Kendrick Jane
Superheroine
Chapter 1
by 
The Night
Chapter 1: Birth of a Bad Idea
It’s mid-afternoon in Westville, and the sun is slanting through the dusty blinds of Kendrick Jane’s studio apartment. A philosophy textbook lies open but untouched on the couch. Kendrick is sprawled across it sideways in a hoodie and socks, flipping channels with a bag of chips balanced precariously on her stomach.
That’s when the news catches her eye.
“—third armored car this month,” the anchor says. “Witnesses report the attackers were all women dressed in pinstripe suits, fedoras, and stockings—one described them as ‘pin-up mobsters’—and authorities believe this string of robberies may be connected to a new criminal element moving into the city. We go live to Officer McKenna for details on the mysterious woman being called Cleo Capone.”
The screen flashes to grainy security footage. A tall woman in a skintight, black-and-white pinstripe suit strides through a cloud of smoke. A classic 1920s fedora shadows her eyes, but the camera catches the glint of a devilish smile and the sway of her hips as she points a toy-looking tommy gun with a gold finish.
Kendrick sits up, her eyes wide.
“Oh my god,” she whispers. “She’s like... if Jessica Rabbit ran the mob.”
She watches, transfixed, as Cleo Capone laughs in slow motion, blows a kiss to the camera, and disappears into the back of a getaway car with a sack of cash over one shoulder and a pair of giggling henchgirls in heels behind her.
The anchor cuts back in. “At this time, police say they have no leads. Citizens are advised to avoid the warehouse district until—”
Click.
Kendrick kills the TV and sits in silence for a moment, her heart racing.
Then, she grins.
“What this city needs... is a superheroine.”
She leaps off the couch, chips flying, and dashes into her closet. Halloween bins go flying. Tights, boots, capes, cat ears, plastic tiaras, fishnets, and fake swords scatter across her room. She rifles through them all with mounting excitement.
“This is so stupid,” she giggles. “This is so stupid. I love it.”
She stands in front of the mirror a few minutes later, her hair tousled, her cheeks flushed, and a pile of costume pieces at her feet. Time to make a choice.