When Lightning Strikes!-2 by Lynceus Ayumi may be Japan's first superhero, but hers is a lonely existence. Until she encounters Sera Himitsu, that is!

If you've been exposed to any Japanese pop culture, you'd think, between Kaiju movies, Sentai TV shows, and shounen anime, that the country is constantly under assault from monsters, aliens, and rogue gods.

Sadly, this isn't the case. And really, for me to fight normal crime is like using a tank to squash a bug, and about as messy! Still, it doesn't hurt to patrol the city, and I do enjoy flying. It's one of the few times I can keep my mind off my own troubles. Not surprisingly, the crime rate has gone down due to my mere presence; even the Yakuza are leery about taking on a girl who can fly and throw lightning bolts around!

Unfortunately, while petty crime is down, the real criminals operate out of sight, where I can't get at them. It's kind of troubling to me that, for all my power, I can't stop a simple arms deal or drug shipment! The government is pretty much using me for good public relations, and has been reluctant to give me any information on real criminals.

It's just so damned frustrating!

Still, I have managed to do some good in other areas; just last night I helped with the rescue efforts after that factory fire, and a few days before that, there was that bad traffic accident. Saving lives is about as heroic as you can get!

But the rest of the time, all I basically do is mope around my big house, avoiding the photographers and watching television. Surprisingly, I watch a lot of Western programming, something Kyou didn't have much chance to watch. Oh I manage to find ways to amuse myself; earlier I got on a train and gave some perverts looking to cop a feel on a schoolgirl the shock of their lives; that was immensely satisfying. Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face!

But it doesn't last. I hate feeling so hollow inside, so empty. I have no friends, no family, no purpose in life. If something doesn't change soon, I think I might go mad! “Damn you, Shin. Why couldn't you let me save you? At least then, I wouldn't be alone!”

I hovered in mid-air as I clenched my hands into fists, nails digging into my palms, trying desperately to hold in the tears. And I just can't. I fly up higher, setting down on the roof of a skyscraper. Sitting down, I pull my jacket tighter around me and start to cry.

“Hey, why are you crying?” A soft, otherworldly voice shakes me out of my misery.

Looking to the right, I see a pretty younger girl, maybe 13 years old. She's wearing a serafuku, one of those 'sailor-style' school uniforms otaku (especially Western otaku!) obsess over. She has green eyes, and very long, pale hair that I swear has a faint blue tint to it.

And I can see through her. Like her body is translucent somehow. “Oh..wow.”

She grins at me. “I should be the one saying that, Lightning-sama. I'm your biggest fan!”

“Who are you?”

“I, am Sera Himitsu, champion of Justice! She posed dramatically, just like a magical girl!

I blink at her a few times. Was she for real? “Sera Himitsu?” I guess I should give you a translation here; she basically just called herself 'Sailor Secret'! I'm sure even Westerners have heard of the anime show 'Sailor Moon', which is about a bunch of girls who have magical powers that they use to fight evil.

Apparently that was where this girl got her inspiration!

“Mhm! That's right, Sera Himitsu! I want to be a superhero just like you!”

“That's flattering and all, but it's dangerous. What would your family think?”

I saw a flash of pain in her eyes. Uh oh. “My family is dead, Lightning-sama. I am all that is left. As for the danger, I cannot be hurt.” To prove her point, she reached out to touch me. Her fingertips literally slid through my arm, which sent a slight chill down my spine.

“You're a...ghost?” This was something I hadn't been expecting. Metahumans, sure, but ghosts?

She nodded. “I think so, Lightning-sama. I don't need to eat or drink, I can walk through walls, or fly...even become invisible! Does that not make me a ghost?”

“I...I don't know. Maybe?”

She smiled at me. “So I can be your partner, then?”

“Wow, that's a bit sudden. I mean, a partner? Why would I need one?”

She looked away. “I don't know...I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't bother you.” She began to sink through the roof of the building. I immediately regretted my words, why had I pushed her away?

“Wait! Please don't go!”

She paused and rose back to to roof level. “You don't need me, why should I stay?”

“Because...I'm lonely.”

“So am I. Can we be friends, then?” I could barely hear her over the wind, her voice had gotten so soft.

“I could use a friend.”

“I don't understand though, you're The Lightning! Everyone loves you!”

I sighed. “How can someone love me, when nobody even knows me?”

She seemed to think about that. “If you tell me about yourself, then maybe I could love you.” She looked so adorable that I wanted to reach out an hug her tightly. Except, of course, I couldn't.

“Come with me?” I rose up into the air.

She nodded, and smiled at me, and together we flew to my home. Just as it started to rain. Bah.

-

Secret (I refuse to call her Sailor Anything!) couldn't fly as fast as I could, but at the same time, she didn't get tired either. Soon we were back at my home. From the various flash-bulbs going off, it seemed that the people hired to take pictures of me don't get the night off. A pity.

I took off my shoes and my coat at the door, then turned to her. “Welcome to my home.”

She bowed. “Thank you very much. Please forgive me for not removing my shoes.”

“Oh, that's all right, it's not like you're tracking water in. Um...just out of curiousity, can't you take them off?”

She sighed. “I can, but if a part of my clothing isn't in contact with me, it starts to disappear. I lost my jacket that way.”

“Oh...I'm so sorry.”

“It's alright, the cold doesn't bother me anymore.”

I walked over to the computer panel that controls the ambient temperature. “Well I'm going to make it warmer in here for you anyways.”

She smiled. “Thank you very much, Lightning-sama.”

I frowned. “Enough of that. Please, call me Ayumi.”

“Ayumi. I like that name. I'm Haya Genda.” She bowed again.

“Haya it is then. Hey I'm going to change out of these wet things, you mind waiting here for a minute? I can turn on the TV for you.”

She nodded. “That will be fine, thank you Light...Ayumi-sama.”

“No, not Ayumi-sama. Just Ayumi. Please?” I hated the honorific, I wasn't some great person that deserved it!

“Oh. Ayumi then. Ok.” She looked somewhat dubious about my request.

I gave her a thumbs up and found a channel she seemed interested in before I went to take a quick shower and change out of my wet clothing.

-

I came back down to find her sitting on the couch. Well, actually, she was about a quarter-inch above the couch, but I guess the illusion is important to her. I sat down next to her, and she scooted a little closer towards me.

“You're very warm, Ayumi.”

“I wish I could do more for you. Would you mind telling me how you got this way?”

She nodded. “Of course, but I'd like to hear your story as well.”

“Ok, I'll start then. Do you remember anything about that guy who called himself Shin?”

-

I sighed as I ended my story. It felt a little better to share it, I guess. But it still depressed me. I looked up and saw, to my surprise, that Haya was crying ghostly tears!

“That is such a sad story, Ayumi! You're as alone as I am.”

“Yeah, but we have each other now, right? So that's better than it was before.”

She tried to hug me then, but her arms passed right through me! “...that was foolish of me.”

“It's okay honey. I wish I could hug you too.”

She smiled a bit, and wiped her tears away. “It is the thought that counts. Well, now it is my turn.”

She took a deep breath (I'm not sure if she needs to breathe, or if it's just a habit for her) and began.

-

Well, I'm not sure where to begin, really. I mean, it's not like I was anyone special. My Dad was a salariman at a big company, and Mom worked as a secretary. I was their only child, and they spoiled me a lot. I loved them so very much!

I'd always loved shoujo anime and manga, especially the stories where girls my age were given special powers to fight for love and justice. I guess that sounds silly, but it was my dream to one day find out that I'd been chosen, that I was special, somehow.

My friend Mariko was celebrating her 13th birthday, and she'd decided to have a Western-style party. She asked everyone to dress up for it. Mom let me dye my hair...I went as Tenshi from Angel Beats! I know, not exactly a magical girl, but Mariko had begged me, since she was dressing up as Yui.

I had a lot of fun, and then my parents picked me up; we were going to have dinner together! And then..something happened and the car spun out of control. Everything went black.

The next thing I knew, I was floating in the air. Looking down, I saw...myself! I'd been thrown clear of the car, and my arm was bent at a funny angle. The paramedics came, and even though I yelled at them, they didn't hear me...they said I was dead, my parents to!

I just...wandered around, not knowing what to do or where to go. Why didn't I go to Heaven? Why were there no other ghosts? And then I saw you, in the sky. Like an angel. I thought you were an angel at first! I tried to get your attention, but you flew away.

Soon I knew who you were. Everyone did! A real live magical girl! I wanted to be like you so badly! And then, a few nights ago, I got my wish. I don't sleep, so I was walking in a bad neighborhood late at night, when I heard a girl crying!

I flew to investigate, and found a man hitting his wife, while their little girl just watched! I got so mad! I stepped in front of the woman, and I yelled at him...and he saw me! He tried to hit me, but I just laughed at him. So he ran away, and I kept following him, telling him that he was cursed, that I would chase him forever!

He finally found a police officer, and begged him for protection, confessing everything. And then I just slipped away. I'd done something good! I'd been a hero!

So I went looking for you, Light...Ayumi. So that we could work together as heroes!

-

She was smiling widely as she ended her tale. Then she sighed. “But I can't even touch someone, how can I be a hero?”

“Haya...” I shook my head. “You already are a hero. And I'd be honored if you would be my partner.”

Her eyes got wide. “Really? You mean that?! Oh that's so wonderful!”

I smiled at her. “You can do something I can't. You can find the bad guys, where they hide, what they're doing. And then, I can put a stop to it.”

She beamed happily again. The poor kid! She was way too young to have died like that...but rather than mope about it, she'd decided to try and help people! It made me really question what I'd been doing up until this point. Well it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself, and get things done!

“I think though, we need to find out more about you.”

“Do you know someone who can help?”

“No, but I bet I know someone who does. Tomorrow I'm going to try and contact Jade.”

“Jade-sama? The Green Lantern?! Ooh! We should become part of their team!”

I couldn't stop smiling at Haya's honest enthusiasm. “Maybe you're right, Haya. Maybe we should, after all.”

To be continued...

Authors Note: Haya Genda is actually based on an American hero, Greta Hayes, also known as Secret!