Chapter 4

Arc 1

Sunstone City

For 4 weeks, the entire world has been buzzing since the mysterious black-and-blue hero saved Sunstone City from its untimely demise at the hands of Jackal. Every single major media outlet in the world was covering the story about the hero. CNN, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, NY Times, LA Times, USA Today, The Washington Posts, Time and Sunstone City's own, The Sunstone City Herald. Everyone had questions on their mind. Questions like: Who is he? Where is he from? How is he doing what he's doing? Is he a friend or foe? Are there more like him? Everyone wanted to know and he wasn't saying anything.

Since he saved Sunstone City, he had been flying around saving people for the past 4 weeks all over the world showing that he was looking to help any and everyone that he could. And during those 4 weeks, people tried to get him to talk but he wouldn't budge. Nobody was getting anything out of him.

Fast forward to now, it was 8:56 AM in Sunstone City. The Guardian of Sunstone City now stood on the highest building in all of Sunstone City, Freedom Tower, looking over his city in the early morning. It was true what people had said, Crime never sleeps. It could be 2 AM and some idiot would still try to rob a gas station. He surveyed around before he surveyed a young teenage male with a pocket knife walking up behind an old lady at a bus stop. He shook his head as he then walked to the edge of the tower and dove off the tower.

As he fell through the air, he smiled before he pivoted up as he started to fly through the air. He could see the people looking up at him in amazement. He waved as he flew past them and continued to make his way to the bus stop. Once he landed in front of the bus stop, he could see the guy who was holding the knife earlier look at him with fear in his eyes. The guy couldn't have been any older than 18 and by the looks of him, he was homeless. These were the types of things that made Cedric want to help, not just as a hero but a man.

"Go. Cup O'Joe is doing interviews on the spot tell them that I sent you." He nodded along in fear as he then ran away leaving Cedric standing there with his arms folded as he shook his head and chuckled.

"Excuse me, are you the guy that stopped that thing a few weeks ago?" asked a middle-aged man in a suit walking up to the stop with a briefcase in his hands.

"Yeah, that's me. Why?" Cedric asked.

"Can you fly?"

"Yeah…"

"Can you please give me a lift? I have a job interview 22 blocks away and it's in 5 minutes. Please can you get me there? I'll pay you."

"I don't need any money but come on. This is a one time only thing. Come on." Cedric said as the middle-aged man walked towards him. Cedric grabbed the man and then flew off into the air carrying him.

(!)-(!)-(!)-(!)

Miles Maverick sat at his desk in his office at Maverick Tower, the HQ of Maverick Industries. Maverick Industries was one of the biggest corporations in the entire world and possibly the biggest in Sunstone City. It was the main source of income in the city. Because of the success of Maverick Industries, Miles and Madison Maverick were able to live their life that they did and establish the Maverick name as one of the most powerful names in American History but that wasn't enough for Miles. Miles wanted his name to be the most powerful in World History. He wanted Power. He needed it. It was something that fueled him. So much that he drove to great lengths in order to ensure it.

Miles had the Sunstone City Herald in his hands reading the paper with a frown on his face as he saw the image of The Black-and-Blue blur during his fight with Jackal with the headline, Mysterious Hero Saves Sunstone City.

"Dammit!" Maverick said as he slammed his fist down on his desk as he slammed the paper down.

"He wasn't supposed to be the one to save them, I was!" He said as he grabbed his glass of scotch that was next to him and threw it at the wall. He exhaled deeply as he then sat down in his seat and turned around to look at the picture of his father, Michael. In Miles's eyes, Michael was the devil. After Miles's mother, Michelle, passed away giving birth to Miles, Michael turned into a heartless son of a bitch who beat him.

"Look at you, you heartless son of a bitch. Funny thing is, I have you to thank. You made me this way. You made me the King of Sunstone City. Who would've thought what you created all those years ago turned into this. I single handily turned the company you started into my billion-dollar empire. So I guess you have me to thank for creating a positive legacy for you. And to think, all these years you said I would never amount to anything, you said I would be in the ground way before I did anything good. Jokes on you, I'm the King and you're dead." Miles said as he stared at the portrait of his father before he turned back around and grabbed the phone on his desk and pressed a button.

"Ms. Grey, I need you to get a press conference for 4 PM today. I have some pressing issues that need to be addressed." Miles said on the phone before he hung up and turned back to look at the picture behind him.

(!)-(!)-(!)-(!)

Cedric floated above his house as he looked down contemplating whether or not he should reveal that he was back. This was the entire reason that he had come back but it was a hard decision. A decision that he had to think about. He could impact so many lives by coming back and he didn't know if the impact would be a good impact or bad impact. By the looks of it, Kalani and his mother had both continued their lives, they didn't really need him there. Or so he thought.

Cedric looked through the house to see his mother standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hands. A smile broke onto his face as he looked at her. This woman raised him by herself from the age of 3. Before that both of his parents were taking care of him. He spent most of his time with his dad however since his mother was serving as a marine. When he left, she left the marines and joined the police academy eventually working her ass off to become a detective. Cedric understood that she sacrificed her entire life just for him. She did the job of two raising him and providing for him doing both nearly 24/7 her entire life. She struggled at times to pay the mortgage, bills and feed him but she made do. No one helped her. His grandmother had an estranged relationship with his mother and it was something that oftentimes made him think about why. But rather than waste his time to fix what's already broken, he spent his time making sure that no other ties were broken.

He smiled as he lowered down to the ground landing on his feet. He walked up the steps leading up onto his porch and walked to the door. This was it, it was time to truly decide if he wanted to go home or not. Just as he placed his hand on the door, he felt a new wave of nervousness enter his body as he took his hand off the door and took a few steps back. He then bolted away taking his nerves with him.

(!)-(!)-(!)-(!)

Sunstone City Herald

Kala walked into the Sunstone City Herald as she had her flowing down her shoulders as she had it curled. She was dressed in black suede knee-high boots with a short sleeve green dress. She had her cup of coffee in her hand with the file her boss gave her weeks ago in her other hand.

"Ms. Rose, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to work sir."

"I gave you two months of paid recovery."

"Which was very thoughtful sir but I'm fine. I feel so much better."

"You had a broken arm and a few broken ribs, I'm not sure you can feel any better."

"I'm fine sir. Besides who else is gonna work on the blur case."

"Blur?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking Black-and-Blue Blur, I don't really have another name for him besides Guardian but I feel like that's kinda corny."

"I don't think Guardian fits. Although he has been a guardian angel for the world. He's been working overtime for the past 4 weeks flying around the world saving people. The only thing is he's not talking to the press."

"Good, I was hoping that I could be the first reporter to get him to talk."

"If you could find him, please do so. And before I forget, you have a partner."

"A partner?"

"I've never had a partner."

"Yeah, well now you do. And this girl is a lot like you. I figured you two would mesh well. And she's a very good investigative reporter so she might be able to help with your article on this blur if he ever comes back." Kala followed as Leonard Sigman walked to his office. She was intrigued. A female partner. Just a partner, in general, intrigued her.

As Kala walked into the office, she turned her head to see a 5'4, Mexican-American woman with a petite build with tanned skin. She also had bright green eyes and long black hair that reached down to her shoulders. She wore a black pencil skirt with a white button-up with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of black heels.

"Ms. Rose, I would like for you to meet your partner, this is Natalia Rodriguez." Sigman pointed to the woman who was sitting in his office. She rose up to her feet and walked towards Kala extending a hand as a sign of respect.

"Hi, I've heard so much about you and I've read a lot of your articles."

"Thanks. Something tells me that we're gonna get along just fine." Kala said as both women let out a chuckle.

"Alright ladies, Miles Maverick has a press conference today at 4 and as my two leading reporters, I'm sending you guys out." Leonard Sigman said as he handed the two ladies press passes as they grabbed their passes, they turned to the door and walked out.

"Have you heard of Miles Maverick?"

"You mean, the billionaire CEO of Maverick Industries, yeah I've heard of him." Natalia said with a hint of disdain in her voice.

"I'm guessing you don't like him."

"Something like that."

(!)-(!)-(!)-(!)

Downtown Sunstone City

Dr. Alyssa Hart walked into her apartment building in downtown Sunstone City. She carried a brown bag of groceries as she walked along to the elevator pressing the up button next to the elevator. The elevator made a ding sound as the doors opened allowing her to walk and press the button of her floor. She closed her eyes and collected her thoughts as the doors closed and the elevator started to move up. She opened her eyes as she heard a ding and walked through the doors onto her floor and walked through the hallway before eventually stopping at the door of her studio apartment. She reached into her pocket and grabbed her keys and placed them into the keyhole.

"Dr. Alyssa Hart." She heard someone whisper making fear creep into her soul.

"Yes, this is her."

"I need something from you."

"If it's money, I have some in my back pocket just take it but please d-don't hurt me."

"I don't want to hurt you. I just want two things from you. I want your trust and your help."

"Well, how can I trust a man who won't even show me his face?"

"You're right. Turn around." Alyssa did as she was told and turned around still carrying her groceries as she turned around and faced the hooded figure. The figure took off his hood showing her who he was.

"It can't be. Cedric, you can't be alive. You died in the Fusion Reactor explosion. How is this possible?"

"I'm alive and well doc. Now like I said, I need your trust and your help. And maybe a sandwich, I haven't eaten all day."

Castings:

Natalia Rodriguez/Azteca - Eiza González