ALPHA #1

"Alpha Vs. The Omega"

Do you ever get the feeling that you were always meant for something more?

Like you were meant to be more important than you realize?

Andy Maguire was sitting on top of the Chase Tower in Downtown, Indianapolis as he looked out over the city. He was wearing a makeshift blue and black costume, with a blue hood to cover his hair, and a black mask with white opaque lenses to hide his eyes. He was thinking about everything that happened recently. How he got his powers; how he had decided to use them; and the incident that had nearly cost people their lives.

He was still in awe over the fact that over a month earlier, he was nothing more than an ordinary high school student with nothing special about him whatsoever.

Greenwood, Indiana

Five Weeks Earlier

The alarm went off as Andy Maguire raised his shaggy blonde head from the pillow. Looking over at the clock, he went to hit the snooze button again. Five more minutes should do it. Of course, this was what he been saying for the last hour. He lowered his head to the comfort of his own pillow again as a knock came at the door.

"Andrew, get up!' his mother shouted. It was one of the few times she showed concern for her son. Andy hadn't been a planned a pregnancy, after all, and by the time his mother had learned she was expecting, it was too late to terminate. "You're going to be late for school again!"

"And that would be bad because...," Andy said in a muffled voice as he buried his face in his pillow.

Andy's homelife wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exciting either. He was all but ignored by his parents, who only did the bare minimum effort to make sure that their son was healthy and educated. They never told him they didn't want him, but they also didn't bother to hide the abortion clinic receipts very well, either.

An hour later, Andy was getting off of his bus when he was shoved out of the way the larger kids. Andy wasn't terribly scrawny, but he wasn't muscular, either. In fact, there was nothing that really made Andy stand out from his fellow students. He wasn't on any teams; he wasn't an ace student (for him, getting a C- was an achievement); and even the school bullies didn't really take time to hassle him.

As Andy walked to class, he eyed someone who did stand out: Jerrica Johnson. She had long, flowing sandy blonde hair, actually was a straight A student, and was noticed by everyone. Andy just sighed as he looked at her when he heard the familiar sound of his best friend being tormented.

Casey Russo was the smallest boy in the 8th grade, and was constantly tormented and ridiculed by the captain of the football team, Devon Chase. Currently Devon was holding Casey upside down.

"Apologize!" Devon ordered.

"Fine, you're not a big ape!" Devon shouted. " You're an ugly, big ape!"

"Devon, put him down," Andy told him as he approached. The bigger student just laughed in Andy's direction.

"And you are?"

Despite the fact that Devon and Andy were next door neighbors and had been in the same class since kindergarten, Devon had still never really acknowledged his existance. Andy was about to reply when the homeroom bell rang. Devon shoved Casey into a trash can as he walked away. Andy tipped the garbage can over with his foot as Casey slid out.

"Thanks, Andy," Casey told him as he peeled a slice of pizza off of his shirt. "I guess."

"Come on, let's get to class," Andy said with a sigh as a teacher's cough got their attention. He motioned down at the spilled contents of the garbage can as the two boys started picking up what had spilled out.

"Are you still coming with me to that science demonstration after school?" Casey asked as he started picking up the trash. "They're about to make a great breakthrough involving sub-atomic particles."

"I don't know, science really isn't my thing," Andy told him. "Neither is math, history, French,-"

"Please?" asked Casey as his eyes widened. "My parents won't let me go alone. If you don't go, I can't go."

Andy sighed as he thought about it. He had always been jealous that Casey's parents were worried about their son's safety. He wished that for once, his parents would tell him he couldn't go somewhere unless he had a friend go with him. "Fine. But if I fall asleep, it's on you."

After a long, boring day at school where he continued to remain invisible to everyone's radar, Andy and Casey took the bus Downtown to a scientific firm. As they walked in, Casey handed Andy a guest pass.

"How'd you get these, anyway?" Andy asked as he put the pass around his neck.

"Traded some concert tickets for them," Casey told him.

"Concert tickets?," Andy thought about it before realizing what he was talking about. "Casey, I know you didn't trade our Big Time Rush tickets for these," Andy told him.

"We can see Big Time Rush anytime," Casey replied as they headed for the elevator. "This demonstration is once in a lifetime!"

"I'm pretty sure I can fall asleep at home, in my own bed," Andy told him as they headed upstairs. "Instead, you gave up my concert tickets and now I have to fall asleep here! I'm using your shoulder as a pillow. FYI, I drool."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Doctor Samuel Stone said as he looked around the room. He was a middle aged African American man who was in charge of the project that was happening today. In the center of the room was a large generator that stood over twenty feet high, and about a half mile in length. "Thank you for attending today's demonstration. This is going to be a huge breakthrough for the scientific community. This is the hyper-kinetic energy generator. Able to produce clean burning, free, and limitless energy."

"Where is all of this energy coming from?" asked a man as he raised his hand.

"Why, from the universe itself," Dr. Stone told him. "The power comes from the forces of universal expansion. As the universe continues to grow, so shall the limitless energy that the generator provides."

"Is this awesome, or what?" Casey asked as he nudged Andy with his elbow.

Andy was snoring as he opened his eyes quickly. "Wha-?"

"Come on, Andy, pay attention," Casey told him, hoping that wasn't drool on his shoulder as Dr. Stone started the generator.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you... hyper-kinetic energy!" Dr. Stone shouted as the generator powered up. The people started applauding as the started crackling with blue energy. After a few seconds, the generator started shaking.

"Dr. Stone, something's wrong!" a technician shouted. "There's too much energy build-up! The generator can't take all of this power at once!"

"Shut it down!" Dr. Stone shouted as the room started shaking. Debris started falling from the ceiling as the people started running in a panic. Casey was pushed away from Andy by the ground as he fell to the ground, trying to avoid being trampled.

"Casey!" Andy shouted as he realized he was one of the last people in the room after everyone, including the doctor and the technicians, had vanished. He saw Casey on the ground, unconscious as more debris started falling around them. He ran toward Casey, hoping to save his only friend, when a large blast of hyper-kinetic energy shot out of the machine, going right through Andy's body.

"AAHHHHHHH!" Andy shouted in pain as the energy surged through his system. Andy fell to the ground, his body crumpled and smoking as the generator went into cooldown mode. The room stopped shaking as the generator's energy stopped.

Andy opened his eyes and sat up, soon realizing that he was laying in a hospital bed. He moaned as he rubbed his forehead.

"What happened?" Andy asked as he looked around. The room was empty and it was dark outside. Andy got out of the bed, planting his bare feet on the floor as he walked to the window. He must have been taken to a hospital located downtown. His entire body felt sore as he looked at his chart.

"No way, I've been in a coma for a month?" Andy asked, wanting to pass out again as he dropped the clipboard. "What happened to me?"

Andy stretched his arms, when suddenly a bolt of energy shot out, hitting the wall. Andy stepped back, tripping on the clipboard that he'd dropped on the floor. He fell backward, expecting to hit the ground, hard. That's when he realized he wasn't even touching the ground. He was floating several inches above it.

"Okay, now things are getting weird."

It was the next morning that the nurse walked in to check on Andy, only to find the bed was empty and the window open, with no sign of the young man who just yesterday was in a comatose state.

"WOO HOO!" Andy shouted as he flew through the sky high above the city. He was covered in the clouds and as always, unnoticed by everyone. "This is the greatest day EVER!"

Casey was sitting in his bedroom, his leg still in a cast from getting trampled a month earlier. He wanted to visit Andy in the hospital, but he was on bed rest until his leg completely healed. His parents insisted that he not move around too much until the cast was off.

As Casey leaned back against his pillow, he heard a tapping at the window. He opened his eyes and saw Andy just outside.

"Andy?" Casey asked as his face lit up. "What are you doing here? I thought you were comatose?"

"I woke up, duh!" Andy said as he floated outside of Casey's window. "Mind if I come in?"

At a military base several miles away, Colonel Neuget was addressing his superiors as they sat in the stands, watching a field test of their latest weapon. A ten foot tall exo-skeleton was standing on the field behind the Colonel as he looked at the Generals in front of him.

"Behind me is a top secret military exo-skeleton, the last line of defense in today's climate of war," Neuget said. "It can withstand over a million degrees of heat and cold, is bullet and laser proof, and capable of agility that most machines aren't. In a few moments, you will witness a demonstration of the power of what our scientists have dubbed the Omega Defense System!"

Not too far away, the soldier was to pilot the Omega was exiting the bathroom when he knocked out from behind and dragged around the corner. Minutes later, a man walked toward the Omega, wearing the soldier's uniform. He climbed in and started it up as the Omega's arms raised with it's arm cannons.

"Don't worry, while the cannons are capable of massive destruction, they won't be fired off in today's demo," Neuget said as the cannons were fired off immediately after. The Generals in the stands jumped out of the way as the bleachers were destroyed in large fireball. "What in the world are you doing, soldier?"

The Omega continued firing, destroying several tanks in the distance as the pilot inside laughed. "Sorry, Colonel, but your test pilot was taking a nap, so I filled in! Your little toy is going to make me a lot of money when I sell it overseas!"

"That voice," Neuget said as the Omega started stomping off, destroying everyting in it's path.

"Neuget, what is going on!?" one of the generals asked.

"The man inside of that suit is one the original designers," Neuget told his superior. "Dr. Aaron Young was let go from the project when he started making uncalled for changes to the Omega. As lethal as it is now, it would have twenty times more destructive had he gotten his way."

"Is there any way to stop it?" the general asked.

"It would take something very powerful," Neuget replied.

Meanwhile, Captain America was riding into town, alongside his new partner, American Ace.

"I hope we're not too late to see the demonstration of the Omega Defense System," Cap said. "I've been following this project, and it could be a powerful addition to the military."

"It's a big robot that can kick butt, that's all I need to know to want to see it," American Ace said as they heard several loud explosions ahead. They pulled their bikes over in time to see the Omega battlesuit stomping down the street.

"Something tells me that we're right on time to see this thing in action," American Ace said, pulling out a long metal staff as Captain America grabbed his shield.

Andy was standing in Casey's bedroom, juggling furniture as his best friend watched.

"How?" was all Casey could ask.

"I guess it was the accident that put me into the coma," Andy replied as he put the furniture down. "I can also shoot lasers and fly. Don't know what else I can do, though. I can't wait to go home and show my parents."

"You didn't know?" asked Casey as Andy looked at him.

"Know what?"

"When you were put into that coma, your parents were told that you might never wake up, so... they booked a year long cruise," Casey told them. Andy just looked at him blankly, although he really wasn't surprised.

"I guess I won't be revealing anything to them, but wait until the kids at school get a load of this!" Andy smirked. "I'll definately turn some heads."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Casey asked. "I mean, is it a good idea to tell everyone that you have these powers? I mean, guys like Spider-Man keep their identity a secret for a reason."

"Yeah, well maybe Spider-Man's got something to hide," Andy told him bluntly. "I don't. I'm not even a superhero. I'm just a high school student that nobody ever notices, not even my parents. But all that's going to change. After today, everyone's going to know who I am!"

Casey just sighed as he turned on the t.v. to the news.

"This is Angela Maria Consuela Carmalita Sofia Alejandra Lopez-Finkelstein reporting live from Downtown, where a piece of military hardware has run rampant in the streets! So far, authorities have had no luck stopping, or even slowing down what has been dubbed the Omega, but now I'm getting word that Captain America is here, trying to stop the destructive rampage."

Casey looked up at Andy. "Andy, maybe you should use your powers to help out."

"Wha-?"

"You were given these powers for a reason, maybe it was to help people!" Casey told him.

"I'm not a hero," Andy told him as he sat in the chair next to Casey's bed. "I'm just a kid who got zapped in a freak accident. I don't even know how these powers really work. Besides, Captain America's got it covered."

"Andy, please?" Casey asked as he gave his friend the puppy dog eyes again.

"Oh, for the love of- stop doing that!" Andy shouted as he stood up and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Fine, I'll go. Just stop being cute. It sickens me."

"You'll need a costume," Casey told him as he grabbed his crutches and got up. "And a mask to hide your face."

"Then people won't know who I am!" Andy shouted after his friend, who hobbled up the hall towards his mothers sewing room.

Downtown, the Omega was still stomping down the street as Captain America and American Ace were trying to hold it off. Cap tossed his shield at the exo-skeleton, barely making a dent in it as it returned to his hand.

"All the civilians are out of the line of fire, sir," American Ace said over the radio that was plugged into Cap's ear.

"Good work, make one last sweep then come help me," Captain America ordered as he picked up a large, heavy piece of pipe to use as a ball bat. "Alright, let's see what this thing is really made of."

Captain America swung the pipe, hitting the Omega, barely knocking it back an inch. The Omega then swung it's arm back as Captain America dropped the pipe and jumped up, attaching himself to the Omega's arm as it started trying to shake him off.

"You can't stop me, Captain America!" Dr. Young shouted from inside the exo-skeleton. "The Omega was designed to stand up against even the toughest opponent!"

"Does that include me?" Andy shouted as he flew up in the black and blue costume that Casey had thrown together for him. At Casey's insistence, he was wearing a hood and eye mask to keep his identity secret.

"Another hero?" asked Dr. Young as the Omega held up it's arm and started firing off several blasts. Andy avoided them as he started returning mulitple blasts of his own.

"Wait!" Captain America shouted as the Omega started deflecting the blasts, sending them into nearby buildings and cars.

"Well, crap," Andy said as he flew down and started punching the Omega, sending it flying back several feet. He picked up the piece of pipe that Captain America had dropped earlier and swung it, denting the Omega in it's side.

"That's not possible!" Dr. Young shouted as the Omega's arm reached out and grabbed Andy, squeezing him tightly. "I don't know who you are, but this ends now!"

The arm started gyrating at an accelerated rate, sending Andy flying up far into the sky. Dr. Young just laughed as he watched the young hero fly off into the distance, not realizing that Captain America had managed to climb onto the Omega's back and was trying to punch his way in.

"Even with all your strength, you can't get to me!" Dr. Young shouted as the Omega's arm tried to reach him. "That boy denting me was a fluke. Nothing can stop-"

Both Dr. Young and Captain America looked up to see something falling from the sky, and it was falling fast. From the height it was coming from, the destruction it would cause would be immense.

"Oh, no," Captain America said. "He wouldn't-"

"You're going down, Omega!" Andy shouted as he pushed a large piece of metal down from several hundred feet up.

"He's insane!" Dr. Young shouted as Cap finally managed to break the glass on the Omega's face and pulled the man out. He started running with the man slung over his shoulder as American Ace pulled up with his motorcycle. The three rode away as fast as they could as the piece of debris collided with the Omega, causing a massive explosion in the street, sending cars flying, and causing glass to shatter in every building around.

When the smoke cleared, Andy was on his back inside of a large crater, with pieces of the Omega all around. He looked up just in time to see everyone standing around.

"Did I save the day?" Andy asked as everyone started booing and tossing stuff at him.

"What were you thinking?" Captain America asked sternly as he watched Andy fly out of the crater, his face still hidden. "You could have killed people with that stunt!"

"I was just trying to stop the Omega," Andy told him. "And I did."

"You destroyed an entire block!" Captain America shouted. "The pilot in the Omega did it because he was the bad guy, but you? You're claiming to be one of the good guys, and instead of using your head, you caused untold destruction!"

"I'm sorry," Andy told him. "I was just-"

"You're a menace!" one of the civilians shouted. "At least that robot wasn't outright trying to kill everyone!"

More stuff was tossed at Andy as Captain America took his arm. "Kid, if you want to be a hero, then start using your head. What's your name?"

"It's-" Andy started to say as he looked at the Omega and had to think fast. "Alpha."

"I'm going to have people watching you," Captain America warned him. "If anything like this happens again, we'll be coming to pay you a visit."

He let go as Andy flew off into the distance. American Ace walked up to his mentor and looked at him. "You're just letting him go?"

"He didn't know what he was doing, and that makes him more dangerous than the people he's going to be going up against," Captain America told him. "All we can do is make sure he doesn't screw up again."

It was later that night as Andy returned to Casey's room. "Mind if I crash here for a while? There's no power at my place. The utilities were shut off."

"My parents won't mind, I'll ask them in the morning," Casey told him as Andy pulled down his hood and removed his mask. Casey saw that he'd been crying. "I saw what happened on the news. Are you alright?"

"I screwed up, bad," Andy told him as he sat on the bed. "Now everyone hates me, and they still don't know who I am."

"Yeah, the news shows are already calling you a menace," Casey sighed as he lay on his bed. "What are you going to do?"

"Burn this outfit, for starters," Andy said as he stood up. "Alpha has left the building."

"Or...," Casey said as he looked at him. "You can try to fix things and actually be a hero. Maybe start doing good deeds with your powers."

"Yeah, right," Andy told him with a laugh. "Like that's going to make people notice me."

"I notice you," Casey told him. "You're always sticking up for me, and helping me out. You're already my hero. Just do for everyone else what you do for me."

A small smile crossed Andy's face. "You are such a dork."

The next day, Andy was in costume, flying high over the city.

Casey was right. I was given these powers for a reason, and I'm going to start using them to help people. People might never know the name Andy Maguire, but I guarantee that soon, everyone's going to know who Alpha is!

At the lab, Dr. Stone was looking at the security footage of the day of the accident. He watched as Andy was zapped by the generator and fell to the ground, seemingly unharmed. He paused the footage and sat there for a few seconds.

"What do you think?" Dr. Stone asked.

"He'll do."