Alpha Male

by Joshua

  "Call 911," he said to a boy filming the incident on his phone. The boy didn't respond though. Instead, he moved in closer, trying to record every detail.

  "Give me that!" Alpha said, taking the phone.

  "Hey prick! Give me my fucking phone back!" he said as Alpha dialed the three numbers.

  "Try and take it," Alpha said, disgusted.

  "Don't worry about him," one of the men said to Alpha. "We’re gonna teach him a lesson on being a Good Samaritan."

  "He's just a stupid kid," Alpha responded. “Leave him be.” A voice on the other end picked up. “We need an ambulance at the corner of 5th and Main. She's been crushed. Send someone quick."

  Alpha tossed the phone back to the boy.

  "Tell her who you are, and give her any information she needs," he said to the boy, looking towards the crowd of onlookers. "Does anyone know CPR or basic first aid?"

  One of the men, a balding, blue collar type in jeans and a mechanics shirt walked up. "I do," he said. "My son's a boy scout. We do this stuff together."

  "Take care of her," Alpha said patting the man on the shoulder. He jumped up and flew down the alleyway as even more people began to gather around.

  He darted down the narrow passage, dodging dumpsters and debris. Exiting onto the next street, he didn't need to stop. Burning vehicles and shops could be seen for blocks, while jets of water sprayed up from the destroyed hydrants. More bread crumbs for him to follow. Shooting up above the cars, he followed the mess until it stopped. Hovering in the air, he looked around, searching for some clue to follow, but finding none.

  "Where did they go?" he asked, landing on the side walk near a group of teenagers.

  "In there," they said, pointing down another dark alleyway.

  Alpha rushed in, and stopped.

  "God damn it!" he said.

  It was a trash filled dead end with a manhole cover tossed away from the open hole. Without a moment's hesitation, he jumped down the hole and into the dark. Pulling his cell phone from his belt, he turned on its flashlight. The strong glow of the LED light gave him enough illumination to see by, but there was no clear path to take. He had jumped down at a four way connection, and there were no signs to follow.

  "God damn it.”

  Jumping out the hole, he hovered for a moment, surveying the area. He saw the teens standing at the end of the alley, watching him.

  "Tell me," he said. "Were there three?"

  One kid, a skater punk with long dreads took a step forward and said, "Nah man, just two fucked up looking freaks with no clothes."

  Another girl giggled a little and spoke up saying, "They were definitely guys."

  "Great," Alpha said with a sigh, and shot into the air.

  He flew back, retracing his path, but the police and EMT's were now everywhere. He watched them, helping where they could. He felt the urge to stop and assist, but there were more pressing issues. Rocketing upward, he saw a familiar figure standing atop the flat roof of a nearby building.

  "Not this. Not now," he said, diverting his path.

  He landed in front of a man clad in robotic armor. Both his arms and legs were strengthened with hydraulics, while the helmet he wore was shaped like a steel skull.

  "What are you doing out here, Jacobs?” Alpha asked with noticeable irritation in his voice.

  "That's my real name," the man replied through an electronic voice disguiser. "You know I hate when you use my real name."

  "Right now, I don't give a shit what you hate. I don't have time to fight you today, so I'm letting you off easy," Alpha said, before turning away.

  "Don't turn your back on me!" Jacobs replied. "You will face me! You will face The Mech, and I will beat you this time!"

  "I've put you in the hospital how many times?" Alpha asked, looking over his shoulder. "Go home Jacobs. Not today."

  With that, Alpha took off again, flying back towards the crater. He wasn't ten feet in the air when he was struck in the head. Alpha turned to face his foe as The Mech's powerful fist smashed into Alpha’s face, knocking the hero back to the building’s roof. Jacobs landed a few feet away and approached Alpha as he struggled to stand.

  "I've made a few improvements since the last time we fought," Jacobs said, eyeing the mechanized arm he used to punch Alpha Male. The Mech flashed Alpha an amused smile. “I can jump now.”

  "You've never killed anyone, or committed any real crimes, so I've always let you off easy," Alpha said, getting up. "From day one, your issue has been with me, and I've come to accept that—"

  "Someone's gotta be able to stop you," Jacobs said.

  Alpha released a sigh as the words left Jacobs' mouth. He clenched his teeth, and pointed his finger before saying, “If you stand in my way today, you will regret it!"

  "Prove it," Jacobs said, beckoning the hero towards him with a wave.

  Alpha screamed and flew at the armored man with his fist heading the assault, but Jacobs anticipated this and pulled up his arm in time to block. From there, Alpha released a flurry of blows, a fraction of which The Mech was able to block. Each hit landed harder than the last until dents became noticeable in the metal suit.

  Seeing an opening, Jacobs threw a wild left hook which connected with Alpha's jaw, knocking him back a few feet. The powerful disorientation from the blow only lasted a moment before Alpha rushed back in, renewing his barrage of attacks. This time, he was flawless in his execution. Each hit landed on its intended target, while The Mech’s slow defenses faltered. The last punch hit the man's helmet, knocking it clean off his head.

  Blood poured from the beaten man's mouth and nose as Jacobs tried to keep coming. Golden hydraulic oil squirted from cracks in the metal and the appendages gave off a tired whir as their fluids poured out onto the ground. Gears grinded as Jacobs tried to force a final step out of the machine, but it would not come.

  "Is this ever going to end?" Alpha asked.

  "No," Jacobs replied. "Never. As long as you exist, someone has to be here to stop you. I've devoted my time and money to this, and I won't back down."

  "You will if I kill you," Alpha said, showing his teeth.

  "You make my point for me," Jacobs said, with a sneer. "One man shouldn't be allowed the kind of power you have"

  Alpha tightened his fist and started to punch, but stopped himself when Jacobs flinched. Letting out a frustrated yell, Alpha flew off, leaving the man in his disabled suit.

  He could hear Jacobs yelling something, but he was too far away to understand the man's infuriated babbling. Alpha's face was hot with anger as he viewed the chaos below. Emergency vehicles rushed off in every direction, doing what they could to help the citizens in peril while he darted through the clouds on his own personal mission.

  He spent the next few hours searching, stopping on occasion to ask for information, but no one knew anything. The futility of his actions became more apparent the longer he pushed on. It wasn't until the sun started to set that he abandoned the search in order to take up his nightly patrols.

  "I know you're down there," he said, as the lights of the city came on.

  Chapter Two.

  “Yes sweetheart,” Reedy said over his cellphone. “Everything’s under control now, so I should be able to come home in an hour or so and we can do that thing we were talking about earlier.”

  Sitting in his car, Reedy propped the phone up with his shoulder as he typed away on his laptop. His fingers pounded out the latest report for his superiors as his wife chattered on. He was barely listening when the alert came over the network. Both eyes went wide when he saw it. “Fuck,” he said.

  “Baby, I have to go, I just got another—Hello? Shit never fails,” he said, shifting his car into gear and taking off with sirens blaring.

  Reedy pulled up to the parking lot of the Ole Towne Bar, but had to stop in the street.

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he said, smacking his hand down on the steering wheel.

  The b
ar that had once sat beneath the underpass, was now gone. The structure had been completely leveled, leaving nothing but scrap wood and glass all over the property. People stood outside with that familiar look of awe, fear, and confusion that he had seen earlier in the day. Pulling up onto the sidewalk, he shifted his car into park and got out. He checked his gun and badge, then walked towards the scene.

  “I’m definitely going to need assistance down here,” Reedy said into his walkie.

  “Copy that,” came the voice of the dispatcher over the microphone.

  “Thank god you’re here,” said a man, storming up to Reedy. “This shit is fucked man, it’s just fucked. I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but you have to do something. It’s all just fucked up man.

  “Whoa, sir. Slow down and tell me exactly what happened,” Reedy said, digging through his pocket for a pad and pen.

  “Some asshole knocked the goddamned building down! Scariest shit I ever seen!” the man said.

  “Please, Mr...” Reedy said, writing on his flip top note pad. He eyed the man up and down and saw the grass stains running up his legs and shirt.

  “Siegel...its Joe Siegel,” he replied, as Reedy wrote it down.

  “Please Mr. Siegel, I need some more details,” Reedy said, looking over his shoulder at the wreckage.

  “My buddy Jerry and I, we were playing some pool before heading home when this naked man came in. Everyone got upset because...it’s a fucking naked man! Jerry and I, we figured it for a prank, like that Borat asshole, but this guy was weirder than that. He was confused and stumbling about, asking for something to drink. The bartender gave him some water while Nancy, the waitress, went in the back to get him a coat or something. The weird fucker was just staring at the TV the whole time watching the coverage of the explosion today. We didn’t pay him no mind after that, but then glasses started shattering all over the place. I turned to look at the fucker again, and I was thrown out the window. I landed over there,” he said pointing to a spot on the ground where a pile of wood now laid. “I got up to rush back in, but then the place just...exploded. I swear to god it was him. He made it happen...with his mind or something.”

  “How much have you had to drink?” Reedy asked.

  “I’m kinda drunk now, but I wasn’t then. After everything went down, we kind of went around scrounging what was left off the ground. But this isn’t some drunken vision, or whatever. I saw this shit happen, and so did they.” he said, looking over at the other people. The group stood there like you would at a camp fire, hovering about, and waiting for nothing to happen.

  “First mutants and monsters, now this...” Reedy said.

  *****

  The digital clock read 9:53 am, flashing its faint glow inside the darkened room. Its green numbers reflected off the empty whiskey bottle, which was turned over on its side and covered in empty condom wrappers. The blackout curtains did their job well, blocking the morning sun from entering the small apartment, but a strewn shoe kept them from closing all the way. Its interference allowed enough light in to give the room some slight visibility.

  Alpha opened his eyes and felt the weight of his hangover pressing down on his head as his temples and eyes throbbed. Pressing his fingers to his face, he felt the mask he had worn to bed. Its snug fit subdued the pain pounding in his head.

  Letting out a groan, he threw his legs over the side of the bed, and laid there for a moment longer. After mustering up the ability to stand, he turned on the lamp, got up, and stumbled into the cramped kitchen. After pouring a glass of water and grabbing a small handful of aspirin, he turned back to the pullout sofa bed, looking at it over the kitchen island.

  "Good morning," said a young blonde girl.

  She was an attractive woman, slim, yet curvy in the right places, but he sneered when he saw her. She was draped in his cheap sheets, naked beneath, but showing just enough skin and smiling like a mischievous child.

  "Is it?" he asked. He opened his mouth and swallowed the pills, chasing them with a swig of water.

  "Oh yeah," she said, sitting up.

  She didn't bother to cover herself as she did, and her firm, manmade breasts became exposed. He couldn't divert his eyes from her body, which gave her more reason to show off. Standing up, she approached the counter of the island, swaying her hips in a deliberate fashion. Her trimmed pubic hair was nearly gone and the rest was just a small dark brown patch.

  "I've been hoping you'd call," she said with a coy smile. "I'm glad you did."

  "Yeah, me too" Alpha said, grabbing the coffee pot nearby.

  "Fuck coffee, let's go again," she said, leaning up against the island.

  Pouring water into the pot, he looked up at her and said, "I don't think so."

  Her face went from pleased to annoyed. "You've done such a good job cleaning up this city, what else do you have to do today?"

  "I don't have to do anything, I just want you gone so I can take off this damn mask," he said, pouring the coffee in.

  "Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. She turned away from the counter and grabbed up her clothes. Turning back to him, she said, "You know—"

  "I know exactly what you're going to say," he said. "I've heard it before, just like I've said this before. It's nothing personal; it’s just time for you to leave."

  As she dressed, he walked over to the door with a Styrofoam cup, steaming from the hot coffee inside. He tried to hand it to her as she left, but she turned her nose up as she stormed out. Just before she got to the elevator, she spun around and said, "What’s to keep me from coming back? Maybe with reporters?"

  "Nothing, except this isn't my place. The owner owes me a few favors, and he's often out of town. I stay here when I please as long as I clean the sheets when I'm done."

  "Fuck you!" she said, as the ding of the elevator sounded. He watched as she got on, pressed the button, and flipped him off as the doors closed.

  Shutting the door, he walked back to his own cup of coffee and inhaled its aroma. Popping the clasps on each side of his mask, he slid it off and placed it on the counter. After taking a long sip, he grabbed the television remote and sat in the chair. Turning the set on, he laid his head back.

  "Tonight, on the Adventures of Alpha Man and Beta Boy; the two heroes face off against their greatest foe yet, Omega Man," the TV said as a colorful animated program appeared on the screen.

  "Great," he said, closing his eyes. He lifted the remote to change the channel, but paused, watching the cartoon.

  "What are we gonna do, Alpha?" he said, mouthing the young superheroes words.

  "What choice do we have other than fight this vile villain?" he said talking over the cartoon version of himself.

  This went on until the credits rolled and the program was finished. Still holding the remote, he waited until the station announced its next program before finally turning the channel. Just as he landed on the news, his phone went off.

  Picking it up, he groaned when he saw the name Rose appear on the screen.

  "Fuck.” he hit accept, and began talking. "I know I'm supposed to come see you this morning, but I've been busy. I'll swing by there soon."

  Alpha had to pull his ear away, grimacing as the sound of the police commissioner’s yells broke through the speaker. His hangover was in full force.

  "I'll come now," he said. He hit end, jabbing the screen with his finger.

  With a groan, he got up and grabbed his mask. Pulling it over his head, he positioned it on his face and snapped the clasps. He looked around the disheveled room until he saw his costume hanging from a lamp in the corner. Letting out a chuckle, he walked over and grabbed it. Stepping into each foot, he pulled it up and over his waist and snapped it all together. On his way to the sliding glass door, he checked for his stuff, then stepped out into the morning air.

  Covering his face with one hand, he blocked the sun’s powerful light while the lenses in his mask adjusted. A second later, he could
see again, but the powerful headache was creeping back in.

  "It’s going to be a shitty day," he said.

  *****

  As the midday sun made its way into the alley he called home, Larry opened the lid of a large red dumpster and eyeballed its contents. It was full of stuffed trash bags and cardboard boxes. Grabbing a few bags, he pulled them out onto the ground and started going through them. His eyes grew wide as he perused their discarded contents.

  "Oh, ho ho," he chuckled, with a rotten smile. "Lookie here."

  The gleeful old man found plenty of unwanted treasures. Making two piles, he set the useful items like tattered clothes and trinkets to his right, while putting the trash on his left. Inside, he found a jacket, some holey pants, a worn out pair of shoes and a box of stale crackers with half a sleeve left. He munched the saltines until they were mush, then turned up an opened bottle of water to wash them down. Grabbing out another few bags, he positioned himself back on the ground when he heard something from the adjacent alley.

  Ignoring the sound, he continued his project until he heard it again. This time, it was unmistakable; the sound of someone groaning in pain. Peeking around the corner, he saw a man lying behind a pile of trash bags. The man’s legs were flung over the pile, exposing his bare feet.

  "You OK?" Larry asked, not moving.

  "Water, I need water," came a raspy voice.

  Larry couldn't help but notice it was a man, and he was as naked as a newborn. "Please, I need water," he said again.

  Larry looked down at the water bottle he held. There was only a sip or two left, so he threw it to the man. It hit hard near the man's head, startling him. Once the man saw what the bottle was, he threw the cap away and downed its contents in one gulp.

  "Thank you," he said, his voice less raspy than before.

  With a frown, Larry turned back into the alley and grabbed up his new treasure. He carried the items back to the man and dropped them on the ground.