Crossover Earth '98

Infinite Sorrow

by Paul Cocker and Jay Shaffstall

In the corner of her simply furnished suburban living room, Lynn Munroe brushed her duster about the shelves and cabinet, picking up the slight build-up of film that had collected along the edges of wood. She glanced over her shoulder affectionately at Arthur, her husband of forty years. He shuffled a copy of the Morning Star, his brow furrowing in frustration with its contents.

"Nothing good, dear?"

Arthur sighed.

"Oh, now what?"

"Can you believe this Duke Barren jerk?" demanded Arthur. "Just listen to this crap: 'The Blurs of this country are precisely what we can do without. Reckless youngsters who not only blacken the services of trained police officers, but also serve to aggravate the menacing predilections of terror-mongers like Apocalypse Now. If her threatening presence did not surface at LAX just months ago, perhaps the spectre of Apocalypse Now would not have been motivated into an international incident.' And what about this splash title! 'Blur: Young Offender.'"

Arthur ruffled the paper in violent disgust.

"Why must you read that tripe?" Lynn asked.

"It's not all tripe."

She turned to face her husband fully, a stern look washing over her. "Look it here," she said, pointing her duster at him. "Duke Barren is nothing but a sham. You know this, so why do you continue to buy that paper he writes for? Such tabloid tomfoolery, that's what it is."

Arthur let out a disconsolate grumble. "I keep reading it for the same reasons you keep watching your soaps."

"Why the nerve," said Lynn archly. But amusement lit her eyes. She then glanced at the clock on the wall and immediately called upstairs, "Jessica! Shouldn't you be on your way?"

Jessica Munroe darted down the stairs, her blonde ponytail bouncing back and forth. The sixteen-year old skipped into the living room. "Have you seen my backpack, Grandma?" she asked.

Lynn gawked at her granddaughter's apparel. She wore a funky blouse, black knee-high stockings, a flippy little skirt, and Doc Martens. She was clearly a product of the MTV generation.

"You look like a renegade school girl," Lynn insisted. "Arthur, just look at her."

"Uh huh..." But he didn't look. He was too involved with his newspaper. Jessica scowled at her grandfather. Her expression was not actually meant for him, but rather the outrageous article he was reading.

"I don't believe it!" Jessica snorted. "What does that Barren know about Blur?"

Her grandfather nodded his head and began to read aloud again. "'Whatever strange attributes Blur possesses, or whatever feats she can accomplish, she must realize that the vulnerable state of Los Angeles is not her amusement park to do as she fancies. And just because she is now associated with such antisocial freaks as the Guardians and pathetic wretches like Milo Tagelohn, the so-called Gnome, does not mean she can neglect wisdom when using her powers. Thus far, nothing this journalist has seen in the speedster's showboating, crowd-endangering antics indicates that she is capable of such. Chalk it up as pessimism, but this journalist doubts these heroes can work as a cohesive unit.'"

Jessica looked disgusted, her hands becoming knotted fists at her sides. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. Blur has done plenty. I mean, Jesus Christ, she's not a crook or a delinquent."

"You know how I don't like the Lord's name being used in vain, Jessica." Lynn said.

"Sorry, but I'm just sick of that Duke Barren."

Arthur couldn't help himself. He looked up and said in enjoyment "You Blur's friend or something, Jessie?"

"Well, I could be!" declared the teenager forcefully. "She and I, we could be tight. I mean, I like what Blur's doing. And I'm glad there's a young hero out there."

"But she's so young, Jessica," her grandmother replied. "She's got to be close to your age."

Jessica hesitated, if for just an instant, and then said, "Maybe."

"So young, and to be fighting men twice her age. Twice her size."

"Yeah. Well, like I said, I'm glad she's here."

"Well, I don't know. It's just such a pity." Lynn then tried to change the subject quickly. "Oh, here's your backpack, Jessica."

"Thanks, grandma." Jessica took the bag from Lynn and slung it over her shoulder.

She paused only long enough for her lips to brush her grandmother's cheek. Arthur sat in desultory fashion and continued to read his Morning Star. He glanced over an article titled "U.N. Peace Conference...Again." He looked up at Jessica, who was now jogging out of the kitchen, hurriedly shoving a Pop Tart into her backpack for consumption later on. "Our generation's made a muddle of things, Jessie," Arthur said. "I'm trusting yours to clean up after us."

"Well, we'll do what we can, Grandpa," said Jessica. She ran out the door with a hurried, "Bye!"

"You're gonna be late," he said. "I'll give you a lift."

"No, no. I'll make it on time."

Jessica hurried down the sidewalk and headed to school, and at that very moment her route blurred under her feet as she ran, her strides choppy because of the skirt. Passersby could not see her, she was moving so quickly. She rounded corners, generating gusts of wind, and streaked down the roads with such blistering speed that she was outracing cars.

Jessica stopped a block before her school, and walked the rest of the way. That Duke Barren should just drop dead, she told herself inwardly. I'm trying my best to do what's right. He doesn't know what it's like to have "powers." All he can do is stir shit!

A voice suddenly rang out behind her. "Hello, Blur."

"Wha...?" Jessica whirled around, clenching her fists as she turned, ready for anything. There, standing straight and tall before her, was an ominous man. He wore a crimson cloak that billowed about him like a thing alive, and a full-piece mask obscured his features. "Captain Infinity?! Hey, don't tell me that Apocalypse Now is at the Santa Monica Airport or something."

He lingered towards her, his form half-walking, half-floating, like a wraith. He said nothing at first. He didn't even make a gesture. He just wavered in the light breeze, looking at her with faraway eyes.

Then the spectral man shook his head ever so slightly. "No. Not now, at any rate. It seems your public announcement with the Gnome and the Guardians has caused some Apocalypse Now shake-ups within Lo Angeles."

"Wow! You serious?" The teenager peered closely at Captain Infinity, then shrugged. "Dumb question. Of course you're serious. Well, heck. But speaking of serious, thanks a million for seriously wrecking my life. Duke Barren claims that I'm a danger to everyone because of that airport disaster. What's worse is I kinda believe what he says. And this is all because of you!"

"Because of me?" It was odd, but there was a rhetorical tone in his deep voice.

"Heck yeah!" she exclaimed. "I had no idea what I was up against, but you seemed to know everything. Why didn't you help me?"

Captain Infinity stared blankly at the young heroine. "And you think that there are only problems in Los Angeles, young Blur?"

"Of course I don't, but that's not the point."

"That's precisely the point. I chose you because I knew you were capable, and with your powers come responsibilities. As does with mine. And the fact is, I was needed elsewhere at the time."

"So what, you left me with thousands of people to save?"

"I had to act quickly. As did you. Yes."

Jessica shook her head and said, "But Duke Barren...?"

Captain Infinity overlooked her selfish concerns. Something of far more importance brooded his thoughts. "Blur, I need your help once again. Come with me." As if in response to her disbelieve, he reached out to her. She felt the cold, lifeless grip of his hand.

"Now, just wait a minute," Jessica started to say. "What do --" Suddenly, her surroundings clouded into a haze, and she soon found herself aboard a passenger jet. Jessica, her mouth still open in middle of her question, glanced around. The people and plane were faint, awash in obscurity, slightly faded of color.

"We are slightly out of phase right now," Captain Infinity said. "Notice the four men at the back of the plane. They are terrorists, and will soon attempt to take this plane. There are two more in first class. Once they begin to make their move, I will place us in phase again. You must take care of these four, while I take the ones in front."

Jessica realized unawares that she was no longer in her school clothes, but was now wearing her traditional crimefighting attire. She nodded in mute response. Captain Infinity didn't complete the instruction, nor did he need to do so. She merely understood.

Her arid green eyes took in the scene, and she knew she had to think fast. A cursory glance told the teenager that there was no margin for error. There were four men for her to take out, each one sat in an aisle seat by the next. She could see slight bulges in their jackets, suspecting they breached airport security with plastic guns. She rolled her shoulders, limbering them, and flexed her toes within her shoes. She inhaled through the nose and exhaled through the mouth. Relax, Jessica, she told herself, there's just four of 'em. You can do this!

The four men stood, each withdrawing their weapons in fluid, well-practiced arcs. "AWRIGHT, NOBODY FUCKIN' MOVE!" The bearded man backed down the aisle, waving his plastic gun from passenger to passenger. "Anybody fuckin' moves, I turn 'em to swiss cheese! Hell, I think it'll be fun, so FUCKIN' MOVE! I DARE you!"

"Jesus, shut the hell up, would you?" Another man stepped into the aisle. He calmly swept his gaze across the terrified passengers, his eyes like chips of ice. "What my over-exuberant friend is trying to say is this: You're all in a very dangerous situation right now. If you do everything we tell you, and don't give us any problems, you're going to live to see your families again."

"Stay calm. Don't do anything stupid. We don't want to have to shoot you. But we will if we have to."

Another man poked his head from the cockpit. "Cockpit secure, chief. We're ready to begin phase B."

"Excellent," the man, obviously the leader, replied. He looked at the passengers again. "In a few hours, this will be nothing but a bad memory, and... What the hell are you doing?" The man pointed his plastic gun towards the back of the plane.

"Hey, don't point that thing at me, boss", the blond man said as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. His other hand clenched the wrist of a teenage girl, whose eyes were screwed shut and streaming tears. "I'm just having a little fun, is all. We got time, an' sides, look at her. Isn't she just the prettiest thing? Looks kinda like my sister..."

"For fucksakes, man, you call yourself a professional?" the leader said. He shook his head and sighed. "Just take her into the washroom or something. And make sure you gag her, I don't want to hear that bitch squealing..."

"It is time, young Blur," Captain Infinity informed the teenager.

Infinity phased into real-time at the front of first class seating, just behind one of the two terrorists standing in the aisle. The other terrorist stood at the rear of the first class section, his pistol covering the passengers. He knew that Blur could handle the four in back, but these two were the ones who must be stopped.

"C'mon, c'mon," the terrorist at the rear said. His gun hand wavered slightly. The man in front of Infinity shook his head.

"Calm down, it's under control." The first class passengers nearest the forward terrorist gaped at the sight of Infinity suddenly appearing, but the terrorist was looking at his nervous friend. Infinity nodded slightly, trying to reassure the family. The man held the hand of both his wife and daughter.

Infinity reached forward with one hand, and selectively slowed down the neural impulses in the terrorist's brain. The man slumped unconscious just as his friend looked up.

"Oh, shit!" The terrorist at the rear raised his pistol and fired, his hand wavering as he tried to aim at Infinity.

Not this time, Infinity thought. He reached out with his hand, willing the rate of time to slow for the bullets now speeding forward.

Nothing happened.

The bullets punched through the back of the first class seats, missing Infinity completely. The man's wife and daughter in the first row pitched forward, slumping against their seat belts. The man shook his head slowly and tried to make them sit upright.

Infinity reached out with one hand, and stopped the heart of the terrorist by altering the flow of time around it. The heart beated once every minute, but the brain and body quickly ran out of oxygen, and the terrorist slumped into the aisle.

Infinity phased out of real-time, back into observation mode. The man tried to cradle both his wife and child in his arms, sobbing. The grief and devastation the man felt coursed through Infinity.

The girl shouldn't have died, Infinity thought. His thoughts tinged with hard anger along with the sorrow. I prevented Carver from being able to kill the girl...all I had to do was stop the terrorist from killing the woman.

Please, God, let it be enough.

Back in coach, three terrorists worked their way up and down the aisle keeping a close eye on the panicking passengers. The forth terrorist was out of sight as he forced a girl to the back of the plane. He poked her in the back with the muzzle of his gun, smacking his lips as he sized her young body in motion.

"Damn, you're so fine," the pedophile moaned. The girl's whimpers grew louder as she approached the washroom door. "Don't cry, sweetheart. I'll make you feel all better."

As he opened the door, a voice said, "You're the sickest, most vile man I've ever seen." It was Blur, and she scowled indignantly at the terrorist.

"How the fuck...?" But he stopped, and started to smile as he admired the teenaged curves and sinews beneath Blur's bodysuit. "Cool, heh, a little three-way..."

Blur bit her lip, whipped a knotted fist across the cubicle, and struck the man dead on the nose. She knocked him flat out. His limp form sprawled across the washroom floor, blood trickling from both nostrils. Blur growled and gave the unconscious man a kick in the abdomen. "Take that, you sicko." And then kicked him in the ribs. "And that!"

The young girl stood and watched as Blur's arms zipped over the man. She couldn't focus on the speedster's movements for she seemed like a faded smear hovering over the terrorist. Finally, Blur stopped moving, the man's gun in her hand. The girl saw that the pedophile was now bound with his own shoelaces. Amazed, her fear quickly melted into relief.

"Come with me." Blur dragged the girl to a neighboring washroom. "Stay in here. Lock the door. And don't open it for anyone."

The girl nodded, sucking back her sobs.

"Alright, I have to stop the three in coach, then I'll check first class. Remember, don't open for anyone." God, I hope those gunshots up front didn't hit anyone. Nah, Captain Infinity can stop bullets.

Blur left the washrooms and dropped the gun in a nearby garbage can. Crouched and out of sight, she saw the three other terrorists. Two stood flanking the rear of the aisle; the leader faced them at the front.

In the wide open, Blur knew she could take these three terrorist out in no time at all. But she wasn't in the open. She was in the tight confines of a rather narrow airplane, traveling roughly three thousand feet over the jagged peaks of Colorado at about 300 miles per hour. She had no room to generate great running speed, not to mention room to maneuver.

Okay, she thought, Grandpa wants my generation to clean up the mess out in this world. I have a feeling he wasn't thinking along these lines, but let's see what I can do here. Gotta work fast though. Take out the two by me. Hopefully stop the leader before he can react.

Blur took long, silent breaths. Finally she pounced out into the aisle, and peppered a series of handstrikes at the goon on her right. By the time the guy on the left realized what was happening, the teenager's rapidfire punches had already carried over to him. The two terrorists were dazed and slack-jawed. But more importantly, they were both disarmed by her quick hands.

She tossed the guns aside, away from the stunned terrorists' reach.

The leader, however, opened fire. Hearts jumped as bullets screamed out of his submachine gun and cut across the air.

But the speedster reacted with blistering reflexes, and in honor of her namesake, her arms became bleary streaks as she plucked every single round of hot lead out of the air. She felt awkward moving about in such a tight space, but she still moved too fast for anyone to see. Passengers sat in awe as they witnessed the lethal projectiles fall to the floor as soon as the gun blasted them out of its barrel.

"Are you insane!" Blur cried. "You're gonna kill everyone, including yourself. What kinda terrorist are you?"

"The passionate kind, kid," he replied as he whirled and let fire again. The rounds sliced outwards in a violent arc, but Blur parried the bullets again.

She moved her way towards him, stopping his wild gunshots short of hitting anyone or anything. Blur never knew her upper body could react so quickly. But she had to. If she missed a bullet, a passenger could have easily taken it. And if not a passenger then surely it would have punctured the walls or shattered a window. No matter how she looked at it, a missed bullet was going to kill.

Suddenly the intensity of automatic gunfire ceased, and a tremendous danger had passed.

Good, he's out of ammo, thought Blur, and she didn't even think about the fact she was still staking her life to her incredible quickness. Instead, utterly fearless, she launched herself at the terrorist like a stalking cheetah.

The terrorist panicked, turned, and squeezed the trigger of his gun.

Nothing.

Blur levelled him with a relentless barrage of well-placed punches, her fists drumming off his head, chest, and stomach. Such hand speed, such tenacity. It was like ten lightweight boxers pummeling him all at once. The speedster's hand went numb, and the terrorist slid from her grasp and dropped to the floor.

An air of relief wafted through the coach as thoughts of death and danger stifled from the passengers. Some began to thank Blur, but she was already entering the front partition of the plane.

Carefully she walked into the first class section. Muffled cries were heard. She saw a man sitting in a large pool of blood on the floor, cradling an unconscious lady and child.

"No... No... No...," he kept saying, ignoring the blood that soaked his hands.

That's when Blur noticed Captain Infinity hovering over the family, pain wrought across his masked face.

"I'm sorry...," he said. He then looked at Blur and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he disappeared.

The passenger plane sat at the end of a runway at J.F.K. Airport. Even though it was surrounded by armed security and thousands of onlookers, it looked naked and alone. Nothing stirred from the plane for several minutes, not since it rolled to a stop. The pilots had not even communicated with the flight tower and could not be seen in their cockpit. Exactly ten minutes and twelve seconds after the moment the plane touched down, the door closest to the front opened.

Mournful passengers thronged out of the craft and their emotions soon leaked out into the runway. Television cameras mounted on trucks absorbed the scene, photojournalists flickered snapshots. It seemed like collectively, the world sighed.

"...Where's Blur?..." The words echoed off the runway. No one around the plane moved.

Then the young heroine stepped under the doorway. Thousands of gawkers just stared at her. She shuffled her feet forward, her head down, her shoulders slumped as if they weighed a ton.

And she walked into the still mass of infinite sorrow.

Crossover Earth Home