Girl Superhero Project Prompt 5: Smart, Rich, Super Suit

Girl Superhero Project Prompt 5:
Ironman is a superhero because he's totally rich and smart and made his own suit so he could fly and stuff. This girl superhero who is also smart and rich made herself a super suit. What does it look like? What does it allow her to do?


At our last meeting, our super-awesome kick-ass women's writing group did a thirty-minute write-in. I used this superhero prompt, wrote for the full thirty, and this is what I came up with. Formulaic, cliche even... but so fun!

And so, with very little editing, I give you...

 

The Moth
By L.L. Heberlein


Sally picked up the phone. "Yell-ow," she answered, though not really enthusiastically. Her mind was far too occupied by more important things--physics, molecular chemistry, the wingspan velocity of an unladen swallow.

"Mizz Rex, your package has arrived," a man said in a crisp British accent. "Special delivery. Shall I send it up?"

"Of course," she said, then added, "Right away, Halloway"--always her little joke with her long-suffering butler.

When the box was wheeled in, it took up most of the door frame. Halloway had to tilt the box sideways, almost losing the entire load. Sally ran to grab the corner of the box before it fell. "Careful," she aid. "This is delicate material. Doesn't come cheap, either."

"If it is so delicate," Halloway said, raising an eyebrow, "then why bother with it at all?" He was always a little skeptical of her inventions. Rightfully so. Sally hadn't come up with anything truly functional since the creation of the wrinkle-free, wipe-clean fabric she invented three years ago. The always-clean, dirt-repelling nature of the fabric came with another interesting side-effect--it was also invisible to radar. Stealth fabric, imagine that.  Between fashion designers and the military, Sally had added millions to her already ample trust fund.

The fabric--LightSweep, she called it--had made her more than enough money to invent the thing she really wanted.

"Behold, Halloway," she said, busting through the cardboard. "My latest, greatest invention--FeatherLight."

"So brilliant, Mizz Rex," Halloway tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he studied the gray bolt of mesh-like material. "But what does it do?"

"Ye of little faith." Sally rolled her eyes. "FeatherLight is the product of years of research into the molecular structure of moth wings. It is light as a feather--lighter--yet stronger than steel. It is soft as down, yet slices through metal with its razor-sharp edge. It's water-repellant, bullet-repellant. And once I get it on my framework--"

"Oh, that thing in the corner," Halloway sighed.

"Yes, Halloway, that thing. Once I apply this fabric to that frame--"

"Don't tell me you think you'll be able to fly."

Sally scowled. "I'm sorry, but don't you have some sort of butler-type-thing you should be doing?"

He tilted his head. "Yes, miss. Much butlering to be done downstairs. Is that all, Mizz Rex?"

"Yes, thank you." She nodded at him, then dove for the contents of the box. "Oh, and bring me a ham sandwich. Rye. No pickles."

"Of course, miss." Halloway bent his head forward and backed out of the huge ballroom that Sally had long ago transformed into her laboratory.

Ten minutes later, Halloway returned with the sandwich to find Sally applying strips of very thin, iridescent fabric to the metal frame. "Your sandwich, miss," he said, trying not to watch over her shoulder. He knew how much she hated having him watch her work.

"Thank you," she murmured through a mouthful of pins.

But the sandwich sat untouched, even hours later, when Halloway returned to clear the plate and turn off the lights he assumed she'd left on in the lab. He found her working feverishly on the project that looked to  him like a cross between a gray circus tent and a complete disaster.

"Goodnight, miss," he said, knowing better than to remind her of the time. It was well after midnight, and Sally hadn't stopped. She wouldn't stop now--not until the project was finished.

It was sometime around sunrise when Halloway heard the scream.

The noise had come from the foyer--not a frightened scream, but one filled with joy. The sound of absolute elation.

"I did it!" Sally screamed. "It works! Oh, Halloway! Come here! It works! It works!"

"What in the world..." Halloway stepped into the foyer and found Sally perched on the edge of a railing, several feet above the hard marble floor.

"Watch this!"--And then she jumped.

Halloway let out a scream as his employer--more like a daughter to him since her parents died--plunged off the high railing--and flew.

She wasn't gliding, wasn't parachuting. Sally was actually flying.

"It works perfectly, Halloway! Look!" She landed at his feet, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then launched herself back into the air. "What do you think of that!"

"I... I... I..." Halloway was at a loss for words.

"Brilliant, isn't it!" Sally beamed. "Do you know how long mankind has been trying to invent actual, functional wings like these?"

He coughed. "The mind recalls the story of Icarus, miss."

"I mean, forget the military applications for a moment, and just think of what this means for all of humanity." She smiled. "What's Icarus?"

"Icarus, of the wax wings, miss," he said. "An ancient myth of a boy with wings made of wax. He flew too close to the sun, and plunged to his death, I believe."

Sally did a summer-salt in midair and laughed. "These are no wax wings, Halloway. These are made of pure FeatherLight. Even the base is made of an alloy similar in structure to the FeatherLight fabric. Both are patented to me, of course."

"Of course," Halloway said, feeling his chest tighten as he watching Sally fly to the highest point of the ceiling, some thirty feet above. "But will they hold?"

"Of course they'll hold. I invented them for military  as well as civilian applications. Here--" She dove from the ceiling to the ground, swooping to a stop at the last second. She landed softly at Halloway's feet, then took a gun from a holster at her side. "Shoot me!"

"No!" Halloway screeched in a voice that was quickly losing its proper deference.

"Yes!" Sally answered. "Not me, of course. I meant the wings. Try to shoot one off."

"Miss... I don't think that is such a good idea..."

Girl Super Hero Project Prompt 4: The Librarian

Girl Super Hero Project Prompt 4: The Librarian
Some super heroes/super villains are super smart. The Librarian is totally book smart. How does she use that to her advantage?


I’m no poet. I’m not, really. But I like this for some reason, so gosh dern it, I'mma post it. You’re welcome.

Enjoy,
LLH




Fundamental Power
By L.L. Heberlein


Armed and ready
book by my side
pen poised to take notes
I listen, and wait
day, and night
for the knowledge to pour into me
perched over pages like a raptor ready to strike
I spread my wings and take flight.

Girl Superhero Project Prompt 3: The Praying Mantis

Girl Superhero Project Prompt 3: The Praying Mantis
When I think of kick ass women in nature, I think of The Praying Mantis. Create a super hero or super villain around this idea. What superpowers would she have? If you don't particularly like the praying mantis, pick a different insect that does something that could turn into a super hero/villain power.

Being that the impetus for this project was children’s storybooks about superheroes, I tried my darndest to keep this one PG13-rated. So, so difficult.  Nature is totally rated R. 

Enjoy,

LLH

Character Overview

Name: The Praying Mantis (Penelope Moore)

Alignment: Villain/Totally Evil

Superpowers:  Using razor-sharp talons embedded in her arms, the Praying Mantis leaps on her prey, capturing them with her hooks, and then devouring them with her sharp teeth and massive jaw.  While the mantis will capture and eat anything, she prefers to eat men

Modus operandi: Naturally greedy, and a thief, the Mantis steals whatever she can. She began her life of crime with smaller jobs like strip mall boutiques and jewelry stores, then moved up to more elaborate robbery schemes, including major banks and high-stakes casinos.  To keep from being caught or identified, the Praying Mantis is known to kill her associates, right in the middle of the robbery.

Costume: A modified nun’s habit

Motivation:  Pride, avarice, rage, revenge, glory-seeking, daddy-issues

Goal:  To rob even bigger targets, killing even bigger prey

Backstory: It began when Penelope Moore was ten, and her daddy stole her ice cream cone. That bastard! She WANTED that ice cream cone. In a fit of rage, Penelope murdered him.  No one was ever going to take anything from her, ever again! 

Over the years, Penelope found her ruthlessness meant she could take whatever she wanted, and she became an expert thief. When a close associate threatened to turn her in, she killed him, earning Penelope the moniker The Praying Mantis. Like any good super villain, Penelope decided to go with it. 

Through a series of surgeries and body modifications, the Praying Mantis had razor-sharp talons embedded in her forearms. Hidden from view, these talons can latch onto and stab anyone she lays hands on. More razors replaced her teeth, and then another surgery allowed her jaw to come unhinge, expanding large enough for her to bite right through a human neck. 

While the Praying Mantis won’t actually devour people, she has been known to leave a bloody mess in her wake. 

Quotes:  “Hello, boys. It’s time to say your prayers.” 

“You wouldn’t want to betray me, Ralph. I ate the last guy who tried to turn me in.” 

“Don’t lose your head.” 

“Pardon me while I take a bite out of crime.”

“Does this clown taste funny to you?”

Girl Super Hero Project Prompt 2: Power of Pause

Girl Super Hero Project Prompt 2:
Power of Pause
This super hero or super villain has a pause button she can use to her advantage. Tell us how she got it and harnessed its power.

 

Who’s Got The Button

By L.L. Heberlein

(850 words)

He brought the button to my house one gray, gloomy afternoon. The drizzling rain clung in sparkly droplets to his over-sized wool coat and wide-brimmed felt fedora. He looked suspicious, but then anyone in a fedora looks suspicious to me. Who wears fedoras, anyways? Only gangsters in old movies and people trying to look like something they aren’t. What was he, then? Who was he? And what was he doing standing in my doorway?

“You’ll be needing this,” the man said, shoving a box into my hands. It was the same size and shape they used to hold one of those fancy cupcakes. I grabbed the box before it dropped, doing a little foot-shuffle maneuver to keep the door behind me propped open.  It was one of those doors that would lock behind you if you shut it.  I kept the door open with one foot so that it blocked the apartment from his view. Call me paranoid, but I wasn’t inviting Mr. Fedora inside. 

“Sure,” I said, rolling my eyes toward the ceiling. Like this sort of thing happened to me every day. It did. Well, maybe not exactly like this, but when you live life as an actual, open, out-of-the-closet superhero, strange things show up on your door step.  It happens. “So, what does it do?”

“It’s...” He drew the sentence out, like he needed more time to figure out what he was going to say. “… A pause button.” 

“Pause button? Appropriate,” I said.  I offered him a little smirk, but the guy didn’t crack a grin. No sense of humor, apparently. No, no. Big pause button. Serious business.  “And what am I supposed to do with it?” 

He cocked his head to one side and stared at me with a blank expression. Everything about him was a blank expression, come to think of it. His face was very neutral, unremarkable. His eyes were a grayish color and gloomy like the sky.  There was nothing overly interesting or notable about his appearance at all. Well, except for the damn stupid hat. There, I said it. The thing looked stupid on him. 

“Miss…”

“Please, let’s not kid ourselves with formalities,” I said. “It’s Hyper Girl. Just Hyper Girl.” 

“Fine,” he said. “Hyper Girl, this is a pause button. It is very powerful, but can be used only once. As soon as you press it, everything around you will stop. The movement of people, the ticking of time, traffic…”

“Ooooh, traffic!” I said, prying the lid off the button box. “Gimme, gimme! I’ve gotta be across town by six.”

Fedora guy yanked the box out of my hands. “Did you miss the part where I said it could be used only once?” 

“Sure, sure,” I said. “Only, when is it going to come in handy for me, right? I mean, I’m Hyper Girl! That’s what I do. I move super, super fast! And a lot. How is a pause button going to help me in any way?” 

Fedora guy shook his head. “If you have to ask that, maybe you aren’t the right person for the box.” He took one step back from the door. It looked like he was ready to leave. 

“Don’t!” I cried. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “I’ll take it, I’ll take it! Cheese and Rice!!” I opened the lid again. The red button was the size of a softball. “So, I just push this thing, and time and all that other stuff just stop?  For how long?” 

“Until you push the button again,” he said. “Once that is done, the button will become useless to you. It will only regenerate once it is passed on, once you  give the button to someone else.” 

A strange feeling rose in my gut.  “Is that why you’re giving this to me?” I asked. “Did you already use it?” 

The right corner of his mouth curled upwards. He lifted his hand to his hat, dipped his head toward me, and headed down the step. “Have fun,” he said, not bothering to turn back around to look at me.  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

My eyes shot wide. My superhero senses were really tingling now. “What did you do?” I yelled after him. “WHAT DID YOU DO?” 

A vicious laugh echoed off the wet pavement as he walked across the parking lot. I wanted to run after him, but the door would lock, and I didn’t have my key. You try hiding a key in all this Lycra. What I had, however, was the box with the button, and the ability to stop him. To stop everything. 

I bolted across the living room, grabbed up the remote and turned on the TV. The story was everywhere, splashed across all the news channels. 

CITY BANKS ROBBED. VAULTS EMPTIED. POLICE BAFFLED AS PERPATRATOR GOES UNSEEN. 

Ah, horse feathers. 

I opened the box all the way. The big red button seemed even bigger and redder with my hand hovering over it. 

“Well,” I said, addressing myself to my fat orange cat, Professor Purry Pants. “Here goes nothing!”

Girl Superhero Project Prompt #1 -- Photosynthesis

 Hey, all!

My women writers group -- excuse me, that is my KICK ASS women writers group -- is doing a writing challenge. Thirty days, thirty prompts, to create new superheros. Female superheros, dammit! Ones that kick ASS! Or villains. Villains kick ass, too. 

Here's prompt No. 1. It's short, but that's how much time I had yesterday. 

Enjoy,

LLH

Girl Superhero Project Prompt #1
Superpower: Photosynthesis
Create a female super hero or super villain around idea of photosynthesis

The Leaf

By  L.L. Heberlein

Without realizing what she was doing, Melanie reached out and grabbed the sunlight. 

She’d never seen it done before. No one she’d ever known had grabbed a beam of light like this. But there she was, holding it in her hand, wrapping her fingers around the tiniest of particles—or were they waves—and bending the beam of light, not to shine out, but to flow into her. She wrapped all that light energy around herself and felt her body change. 

Her skin, always olive, turned shiny and iridescent before settling into a deeper, richer shade. 

Something a little greener. Then the blast hit her, like trying to drink from a fire hose of pure heat and light. She harnessed the light of the sun and transformed it into something she could use. She changed it into power. No. Super power. 

She drew the bright light into each tiny cell, raised her dark green arms above her head, and leaped into the sky. Like a leaf on the wind. Like a solar-powered superhero. 

She was twelve when she first learned what she could do. 

It scared her at first. Change is scary. But transforming light energy into a power she could control was second nature to her now. So was waiting. She sat in her windowless office, adjusting the little UV light on her desk to reflect off her face. It always helped to power up before answering a call. She had to be ready.

 And then she heard it. A cry for help resonated through the building, vibrating up from the floor under her feet. Using the light energy that she’d converted into chemical energy and stored in her cells, she became The Leaf. 

“The Earth needs me,” she whispered.