Alpha Male Read Free Page A

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