voice he would use if he had been trying to pick up any girl on any night at MacLarens.

She obliged, seeming to pull a pair of handcuffs from thin air. He eyed them gleefully, "Something about you tells me you like it dirty." He said with an approving nod of the head and his signature wink.

Rolling her eyes yet again, she flashed a badge, "Agent Hill. S.H.I.E.L.D. Turn around."

He chuckled, continuing in his most seductive voice, "What are you going to do to me, Agent Hill?"

"Arrest you." She spoke with aggression, raising her gun rather casually, and pointing it straight at his head.

He took a breath, preparing to say something in return, but the energy he had built up suddenly vanished. His defenses came down. He dropped his head, raised his hands, tossed his weapons to the floor, and turned around. It felt wrong to admit defeat with so much ease, but in that moment he ceased to care. He realized that none of it meant anything, not the League or the fame or anything. The only thing – the only one he truly wanted was dead. He had so much to lose, everything he had worked for, and yet he had nothing. So he gave in, thinking that world domination had seemed so much more worthwhile while he had someone to impress with it.

He found himself alone, again, in an empty Shield holding cell. He hated every minute there, with no company other than the thoughts he was usually busy enough to ignore. A door outside his cell slid open, Maria Hill walking through quietly. Despite his new-found hatred for her, he couldn't help but notice the gentle sway of her hips as she did so.

"How are you?" she asked, sounding insincere.

"Kind of bored." He answered honestly. "Would it kill you to give me something to entertain myself with?"

"Like what?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Porn?"

"This room is filled with cameras, I don't think it'd be the best thing for us operating them to see you jacking off." She said with a sigh of exasperation.

"You're right. It'd be dangerous, for you especially. You'll never be able to resist me after you see what I'm packing." He winked.

She rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. "Not a chance. You know, for a supposed 'super villain' you seem to be quite preoccupied with getting yourself laid."

"So? What does it matter?" He said, sounding a little bit like a rebellious teenager trying to seem more badass than he actually was.

"Well, with that attitude it isn't any wonder that you ended up behind bars."

"Oh, so now I'm careless?" He near exploded, raising his voice, pain clearly etched onto his face. "As if I had some real shot at success. And it wouldn't even matter if I did, because if I did, thanks to you, I don't anymore. So may as well give up, right? May as well get fucking laid, because what else is there? Success is about sacrifice, and the shred of success I gained from the sacrifice I made is gone. I'm going to lose the job that cost me everything I had."

Maria softened, replying quietly and with a hint of concern, "What happened?"

"All you need to know is I lost the only person I ever loved trying to get the job I probably just lost."

"I'm sorry."

"Well that fixes everything, doesn't it? You shouldn't have brought me here."

"It's my job."

"You should've just shot me, it was right in your hand. You could've." He shouted, his pain-filled voice trembling, on the brink of tears.

Maria sat down and stared at her shoes, knowing that a single look at him right now would tear her apart. She longed to say "I'm sorry" but knew that it meant nothing at this point. The words were far too overused.

"If there's anything I can do to help…" she began.

"Kill me." He said, simply and forcefully.

"I can't."

"Oh, really, because I seem to remember you with a gun pointed at my head before. Why not now?"

"I kill bad guys. And I can see now that you're not one."

"I am." He nearly begged.

"No, you're not. And I'm not going to kill you, but I am going to get you out of here."

"He's dangerous." Her boss, Nick Fury, stated firmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's not dangerous. There's no point keeping…" Maria reasoned, following him down a long hallway.

"Case closed, Agent Hill. We do not release criminals like him. End of discussion."

"I'll watch him, make sure he doesn't get into any more trouble. If he does, I'll bring him back."

He turned to face her, stopping suddenly, "You're actually going to bail this guy out?"

"If that's what it takes? Yes."

He raised his eyebrows at her, suspicious as to why she cared about freeing the same villain she had earlier been so eager to help catch. "Fine, but I'm holding you responsible if I end up regretting this decision." He said in a serious tone.

"Of course," she said as professionally as possible, holding back a smile.