*Author's note: I unfortunately neither have the time nor the motivation to finish River City Superheroine the way I envisioned. These Story Scraps are roughly edited and in approximate order, but some notes and out-of-sequence scenes are left in.*
"Follow me."
The scientist led Grace down several hallways before arriving at a large, well-lit laboratory. Costumes of all shapes, colors, and sizes were contained in glass-paneled, individual pods that lined the walls. Inside each pod stood a mannequin to display the costume. The scientist keyed in a combination on the wall, and one of the pods slid out to face them. Through the glass panel, Grace could see her new costume. She was quietly impressed with the design.
The costume was a dark blue leotard with segmented arms and legs. The sleeves extended all the way to fingertips, but cut off near the upper arm to expose shoulders; they looked like extra long gloves. Similarly, the pants were cut off at the upper thighs to expose some legs. The cut off pants extended all the way down to her feet; they looked like long boots. And, of course, it was all made of tight spandex.
"Go on, try it out," the scientist said encouragingly. She opened the glass panel and gestured towards the costume.
Coming back from the changing room, Grace strode in wearing her new costume. An entirely exposed face was the most immediately noticeable change to her; it was an unfamiliar, uncomfortable sensation. Otherwise, she was impressed with the rest of the costume. The long boots were, thankfully, not heavy, but quite soft on her soles. The tight spandex was actually breathable, and Grace didn't feel constrained in her movement at all. She flexed and stretched her hands in their gloves.
"Pretty cool right?" the scientist asked. "It's a special blend made by yours truly. The costume material is designed to be form-fitting to prevent unwanted snags, yet breathable enough to avoid drenching you in sweat. It's impact-absorbing too, for small stuff like punches anyway. It should accommodate your powers also - give it a try!"
Grace concentrated on her hands, and her signature blue - well, azure she supposed - energy crackled in her hands with no harm to the costume. The azure light splashed across her body, contrasting nicely with the dark blue of the costume.
"Awesome!" Grace smiled. "But, is there any way to add a face covering?"
The scientist shook her head. "Sorry, hon. I have to follow CAPE guidelines, and they are very explicit about no face coverings."
Grace frowned. "What about the Ghost?" she asked. He was definitely covering his face.
The scientist just shrugged.
"Hmph. Oh what's this?" Grace found a small badge near her collar. It was a small CAPE logo, same as the one on the floor of the Great Hall.
"Oh, that's your CAPE ID. I've already programmed it with your info. It'll get you in and out of the building, serve as identification with your local law enforcement, and has an emergency beacon inside too."
Grace cracked her knuckles. "Alright. Now, when do I get to start beating up bad guys?"
---
"Hello! I'm Jupiter Princess!" The energetic blonde girl extended her hand.
Grace shook her hand. "Grace - er, Azure Girl. Nice to meet you!"
Jupiter Princess wore a flowing white robe parted in the upper half, showing off her cleavage and a peek of her toned midriff. Thin gold bands adorned her wrists and ankles; a final band sat on her blonde hair like a tiara. She looked to be a few years younger than Grace
"Let's go meet the rest of our pod!" Jupiter Princess led Grace by the hand and into the back room. All sorts of gadgets were on display; Grace recognized some of the ones Anthony had given her before.
Tectonic and Weather Lad descriptions.
"This is Tectonic."
Tectonic - beefy bodybuilder type
"This is Weather Lad."
Weather Lad - wiry young guy
"And this is our pod leader, Dr Cosmic." The figure wore a dark navy cloak with a long cape. Two piercing white eyes glowed within the deep hood's shadow. The air around them crackled with the tension of powerful magical energy.
The figure's hands pulled back the hood to reveal a woman's face. Her eyes' glow faded as the hood came down. Her skin was pale, and she had pitch-black hair. She smiled at Grace, beaming just as brightly as her eyes had been glowing.
"Dr Cosmic here! Sorry about the theatrics - I couldn't resist." She swept her cape around them, shrouding them in a dark blue void for but a moment. With a flourish, they found themselves in a huge training room. The ceiling was hundreds of feet up, and the room was easily the size of a football field.
"Welcome to CAPE!" Dr Cosmic's voice reverberated through the whole, massive chamber. "I am Dr Cosmic, one of the founding members and part of the Triumvirate. CAPE is small in membership, and you've been selected for exclusive training to become full members. I will be your instructor." Dr Cosmic smiled. "Let's get started."
[combat training stuff here]
--
Grace's body ached all over. She'd never had a workout quite like that.
"Come on, let's go out on the town!"
Grace wasn't sure how she'd gotten talked into this. She'd been collapsed on the ground with her whole pod, exhausted after Dr Cosmic's rigorous training. Well, almost all of her pod. Jupiter Princess had gotten up after a quick rest, chipper as ever.
"Alright team! Let's hit the showers, then we're going clubbing tonight! And be sure to wear your costumes." Jupiter Girl had winked, but had refused to elaborate further.
Now, back in the present.
"Remind me again why we had to wear these." Weather Lad pointed at the costumes he, Tectonic, Grace, and Jupiter Princess were wearing - their super costumes.
"Like I said, you'll see when we get there! And you'd stick out anyway if you wore street clothes."
Grace looked around. Sure enough, almost everyone around them was wearing some kind of cosplay. She saw a few Sovereigns, some Dr Cosmics, and a bunch of others she didn't recognize. She could hear the loud pounding of bass further down the street.
Rounding the corner, Jupiter Princess announced, "We're here!"
Lights and sounds assaulted Grace's senses. It was a whole district of superhero-themed bars and clubs. There were hundreds of people, all in costume, partying and drinking in every establishment.
"Huh," Tectonic said.
"I know, right?" Jupiter Princess said. "Let's party!"
--
After countless drinks - and compliments on the authenticity of their costumes - they were back wandering the streets, drunk but a little bored.
"You guys wanna see something WILD?" Jupiter Princess asked. They all nodded.
"Let's go!" Weather Lad shouted.
