Epilogue

From: falling-into-place
To: thoroughbredofsin; Xx-Crushed-Roses-xX; necromantic; VENOMOUS; flowergrrrl; PNormal; PainsofEvilsNeverHappened
Subject: Musical chairs (and stolen mainframe files!)
Attachments: LAnbank12; planget

Hey, I heard about all your organization's recent technical difficulties. Complete data wipe, huh? Wow.

Just thought you might appreciate the attached file so you all can go ahead with your upcoming crime this weekend. The formatting is a little weird, because I had to upload it from my own system, but it works on most of the word processors I've tested it on.

Oh! And if you need to recover anything else, check out Door # 2 for instructions. There'll be more released, depending on importance and viable timeframes, and you wouldn't want the heroes to get their hands on them first. No siree.

Also, you might want to check out my blog this week. I'm doing a demonstration on my newest development: Neural Nanocomputer Integration. I'm really excited about the possibilities, the only downside is that a bullet to the head loses all those precious ones and zeroes. Glad I'm not dying any time soon.

Byeeee

Dr. Horrible

P.S. Threaten or hurt her again, ever, in ANY way, and I'll erase ALL of it, then all of YOU.

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Apparently Captain Hammer had broken up with Penny, but his nemesis was watching the news broadcast from the top of his clothes dryer with increasing irritation. Did the narcissist have to lay on the cat-and-mouse flirtation with Switch on so thick? Maybe Moist had benefited from the change, and he was glad for that, but the overly public displays between the hero and the villainess were honestly making him ill. Especially considering how Penny had seemed so devastated by the ordeal.

He hadn't seen her since, and he couldn't blame her for it. Two people she had really trusted had suddenly become lies. Maybe it was for the best, as much as he wished he could be there for her. Even though the dangerous situation with the ELE was now under control, she'd been dragged into that once already.

The former masterminds were still squabbling for position, years of backstabbing and world-conquering ambitions finally out in the open. It didn't matter to Dr. Horrible which of them got the plans he scattered their way, only that their attempts to undermine each other and claim the files for themselves kept them too busy to look his way. His continued existence depended on the Evil League's lack thereof.

It was kind of a new age, for both upcoming villains and heroes. There were no schedules to keep anymore, no heavy hooved control over who got to do what and how. Opportunities were more equally distributed, instead of the most notorious villains automatically getting the most prestigious jobs.

Of course, some villains and henchmen missed the security, and with the underworld as fond of wild parties as ever, rumours had spread quickly that were uncomfortably close to the truth. No one had the guts yet to go after the man who had taken down the League, but without the stagnant bureaucracy, people had gotten bolder.

The mainstream media also somehow had gotten a whiff of the blood in the water. He liked being portrayed as a misunderstood genius about as much as the other villains did. He was Dr. Horrible. His name said it all.

He winced. He'd always had an audience, even his first posting had attracted attention, but… He had fans now. Real, obsessive, shirt wearing fans, who thought he was some sort of altruistic outlaw. Their mistaken admiration was just beyond his capacity for comprehension.

"Billy?"

After making a suitably embarrassing spectacle of himself in front of everyone in the laundromat, he picked himself off the floor and climbed back up the side of the machine, peeking over the edge. There she was, waiting patiently for him and obviously trying very hard not to laugh. He coloured. "Do you like sneaking up on me or something?"

Penny nodded, her expression warm, the corners of her lips fighting against a near irresistible upward pull. "Mm hmm."

Maybe it was all right then. So long as she kept looking at him that way.

He resettled onto his perch with whatever shreds remained of his dignity, and she hopped up next to him, fidgeting for a few awkward moments with the hem of her skirt. "I saw your blog."

He felt like he'd been punched. What did that mean? Well, it was obvious what it meant, but what did she mean by it? Was she upset? She sounded casual, like his deepest, most secret hopes and dreams were just idle chit-chat. "O-oh," he managed.

Her green eyes softened, and she smiled, really smiled, and held out a cup of frozen yogurt to him.

-Fin-

A.N. That's all, folks!

This is my first time finishing anything like this, so once again, I'd like to thank you all for your patience and support. I'm not much of a writer of stories, and less so a writer of songs, and I think over the past couple of months I've made that woefully apparent.

But, out of love for the same characters I love, you guys stuck with me, and I'm grateful.

I've still got a few ideas for some drabbles here, but aside from that I'll be taking a break from writing. But I'll still be reading, so I hope to see you all around.