What happened next happened so quickly that afterwards, even Penny wasn't sure.
She was facing the mirror wall, facing Talon, when two agents in purple MAD uniforms burst through. Talon had evidently had some help in kidnapping four musicians.
They had laser-guns, not gum guns, and levelled them at Penny.
"Don't worry, boss! We got her!"
Talon turned, too late.
"No! Not those things! Not in here!"
He ducked, and pulled Penny down with him, as the lasers fired.
They were in an enclosed space. Talon and Penny saw the beams rebound from the shelves, back from the mirror wall and finally, straight onto the bottles of Emotigas.
The glass shattered, filling the room with the thick, green gas. Talon and Penny coughed and spluttered.
The MAD agents knew when they were in trouble, and fled.
Penny struggled to breathe. She couldn't see the controls anymore, or Talon.
As the gas began to clear, she looked round for him, fully expecting him to have fled.
To her astonishment, he was seated on the floor, sobbing pitifully. Emotigas must be powerful stuff.
"They all laughed at me! It's so unfair." The tears were pouring down his cheeks, and he was howling. "Nobody loves me! Nobody wants to be my friend! Just 'cause I'm an evil genius, and I wanna rule the world... is that too much to ask?"
Penny suddenly felt very odd. This gas was weird. She knew she should be concentrating on the mission, and the arrest of this guy... but all of a sudden... she wanted to be his friend...
She dropped to the floor and flung her arms around him.
"Oh, Talon! I love you, you stupid, evil boy! I've loved you ever since I first saw you behind that desk at HQ. You're clever, you're funny, you're cute. And I know I shouldn't, because you're a bad guy, but you're the BEST bad guy ever and I won't ever let anyone else defeat you because I love, love, LOVE defeating you, and I want to spend the rest of our lives defeating you, you bad boy!"
Talon blinked at her, through the tears. Then he hugged her.
"Oh, Penn. I love you too! You're brilliant, you're smart, you're blonde which is always a plus with me by the way, and anyhoo... You know what you want and you go for it and you're always messing up my plans and you just did it AGAIN and that's just..." He was starting to laugh. "That stunt with the music... on international TV... that was awesome... oh, you're more wicked than you know..."
He cupped her face in his hands, leaned in and kissed her.
In the hall, Land of Hope and Glory poured out to the adoring crowds. The MAD musicians were playing their counter-melody, and it sounded slightly off, but with the button unpressed, the signal wasn't amplified and the audience was unaffected. It was so loud that no one noticed or cared that anything was wrong.
As soon as the performance was over, Antonia stepped to the front of the stage and made a speech and received a bouquet of flowers. She thanked the performers, carefully didn't mention Carlo, and made a special mention of Inspector Gadget, who stepped forward to take a bow.
As soon as the broadcast was over, and the musicians came offstage, Gary and the other HQ agents arrested Maddox, Madrian, Madelaide and the uniformed MAD agents.
Meanwhile, backstage, Talon was leading Penny across the dressing room and into the corridor. The gas had not yet worn off, and they were laughing.
Talon flung open the fire doors.
"Let's be Superman and Lois. I always wanted to do this!"
"No... Talon!" Penny was giggling. She realised Talon was wearing his jet boots along with his evening suit...
Talon scooped her up in his arms and they soared into the night sky. With him in dinner jacket and her in ballgown, they flew across London. People still watching the Progs in parks and community spaces cheered and applauded as they flew overhead. They obviously thought it was part of the entertainment. Talon bowed his head to them. Then he looked into Penny's eyes.
"Let's start our own evil organisation! This time, you can be my queen!"
"No... come back to HQ! You're brilliant, they'll love you!"
"I know one thing. I'm never going back to Uncle Claw, not ever!"
"Oh, Talon..." Penny gave a sudden scream. "Talon, look out!"
They were entering Trafalgar Square. Nelson's Column loomed up ahead of them.
Talon saw it coming, just too late.
He slammed into the statue. His stunned mind lost contact with the boots, and he and Penny fell. Penny gave another shriek, grabbed hold of him and quickly engaged her own boots. She lowered both of them down to earth, between the stone lions.
Slowly, dazedly, Talon put a hand to his head. Penny was quickly recovering. The shock and the cold night air had brought her round. She couldn't believe what she had been saying and doing, these last few minutes.
She could see that Talon was the same. He was struggling to keep his eyes open, and to sit up.
"Penny? What happened? Did you beat me again?"
Penny held him in her arms.
"Yes, Talon. I beat you again."
Talon lay back on the ground and closed his eyes.
Penny quickly opened her Codex and did a medical scan. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he had hit his head and was possibly concussed. In all their battles, she had never seen him harmed before.
She should take him back. The team would be waiting to arrest him.
She closed the Codex, and took out her own, private phone.
"Ambulance, please."
It came very quickly. Penny stayed long enough to tell them what little she could, find out where he was going. He was placed on a stretcher. Penny desperately wanted to go with him, but Uncle Gadget and the others would be wondering where she was. She gave him a quick hug.
Then she flew back to the Concert Hall.
She made a perfect landing on the forecourt. The other MAD agents were being led out. Uncle Gadget and Brain were here. They looked pleased, both by the concert and by their work.
A G-Portal opened, and Chief Quimby emerged.
"Congratulations, Gadget. You've done it again. And not bad music, either."
Gadget beamed.
"Thanks, Chief. Sometimes, I even surprise myself."
Chief Quimby turned to Penny.
"We've got all but one. Where's Talon? I suppose he got away again?"
Penny hesitated. Then she heard herself say:
"Yes, Chief. He got away again."
"Well..." Chief Quimby looked disappointed. "Well done for trying to catch him." He went to join Gadget. "Let's celebrate your freeing the world from MAD! Again. I hear there's a great aftershow party going on..."
They were all going inside. Penny stayed outside for a moment. Brain was looking at her. There is no fooling your dog. He knew something was wrong. He knew she had lied.
Penny turned away, in the direction of Trafalgar Square. A little gum was still dripping from her sleeve.
She could still smell Emotigas, and Talon's hair gel.
To be continued...
A new Inspector Gadget story coming soon! Meanwhile, please check out my earlier stories for this and other series!