A New Generation (Complete)

Chapter Four

Penny's shoes echo on the concrete floor. She avoids eye contact with the employees.

She stops in front of a cell and opens the eye slot. Penny peeks inside at the man.

He looks towards the door and glares. "What are you looking at, blue eyes?"

Penny gasps and closes the slot. She steps back.

A hand rests on her shoulder and she jumps. Penny turns and looks up at a young man. "What are you doing here? This isn't a place for school girls."

Penny rests her hands on her hips. "I am not a school girl."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "Oh really?"

She rubs the back of her head. "Well, I am. But I'm also the daughter of the warden."

"That still gives you no right to wonder around alone."

Penny arches her brow. "Will you be my escort?"

He looks around, clearly hesitating, but then sighs and drops his arms. "Fine. But let's make this quick." He starts walking.

Penny follows and looks around. It was a very dull place. All steel and concrete. Penny stopped when she heard singing. "Who's that?" She follows the sound. Penny walks down a separate hall and through a set of double doors.

The guard's footsteps echoed behind her. "This section is high risk. We should go back."

"Scaredy cat."

"It'll be fine." Penny reaches out for the thick mettle door.

The guard puts his hand on her arm to stop her. "I mean it."

She looks over her shoulder at him. "What's the big deal?"

"She's dangerous."

Penny frowns. More dangerous than Ivy?

"Do it."

Penny pulls the door open.

The guard freezes but Penny enters.

She walks to the railing and looks down at a cadged woman. The woman sits in the center of her cadge, mumbling nonsense.

Penny takes a step to the side. Her footstep echoes.

The woman's head tilts up. "Who's there?" She asks in a playfully demanding way.

Penny swallows.

"Come out of the darkness."

She takes a breath and walks down the steps. Penny watches the woman, who is slowly standing.

The woman's head tilts. "Aren't you a pretty thang."

Penny presses her lips together. "You're Harley Quinn."

She smirks. "I see you've heard of me."

"Who hasn't? You've been in and out of here more times than anyone. Even the Joker."

Harley lunges at the bars, "Don't talk about my pudden!" As soon as her body touches the bars, she's electrified.

Harley cries out and falls to her knees.

Penny gasps and goes to the bars, but doesn't touch them. "Are you alright?"

Harley pants, catching her breath. "Why should you care? You're just like all the rest of 'em."

"Hey!" Penny looks up to find her father and her guard escort. "I told you to stay in my office."

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"I don't care. She's dangerous, Penny."

Harley reaches through the bars and grabs Penny's wrist. "P-Penny?" the woman's voice cracks.

Penny gasps and squirms. "Let me go." She looks at Harley's tear-filled eyes.

Footsteps echo down the steps. A set of hands grab Penny while another sat grabs Harley's arm and presses it to the bar, electrifying her again. Harley let go and Penny was flung over the guard's shoulder.

Penny watches as she leaves her father and Harley behind. Harley calling her name, crying.