Penny's Secrets

Talon's secret

"Penny, could you go to the store and pick up some pickles? I need them for my latest creation." Inspector Gadget says to his niece. Penny nods and fakes a smile. "Sure, Uncle Gadget." She says. Penny grabs her purse and heads out to the store. 'Why can't he ever go himself?'

*At the grocery store*

Penny walks up to the entrance and notices someone dressed in dark clothes going around the back of the store. 'What are they doing? I better check it out.' Penny carefully follows the person, softy placing each foot onto the ground as to be a quiet as possible. They turn around and she dives behind the dumpster as to not be seen. After a few moments she peaks her head around the side and finds herself looking up at Talon.

"Are you following me?" He asks. Penny opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. She shakes her head no. "So you just casually hang out behind dumpsters in your free time?" He asks with a slight smile. Penny responds defensively "Yes, wait no. I was just..." His smile turns into a full smirk. 'What are you doing Penny? You have to stop talking to him! But what if he's up to something?' As she debates what to do, she notices his arm.

Its wrapped up in a cast. "What happened?!" Penny asks in horror. Talon looks at his arm. "Oh that? Uhh.. Uncle C. got a bit mad after his last plan failed. Barely hurts at all." He rubs his neck awkwardly with his good limb. 'His uncle hurts him when we win? I never knew.. But there isn't anything I can do. I can't get anymore attached to him. Its probably just a cut anyway, he'll be fine.'

Penny sighs. "Why are you back here anyway?" "Needed a break. Not too many places would willingly let a villian hang out there." he shrugs. Penny nods and turns to leave. "Where you going?" He asks. She walks away without saying anything. 'I have to be strong' As she walks the first couple steps her conscience catches up with her. 'What if he really needs help?'

Penny stops walking. "Why do you stay with him anyway, if he hurts you like that?" She asks with slight anger in her voice. 'No one deserves to be punished so bad that they need a cast just for failing a mission.' Talon doesn't respond and Penny turns to look at him. A thick silence surrounds them, neither wanting to be the one to break it. Penny starts to regret her tone of voice. 'I should have just left, what was I thinking? This was a horrible idea.' "Cause I'm trapped." Talon finally responds. "How are you trapped? I don't see any chains holding you down, forcing you to stay with him." Penny says confused.

"No, you wouldn't see them. It's all a trap, everything. I would do anything to leave that place." He says with a scowl. "What's stopping you?" Penny asks. "Do you even know how hard it is to leave this kind of thing? You can't just ditch on the world biggest evil organisation, especially if its the family business. They'd kill me if I ran away. And even if they didn't, I'd just spend the rest of my life in jail or on the run. Everyone knows who I am. HQ agents are everywhere. I'd never be free." He says. "Maybe if you turned yourself in HQ would go easy on you." Penny suggests.

"Easy on me? Oh, so I'd only spend most of my life in prision. Sounds great." Talon says sarcastically. "Well, you are evil. It only makes sense that you should go to jail. At least you would be safe." Penny says sadly. "Its cute how you seem to think I had a choice about that. Not everyone gets to choose what they become like you did, Penny." Talon shouts in anger. "What are you talking about?" She asks.

"You where supposed to be evil too, you know. If your dad didn't die, you would have ended up like this too. Its a giant cycle, that you barely escaped. Its how M.A.D works. Agents have kids, train them to be villains. Kill them if they try to leave. Then the suriving kids grow up and do the same to their kids. It's how it's always been." Talon explains with watery eyes. "I'm sorry. I never knew... Wait, how did you know about my dad?!" Penny asks in shock. His eyes widen. "Your diary?.." He admits.

"You read my diary! How did you even access it?!" Penny yells at him. "Well.. I..." Talon mumbles. Penny gives him a dirty look and leaves him standing by the dumpster alone. 'That jerk! I should have never trusted him! See what happens when you fall in love with a guy like that? He betrayed me already. Argg.. Uncle Gadget can get his own pickles.'