Alpha: First To Rise (Updated 2024)

Written & Created By: Eddie Yagami

*Readers Discretion is Advised*

As the world moves on, the idea of magic ever existing has never been a major topic of discussion—well, at least not for everyone. But to the few who still believe it once existed, the question remains: will it ever return? The real question, though, is whether magic should exist in this boring, normal world of ours. We may never know.

That small, mysterious light we first saw continues to pulse steadily in the darkness. The last time we encountered it, it spoke—cryptic and unnerving—yet calm, like a slow heartbeat.

The light remains a mystery, but now strange echoing whispers emerge from it. As the light draws nearer, words begin to form: "I wonder... will he be ready to die only to be reborn again?"

But who is the light referring to?

Before anything more can be said, the darkness swallows the light again, and we are pulled back to a familiar face lying unconscious in a peculiar place.

The hooded man—the one who tried to rob Mac—wakes up in a panic, breathing heavily. "Ow! What the fuck?!" he yells, his face throbbing with pain.

He quickly realizes his hands are cuffed behind his back and groans as he looks around. He's in the back of a police car. "Oh, son of a—" He stops short, looking out the window, startled.

Outside, Mac stands there teasing the hooded man, waving and smiling through the glass. "Hope you have a great time. Don't drop the soap," Mac yells, laughing as the enraged hooded man starts swearing loudly and throwing a fit.

"Oh, he doesn't sound too happy," Mac says, turning back to Officer Danielle Nguyen, a police officer who has become quite familiar with Mac.

"Why do you have to tease him? You're just going to make my job harder," Officer Nguyen scolds Mac, although she still acts playful. "Sorry," says Mac as he shrugs his shoulders.

With a sigh, Officer Nguyen shakes her head. "So, what does this make it now? The thirtieth time since you moved here?"

Mac chuckles. "I have no idea. I stopped counting after the third or fourth guy who tried to rob me. It's kind of funny how they all assume that just because I'm a 'brat,' I can't defend myself."

Officer Nguyen laughs softly, "Well, it's not like they'd know that a 17-year-old kid is trained in martial arts and can knock out men twice his size," quipped Officer Nguyen.

Mac grins, "Eh, fair point," he says.

Officer Nguyen's tone then turns serious, "Anyway, you know the drill by now. Since you're still under 18, I'll have to notify your parents," she said which Mac wasn't happy about, so he lets out a sigh. "Yeah, I know. You still have their direct number, right?", Mac asked.

She nods. The first time Officer Nguyen met Mac she hadn't realized who his parents were. After trying to contact them without success, she did some research and discovered why it had been so difficult.

Once she learned more about Mac and his family, she and Mac set up a faster way to get in touch with his parents. Now, she has their direct line, and since then, she's become more familiar with the teen and his impressive martial arts skills.

Once everything is settled, Officer Nguyen prepares to transport the hooded man to the station. As she turns her back, Mac sneaks a quick glance at her. "Have a good evening, Officer Nguyen," he says casually.

Despite his attempt at being sneaky, Officer Nguyen knows exactly what he's doing. She lets it slide, though. "Boys will be boys," she thinks to herself, shaking her head as she walks away.

Meanwhile, Mac grins and tells himself, "Damn, she's got a nice ass. And that rack..." Mac quickly shuts down his thoughts, reminding himself of the obvious reasons he needs to keep them in check.

As Officer Nguyen drives away, the hooded man speaks up. "Hey, Officer… who was that kid back there?", he asks.

She has no obligation to answer, but she decides to give a cryptic response, "Don't worry about it. Just pray you don't cross paths with him again," Officer Nguyen warned the hooded man which ends up terrifying the hooded man into silence as he accepts his fate.

The rest of the week passes uneventfully. Mac continues to avoid his persistent 'fan club' using his usual tricks to stay out of their reach. When Friday finally arrives, the bell rings, signaling the end of the school day.

"Finally! The weekend's here!" JR exclaims as he and Lucky head out of homeroom toward the main entrance.

Mac, on the other hand, waits in his usual hiding spot—the boy's restroom—waiting for the all-clear. His phone buzzes with a message from Lucky: 'Coast is clear.'

"About time," Mac mutters as he exits the boys restroom and catches up with Lucky and JR outside the school. "Man, this shit is getting old. When will they ever give up?", Mac asks mostly to himself, but he still said it out loud and clearly sounded frustrated.

In typical JR fashion, he couldn't resist a jab at Mac whenever he's frustrated, "Jeez, I thought you liked all the attention," JR quips with a chuckle. Mac suddenly appears inches from JR's face, giving him a deathly glare. "What was that?" Mac asks coldly.

JR shudders, "Oh, nothing. I didn't say a thing," he replies nervously. "Good. Thought I'd have to kill you for a second there," Mac says, walking away as JR breathes a sigh of relief, meanwhile, Lucky is just laughing at JR's obvious terror.

"Thank God it's Friday. Now I can get back to training with Mr. Lou," Mac says, sitting on a nearby bench.

Lucky recalls Mac mentioning his martial arts training last weekend, just before school started, "Oh, right. You said you were taking this week off from training, right?", Lucky asked.

Mac nods, "Yeah, Mr. Lou wasn't thrilled about it, but he understood, which I'm glad that he agreed," said Mac.

"So, what's the plan for the weekend?", JR asks.

Mac thinks for a moment, "I'm visiting my folks tomorrow, but that's about it," Mac said as he tried to remember when was the last time he saw them.

Lucky shrugs. "As long as my parents don't lock me down, I'm free all weekend," she said.

Mac and JR exchange a concerned look. They both know how strict Lucky's parents can be, especially her father, who doesn't seem to like her spending too much time with them.

"So how about we hang out Sunday?", Mac suggests.

"Maybe," JR responds. "I gotta check if the old man wants to spend some time together. He's been really old-fashioned lately," said JR.

Though JR's father can be strict about school, he's also softened since JR's mother passed away four years ago. Mac and Lucky understand the delicate situation and never bring it up, but Mac makes sure to check on JR from time to time.

"If you need to spend time with your dad, I get it," Mac begins to say, "He's just looking out for you, like Lucky and I are too," Mac said as he placed his hand on JR's shoulder.

JR nods, grateful for Mac's words. Just as they're about to leave, a familiar voice calls out from the parking lot.

"Chandler!", a woman yells towards Mac and his friends, and Mac just freezes, "Fuck," he simply mutters under his breath. Without turning around, he addresses JR and Lucky, "Looks like I'll have to catch up with you guys another day. I'll text y'all later tonight," said Mac.

Lucky and JR both wave at the woman calling out to Mac, knowing exactly who she is.

"Well, that sucks. Guess you have to go with her, huh?" JR asks sympathetically.

"Yeah," Mac sighs, "Be careful on your way home, and let me know when you get there," said Mac, always being protective of those close to him.

JR and Lucky nod as Mac walks toward the woman. "You know, Mom, a simple text or call would've sufficed," Mac says, slightly irritated.

The woman, who is revealed to be Mac's mother, Samantha McCullen, smiles at him, "Chandler, when have you ever answered any of my calls or texts?", Samantha joked.

Mac chuckles, "You don't call or text because you and Dad are always too busy," Mac counters.

"Yeah, I know. Still, come and give your mom a hug," Samantha says, pulling Mac in for a quick embrace. After a moment, she steps back, "So, let me guess—you're upset because I've been sending the car for you all week?", Samantha asks.

Mac sighs heavily, "Do I need to give you an answer or have you come to add more unnecessary attention to my life?", quips Mac who is slightly annoyed.

"Excuse me?! Watch that tone, young man," Samantha chides playfully, "And what can I say? I can't help being so famous these days," Samantha says dramatically.

Mac chuckles and says. "Whatever, Mrs. Drama Queen." Samantha shoots him a glaring look, "What was that?!", she exclaimed, "Oh, nothing," Mac says quickly and looking away.

Then they get in the car and begin to head towards Mr. Lou's studio, and during the drive over, Samantha expresses her concern for Mac's safety, especially with all the attempted robberies that have happened over the past year. "Chandler, it's my job to worry about you no matter how strong you are," Samantha says with concern in her voice.

Then she remembers a phone call that she received the other day, "Speaking of which, Officer Nguyen called me the other day telling me about another attempted robbery, care to explain?", Samantha asked.

Mac tried to play dumb at first, "Who?" Mac asks, trying his best to avoid that conversation entirely, but Samantha wasn't going to let that slide so easily.

"Danielle Nguyen, you know, the officer who has been handling all the incidents you've been involved in over the past year?", exclaimed Samantha.

Mac recalls Officer Nguyen, only because he remembers her 'assets', "Oh, that Officer Nguyen," he says, trying to sound innocent, but Samantha knows her son all too well. Samantha smirks, "Chandler, I know you have a thing for certain… assets," she says with a chuckle.

One thing Mac didn't know was that his mother had met with Officer Nguyen in person after the first few incidents. As soon as Samantha saw Officer Nguyen's figure, Samantha knew she had something to use against Mac.

Mac, who was mid-sip of drinking water from a bottle, spits it out, "MOM! What the—"

Samantha couldn't stop laughing at his reaction, "You're so much like your father when he was your age. It's uncanny," said Samantha as she continued to laugh. The conversation continues for the remainder of the drive to Mr. Lou's studio. After arriving, Mac quickly says to goodbye to his mother and is ready to get back to training.

"Listen, Chandler," Samantha says before he steps out, her tone softening. "You'll be 18 next year, and you've probably been having... those thoughts for a while now. If it's weird talking to me about it, then just talk to your father. He wouldn't mind having a man-to-man conversation with you about those kinds of things," said Samantha.

Still embarrassed, Mac simply nods, eager to escape the conversation, "Later, Mom," he says, quickly heading into the studio.

As Samantha drives away, she thinks to herself, "I can't believe how much he's grown… but next year will be tough on him, with Alpha likely waking up on his 18th birthday."

Inside the studio, Mac spots an older man meditating in the center of the room. Mr. Lou, who looks to be in his mid-50's, remains still and focused as Mac grins mischievously. "I'm gonna get you this time, old man," Mac mutters under his breath.

Mac quietly drops his bag and takes off his shoes, then he approaches Mr. Lou from behind, moving as stealthily as possible. But as soon as he got close to Mr. Lou, he vanishes into thin air. Mac looks around in confusion, "What the—?", Mac began to say. Suddenly, wisps of air swirl around him, and without warning, Mr. Lou reappears behind him, delivering a powerful palm strike to Mac's back, sending him flying.

As Mac soars through the air, his mind flashes back to a memory from five years ago—a moment that changed his life forever.

Mac was just 12 years old then, heading to the local park to meet JR and Lucky. When he arrived, he saw three high school bullies harassing his friends. Without a second thought, Mac rushed in to protect them, but being untrained, he was quickly overpowered. The bullies turned their attention to him, beating him to the ground.

Just when things seemed hopeless, a deep, commanding voice called out, "Don't you boys have anything better to do than pick on someone half your size?"

The bullies froze, startled. Standing behind them was an older man who had appeared out of nowhere. One of the bullies, trying to save face, sneered, "What's it to you, old man?"

"Yeah, mind your business and get lost!" another added.

The man, unfazed, stared at them with an intensity that sent chills down their spines. Without another word, the bullies ran off, scared senseless.

The man's expression softened as he turned to Mac, who was beaten and bruised. He helped him up and led him to a nearby bench. "Are you alright, young man?" he asked.

"I'll live," Mac groaned, wincing in pain.

The old man chuckled softly, impressed by Mac's toughness. He looked over at JR and Lucky, "What happened here?", asked the old man.

JR spoke up, "Those bullies were picking on us. Mac came to help, but... it didn't go so well."

The old man nodded, understanding the situation. He turned back to Mac, "You've got guts, kid. But tell me—where are your parents?", the old man asked, concerned for Mac's safety.

The smile on Mac's face vanished. "They're at work as always. I had to ditch my bodyguard just to come hang out with my friends," said Mac with a disappointed tone.

At that moment, the bodyguard Mac had mentioned came running up, panic evident on his face, "Mr. McCullen, are you alright?! Who did this to you?", asked the panicked bodyguard.

Mac groaned as the bodyguard checked his injuries. Upon hearing Mac's last name, the old man raised an eyebrow, "McCullen, huh? Is that your name, boy?", asked the old man.

"Yeah, Chandler McCullen. But I'd prefer that everyone call me Mac," he replied, wincing as the bodyguard fussed over him. The bodyguard turned to the older man. "Sir, did you see what happened here?", asked the bodyguard.

The old man nodded, "Just some older boys picking on the young lads here. But don't worry, I scared them off," replied the old man, the bodyguard shook his hand.

"I appreciate your help," the bodyguard said, "but I'll take it from here. His parents are very particular about who interacts with young Mr. McCullen here."

The old man chuckled, "I'm well aware. I've known the McCullen's for quite some time now," said the old man, but the bodyguard was slightly confused, "May I ask your name?", he asked the old man. The old man smiled, "Luis Marcianos," he replied, then looked at Mac, "But you can call me Mr. Lou."

From that day on, Mac's life changed. He became determined to learn how to defend himself and protect his friends. Mr. Lou, a master martial artist, took him under his wing, teaching him various styles of martial arts, including different styles like karate and taekwondo, just to name a couple. But there was more to Mr. Lou that Mac would not know about, at least not until much later in his life.

Back in the present, Mac is seen flying through the air after Mr. Lou's strike, then his instincts kick in. With a sharp flip, Mac regains his momentum, landing on his feet in a smooth, controlled slide across the studio floor. He comes to a stop, breathing heavily but steady.

Mr. Lou chuckles, "Nicely done, boy. It seems your training is finally paying off," Mr. Lou complimented.

Mac, still catching his breath, smirks. "Dammit, old man. Why don't you just send me flying through the roof next time?", exclaimed Mac, still wondering what just happened. Mr. Lou laughs, "Don't tempt me, Chandler because I just might," replied Mr. Lou.

Despite the playful tone, there is pride in Mr. Lou's voice, "But I knew that you could handle it," he adds. Mac, who was always competitive, grins, "Oh yeah? If you're so confident in my training, then let me show you just how confident I am in kicking your ass!" Mac challenged Mr. Lou, he raises an eyebrow, accepting the challenge, "Don't get cocky with me, boy. Show me what you've got," said Mr. Lou. With that, the student and master squared off, both smiling as they prepare for another intense training session.

To Be Continued.…