[Titan HQ LA] [Alex's office]
Alex sat in his chair. His attention was fully on Zack Snyder, who sat across from him.
He didn't waste time.
"So I'm just going to say it straight," he said, leaning forward slightly as his fingers tapped once against the desk. "How do you feel about taking over DC and building a cinematic universe from the ground up?"
Zack raised his eyebrows slightly. This was no longer a casual meeting. He leaned back and took a slow breath as he thought about the importance of what was just shared with him.
"That's… not a small question," Zack replied, his voice measured. He rested his forearms on his thighs, hands loosely clasped. "You're talking about shaping an entire universe. Characters, tone, long-term arcs. That's years of work and a lot of pressure tied to it."
Alex nodded once, like he expected that answer. He turned the tablet that was in front of him around and slid it across the desk, though Zack didn't pick it up yet.
"I've got the vision," Alex said, his tone steady. "I know where every major character goes. I know how the arcs connect, how the Justice League builds, how it all pays off. I already mapped out phases, key storylines, even the emotional beats that carry everything forward."
Zack's eyes flicked down briefly to the tablet, then back up to Alex, more focused now.
"But I can't do it alone," Alex continued. "I'm already handling Marvel on one side, Titan's production pipeline on the other, and everything in between. If I try to direct everything myself, something's going to break. Either the quality drops or the timeline collapses. I'm not interested in either."
Zack gave a small nod, understanding that part completely.
"So I need people who can actually bring that vision to life," Alex said, his gaze locking in now. "People who can take what's on paper and turn it into something that feels real, grounded, and bigger than just another superhero movie."
Zack finally reached for the tablet, glancing at a few pages. Concept art, notes, structured timelines, script files and character lists with potential actors for the roles. Everything was perfectly structured.
"And that's where you come in," Alex added.
Zack leaned back again, exhaling quietly as he set the tablet down. He ran a hand over his beard, thinking it through instead of rushing to answer.
"That's a serious responsibility," Zack said after a moment, looking back at Alex. "You're basically handing over the visual identity of an entire universe. If it goes wrong, it doesn't just hurt one film. It affects everything connected to it."
Alex didn't interrupt. He let that sit.
Zack continued, his tone more grounded now. "Fans have expectations. Studios have expectations. Once you start something like this, you don't get to half-commit. It has to be consistent, it has to evolve, and it has to hold together across multiple films."
Alex leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"Do you think you can handle this?" he asked with a serious expression. "Not just directing a film, but creating something bigger. Something that lasts."
Zack held his gaze, no hesitation in his eyes this time, just focus.
"You're asking if I can carry a universe," Zack replied, a faint smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm asking if you can build one," Alex corrected, not missing a beat.
Zack let out a short breath that almost turned into a laugh, then shook his head slightly like he was accepting the challenge in real time.
"That depends," Zack said, leaning forward now, matching Alex's posture. "How much freedom do I get?"
Alex's smile came slowly, but it was there.
"Enough to make it yours," he said. "Not enough to lose the core of what we're building."
Zack nodded once, like that was exactly the answer he needed.
"And the scripts?" he asked.
"I'll handle the backbone," Alex replied. "Story direction, major arcs, character foundations. You shape how it feels on screen. Tone, pacing, visual identity. We build it together, but you lead the execution."
Zack sat back again, quieter now, letting the weight of it settle properly this time. Then he looked up again, decision made. "Alright," he said simply, a small but confident smile forming. "Let's build something people won't forget."
Alex leaned back in his chair, satisfied, like a piece of a much larger puzzle had just clicked into place. "Good," he said as he opened his table drawer and took out a contract. He slid it over to Snyder. "Your contract. Your first movie will be a Superman movie. I'll start DCU with Supergirl. After that, you'll take the helm."
...
[2 Months Later]
[July 1 — Alex's Estate. NY]
Morning sunlight spread across the massive glass windows of the new estate, filling the living space with a warm, quiet glow. The house finally felt lived in now. Shoes near the entrance, a baby blanket tossed over the couch, half-finished coffee cups sitting where conversations had paused and never resumed. Everyone has moved in except for Chloe. She still has some loose ends to tie up.
Alex stood near the kitchen island, scrolling through updates on his tablet while holding a mug in his other hand.
Across the room, Scarlett leaned back on the couch, legs stretched out as she watched a news segment playing on the TV. A headline about Lucy flashed across the screen again, this time with numbers that made the anchor raise their voice slightly.
She smirked and shook her head. "They called it a slow start. Now suddenly everyone's acting like they knew it would explode."
Alex glanced up briefly, a faint smile forming. "That's how it always works. People wait for proof, then pretend they predicted it."
Scarlett tilted her head toward him, amused. "You didn't doubt it for a second, did you?"
He set the tablet down on the counter and took a sip of his coffee. "C'mon, honey. Me and doubt? We don't go together," he answered simply.
On the other side of the room, Max sat cross-legged on the couch with a small notebook in her hands, flipping through pages filled with scribbles, lists, and crossed-out ideas. She looked different lately. Still sharp and sarcastic, but more focused in a way that showed up in small things.
Caroline sat beside her, peeking over her shoulder with way too much interest. "You've written your weight down five times today."
Max didn't even look up. "That's called tracking progress. It's what responsible adults do."
Caroline smiled brightly. "You've changed."
Max flipped the page and grabbed a pen. "Don't get used to it."
Caroline leaned back, clearly entertained. "You made me throw away your entire stash. I feel like that deserves some clapping and head pats."
Max paused for a second, then pointed the pen at her without lifting her head. "First of all, you didn't throw it away. You buried it like it was a fallen soldier."
Caroline nodded proudly. "With respect."
Max muttered under her breath, "You gave it a funeral speech."
From the kitchen, Alex let out a quiet chuckle as he picked his tablet back up.
Near the window, Halle Berry sat comfortably with baby Asher resting against her shoulder. She moved slowly, gently rocking him while watching the others interact. There was a softness to her now that hadn't faded since his birth.
She looked toward Alex. "He slept through the night."
Alex looked up instantly. "Seriously?" He came back from LA this morning, so he has no idea.
Halle smiled faintly. "Mostly. He woke up once, but it was quick."
Alex nodded, clearly relieved. "I'll take that as a win."
Asher shifted slightly in her arms, letting out a small sound before settling again.
From the hallway, Evangeline walked in, tying her hair up as she glanced around the room. "I just got off a call with Peter," she said. "He's already deep into prep for the next Hobbit film. Looks like I won't be relaxing for long."
Max glanced up briefly. "Yeah, welcome back to chaos."
Evangeline smiled lightly. "I don't think we ever left."
Scarlett muted the TV and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Angelina's still on set?"
Alex nodded. "Final sequence. It's the biggest part of the film, so they're taking their time."
Scarlett exhaled softly. "I kinda miss her when she isn't around."
Alex nodded. "Me too. She'll be back in two or three more weeks."
The room settled into a quieter rhythm after that.
...
[Later that day] [Alex's office, NY]
The screen in front of him showed multiple project timelines running side by side.
DCU planning.
Marvel updates.
Titan production schedules.
Everything is moving at once.
He leaned back slightly, running through the structure in his head.
Supergirl was already in motion. The shooting starts tomorrow morning.
Superman would follow.
Then Batman.
Then the rest would start connecting.
The office door opened, and Rachel stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
"Legal pressure is working," she said, walking toward the desk. "Nvidia and AMD are both responding, but they're on the defensive. A few more months should be enough to mess them up for good."
Alex finally looked up, his expression steady. "Good."
Rachel put a file on the desk. "The internal cleanup is finished. There are no more leaks and the development process is going smoothly."
He nodded once.
Rachel studied him for a second. "You've been splitting your attention a lot lately."
Alex leaned back in his chair. "I'm managing."
She didn't argue, just acknowledged it with a small nod.
...
[4 PM] [Titan Game Studio] [New York]
Screens lined the walls behind glass panels, showing live builds, debug logs, and environment renders in progress. Alex walked ahead without slowing down, Rachel keeping pace beside him as they moved straight toward Travis Owen's office.
Inside, Travis sat hunched over a dual-monitor setup, one screen filled with code and the other running a paused in-engine scene. He didn't notice them at first, too focused on adjusting something in a lighting panel until Alex knocked lightly on the open door.
Travis turned, blinking once before pushing his chair back. "Oh. Boss and Rachel. Didn't expect you today," he said, standing up quickly as he brushed a hand through his hair.
Alex stepped in, glancing briefly at the screen before looking back at him. "Figured I'd drop by and see where we're at. Eight months in, I want a real picture, not just reports."
Travis nodded, already shifting into work mode as he grabbed a tablet from his desk. "Fair enough. We've got a lot to show. It's still early, but the foundation's solid," he said, motioning toward the main screen as he tapped a few commands.
The display changed from static panels to a live build. A character stood inside a spaceship interior, clean but still clearly in development. Lighting flickered slightly in places, textures still missing polish, but the structure was there.
Alex stepped closer, eyes scanning the scene with quiet focus. "Walk me through it," he said.
Travis leaned forward and took control. "Core systems first. We've locked in the engine build and pipeline. Everything's running on Titan's custom framework now, so we're not dealing with third-party limitations. That slowed us down in the beginning, but it pays off long term," he explained as he moved the camera through the environment.
Rachel crossed her arms, watching the movement carefully. "And performance?" she asked.
"Stable in controlled environments," Travis replied. "We're hitting consistent frames on internal rigs. Open-world scaling still needs work, but that's expected at this stage."
Alex nodded once, then pointed toward the character. "Movement feels tight?" he asked.
Travis switched to a short demo, guiding the character through the ship. The motion looked smooth, responsive, though still missing some weight in transitions. "We've got the base locomotion done. Running, aiming, and cover system. Combat prototypes are functional, but not final. Right now it's about getting responsiveness right before we layer in complexity."
Alex watched for a few seconds, then stepped back slightly. "Story integration?" he asked.
Travis tapped again, pulling up a dialogue system test. The scene shifted to a conversation between two placeholder characters. Dialogue options appeared on screen, branching slightly depending on selection.
"We've got the dialogue framework built," Travis said. "Branching paths, choice tracking, consequence flags. It's not fully integrated in the game yet, but the system works. We've added about thirty percent through the main script in the game so far."
Rachel tilted her head slightly. "Only thirty?" she asked.
Travis didn't flinch. "For something this scale, that's actually on track. We're building multiple arcs, not just one linear story. Decisions ripple forward, so everything has to be mapped carefully."
Alex leaned against the desk, thinking for a moment before speaking again. "What about world design?"
Travis smiled faintly, like that was the part he enjoyed most. He switched the screen again, this time showing a rough planetary environment. Terrain stretched out under a half-finished skybox, structures placed in early block form.
"We've got three major locations in early development. One city hub, one hostile environment, one exploration zone. None of them are polished, but layout and scale are locked," he explained. "Art teams are building assets while level design refines flow."
Rachel shifted her attention back to Travis. "What's behind schedule?" she asked directly.
Travis exhaled once, honest about it. "AI behavior. Enemy patterns are still basic. Companion systems are in early testing. Also voice casting hasn't started yet. We wanted the systems to be stable before bringing actors in."
Alex nodded slowly, absorbing everything. "And if I asked you right now… are we on track?" he said.
Travis met his gaze without hesitation. "Yes. But it's tight. If we rush, it'll show. If we stay disciplined, we can hit something special."
The room went quiet for a second.
Alex pushed himself off the desk and walked closer to the screen again, watching the character stand inside the ship. He didn't say anything immediately, just observed like he was already picturing the finished version in his head.
Finally, he spoke. "You've got the bones. That's the hardest part," he said, then glanced back at Travis. "Don't chase perfection too early. Lock systems, then build on top of them."
Travis nodded. "That's the plan."
Rachel stepped forward slightly. "Resources?" she asked.
"We're good for now," Travis replied. "Might need to expand the AI team in a couple of months."
Alex didn't hesitate. "You'll have it," he said.
Travis let out a small breath, tension easing just a little. "Appreciate that."
Alex turned toward the door, already shifting mentally to the next task. "I'll come back in another couple of months. Next time I want to see combat fully playable and at least one location close to visual target," he said.
Travis nodded again, more confident now. "You will."
Rachel followed Alex out, closing the door behind them as they stepped back into the hallway. She glanced at him briefly. "You think they can pull it off?" she asked.
Alex didn't slow down. "Yeah," he replied simply. "They just need time… and a bit of pressure."
Rachel allowed a faint smile as they walked on.
--
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[4 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers]
+ [Reborn in Castle: 25 chs] + [Modern Family: 4 chs]