Back in Greater Ottawa, Dr. Sue looked over the charts and readings she'd gotten from something the team that had stormed the D.C Bunker had brought back. Her eyes trembled as she locked at the Ghost. He was being strapped into a medical table, cables and wires running to an array of machines were hooked up to him as they lowered him flat.
"Ghost, we can find another way..."
"Dr. Sue, let's get on with this."
The panel of scientists and doctors stepped back as Dr. Von Schneider took out a vial of a clear liquid and placed it into the input chamber. He looked at Dr. Sue and nodded.
"Greater Ottawans asked to gathered here today, we are about to do something highly experimental that is also highly classified. From the data taken from the White House Bunker, this clear liquid is the DNA Bonding Agent in which the two liquids, on the other machine, will bond themselves to the Ghost's DNA. The instructions the New World Order gave D.C was to use properties from animals, people or other such living creatures. However, I, Doctor Madie Sue, have found a way to make abilities from non-living things such as the two being used within the Ghost. We have found a way to take the properties of a vehicular transfer case and a vehicular differential and use them for this purpose. It's all thanks to the array of scientists, doctors and even mechanics standing amongst us. Everyone..."
Dr. Sue paused for a moment then spoke, "Begin the procedure."
A doctor put a small needle into the Ghost's juggual, while Dr. Sue awaited green lights from all of them. Once she had them, she looked at the Ghost and nodded. With the pull of a lever, the two colored liquids began pumping into the Ghost's veins.
"Vitals are normal, items Transfer Case and Differential have entered his bloodstream. Dr. Sue, we are ready for the bonding agent." Said a Doctor. As Dr. Sue pulled the second lever, the Ghost began yelling in agonizing pain. The scores of citizens of all ages watch as their hero writhes in pain. However, the Ghost's yells had stopped as he'd broken his arm free and blue and red energy arced from his right arm as he transferred all of his body's pain into his nerve damaged right hand, his left eye glowing a highlighted red as he did.
"Dr. Sue, there's a drop in his... oh wait... Dr. Sue, I'm getting readings I don't understand." She rushed over watching his vitals fluctuate drastically, then all of them flatlined. The Ghost's arm dropped to his side, eyes wide open. The doctors began cpr, and charged the defibrillator. However, the charts were still picking up intense brainwave activity which was overlooked due to him not breathing.
As the doctors worked to revive him, the Ghost was in a vision. He walked forwards to find himself in his grandparents' house. He couldn't speak, not even a whisper. However, as he rounded the corner to what was supposed to be their living room, he found himself looking at someone that was neither his Grandma or Grandpa. It is his ancestor Hans, the first of his family to come to America in search of a better life.
"We are not bound by blood, nor by any genetic material, rather by a bond to do what is right, a bond forged in the fires of suffering and sorrows." Said Hans as he walked around the Ghost. This descendant of his wasn't like him in the color of his skin, style of his hair, or the type of blood pumping in this young man's heart. Rather they were akin to each other in the quality of the hearts, that golden bleeding heart that kept them trying to help and save others around them.
"I know you cannot speak, nor do you know me all that well, but Pat, your grandma, had nothing but good things to say about you. I'll keep this brief. These two... abilities... come with a tremendous amount of power and responsibility. The release of that which brought you to your knees has shown us you are capable of far more than you can imagine. Remember your roots, Ghost. Remember your promise to her.... Allow us to guide your path from now on..." Hans shook the Ghost's hand as a light blinded the Ghost. Just before a blinding light released him, he opened his eyes to find that he was sitting on the outside front steps of the house, his Grandma sitting beside him.
He was in shock, looking at one of the two people who'd given him the willpower and core pillars of his soul. She looked at him and smiled.
"Do you remember the first time I had you sit on my lap and steer the car into the garage?"
The Ghost nodded, his eyes were watery and soft looking at her.
"I know me being gone has been hard on you, but I need you to focus. Otherwise, you'll end up joining me too soon." She pointed out the doctors trying everything they could to revive him. He looked at her and nodded, wiping his eyes.
"Good. Everything you've done up to this point has been for this moment. You are a boy... no, a man of immense willpower. Use all of that willpower like gasoline for an engine. Close your eyes, concentrate on starting that engine."
The Ghost closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Several doctors backed away as the veins on his body began to push against his skin, and the monitor began screaming that his heart was racing.
"Good. Now just like in any truck that has four-wheel-drive, you need it to be in transfer-neutral to have just two-wheel drive. Before you do this...." Patricia looked him in the eyes and smiled, "I am proud of you... Now wake up."
The heart monitor they had hooked up to him sparked and fried itself as the Ghost's arm ripped the cords off himself and his eyes opened up. The once copper pupils had retained the color, but now had small portions of red speckles in the copper-colored pupil of his left eye and blue speckles in the copper-colored pupil of his right eye. His body steamed as he sat up then stood up off of the table. He slowly looked up from the ground and locked his gaze upon an empty fifty-five gallon, steel barrel in the room.
The Ghost cocked his fist back as he said, "Transfer-Case: Four High." As he fired the uppercut punch at the barrel, he felt what could only be described as a large portion of his willpower transfer into his fist as he made contact with the barrel. The barrel flew across the room and flattened thinner than paper against the wall. He let out a labored breath and stood up straight and turned back to the doctors, scientists and mechanics all crowding around the medical table.
"Now this... this power... this feeling... is how we end this reign of tyranny. I may be no John Henry with two hammers in my hands, but I will use this gift to better the world." The Ghost looked at his hands as he said those words, remembering some old American folklore about an African American railroad builder who carved a path through a mountain in a race against a steam powered hammer using those two hammers.
As the doctors ran a panel of blood tests, they looked at Dr. Sue in shock. "Ma'am... this was a two-hundred percent bond successful rating." She shook her head as she watched the Ghost leave for an important meeting at the McKinley Educational Campus.
Once everything had wrapped up at the lab, she drove over there to talk to him when she came upon an interesting scene. He was talking to a few students along with his former grade school teacher, Mrs. Thorsen and his former high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Pfeiffer who had come down and wanted to talk to him.
"Did you have any heroes when you were little Mr. Ghost?" asked one of the young students. The Ghost smiled and crouched in front of the student.
"Well of course! I grew up watching cartoons and more on TV. If they have survived this long, ask Mrs. Thorsen here to read a few of the comics I wrote in her class." He smiled and looked at another student who'd tugged on the leg of his coveralls.
"What can I answer for you?" The Ghost smiled at the student, who was timidly standing behind their teacher.
"S-since you're a hero.... will you make things better?" As the Ghost listened to the question, a figment of Hans appeared out of his field of vision, only visible to him.
Let's see how he answers this one, thought Hans as he looked at the situation. The Ghost smiled and looked at the student. "I will do my best to make things better. As long as I have you, your classmates, teacher, my friends and family cheering me on, I will do my absolute best to make the world safe and make a path for you to walk. One that is far better than the one currently in play." He ruffled the timid boy's hair before standing back up.
"Thanks for having them witness the future, Mr. Pfeiffer and Mrs. Thorsen."
The two educators laughed and smiled. "We're glad you picked us to assist in educating the future of America."
The Ghost smiled and laughed as well. "Of the many teachers and professors I had, both of you were instrumental in creating the foundation upon which I stand today. Just as I promised the students, I promise you both, I will not allow this nation, this city, these people to fall under New World Order Rule."
Before they could continue chatting, Dr. Sue stole the Ghost away for a moment to go over the bloodwork results.
"Ghost... your tests make no sense to me. You were legally dead for several minutes... I thought I'd..."
The Ghost hugged Dr. Sue. "Madie, you're far too hard on yourself. I am aware that I was in fact legally dead for a bit."
She looked at him stunned. "H-how? That shouldn't be possible."
"I was in a dream... or vision of sorts. Let's just say a few souls had to have a chat with me before I made my return."
She shook her head. "That's it? No scientific explanation?" The Ghost returned her question with a laugh. "Dr. Sue, if I could give you one, I would. However, I don't have any other answer but the one I gave you."
She sighed and shook her head. "These abilities will require a different style of armor than I'm used to. I'll get started right away."
"Actually, mind if I pitch some ideas to you later? I have a feeling I'll need more than just modifications to accommodate them." The Ghost smiled and gave his old friend a fist bump. He knew full well the big battle was going to come faster than they wanted, and be harsher than any war in human history.