Dick Cook entered Alex's office with the careful confidence of a man who had spent decades walking into rooms where billions of dollars were discussed politely.
He wore a dark suit, carried a leather folder, and brought the calm confidence of Disney with him. The kind of confidence that came from decades of family entertainment, theme parks, princesses, animation, television, and a logo that still made half the world feel eight years old.
Alex stood from behind his desk and offered his hand. "Dick Cook. Good to finally meet you properly."
Dick shook his hand firmly, eyes moving once across the office before returning to Alex. "Alex Wilson. I'd say the pleasure is mine, but at this point, I think half of Hollywood wants to say that and the other half wants to throw something at your head."
Alex smiled and gestured toward the chairs. "That depends on whether they're holding a contract or a box office report."
Rachel stood near the side window with a tablet tucked against her arm, watching Dick the way a sniper might watch weather conditions.
Alex sat in his chair and leaned back, relaxed enough to look casual and alert enough to miss nothing. "So, Disney comes to Titan during a recession. Either Bob Iger wants a miracle, or Mickey Mouse finally needs a favor."
Dick chuckled and placed his folder on the desk. "That's the thing about miracles, Alex. You seem to manufacture them in bulk."
"Usually with caffeine and insomnia," Alex said.
Dick opened the folder and pulled out a clean proposal packet with Disney's logo on the front. "I'll get straight to it, because I don't think either of us benefits from dancing around the subject."
"I appreciate that."
Dick slid the packet across the desk. "Disney wants Marvel."
'HELL NO! Bastards fucked up Marvel in the future. There ain't no way I'm letting that happen in this reality too.' Alex thought.
He knew the downfall of MCU under Disney. Those bastards kept churning out nonsense series filled with woke agenda and politics with a dosage of bad CGI. They destroyed the interest with She-Hulk, Ironheart, Secret Invasion, The Marvels, Ant-Man 3, Captain America: Brave New World, Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and so on. But did they release good ones? Yes. Like, Daredevil, Echo, Deadpool & Wolverine, Spider-Man. But still, the damage was already done. Fans will never forgive Disney for destroying Iron Man's legacy with a series like Ironheart and turning Hulk into a weak moron.
Alex did not touch the packet right away. His eyes dropped to it, then lifted back to Dick's face. Rachel's expression did not change, though her fingers shifted once on the edge of her tablet.
Dick continued, carefully choosing each word. "We're prepared to make a serious offer for one hundred percent of the Marvel intellectual property library. Characters, publishing rights, film rights, television rights, animation rights, merchandise rights, licensing, games, future derivatives, and associated brand structures."
Alex's smile grew faint. "You came all the way here to buy my children."
Dick gave him a calm look. "I came here because Disney believes Marvel can become one of the most valuable entertainment libraries in the world with the right long-term stewardship."
Alex finally picked up the proposal packet and flipped it open. He scanned the first page, then the second, his expression staying unreadable. "Long-term stewardship. That's a very Disney way of saying you want to put Spider-Man on lunch boxes next to Mickey."
Dick did not deny it. "Lunch boxes, films, shows, theme park attractions, music, games, publishing, global licensing. We know what to do with family-accessible intellectual property, and Marvel has the kind of reach that could define the next generation."
Alex turned another page, then stopped when he reached the number.
He looked up. "Five billion dollars."
Dick nodded once. "Cash and structured stock options can be discussed, but the headline figure is five billion."
Alex placed the packet down with almost insulting gentleness. "That's a cute number."
Dick's eyebrows rose slightly. "Cute?"
"Adorable, really," Alex said, folding his hands loosely on the desk. "Like a tiny little mouse walking into a dragon's cave with a shiny coin and big dreams."
Rachel held her smile.
Dick leaned forward, still composed. "Five billion is not tiny by any traditional measure."
"No," Alex said. "By traditional measures, it's enormous. By Marvel's future value, it's a polite greeting card with a number written inside."
Dick expected resistance. He had prepared for it. Still, there was something frustrating about watching Alex discuss billions like they were parking tickets.
"We're definitely aware of the potential," Dick said calmly. "That's precisely why we've made such a serious offer. We recognize that Spider-Man has really shifted the landscape. We see the power of the publishing side, and we understand the merchandising opportunities. What's more, we know that for large libraries to truly reach their full value, they require extensive distribution networks and strong brand management."
Alex tilted his head. "You're making a good case for why I should keep owning it."
Dick smiled faintly. "You already have more than any one man can manage forever."
"That keeps being said to me by people who want the things I manage."
"You're running film, television, animation, books, comics, clothing, drinks, hotels, consumer products, and now you're building both superhero universes at once," Dick said. "At some point, partnership becomes more valuable than control."
Alex tapped the Disney packet once with his finger. "Partnership is one thing. Selling Marvel is another."
"So, the answer is no, I assume?" Dick asked.
Alex finally reached for the proposal, flipped the first page once, and set it down again with very little interest. "I am not interested in selling Marvel."
Dick had expected resistance. He had not expected the answer to come that quickly.
"Not even a discussion?" Dick asked, still calm. "We could have a proper board meeting and if you want more, we can discuss that. Maybe we can come down to an agreement like film rights for a limited time."
Alex's eyes lifted. "You can discuss anything. You can discuss buying the moon if the table is expensive enough. That does not mean the moon is looking for new management."
Rachel looked away for half a second, probably to hide the smallest smile.
Alex opened the drawer beside him without answering. He took out a thick file with a white cover, tapped it once against the desk to straighten the pages, then slid it across to Dick.
Dick looked down at the title stamped across the front.
Disney Channel Franchise Acquisition Proposal
His smile disappeared by a fraction.
Alex settled back into his chair, much more comfortable now. "Funny thing about timing. I have been planning to come to you for a while, but I've been busy with Spider-Man, Supergirl, Maleficent, The Hobbit, fatherhood, recession damage control, and ten thousand people needing answers before breakfast."
Dick opened the file slowly. "What exactly am I looking at?"
"A counteroffer," Alex said. "You came here to buy Marvel. I ain't interested in selling Marvel, but I sure do love to buy the entire Disney Channel franchise library."
Dick looked up from the page. "The entire Disney Channel library."
"The major franchises, attached rights, merchandising, music where applicable, future films, spin-offs, licensing, and character exploitation," Alex said, his tone smooth enough to make the words sound less aggressive than they were. "Hannah Montana, High School Musical, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Wizards of Waverly Place, Kim Possible, That's So Raven, Phineas and Ferb, and other active and archived Disney Channel properties connected to that audience lane."
Dick stared at him for a second, then gave a small laugh that carried more disbelief than amusement. "You want Disney Channel."
Alex nodded toward the file. "According to my knowledge, the combined value lands around six billion dollars. Hannah Montana and High School Musical carry the heaviest weight because they are monsters in merchandise, music, television, touring potential, and brand loyalty. Wizards and Suite Life have room to grow. Kim Possible has animation and action potential. Phineas and Ferb is young, but I like the bones. The rest fills out the shelf."
Dick flipped through the pages, and the deeper he went, the less he looked like a man hearing a joke. The file had charts, audience data, merchandise estimates, music revenue projections, international syndication possibilities, theme product licensing, talent attachment risks, and a full integration plan under Titan Youth Entertainment.
Rachel had to admire the timing. Alex had walked into this meeting with recession reports still warm on his desk, then casually pulled a loaded cannon from a drawer.
Dick closed the file halfway and looked across at him. "Disney Channel is not for sale."
Alex gave him a pleasant smile. "Neither is Marvel."
The words landed cleanly.
Dick leaned back, studying Alex with fresh caution. He had walked into the room expecting ego, maybe arrogance, maybe a young emperor unwilling to part with his favorite crown jewels. What he found was worse. Alex had been waiting for a door, and Disney had politely opened one from the wrong side.
Alex continued, voice easy. "You offered five billion for Marvel because you know the next decade belongs to franchise ecosystems. I agree. That's why I want Disney Channel. You have the strongest young audience pipeline in television, and you are sitting on music-driven franchises that can print money across concerts, albums, movies, games, fashion, school products, and live events."
Dick tapped one finger on the file. "And you think Disney would hand that over to Titan."
"I think Disney is looking at a recession, tightening markets, investor anxiety, expensive operations, and a changing youth audience," Alex said. "I also think Disney believes superheroes are the next mountain, which is why you are here asking me to sell the mountain I already own."
Dick's eyes narrowed slightly.
"My counter is simple," Alex said. "I will pay six billion for the full package listed in that file. You want more, give me a number."
'Damn it! Our estimation was around four billion. But six... Looks sweet. But this isn't a decision I can make alone.' Dick opened the file again, this time reading slower. "This would remove several of our strongest teen and family brands from Disney's future programming slate."
Alex nodded. "Correct."
"That would damage Disney Channel's current identity."
"I think we can do better than what Disney is doing. Anyway, there's no rush. Take your time, discuss it among yourselves and let me know if we can make a deal. The cheque is blank," Alex said as he leaned forward. "All you gotta do is put a number."
"Very well," Dick said after thinking for a bit.
He was thinking about getting rid of an entire family section and shifting that manpower and resources to create their own superhero franchise. Not to mention, Alex's offer was too good to ignore.
He stood up and took the files. "I'll discuss this with the board and get back to you soon."
With that, they shook hands before he left.
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