A New Generation (Complete)

Chapter Seven

The week rolls by and Penny lays low. Stays home, does her homework, watches the news.

The time alone, and off from school, gives her time to think. Think about that voice in her head, about the food fight, about suddenly running into villains like Poison Ivy. Before, she'd only hear about them. They didn't feel real.

But that was then, and this was now.

Penny watches the news report on TV, broadcasting a party at city hall to celebrate how well Robin and Batgirl were taking care of the city.

She sighs and turns it off. Of course her family was invited to this party, but she didn't really feel up to it.

Penny went up to her room. She went to the laundry hamper and dug through it. She took out the pants she wore the night she broke into Poison Ivy's place, and searched the pockets. Seeds stick to the fabric like glue.

She takes out the mask and tosses the pants back in the hamper. Penny sits on her bed, examining the fabric. The letters H.Q. are carved into the very edge of the mask. It's a tiny detail.

"Harley Quinn," she whispers. It made sense that the Joker wanted Harley's old outfit, right? They were partners, or together, or something.

Penny glances at the body mirror that's leaning against her wall. She pushes herself up off the bed and goes to it.

She looks at her reflection, and then puts on the mask. Her eyes widen, it's like she's a totally different person. Penny pulls her shoulder length blond hair up into two small buds and blinks.

"You look good."

Penny bites her lip. "It's not even mine."

"It is now. What are you going to do?"

She looked herself over, "I'm... I'm going to see Ivy." Penny takes off the mask and goes to change into her scout uniform. "I'll return the mask to her. Joker will probably want it when he finds it missing."

"And then what? You'll just go to your scout meeting like a good little girl?"

"Yep." Penny slipped out of her pyjamas and into her brown uniform. She pulled on her green badge-filled sash and plopped the little green hat on her head before tightening the green handkerchief around her neck.

Penny looks in the mirror and straitens the knot on her handkerchief. "Every time I listen to you, something bad happens."

"Bad? Or exciting?"

She scrunches her nose and grabs the mask. She stuffs it into her back pocket and heads out.

~~~

Penny sat on a bench twenty minutes later. It probably would help if she knew where Ivy lived. "I thought he took this way."

"You were trying to escape. How would you know which way he took?"

She frowns. "Stop talking to me."

"Can't do that."

Penny rolls her eyes. So annoying.

Maybe she should go to her meeting and try and locate Ivy tomorrow. It would be dark soon, and she was yet again in the shady part of the city.

A bottle brakes close by and Penny gasps. She backs into the alley, unsure of where the sound came from. She presses her back to the sticky wall and closes her eyes.

Two loud, drunken men walk past the opening of the alley, laughing as they swayed.

Penny waits for the men to be out of earshot before pealing herself off the wall. She looks down the alley. A Bright sunflower stands alone at the other end.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Penny moves down the narrow alley. She steps over beer bottles and damp moldy boxes.

Once at the sun flower, she touches a soft yellow peddle and then looks around.

The flower twitches and Penny looks back down at it. It's roots lift out of the ground and it starts walking off.

Penny stairs at it, shocked.

"Follow it, idiot."

Penny gasps and rushes after the walking flower. "Hey, wait up!" She watches up to it and slows her pace. She pants as the flower leads her three blocks away from where she had found it.

The large glass building came into view.

The Sunflower moves faster, nearly running, until it's inside.

Penny hesitates at the door, but she follows.

"Hello?" She calls, taking slow steps.

The sunflower rushes to an empty area and plants its roots.

"I see you've returned." Poison Ivy walks out from behind a thick, overgrown plant stem. "Although, I knew you would."

Penny frowns. "How?"

Poison Ivy approaches Penny and circles her, examining the girl's clothes and body structure. "I sent some seeds to watch you. They tell me you have something to return to me?"

Penny nods stiffly and reaches into her back pocket. She removes the mask and holds it out. "Joker dropped it. He might come back for it."

Poison Ivy looks at the fabric, and then takes it. She toys with it in her hands. "I disagree. A mask is meant to hide an identity. Why would he want it?"

"It has Harley Quinn's initials..." Penny trails off.

"She doesn't use it anymore. I don't think she'll miss it much." Poison Ivy holds it back out to Penny. "Besides, I think it suits you well."

Penny opens her mouth to ask how she knew that, but assumed it was the seeds she spoke about. Penny takes the mask and looks down at it.

"Now," Poison Ivy turns her back to Penny and starts taking slow steps. "I want you here every morning at five, sharp. No student of mine is going to waste time sleeping."

Penny frowns and looks at the woman. "Wait, what?"

Ivy looks over her shoulder, her green eyes sparkling, "I'm going to train you how to be a villain, or course."

"But, what if I don't-"

The woman rolls her eyes, "Than be a hero, I don't care. Just be here on time. Starting tomorrow."

Penny blinks and Ivy walks away.

"Better get going or you'll be late."

Penny's stomach ties itself into knots as she shuffled out of the building and to the sidewalk, the mask in her hands. "What just happened?"