The girl rested on the roof of her apartment. She looked to be about ten. She sat on the edge, dangling her feet off the side toward the sidewalk three stories below. Suddenly, she tensed, straining her eyes toward the horizon. In the distance, a black blur sped around a green glob, forming a deadly dance in the air. Flashes of green light appeared at almost constant intervals, signaling attacks. The girl's feet stopped swinging as she gazed intently on the battle, her heart quickening in excitement. These battles were common, but this was the best view she'd ever had.
In the distance, the black blur stopped, releasing a bluish-white vortex from the device in its hand. As the green glob was sucked into the silver device, the girl took in the black being's features.
With his form solidified, it was obvious that the black blur was a lanky teenage boy, though he didn't look human. He wore a black HAZMAT suit, with white accents on the belt, boots, collar, and gloves. The only skin exposed was his face, which was much paler than a normal human skin tone. To further the inhuman skin tone, his hair was stark white, contrasting the dominant black of his suit. His eyes were green, but they glowed, as did the rest of his body. Indeed, his aura shone in the evening light.
As the boy capped the device, a green beam of light lanced from the ground, nearly hitting the floating boy. He twisted in to the side, narrowly avoiding a second shot, then sped away, transforming into a blur again to all that observed.
The girl sighed, and glanced up at the setting sun. She waited in silence for several minutes, and then smiled as the sun slid below the horizon, giving way to the stars. She lay back, cushioning her head with her hands, and traced the stars. Eventually, her father called for her from her window, so she rose and descended the stairs back to the kitchen.
There, her father read her the riot act.
"You didn't even finish your homework! What were you doing, staying up in the cold al night? Ashley, your grades are slipping. You need to be doing homework, not watching sunsets!"
Ashley hung her head, and responded, "Sorry, Dad. I didn't pay attention to the time. I can do my homework tomorrow! Besides, I got to see Invis-o-Bill fight! It was so cool…"
Her father's face set into a scowl, and he growled, "Bed. Now."
Ashley's face fell, and she slumped back to her room. She buried her face in her pillow, and let her tears loose.
Later that night, after her parents had gone to bed, Ashley snuck out of her room, pencil and paper in hand. She silently scurried up the stairs to the roof, and once again sat on the edge of the apartment building. She took out a sheet of paper and began to write:
Dear Invis-o-Bill,
I know everyone always says you're evil, but I don't believe that. I saw your fight today, and I don't think you would have fought the ghost and ran away from the Fentons if you weren't good. I don't know if you'll get this, but I hope you do. Please write a letter back to me. I'd love to be pen pals with you.
Your friend,
Ashley
Satisfied, Ashley pinned the paper under a stone, and set the pencil next to it. She crept back to bed, eyes dry.
A few hours later, a black-and-white figure lighted down on Ashley's roof. He'd been patrolling for several hours, and decided to stop for a respite. As he stepped to the edge over-looking his town, he felt a crunch under his boot. He glanced down quizzically, and bent to pick up the object he'd stepped on. He came up with a piece of paper, and he held a charged ecto-blast in his hand for light. He read the contents of the paper, then smiled and picked up the pencil to start writing a response.