"I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look at Penny, the room going silent. Chief Quimby appraised her, stroking his greying moustache thoughtfully.

Penny cleared her throat, "I mean I volunteer, Chief."

"Corporal Penny, you do understand the significance of this assignment, yes? The head of the MAD gang has been a target of the police force for decades. This is a one-in-a-million chance to finally catch him, and the stakes are extremely high. Are you sure you want to take up this assignment? Perhaps a more experienced officer would be a better fit."

Penny straightened, looking resolutely forward. Her voice did not waver in the slightest.

"Sir, with all due respect, I do not think anyone is more qualified than I to take on this case besides Detective Gadget himself. He has mentored me extensively and I have personally studied Dr. Claw. I know how he operates. I am well aware of the danger of the mission, but that does not dissuade me. That monster has roamed freely for far too long. We have to catch him."

After a moment, Chief Quimby nodded and the room erupted into chatter again. Penny breathed a sigh of relief. Chief Quimby debriefed the room further on the details of the assignment, but Penny could no longer focus.

She was finally going to get her chance at revenge.

Penny looked at him from the corner of her eye as she gently sipped her wine. With an almost imperceptible shrug of her shoulder, her dress strap slid down even more, and more of her pale, smooth skin came into view. She lengthened her neck and arched her back ever so slightly, knowing his attention was rapt on her, even if his face was the picture of serenity.

She could feel the intense heat of his languid gaze sweep up her exposed neck, could feel it settle on the junction where her hair was carefully swept away. Playing coy, she avoided his eyes and pretended to be engrossed in her wine, the blood-red identical to her lipstick. However, she could feel the slow rise and fall of his chest next to hers, even through the small distance between them on the leather couch. She was close. It was time to make her move.

"So," she began in a low, sultry voice, one far removed from her usual one. She flicked her eyes to him coyly, delicately settling the glass on the low table before them. Her gaze was just as seductive as her voice, and confidence practically oozed out of every pore. Tonight, she was a completely different person.

She monitored him carefully under the dim light, his face almost in shadow. She could not see the rest of his face save for the cut of his jaw, but she could just make out the glint of his deep eyes as he watched her through lowered lashes. He was comfortably reclined, arms resting on the back of the couch with a relaxed air. He had yet to say anything for the night, but she could tell he was listening to her every word. Perfect.

She smacked her lips and watched in satisfaction as his eyes darted to catch the small action, before returning to her eyes swiftly. She smirked but masked it as a curious smile.

"What's a man like you doing in a place like this?" she asked jokingly, eyes dancing in mirth. It was an unnecessary question, meant to break the ice. Well, on the surface anyway. They both knew she was asking more than a simple question, but Penny had to carefully gauge his reactions before it got more personal. If he caught on at any point before she got what she needed, she could be in serious trouble.

He shifted and Penny stiffened, but quickly relaxed before he could notice, keeping her smile pasted onto her face. He observed her silently, face not betraying a single thought. Penny could not tell what was going on in his mind but wished desperately for some indication. His face was carefully neutral, but Penny read in his posture that he was still open to the conversation.

He leaned forward slowly towards her, and Penny's smile froze on her face. He brought his hand up to her face, brushing her locks behind her ear tenderly.

He cocked his head and angled his eyes to look deeply into hers. Penny forced a laugh, but her heart was pounding. He was close to her, closer than she would have liked without being the one to initiate. She braced a perfectly manicured hand on his chest, pushing on him playfully. To her relief, he shifted back, eyeing her with interest. She grinned with feigned confidence, pushing him harder on his chest until he was leaned back as he was initially, raising an eyebrow.

Penny was on a mission. She was currently undercover, false contacts, wig and all, and this man, apparently, was her target. That being said, when she was debriefed, given the plan, and prepared dozens of times pre-mission, he was never part of the equation. In fact, his presence was a complete surprise, and had Penny been any other officer, she would have likely quit the mission the minute she realised the man across from her was not Dr. Claw, but Talon Claw.

Talon Claw. A ghost. A phantom presence of whom whispers could be heard on either side of the law, the name of a man with no face. Penny had almost dropped her wineglass when she concluded his identity from the far side of the bar where she was observing him, sitting casually in the seat her real target was slated to be. Her original target was, of course, his uncle - the infamous Dr. Claw, leader of the MAD gang.

No one had ever laid eyes on him or gotten a conclusive look at his face, but here he was before her, solid as the couch she sat on, or the four walls of the room they were in, alone. He was dangerous territory, unchartered waters, but how could she properly prepare when no one had any real information about him? The most she knew was this - he was Dr. Claw's nephew and fabled right hand, and also the heir apparent to the notorious MAD gang.

The man before her was a huge threat to the safety of the entire city, and Penny was a mere police officer facing the unknown but desperately carrying on her mission. With him here, the stakes had raised exponentially, and it begged more questions than answers. Where had he been so well hidden, and why choose now to surface? Why was he present at the exact place and time Dr. Claw was expected to be when they had studied him for months and months extensively and gathered enough intel to plant Penny?

Penny brought herself back to the present with a smile. She drew her knees onto the couch, getting on her hands and knees and crawling towards him slowly, watching him quirk an eyebrow in amusement when he undoubtedly caught sight of her cleavage. She drew herself to his side, knees nudging his thigh and straightening up, bracing her hands on his chest again.

She swung her leg over his lap and straddled him, the long slit of her dress straining as her dress hiked up to reveal the pale length of her leg, down to her heel. He leaned his head back to watch her more squarely in her eyes, and she watched, mesmerised, as his tongue darted out to lick his lips subconsciously. Her eyes focused on his lips and she ghosted her hands over his broad chest, over his wide shoulders and down his taut biceps, to retrace their path and trail the cool flesh of his neck to curl slightly in the hair right behind his ears. The pads of her thumbs traced the shell of his ears gently and she leaned closer, inhaling his fresh, minty scent deeply. Whatever gel he was using for his perfectly styled hair smelled almost as amazing as his own earthy, distinctly masculine smell of sandalwood and pine trees.

Towering above him, Penny felt strangely powerful. She had felt his heartbeat when she'd passed her hands over his chest, and was satisfied to feel it thumping as quickly as hers, despite the blank expression on his face. He was affected, and hopefully not thinking clearly. She had him right where she wanted him. In her periphery she saw his hands clench into fists at his sides when she tugged at his hair gently, watching the emotion flicker momentarily across his face in the tiny gap left between their faces and smirked internally.

"You should know," she whispered softly, the words ghosting over his lips mere inches from hers. She could see the rich colour of his brown eyes in full detail, watching her so intensely she thought she could melt like the chocolate they resembled. The blush that rose faintly on her cheeks was real when she continued, "This doesn't mean anything."

He looked down on her lips as she spoke, Adam's apple bobbing smoothly. They remained locked on her dark red lips as she inched even closer, dragging her hips even closer to his, getting nearer and nearer until their noses were brushing. This was dangerous, Penny knew that much. She was definitely not supposed to be genuinely attracted to the sharp, angular planes of his face, to the slant of his jaw and the colour of his eyes and his intoxicating smell. She was on a mission, but all of that faded to black in his proximity. He had never uttered a word, rarely betrayed an expression on his bronze features besides the bored impassivity he still had, and Penny still felt inexplicably drawn to him. He was magnetic, and Penny could just as easily get lost in his eyes as to be pulled into orbit around him. She was even closer now, breathing in his air and lips separated by mere millimeters, too close to back out. Her fingers tightened onto the strands of his ear even more and her pulse thumped loudly in her ears, breaths increasing ever so slightly. She fluttered her eyes close.

In the blink of an eye Penny was on her back, and her arms were pinned above her head by his hand. Her eyes shot open and she gasped with the sudden movement, caught off guard and mentally kicking herself.

"Who do you work for?" Talon demanded forcefully, eyes narrowed a hands-breadth from her face. Penny's eyes widened before she rapidly settled her features. If she didn't play her next moves carefully she could be in deep shit.

"What are you talking about?" she breathed, struggling in his grasp experimentally. His grip on her wrist tightened and she hissed quietly. He leaned in closer, close enough for her to see the almost imperceptible tightness around her eyes reflected in his. He grinned wolfishly, roguishly handsome face the picture of superiority. Penny sensed she had slipped up somehow, but she could not figure out what she could have done to give herself away.

"Wrong answer, beautiful," he murmured breathlessly. He nuzzled the side of her neck, smirk widening when he heard her muffled sudden intake of breath. He continued his trail up the side of her jaw, tracing the tip of his nose back down her neck to leave an open-mouthed kiss on the sensitive flesh. Penny quivered, heat flushing her body. She blushed and bit her lip, hating her physical reaction but not able to control it.

Her knife was out of reach, and he was restraining her too tightly for her to go to it anyway. Penny needed to think, and fast. She had forfeited contact with her team the moment she went off script and approached Talon. She was truly alone, and somehow, he could sense it.

"I wonder who you think you are," he muttered huskily against her skin, "waltzing in here like that, trying to play me for a fool." He smiled again, and Penny shivered. With one last inhale he moved his head to face her again, brown eyes dark with some emotion she couldn't name. Anger, maybe. A hint of arousal. Suspicion, definitely. She stared back at him cautiously, not letting a hint of her thoughts show on her face.

His fingers danced up her jaw to her hairline, and she stiffened like a rock. He noticed, and snarled. In one quick move, his hand undid the pins to her wig, knowing exactly where to look, and he pulled it off her hair in one smooth movement. Her blond tresses spilled onto the couch underneath, framing her face. Penny felt her blood run cold.

"Who. Are. You." His tone was icy, but his fury rolled off of him in waves, as if her presence had deeply offended him. As if her deception was painful.

"Let me go," she gritted out, trying to yank her hands out of his grip again. "You're making a mistake. Let me go and I won't report you to the police," she tried again, voice cracking on the last word as desperation clawed through the vestiges of her calm.

He stared at her for a long time, heated gaze doing nothing but watching her closely, observing her forcibly measured breaths and fake brown eyes darting wildly across his face despite her placid, delicate features. He blinked, and seeming to realise something. His gaze turned apologetic and he released her wrists, backing up until she could sit up.

"I apologise," he rumbled in his deep baritone, head dipping in deference. "I misjudged and mishandled you. Please forgive me," he finished, eyes flicking up to watch her under lowered lashes, face as blank and neutral as ever.

Penny rubbed her sore wrists where he had gripped her tightly and shot a quick glare his way. Her breath caught in her throat when their eyes met but she sniffed and turned up her nose slightly.

"Do you treat all workers this way, you brute?" she hissed softly, slipping comfortably into her cover. He could never know, could never find out, how close he had been to blowing her cover.

"If so, I will have to report you," she concluded haughtily, keeping her voice tight and authoritative. She had to keep the upper hand, as suddenly and unexpectedly as she had gotten it.

She watched him struggle over something, mouth twisting as his brows furrowed. He wasn't used to being scolded - or threatened - it seemed. Good. She had thrown him for a loop. Now only if the universe would smile on her she could make her exit unscathed.

She flipped her hair - her real hair - over to one shoulder and ran a hand through it, closing her eyes and making a show of thinking deeply. She could feel his searing gaze on her, but she ignored him resolutely. "You do understand, I hope, that we wear wigs for our safety?" she questioned as if he should already be aware, as if she was indeed an employee and he had made a foolish mistake.

She heard him breathe deeply and she eyed him again, gaze bordering on contempt and disdain. His eyes were sharp on hers, but Penny steeled her nerves and forced herself to remain calm. She would not waver. As if gathering the remains of her dignity, which was, of course, heavily fabricated, she stood up and crossed her arms, staring down her nose at him. As if repulsed, she looked away sharply with a scoff, like he was dirt beneath her feet.

After a moment, he stood up as well, and Penny bristled, realising how close he was. She was close enough to smell the faint scent of his aftershave.

"I'm...sorry," he forced out through painfully clenched teeth. His hand came up and tucked her hair behind her hair once again, and Penny froze at the contact. His touch was surprisingly gentle. "I... can't afford to take chances. I mistook you for someone else."

Penny saw her chance. She turned wide, innocent eyes to him, dropping her haughty act from moments prior. "Really? Who is it?"

His gaze searched her face. "No one. It's just the nature of my work."

She looked him up and down appreciatively, hand on her hip and biting her lip. She caught his eye flick to them briefly yet again, and preened. Damn, she was good.

"Sounds...dangerous," she purred, with a tiny step towards him. Her hand slid up between them onto his chest, eyes regarding him under sultry lowered lashes.

His hand closed around her wrist, eyes betraying an amusement that she guessed he constantly experienced, but concealed.

"Don't play with fire, sweetheart," the pet name rolled off his tongue. Penny decided she liked it. She shot him a suggestive look, biting her bottom lip between her teeth.

"What if I like fire?"

His grin was wolfish. A warning. "What's your name?"

Before she could recall her alias, her real name slipped out. Penny cursed in her head, facepalming. Did she really just say her real name to the heir of her enemy?

Talon's grin only widened, taking her chin between his forefinger and thumb, angling her head upwards. Penny sucked in a small breath, her stomach twisting into tiny knots. His voice was rough and husky, each word enunciated carefully in a soft tone.

"Penny, huh? Well, Pretty Penny, I think you should run away as fast as your pretty little legs can carry you. It would be a shame if someone got wind that such a cute little thing works here."

"Someone like who?"

His voice was exaggeratedly chastising, "Now now, you know I can't tell you that. You'll just have to trust me."

Penny flattened her hand on his chest, curling her fingers into his shirt. She lowered her eyes. "Perhaps if you gave me a reason to trust you."

Talon watched her appreciatively, his hand moving from her chin to tangle in her hair. His grip on her wrist slackened and he cocked his head to the side, mulling over her response. It was clear he was enjoying their little game. His lips parted, and Penny imperceptibly leaned forward to catch his words, holding her breath, but they never came.

The door burst open and the room was flooded with a bright light, startling Penny. Three police officers filed into the room, dressed in combat gear and large guns pointed at the couple.

Penny's eyes were blown wide, surprise evident on her features. Her co-workers had yet to recognise her, but they seemed more focused on the man currently blocking her from view.

"Freeze! Put your hands in the air!"

Talon, for his part, looked more annoyed than worried when she turned her head to look at him. He had turned them around when the door had opened, as if shielding her with his body. His brows were drawn and his lips set in a firm line. Fury was emanating off him in waves, but Penny could not tell what had made him so furious.

The officers approached slowly, guns still aimed stiffly. Two made a wide berth, surrounding the two in a half-circle.

"Do it, now!"

Talon didn't look like he had any intention of moving, or of letting her go. Penny's heart sped up, her breath coming out funny. If he didn't do as they said, they would shoot him. At such close range, he would die. She couldn't allow that to happen.

Penny's mouth opened, about to reveal her identity and tell them to lower their weapons, when Talon smirked, and the words died on her lips.

The lights in the entire building went out. Suddenly Penny was alone, but she could hear the sounds of a scuffle, both in

side and outside the room. It sounded like chaos. She jumped toward the couch, curling up in a protective ball. A few moments later, the lights flashed back on. She peered up and took in the room. One officer was wounded and the other two ran to his aid. Penny cursed.

Talon was gone.