Alpha: First To Rise (Updated 2024)

Written & Created By: Eddie Yagami

*Readers Discretion is Advised*

Whispers are heard once again as we're pulled back into the area of darkness where the mysterious light continues to reside. This time, something is different. A sound, like a TV or monitor turning on, echoing through the void, and a box filled with static white noise appears in front of the mysterious light. For a few moments, nothing happens. Then, a faint picture begins to form inside the box, though it's too blurry to make out. Voices, muffled and distant, can be faintly heard.

"Is that you, Crispin?" the light speaks, its tone calm yet cryptic. "It has been far too long since we've last seen each other." The light seems to focus harder, trying to see what is happening, but without success. "If I am starting to hear and see you, then that must mean my awakening is near," the light muses.

"But something seems off... it feels too soon." After a pause, it continues, "Either way, we'll be seeing each other real soon." The light slowly faded away, taking with it the blurry, static picture and disappearing back into the darkness as we return to the real world, where another revelation awaits...

Inside Santera Medical's towering headquarters, at the very top in the CEO's Office, Mac had just called out to his father, Crispin McCullen, who was sitting at his desk. Crispin turned his attention to his son, his expression was serious, then reacting to Mac's remark.

"Viejo tu abuelo!" Crispin yelled, hurling a slipper at Mac so fast that he was barely able to dodge it. Mac glanced at the hole the slipper left in the wall, slightly terrified, before turning back to his father.

"Jeez, Dad, it was just a—" But before Mac could finish, a second slipper came flying towards him and hit him square in the face, knocking him out cold.

"Never underestimate the power of the chancla!" Crispin declared dramatically, striking a proud pose.

Samantha, Mac's mother, was less amused. "Aye, Crispin... don't be so harsh on him! I think you might have killed him," she said, concerned. But Crispin was not buying it and walked over to his son, tapping him on the shoulder. Mac immediately woke up.

"Ah, see... he's fine Sam, nothing to worry about," said Crispin as he helped Mac to his feet, then pulled him into a fatherly hug. "How are you doing, my boy?" he asked.

Mac rubbed his sore face, "Well, aside from the pain on my face, I'm doing alright, Dad," Mac replied, returning the hug.

Crispin McCullen, the founder & CEO of Santera Medical, was known for being strict and stern when it came to business, running the world's largest medical company with an iron grip.

However, with his family, he was a completely different person—loving and caring, always putting them first. Santera Medical had risen to global fame for discovering cures for previously incurable diseases, including forms of cancer.

The company had been leading in the fields of science and medicine for years, and although they hadn't cured everything in the world, their innovations in medicine and medical technology had drastically changed the world.

Some speculated that Santera Medical had secret contracts with governments, given their extraordinary financial success, but only those at the top—like Crispin and Samantha—knew the full story... the true story behind its success.

"Anyways," Mac began, rubbing his still-sore face, "I hope I caught y'all at a good time? Stacy said you were finishing up a conference call?", Mac asked his father.

Mac walked over to his mother, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, Mom."

"No worries, Chandler," Crispin replied. "I finished long before your mother came in, and I had Stacy hold any further calls until after our family time."

Mac nodded, "Either way, I won't stay for long," Mac said. "I know that you've both been pretty busy as of late." Mac was being nosy, glancing at the paperwork on Crispin's desk.

Crispin let out a heavy sigh. "Chandler, how many times do I have to tell you—work is secondary when it comes to spending time with you. The company can wait," he reminded his son, emphasizing that Mac was their number one priority.

"If you insist, viejo," Mac teased, which earned him an irritated look from Crispin. But before Crispin could retort, Samantha chuckled softly.

"Et tu, Samantha?" Crispin asked, incredulous that his own wife was laughing at their son's comment.

Mac smiled, appreciating his parents' efforts to keep him a priority despite their busy lives. They all sat down in a lounge area within Crispin's office to continue their conversation.

After settling in, Crispin looked at Mac more seriously. "So, your mother has mentioned that you haven't been using the car she sent for you all week. Care to explain why?", asked Crispin as he stared intently at Mac.

Mac sighed, visibly annoyed. "C'mon, dad... you should already know why," said Mac.

Crispin shook his head. "Listen, son, we know your life hasn't been easy, and we know that you want something of a normal life. But because of our fame, and this company's success, your life be everything but normal, especially since this company will be yours one day," Crispin said, explaining to Mac the importance of his future.

"You also need to understand that everything we do for you is for your well-being, to prepare you for a future where we're no longer here," Crispin said, noticing Mac's expression soften slightly.

"One day, when you have children, you'll understand what I'm talking about," Crispin added. Mac nodded, understanding how important his life is and will be, although his skepticism remained. Crispin, sensing the shift in mood, smiled and asked, "But enough of that. Tell us how your first week of school went."

For the next few hours, Mac recounted his school adventures, from his fangirls chasing him to his encounter with the hooded man and Officer Nguyen. Crispin was impressed by how much Mac had improved in his martial arts training, but Samantha had to bring up something else that involved Officer Nguyen.

Samantha smirked, "Oh, Chandler, why don't you tell your father about your little obsession with Officer Nguyen?" she teased, ignoring Mac's frantic attempts to signal her to stop.

"Obsession? What's this about?" Crispin asked, his interest piqued.

"Oh, nothing, Dad. Mom doesn't know what she's talking about," Mac mumbled, trying to deflect. But Crispin wasn't buying it.

"Darling, care to explain?" Crispin asked Samantha, who smiled mischievously.

"Oh, don't be mad at him, Crispin. He's just at that age where he's... discovering his kinks," she said casually, much to Crispin's surprise.

"Kinks?" Crispin repeated, his eyebrows raised.

"Yes, dear. He's like you when you were at his age, fascinated by big breasts and big butts," Samantha continued, recalling Crispin's youth.

Crispin, reminded of his younger days, burst out laughing. He then turned to Mac, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Son, there's nothing wrong with appreciating parts of the female body. I can attest to that. But I suggest you get yourself a girlfriend first before you dive deeper into... certain explorations."

Mac's embarrassment was palpable, but Crispin chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

As Mac continued telling them about his training with Mr. Lou, Crispin's thoughts drifted to the phone call he had received from him yesterday. As concern shrouded his mind, he reflects on that conversation with Mr. Lou about Mac's future.

Crispin sat at his desk late on Friday evening, finishing up on some paperwork when the phone began to ring. He initially thought it was his office line, but when he picked up, there was no answer, then he realized that the ringing was coming from inside of his desk.

After hanging up the office phone, he rummaged through his desk and found an old cell phone he hadn't used in years. The caller ID read "Luis Marcianos".

Crispin quickly answered. "Luis? What's wrong? Why are you calling me?" After the conversation ended, Crispin sat at his desk, contemplating the news. He called Samantha into his office.

"What's wrong, dear? You sounded concerned when you called me," Samantha asked as she entered. But upon seeing Crispin's expression, her face paled. "Oh no... what is it?"

Crispin got up and gently led her to the couch in the lounge area. "Luis just called me on my private line," he said, which instantly made Samantha worry.

"What did he say? Was it about Chandler?" she asked, her voice rising in panic. Crispin nodded, and Samantha let out a gasp. "No..."

Crispin quickly moved to calm her down. "Mi amor, please, take deep breaths," he said, gently guiding her through the panic.

Once Samantha had regained some composure, she looked at Crispin, her voice trembling. "Wha--What did Luis say?"

Crispin hesitated, knowing that the news would shatter her. But he had no choice. Holding her close, he sighed heavily. "Luis believes Alpha is beginning to awaken—sooner than expected."

Samantha began to shake. "Wha-what does that mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, but she already knew the answer. She just didn't want to believe it.

Crispin caressed her face, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Chandler... will be—"

Everything goes silent, and Samantha just read Crispin's lips as he finishes his sentence. All that's heard next is a heart-wrenching cry escaping from Samantha as she collapsed into his arms. Crispin held her tightly as she sobbed through the night, unable to contain her despair.

When she finally cried herself to sleep, Crispin gently laid her down on the couch, covering her with a blanket, before returning to his desk, his mind in turmoil.

"Oh, Chandler... I'm so sorry to have put this burden on you," Crispin muttered to himself, staring out the window. The sounds of his quiet sobs filled the room.

As Mac finished recounting his training session with Mr. Lou, he looked at Crispin, "Hey, Dad, you alright?" he asked, noticing Crispin's distant expression.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Crispin responded, glancing at Samantha, who quickly averted her eyes to hide her lingering distress.

In their minds, they're both worried about Mac and how he'll handle the revelation of Alpha. "Will he be ready to live with this newfound power?" They both thought to themselves.

Sensing something off between his parents, Mac decided to turn the tables. "Enough about me. How have y'all been doing lately?"

Crispin smiled. "We've been alright. Work's been busy, but we try to spend time together whenever we can."

Mac wasn't convinced. "Look, I know your work is important, but so is your relationship. I just want to make sure y'all are good and not hiding any issues from me," he said, surprising himself with how mature he sounded.

Crispin and Samantha exchanged amused glances. "Listen, boy, you're way too young to be giving us relationship advice—especially since you haven't had a girlfriend yourself," Crispin teased. They all laughed, and the tension in the room eased instantly.

As they continued to talk, Mac glanced at the clock. "Wow, it's already 4 p.m., how time flies," he said, standing up to stretch. "I had fun catching up, but I still need to head to the store and see if JR and Lucky want to hang out later."

Crispin and Samantha stood up to hug him. "Remember, mijo, you can visit us anytime. Don't worry about our work," Crispin told Mac.

"Oh, and one more thing, Chandler," Crispin added. "When you head down to the garage, there will be a car waiting for you. All I ask is that you let the driver stay with you until you're done for the day. Please?", asked Crispin.

Mac sighed. "Alright, Dad. But just for today," he replied.

Crispin smiled. "Of course, Chandler. I promise," then under his breath, he said, "at least for now."

Mac said his goodbyes and headed for the elevator. As he left, Crispin and Samantha remained behind, their concerns for their son weighing heavily on their minds.

"So, how do you plan on protecting our son, dear?" Samantha asked, her tone serious.

"Easy, mi amor. I took care of it this morning. I asked Mark to keep an eye on him," Crispin replied.

"Mark?! Your personal bodyguard? Why him?" Samantha asked, clearly distressed.

Crispin held her to calm her down. "Don't worry, Samantha. He wasn't thrilled either, but I made him a promise."

Earlier that day, Crispin had called his bodyguard, Mark Rickson, into his office. Mark had been Crispin's personal bodyguard for many years. They met long ago when Crispin was working as a doctor in Iraq, tending to wounded service members, one of whom was Mark. Mark had since retired from the Navy, but he remained by Crispin's side.

Mark entered the office quickly. "Hey, Crispin. Everything alright?", he asked.

"Yeah, come in and sit down," Crispin said, waving him over while finishing a phone call.

Once the call ended, Crispin greeted Mark. "How's James doing?" he asked, referring to JR, Mark's son.

"He's doing alright," Mark responded, though a hint of sadness crossed his face. "Still hanging in there. He doesn't talk about his mom much anymore, but I know he's still hurting deep down," said Mark.

"I'm glad Chandler's been a good friend to him through all of this," Crispin added.

"Of course. Your family has been a godsend for us," Mark said sincerely.

Crispin smiled. "You're family too, Mark. And we always help family."

Then, Crispin got down to business. "The reason I called you in is that I have an assignment for you. It's about Chandler."

Mark instantly tensed. "Is he in trouble?", he asked.

"I don't know who or what, but I believe he's being targeted. My sources say something or someone will try to kill him before his 18th birthday," Crispin explained.

"Your assignment, starting today, is to keep an eye on him whenever he's not home—at school, during training with Luis, everywhere," said Crispin.

Mark thought for a moment before asking, "What about Luis? Can he be trusted?"

"Luis is a close family friend. He's in the clear," Crispin reassured him.

Mark nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Surveillance. Stick to the shadows, follow him, and only intervene if absolutely necessary. Chandler can defend himself, but if things get out of hand, you step in," Crispin instructed.

"Understood. I'll start immediately," Mark said, but Crispin had another plan.

"Actually, I have a different idea. Since you'll be gone for a while, why not have James stay with Chandler? That way, you can keep an eye on both of them," Crispin suggested.

Mark agreed with the idea. "I'll tell James, but I need you to make me a promise." Crispin looked at Mark, knowing exactly what he was about to ask.

"Since I won't be here to protect you, promise me that you will NOT leave this building for anything!" Mark asked with a serious expression. Recently, Mark has been getting intel about possible attempts on Crispin's life, but is not sure who's behind it, so he's been keeping a close eye on Crispin.

Crispin sighs, "Fine, I promise." Mark doesn't know why Crispin is being targeted now, but with the many accomplishments that his company makes, it was only a matter of time.

As soon as Mac arrived at the parking garage, he spotted Mark waiting by the car that he was going to be in.

"Mark? What are you doing here?" Mac asked as they embraced.

"Your father asked me to drive you home since I was heading out early today," Mark replied.

Mac raised an eyebrow. "Something going on I should know about?"

Mark gestured toward the car. "Get in, and I'll tell you on the way."

Once on the road, Mark began to explain, "I'll be going away on an assignment for your father, so I'll be gone for a while, and I want James to stay with you until I get back."

Mac smiled. "Of course. You know JR is like a brother to me," said Mac.

Mark, relieved, added, "Thanks, Chandler. I know you'll take care of him."

They soon arrived at the store, and Mac quickly did his shopping before they headed to Mark's house to pick up JR.

When they arrived, JR was in the living room, oblivious to their presence thanks to the TV's loud volume. Mark and Mac exchanged a mischievous glance before sneaking up behind him.

Mac grabbed a hand towel from the kitchen and threw it over JR's head, causing him to whip around in confusion. Then Mark jumped in, scaring JR so badly that he screamed like a little girl.

After a few moments of laughter, JR scowled. "I hate the both of y'all." Then Mark explained to JR about his assignment and that he'll be staying with Mac while he's gone. JR was used to these assignments that his father would go on, so he went to his room to pack his bags.

Once JR was ready, they all got into the car and headed towards Mac's apartment, but on the way out of the neighborhood, Mark noticed a person wearing an odd-looking jacket that had a strange logo on it.

Mark didn't think much of the person, and the jacket itself wasn't anything to be amazed about, but it was the logo that Mark noticed that was stitched onto the back of it, "OSD", but Mark thought nothing of it as he continued to drive towards Mac's apartment.

Back in the plane of darkness, the mysterious light flickered once again. It sensed something.

"The Darkness has begun to make its move. The boy will die soon," the light whispered before disappearing once more.

Then, a month passes by.

To Be Continued….