Alpha: First To Rise (Updated 2024)

Written & Created By: Eddie Yagami

*Readers Discretion is Advised*

The mysterious light returns once again, pulsating faster than before, still surrounded by darkness. It had always been cryptic, but now something about it feels different. One can only wonder why its rhythm has quickened and what it means. We know the light can speak, as we've heard its whispers before, but does it also have a consciousness? Can it think for itself?

Whispers emerge once more from the light, "I sense that my time of awakening is near... but is it too soon?", the light murmurs. The message is just as cryptic as ever and more questions arise.

What is it preparing for? And who is it speaking about? Each encounter with the light reveals a little more, but it still holds so many secrets. Before any answers come, the darkness swallows the light once again, and we're drawn back to Mac and Mr. Lou, who were in the middle of their sparring session.

The two moved so quickly that it was impossible for a bystander to follow—only blurs clashing against one another. Mac had trained hard for the past five years, improving immensely, but even now, Mr. Lou remains far beyond his reach. No matter how much Mac pushes himself, he struggled to land even a single blow on his sensei.

"Good, Chandler! Keep it up! Don't you dare quit on me now!", Mr. Lou shouts, dodging and blocking every attack with ease. He's impressed with how much Mac has improved, but Mr. Lou doesn't let it show. Praise could make Mac cocky, and Mr. Lou knows better than to fuel that side of him.

As the match drags on, Mac begins to show signs of exhaustion. They've been at it for a while, and Mr. Lou decided it was time to end it. With one fluid motion, he strikes Mac squarely in the chest with a single-handed palm strike, sending him flying backward. Mac hits the ground hard, groaning as he tries to catch his breath.

"What the hell, old man?!", Mac exclaims, sitting up and wiping the sweat from his face.

"That's enough for today. Take a break, and I'll get you some water," Mr. Lou responds, heading over to the mini-fridge. He grabbed a couple of water bottles and tossed one to Mac, who catches it. Mac slowly gets up, walks to a nearby chair, and takes a seat.

Mac cracks open the water bottle, taking slow sips, while Mr. Lou handed him a towel. "Here, clean yourself up," Mr. Lou says, sitting down next to him.

Mac wipes his face and stares at Mr. Lou expectantly. "So?" he asks, clearly waiting for some kind of praise.

"So... what?" Mr. Lou replies with a raised eyebrow.

Mac sighs in frustration. "Seriously? At least tell me I've improved."

Mr. Lou stares at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Martial arts is a lifelong journey, Chandler. No one becomes a master overnight. It takes time, patience, and dedication. Over the past five years, you've gotten a solid handle on the basics for each style that I've taught you, and from here on out, all you can do is keep improving," said Mr. Lou.

While it's not the outright praise Mac was hoping for, it's enough to make him feel accomplished. He sits quietly for a moment, reflecting on how far he's come. But something from earlier still nags at him.

"Oh, by the way," Mac says, glancing at Mr. Lou. "What was that move you did to disappear and hide your presence when I first got here?"

Mr. Lou chuckles. "No, Chandler. Before you ask, I'm not teaching you that—not yet, anyway. You're not ready for it."

Mac groans. "Then at least teach me the style first. Maybe then I'll be ready for it later."

Mr. Lou pauses, realizing that Mac has twisted his words against him. "You conniving little brat," Mr. Lou mutters, cracking his knuckles as he glares at Mac.

Mac quickly throws up his hands in defense. "Hey, don't blame me for outsmarting you!", taunted Mac.

Mr. Lou lets out a chuckle and relaxes. "That move isn't something you can learn in just a few lessons, Chandler. It took me five years to learn to use it, then another five years to fully master it. My sensei told me it usually takes someone about 25 years to master."

Mac's eyes widen, impressed by the feat. "You learned and mastered something that difficult in just ten years? That's insane!"

Mr. Lou simply smiles. There are other reasons why he was able to master the technique so quickly, but those secrets will remain with him for now. To change the subject, he decides to excite Mac with something else.

"There might be other moves that I can teach you," Mr. Lou says, placing a hand on Mac's shoulder. As soon as he does, a sudden shockwave pulses through Mac's body and into Mr. Lou's hand. Mr. Lou mentally recoils, but he hides his reaction, not wanting Mac to notice.

"For now, though, why don't you head to the locker room and change out of that uniform? When you're done, meet me in my office, and we'll talk more about your training."

Mac nods and heads toward the locker room. As soon as he's out of sight, Mr. Lou lets out a long sigh and heads to his office and closes the door behind him, his mind racing. "This can't be happening. It's still too soon for Alpha to awaken... the boy isn't even 18 yet. That's one of the requirements," Mr. Lou thinks to himself. "Unless... is Alpha sensing that Chandler's going to die soon?"

Before he can continue down that line of thought, a knock comes at the door. "Come in, Chandler," Mr. Lou calls out.

Mac entered Mr. Lou's office, glancing around. It hadn't changed much since the last time he was in there, but one object always catches his attention: a strange insignia hanging on the wall behind Mr. Lou's desk.

To the average person, it might seem like a piece of art, but to Mac, there's something about it that feels... important. The insignia resembles two pitchforks reflecting one another, with the letters "OSD" inscribed in the center.

"Alright, Chandler," Mr. Lou says, snapping Mac's attention back to him. "It's time we start getting into more advanced techniques. You've built a solid foundation over the years, and your body is ready to handle more."

Mac's eyes light up with excitement as he listens.

"Starting Monday, I'll start teaching you some of the advanced techniques of Wing Chun, focusing on defense rather than offense," Mr. Lou continues.

Mac couldn't contain his excitement and jumps up, cheering. Mr. Lou chuckles. "Alright, calm down. Now go get some rest. I'll see you on Monday."

"Later, Mr. Lou!" Mac calls out, running out of the office and the studio with renewed energy.

But as soon as Mac left the studio, Mr. Lou's concerns for Mac returned. He pulls out a phone from his desk and dials a number labeled "Crispin." After a few rings, a man answers the phone.

"Luis? What's wrong? Why are you calling me?" the man asks, his tone laced with concern.

"Crispin, it seems Alpha will awaken sooner than expected. Be prepared," Mr. Lou warns.

"What? But how? He's not even 18 yet. Does that mean...?"

"Yes," Mr. Lou replies grimly. "Alpha will awaken once the boy dies."

Mac returned to his apartment exhausted but satisfied from the intense training session. After taking a quick shower, he grabs a snack and settles into the living room.

Flipping through TV channels, he finds something to watch, though he's not really paying attention. His mind keeps drifting back to his training and what Mr. Lou said about his progress.

"Wing Chun, huh?", Mac thinks to himself, "I can't wait to see what that's all about."

Eventually, Mac notices the time and realizes it's late. He needs to get to bed early since he plans on visiting his parents tomorrow. Just as he turns off the TV and prepares to head to bed, there's a knock at the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Mac mutters, cautiously approaching the door. He looks through the peephole and is surprised to see Lucky standing outside.

Mac quickly opens the door. "Lucille? What are you doing here so late?", Mac questioned.

Without a word, Lucky rushes inside and sits on the couch, her expression troubled. Mac closes the door and walks over to her, sitting down beside her.

"Let me guess," Mac says softly. "Your parents had another argument?"

Lucky doesn't answer immediately, but after a moment, she wraps her arms around him and begins to cry. Mac sits with her quietly, comforting her as best as he can. He hasn't seen her this upset in a long time, and it worries him.

After a few minutes, Lucky begins to calm down. Mac gets up to grab her some tissues and a glass of water. "So, was I right?" he asks gently.

Lucky nods. "Yeah."

Mac hands her the tissues and water, and once Lucky was finally calm enough, takes a sip of water. "Thanks," she says softly, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Mac sits beside her, waiting for her to open up. He knows she will talk when she's ready.

"It's just…" Lucky begins, her voice quiet. "They were arguing again. I don't even know what it was about this time. I just couldn't take it anymore, so I packed a bag and left. Told them I was going to a friend's house, but I didn't tell them who."

Mac sighs, knowing how tough things can be for her at home. "You realize your parents are probably going to assume that you're here with me, right?"

Lucky lets out a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah, I know, and my dad is not your biggest fan."

Mac shakes his head. "Nope. I'm pretty sure he hates me. But it's whatever."

There's a brief moment of silence between them before Mac speaks again. "So, I guess you're staying the night?", Mac asks Lucky, but he already knew the answer.

Lucky chuckles. "Nothing ever gets by you, does it, huh?"

Mac smiles. "Come on, Lucille. You should know me by now."

He stands up. "Let me go get the guest room ready for you." Though Mac rarely has guests, the extra bedrooms in his three-bedroom apartment come in handy on nights like this.

After a few minutes, he returns to the living room. "Alright, the room's all set up. You can crash there," he says, pointing to the spare bedroom.

Looking at the clock, Mac noticed how late it had gotten. "I'm heading to bed myself. Gotta get up early tomorrow to visit my parents."

Lucky raises an eyebrow. "How early are we talking about?", she asked.

Mac smirks. "Don't worry, I'm not waking you up at the crack of dawn. Although that would be pretty funny to watch."

Lucky isn't amused. "Yeah, real funny," she replies sarcastically.

Mac grabs her bag and walks her to the guest room. Before he can leave, Lucky, trying to lighten the mood, deciding to be a bit mischievous. "Darn, I was hoping we'd share your bed at least," said Lucky.

Mac sees right through her attempt. "Nice try. If you want revenge, you'll have to do better than that," challenged Mac knowing that she's only going to continue struggling.

Though she says it as a joke, part of Lucky secretly wishes it were true. For a while now, she had developed feelings for Mac but hasn't found the courage to tell him.

She fears that it would ruin their friendship. So, she masks those feelings, never allowing for anyone to know, even Mac. It weighs on her more than she likes to admit, but what she doesn't know is that Mac isn't as oblivious as she thinks.

Mac places her bag on the bed and starts to leave. "Goodnight, Lucille. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Chandler," Lucky replies softly, Mac smiles as he turns to leave.

Unlike the majority of his classmates who know him as "Mac", those only close to him, like Lucky and JR, are allowed to call him by his real name. For Mac, if he let's anyone call him by his real name, means that they've earned his trust and respect.

He closes the door behind him and heads to his room. Meanwhile, Lucky changes into her sleepwear and lies in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with intrusive thoughts.

"Why did I have to fall in love with him?", she asks herself, rolling onto her side. She has been keeping those feelings bottled up for far too long, unsure of how to express them without ruining everything.

But the truth is, Mac isn't as clueless as she believes. He has noticed the subtle signs over time, but he has his own reasons for not saying anything to Lucky. That's because he has his eyes set on someone else, but because of who he is, he hasn't approached her yet—not until he's sure.

Eventually, Lucky falls asleep, her thoughts continued swirling in her mind.

The next morning, Mac's alarm goes off as planned, but he sleeps through it entirely. It isn't until a loud metallic crash comes from the kitchen that Mac jolts awake to. Rubbing his eyes, he rushes toward the noise, only to find Lucky standing in the kitchen.

"Lucille, you alright?" he asks, still half-asleep.

As his vision clears, he finally notices that Lucky is standing there in her sleepwear, and for the first time, he realizes something. She isn't wearing anything particularly revealing, but there are certain aspects of her figure that he hadn't paid much attention to before until now.

Lucky's face turns bright red as she quickly turns away, realizing Mac had been staring at her.

"What's wrong?" Mac asks, puzzled.

It takes him a moment to realize he's shirtless. Grinning mischievously, Mac decides to mess with her. He steps into the kitchen, picking up the pan that had fallen and hanging it back on the rack.

As he does, he leans over her, getting just a little too close. Then, with a playful smirk, he gently grabs her chin and tilts her head toward him, bringing their faces dangerously close.

"Are you okay, Lucille?" he asks flirtatiously, his voice low and smooth.

It's too much for Lucky to handle. Her face flushes even redder, and before Mac can say anything else, she faints.

Fortunately, Mac catches her before she hits the floor. Chuckling to himself, he carries her back to the guest room and lays her down on the bed. After making sure she's comfortable, he leaves a glass of water on the side table for when she wakes up.

About 30 minutes later, Lucky wakes up groggy and confused. "What happened?" she mutters to herself, sitting up. Then it all comes rushing back—the kitchen, Mac being shirtless, and her fainting. Her face turns bright red again as she remembers the details.

Once she composes herself, she heads back to the kitchen where Mac is now cooking breakfast. This time, thankfully, he is wearing a shirt.

Mac glances at her and grins. "Well, look who's awake. Want me to take my shirt off again?", Mac teased as he slightly lifts his shirt.

Lucky shoots him a dirty glare. "I hate you," she mutters, though she can't help but smile a little.

She walks over and gives Mac a playful punch on the arm. Mac chuckles, feeling a little guilty for teasing her so much. He puts an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into a hug as he continues cooking.

"Sorry for messing with you earlier," Mac says, his tone softer.

Lucky sighs, leaning into the hug. "It's fine."

Mac turns back to the stove. "I'm making that spicy egg dish you wanted to try. Think you can handle it?"

Lucky's face lights up with excitement. "I should be fine. I've got Hispanic blood in me—I can handle anything spicy," Lucky claimed.

Mac raises an eyebrow. "We'll see about that. What's the spiciest pepper that you've ever eaten?", he asks.

Lucky thinks for a moment. "I think it was a yellow habanero."

Mac smirks, glancing at the ghost peppers he's used for the dish. "Oh... oh, this should be interesting," he said while smiling.

Once the food was ready, Mac served Lucky a small portion, which makes her frown. "Oh, c'mon, Chandler, I'm hungry," she said.

Mac, however, was being cautious. "Trust me, Lucille, you'll thank me later. Because I didn't use habaneros," he said.

Lucky raises an eyebrow. "Then... what did you use?", Lucky asked nervously.

Mac smirks devilishly, "Ghost peppers," Mac replies, watching her reaction as it slowly changes.

Lucky's eyes widen in horror. "You used... what?", she asked in disbelief.

Mac chuckles as he places a gallon of milk beside her plate, "You've got this."

Lucky was determined to not let this challenge get the best of her. She takes a deep breath and digs into the spicy egg dish. The first few bites aren't so bad, but as the heat began to build, she quickly realized that she may have overestimated her own tolerance to spicy foods.

Mac watches with an amused grin as Lucky tries to keep her cool, taking a few more bites before finally reaching for the milk. "So... how is it?" Mac asks, barely able to contain his laughter.

Lucky, her mouth on fire, gulps down the milk, her face flushed from the heat. "It's... so... fucking... hot... ," she manages to say in between sips.

Mac can't hold back his laughter. "Don't say that I didn't warn you," Mac said as he continued to laugh. Mac had a very high tolerance for anything spicy, which is why he had ghost peppers in the first place. Not even the One-Chip Challenge can faze him.

After breakfast, Mac began cleaning up the kitchen. Lucky, who was still recovering from the spiciness, helped him out. Once they finish, Mac turned towards to her.

"I'm gonna go and get ready to visit my parents. But I'll walk you home first," Mac told Lucky.

Lucky nods, heading to the guest room to get dressed and pack her things. As Mac was getting ready, he pulled out his phone and made a call to a number labeled "Stacy's Desk." The line rang a couple of times before it was answered.

"Santera CEO's office. How may I direct your call?" a familiar voice answers on the other end.

"Hey, Stacy. It's your favorite troublemaker. How are you doing?", asked Mac in a playful tone.

"Hmm… I don't know of any troublemakers?" Stacy teases.

Mac groans. "Really, Stacy? We're doing this today?"

Stacy chuckles. "Oh, relax. I'm just messing with you. What's going on, Big Boy?", asked Stacy while also being playful.

Mac rolled his eyes. "Big Boy, huh? That's a new one. What are you getting at, Stacy?", Mac questioned.

Stacy laughed, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh... nothing," she said very cryptically, "Anyways, what's up, Chandler?", Stacy asked.

Mac pulled his mind out of the gutter, "Oh... right, I'm heading over to visit my folks. Could you send a car to pick me up at Lucille's place?", he asked.

"Oh, sure thing, hun. Your parents are expecting you, anyways. I'll have a car there shortly," Stacy replies.

"Thanks. I'll see you soon," Mac said, hanging up the phone with a sigh. Stacy had been working for his family for a very long time, but she was still young because Mac's parents recruited her straight out of college. Either way, Stacy always liked to tease Mac, especially now that he's all grown up.

Once Mac was ready, he walked out to the living room where Lucky was waiting. "You all set?", he asked.

She nodded and stood up. "Yep. Once more unto the breach, dear friend," she said dramatically.

Mac smirks. "Alright, Shakespeare. Let's get you home."

The walk to Lucky's house didn't take too long, and by the time they arrive, the car Mac requested was already waiting outside. Mac walked Lucky to the front door and knocked, then Lucky's mother answered, relieved to see her daughter safe. After saying goodbye to Lucky, Mac got into the car, then left to go see his parents.

The car moves through the city streets, weaving through the midday traffic. Mac stared out of the window, his mind wandering. He isn't exactly sure what to expect when he arrived to see his parents, but still had some sort of idea.

Almost every visit to his parents are often laced with the usual back-and-forth between his parents' busy schedules and their attempts to be involved in his love life, always wondering when Mac was going to get a girlfriend.

Still, he loved them and always tries to make time for them whenever he can. Still, some of the conversations they have always seemed to veer toward the responsibilities he never really wanted, running the family business.

As the car approached its final destination, Mac caught a glimpse of the tall skyscrapers dominating the skyline, especially the one he's heading to—Santera Medical HQ.

Finally, the car slowed down and pulled up to the entrance of Santera Medical HQ. Mac glances up at the imposing structure. It never failed to impress him, no matter how many times he came here.

After stepping out of the car, Mac thanked the driver and made his way toward the building's glass doors. As he enters, the familiar faces of the security team greeted him warmly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. McCullen. How are you doing today?" one of the guards, Dante, asked.

"Doing fine, Dante. And remember, it's just Mac. Mr. McCullen is my father," Mac replied with a grin.

Dante chuckles. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Mac smirks. "Tell me about it," said Mac as he flashed his keycard at the guard before heading toward the elevator marked "CEO Access Only." After a quick scan, the elevator doors slid open, and Mac stepped inside, ready for the ride to the top floor.

The elevator ascended swiftly, and within moments, Mac arrived at the very top floor and stepped out into the elegant reception area. He approached the receptionist's desk and behind it sat Stacy, the ever-cheerful receptionist who may or may not have a thing for Mac.

"Hey there, Big Boy. Long time no see!" Stacy called out, standing up and walking around to give Mac a hug.

Mac hugged her back with a smile, as he felt two massive orbs press against him. "Good to see you too, Stacy. How've you been?", he asked.

Stacy grins. "Oh, you know. Busy as always. You know how your parents can be. But look at you, all grown up!", exclaimed Stacy.

Mac laughed, getting quick glances of Stacy's figure, "Thanks. I'm actually here to see them now. Are they in Dad's office?"

Stacy nods, not oblivious to Mac's glances. "Yep, they're both in there now. I think that your father is almost finished with a conference call, and your mother just joined him a little while ago," she said.

Stacy got really close to Mac and began to playfully tease him, "We have a few minutes to spare, if you catch my drift," she told Mac, he just smiled at her.

Mac sighs. "Careful, now... you know that I don't back down from a temptation like that, Stacy. But, let's catch up another time, alright?", said Mac.

Stacy sighed in disappointment, "Okay... " Stacy said with a sad look on her face, then she winked at Mac before returning to her desk.

Mac then made his way down the long hallway, approaching the large double doors at the very end. On the left door, the label read "CEO's OFFICE", and on the right, "Crispin McCullen". Mac paused for a moment before grabbing the door knobs and pushing the doors open.

"Hey, old man!" Mac calls out as he steps into the spacious office.

Inside, an older gentleman sat behind a rather large desk, looking down at some papers. His mother, Samantha, stood near the window behind the older gentleman, her expression was unknown at first. Then, they both looked over towards Mac, their expressions were serious.

To Be Continued….