Mariah and Bernadette formed a partnership, and together they used particle phase technology to build a special rail that spanned the entire length of the city, from north to south, and combined it with a train made of a meta-tech material, that could be programmed to actually phase-shift through solid materials. Additionally, any person or thing being carried by the train would be phase-shifted with it. It was expensive to ride, but if you were able to afford it, you could get from the northernmost tip of Platinum City to the southernmost region – over 1800 miles away – in less than 3 hours.

The phantom rail was a smashing success, and became a sought-after commodity for a number of large companies, a common way of traveling for the well-off, a fun vacation activity for citizens, and a huge attraction for tourists all over the world. Everyone wanted to ride the phantom rail, and it became something that topped many people’s bucket lists. Bernadette, despite being one of its creators, however, would only get to ride the phantom rail three times.

The first time was during the inaugural running of the train, from Towner county on the Canadian border, all the way through Platinum City, and down to Brownsville on the Mexican border. Later that day, after the pomp and circumstance died down, Mariah, Bernadette and other members of the team met with the phantom rail’s primary investor, Edgar Lockhart. Lockhart presented a number of proposals for further exploring the lucrative potential of the rail. The vast majority of the team was uneasy with a lot of what Edgar proposed, as it seemed the contracts he was asking them to sign would give him not only control of the rail, but their professional lives as well.

While some people in the room raised concerns, everyone was afraid to truly stand up and object to Edgar’s plans. Everyone, except Bernadette. She argued with the ruthless businessman vehemently, and made it clear that she would fight tooth and nail to make sure he never gained full control of the phantom rail.

The next day, Bernadette woke up to find that her life had been ruined. She had been framed for extorting Mariah and Edgar, and was now a wanted woman. Her bank accounts had been frozen, and she had no access to any resources. Luckily her cousin, Troy Brothers had been in town to celebrate the inaugural run of the phantom rail, and was able to help. It wasn’t exactly the kind of help Bernadette was looking for, though, as Troy had a criminal history that centered around his past with a marauding biker gang that specialized in armed robbery. But as the police approached Bernadette’s apartment, Troy’s tendency to carry weapons on his person, along with his expert skill for using said weapons, came in handy.

It wasn’t easy, but Troy was able to shoot his way out of the predicament, with his cousin in tow. They jumped on Troy’s hyper-charged bike, and a chase ensued. It went all throughout Platinum City, but in the end they were able to escape the city. Troy took Bernadette to one of his old gang’s hideouts in Utah, and for the next year they laid low. Bernadette was distraught over what had happened, and followed the progression of the phantom rail, and the rise of Mariah as one of the most well-known and respected scientists in the world. She also watched as her own name was continuously dragged through the mud, as she was added to a number of most-wanted lists. Some of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the country were looking for her, as well as a few vigilante superheroes.

Eventually, Troy convinced her to stop feeling sorry for herself and to take revenge on those who had betrayed and disgraced her. She finally came around to her cousin’s way of thinking, and allowed him to begin training her in the use of firearms, and how to ride a hyper-bike. Within months, Troy and Bernadette were working together and pulling off train-robberies throughout the country. By the time they returned to Platinum City, everyone knew who the notorious Brothers cousins were.

The cousins wasted no time terrorizing rail-riders in the megalopolis. Bernadette’s intricate knowledge of the train system, along with Troy’s expert criminal mind and customized hyper-bike tech made them impossible to catch. They robbed more than thirty trains, before setting their eyes on the big prize – the phantom rail.

The phantom rail was usually filled with rich people or expensive cargo, but the cousins were not actually looking to steal anything; they had a much more nefarious plan in mind.

This was the second time Bernadette would ride the rail. She waited until the train was phasing at top speed, then using a device she had developed with the meta-tech engineering knowledge she had acquired, she triggered a metaphysical chain reaction, which caused the train to suddenly become solid, right in the middle of its run! The train began crashing through solid structures, causing billions of dollars in damage to Platinum City. Furthermore, several hundred lives were lost.

The destruction was more than Bernadette had anticipated it would be, and her and Troy’s escape routes were blocked. They were forced to fight their way out, which led to the death of several law enforcement agents. The Platinum City supercops, Ox and Brolic, were finally able to corner them. An intense battle ensued, but in the end the hyper-powered officers overwhelmed and arrested the Brothers cousins.

They went to trial, and Bernadette was convicted of dozens of offenses; some of which she committed, and others that she, of course, did not. Mariah was sitting in the courtroom when Bernadette and her cousin were sentenced to serve life in the Platinum City Super Max Penitentiary.

And that was the third time Bernadette rode the phantom rail – when she was transported to prison. Once inside, she was miserable, but she took some solace in the fact that she was allowed to see her cousin once or twice a week, during the facility-wide rec-time the prisoners of the co-ed institution were given. It was a few months after she first arrived that Bernadette finally began to let go of the anger and resentment she felt. She was ready to accept her fate, and resigned herself to a life behind bars.

And then came the night of the sonic wraiths. Bernadette was lying in her bunk, when a sudden blast of ghostly energy swept through the facility. It was a collection of ghastly lost souls called ghost orphans. They had recently been accidentally released back into the world by young college student Zane Kicklighter, and now they needed human hosts. Bernadette’s body and soul were immediately possessed by a sonic wraith ghost orphan. The process is called phantom-fusion, and it gave her a number of enhanced physical abilities, as well as a variety of paranormal abilities. Dozens of other inmates were also possessed, and the ensuing riot, and subsequent jail-break, was unlike anything that had ever happened.

Bernadette found her cousin, Troy, who was also possessed by a sonic wraith, and the two of them ventured out, with the intent of using their newfound powers to continue terrorizing Platinum City and the world. The next day, however, Bernadette and Troy were tracked down by the most dangerous of all ghost-orphan possessed beings, Virginia Ice.

Virginia helped the Brothers cousins make sense of all the new sensations, powers and knowledge that was downloading into their bodies, minds and spirits. She recounted the ancient history of the ghost orphans, and explained that they were being hunted by two groups of assassins. The first group, The Veil, led by Disa Philadelphia, were tasked with capturing ghost orphans and sending them to heaven; while the the other group, the reapers, led by Alva Devine, had been sent to hunt down orphans and bring the lost souls to hell.

As with most ghost orphans, Bernadette and Troy quickly determined that they enjoyed their earthly immortality and powers. Thus, they had no intention of submitting to either group. And so they joined Virginia Ice’s band of ghost orphan marauders, and set out to help her bring destruction to The Veil, the reapers, and anyone else who stood in their way.

Bernadette also began plotting a way to take revenge on Mariah Granger and Edgar Lockhart, once and for all.

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