[Titan HQ – Executive Office, 9:14 AM]
A warm stream of morning light poured through the tall windows, casting a golden glow over the long glass table where two cups of half-drunk coffee steamed next to a stack of files. Alex leaned back in his chair, sleeves rolled, thumb tapping lightly against the table's edge. Rachel sat across from him, tablet in hand, her dark blazer thrown over the back of the chair, hair pinned up.
They were in full war-room mode, but the battlefield today was casting.
Project: Spider-Man (Animated Series)
Release Target: Fall 2006
"Alright," Rachel said, scrolling through the shortlist. "Evangeline's locked. Silver Sable's voice is clean, confident, and sharp when it needs to be. She nailed the tone."
Alex nodded, lips pressed in focus. "Now let's sort out the rest. Start with Peter."
Rachel tapped a few names, and a trio of headshots appeared on the screen.
"Okay, we've got:
Josh Hutcherson: young, fresh voice, already had a few teen drama credits.
Logan Lerman: newer, more natural tone. Bit of awkward charm.
Andrew Garfield: new and young, did a few theater and small roles in a few teen dramas.
"Garfield," he said after a few seconds. "I've seen him act before. There's something raw in his delivery. Less polished, more real. He sounds like a kid who's smart enough to build web-shooters but dumb enough to fall headfirst into everything else."
Rachel nodded. "Agreed. Logan and Josh get callbacks. Andrew's locked for Peter Parker."
"Wait! Add Logan and Josh for Flash and Eddy," Alex said after going through the character roster.
"Good call," Rachel tapped her screen, adding a quick note. "Alright," she continued. "Next batch. You want villains or love interests?"
"Start with Norman," Alex said.
Rachel pulled up the next set of profiles.
Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)
Willem Dafoe – Haunting, theatrical, iconic.
Dennis Quaid – Charismatic but with an edge.
Kevin Bacon – Slick, calculated, smooth menace.
"Dafoe," Alex said without hesitating. "It's him. It has to be him. His expressions and voice are madness."
Rachel gave a tiny approving smirk. "Locked."
Mary Jane Watson
Jessica Alba – Already has star power and a nice voice.
Rachel McAdams – Girl-next-door energy.
Mandy Moore – Sweet, clean tone but might lack bite.
"Jessica," Alex said. "Her star power will earn more public attention."
Rachel added the note. "Alba locked. McAdams and Moore for alt."
Gwen Stacy
Emma Stone – Sharp, witty, fresh.
Amanda Seyfried – More classical tone, emotionally soft.
Kristen Bell – Light and fast, maybe too bubbly.
"Emma," Alex said. "I've heard her audition. There's a spark in her voice. She'll be perfect."
Rachel's eyes flicked up. "Alright. Emma is locked in. Maybe we can use Amanda's voice for Black Cat in S2?"
"Good call," He gave her a thumbs up. "Next is..."
May and Ben Parker
Sally Field – Soft but wise.
Tom Hanks – Old friend and veteran, won't say no.
Bryan Cranston – If Hanks is busy, Cranston's our guy.
Rachel raised a brow. "Tom Hanks voicing Ben?"
"Everyone cries when Uncle Ben dies," Alex said. "Might as well bring in a god. And Sally Field for May."
Rachel laughed, typing fast.
Doctor Octavius
Alfred Molina – Veteran, layered, perfect if he's willing.
John Malkovich – If we want to make him darker.
Stanley Tucci – Controlled, calculating, subtle.
"Go with Molina," Alex said.
Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson – The only choice.
Keith David – Backup if the budget screams.
Rachel didn't even ask. She just locked Sam.
Black Widow (cameo)
Scarlett Johansson – Keep her connected to the Titan Universe.
Milla Jovovich – Too recognizable, could steal focus.
"Scarlett," Alex said. "One scene. Let it simmer. As for Jovovich, add her for the role of Screwball."
"Good call," Rachel quickly tapped her tablet.
Betty Brant
Megan Fox – Newbie. Perfect start for her career breakout.
Eliza Dushku – Could work, but might be too intense.
"Megan Fox. I've seen her. She has a beautiful voice and face. And she's a complete newbie. If this works out, we'll add her to the official roster of the live-action movie series."
Rachel nodded, "Always helping others have a career break, huh?"
"What can I say? I can't just let talent go to waste. You already know how terrible the audition process is compared to what we have here. Those people take advantage of newcomers, and if things don't go their way, they simply push them aside. You saw what happened with Angelina, Halle, and JLo," Alex replied with a sigh. "Anyway, let's move on to the next one."
Iron Man (Cameo)
Robert Downey Jr. – Just a teaser scene.
Jon Hamm – Considered, but lacks the bite.
"RDJ," Alex said. "He's rebuilding his career. Might as well, lend him a hand, and I've got a feeling that he'll be perfect for this role."
Rachel tapped her screen one last time. The casting notes slid into place, a neat, color-coded confirmation of something game-changing.
She looked up. "You just cast half a decade of pop culture."
Alex leaned back again, finally lifting his coffee.
"Well, we are creating the biggest series this world has ever seen and experienced. After all, this is nothing compared to what I've planned."
With the main characters locked in, it's time to add the side characters. They spend till evening, finalizing every single character.
[6:37 PM]
Alex stood near the window, arms folded, as he looked out over the city. He wasn't lost in thought; he was scanning, measuring, and projecting. Every choice he had made today served as a foundation stone for something bigger.
Behind him, Rachel was still at the table, stylus flying across the surface of her tablet as the casting spreadsheet finalized and filed itself. Color-coded cells blinked into confirmation. Roles, rates, contract statuses, and contingency plans are all locked into place.
Alex finally turned.
"Get the contracts prepped," he said. "All of them. Offers, NDAs, voice licensing, options for sequels, renewals, the works."
A few hours later...
Rachel worked with their lawyers to draft the contracts with ironclad NDAs and sequel clauses, slid into encrypted folders. She exhaled and leaned back, cracking her knuckles.
"All contracts prepped," she confirmed. "Legal will have physical copies printed and ready by tomorrow morning."
Alex nodded, his gaze flicking to the ceiling for a second like he was aligning timelines in his head. Then his attention snapped back to Rachel.
"Since we're dropping Alien on January 1," he said, "I want to know who we're up against. Pull the slate."
Rachel swiped, tapped, and then flipped her tablet around to show him the breakdown.
"Here's what we've got in the first quarter," she said, highlighting each title in order of release.
January 6: Hostel
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Gore porn. Low-budget, high shock value. Eli Roth. Not exactly a threat in terms of story or craft, but it'll ride off the shock headlines."
Alex remembered that in his past life, Hostel 2006 earned around 82 million against a budget of 4.6 or 4.8 million dollars. But that might change because this time, Alien will be up against it, and considering the movie, plus SJ's and his reputation, he was confident that his movie would do great.
"Well, no worries there. What's next?" He asked.
January 13: Glory Road
"True story basketball drama," Rachel said. "Underdog story. Disney's pushing it with that 'inspiring family' angle. My insiders say there were some problems behind the scenes and some rewrites. I think we have nothing to worry about there."
Alex dismissed it with a wave. "Yeah, that won't go well for them. We're fine."
January 27: Crank
"Jason Statham. Fast-cut edits. High-adrenaline chaos. Guy has to keep his heart rate up or he dies."
Alex let out a soft laugh. "It's a Red Bull commercial disguised as a film."
Rachel grinned. "Fun ride, but not up to our level."
February 10: Final Destination 3
"Okay," she said, pausing slightly. "This one's worth watching. Franchise horror and big death scenes. Clever kills. I liked the first movie."
Alex nodded slowly. "People love that series. Heck, even I like this series."
"It'll open strong," Rachel agreed.
"Yup!"
February 17: Firewall
"Harrison Ford," she said. "Cyber-heist thriller. Family held hostage, he has to outsmart hackers. Generic title. Trailer didn't test well."
"Skip it," Alex said. "Unless he punches someone through a firewall, it's a snooze."
February 24: Nanny McPhee
Rachel tilted her head. "British magical nanny movie. Emma Thompson. For kids."
Alex blinked. "Yeah. Definitely not a threat."
Rachel flipped the tablet back around and locked the screen. "That's the field. No direct competition. There are a couple more, but we are good. Only Final Destination 3 might give us a little clash."
Alex turned toward the windows again.
"Alright," he said. "We're going to own January. I don't want any delays or problems. Press runs start in a week. Drop in a couple of teaser cuts and a second trailer. Full trailer re-released in 4K across IMAX circuits the week before Alien opens. And I read the reports on our Titan theatres, how about we start with a soft opening with this movie?"
Rachel already had the notes up. "We'll take care of that. No need to worry. So, what about King Kong?"
"Push it to March or April," Alex replied after thinking for a bit. "And tell the marketing team to drop little teasers and start creating the hype. I gave Peter the full freedom and more than his asking budget. I wonder what he cooked up."
"I'll report after checking in with his team," Rachel said as she closed her tab and stretched her arms. "Phew! I guess that's it for today."
"Yup!" Alex walked over to her and leaned in closer.
Rachel closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers.
They kissed.
It started softly. Rachel leaned into him, her lips parting slightly as Alex's hand slid to her waist, then lower, pressing her onto the couch. Her fingers curled in his shirt, pulling him in. His other hand moved to the back of her neck, steady but not rough, anchoring her as he deepened the kiss.
She flipped him over, and they fell on the floor. She straddled his hips and continued to kiss.
Her breath hitched when his hand slipped lower, cupping her ass, pulling her hips against his. She let out a soft sound, something between a sigh and a moan, and kissed him harder. The tension of the long day, the casting war room, the careful control they both held so tightly... all of it cracked at the edges.
Rachel finally pulled back just enough to look at him. Her eyes were half-lidded, lips slightly swollen, breath still shallow.
"What was that for?" she asked softly.
"Just wanted to taste your sweet lips. I love your peach lip gloss," He whispered before she kissed him again and pulled back.
Her hands were still resting on his chest. She felt the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed the side of her jaw before saying. "I was thinking. You should clear your schedule next week."
She raised an eyebrow. "Why? You planning another war room?"
"No. I'm planning a date."
Rachel's mouth twitched into a grin. "Like... a real date?"
Alex nodded. "Yup! You and me. We are going to skydive."
"You aren't kidding, right?" She asked with her eyes slightly widened.
"Nope. I was planning to do it for a while now, but never got the time. So, yeah, I'm dragging you with me for this adventure," He replied with a smirk.
"Sky, clouds, rushing wind, and a dash of adrenaline... I love you so much," She leaned in for another hard kiss.
...
[Alex's Penthouse – 7:42 PM]
The smell of garlic butter and sautéed mushrooms filled the space, layered with hints of sugar, vanilla, and something slightly burnt.
Caroline stood at the stove, barefoot, dressed in a blue loose shirt and short jeans. She was focused, flipping a perfectly seared steak.
"Okay," she said, eyes narrowed, "we have medium-rare locked. Garlic mashed potatoes are on standby. Broccolini crisping in the oven. And the reduction sauce is not burned. For once. I guess all those cooking lessons are paying off. We are going to impress Alex so much tonight."
Across the kitchen island, Max was elbow-deep in a bowl of melted chocolate. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, with smudges of flour on her apron. She licked a spoon, grimaced, and added another splash of vanilla extract.
"You know, if we die tomorrow, at least we'll go out full and slightly caramelized," Max muttered.
Caroline glanced over. "Please tell me you're not still thinking about the supermarket guy."
"I'm not," Max said quickly. Then paused. "Okay. I am. But only a little. I mean, c'mon, it was our first real psycho-stalker moment. He had a gun and yellow teeth. Plus a creep. That haunts me."
Caroline set the steak on a cutting board to rest. "We've survived worse. Remember the rat-infested bakery apartment?"
Max pointed her spatula at her. "Yes, and those rats had more manners than that creep."
"Hey, ladies, care to open the cupboard and let me sniff some air, a little quick, yeah?" A lecherous voice came from one of the top cupboards.
...
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