Penny huddled next to Brain and the other hostages inside the Metro City PD central station. She kept her arms firmly wrapped around Brain's neck as their captors - three felons who had somehow managed to break into the central station - herded them into a corner.
Her school had an early out and she had been dropped off at the station to wait for her uncle, who was across town investigating a lead on Dr. Claw. Everything had happened so fast after that and all she could do was wait.
That had been hours ago. She listed as the hostage team tried to negotiate with the fugitives but it was no use. These men were desperate and had nothing to lose. Penny knew that made them very, very dangerous.
A woman started to cry and one of the fugitives turned towards the huddled group, waving his gun.
"Shut up!" he said, raising his gun.
Penny closed her eyes, silently praying as she buried her face in Brain's fur.
Chief Quimby was incensed. He didn't know how three fugitives had managed to escape custody and sneak into the central station, and armed no less, but when he found out he was going to make sure heads rolled.
But that would have to wait. Right now he needed to focus getting the group of hostages to safety. The fact that Penny was in there made it even worse but Quimby knew he had to put his emotions aside.
He had radioed Gadget earlier to explain the situation and hardly ten minutes later the Gadgetmobile had screeched to a halt in front of the barricade of police cars, reporters' vans, and a crowd of onlookers. Quimby didn't want to think about how many traffic laws Gadget had broken to arrive so quickly.
The inspector had been pacing restlessly as the negotiations continued. The SWAT team was planning to break in - time was of the essence and they had to take the risk - when their voices were abruptly cut off by the sudden clap of a gunshot.
The gathered police officers and other onlookers froze in horror before a white-faced Gadget rushed towards the heavily barricaded steel door that led to the main entrance.
"Gadget, stop! That's an order!" bellowed Quimby.
Penny lowered her arms, dust and debris cascading around her from the gunshot the leader had shot into the ceiling.
"Stop that noise!" the man screeched at the crying woman, who abruptly muffled her sobs in her hands.
Penny struggled to remain calm despite her pounding heart and twisting stomach. Working behind the scenes to thwart M.A.D. agents was one thing, but being faced with a gunman head on was quite another. She hoped they didn't recognize her as the famous inspector's niece, but she'd rather have that than have them hurt someone else.
A sudden bang made everyone jump. The leader spun around, pointing his gun at the front entrance. They had barricaded the steel-reinforced door in addition to activating the crossbar lock and were certain nothing short of dynamite could break it down.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" said a familiar voice through the door.
"Uncle Gadget!" Penny cried out without thinking. Furious, one of the fugitives turned and struck Penny hard across the face. Her vision spun as she was flung back against the floor and she was vaguely aware of warm blood trickling down her nose.
"Hey, leave her alone! She's just a kid!" shouted a man. The second gunman turned towards the man who had spoken. "Shut up, all of you! The next person that opens their mouths is gonna get a bullet through the brain!"
Gadget momentarily froze when he heard his niece's voice only to have his expression harden when Penny's pained cry rang in his ears. His enhanced hearing could easily make out Penny's gasp of pain along with Brain's angry snarls.
His heart pounding, Gadget charged forward and threw every inch of his nearly 150 kilograms frame against the barricaded door.
"Gadget, stop! You're never going to be able to-" Quimby's voice trailed off as the door shuddered under the impact. His mouth dropped open, stunned.
Completely ignoring Quimby and desperate to get to his niece, Gadget stepped back and charged forward again, ramming his shoulder against the door. His bones were reinforced with titanium and he didn't even register the force of the impact. The pneumatic system that kept his respiratory and cardiovascular systems functioning had the ability to draw in huge amounts of oxygen while allowing his heart to pump enormous amounts of blood to his muscles.
Panting, his breath escaping in huge puffs of steam in the cold spring air, Gadget charged once more at the door with all the speed and power of a miniature freight train.
"Holy…" exclaimed one policeman as the steel door began to bend under the relentless onslaught. "He's gonna do it!"
The three fugitives gaped as the steel door began to bend and shriek under Gadget's barrage.
"Penny!" Gadget's voice shouted again, followed by another bang. This time there was a definite dent in the middle of the door.
Still reeling from the earlier blow, Penny crawled backwards towards the stunned group of hostages. "You might want to stay back," she said as a woman helped her to her knees.
The fugitives seemed to have the same idea because they were slowly backing away from the door that was now beginning to crumple like tinfoil.
Another bang. "Penny, hang on!" said her uncle. He sounded frantic.
The lead gunman turned and raised his gun at the hostages. "If I'm going down, I'm taking at least one of you with me!"
There was a sudden bang like a thunderclap and Penny flinched, instinctively covering her face with her hands as she waited for the pain of a bullet that never came.
There was suddenly more noise - screams and shouts and sirens and officers shouting orders - and then hands were tugging at Penny's wrists.
"Penny!"
Ignoring the chaos around them Gadget fell to his knees in front of his niece, gently grasping her hands and pulling them away so he could check her for injuries. His eyes widened when he saw the rapidly developing bruise across her cheek and the blood still flowing freely from her nose.
"Uncle!" the girl exclaimed, half-falling into Gadget's arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Penny was shaking and Gadget momentarily forgot his anger as he held his niece.
"It's okay," was all Gadget could manage, trembling all over with leftover adrenaline and relief. Brain whined and nudged Gadget's elbow and the inspector released his niece for a moment to pat the dog's head.
"How did you…" Penny's voice trailed off as she saw the ruined remains of the steel door laying in a twisted heap across the room. Her eyes widened as a rush of awe and pride flowed through her. She knew her uncle was strong but she had never seen the full force of it until now.
"Never saw anything like it," one officer was saying to her companion as they checked the hostages for injuries. "Tore the door right off its hinges!"
Gadget pulled back just enough to cup his niece's face in his gloved hands. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" he managed to keep his voice calm as he spoke, unwilling to let his niece see how badly frightened he had been. If he had been a moment slower...
Penny managed a smile, wincing slightly. "I'm okay Uncle, I'm okay," she said. She could feel Gadget's hands shaking as he carefully wiped at the blood under her nose with his thumb.
Gadget nodded and finally tore his gaze away from his niece to glare at the lead gunman. Penny had never seen such a ferocious expression on her uncle's face before and she was suddenly reminded of the fact that her uncle had been a well-respected and skilled police officer before becoming "Inspector Gadget".
"Get him out of my sight," he snapped, his voice tight with fury.
"Yes, sir!" said one of the officers before hauling the man to his feet and shoving him outside.
"I'm okay, Uncle," Penny repeated after the man was gone. There were paramedics and all sorts of people in the room and she rested her brow against Gadget's forehead, closing her eyes. Her head hurt and she wanted to go home.
"Can we go home now?" she murmured, hating how her voice broke. She was nearly eleven - she would not cry, she told herself sternly.
She felt Gadget press a kiss against her hair before carefully helping her to her feet. "Not just yet. Hospital first, then home. Brain, come!"
Quimby watched as the inspector led his niece and dog away towards a waiting ambulance, once again reminded of why he put up with Gadget.
He'd have to reprimand Gadget later for disobeying his orders and rushing in, but that could wait, Quimby decided. Gadget had more important things to worry about right now, he thought with a weary smile.
Gadget's physical appearance (along with Penny's) seems to vary somewhat between Season 1 and 2, including his height and build. After thinking about it I decided Gadget would have to have some substantial muscle mass to support his own weight and all the gadgets his body is equipped with. And given that we see him regularly exercising in the show and lifting some pretty heavy weights, I'm going with that idea here. Plus who can forget the episode of a shirtless Gadget in Season 2? ;)