When Lightning Strikes! by Lynceus All around the world, metahumans appear, some with frightening powers. In the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, Japan, two of these powers are about to clash!

A Tale of the Comics Retcon Universe, and a first look at other parts of it's world.

---

My name is Ayumi Reizei, and this is my story. Except that my story doesn't start with me. Instead, it starts with a young Otaku and would-be manga-ka named Kyou Haimura. You see, I used to be him.

Sort of.

It's kind of complicated, so I'll start at the beginning. Kyou was, as I said, an Otaku. Unlike the typical stereotype of the overweight salariman, Kyou was handsome. Too handsome, really. His mother had been an idol singer, who gave up her career when she became pregnant. The identity of Kyou's father was never revealed, but she did eventually marry her manager.

Kyou had inherited his mother's delicate features, dark eyes, and long lashes, giving him a somewhat feminine appearance. He got teased about it a lot, but Kyou was a gentle boy, very kind, and so he was popular. Especially with the girls, who called him “Bishonen”. Basically, it's Japanese for “pretty boy”.

Now Kyou had some real talent as an artist, and he drew his own manga (Japanese comics), but he had a fascination for Western manga as well. He would often order older American comics online. I think it all really started when he discovered The Legion of Superheroes. He'd ordered a mixed collection of comics that were missing their covers, thus making them practically worthless, and it was in these he discovered The Legion.

I won't go into too much detail, suffice to say that the series had been around for a long while. It featured a lot of different characters, with the main heroes being teenagers living in an advanced, futuristic society, each blessed with a different super-ability.

I couldn't tell you what caused Kyou to latch onto Ayla Ranzz. The younger sister of one of the Legion's founding members, Ayla was originally known as Lightning Lass, wielding the power to generate electricity.

Then, later in her career, her powers were changed to a form of density control, and she became Light Lass. Later versions would alternate between powers of electrokinesis and gravity control. Pay attention, this will be important later!

Kyou soon began to design his own heroine, a sort of Japanese Lightning Lass. Of course, Ayla Ranzz isn't a Japanese name, so he settled on Ayumi Reizei. Yeah, you can see where this is going. Ayumi was only half-Japanese, however. Like a lot of manga characters, he wanted to give her a vaguely Western look, with auburn hair and light brown eyes. And of course, she was pretty. Like a lot of new authors, he basically created her to be a surrogate of himself in his stories. As much as I hate to admit it, she was what American writers would call a 'Mary Sue'. She was pretty, smart, athletic, mature for her age, and pretty much perfect in every way. And she had superpowers, able to control and generate electricity, warp gravity around her..and she was super-strong, to boot.

You'd think someone who could make an object weigh next to nothing wouldn't need to be really strong, but Kyou had a fascination with strong females. Of course, being Little Miss Perfect, Ayumi's feminine grace wasn't marred by noticeable muscles.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my body, and my powers. It's just that I literally began life as a two-dimensional character. And people really do get put off a bit by someone who seems flawless in every way.

I mean, nowhere on my body is there a single blemish or imperfection, I was literally created to be a fantasy girl, who has no real business living in the real world. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, I'm reminded of my origins. Unlike Kyou's fantasy girl, I do have flaws, you just can't see them.

My biggest, I think, is that I don't feel real. Like at any time, I could simply cease to exist, and no one would ever remember me. It's a frightening thing for me, but even if that is my fate, I try to live as much as I can, with the time I have.

So how did I come to be?

-

A noted Japanese scientist came to this conclusion about metahumans. “The Meta-human is like a butterfly. They begin as a larva, a human just like you or I. But in response to their environment, they metamorphose into a new form. What form they take can vary wildly, but it is my belief that they are inspired by their environment.”

You have to understand that the existence of metahumans has had a tremendous impact on the Japanese psyche. Traditional values are strong in our society, but at the same time, there is a counterculture that embraces Western values and new ideas. Traditionally held views of how one should live their life are constantly challenged by the youth of our country.

Even our concepts of gender identity are under attack, as some embrace androgyny or same-sex relationships. Like in all things, it was the authors who saw this coming, and you can see the indicators in manga, for example, going back decades.

But there's still a sharp divide. Now add to this smoldering fire the idea that some people can develop great powers, change their appearance, and even their gender, all due to something we can barely predict, nor can we stop. There's a reason I'm both famous and infamous in my own country.

Remember what I said about metahumans being inspired by their environment?

Back it the 80's, a noted manga-ka created a look at a dystopian future world, dominated by new Gods, given powers by secret government experiments. It eventually became a landmark anime, that, despite it's byzantine, confusing plotline, featured incredible animation and imagery.

This actually became the trend for anime exported to the West for many years. Eye candy with plotlines so complex that no two people, not even the creators, really agreed on what was going on. But damn, did it look cool!

Why is this important? Because one day, while on a class trip to Shinjuku, I saw the impossible.

A young man with wild black hair, wearing a red cloak, hovering over the city. The resemblance to Tetsuo Shima was uncanny. Who is Tetsuo? Well, in Akira, he's a young delinquent who has immense, but uncontrollable power bestowed upon him. He basically declares himself God, and goes on a rampage.

No one ever found out who he (or she) really was. The metahuman, that is, not the manga character. I can only imagine the kind of torment that would cause someone to evolve into a psychopathic deity. He called himself 'Shin'. That's probably a clue, unfortunately, the name can be written in several different ways, and he never bothered to write it down for us.

Did he name himself for belief? Progress? I'll never know. Shin was my first victory. My triumph. And my failure.

-

I wasn't myself then, not yet. I was still Kyou. I saw glass shatter, raining down from the sky like daggers from Heaven. I saw buildings topple, and the Civil Defense Force rendered helpless by one young man.

But Kyou died a hero, I can guarantee that. He saw a young girl about to be struck by falling debris, and without a second thought, he shoved her out of the way. Only to be impaled in the back, his spine broken in two.

And as his sight grew dim, a piece of paper drifted down and landed in front of him. His drawing of Ayumi.

-

They say the skies darkened, and a bolt of lightning struck the ground. I yelled out my birth cry, and then...I was. I was confused for a few moments, because I had two sets of memories. The memories of my adventures in Kyou's stories...and the memories of his life. Which was I?

Looking down at my body, I was definitely Ayum, right down to my school uniform, which Kyou had designed himself. I raised my hand, and watched as sparks played along my fingers. There was nothing left of Kyou.

Somehow, he had turned himself...into me.

My confusion was quickly dispelled, however. There was still a madman flying overhead. And I realized, I was the only one who could stop him.

I know what you're going to say. “Wait, what about Jade?”

This was in the early days after her famous broadcast. She'd only discovered a few others like her, and it's a big planet, with a lot of problems. Volcanoes, Norse Gods, Feminist Revolutionaries, it's hard work being a hero!

So right then, it really was, just me. I took flight for the first time, a wave of gravity-displaced air visible beneath me. It's a strange feeling. I knew how to fly, taking to the air as it born to it. But I'd never flown before, and I knew it!

Shin didn't notice me at first; my flight doesn't make the same sound as aircraft. It's sort of a rumbling noise, like distant thunder. I'm incredibly fast, but I have to be careful; I really can't change direction in mid-flight. I have to stop (thankfully, I can stop on a dime, and hover in place) and pick a new direction to fly in.

“Hey, spikey-hair!” (I'm going to just translate our conversation for you, it's easier that way, I think. It's funny, Kyou didn't know much English, but I was 'born' fully fluent in the language).

He turned and I swear his eyes bugged out. “Who the hell are you? I'm the only God on this Earth!”

“Good thing we're above Earth then, huh?” I know, cute, huh? Blame Kyou, he made me this way!

“Insufferable girl!” He swept his arm in a wide arc, and suddenly I felt like I'd been rammed by a speeding truck, and I went flying backwards!

I couldn't halt my momentum at first, not until I was a good distance away from him. And then, it was as if his power faded like a mist. Right, he has a maximum range. I'll have to be careful!

I rocketed past him, confident that he couldn't use his telekinesis on me in mid-flight. As he whirled to face me, I charged up and blasted him with my lightning! My muscles, you see, can generate electricity like some eels do. Although I can also draw electricity out from my surroundings.

To my amazement, the lighting was deflected by some kind of invisible sphere. He could generate a force field!

“Not bad, what do they call you?” He grabbed me with his will, and sent me flying into a building.

That's when I discovered his other limitation; once I couldn't see him anymore, I could halt my flight once again. Line of sight!

I fired a blast of electricity at him from out a window, quickly ducking out of view. “I..am The Lightning!”

I thought I was pretty slick, but he simply ripped away the wall with his telekinesis, and then sent the debris at me in a wave of rubble!

“That's a stupid name! You can call me Shin, before you die!”

I sent a wave of intense gravity forward, which struck the steel and glass hurtling towards me. Our powers collided, and the wreckage slowed. But it didn't halt; Shin could move immense weight with his powers!

“Why are you doing this?!” I took advantage of the situation to fly out of the building.

“Why? Why not? This world hates me! Everyone does! So why not destroy it all?!”

“It doesn't have to be this way! I don't hate you, I just want you to stop hurting people!”

He looked at me, and I'll remember that sad expression on his face for as long as I live. “It's too late for that.” Like some kind of cosmic vortex, anything that wasn't tied down began to float towards him, forming an immense sphere of matter. “I'm going to destroy this city, and you can't stop it!”

He flew upwards then, and I realized what he was planning to do. He would rain down death from above, subjecting the city to the equivalent of a meteor shower! I flew after him, but I need to breathe, while his force field would let him keep some air. Long enough to do what he had to.

We flew high up into the sky, above the clouds, the cold air freezing against my skin. Yeah, school uniform with a short skirt. Lets me show off my legs, but it's not very practical. But there's a lot of energy up here, and I pulled it to me. Soon lightning danced all around my body, and I was no longer cold.

I wanted to beg him to stop, but there was no way he could hear me. It was getting hard to breathe; if I wanted to save the city, I had to stop him now. “Forgive me.”

They say the flash was visible for a thousand miles. I sent everything I had at Shin. And then I blacked out from lack of oxygen.

-

I fell from the sky and landed in Tokyo Bay. A fall like that should have killed me, even though I'm much tougher than a human girl. Perhaps some kami took pity on me, or maybe I somehow activated my gravity powers to slow my descent.

Sometimes, in my dreams, I imagine Shin used his powers to save me. Even as I killed him. I always wake up covered in cold sweat after those dreams.

They pulled me out of the harbor, and I was declared a national hero. I had saved the city. But the cost was high. Many were dead, or injured. The names of the deceased were aired on national television.

And on that list was Kyou Haimura.

-

I don't know if you can really grasp my position at that moment. The Japanese government had declared me a hero, and wanted to obtain my services to defend the country. The person who had created me, given birth to me with his powers, was dead. I had no family. My own mother wouldn't know me. Kyou's mother, that is.

The memories of my life as Ayumi were complete fiction. My brothers, my best friend (and lover) Saya, didn't even exist. She'd just been a character Kyou had created, based on Salu, the Shrinking Violet.

I was truly alone. A girl without a past or a place to go. I told the government officials I'd be in contact with them. And I flew away, tears in my eyes. Why did I exist? What purpose did I have?

In his fantasy, Kyou had made me a hero. But heroes don't kill. I found an isolated speck of land, far from civilization, and I landed there. I wept for a long time, not knowing who I was, or where to go.

And then I saw a green light in the sky. I looked up, and I saw Jade for the first time.

-

I'm sorry. I can't talk about that right now. What happened between us was...personal. I wasn't ready to hear all the things Jade had to say. And when she made me the offer to become one of Earth's heroes, I had to decline. I needed to do something first.

The government gave me a new identity, and I vowed to do what I could to protect the nation. I was an instant celebrity, hailed as “Japan's superhero!”. Of course, that meant it was impossible for me to go anywhere without being noticed.

As a media sensation, everyone wanted to cash in on my image. And, well, I needed the money. Sure, I could have become a full-time government employee, but I didn't want to end up being some kind of soldier. I preferred having an agreement with my government.

So I sold myself. God, that makes me sound like a prostitute. And maybe I am, in a way. Soon I was everywhere. I had my own manga (the irony did not escape me) and they're talking about an anime series. Completely fabricated, of course.

My memories may be false, but they're all I have.

One of the advantages of my new identity is that I'm legally considered an adult. Not bad for someone who was only born a short time ago! So I was able to use the money from my deals to purchase my own home. Of course, I had to deal with the problems of popularity; photographers and my 'fans' are constantly hanging around outside.

I really needed one of those secret identity things. But somehow, I doubted changing my hairstyle and putting on glasses would work for me as well as it does for Superman. Maybe I should have taken Jade's offer. But I can't, not until I really do feel like a hero.

Like a real person, and not some dream girl.

I purchased a grave, and had it marked with the kanji for “Shin”. Like I said, I don't know how he spelled his name, but I know how I spell it. Every day I go to his grave and light incense, hoping that the next time I have to fight, I can save everyone.

To me, Shin means “Humility”.

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!

When Lightning Strikes!-3 by Lynceus Ayumi decides to find someone who can help her new friend Haya; but how does one get in touch with the most powerful woman in the world?

---

In manga, it's considered 'cute' for a girl to chronically oversleep, ignoring a plethora of alarm clocks, and always being perpetually late for school. Guess which fun flaw Kyou decided to give me?

Thankfully, I didn't have any appointments, nor do I go to school, but it's still annoying to wake up and realize you've slept over nine hours! School...thinking about it, legal adult or not, my education is incomplete, and that's something I'd need to remedy sooner or later.

But how could I, the heroine of Japan, attend high school? I thought about it in the shower, and by the time I was ready to head downstairs, I had the answer. Don't go to school in Japan!

Sure, my popularity would eventually spread across the ocean, but there was a chance I could get away with it for some time, wearing Western clothing and maybe dyeing my hair. The question was, how did I get an identity I could use in America?

The TV was still on, but there was no sign of my house guest. “Haya?” I looked around, and then noticed a note laying on the counter.

Went to school-sorry to leave without telling you, but you must have been very tired; nothing I did woke you! Will be back later. If you end up meeting Jade, don't worry about being late. I'll wait here for you to return. P.S.; please change the channel to 53, there's a neat show I want to watch tonight!

Your friend, Haya.

Went to school? Oh, of course, she can turn invisible! Even if she can't interact with anyone, she could still learn! Smart girl! Still, it has to be lonely, being there with all your old friends, but not being able to talk to them.

She took a huge risk even talking to me, most people would be frightened of a ghost-girl! Even a really cute one like Haya. I had to find a way to help her! I dressed warmly; no skirts today! I was looking for a superhero, and that meant I'd likely have to do a lot of long-distance flying.

I didn't really have a way to contact Jade, but she's pretty active; all I had to do was look for trouble, and chances were I'd find her, or someone who knew her!

I flew out of my skylight, rocketing into the air so fast that only a high-speed camera would get a good shot. And since I was wearing long pants, it wouldn't be a 'money shot', either! I'm not a prude, I actually do enjoy showing off my legs. But I do get tired of all the photographers hanging around my place; maybe I should hire some security? Hm, not a bad idea, some big tough guys to chase off the riff-raff. I smiled thinking about it. The Lightning deserves her privacy!

I headed east, figuring that America was the best bet. I only knew a few cities that had their own heroes, but surely if something big happened in a major city, it wouldn't be long before someone responded!

Now, I realize I was about to fly into the airspace of another country without permission, but I had reason to believe I'd be ok. When he designed my character, Kyou had given some thought to how I was able to fly. Basically, I can generate gravitational waves, fluctuations in the curvature of space-time that transport gravitational radiation.

I can vary the amplitude of the waves to allow me to become lighter than my actual weight, counter Earth's natural gravity, or fly at pretty much any speed I choose. Theoretically, low amplitude gravitational waves can achieve the speed of light, although I've never tried to move at that kind of speed (and with good reason!). Because I'm actually surrounded by the wave effect, I can counter non-gravitational accelerations (called proper accelerations), and I'm unaffected by the g-force simply moving at high speed would produce.

Further, the gravity wave warps light around me to some extent; I'm not invisible, but at high speeds, I'm basically a fast-moving blur. Objects that strike me in flight veer off in another (usually random) direction, even things like radio waves, so I didn't have to worry about non-visual detection.

At least, that's how Kyou explained what I do. I'm left to assume it's accurate, even though his understanding of the principles involved is flawed. Worse, this is mostly theoretical physics to begin with; I'm not sure what would happen if, say, the existence of gravitons is disproved.

And there's a few other flaws. Like the fact that I can see just fine from within my personal gravitational distortion, which shouldn't be possible given that photons shouldn't be able to reach my eyes. Also, as long as there is breathable air at my altitude, I can breathe normally. Even though, quite honestly, the air should be too cold for me to breathe long before that's an issue.

Heck, while I do get cold flying, it's pretty obvious to me that the temperatures I feel aren't consistent with how could it should be. Also, while I can control my gravitational waves just fine to allow flight, my other uses of them are a bit cruder.

Like, I can project a wave forward, pushing back and even altering the relative gravity of things the wave strikes...but I don't have any real fine control over it. Also, the strength of my personal gravity 'bubble' (I think of it as one, although I'm pretty sure that's not what it looks like) is relative to the amplitude of the waves I'm generating.

Just hovering, it doesn't offer me much protection from anything with substantial mass, but at my higher speeds, I've impacted things as large as flying birds and not suffered any harm. Thankfully, the hapless birds don't seem to be more than momentarily confused as they are rebuffed by my field.

As science goes, it's pretty soft. Blame it on the fact my creator was an artist, not a scientist. Either way, my powers seem to work as advertised, so maybe you can understand why I wasn't too concerned about being noticed by the Air Force.

That doesn't mean there aren't things that can detect me. In retrospect, I probably could have gotten Jade's notice faster simply by flying around the Earth at high speeds; her starship comes equipped with a gravitational wave detector (among other things). Ah well.

As it was, I later found out that I was responsible for a series of UFO sightings over the Western United States. Oops.

-

I flew over Los Angeles first, but didn't see anything more dangerous than traffic; given how many movies are filmed in this area, I really expected the city to be a lot more active! I crossed the city a few times, then headed for the mountains. I'd heard about Green Lantern Zwei's battle against some kind of giant ghost in Las Vegas, and the town was already getting a reputation for weird events.

My GPS doesn't really work that well in flight, but as I've noted before, I need to stop in order to change direction, so it was at these times I'd check it. And change playlists; one can only listen to the same artist or genre so long before it gets on your nerves!

I've never really had a chance to figure out how fast I can fly, other than damn fast. Supersonic, to be sure, but to what degree? I don't seem to create sonic booms either; just that low rumbling noise. Like distant thunder. That's how Kyou described it, and that's pretty much what it sounds like. He never explained why, I guess he just felt it would be cooler that way.

As I flew, I considered a few things. I don't really consider myself to be Kyou, but rather, somehow, his creation come to life. Despite the fact that I have all of his memories. I guess I'm a little scared of finding out the truth; for example, I haven't tried to draw anything. The Lightning was never presented as an artist.

If I can draw like Kyou, however, that would present an uncomfortable fact. That, at my core, I really am a teenaged boy, surrounded in a delusion of being his own idealized dream girl. That Ayumi doesn't exist at all, and never has. I'm just some dream Kyou is having.

I have to look at my hand to make sure I'm not fading out of existence. I have no evidence to think that I will, but it's something I'm afraid of nonetheless. Irrational? I don't really know. Haya had simply accepted my origin story without question.

I smile, thinking about her. Despite her predicament, she continues to be optimistic about life. It's ironic, the ghost-girl is more alive than I am! She believes in me, that I am the hero she thinks I am. And that somehow makes me feel better. She's like a younger sister.

From now on, I think I'll call her imouto (younger sister). I think she'd like that. I really want to talk to her now, about my doubts. She's the only one I've told my full story to. The only one I've talked to about anything, really.

-

Flying over the mountains, the air is thin, and even I notice the chill. However, I'd brought my satchel with me, which contains various items I felt could be useful. Like, for example, a small bottle of air. I attempt to cross the mountains (I think they're called the Sierra Nevadas..or is that The Rockies?) as soon as I can.

The land is flat here, with large, barren-looking regions. As I get closer to my destination, I realize that this is a desert, the first one I've ever seen. I make sure to apply some sunblock; the last thing I want is to get burned! Also, I drink the contents of my Thermos. I'll have to buy something to drink in the city.

Las Vegas is likely more beautiful at night; all I saw was a cluster of tall buildings surrounded by a fairly mundane-looking urban sprawl. I land out of sight, and go looking for a restaurant; I'm starved!

To my amusement, I find a Cantonese take-out restaurant and order some Beef Broccoli. The portions are quite large compared to what I'm used to; the sauce is thick, and the rice seems starchier. But, it's not bad, and at least I won't get fat; using my powers burns up a lot of calories!

The root beer I ordered is really sweet, but I like the taste. I'll definitely have to bring some of this stuff back to Tokyo! As I walk towards the center of town, I hear some yelling. Moving quickly, I come across a group of boys tormenting a smaller boy. They look to be Hispanic, and they were speaking in a patois of English and Spanish.

One of the key pieces of evidence I have that I'm not Kyou is the fact that I speak perfectly fluent English, and you can ask Mr. Tanaka; Kyou was a horrible English student!

“Hey, leave him alone!”

The boys turned to look at me. I noticed a few of them had knives out, but they'd yet to use them. The younger boy's eyes were big and round as he looked at me.

“Hey..what's a pretty chica like you doin' out this way?” The tallest boy practically leered at me.

“Maybe you want to hang out with us? Party some?” Another boy grinned. As a group, they moved towards me.

“Boys, I hate to break this to you, but I'm way out of your league.” I smiled. This was going to be fun. I despise bullies.

“Oh, you think you're better than us, huh? Maybe I should teach you a lesson!” The leader got close enough that I could smell his sweat and bad breath. Ick!

I let static electricity build up around me. My eyes always glow when I use my electrical powers, and the effect is really frightening! “You're welcome to try, little man, but I think you're in for a shock!”

I know, that was bad, but I really can't help myself. The leader stopped short, even backpedaled a few steps. “Las Diabla!”

“Yeah, that's right, I'm a devil!” Hey, I recognize a little Spanish. Mostly because Kyou was a huge Bleach fan! I fly up a few feet, creating a wave of gravitational radiation all around me, sufficient to knock the boys on the ground. “And you better run!”

Boy did they ever run! All except the younger boy, who just stared at me in awe. “Pretty lady? Are you really a devil?”

I floated to the ground, letting my electricity disperse. “No, I'm not. I just didn't want them to hurt you any more.”

He smiled at me. “Thank you, pretty lady. What do they call you?”

“Mm. The Lightning. Uh, La Relampaga?”

He nodded. “Si! Thank you again, Senorita Relampaga!” He nodded his head, then ran off, waving.

Cute kid!

I made sure to leave the area quickly, in case I'd attracted the wrong kind of attention with that stunt. My powers are pretty flagrant, that's for sure!

-

The sheer amount of lights installed on 'The Strip', as I believe it's known, is impressive. If I ever had to fight here at night, I'd have incredible power to work with! I hung out for about an hour, but I didn't see anything particularly weird. I'm sure you might disagree, but I'm a Tokyo girl; a small battalion of Elvis impersonators doesn't even register on my weird-o-meter!

I did notice a few acts I wish I had the time to see. Penn & Teller, for example, as well as that incredible duo of magic and escapology, the Zatanna/Miss Miracle show! Ah well. I passed a pair of blonde girls, who looked remarkably similar to one another. Sisters, no doubt.

They waved to me, and I waved back. At least some of the people here are friendly!

-

“Did you feel that?” Illyana shivered, looking back at the girl they'd passed.

“A little bit. She's very powerful.” Hunter nodded.

“I wonder what she's looking for?”

“I just hope we don't have to fight her or anything!”

Illyana frowned. “Me too!”

-

Las Vegas seemed fruitless. It was getting late in the afternoon; I probably wouldn't be home tonight after all. And I couldn't even call home; it's not like Haya can pick up the phone! I sighed. Maybe I should give up for now?

No, Haya needs my help, I have to try! I decided to head for Chicago; there was at least one big hero in that city who was hard to miss!

I rose into the air and took off, intent on my goal.

-

Alyssa gasped, and I turned to see what the deal was. I just barely saw a girl fly up into the sky, and then rocket off to the west. “Holy shit!”

“Do you recognize her, Stef?”

“Not at all! Let me give Jade a call, see if she knows anything; I sure couldn't catch her...wow, she's fast!”

“Yeah...I'm so jealous of you guys, able to fly like that. I can only glide around or hover."

I leaned closer to Alyssa. “You can fly with me any time, beautiful.”

She kissed my hair, and I held my ring closer to my mouth. “Hey, if anyone's listening, I just saw a girl take off from Vegas, and she's really trucking! She's flying west right now, I think...hard to see her really.”

The ring glowed. “A girl who can fly? What color was her hair?” Alena's voice came out of the ring.

“Uh, I didn't get a good look. Alyssa?”

“Red, but not like Doris or Jean...kind of brownish. Auburn?”

“Auburn, huh? No costume or anything?” Alena sounded a bit puzzled.

“No, not really.” I shrugged, even though Alena couldnt' really see me.

“When she flies, what does it sound like?” Jade cut in.

“Uh, a rumbling noise. Kind of like thunder, but faint. Like it's far-off.”

“The Lightning, it has to be.” You could almost hear Jade frown, from her tone of voice.

“Woah! The Lightning?! In the States? Awesome!” Heh. That's Alena for you, always the fangirl.

Me, on the other hand...

“Uh, for those of us who don't know...who's The Lightning?”

“Japan's first..and only, so far as I know, superhero. I have no idea why she'd be in Las Vegas though. Alena, I'm kind of busy right now, think you can intercept her?”

“Uh...I can try? Hey Doris, you listening to this?”

“Yes, sorry, little busy myself, but I'll look out for her.” Doris sounded more than a little distracted, her voice breathy with exertion. The pleasant kind.

“Sorry Doris, you and Lena can get back to who you're doing.” I chuckled.

“Oh jeez, sorry Doris!” I smirked, thinking of Alena's blush.

Alyssa nudged me. “You've gotten wicked, haven't you?”

I considered that. “Yeah, I guess I have. Is that a problem?”

She gave me a kiss. “Not to me.”

“Uh..signing out now!” Poor Alena!

A new voice came in. "Cosmic Girl here, she just sort of stopped in mid-air, I'm going to go say hi."

"If you find out what she wants, let me know. And stall her, I'll head to you as soon as I can!"

"Sure thing, Jade. Ok everyone, talk to you later!"

I shook my head. Even though she'd helped us fight Klariann, Cosmic Girl and Night Girl were still a little mysterious; so far as I know, none of us knew who they really were!

"Ok, you're off the hook, Doris. Have fun girls, Jade out."

“Gee, do you think that was an order, Alyssa?” I smiled up at my girlfriend.

“I'm going to take it as one. Let's go home and...kill a few hours before it's time for my beauty sleep."

We linked arms, and headed back to our house had set up for us.

To be continued...

Special Guest Stars: Illyana and Hunter (Books of Magik), Stefani/Purgatori and Alyssa (The Succubus Files), Alena Scott/Green Lantern Zwei (Green With Envy), Jade/Green Lantern (Samplings of the Population), and Cosmic Girl (Momentum Shift!).

When Lightning Strikes!-4 by Lynceus The Lightning returns (finally)!

---

Disclaimer: I make no claims to any character or image owned or under copyright by another party, nor do I intend on profiting in any way from their use. The Comics Retcon Universe concept is the creative property of Lilith Langtree.

The Retcon version of The Spectre is not mine either- she belongs to Maggie Finson (a much better author).

---

Las Vegas, Nevada

Rhea rose into the air after the girl. The Lightning, huh? I wonder how her powers would interact with mine?

As fate would have it, however, Cosmic Girl wouldn't get that answer tonight, as, without warning, The Lightning jetted off to the east, accompanied by a low rumbling noise. The former physicist couldn't help but exclaim; “How does she do that?”

Shaking her head, she opened up communication with the others. “No luck, she took off like a rocket, and there's no way I can catch her.”

One hour later

“Baka, this was a dumb plan.” I berated myself. I guess it was time to give up and go home. Some superhero I was! How was I going to face Haya, having failed to find any help for her?

“I wouldn't say you failed, not just yet.”

I'd just paused in mid-air for a moment, so you can believe I was surprised to hear another voice up here! I whirled in place, and found myself facing a young woman with very pale skin. She was wearing a green outfit that left very little to the imagination, along with a long green cloak, comlete with a cowl. I shivered, and not from the cold!

“Who...what are you?”

The girl smiled. “I am Death, come to claim your soul!” She laughed before I could even react to that statement. “No, I can't back that up. You may call me The Spectre.”

“The Spectre? Why do you call yourself that?”

The Spectre shrugged her shoulders (a rather fascinating process, really). “It is the name I was given by the one who gave me my powers. Not unlike how you got your name, Ayumi.”

“How...this is a trick, right?”

She shook her head. “No trick. I know quite a bit about you. But I am here to help you. More specifically, your young friend.”

“Haya? I don't understand- how could you help?”

“Perhaps this isn't the best place to discuss these things.” She held out her hand. “Take my hand.”

I wasn't sure why, but I did. Her skin was cool to the touch. There was a strange sensation, and for a moment, I was surrounded by complete blackness. I could see nothing, feel nothing save for The Spectre's hand gripping my own. I screamed, but heard no sound.

And then I was in a small apartment I didn't recognize. I fell to my knees, gasping for breath.

“I'm sorry about that, I always forget how that affects the living.”

I looked up to find that The Spectre had changed. Now she was a living girl, wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. She offered me a hand and helped me up. I was surprised to find she was shorter than I was, something I hadn't noticed before. “So this is the real you?”

“Not..quite. It's complicated. When I'm like this, you can call me Deena. Do you want a drink?”

I nodded. “Gomen..please.”

She grinned and went to the tiny kitchenette, looking in the fridge. “Coke or root beer?”

“Root beer would be fine.” I sat down on her couch, and she brought a pair of drinks. “So explain...you said 'the living'?”

She sat on the couch, facing me. “Yes, that's right. As Deena, I'm a living girl, but I guess you could say I'm sort of a ghost. I died, and was brought back to be The Spectre, the Spirit of Vengeance.”

“Vengeance? Why would you want to help me?”

“It's not just you, it's your friend, Haya. Normally, what people think of as ghosts is nothing more than a strong psychic impression left behind when a person dies. Or something else, that people mistake for a ghost, like an evil spirit or demon. There are real ghosts, but they are quite rare. Your friend, however, is an anomaly. She wasn't supposed to die at all. She would have survived the accident.”

I frowned. “Then why...?”

“We are entering a new age, a new cycle. Old powers that most people don't believe in, such as magic, are coming to fore once again. In this case, necromancy. Someone attempted to claim her soul, which is what caused it to be separated from her body.”

“Claim her soul? A demon?”

Deen shook her head. “Not quite. Just someone who wanted to harness her for power. Haya is an innocent, she has a pure soul. In the wrong hands, she could serve as a source of power, until she became so used-up and twisted that nothing of the girl she was would be left.”

I growled, and the lights flickered dangerously. “I won't let that happen!”

“I won't either, Ayumi, that's a promise. I'm hunting the one who did this to her. The good news is that they aren't aware Haya exists. For whatever reason, the binding failed. She was separated from her body, but never felt the compulsion to answer the soul-summons. So now she's trapped here. She can't go back to her body, obviously, but she is also barred from moving on, as it's not yet her time. From what I've been told, Destiny and Death are very particular about that sort of thing.”

“Destiny and Death?”

Deena smiled. “Let's skip that discussion for now. I'm not sure how you'd handle it.”

“So she's trapped here, until she was supposed to die? That's not fair, I thought you said you could help her!”

“Please Ayumi, stay calm. You might destroy my apartment if you get too upset.”

I looked down. “I'm sorry.”

She reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. “It's ok. You're just worried about your friend.”

I nodded. “Ever since I fought Shin...” I frowned. Why was I about to tell her about that?

She smiled warmly. “Sorry, unlike my other self, when I'm Deena, people just want to open up to me. If you need to talk, I'll listen, I promise.”

I thought about it, and started talking.

Later...

“Ayumi, thank you for sharing yourself with me. I understand why you feel the need to help someone, but listen to me. You're not a killer. You did what you did to save lives. Shin had made his choice- his soul was tortured, if anything, you gave him freedom.”

“I can't justify it! If I do, then...I...”

“You'll become a monster? Ayumi, I've been in the same position. And I feel the same way. But as long as you're worried about becoming a monster, you're still human.”

“Am I? Human?”

Deena nodded. “Yes! Very much so. I can feel it, you have a soul.”

“...Kyou's soul.”

“Well, yes. He created you, Ayumi, but his power could only make soulless constructs. He didn't have the power to give you true life. But he was dying, and he wanted you to live. You were his wish for the world. So he gave you a part of himself. So you could live.”

“...you're making that up.”

She stood, and became The Spectre again. “Perhaps you would believe the words from my lips, then?”

“I...people can't just give away their souls!”

“Normally, no, they cannot. There are circumstances where it is allowed. You are not Kyou, but as long as you live, a part of him lives on as well.”

I couldn't bear to look into her eyes. Gone was the kind, empathic Deena. The Spectre was colder. Harsher. But maybe that's what I needed. “I guess I've been stupid, then.”

“To doubt? To question? That is the nature of what it means to be mortal. The moment you stop wondering, you stop learning. And at that point, you might as well be dust.”

I sighed. “Ok. So how do I help Haya?”

“Haya has more power than she realizes. She is more special than anyone could imagine. Though she cannot create a new body for herself, she can live through others.”

I looked up, wondering what she meant by that, when it hit me. “No...you mean possess people?”

“Indeed.”

I frowned. “I don't think she'd want that.”

“For now, no. At some point, however, the desire to live again. Breathe once more. To feel. To not feel so cold. It will overwhelm her, possibly drive her mad.”

“There's no other way?”

“A powerful magician could revive her dead body, perhaps. Or place her soul within the body of someone in a coma, or recently deceased.”

I shivered. It sounded so ghoulish! “Is that what you do? Possess Deena's body?”

The Spectre quirked her lips. “Not exactly. The one who empowered me, allowed me to live through her, so that I would not lose my humanity.”

“Is that Haya's fate? To stop being human?”

“When she died before her time, she ceased to be bound by Destiny. She can follow a new path, perhaps regain her life once more. She needs ties to the living world. Someone to care about her.”

“I..I care about her.”

“And that is why we are having this discussion. You will soon meet the Green Lantern. When you do, it would be best not to mention me. Jade has as strong sense of justice. She has little use for Vengeance...yet.”

Oh no, that didn't sound ominous. Not at all. Before I could ask any questions, however, I found myself back where I had been before. Floating in the air somewhere above the American midwest. As I got my bearings again, I noticed a green light behind me. I turned, and there she was.

“You're a hard person to track down, Lightning. Can I help you?”

I smiled at Jade. “Maybe we can help one another.”

With a nod, Jade held out her hand, and I took it. A green light surrounded us, and we began to fly upwards, towards the stars.

Deena, if you can hear me...thank you.