Synesthesia 5B/? (NC-17)(Horrible/Hammer/Penny)(Horrible/Snow One Sided)
Title: Synesthesia
Part: 5B/?
By: Lilithisbitter
Rating: MA (Lemon/Disturbing Themes/Darkfic)
Word Count: 14,000+ (Post I and II combined)
Pairing: Horrible/Penny/Hammer, Horrible/Johnny Snow (One-sided)
Spoiler: For All Three Acts of Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Comic Book Backstory Not Used
Summary: One part continuation, one part alternate universe, shake and stir. A bounced Wonderflonium accident disrupts events in not one but two parallel timelines and forces Billy to pony up to his inner demons.
Previous Chapters
I. The Reign of Dr. Horrible
II. Warning: Don't Bounce
III. Penny for Your Thoughts, Hopes, and Dreams Part I [1] [2]
IV. Penny for Your Thoughts, Hopes, and Dreams Part II [1] [2]
V. Shattering Apart and Crashing to the Ground [1]
Because of LJ Post Restrictions, Part IV is in 2 Parts...
Billy was out like a light the moment his head touched the pillow. Penny pressed a cautious closed-mouth kiss to his temple, stroking his gelled hair. She was certain he would wake up and panic. He looked shockingly young in his sleep, the lines around his mouth and eyes smoothed out, the crinkles in his forehead still there, but less defined, more surface cracks than canyons. His perfect cupid bow’s lips were parted slightly exposing a lower row of slightly crooked teeth. It wasn’t glaring, just something you had to look closely at to even notice, but one of his incisors didn’t line up with the others.
Tsking sadly, Penny brushed her finger against the hollow of one of his cheeks. He had definitely lost weight and it wasn’t her imagination. She didn’t remember his cheekbones being this sharp. Billy made a slightly happy hmm noise and pressed the bear to his face. Penny scooted off the bed and tucked the sheets around him. She really didn’t know what to make of Billy.
She moved back to the kitchen to get the food ready. It was easier to rinse and cut up vegetables than it was to think about Billy. Billy, he was smiling in his sleep and it looked slightly evil. Penny shuddered and looked away. She hoped she had just imagined the thing. She looked back when Billy laughed in his sleep and then away again. It was rude to stare.
The bag he tucked under his coffee table stared back, which was silly to say since bags didn’t have eyes. Penny was almost tempted to open it and look through it, but that would be rude. She ended up just rinsing the vegetables, setting them aside, and sitting next to Billy once more. His eyelashes were long, thick and lush although it was hard to tell when they were only a few shades darker than the hair on his head, the part of it that hadn’t been frosted to white blond. “Nrph,” Billy said and leaned against her, still asleep, unconsciously trying to spoon with her.
“I’m here,” she said, even she didn’t know why she had said those words.
Billy twittered in agreement and nuzzled the pillow. She wanted to kiss him. It wouldn’t be like he would know or anybody else. Just a quick taste of his lips and she’d be happy. She leaned in as quietly as she could, afraid he would wake up and know. No, take a chance.
Her lips were now just an inch above his. She was so close she could see the almost invisible stubble that dusted his skin and the freckles across the bridge of his nose, chin, forehead, and neck. She was close enough to feel his breath on her face. Billy was so close to kiss and so distant. Penny leaned forward, her voice just a hair away now.
Should she or shouldn’t she? She didn’t know. For a moment, she debated it over and decided not to. It wasn’t fair if he was asleep. She pulled away just as the doorbell rang.
Penny pulled open the door only to have the world’s largest bouquet of flowers shoved in her face. Captain Hammer beamed at her, his khakis replaced by an expensive butt-hugging pair of jeans and an even more expensive jacket covering his shirt and gloved hands. “Penny, I’ve been thinking it over and I think we should have sex.” He had obviously been thinking this over. “Like right now. Cause it would be sexy.”
He shoved the flowers into her hands and barged into her one room apartment like he foot he owned. Grinning wildly, Captain Hammer pulled back the sheets and his dark blue eyes widened and then narrowed at Billy curled up into a little ball, softly snoring. Hammer’s mouth opened and closed like a fish’s. “What’s he doing here?” she thought he said. It sounded scornful and angry. “Who is he?” he then said in a casual sounding voice.
“Billy,” Penny said, pulling the covers back over him. “He’s taking a nap.”
---
Captain Hammer almost boggled at that. How could she not know that the fiend she called Billy (what was with his nemesis stealing William’s name and using in nickname form to boot?) was Dr. Horrible? Pretending to sleep her bed, pretending to have dark circles under his eyes. In the bed he was going to fuck Penny in.
He did the only thing he could do to calm himself down. He pictured Dr. Horrible fat. Three hundred pounds, double chin, man boobs, and a beer gut. That was enough to calm him down, except Dr. Horrible was about one hundred and fifty pounds of tightly muscled skinniness. He was in an oversized shirt and loose jeans, white-socked feet kicking like he was dreaming. Hammer hoped it was a bad dream. “Ahh, the laundry buddy you told me about.”
“Right,” Penny said, “Isn’t he the most precious thing ever?”
Captain Hammer pouted, “I thought I was the most precious thing.” He punched the spot near Dr. Horrible so hard that a spring popped out and jabbed the mad scientist awake.
Dr. Horrible yowled himself awake, eyes darting from side to side in panic. “Puh-puh-puh,” he stuttered and it was pathetically funny.
He even whimpered when he caught sight of Captain Hammer. Then his eyes narrowed in that villainous glare. Ah-ha. Then Dr. Horrible reached over, took a plastic case, opened it, and popped a pair of contacts in. It gave him a bit of pride to know Dr. Horrible was nearsighted. That would add all sorts of fun to his days. “I thought you were coming over at noon.”
“I couldn’t spend a moment away from you, Penny,” Hammer said and lightly bopped her on the nose. “Sweetkins.”
Dr. Horrible winced and swung himself out of bed, a bloody scratch on his belly where his shirt had rucked up and left that bit of belly unprotected. He hoped that “Billy” was still sore down there, since he had pounded him merciless, and left the condom stuck inside, dripping spunk down those slim white thighs. “Billy? Are you okay?” Penny asked.
“I-uh-er-uh,” Horrible slurred out, eyes darting to Captain Hammer.
Hammer happily waved at him. He could make that villain squirm, no problem at all. And by every super hero to wear a cape, it was enough to make his hammer salute if he didn’t know ways to keep the hammer under control. “I’ll help him out,” Hammer said, pretending to volunteer.
“Gurk,” Horrible said.
“That’s really great of you,” Penny said with the type of sincerity that made Captain Hammer hope she would let him do her up the backside.
Hammer picked Dr. Horrible with one hand, the other man trembling and shivering, gibbering and crying. “Come on.”
He led Dr. Horrible into the bathroom, locked the door behind them, and perched the mad scientist on the sink. There was something missing. Captain Hammer thought about it, came up with a solution, and ruffled that carefully combed blond hair into a mess of curls, waves, and half-limp spikes. “Why?” Horrible rasped out. He almost sounded upset.
“I take it back,” Captain Hammer minced, stroking his hands over Horrible’s jeans, fingers brushing his already hard cock. “You were such a virgin.”
“Wuh-wuh-why did you say that then?” Horrible demanded, chewing on his lip, a flush of blood rushing to his face.
“Did your dream turn you on? Did the violence?”
Horrible looked away, chewing on his lip. “I don’t want to say,” he finally admitted.
He finally decided to let the other boot drop. “Did Penny?”
His nemesis tensed and froze in place.
“Got a crush, Doc.”
“Fuck you.”
Captain Hammer beamed, unbuttoning and unzipping Dr. Horrible’s jeans. “But you did that hours ago. Oh, right I did that to you.” Horrible’s hands went down to try to stop him, but he grabbed them easily in one hand. “If you try, I’ll break these.” Horrible whimpered as tiny bruises started to form. “Will you?” He shook his head, slowly, eyes wide and focused on Captain Hammer. “I want to see it again. Your thick cock.”
Dr. Horrible’s underwear strained to keep his erection in. He wore boring briefs, white cotton things that were one cartoon logo away from being kiddy. Captain Hammer smirked at the sight of the piercing and tattoo. Horrible was rather dedicated to the lie. Hammer carefully pulled both jeans and underwear off, leaving the younger man in just a t-shirt and socks.
Horrible didn’t resist, he just stared at his socked feet until Captain Hammer pulled his chin up so he could look at his cock. The bad doctor blushed tomato red. “Suck it,” Captain Hammer whispered. “I know you can.”
“I…”
“I’m sure you do it all the time, you dog.”
“I…”
Captain Hammer leaned in and whispered, “If you do, I promise I will always call you Billy around her, Doctor.”
“I…”
“A promise.”
Dr. Horrible bent down and licked the head of his own erection. His eyes kept staring at Captain Hammer as if begging to let him stop or fearing that Hammer might enter him without permission. “Don’t worry, Doctor. When I take you, it will because you were begging under me. And you won’t even go no once.” All he got was a shaking of that silly big head of Dr. Horrible’s. “Keep showing me how flexible you are, Bendy.”
Horrible closed his eyes and sucked in the rose-hued head of his prick, sucking and nuzzling, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to tease the underside. He was flushed and beautiful, his legs splayed. “Does that feel good?”
Horrible… no, Billy, there was nothing horrible about Dr. Horrible now, didn’t reply, just kept sucking, licking, and teasing. Well, two could play that game. Captain Hammer leaned forward and nuzzled Billy’s testicles before he pressed two kisses to them. “Keep quiet or she’ll know.”
There was a knock at the door before Penny tested the lock. “You didn’t flush yourself down the toilet, did you?” she asked, teasingly.
Captain Hammer almost hoped she would know. It had been ages since his last devil’s threeway. “I’m taking care of some bruises. Your friend is covered with them.”
“That’s good,” she said, not realizing what was going on. “You’re a good man. Make sure you take care of that new one on his throat.” There it was, layered over a bruise he had given Billy the last time he choked him, which was last week.
Had it really been so long? No wonder last night’s strangulation felt so wonderful, like coming home. He should strangle his nemesis more often.
Billy opened his eyes long enough to roll them. “Shut up,” Captain Hammer said even though Billy hadn’t said a word. That was catchy. Billy, Billy, Billy… repeating his name in his mind meant Dr. Horr- no, Billy would be even more of a joke. “Shut up.”
Then he bent forward and lapped his tongue against the still slightly swollen pucker of Billy’s hole, before pressing a finger against his taint and massaging.
The low-rent villain whimpered softly around his own prick, semen trickling out of the sides of his mouth as his hips pumped and his nails scrambled at Captain Hammer’s back. Hammer smiled and straightened Billy up, smile becoming a smirk when he watched that soft thick shaft slip out of that perfect little slut mouth with that long wicked tongue.
“Now, you’re a slut,” he crooned before he lapped the semen from Billy’s face. “My little villain slut. I bet they’ll all love you in the ELE.” He kissed the tip of Billy’s nose.
Billy turned away and didn’t say a word. He raised a hand to his mouth and proceed to chomp away at his nails.
Hammer ran his fingers over the weird snakes wrapped around a feathery pole tattoo. He leaned forward and suckled at the bony protrusion of the Doctor’s hip. “I think they’ll love getting sloppy seconds. I broke you in. What do you think Bad Horse would think?”
Billy’s face turned chalk white as he looked back, an expression of horror on his face.
“He’d love that I stretched your little hole out. You were so tight.”
“It hurt.”
“You should have stretched yourself out with a buttplug.” He realized as soon as he said that, it wasn’t the best thing to say. Then Dr. Horrible wouldn’t attack the bridge and he couldn’t beat him up. He had even made sure people would park easily toss-able compact and sub-compact cars for him.
Billy missed the reference or he had caught it, he didn’t respond. “It would count.”
“I did enjoy your tightness. Maybe later, I can shove a dildo up there, toy your prostate until you come. Maybe a ring around your cock, so you don’t.” Hammer grabbed a handful of tissues and wiped Billy’s limp cock clean of spit and a few smears of semen. “You swallowed most of it. Good man.” Billly was trembling under his tender administrations. “Maybe I’ll just keep you around. And if you’re good, you can lick my spunk from Penny’s cunt while I fuck you.”
Billy gritted his teeth as Hammer splashed on some hydrogen peroxide on the scrape, which ended in a shallow puncture wound. “I…”
Captain Hammer slathered ointment on a bandage before slapping it on the wound. Billy hissed in pain, teeth gnawing on his lip. Captain Hammer lapped at Billy’s navel, teasing the piercing in it before he redressed Billy. “I know, I’m that good.” Billy chewed on his lip as Captain Hammer refastened his jeans. “No need to thank me.”
“I’m not,” Billy finally said, slipping off the sink with rather wobbly legs.
“You enjoyed it.”
“You made me,” Billy unlocked the door and wobbled back to the bed.
Penny hovered over him like a helicopter as he shrugged back into his hoodie and pulled those black scuffed boots back on. “Are you okay?”
“I…” Billy looked at Captain Hammer and licked his lips. “The blood made me a little faint.” He laced one boot up, hands shaking like leaves. “But Captain Hammer just waited until I wasn’t faint. Didn’t you?”
Captain Hammer grinned broadly. “Of course, Billy.” His smile widened. “Don’t you have somewhere to go?”
Billy paused in lacing up his shoes. “I-I do.” He resumed tying them; his eyes focused on that bag that Hammer had seen him hauling around. “Places to do, things to be.”
“I did offer him something to eat,” Penny said. Hammer felt like punching Billy in the mouth and knocking out his front teeth again. “He can have lunch with us.’
Billy gave her a rather grateful look that Captain Hammer wanted to wipe off his face. “Thank you.” And unlike before, he actually said it. If he hadn’t thanked her, Hammer would have taught him to thank her thank her well. Maybe he would make Billy eat her out as his own cock plunged in and out. And he would make Billy lick the hammer as it slid in and out, damp with Penny’s juices. That would be such a thing to see, he’d record it, hack into Dr. Horrible’s blog using someone who knew how to do that. One of the LAPD members posted on the boards as 2sly4U and he was always bragging how he could.
Captain Hammer didn’t know how true that was. What he did know was Dr. Horrible out of the lab coat insisted on being called Billy. Which was weird if you asked him. Villains had no right to a secret identity or pretend they were something they were not. William was fluffy blond goodness with a nice tight ass. There was no way that sharp angular Billy aka Dr. Horrible aka Billy could be that. He was evil to the core and there was no way that William would ever let himself get corrupted.
“We’re still having veggie curry, right?” Billy asked, eyes wide and almost innocent.
Maybe they cloned the real William, killed the real one, and stuffed his body in a fridge.
No, fridge stuffing is cliché.
“Sure,” Penny said and was already back at the tiny excuse for a kitchen, chopping up piles of veggie.
Billy was on his feet in an instant, hovering at her side like some sort of hovering thing. “Can I help?”
Captain Hammer was right behind Billy in no time at all and pushed him to the side. Billy grumbled in anger, rubbing the spot where Hammer had elbowed him. Sour grapes much? “No, don’t worry your tiny lady-like hands, Billy. Let a master of the knife show you how it’s done.”
He glanced over at Billy, who was practically glowering under that fake little smile plastered on his face. He smiled broadly as he could. Billy almost scowled but hid it. “I-“
Hammer patted Billy on the shoulder. “I think you should let the heroes take of this.” Billy’s eyes narrowed and he shook like a leaf under Captain Hammer’s hand. “It’s only what heroes like me do.”
“You can both help,” Penny offered.
Billy gave her a hopeful glance that stopped when Captain Hammer squeezed his shoulder hard enough to bruise. “That won’t be necessary,” he said quietly. “You guys should have a good lunch without me. Three’s a crowd.”
“And sometimes it’s the best sex you’ve ever had,” Captain Hammer added and laughed at his own joke. God, he cracked himself up so much. “Come on,” he whispered into Billy’s ear. “It’s not funny unless you laugh along… Doctor.”
A rush of nervous chuckles came out of Billy’s mouth along with a few hiccups. “I-I-I think that’s an awesome joke.” He looked down at his battered shoes. Ugly things, all scuffed up and not awesome. Dr. Horrible had no taste in clothes. “I need to comb my hair.” Instead of walking back to the bathroom or out of the house like he should have, he perched on the table and started raking his hands through his hair, trying to flatten it again. “I’m just straightening my hair,” he repeated.
Where was the doctor who snapped back him and pushed back when he shoved? He didn’t like this mask Dr. Horrible was wearing. It stuttered, it chewed its nails, whimpered, and cringed. Was being a little chickenshit coward how the doctor did it? He had to give the doctor props; Billy was an innocent enough name to go by. “You’re just a little fluff ball aren’t you?” Hammer mock-crooned at Billy.
“We shared yogurt once,” Penny said. “So are you going to help out?” Hammer beamed. “Both of you?”
“Of course,” Captain Hammer said as Billy closed his eyes and nodded so fast he qualified as a bobble dog. He even hummed happily. “We’d love to help.”
Billy stuck his tongue out the moment Penny turned her back. Hammer wanted to clobber him hard enough to make him bit that obscenely long pink thing out. How did he even close his mouth around that thing? To make matters worse, he picked his nose with it. How could he not say he wasn’t interested?
Besides, Hammer had been itching to try out one of those hero/villain relationships with benefits.
Or benefucks as the case might be.
“That’s so great of you,” Penny said returning back with an extra large cutting board, two knives, and a bowl of veggies. “Cut these into even chunks while I get the base ready.”
Captain Hammer began chopping away at a carrot. Billy muttered something as he chopped away at the eggplant. “What was that, Billy?” Hammer asked. “You really shouldn’t mumble. No one can understand you.”
“She said even pieces, not large bits and small bits.” Billy said with a cheery smile plastered on his face. It didn’t take much staring to see the evil snake of evil that lurked underneath like an evil lurking thing.
“If you don’t like it, you can leave,” Captain Hammer said, smiling back, all teeth, all threat. “Go jump off a bridge or something.”
“I’m saying that I’m staying and that you can’t cut carrots worth beans.”
Captain Hammer cracked up. “Oh, you silly little civillian, civilian, I mean.” He glanced over at Penny, making sure Billy would know where his eyes were planted. “Carrots aren’t beans.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Billy grumbled. Captain Hammer ignored him.
---
It was one of the worst meals Billy had ever experienced. Penny’s cooking was amazing, mouthwatering good, but the Captain Hammer-sized lump that had his butt where Billy should be, was souring his stomach. He reached into his bag and popped out a roll of antacid and popped one, chewing and glaring. He shouldn’t be on the couch, just like Captain Hammer shouldn’t have shown up into noon.
“This curry is divine even without meat,” Hammer was saying, being a kiss up as usual, wanting to get into Penny’s pants before Billy had the chance. “But not as divine as you.”
Billy spooned a mouthful of rice into his mouth and chewed. He hadn’t been able to speak a word since the meal started. It was like his rage and nerves conspired against him. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. Penny was his and his alone, not Hammer’s and not any man that came to her house and had put his cock into mouth, cunt, and ass. She wasn’t a prize for Hammer, she was a prize for him.
Because he loved her.
“Um, thank you?” Penny said.
Billy exhaled in relief. Penny didn’t catch it or she did and pretended to. That’s when he saw Hammer’s foot rise and roll up the skirt. She wasn’t wearing her panties and her hairless crotch shone eagerly in the light with her juices. He couldn’t stay anymore and pretend that Hammer hadn’t blackmailed him, hadn’t taken advantage of him, hadn’t beaten him unconscious.
He had to leave. Had to get away. The door was inviting him to get the hell out of dodge. Billy could already hear the whisper of a zipper and slipped the bag over his shoulder. It hurt since Hammer had bruised the other side to match. “I have to go,” he said quietly and turned the door open.
There was no response.
Sigh once. Don’t look back. Just keep walking like you did last time.
Close the door, because if you look back, you’ll want to stay and you’re not good at that.
What you are good at is walking away. Head down, inspecting your shoes. It’s easier the second time. Billy-buddy, you’re an expert.
---
“I didn’t want to remember,” Billy said solemnly. The pain in his shattered limbs didn’t hurt as much as remembering. Remembering meant he had to comb it over in his mind. “Can’t I just stop?”
The voice paused for a moment. “No,” it said, “We’re going over this. Skip to the bridge incident if you have to, but we need to know.”
“I don’t need to know.”
---
The train ride over to Long Beach from Echo Park seemed even longer than usual. He had hoped to convince Penny to do his combo of buses and commuter train router along with him. Being alone only served to remind that A, he was along and B, this was the exact same route he took to visit Dr. Grossbard. Mr. Insists that Billy take his medicine because “It would be the best.” Hrumph, he read the side effects. He’d rather be insane and skinny than sane and fat. Not to mention the involuntary muscle movements and overall stiffness. If Dr. Grossbard though he was going to accept that, then he was the insane one. Not Billy.
Right. He could do this. As long as the train made it on time, he was going to pull of the crime. He had less than an hour considering he had to eat something to stop the tremors from low blood sugar. Captain Hammer’s money took care of that and a new laptop in case Moist decided that he was no longer a housemate and kicked Billy out on the street. He had also spent a few hours surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke, realized he had reeked of it, and snuck into a business to use their employee shower room.
---
They hadn’t noticed him. Nobody did. People noticed Dr. Horrible. It was a gleaming room with stainless and glass showers. He ducked into one, closed the door behind him, and leaned against the bench in the little chamber thing before the actual shower. His hands fumbled with his clothing, shoving into a messy pile before he padded over to the shower.
Unclean, filthy, get it off.
Billy wished he could have showered for a thousand years. He turned the water up as hot as it would go and scrubbed hard, even between the crack of his ass, even though it stung. He shaved the stubble off his face and was tempted to shave his chest and crotch to get rid of any hair that Captain Hammer had touched. No, Penny would be sad that he had no more chest hair to run her hands through. There was also another reason. He hadn’t gone through the embarrassment of going through puberty late to get rid of his manly chest hair.
He washed his hair as quickly as he could. His skin could barely take the water any longer. But it was almost enough to erase the stink of Captain Hammer. That egotistical reek that all superheroes seemed to smell of. It was a smell that Billy couldn’t quite describe in terms of smell. It was the scent of “I’m so much better than you.” It gave an upside to being punched in the nose. Billy could barely smell the reek over the smell of blood gushing out and staining his lab coat scarlet and then brown when it dried. If he wasn’t limited to wearing his formals for photo shoots and future ELE meetings, he would wear it all the same just so his bloody nose wouldn’t ruin it as bad. He turned the water off, toweled himself off with one of the thin towels hanging from the rack.
There was a change of clothes in his bag, but no underwear. Dark blue jeans, long sleeved-black shirt, dark grey short-sleeved t-shirt with a hood attached to it, and plain socks, thickly ribbed and grayish from repeated washings. Billy pulled the jeans on and carefully zipped them before shrugging on both layers of t-shirts and pulling on his boots and socks.
He only paused by the sink to gel his hair back down and dry it before he dumped his old clothes in a trash can. As far as he was concerned, they were a loss. Billy’s face stared back at him, with wide eyes ringed by dark shadows, his face more crinkled then he remembered it being, stress-causing him to wrinkle his forehead even more, unhappy frown etched into his chin and the space between his eyes, wrinkles etched around his eyes from his squint.
Billy stared back. Reflected him looked every bit of his thirty-two years. He felt three times that age easily as if the best option was to find a coffin, crawl in it, and just not come out again. No. He had to do this.
---
“So you can’t give up,” Billy concluded. He realized people were starting and changed his set.
He was sure they were still staring, so he hunched over even more and covered his face with his hoodie. The sky was a grey etched with deeper grey. Like looming rain. “Damnit, Lord Meteorology,” Billy whispered under his breath.
That damned superhero always seemed to profile weather to mood. How the hell did he ever know? It was creepy, just like that storm out of the blue last night. He had almost expected to hear creepy music, similar to whatever music played whenever anybody sang. At least that part wasn’t part of his illness, everybody else heard it too.
Billy sighed and looked at his phone again. Hopefully the bus wouldn’t be delayed. After all of these embarrassments and sexual harassment from his nemesis, he needed a victory. He needed to get into the ELE, needed their medical and lab backing, needed the upgrade in housing. Mad scientists were supposed to have mansions with booby traps, shark pits, and huge kitchens. They weren’t supposed to still be living an in apartment with one of their lackeys. He had it up to here with people thinking he was having sex with Moist. Sure, he was bisexual, but he wasn’t a slut or a tease, despite what Captain Hammer had said.
Chewing on his lip, Billy glanced out the window as the train pulled into his stop. No, no way… Dr. Grossbard was sitting on one of the many benches. But this was his stop and he had to get off. Maybe he could sneak off and Grossbard wouldn’t see him.
Why was he doing there? It was like he was waiting for Billy, waiting for him to get off the train, so he could stop him. Billy bit his lip and ducked into the nearest crowd of people walking off the train. Be casual and he won’t notice you.
A hand grabbed his wrist just as he was going to exit the station. “I can’t let you do this, William,” Dr. Grossbard said, eyes shining behind his glasses. “You’re making a mistake.”
“L-let me go!” Billy protested, nails scrambling at his shrink’s iron-grip hand. “I h-h-have places to go! Up-bup-bup and away from y-ou-ou and your pill pushing.”
“Come with me,” Grossbard said. “We’ll get you to some place where you can get help.”
He didn’t get it. How could he not realize what at stake? Everything was slipping away, so…“H-how is be-ing in a m-mental f-f-fog and obese buh-uh-etter?”
“Is being Dr. Horrible any better?”
“You…” Billy held up an accusing finger, “You, bastard.” He could feel his stutter drop from his speech as he slid easily into the mannerisms of Dr. Horrible. “You had no right. These things are between the Evil League of Evil and me. Not you.”
“You know that’s not the real you,” the older man said with an almost gentle tone. It reminded him of how his father never yelled, because that would attract the neighbors. He was kind through his cruelty. “That’s not who William Crandall is and you know it.” He gritted his teeth. “Some part of you has to know. I’m committing you. It’s for your own good.”
Instead of helping, it only got on Billy’s nerves even more. “How dare you,” Billy repeated, “I’m realer this way. More true. How many can say that?” He cocked his head to the side. “Could you?” He smirked the best evil smirk he could. “Would you? Should you?”
“What?”
Billy leaned in and whispered, “Stop me.”
He slammed his foot down on Grossbard’s instep. The shrink cried out in pain or surprise. Maybe even both. It was enough to let Billy twist free and run through the alleys and streets, changing into his costume the first opportunity he could. Three blocks down, he checked the Superhero Clock and pulled his lab coat and various costume parts on without pulling off his hoodie first. He pulled on his goggles and spiked his hair as best as he could.
The sky was lightening and returning to sunny blue when he was in the final stretch. His stun gun was housed in the hidden pocket that allowed him to tuck in weapons without them making a bulge. He grabbed the Freeze Ray in his arms and tucked his bag in his coat’s other hidden pocket.
Billy strode out, no longer needed to run. He had won.
The superhero memorial bridge gleamed like glass in the sun. Normally, bridges weren’t see through, but this one was made for the memory of Diamond Man, Clarinet Clear, and Opalesque out of several thousand tons of Translucenism. It was simply another waste of tax in a recession by Mayor Buttplug. He hoped Penny would see how he was fighting injustice. Maybe not in her name, but he could lie about it and say that he was.
“Your world… mine,” Billy told himself.
“Yours and mine,” Dr. Horrible added. “You can do it.”
Billy nodded, his hands caressing the Freeze Ray. “I can. And time will stand still.”
“Ready.”
“And go,” Billy concluded with a smirk and flourish of his lab coat, he strode out into the middle of the crowd.
The mayor had a shocked expression on his face, although not as shocked as he thought he should, but maybe he was so shocked that it didn’t show. “Dr. Horrible, I have heard about you.”
Billy let loose a peel of laughter. This time, the mayor actually shuddered. Billy didn’t realize it, but he had pulled off the perfect villain laughter. “Hmmm, that was a bit weak. But just like you. So there’s irony for you.” His hand tightened around the present for the mayor, sliding it out of the hidden pock and placing it into a not-really hidden one. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have time stand still?”
He wondered what the mayor was going to do. Personally, Billy hoped the guy would piss his pants and pass out. He didn’t expect the mayor would jump to his feet and yell, “Now!”
Just like that, Billy found himself surrounded by the LAPD and an excess of Superheroes. He thought he saw Penny staring, her face paler than usual. “That’s not supposed to happen!”
“Of course it is.” Billy whipped his head in the direction of the voice to see Captain Hammer, smiling, as he hoisted a car over his head. “You even told us how on your blog. You really are a chicken shit villain.”
“Maybe,” Billy gritted out. “But I have a freeze ray.” He activated it, sliding the stand down and locking his knees into place before he took his place behind. “Now, I want you all to freeze!” Bad pun, but it worked.
The Freeze Ray glowed blue, not just at the firing point, but all over. With a slight pop and scent of bacon, the Freeze Ray vanished as if it had never been there. No! That wasn’t supposed to happen. “Interesting show,” the mayor said to Captain Hammer, “Do you think he meant that to happen?”
Captain Hammer bounced the Prius above his head as Penny left the crowd in disgust. He hoped that it was. Otherwise, she would be supporting a bully and he might have to lobotomize her. Not that he planned on it, it was just last case scenario. Billy began to back away from the crowd, his footsteps turning into a panicked run.
His nemesis’s arm was pulling back to toss the car on him or at his head. He hoped that Captain Hammer had bad aim. He hoped that he would change his mind. He hoped he was seeing things. He hoped he would wake up.
The car exploded into rubble in front of him. Billy breathed a sigh of relief and dodged it, only to run into Lord Meteorology’s beefy chest. “I’ve got the fiendious fiend!”
“Fiendious isn’t a word and for a made up one it’s pathetic,” Billy protested as Hammer pulled him away. “Um, hello?”
Captain Hammer didn’t say anything, just flipped him into the nearest wall. Something cracked in his right arm and Billy nearly threw up at the wave of pain.
“Do that again!” one of the other heroes said. Billy didn’t know who he was, but he was screechy. “Smash the nerd’s nerdy brains in.”
Wingspan hovered around. “I don’t think we should. It’s rather cruel.”
“Hey flyboy,” Hammer mocked, picking up another Prius as Billy tried to sneak off, “We do it because we have to.” He turned to look at Billy and grinned broadly. “Now I have a nerdy little nerdy imposter to whump.” He pulled his arm back again. “This is for pretending to be William.”
“I…”
He doesn’t believe.
“I…”
No.
“I’m not lying!”
The next thing Billy remembered was the car loaming at him. He turned to run-
---
And then he had blacked out for a few seconds. He had been here for an unknown amount of time. Maybe forever.
It was what he deserved.
It was all that he deserved.
I cannot believe my eyes…
Have a penny for your…
Hopes and dreams….
You lost…
Are shattering apart…
It all…
And crashing to the ground.
Billy wept.
…to be continued
Part: 5B/?
By: Lilithisbitter
Rating: MA (Lemon/Disturbing Themes/Darkfic)
Word Count: 14,000+ (Post I and II combined)
Pairing: Horrible/Penny/Hammer, Horrible/Johnny Snow (One-sided)
Spoiler: For All Three Acts of Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Comic Book Backstory Not Used
Summary: One part continuation, one part alternate universe, shake and stir. A bounced Wonderflonium accident disrupts events in not one but two parallel timelines and forces Billy to pony up to his inner demons.
Previous Chapters
I. The Reign of Dr. Horrible
II. Warning: Don't Bounce
III. Penny for Your Thoughts, Hopes, and Dreams Part I [1] [2]
IV. Penny for Your Thoughts, Hopes, and Dreams Part II [1] [2]
V. Shattering Apart and Crashing to the Ground [1]
Because of LJ Post Restrictions, Part IV is in 2 Parts...
Billy was out like a light the moment his head touched the pillow. Penny pressed a cautious closed-mouth kiss to his temple, stroking his gelled hair. She was certain he would wake up and panic. He looked shockingly young in his sleep, the lines around his mouth and eyes smoothed out, the crinkles in his forehead still there, but less defined, more surface cracks than canyons. His perfect cupid bow’s lips were parted slightly exposing a lower row of slightly crooked teeth. It wasn’t glaring, just something you had to look closely at to even notice, but one of his incisors didn’t line up with the others.
Tsking sadly, Penny brushed her finger against the hollow of one of his cheeks. He had definitely lost weight and it wasn’t her imagination. She didn’t remember his cheekbones being this sharp. Billy made a slightly happy hmm noise and pressed the bear to his face. Penny scooted off the bed and tucked the sheets around him. She really didn’t know what to make of Billy.
She moved back to the kitchen to get the food ready. It was easier to rinse and cut up vegetables than it was to think about Billy. Billy, he was smiling in his sleep and it looked slightly evil. Penny shuddered and looked away. She hoped she had just imagined the thing. She looked back when Billy laughed in his sleep and then away again. It was rude to stare.
The bag he tucked under his coffee table stared back, which was silly to say since bags didn’t have eyes. Penny was almost tempted to open it and look through it, but that would be rude. She ended up just rinsing the vegetables, setting them aside, and sitting next to Billy once more. His eyelashes were long, thick and lush although it was hard to tell when they were only a few shades darker than the hair on his head, the part of it that hadn’t been frosted to white blond. “Nrph,” Billy said and leaned against her, still asleep, unconsciously trying to spoon with her.
“I’m here,” she said, even she didn’t know why she had said those words.
Billy twittered in agreement and nuzzled the pillow. She wanted to kiss him. It wouldn’t be like he would know or anybody else. Just a quick taste of his lips and she’d be happy. She leaned in as quietly as she could, afraid he would wake up and know. No, take a chance.
Her lips were now just an inch above his. She was so close she could see the almost invisible stubble that dusted his skin and the freckles across the bridge of his nose, chin, forehead, and neck. She was close enough to feel his breath on her face. Billy was so close to kiss and so distant. Penny leaned forward, her voice just a hair away now.
Should she or shouldn’t she? She didn’t know. For a moment, she debated it over and decided not to. It wasn’t fair if he was asleep. She pulled away just as the doorbell rang.
Penny pulled open the door only to have the world’s largest bouquet of flowers shoved in her face. Captain Hammer beamed at her, his khakis replaced by an expensive butt-hugging pair of jeans and an even more expensive jacket covering his shirt and gloved hands. “Penny, I’ve been thinking it over and I think we should have sex.” He had obviously been thinking this over. “Like right now. Cause it would be sexy.”
He shoved the flowers into her hands and barged into her one room apartment like he foot he owned. Grinning wildly, Captain Hammer pulled back the sheets and his dark blue eyes widened and then narrowed at Billy curled up into a little ball, softly snoring. Hammer’s mouth opened and closed like a fish’s. “What’s he doing here?” she thought he said. It sounded scornful and angry. “Who is he?” he then said in a casual sounding voice.
“Billy,” Penny said, pulling the covers back over him. “He’s taking a nap.”
---
Captain Hammer almost boggled at that. How could she not know that the fiend she called Billy (what was with his nemesis stealing William’s name and using in nickname form to boot?) was Dr. Horrible? Pretending to sleep her bed, pretending to have dark circles under his eyes. In the bed he was going to fuck Penny in.
He did the only thing he could do to calm himself down. He pictured Dr. Horrible fat. Three hundred pounds, double chin, man boobs, and a beer gut. That was enough to calm him down, except Dr. Horrible was about one hundred and fifty pounds of tightly muscled skinniness. He was in an oversized shirt and loose jeans, white-socked feet kicking like he was dreaming. Hammer hoped it was a bad dream. “Ahh, the laundry buddy you told me about.”
“Right,” Penny said, “Isn’t he the most precious thing ever?”
Captain Hammer pouted, “I thought I was the most precious thing.” He punched the spot near Dr. Horrible so hard that a spring popped out and jabbed the mad scientist awake.
Dr. Horrible yowled himself awake, eyes darting from side to side in panic. “Puh-puh-puh,” he stuttered and it was pathetically funny.
He even whimpered when he caught sight of Captain Hammer. Then his eyes narrowed in that villainous glare. Ah-ha. Then Dr. Horrible reached over, took a plastic case, opened it, and popped a pair of contacts in. It gave him a bit of pride to know Dr. Horrible was nearsighted. That would add all sorts of fun to his days. “I thought you were coming over at noon.”
“I couldn’t spend a moment away from you, Penny,” Hammer said and lightly bopped her on the nose. “Sweetkins.”
Dr. Horrible winced and swung himself out of bed, a bloody scratch on his belly where his shirt had rucked up and left that bit of belly unprotected. He hoped that “Billy” was still sore down there, since he had pounded him merciless, and left the condom stuck inside, dripping spunk down those slim white thighs. “Billy? Are you okay?” Penny asked.
“I-uh-er-uh,” Horrible slurred out, eyes darting to Captain Hammer.
Hammer happily waved at him. He could make that villain squirm, no problem at all. And by every super hero to wear a cape, it was enough to make his hammer salute if he didn’t know ways to keep the hammer under control. “I’ll help him out,” Hammer said, pretending to volunteer.
“Gurk,” Horrible said.
“That’s really great of you,” Penny said with the type of sincerity that made Captain Hammer hope she would let him do her up the backside.
Hammer picked Dr. Horrible with one hand, the other man trembling and shivering, gibbering and crying. “Come on.”
He led Dr. Horrible into the bathroom, locked the door behind them, and perched the mad scientist on the sink. There was something missing. Captain Hammer thought about it, came up with a solution, and ruffled that carefully combed blond hair into a mess of curls, waves, and half-limp spikes. “Why?” Horrible rasped out. He almost sounded upset.
“I take it back,” Captain Hammer minced, stroking his hands over Horrible’s jeans, fingers brushing his already hard cock. “You were such a virgin.”
“Wuh-wuh-why did you say that then?” Horrible demanded, chewing on his lip, a flush of blood rushing to his face.
“Did your dream turn you on? Did the violence?”
Horrible looked away, chewing on his lip. “I don’t want to say,” he finally admitted.
He finally decided to let the other boot drop. “Did Penny?”
His nemesis tensed and froze in place.
“Got a crush, Doc.”
“Fuck you.”
Captain Hammer beamed, unbuttoning and unzipping Dr. Horrible’s jeans. “But you did that hours ago. Oh, right I did that to you.” Horrible’s hands went down to try to stop him, but he grabbed them easily in one hand. “If you try, I’ll break these.” Horrible whimpered as tiny bruises started to form. “Will you?” He shook his head, slowly, eyes wide and focused on Captain Hammer. “I want to see it again. Your thick cock.”
Dr. Horrible’s underwear strained to keep his erection in. He wore boring briefs, white cotton things that were one cartoon logo away from being kiddy. Captain Hammer smirked at the sight of the piercing and tattoo. Horrible was rather dedicated to the lie. Hammer carefully pulled both jeans and underwear off, leaving the younger man in just a t-shirt and socks.
Horrible didn’t resist, he just stared at his socked feet until Captain Hammer pulled his chin up so he could look at his cock. The bad doctor blushed tomato red. “Suck it,” Captain Hammer whispered. “I know you can.”
“I…”
“I’m sure you do it all the time, you dog.”
“I…”
Captain Hammer leaned in and whispered, “If you do, I promise I will always call you Billy around her, Doctor.”
“I…”
“A promise.”
Dr. Horrible bent down and licked the head of his own erection. His eyes kept staring at Captain Hammer as if begging to let him stop or fearing that Hammer might enter him without permission. “Don’t worry, Doctor. When I take you, it will because you were begging under me. And you won’t even go no once.” All he got was a shaking of that silly big head of Dr. Horrible’s. “Keep showing me how flexible you are, Bendy.”
Horrible closed his eyes and sucked in the rose-hued head of his prick, sucking and nuzzling, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to tease the underside. He was flushed and beautiful, his legs splayed. “Does that feel good?”
Horrible… no, Billy, there was nothing horrible about Dr. Horrible now, didn’t reply, just kept sucking, licking, and teasing. Well, two could play that game. Captain Hammer leaned forward and nuzzled Billy’s testicles before he pressed two kisses to them. “Keep quiet or she’ll know.”
There was a knock at the door before Penny tested the lock. “You didn’t flush yourself down the toilet, did you?” she asked, teasingly.
Captain Hammer almost hoped she would know. It had been ages since his last devil’s threeway. “I’m taking care of some bruises. Your friend is covered with them.”
“That’s good,” she said, not realizing what was going on. “You’re a good man. Make sure you take care of that new one on his throat.” There it was, layered over a bruise he had given Billy the last time he choked him, which was last week.
Had it really been so long? No wonder last night’s strangulation felt so wonderful, like coming home. He should strangle his nemesis more often.
Billy opened his eyes long enough to roll them. “Shut up,” Captain Hammer said even though Billy hadn’t said a word. That was catchy. Billy, Billy, Billy… repeating his name in his mind meant Dr. Horr- no, Billy would be even more of a joke. “Shut up.”
Then he bent forward and lapped his tongue against the still slightly swollen pucker of Billy’s hole, before pressing a finger against his taint and massaging.
The low-rent villain whimpered softly around his own prick, semen trickling out of the sides of his mouth as his hips pumped and his nails scrambled at Captain Hammer’s back. Hammer smiled and straightened Billy up, smile becoming a smirk when he watched that soft thick shaft slip out of that perfect little slut mouth with that long wicked tongue.
“Now, you’re a slut,” he crooned before he lapped the semen from Billy’s face. “My little villain slut. I bet they’ll all love you in the ELE.” He kissed the tip of Billy’s nose.
Billy turned away and didn’t say a word. He raised a hand to his mouth and proceed to chomp away at his nails.
Hammer ran his fingers over the weird snakes wrapped around a feathery pole tattoo. He leaned forward and suckled at the bony protrusion of the Doctor’s hip. “I think they’ll love getting sloppy seconds. I broke you in. What do you think Bad Horse would think?”
Billy’s face turned chalk white as he looked back, an expression of horror on his face.
“He’d love that I stretched your little hole out. You were so tight.”
“It hurt.”
“You should have stretched yourself out with a buttplug.” He realized as soon as he said that, it wasn’t the best thing to say. Then Dr. Horrible wouldn’t attack the bridge and he couldn’t beat him up. He had even made sure people would park easily toss-able compact and sub-compact cars for him.
Billy missed the reference or he had caught it, he didn’t respond. “It would count.”
“I did enjoy your tightness. Maybe later, I can shove a dildo up there, toy your prostate until you come. Maybe a ring around your cock, so you don’t.” Hammer grabbed a handful of tissues and wiped Billy’s limp cock clean of spit and a few smears of semen. “You swallowed most of it. Good man.” Billly was trembling under his tender administrations. “Maybe I’ll just keep you around. And if you’re good, you can lick my spunk from Penny’s cunt while I fuck you.”
Billy gritted his teeth as Hammer splashed on some hydrogen peroxide on the scrape, which ended in a shallow puncture wound. “I…”
Captain Hammer slathered ointment on a bandage before slapping it on the wound. Billy hissed in pain, teeth gnawing on his lip. Captain Hammer lapped at Billy’s navel, teasing the piercing in it before he redressed Billy. “I know, I’m that good.” Billy chewed on his lip as Captain Hammer refastened his jeans. “No need to thank me.”
“I’m not,” Billy finally said, slipping off the sink with rather wobbly legs.
“You enjoyed it.”
“You made me,” Billy unlocked the door and wobbled back to the bed.
Penny hovered over him like a helicopter as he shrugged back into his hoodie and pulled those black scuffed boots back on. “Are you okay?”
“I…” Billy looked at Captain Hammer and licked his lips. “The blood made me a little faint.” He laced one boot up, hands shaking like leaves. “But Captain Hammer just waited until I wasn’t faint. Didn’t you?”
Captain Hammer grinned broadly. “Of course, Billy.” His smile widened. “Don’t you have somewhere to go?”
Billy paused in lacing up his shoes. “I-I do.” He resumed tying them; his eyes focused on that bag that Hammer had seen him hauling around. “Places to do, things to be.”
“I did offer him something to eat,” Penny said. Hammer felt like punching Billy in the mouth and knocking out his front teeth again. “He can have lunch with us.’
Billy gave her a rather grateful look that Captain Hammer wanted to wipe off his face. “Thank you.” And unlike before, he actually said it. If he hadn’t thanked her, Hammer would have taught him to thank her thank her well. Maybe he would make Billy eat her out as his own cock plunged in and out. And he would make Billy lick the hammer as it slid in and out, damp with Penny’s juices. That would be such a thing to see, he’d record it, hack into Dr. Horrible’s blog using someone who knew how to do that. One of the LAPD members posted on the boards as 2sly4U and he was always bragging how he could.
Captain Hammer didn’t know how true that was. What he did know was Dr. Horrible out of the lab coat insisted on being called Billy. Which was weird if you asked him. Villains had no right to a secret identity or pretend they were something they were not. William was fluffy blond goodness with a nice tight ass. There was no way that sharp angular Billy aka Dr. Horrible aka Billy could be that. He was evil to the core and there was no way that William would ever let himself get corrupted.
“We’re still having veggie curry, right?” Billy asked, eyes wide and almost innocent.
Maybe they cloned the real William, killed the real one, and stuffed his body in a fridge.
No, fridge stuffing is cliché.
“Sure,” Penny said and was already back at the tiny excuse for a kitchen, chopping up piles of veggie.
Billy was on his feet in an instant, hovering at her side like some sort of hovering thing. “Can I help?”
Captain Hammer was right behind Billy in no time at all and pushed him to the side. Billy grumbled in anger, rubbing the spot where Hammer had elbowed him. Sour grapes much? “No, don’t worry your tiny lady-like hands, Billy. Let a master of the knife show you how it’s done.”
He glanced over at Billy, who was practically glowering under that fake little smile plastered on his face. He smiled broadly as he could. Billy almost scowled but hid it. “I-“
Hammer patted Billy on the shoulder. “I think you should let the heroes take of this.” Billy’s eyes narrowed and he shook like a leaf under Captain Hammer’s hand. “It’s only what heroes like me do.”
“You can both help,” Penny offered.
Billy gave her a hopeful glance that stopped when Captain Hammer squeezed his shoulder hard enough to bruise. “That won’t be necessary,” he said quietly. “You guys should have a good lunch without me. Three’s a crowd.”
“And sometimes it’s the best sex you’ve ever had,” Captain Hammer added and laughed at his own joke. God, he cracked himself up so much. “Come on,” he whispered into Billy’s ear. “It’s not funny unless you laugh along… Doctor.”
A rush of nervous chuckles came out of Billy’s mouth along with a few hiccups. “I-I-I think that’s an awesome joke.” He looked down at his battered shoes. Ugly things, all scuffed up and not awesome. Dr. Horrible had no taste in clothes. “I need to comb my hair.” Instead of walking back to the bathroom or out of the house like he should have, he perched on the table and started raking his hands through his hair, trying to flatten it again. “I’m just straightening my hair,” he repeated.
Where was the doctor who snapped back him and pushed back when he shoved? He didn’t like this mask Dr. Horrible was wearing. It stuttered, it chewed its nails, whimpered, and cringed. Was being a little chickenshit coward how the doctor did it? He had to give the doctor props; Billy was an innocent enough name to go by. “You’re just a little fluff ball aren’t you?” Hammer mock-crooned at Billy.
“We shared yogurt once,” Penny said. “So are you going to help out?” Hammer beamed. “Both of you?”
“Of course,” Captain Hammer said as Billy closed his eyes and nodded so fast he qualified as a bobble dog. He even hummed happily. “We’d love to help.”
Billy stuck his tongue out the moment Penny turned her back. Hammer wanted to clobber him hard enough to make him bit that obscenely long pink thing out. How did he even close his mouth around that thing? To make matters worse, he picked his nose with it. How could he not say he wasn’t interested?
Besides, Hammer had been itching to try out one of those hero/villain relationships with benefits.
Or benefucks as the case might be.
“That’s so great of you,” Penny said returning back with an extra large cutting board, two knives, and a bowl of veggies. “Cut these into even chunks while I get the base ready.”
Captain Hammer began chopping away at a carrot. Billy muttered something as he chopped away at the eggplant. “What was that, Billy?” Hammer asked. “You really shouldn’t mumble. No one can understand you.”
“She said even pieces, not large bits and small bits.” Billy said with a cheery smile plastered on his face. It didn’t take much staring to see the evil snake of evil that lurked underneath like an evil lurking thing.
“If you don’t like it, you can leave,” Captain Hammer said, smiling back, all teeth, all threat. “Go jump off a bridge or something.”
“I’m saying that I’m staying and that you can’t cut carrots worth beans.”
Captain Hammer cracked up. “Oh, you silly little civillian, civilian, I mean.” He glanced over at Penny, making sure Billy would know where his eyes were planted. “Carrots aren’t beans.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Billy grumbled. Captain Hammer ignored him.
---
It was one of the worst meals Billy had ever experienced. Penny’s cooking was amazing, mouthwatering good, but the Captain Hammer-sized lump that had his butt where Billy should be, was souring his stomach. He reached into his bag and popped out a roll of antacid and popped one, chewing and glaring. He shouldn’t be on the couch, just like Captain Hammer shouldn’t have shown up into noon.
“This curry is divine even without meat,” Hammer was saying, being a kiss up as usual, wanting to get into Penny’s pants before Billy had the chance. “But not as divine as you.”
Billy spooned a mouthful of rice into his mouth and chewed. He hadn’t been able to speak a word since the meal started. It was like his rage and nerves conspired against him. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair. Penny was his and his alone, not Hammer’s and not any man that came to her house and had put his cock into mouth, cunt, and ass. She wasn’t a prize for Hammer, she was a prize for him.
Because he loved her.
“Um, thank you?” Penny said.
Billy exhaled in relief. Penny didn’t catch it or she did and pretended to. That’s when he saw Hammer’s foot rise and roll up the skirt. She wasn’t wearing her panties and her hairless crotch shone eagerly in the light with her juices. He couldn’t stay anymore and pretend that Hammer hadn’t blackmailed him, hadn’t taken advantage of him, hadn’t beaten him unconscious.
He had to leave. Had to get away. The door was inviting him to get the hell out of dodge. Billy could already hear the whisper of a zipper and slipped the bag over his shoulder. It hurt since Hammer had bruised the other side to match. “I have to go,” he said quietly and turned the door open.
There was no response.
Sigh once. Don’t look back. Just keep walking like you did last time.
Close the door, because if you look back, you’ll want to stay and you’re not good at that.
What you are good at is walking away. Head down, inspecting your shoes. It’s easier the second time. Billy-buddy, you’re an expert.
---
“I didn’t want to remember,” Billy said solemnly. The pain in his shattered limbs didn’t hurt as much as remembering. Remembering meant he had to comb it over in his mind. “Can’t I just stop?”
The voice paused for a moment. “No,” it said, “We’re going over this. Skip to the bridge incident if you have to, but we need to know.”
“I don’t need to know.”
---
The train ride over to Long Beach from Echo Park seemed even longer than usual. He had hoped to convince Penny to do his combo of buses and commuter train router along with him. Being alone only served to remind that A, he was along and B, this was the exact same route he took to visit Dr. Grossbard. Mr. Insists that Billy take his medicine because “It would be the best.” Hrumph, he read the side effects. He’d rather be insane and skinny than sane and fat. Not to mention the involuntary muscle movements and overall stiffness. If Dr. Grossbard though he was going to accept that, then he was the insane one. Not Billy.
Right. He could do this. As long as the train made it on time, he was going to pull of the crime. He had less than an hour considering he had to eat something to stop the tremors from low blood sugar. Captain Hammer’s money took care of that and a new laptop in case Moist decided that he was no longer a housemate and kicked Billy out on the street. He had also spent a few hours surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke, realized he had reeked of it, and snuck into a business to use their employee shower room.
---
They hadn’t noticed him. Nobody did. People noticed Dr. Horrible. It was a gleaming room with stainless and glass showers. He ducked into one, closed the door behind him, and leaned against the bench in the little chamber thing before the actual shower. His hands fumbled with his clothing, shoving into a messy pile before he padded over to the shower.
Unclean, filthy, get it off.
Billy wished he could have showered for a thousand years. He turned the water up as hot as it would go and scrubbed hard, even between the crack of his ass, even though it stung. He shaved the stubble off his face and was tempted to shave his chest and crotch to get rid of any hair that Captain Hammer had touched. No, Penny would be sad that he had no more chest hair to run her hands through. There was also another reason. He hadn’t gone through the embarrassment of going through puberty late to get rid of his manly chest hair.
He washed his hair as quickly as he could. His skin could barely take the water any longer. But it was almost enough to erase the stink of Captain Hammer. That egotistical reek that all superheroes seemed to smell of. It was a smell that Billy couldn’t quite describe in terms of smell. It was the scent of “I’m so much better than you.” It gave an upside to being punched in the nose. Billy could barely smell the reek over the smell of blood gushing out and staining his lab coat scarlet and then brown when it dried. If he wasn’t limited to wearing his formals for photo shoots and future ELE meetings, he would wear it all the same just so his bloody nose wouldn’t ruin it as bad. He turned the water off, toweled himself off with one of the thin towels hanging from the rack.
There was a change of clothes in his bag, but no underwear. Dark blue jeans, long sleeved-black shirt, dark grey short-sleeved t-shirt with a hood attached to it, and plain socks, thickly ribbed and grayish from repeated washings. Billy pulled the jeans on and carefully zipped them before shrugging on both layers of t-shirts and pulling on his boots and socks.
He only paused by the sink to gel his hair back down and dry it before he dumped his old clothes in a trash can. As far as he was concerned, they were a loss. Billy’s face stared back at him, with wide eyes ringed by dark shadows, his face more crinkled then he remembered it being, stress-causing him to wrinkle his forehead even more, unhappy frown etched into his chin and the space between his eyes, wrinkles etched around his eyes from his squint.
Billy stared back. Reflected him looked every bit of his thirty-two years. He felt three times that age easily as if the best option was to find a coffin, crawl in it, and just not come out again. No. He had to do this.
---
“So you can’t give up,” Billy concluded. He realized people were starting and changed his set.
He was sure they were still staring, so he hunched over even more and covered his face with his hoodie. The sky was a grey etched with deeper grey. Like looming rain. “Damnit, Lord Meteorology,” Billy whispered under his breath.
That damned superhero always seemed to profile weather to mood. How the hell did he ever know? It was creepy, just like that storm out of the blue last night. He had almost expected to hear creepy music, similar to whatever music played whenever anybody sang. At least that part wasn’t part of his illness, everybody else heard it too.
Billy sighed and looked at his phone again. Hopefully the bus wouldn’t be delayed. After all of these embarrassments and sexual harassment from his nemesis, he needed a victory. He needed to get into the ELE, needed their medical and lab backing, needed the upgrade in housing. Mad scientists were supposed to have mansions with booby traps, shark pits, and huge kitchens. They weren’t supposed to still be living an in apartment with one of their lackeys. He had it up to here with people thinking he was having sex with Moist. Sure, he was bisexual, but he wasn’t a slut or a tease, despite what Captain Hammer had said.
Chewing on his lip, Billy glanced out the window as the train pulled into his stop. No, no way… Dr. Grossbard was sitting on one of the many benches. But this was his stop and he had to get off. Maybe he could sneak off and Grossbard wouldn’t see him.
Why was he doing there? It was like he was waiting for Billy, waiting for him to get off the train, so he could stop him. Billy bit his lip and ducked into the nearest crowd of people walking off the train. Be casual and he won’t notice you.
A hand grabbed his wrist just as he was going to exit the station. “I can’t let you do this, William,” Dr. Grossbard said, eyes shining behind his glasses. “You’re making a mistake.”
“L-let me go!” Billy protested, nails scrambling at his shrink’s iron-grip hand. “I h-h-have places to go! Up-bup-bup and away from y-ou-ou and your pill pushing.”
“Come with me,” Grossbard said. “We’ll get you to some place where you can get help.”
He didn’t get it. How could he not realize what at stake? Everything was slipping away, so…“H-how is be-ing in a m-mental f-f-fog and obese buh-uh-etter?”
“Is being Dr. Horrible any better?”
“You…” Billy held up an accusing finger, “You, bastard.” He could feel his stutter drop from his speech as he slid easily into the mannerisms of Dr. Horrible. “You had no right. These things are between the Evil League of Evil and me. Not you.”
“You know that’s not the real you,” the older man said with an almost gentle tone. It reminded him of how his father never yelled, because that would attract the neighbors. He was kind through his cruelty. “That’s not who William Crandall is and you know it.” He gritted his teeth. “Some part of you has to know. I’m committing you. It’s for your own good.”
Instead of helping, it only got on Billy’s nerves even more. “How dare you,” Billy repeated, “I’m realer this way. More true. How many can say that?” He cocked his head to the side. “Could you?” He smirked the best evil smirk he could. “Would you? Should you?”
“What?”
Billy leaned in and whispered, “Stop me.”
He slammed his foot down on Grossbard’s instep. The shrink cried out in pain or surprise. Maybe even both. It was enough to let Billy twist free and run through the alleys and streets, changing into his costume the first opportunity he could. Three blocks down, he checked the Superhero Clock and pulled his lab coat and various costume parts on without pulling off his hoodie first. He pulled on his goggles and spiked his hair as best as he could.
The sky was lightening and returning to sunny blue when he was in the final stretch. His stun gun was housed in the hidden pocket that allowed him to tuck in weapons without them making a bulge. He grabbed the Freeze Ray in his arms and tucked his bag in his coat’s other hidden pocket.
Billy strode out, no longer needed to run. He had won.
The superhero memorial bridge gleamed like glass in the sun. Normally, bridges weren’t see through, but this one was made for the memory of Diamond Man, Clarinet Clear, and Opalesque out of several thousand tons of Translucenism. It was simply another waste of tax in a recession by Mayor Buttplug. He hoped Penny would see how he was fighting injustice. Maybe not in her name, but he could lie about it and say that he was.
“Your world… mine,” Billy told himself.
“Yours and mine,” Dr. Horrible added. “You can do it.”
Billy nodded, his hands caressing the Freeze Ray. “I can. And time will stand still.”
“Ready.”
“And go,” Billy concluded with a smirk and flourish of his lab coat, he strode out into the middle of the crowd.
The mayor had a shocked expression on his face, although not as shocked as he thought he should, but maybe he was so shocked that it didn’t show. “Dr. Horrible, I have heard about you.”
Billy let loose a peel of laughter. This time, the mayor actually shuddered. Billy didn’t realize it, but he had pulled off the perfect villain laughter. “Hmmm, that was a bit weak. But just like you. So there’s irony for you.” His hand tightened around the present for the mayor, sliding it out of the hidden pock and placing it into a not-really hidden one. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have time stand still?”
He wondered what the mayor was going to do. Personally, Billy hoped the guy would piss his pants and pass out. He didn’t expect the mayor would jump to his feet and yell, “Now!”
Just like that, Billy found himself surrounded by the LAPD and an excess of Superheroes. He thought he saw Penny staring, her face paler than usual. “That’s not supposed to happen!”
“Of course it is.” Billy whipped his head in the direction of the voice to see Captain Hammer, smiling, as he hoisted a car over his head. “You even told us how on your blog. You really are a chicken shit villain.”
“Maybe,” Billy gritted out. “But I have a freeze ray.” He activated it, sliding the stand down and locking his knees into place before he took his place behind. “Now, I want you all to freeze!” Bad pun, but it worked.
The Freeze Ray glowed blue, not just at the firing point, but all over. With a slight pop and scent of bacon, the Freeze Ray vanished as if it had never been there. No! That wasn’t supposed to happen. “Interesting show,” the mayor said to Captain Hammer, “Do you think he meant that to happen?”
Captain Hammer bounced the Prius above his head as Penny left the crowd in disgust. He hoped that it was. Otherwise, she would be supporting a bully and he might have to lobotomize her. Not that he planned on it, it was just last case scenario. Billy began to back away from the crowd, his footsteps turning into a panicked run.
His nemesis’s arm was pulling back to toss the car on him or at his head. He hoped that Captain Hammer had bad aim. He hoped that he would change his mind. He hoped he was seeing things. He hoped he would wake up.
The car exploded into rubble in front of him. Billy breathed a sigh of relief and dodged it, only to run into Lord Meteorology’s beefy chest. “I’ve got the fiendious fiend!”
“Fiendious isn’t a word and for a made up one it’s pathetic,” Billy protested as Hammer pulled him away. “Um, hello?”
Captain Hammer didn’t say anything, just flipped him into the nearest wall. Something cracked in his right arm and Billy nearly threw up at the wave of pain.
“Do that again!” one of the other heroes said. Billy didn’t know who he was, but he was screechy. “Smash the nerd’s nerdy brains in.”
Wingspan hovered around. “I don’t think we should. It’s rather cruel.”
“Hey flyboy,” Hammer mocked, picking up another Prius as Billy tried to sneak off, “We do it because we have to.” He turned to look at Billy and grinned broadly. “Now I have a nerdy little nerdy imposter to whump.” He pulled his arm back again. “This is for pretending to be William.”
“I…”
He doesn’t believe.
“I…”
No.
“I’m not lying!”
The next thing Billy remembered was the car loaming at him. He turned to run-
---
And then he had blacked out for a few seconds. He had been here for an unknown amount of time. Maybe forever.
It was what he deserved.
It was all that he deserved.
I cannot believe my eyes…
Have a penny for your…
Hopes and dreams….
You lost…
Are shattering apart…
It all…
And crashing to the ground.
Billy wept.
…to be continued