A haze of confusion clouded Penny's mind as she desperately clung to consciousness. Waves of darkness threatened to pull her under again, and each time she fought back, the world slipped further out of focus. "Where…where am I..." she rasped, her voice weak, cracked. A painful gasp escaped her lips as she began to speak.
"You're safe," came the doctor's response, spoken with a cold clinical detachment devoid of comfort. He pressed a cold hand to her burning forehead.
A flicker of something—perhaps sympathy, or maybe fatigue—passed through his eyes as he brushed the sweaty strands of Penny's blonde hair from her face. His fingers lingered a moment longer than necessary, but he quickly turned his attention back to his work. The child was burning with fever, her skin flushed with heat. He knew it would only worsen unless he intervened.
"One problem after another…" he muttered under his breath with a huff of frustration.. He reached for his yellow memo pad, jotting down more notes with quick, angry strokes. The pen scraped across the paper, a sharp rhythm in the otherwise quiet room. The problem with cyborgs, he knew, was the integration process. Weeks of pain, rejection, and fever as the body slowly accepted its implants.
_ ._
"A girl—her name's Penny? Uncle Claw, who is she?" Talon asked, his wide eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and unease. His voice held the nervous tremor of a child sensing that the answer would change everything he thought he knew.
The room buzzed with activity, an unsettling energy filling the air as Dr. Claw's henchmen gathered around. Handshakes were exchanged, backs were slapped, and sycophantic congratulations poured in from every corner. It was a celebration, macabre in its purpose, as they welcomed MAD's newest 'family member.'
Talon lingered at the edge of the room, a lone figure among towering adults, his nine-year-old mind racing with unspoken questions. What had this girl done to warrant such fanfare? What did "family" mean to someone like Dr. Claw, and where did Talon himself fit in that picture?
As the chatter quieted, Dr. Claw stepped forward, his tall, imposing figure dominating the room. He raised a glass of champagne with the air of a king addressing his court. His voice was deep and deliberate, carrying a weight that silenced the room.
"I would like to make a toast," he began, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd. "To the birth of a new era."
A brief, tense silence followed before he spoke again, louder this time, his words filled with grim satisfaction. "And to the gift that Inspector Gadget so kindly delivered into my hands—the tool that will erase his legacy from this world forever."
The room erupted in applause and laughter, but Talon's hands stayed by his sides. His gaze lingered on Dr. Claw, then shifted to the champagne glass in his uncle's mechanical grip, and finally to the closed doors of the medical lab. A chill ran down his spine. For all the celebration, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
The glass in his hand trembled slightly, not from emotion, but from the weight of the malice behind his words. A cruel laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep within him as he thought of Penny—his newest creation—watching the faces of his followers twist in eager anticipation.
"Here's to the end of that fool," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "and the rise of a much smarter, much stronger successor."
"But Uncle you didn't explain to me who Penny is and what does she have to do with Inspector Gadget?" Talon shouted, as he pushed past the henchmen to speak to Dr. Claw.
"Nephew," Dr. Claw says, his voice is soft yet stern as he addresses the young man.
"I want an answer," Talon says, a little louder than he intended. "Penny, you said she belonged to our family. And then you said she has something to do with Inspector Gadget! Are we somehow related to him?"
Dr. Claw took a slow sip from his glass, considering his words carefully. "It's more complicated than that," he admitted, his tone turning slightly more serious. "She's made herself more than welcome in my home and our organization. One day, I'd like you to meet her... properly."
Another wave of unease washed over Talon, and he shuddered, processing the strange turn of events. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice hesitant. "Someone my own age... I can play with?"
Dr. Claw's lips curled into a smile, but it was far from kind. "Yes."
Talon furrowed his brow. "Other than my cousin, William Thaw, who I barely know. Why are there barely any other kids to talk to around here? Why are you suddenly making exceptions now?"
"Ah, Talon always asking questions," Dr. Claw says, simplifying an obvious answer. "Penny is... an asset, someone who will prove invaluable to the future of MAD. As for why there aren't more children around, well... not everyone is cut out for our line of work."
Dr. Claw couldn't help but find Talon's innocence somewhat amusing. The boy's curiosity, his complete lack of understanding, and his innocent yearning for answers—he couldn't grasp the true nature of Penny's role within the MAD crime family. It was almost endearing, in a way. Of course, curiosity was natural for children, but it also presented an opportunity. Dr. Claw saw it as a chance to feed him a narrative that would satisfy his longing for companionship, a need that had gone unmet during his time in elementary school, where other children had rejected his attempts at friendship.
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a near whisper, though his eyes never left Talon's face. "But you, Talon, you're special. I'm giving you opportunities that others could only dream of."
Dr. Claw answered quite frankly. "And as for Penny, well... she and Gadget are... more connected than you think. But you'll understand soon enough In time."
_ ._
AN: In this story, I've reimagined several of the characters from Inspector Gadget, taking inspiration from both the original 1980s series and elements of the Inspector Gadget Netflix adaptation, as well as the Gadgetinis series. All the children in this story—Talon, William, and Penny—are depicted similarly to Penny's character in the 1980s version. Penny, Talon, and William are all around the same age, with Talon being nine and William being ten, just like Penny in the original series.