Penny honestly didn't know what to think of all of this as she was walking home. Billy asked her to rule the world with him? Was he serious? She remembered that Moist told her that Billy had loved her… Did he really think that she would want to rule the world with him? What ever gave him that idea? Clearly Billy had a plan and certainly had a thing for her. She did have a small crush on Billy while she was dating Captain Hammer, but since she had a boyfriend, she didn't want to act on the crush. She wasn't even certain that Billy liked her, but now she knows that he did and still does. But ruling the world with him? He was absurd! She would never wanted to rule the world- Even if it was with Billy.
What if he did have a deep layer? Like he seems really nice, but has a darker desire inside his heart? What if he was someone that she should stay away from? But then again… Wasn't he the one who said that there is a deeper layer that is the same as the outer one? However, if there is darkness- Perhaps eve evil- within him, then she should be cautious. The only thing she knew about Billy was that he is a nice and funny person, but then there was Dr. Horrible- Billy's alter ego- the darker one who wanted power. There was no way to separate the two and even if she did stop Billy from taking over the city and show him that he can be good, there will be the gnawing of his ego, telling him to do otherwise. If Billy cannot separate himself from his alter ego, then there will be trouble and the entire city is at stake.
If there was someone who knew Billy, it was Moist, but there was no way that he would turn on his best friend. If he didn't agree with Dr. Horrible, that is. Not wanting to put his friend at risk, Penny decided against it. But she did have to at least talk to him, just wanting information. So, she decided to do so the next day before work.
Knowing that Moist gets Billy's mail most of the time, Penny decided to wait by the mailboxes in the entrance of the apartment complex and sure enough, there was the soggy man dressed in a blue shirt and jeans, approaching the mailboxes. "Penny," he greeted with confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"I need to learn more about Dr. Horrible and Billy," she straightforwardly answered.
He arched a brow. "Huh?"
"I mean I need to know what Billy is more of: Horrible or just Billy." She looked him in dark eyes, hoping that he could help her. If there was more than the other, it would either make them or break them.
"When he puts on the outfit, he is no doubt the Doc, but of course is still Billy." Sadness then entered his eyes as he looked away. "After what had happened at the shelter, he changed. In a week he got a new outfit and his mind darkened. I know for a couple of months he was trying not to think about you because he knew that was keeping the ties on Billy. He wanted to change, but you wouldn't let him." He looked back at her in the eyes with sadness was in his own. "And now that you're back in his life, Billy is starting to return and that is confusing and probably scaring him."
Penny absorbed the information, not wanting to lose any piece of it. She was the only one that was keeping Billy sane, but why? Didn't have other friends? Or was he antisocial? A trait that she had learnt to stay clear of… "What do you think he's going to do now?"
Moist gave a shrug. "Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that Billy and Horrible are having a mental battle like Jekyll and Hyde… Only not as violent."
Those words made her stare at him with wide eyes, hoping that her friend didn't have psychological problems of some sort, but right now, it sounded like he had split-personalities. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if Horrible wasn't so… horrible? When she would come by to check on him, half of the time he was in the lab, so she didn't want to disturb him. However, when he wasn't in the lab, he was just Billy, the guy who didn't even seem like a mad scientist, the guy that she liked. "What do you have to say about this?" She quietly asked, baffled by what she was learning.
"I am happy for him, but," he rubbed the back on his head in uncertainty, "but he certainly has changed… And I honestly don't know how I feel about him, let alone the League, taking over Los Angeles. I mean," he lowered his hand as worry flooded his dark eyes, "something bad could happen to him. I know that the League is starting to get to him, but I'm afraid that it's too late."
The woman nodded in agreement. "Then he has to be stopped."
"But how?"
Closing her eyes, she drew in a breath as an idea instantly came to her. It was the only thing she could think of. "I hate to say this, but Captain Hammer." She opened her eyes.
Moist just stared at her, mouth open. "Captain Hammer? He's the source to the Doc's rage." His voice quickened. "That's like pouring gas on the fire. He already tried to kill Hammer once and it failed. Just imagine if he tries it again and it fails. He'll-"
"I won't let Hammer hurt him," she broke in. "He's been through enough of that." She remembered the couple of times Billy walked in the laundromat with his arm in a sling and a cut on his cheek. One time he even had a black eye. Only recently she understood that it was Captain Hammer and there was no way that she wanted Billy hurt again because that would only make things worse.
The man reluctantly nodded. "Fine."
Penny gave a reassuring smile. "I can't promise anything, but I will make that sure that anything won't happen to Billy." With that, she left the apartment complex then started walking to work. Tomorrow she'll go to see Hammer and convince him to stop Dr. Horrible, until then, she hoped that Billy will somehow stop the League from taking over the city- Which she kind of doubted.
The taxi ride to Captain Hammer's manor in the outskirts of Los Angeles gave Penny time to reflect. The last time she had been to the manor was when they were together and that was about four months ago. It was funny how Billy was right about him being cheesy and she knew that he was a fool of himself, but Billy was also someone else in the inside and that was Dr. Horrible. Now, here she was, on the way to her arrogant ex's home to ask for help in stopping the Evil League of Evil taking over the city. The hero wasn't even seen ever since the incident at the homeless shelter and wasn't even sure that he was going to do anything considering the fact that he practically gave up on crime-fighting when Dr. Horrible didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
When the taxi pulled up to the grand manor on the left, she thanked and paid him, then got out of the taxi, staring at the manor, and took a deep breath. Confidently, the young woman approached the grand door with a golden handle and knocker, and knocked on the dark-wooden door.
A moment later, the door opened to a bored man with messy brown hair, dressed in a grey robe. "Penny?" He asked, blinking his brown eyes in puzzlement. "What are you doing here?"
Penny gave a small, kind smile. "I'm sorry to intrude, but the city needs your help."
He began to wave a bare hand with a small smile. "Oh, no. I am done with hero work." He began to close the door. "It was nice seeing you again."
"The Evil League of Evil is going to take over the city!" She blurted.
That made him freeze, then slowly open the door again, staring her in the eyes. "What did you say?" He lowly asked.
Penny took a deep breath, surprised that she actually managed to get this far with him. "The Evil League of Evil is going to take over the city in a month with Dr. Horrible leading them."
"Dr. Horri- No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No?"
"No."
"What do you mean 'No'?"
"He tried to kill me! I didn't even know he had it in him!"
He clearly didn't care about the fact that an innocent girl died in the process.
"What if he tries it again?" Hammer's eyes began to grow. "Who knows what he'll come up with next!"
"But someone has to stop him!" She cried, not wanting him to run and hide because Dr. Horrible botched a murder. The city was in danger and that meant millions of lives! Horrible may have accidentally took one so far, but there will much, much more. "Do you really want someone like the Evil League of Evil taking over the city? After they do that, their goal is the world. Do you really want that?" She asked, staring at him.
Hammer just blinked at her.