The Grey Ghost's move, Resolute Soul of the Grey Ghost, blinded everyone. A combination of explosive firepower, both fusion and non-fusion, outshined the sun. Once the blinding light died down, part of his mother lay on the scorched earth, attempting to breathe, but having no lungs to speak of, could not breathe. He loomed over her remains for a brief moment before planting his Irongrail boot through her skull.
As Archie and Nolan approached him, slowly turned to them, eyes fully red now. "It has become abundantly clear to me... so long as my enemies remain alive... nobody is safe. For America to heal and for our lives to return to normal... THEY MUST DIE." He leaped into the sky and located Sundeep and his fleeing forces. As if he were a missile, he fired himself at the convoy. They had been loading themselves onto ships when the Grey Ghost met Sundeep's fist in an intense battle of human evolution against human technology.
"Here I was thinking you'd gone and forgotten me!" Grinned Sundeep in his version of Dr. Sue's Power Suit.
"TRAITOR!" Yelled the Grey Ghost as their compressed punch tossed them both backward. The Grey Ghost launched himself at Sundeep, attempting to hammer away at the power suit using the new moves he'd picked up. However, the universe was about to change.
The sky became black as Sundeep's forces made their way out to sea. Magenta-hued portals opened up, revealing a massive, hyper-advanced race of beings that hadn't been seen. Sundeep, the Grey Ghost, and Greater Ottawa as a whole stopped to look at them. Many of them seemed injured and in need of help. However, the portals became black and deposited an armada of ships far larger and more advanced than the previous ones. These onyx-black ships opened fire on the other ships, Sundeep's Forces and the Greater Ottawan Navy's ships.
The Grey Ghost dropped his revenge mission against Sundeep and fired off spirit P-51 mustangs to engage the new aggressors. However, the enemy sent one of their own to engage him. The being approached the Grey Ghost, both examining their new opponent. The being from the Onyx-Black ships was dull-gray in skin tone, had gills, and could manipulate the tech it was carrying on its body. To the being, the Grey Ghost was decked out in odd bits of naval and air armor. He could manipulate the armor with his energy and seemingly manifest spirit aircraft to help defend himself or press an attack.
"You are quite the odd specimen... my kind shall enjoy studying you!" Grinned the being, showing off a row of shark-like teeth. "We are the Onyx Banshees, and your world will be ours."
The Grey Ghost laughed and then glared at the Onyx Banshee. "Not... fucking... likely." The Grey Ghost fired off wave after wave of P-51 Redtails into the skies over the water. As the injured, less advanced Banshees looked up, they watched the Grey Ghost and Halbert, the Conqueror going toe to toe. Advance fighter aircraft ripped toward the Grey Ghost just for him to send in whole legions of Redtails to counter them. However, Halbert fired off a laser that knocked the Ghost off of the P-51 he was standing on.
As he began falling, a vestige spoke to him,
"Hey, kid!"
"Paul Tibbets? What is it?"
"Just a little trick you should try. Call upon your abilities, then yell "manifest" when you think of one of us or our vehicle."
The Grey Ghost reoriented himself in the air and did as Paul said. "American Heritage: Paul Tibbets and the Enola Gay... MANIFEST!"
Underneath the Grey Ghost's feet, the Enola Gay manifested with her original vestige crew flying her. He could use the Enola Gay as a mobile standing platform for him to conduct his battles.
"Well, this is a refreshing change of pace. Thanks for the tip, Paul."
"You're welcome. Just don't ask us to drop any nukes for ya."
The Grey Ghost grinned as the silverplate bomber dove toward the Banshee fighters. Redtail P-51s figure-eight rolled in and down around the Enola Gay providing continuous fire and coverage for the Enola to dive. Halbert looked up to see the Grey Ghost leaning forward on the diving B-29, a demonic grin plastered on his face as the armor of his arm formed a mini-aircraft-carrier deck.
"Hey, fish stick! Say hello... TO WHISTLING DEATH! GO GET EM, JESSE BROWN!" As he released the aircraft catapult, an F4U Corsair manifested and dove at Halbert. Jesse Brown, the historical vestige known for being the first black to break the color barrier in naval aviation, was piloting F4U and as he dove at Halbert, he unleashed the power of the Corsair's Korean-Era rocket pods. As the rockets violently collided with Halbert, Jesse pulled up and aimed at the Banshee's Onyx-Black ships.
"Redtails! On me!"
The Redtails, led by Lemuel Curtis, formed up on Jesse's F4U and engaged the Banshee's ships. This was unprecedented as the vestiges hadn't once fought as if they were living people as opposed to vestiges for the Grey Ghost to continue using. While the Ottawan Naval Force joined the battle, Dr. Sue analyzed the Grey Ghost's new move, Manifest.
Her eyes widened as her tablet displayed a tech tree of abilities the Grey Ghost had unlocked. He could now not only use their respective strengths, he could physically manifest them and their vehicles. He could manipulate the Irongrail suit to form different items that would assist him in manifesting them. She looked up at him as was engaging Halbert. Then muttered under her breath. "His abilities... are far stronger than we could've predicted..."
Back with the Grey Ghost, he kept pushing his attacks, buying his manifested vestiges time to wreak havoc on the Banshee ships. However, he also has one trick up his sleeve. He knew several B-29s at the end of their service were used for something Chuck Yeager had been a part of. Halbert watched as the Enola Gay vanished from under his opponent's feet and a mini version appeared on the micro-deck. The Grey Ghost aimed the deck at him and fired.
"GO GET EM! CHUCK YEAGER AND THE BELL X-1!"
As the Enola Gay launched, a moment passed and the Bell X-1 shot out from underneath it, blitzing at the Banshee. Yeager's sheer speed tossed Halbert to the waters below. As he increased speed, he got lower into the water, creating a pressure wave. Jesse, Lemuel, and the 332nd returned to the Grey Ghost and watched as the Bell X-1's pressure wave tossed the Onyx Banshee ships with a tidal wave like concrete making contact with them.
Dr. Sue, Greater Ottawa, the injured Banshees, and Halbert were all stunned as the Grey Ghost fired off the SR-71, Yeager's Bell X-1 again, and finally the X-15 to create pressure waves that rocked the Onyx Banshees. Halbert grimaced and growled. "This isn't over... human. ONYX BANSHEES! RETREAT!"
As they retreated through their black portals, the Grey Ghost returned to the deck of the USS Wisconsin.
"What do we do now?" Asked Admiral Nolan.
"Now... We find out what they are, why they are here, and what to do with them."