[10 AM] [Titan HQ, LA]
Alex sat behind his desk, talking to Jane over video call. Rachel was typing quietly a few feet away, probably digging through the case. As for movie shooting, today was a break. Alex arranged another photoshoot for Angelina. It'll be her solo shoot. He also called the NY branch and arranged six photo shoots for Lilly for Titan clothing and Perfume lineup, three for SJ and Caroline. Claire got one last shoot left before the editing process begins.
Coming to the present...
Jane's hair was tied back in a neat bun, glasses perched on her nose, voice steady as she went through her notes.
"The Comic Con preparation is on track. We've printed enough comics for the debut titles—Spawn, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hellboy. Early sneak peeks and animated trailers are finalized and ready for release. I've just sent the links to your inbox."
Alex glanced at his phone as the notification pinged. He gave a short nod. "And the merchandise?"
"Seventy-nine percent complete," Jane said. "Factories are keeping up, and logistics has mapped distribution. Everything should hit the booths and stores on time. No red flags yet. And the plan to release the Energy Drink lineup is going pretty well. It should hit the shelves by the end of March."
"Good." Alex leaned back, steepling his fingers. "And the clothing line?"
Jane tapped her screen, checking another tab. "Quarterly sales report looks impressive. Customer reviews are favorable. Social buzz is growing. The stats look really good."
Alex's lips curved faintly. 'Nice. Let the money flow. Haa... That fucking clickbait reward. Unlimited money... What a waste. Can't even use it freely.'
He looked back at Jane. "You've been doing good work, Jane. I want to ask—how are you finding the pay increase and the bonus?"
She blinked, a little surprised by the question. "It's… generous, sir. Thank you."
"If you keep this pace," Alex said evenly, "I'll add another ten percent raise."
Her composure cracked just slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I'll make sure I earn it, sir."
"Do that," Alex said, before disconnecting the call.
The laptop screen faded to black. For a moment, silence filled the office except for the low hum of the AC. Alex exhaled, then opened his inbox. The files Jane had mailed were neatly organized, the final proofs of the sneak peeks. He took some time to go through them properly.
Then he moved. Fingers tapping the keyboard, he logged into Titan's official website. In minutes, the sneak peek pages were live, each with polished artwork, bold titles, and descriptions teasing just enough to inflame curiosity without giving the game away.
Next came YouTube. Alex queued up the three animated trailers, crosslinked them with Titan's socials, and hit publish. Within seconds, the world had access.
And what the world saw was unlike anything they'd ever seen before.
...
Trailer 1: Spawn
The screen opened in silence.
A ruined city skyline stretched under a blood-red sky, clouds boiling like ash. The camera drifted lower, through cracked streets littered with broken signs, shattered glass, and fire smoldering in alleyways.
A voice cut through the silence. Deep, guttural, heavy with rage.
"Once… I was a man."
Quick flashes: a soldier in black ops gear, his face hidden behind shadows. Gunfire followed by multiple explosions. A betrayal in a rain-soaked alley. The man's body was burning as he screamed.
Cut to black.
Then, green fire ignited.
Chains snapped across the screen like serpents, glowing faintly with infernal energy. A cloaked figure rose from the flames, his cape alive as if breathing, swallowing the night around him. His mask gleamed white against the darkness, two haunting green eyes piercing through.
The voice returned.
"They thought death was the end. They were wrong."
The trailer exploded with imagery. Spawn standing on a cathedral, cape billowing like storm clouds. Hellish demons rising from sewers, claws dripping. SWAT teams unloading rifles into shadows that wouldn't die. Spawn's chains wrapping around a demon's throat, ripping it apart in a spray of green fire.
A clown's voice: "Spawnie, Spawnie, he's our man, if he can't kill 'em, no one can. Yay, Spawnie! Go, Spawnie, go Spawnie."
A heartbeat of silence.
Then the final shot: Spawn staring straight into the camera, mask split slightly to reveal half a burned, scarred face underneath. His eyes glowed brighter.
"Hell sent me back. Heaven wants me gone. But I fight for the living."
BOOM. Title card slammed in. SPAWN.
The last frame lingered... chains slamming across the screen as green fire burned through the logo.
Music cut.
...
Trailer 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Darkness. Then, water dripping in a sewer. Echoes of footsteps.
A rat scurried across the tunnel as the camera followed. The sound of fast running...
...It grew louder. Suddenly, a figure dropped from the ceiling, spinning twin sai in his hands. His red bandana snapped with the motion.
Raphael.
The screen cut to black.
Another shot: Two nunchucks spinning in perfect rhythm, orange cloth flashing as the wielder laughed.
Michelangelo.
Another blackout.
A katana slicing clean through falling water, the blue bandana a streak in the dark.
Leonardo.
A bo staff twirling in a blur, striking the ground with a crack as the purple-masked figure adjusted his goggles.
Donatello.
The screen went black one final time before all four dropped into frame together, silhouetted against dim green sewer light. Their shells glistened, muscles coiled, bandanas whipping like battle flags.
A single disciplined voice broke the silence.
"We live in the shadows. We fight for this city. We are…"
BOOM. The music kicked in: fast, pounding, electric guitar with heavy beats.
Quick cuts:
Raphael slamming a thug through a table in a grimy warehouse.
Donatello hacking into a terminal while sparks flew.
Michelangelo skateboarding through traffic, dodging cars and laughing while eating a slice of pizza.
Leonardo clashing swords with a towering armored figure... the Shredder.
Explosions in the background, smoke rising, ninjas swarming rooftops. The turtles moved together in perfect sync, a blur of shells and weapons and raw energy.
Final shot: All four standing on a skyscraper at dawn, New York stretching behind them. Thunder cracked... Shadows moved...
Shredder vs Ninja Turtles face-off...
The music cut as they spoke in unison.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
Title card slammed in, graffiti-styled neon, glowing with urban grit.
...
Trailer 3: Hellboy
The trailer began with a soft crackle of fire.
A close-up of a massive red hand, stone-like, resting on a table covered in ancient symbols. The camera panned slowly upward, showing the scars, muscles, and the edge of a leather trench coat, before finally revealing a face. Horns sawed off at the base, leaving blunt stubs. Yellow eyes glowing faintly against crimson skin. A cigar burned between his teeth.
The gravelly voice came low, rough, almost tired.
"Name's Hellboy. Yeah, I know. Funny name for a guy who punches monsters for a living."
Cue a montage. Hellboy kicking down the doors of a gothic cathedral. Tentacles whipping through stained glass windows. His massive revolver roaring, bullets glowing faintly with runes.
The screen cut to a swirl of ancient manuscripts, occult rituals, and demonic sigils burning into walls.
Narration continued.
"Born in Hell. Raised to fight the things that crawl out of it. That's me. A freak with a job."
Images flashed faster:
Hellboy punching a giant troll square in the jaw.
Leaping onto the back of a dragon-like beast, revolver blazing.
Standing in a circle of salt as shadow creatures hissed and clawed at the barrier.
Cracking a sardonic grin even as he reloaded.
The final shot lingered. Hellboy stood in a burning cavern, cape whipping in the inferno. Behind him loomed something massive—horned, winged, towering, a glimpse of his true destiny.
His voice came again, sharp.
"I wasn't made to save the world. But maybe I'll try anyway."
BOOM. Title card slammed in, stone cracking apart. HELLBOY.
The screen went black.
...
Alex sat watching the numbers climb on the dashboard. Within five minutes, views were spiking across YouTube. Twitter and forums were igniting. Comments flooded in, words like "What the hell is Spawn?" and "These turtles look insane!" and "Who the fuck is Hellboy?!"
Exactly what he wanted. Curiosity. Shock. Intrigue.
Rachel walked over and leaned over his desk, glancing at the screen with him. "Looks like you just dropped three grenades into pop culture."
Alex smirked. "And the shrapnel is going to make me billions."
...
[1 hour later]
Alex refreshed the analytics tab one last time, then closed it. Watching the numbers was like watching water boil. Addictive, but pointless when he knew the outcome already. The world was hooked, and the wildfire had only started.
He leaned back, rubbed his jaw, and turned his chair toward Rachel.
"I'll check YT reviews in twenty-four hours," Alex said. "Let it breathe. Let them fight online and build the noise."
Rachel tilted her head. "Patience. Shocking. Should I mark that on the calendar?"
He smirked. "Do that."
She returned to scrolling through her files, but Alex was already pulling up Titan's official website. The front page was chaos in the best way possible. Three massive banners dominated the landing screen: SPAWN, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, and HELLBOY. Each linked to their sneak peek hubs. But what really mattered was the fan forum.
Alex clicked into it. The threads were exploding. Thousands of posts. He scanned the top-voted ones.
Thread 1: WHAT THE HELL IS SPAWN?
Poster: Deadpool_4_Life
"Bro. BRO. That trailer? That trailer was insane. Who is Spawn? Why is his face melted? Why are the chains moving like snakes? I don't even know this dude but I NEED the comic right now."
Replies stacked under it.
DarkLord95: "Never heard of Spawn before today. But this feels like Batman if he crawled out of Hell. Day 1 buy."
RetroKid: "Green fire looks cheap. Feels like Ghost Rider ripoff."
TitanFan88: "Shut up, idiot. This is original. Ghost Rider wishes."
Alex scrolled further.
Thread 2: TMNT TRAILER = PEAK
Poster: PizzaSlayer
"They made the turtles badass. Like actually badass. Not corny, or Saturday morning cartoon trash. Raphael looked like he's about to murder someone and I'm here for it."
Replies lit up with pizza emojis, gifs of the trailer cuts, and arguments over whether Michelangelo eating pizza while dodging cars was genius or cringe.
90sArcadeBro: "Shredder design is next level. He looks terrifying."
Skeptik1: "Idk… it feels too dark. Turtles should be funny."
SlimeGuy: "They are funny. One literally ate pizza mid-fight. You just don't have a soul."
Another thread was climbing fast.
Thread 3: HELLBOY. YES.
Poster: CrimsonRevolver
"That voice. That hand. That gun. I want this movie or comics, I don't care, just throw something at me. Who is Hellboy? Is he a devil? A demon? A superhero? I don't care. He looks metal as hell."
Replies flooded with fan art already. Someone had drawn Hellboy lighting his cigar with green fire. Another posted a sketch of Spawn fighting Hellboy. The culture was already colliding.
Alex allowed himself a small laugh. Exactly what he wanted. Unfamiliar names are becoming obsessions within an hour.
But then his eyes caught another headline climbing the forum charts.
Thread 4: SPIDERMAN SERIES???
Poster: WebHead2005
"Okay. Titan needs to stop playing. When is the Spider-Man series coming out? The movie was insane, but we need a full animated show. Stop making us wait."
The replies came in waves.
MaryJane420: "Yes. Give us an animated series. NOW."
OsbornCorpH8r: "If TMNT and Hellboy are getting projects, Spider-Man deserves top priority. Animated Movies are not enough."
VenomRules: "Not gonna lie. I still hate that he let the killer of his uncle live. That was trash writing."
That one had replies stacked under it.
ParkerFan: "It wasn't trash. It was character growth. He learned that revenge wouldn't fix anything."
SymbioteKing: "Nah. It was weak. Spider-Man should've destroyed the guy. Letting him live makes him soft."
TrueHero101: "You don't get it. That's the point. Spider-Man isn't The Punisher. That's why he's the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man."
Another thread added fuel.
Thread 5: Titan Comics = Changing the Game
Poster: PanelPunk
"Look at this lineup. Spawn, TMNT and Hellboy. And they already have like multiple series of comics running. This is insane. No company is doing this. But I wonder, does Alex Wilson ever sleep? I hope he doesn't burn himself out by overworking."
Replies bounced between excitement and skepticism. Some fans were praising the ambition. Others were muttering that Titan would spread itself too thin.
AllTitanSTARFIRE: "Wasn't there an announcement about the Teen Titans Go cartoon for kids? What happened to that? Is it still coming? My kids are pretty excited. PS: Me too."
ILRaven: "Hopefully, we'll get some news during this year's Comic Con. I heard Titan is hosting this year. Let's see..."
..
Alex closed the tab and looked at Rachel. She was stretching her arms.
"Talk to me," Alex said. "Progress on Teen Titans Go. And the Spider-Man animated series."
Rachel flipped a few pages in her binder, skimming through her notes. "Teen Titans Go is moving, but not as fast as we'd like. Voice-overs are about forty percent complete. Animation is still crawling at thirty percent. The team is good, but they're juggling a lot and took a break after the Spidey movie rush."
Alex tapped the desk lightly. "And Spider-Man?"
Rachel glanced back at her screen. "Season one, voice-overs are thirty percent finished. The real issue is animation. The main team is neck-deep in Titans. So I hired a new unit. They'll start on Spider-Man next week."
Alex nodded once. "Good call. Let me know after the project reaches around 80%."
Rachel gave a nod as she stood up. "Noted. By the way, I'll be gone for a few hours. Meeting with my contact about Channing." She walked over to him and kissed him on the lips.
"Take care," Alex said before giving a quick peck on her lips. "Ummm~ Cherry. Huh?"
Rachel chuckled a little before she walked out.
...
[1 PM]
Alex stretched, walked over to the corner cabinet, and pulled out a cup of noodles.
"My precious," He said with a large grin.
He filled it with boiling water from the new dispenser he set up that week, set it on the desk, and waited. The smell of chicken broth drifted up, warm and oddly comforting.
When it was ready, he broke the seal and stirred. He sat down, eating slowly, letting the cheap salt and MSG coat his tongue. The absurdity of it made him grin. Billion-dollar projects on one hand, yet nothing hit quite like a two-dollar cup of noodles.
He slurped another mouthful and leaned back in his chair. "Simple pleasures."
He pulled up the analytics again, watching the numbers climb in the background while he ate. But his mind drifted, not to work, but to the past. Long nights, cheap meals, scrambling to survive. The taste carried echoes of those days. Humbling, in its own strange way.
A knock broke his thoughts.
Alex set the noodles down and looked up.
The door opened slightly, and Halle Berry stepped in. She was dressed casually in a cream shirt tucked into fitted jeans and a loose blue jacket. She held her purse in one hand.
Her eyes landed on him, and she smiled when she saw the noodles. "Really? Cup noodles? That's what you're eating?"
Alex smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Don't judge. This is gourmet in some parts of the world."
Halle chuckled, closing the door behind her. "I thought the mighty Titan Studios boss would be eating steak flown in from Paris. Not something you can buy at the gas station."
"Oh, I love a nice steak, but this right here... This is the real me. There was a time I survived on this for months. I used to hit the supermarket's late-night stock clearance and hoard as much as I could," Alex said, remembering those past days. He picked up another bite, slurped it without shame. "Want some?"
"You bet I want," She said with a smile as she took a seat.
---
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