She definitely could have had him. He was completely under her spell. It was a lot easier when she was Ms. Infinity. Hal was mesmerized by her, not just polite like he was with Bonnie. She wondered how far it would have gone.
She swooned for a few seconds as she considered the possibilities. But the longer she thought about it, the more apprehension the idea gave her. After all, how much of a dating life could she have in that guise? It wasn’t as if she could give Hal her phone number. Carrying it out would have meant using some unconventional meeting tactics. Sure, it was a romantic notion, just appearing out of the blue when he least expected it, but it seemed limited. It was a fantasy with no future. And worst of all, it could result in putting Hal in danger.
She thought of one more thing. This encounter meant that she faced competition from her alter ego. How could Bonnie Boring ever measure up to Ms. Infinity?
“It happened! It happened!” cried Hal, to nobody in particular, “I mean, that really happened! I saw Ms. Infinity!”
Hal could not stop saying this over and over to himself as he walked home through the dark summer murk of Woodside’s streets. He was feeling light-headed, a warm tingling in his neck and his stomach. He was so absorbed, he wasn’t sure how he was remembering his route home, let alone how he could keep from getting hit by a car. Indeed, he scarcely noticed the checkpoint on Roosevelt Avenue, fortunately waving him along as he walked by.
He could not stop thinking about those few seconds. Or was it a minute? Five minutes? It could have been much more. When he was up there with her, time itself seemed to stop, and he almost forgot who he was. He could barely speak, and only just remembered to breathe. It was like nothing he had ever experienced in his life. She flew with him! She must have had him a mile up. It was breezy up there, but he didn’t mind. He was with Ms. Infinity. And she was magic!
Never Forget the Power You Have Inside You. That was her tag line. But now, she had just said that directly to him. And she sounded so warm and sincere. It seemed like she really saw something inside that she wanted to show him. Maybe she did. Perhaps she could read his mind, his past, his present, his future. Could that mean that her words meant something, in some mysterious way? One thing was for sure. He would not be the same. Seeing Ms. Infinity was a profound, life-changing experience.
As Hal finally arrived at his building, he began to walk with a newfound stride. It was beginning to seem like his life might have some meaning after all.
Johnny Gunn called another press conference, this time with Police Commissioner Strife by his side.
“So this alien wants you to think she’s saving you. Funny coincidence. She’s there right after the explosions. I get it. She’s trying to take over. She’d better be afraid, ‘cause I’m on to her. If I were her, I’d be scared, ‘cause we are starting an investigation.”
Jenna Storm pushed ahead and shoved her microphone in Commissioner Strife’s face. “Sir, if Ms. Infinity is under investigation, does that mean you have learned her identity?”
“Ms. Infinity’s identity?” said the Commissioner, “Well, that is uh, that is a matter for, uh…well, no. Of course, it’s uh, part of the investigation, but we have not found this out yet.”
Jenna looked at the commissioner with a cold eye. “Yeah, not a chance,” she said, sidelong at Jake, “This one is still mine.”
“I’m taking this country back!” said Johnny, “Nobody has to worry any more. Thank you.”
Bonnie and Betty watched Gunn from their living room, their faces in utter shock.
“I’m scared,” said Betty, “I can’t tell you otherwise.”
“You know something though?” said Bonnie, “I think that’s what he wants. This guy likes fear, a lot. Look at it this way. He needs something to make up for those looks. Oh, and the hair.”
“Bonnie, I wish you weren’t so cavalier. Do you really think he’s all words?”
“You know what else? He’s not all that bright either. And now that I’ve met him, I can tell you something else: Not the greatest smell. He seems to think putting on tons of cologne can make up for a lack of deodorant. I mean, what’s so hard about deodorant, anyway? I wonder if anyone has the guts to tell him…”
“Bonnie! When you get an accusation like this, I really don’t think your best reaction is to joke about the accuser.”
“Mom,” said Bonnie, “I hope you don’t think I…”
“Of course not, Bonnie,” said Betty, “I have never, ever thought you a criminal. But he is trying to harm you, or at the very least bring suspicion upon you. Don’t think he can’t do it. He has many people who hang on to his every word.”
“I don’t get that! He makes an ass of himself every time he opens his mouth. This is what people admire?”
Betty didn’t speak for a moment. Her eyes were fixed on Jenna Storm and her reaction to Commissioner Strife. It was clear that that there was another front in this war, one she knew little about. She could not let that side down any longer.
“Uh, yes Bonnie,” said Betty, “It’s foolish alright, but it doesn’t necessarily harm him. You and I will certainly find his behavior boorish and uncouth, but many people look at it as ‘straight talk.’ Don’t underestimate his ability to connect with his own audience.”
“If only they knew how he smells!”
“Maybe, but he’s a smelly jerk who’s a real threat to you.”
“I’ll tell you one thing. I’m not backing down for anything.”
“Of course! The worst thing would be to capitulate to this tyrant. I’m just having a little trouble here. When I hear someone threatening to lock you up, it’s not only very upsetting, It’s also a terrible déjà vu.”
That day, Lisa paid Helen a surprise visit. Helen welcomed her, and sat her down for coffee.
“Your friend just left you at work for half an hour?” said Helen, “She’s sweet, but she sounds like a ditz.”
“She’s a good person,” said Lisa, “I mean she stinks, but you know, just literally.”
“You should be a good friend and tell her.”
“Never mind. That’s just something I say to her when we’re goofing around. So Helen, how has your dad been?”
“Well, he still has breathing problems. No emergencies lately.”
“Here’s what I wanted to talk about. You don’t have insurance, and that concerns me. I was thinking that you might not know what is available to you. I want to help, so I did some research.”
“Oh.”
“Look, there are many options for low income families. I don’t know if you have looked, but…”
“Stop! Lisa, please!”
“What is it?”
“You have to know better than this.”
“You don’t want help?”
“Listen Lisa,” said Helen, “You’re a nice girl. I appreciate what you’ve done. But if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s when people try to change how I live my life. This is for us to figure out.”
“I see,” said Lisa, looking disappointed.
“Let me ask you,” said Helen, “Are you getting insurance from your job?”
“Well no,” said Lisa, “You have to be full time, but they never give me enough hours.”
“But do you have insurance?”
“Well yeah, from my dad’s job.”
“I thought so. I also understand why they don’t give you that many hours at The Big Box. There are other people who need them more.”
“Yeah,” said Lisa feeling embarrassed.
“Lisa,” said Helen, “It’s not bad that you want to help people. You just need the appropriate time and place for it. Call me crazy, but I think it’s who you really are. I get the feeling that somewhere in you, there is a hero.”
“What are you trying to say? You don’t think I’m…”
“Ms. Infinity? No. I was joking that time. She’s like a foot taller than you, and she’s not Chinese. But I still say there is a hero in you. Come on, Lisa. You’re much mo
re than this.”
“I guess so,” said Lisa.
“Now I’ve upset you, haven’t I?” said Helen.
“Well, now you’re trying to change me. I mean, you’re starting to sound like my mother.”
“My prerogative,” said Helen, “I’m older than you, dear. And I see that there is something great in you that needs to come out. Lisa dear, you’ve been to college, right?”
“Well, yeah. My Mom wants me to go to grad school.”
“Will your parents pay for that?”
“Yes.”
“Do you appreciate how lucky you are to have the opportunities you have? If I had them, I would use them.”
Lisa let out a sigh. “I know. I guess I asked for this.”
“Don’t look at it that way,” said Helen, “Think about Ms. Infinity. She had to come out, right? Somewhere there is something important for you to do. It’s time for you to do it.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have her powers.”
“Never stopped anyone else, honey.”
That night, at A-NY news, Jenna worked a late night with Jake.
“So Jake,” said Jenna, “I need you to pull your weight here.”
“Well you know,” said Jake, “I am there at all hours lugging the camera at a moment’s notice, and always with your macchiato too. You know, it’s not easy to carry a camera and a coffee at the same time.”
“Oooh, I don’t know. The network could always reassign you. I hear the Staten Island division is looking for a cameraman. I’ll call the network right now if you…”
“Alright, Jenna, how may I help you?”
“This is ridiculous!” said Jenna, “She has to be someone! ‘Ms. Infinity.’ That’s not a name. Who…I mean, who could she really be?”
“You’re asking me?” said Jake.
“Yes,” said Jenna, “I’m asking you. I mean, you know your superheroes, right?”
“I was just at the last Comic Con,” said Jake, “I mean, I had a dog house on my head the whole time...”
“Why would do that?”
“I was playing Yukk, from Mighty Man and Yukk…”
“Never mind, Jake. I don’t care! I just want to know if you have any insight into who this Ms. Infinity is. Did you meet anyone there who could be her?”
“It’s not like anyone actually exhibited superpowers. I was impressed that someone recognized my costume, but that’s a whole other thing.”
“So, no. That’s no help at all. Is there any other clue you can think of? I mean, you have to be some kind of expert on the topic, right? What else can you tell me?”
“Well, in the comics and superhero movies, they often have alliterative names.”
“What does that mean?”
“That means the first letter or sound of adjacent or nearby words are the same. So, if we’re talking about names, the first and last names have the same starting sound.”
“Alright. I’ll try to take that under advisement.”
Jenna paced around some more. Jake began dismantling his equipment for the night. Jenna soon took a deep breath, and spoke.
“Alright. So, I’ll work on a way of tricking her with words. I guess that’s all we have now. But I’m going to lean on you too. I need you stop riding on my coattails.”
“Jenna,” said Jake, “could you please understand something? We’re trying to invade someone’s privacy. Don’t you think she has her reasons why she doesn’t want her identity known?”
“Jake!” shouted Jenna, “Don’t you show insubordination…”
“Jenna! You know damn well why this matters to me! She’s revealing something tremendous here, something that makes her very different from everyone else.”
“Oh, don’t tell me this is about that gay thing!”
“Can you imagine how much courage this takes for her? I had to come out, and it was the scariest moment in my life. Okay, she may not be gay, as least as far as I know, but for all that she is, she’s putting herself out there, and she’s doing it with dignity.”
“Your people always did like the divas!”
“You know what?” snapped Jake, “Kill the stereotypes! I’m sick of being perceived as weird or flakey. I’m really no different from anyone…”
Jenna just laughed. “Did you see that woman on Fast Talk the other day? It was this middle-aged lady. She said she had her first lesbian experience with an alien like ten years ago…”
“Jenna! This is what I’m…”
“She said it was a beautiful green woman named ‘Akratbayyittefla’ or something. She said she took her up to her UFO…”
“Enough! What if I talked about you that way? Jenna, can you understand why she might want to keep some things secret? Don’t you think she might feel a little unsafe?”
“She’s still staying in the closet. I should think you would want her to come out! She should be out and proud, like you and your boyfriend, Richard.”
“That’s Roger, and we’re married, thank you! And if you think I would want to out someone by force, then you know nothing! That is not my decision to make.”
“Oh, no! It’s not. It’s mine. Be here tomorrow with all equipment ready or else this will be someone else’s job.”
Jake started to walk away in a huff, but then Jenna shouted, “And close that window!”
“That’s strange,” said Jake, “I don’t remember opening it.” He closed it rapidly, not noticing an owl flying away at the last second.
12. A Hero Scorned
Bonnie Boring now sat on her bed at home, reading her gossip magazines, with the TV on in the background, trying to take her mind off Johnny Gunn. She looked up at her TV in frustration. “Ugh. Looks like I’m all caught up on Revenge Plastic Surgery. What else is on?” After flipping around the channels, she was suddenly absorbed in a story on the news about a tornado devastating Bigfield, a small town of a few hundred people in Oklahoma.
Bonnie put down her magazine and stood up. “Alright!” she said to herself, “Trash TV will have to wait. This is a job for Ms. Infinity!” Then with a decisive call of “Infinite Power,” and a quick puff of smoke, the modest, petite Bonnie Boring changed once again into the awesome, statuesque Ms. Infinity. She stepped into her closet and flew through her escape hatch, high into the sky.
In seconds, Ms. Infinity was above Bigfield. From above, she saw the town in disarray, houses in ruin, streets blocked by rubble, power lines down, and many people scurrying to put their lives together amidst the chaos. “They need a superhero for sure!” she said to herself. She then landed in the center of town, where she saw a small crowd of people.
“No more worries,” she said confidently, “Your superhero has arrived.”
“It’s her!” shouted a woman, “that devil I heard about!”
“Uh, no miss,” she said, “I’m Ms. Infinity.”
“I heard about you! You waited till our town was devastated, and then came here to take us over.”
“She didn’t wait for it!” shouted a man, “She probably caused the tornado!”
“I would not so easily trust her,” said another man, “According to the authorities in New York City, she’s behind the very melees that she responds to.”
“Well okay, Virgil,” said the first woman who had spoken, “then you would know. Do you think she caused the tornado?”
“Well now, Jolene,” said Virgil, “I wouldn’t be so fast to rush to judgment on that. As far as I know, she plants bombs then proceeds to pretend to save those people whom she has just put in danger. Now, causing tornadoes, that’s something that has not been confirmed. I would have to corroborate that with my sources.”
“Sources?” snapped Ms. Infinity, “What sources? Johnny Gunn? I have news for you. Gunn is not exactly reliable.”
“Now, you see, this is a classic case of turning the accusation on the accuser. As I see it, this here kind of obfuscation would be as perfect a sign of guilt as you could possibly ask for.”
Ms. Infinity l
ooked at Virgil in shock. “Oh, come on! You can’t tell me you really, truly believe that!”
Virgil kept his posture. “I don’t know about your elites in New York City, but over here in the real America, we speak a different language. We’re plain-spoken, and not so easily fooled.”
Ms. Infinity tried to keep her patience as she answered. “Well, I’ll speak plainly. You just fell for a load of lies. You all need to be re-educated.”
“Now don’t try and match wits with me. I’m the local authority on things outside.”
“Listen everyone,” said Ms. Infinity, “I’m telling you now, you’ve been lied to.”
“We don’t need this freak’s help!” shouted Jolene.
“I think you do,” said Ms. Infinity, “I mean, look at this! You’re desperate here. It’s going to take a superhero.”
“You know what?” said Jolene, “We live here. We’ll be the ones to decide that. You can go back to Mars!”
At that moment, police cars pulled up. Within seconds, there were guns pointed at her. Ms. Infinity looked at the people around her. She could not believe her eyes and ears.
“So Miss-SIN-finity,” said an officer, “Will you go away, or do we have to force you?”
Ms. Infinity looked back in shock. “What did you just…? Look, I don’t break laws. I will leave.”
With that she rose into the air, taking one last look back at the devastated town below her before she flew back to New York.
Descending into her closet, Ms. Infinity transformed into Bonnie Boring. Betty was waiting for her, meeting her despondent expression with sympathy. Bonnie sat down on her bed, and turned on her TV to watch the story unfold. She cried when she heard that Bigfield had experienced a number of deaths.
“How could they not let me help them?” said Bonnie through her tears.
“Well honey,” said Betty, “I don’t think it was ever going to be what you expected. You had to know that people would have different reactions to you.”
“Oh but I know what this was about. That Gunn is responsible, with all of his filthy lies. Now he has blood on his hands.”
Where Infinity Begins Page 12
