Incoming Calls I

Of course, after a while of ruminations, beach-gazing, juice drinking, and semi-mourning of an aberrant Mega Man...

The trusty DynaTac rang once again.

Bee...!

Before it could ring any further, Alexander was quick to receive the call and listen to what had to be said.

[Hello, little boss?]

Despite the choppiness of it, the familiarity of the voice could still be noted.

"It's me, Mr. Legalities." He replied. "Any news for me?"

[I've just returned from a trip and it's as projected, little boss.] The man dutily reported what he found out.]

[For various reasons and to various parties, Cadence is in the process of spinning off their conglomerate, and they sure do have quite a lot.]

[Curtis Circulation, Hudson Vitamins most known for their so-called Spider-Man chewables, Pencils and Stationaries, Plume and Atwood among other things.]

The whole of Cadence sure is into quite the stuff. Which happens to be quite obscure and none of Alexander's concern.

"What about Marvel?"

[They're ready to relinquish ownership of that as well.] Mr. Legalities added. [Technically it's both Marvel Comics and Marvel Productions that they have and what we're looking out for.]

"Well, Marvel Comics is the real prize. As for Marvel Productions..." Alexander noted about the recent failure of the My Little Pony movie and said. "...well, they are something."

"Regardless, are there any progress on both of them?" This was essentially what he was most looking forward to knowing about.

[Our team made our intentions clear from the get-go, little boss.] Mr. Legalities continued. [However, there are a few hiccups that I'd like to inform you about.]

That didn't sound so good but...

"Go on."

Mr. Legalities had a pause of hesitation for a bit but pulled through. [As it turns out, it's not just us that has intentions with Marvel. A production company called New World Pictures also entered the lobbying fray]

Alexander only hummed since it's New World, a company of the old timeline that's been attached to Marvel... at one point that is.

He also knew that as of current, they've got something New World Home Video, New World Television, and something along the lines of New World International.

Then again, Creed Entertainment was no joke.

"Is there anything peculiar about them? Like knowing Cadence beforehand or having already come into agreement with the Cadence higher-ups?" Of course, Alexander still had to watch out. Throughout this re-life, he noticed that fate was a tricky thing.

If New World is always meant to own Marvel at one point, he'd have to ramp up his gears to stop that from happening.

[None of that sort, little boss. We're all at the same starting point and my team is confident enough to beat them." Mr. Legalities appeased but also added. [It's actually the other lobbier that we're somewhat worried about.]

[For some reason, a man named Mr. Eisner was also taking part in it and really expressed his interest in taking Marvel into his fold.]

"Let me guess..." Alexander could only sigh at this development. A previous Marvel owner wasn't enough, another just had to pop up. "Disney, right?"

[Unfortunately, yes, little boss.]

For whatever reason, the House of Mouse did have its interest in sticking to whatever Creed is interested in.

After the silenced Tigger-Hobbes debacle, it would seem that they're at it again.

Which is also surprising in of itself.

The current state of comic books is in a downturn and comic book-based movies are not too good with the abysmal Howard the Duck.

Clearly, someone like Michael Eisner saw an opportunity in that. Probably from surmising Creed Entertainment's unperturbed attitude on the whole thing.

Yet Disney wasn't in his full control.

How could Disney attach itself to Marvel and how could Marvel attach itself to Disney?

It may have been resolved during the new century but not as of current.

The problem of "child-friendliness" and the Disney ethos is pretty much the barrier to it all.

With that considered...

"You did say that they are just hiccups though." Alexander reminded. "Mind telling me the end result of all of it? Don't dally this time please."

[Ehem... a preliminary agreement with Cadence had been arranged, little boss.] With that reminder, Mr. Legalities was sure to not dally. [Creed won out. The key to the matter is advantage, which Creed has a lot of.]

New World and Disney also had their corresponding advantages, however, Creed just had the edge.

[Also, it wasn't just Cadence that we've consulted. The whole Marvel side of things was strangely in agreement with our proposal. Something that the competition failed to take into account for.]

Of course, Mr. Legalities had doubts, so he probed. [Mr. Stan Lee and a Mr. Shooter seem to be quite on board. Quite on board that they mentioned you quite a lot, little boss.]

"That's nice of them, I guess."

Admittedly, Alexander did kind of influence them, but who's to know?

Stan Lee's, and even Shooter's, decision to take up his offer shouldn't be too unfounded.

Anyone else in his position would be spooked into agreement. He did go a bit too Godfather-esque, after all.

One has to admit that being able to list out a sequence of events even before it happens is pretty spooky.

It's as if everything was under the opposite party's control and Marvel could only bend at his whim.

Of course, someone like Stan Lee wasn't gullible enough to believe those crazy conspiracy theories of Alexander Creed having prophetic capabilities and whatnot.

When one just thought more about it, everything was done with analysis, timing, and very grounded predictions.

Without a doubt, Creed had prepared for this goal all along.

All the while that Marvel was thinking of overtaking Creed, Creed was actually plotting to do the same as well.

In either case, 'overtaking' had different meanings to them.

While Marvel had petty aspirations, Creed was more catered toward a grand ambition.

A grand ambition to swallow Marvel whole.

Besides, it shouldn't be too bad of a situation.

With one doing the same line of business and being superior at it, wouldn't it make sense to emulate it?

They already failed at the emulation part of it though.

And as they say... if you can't beat them, join them.

Either way, Alexander's attention was more on the finality of things.

"With all that you've discussed with Cadence, what's your estimate about when it will all wrap up?"

[If things proceed as planned, then everything should be settled this November at best, little boss.]

Alexander thought about it and that shouldn't be too long of a wait.

Ideally, he'd have preferred for all of it to be done and dusted as soon as this phone call was received.

Of course, with the long back and forths, negotiations, and merger agreements... that's just wishful thinking on his part.

"What about New World or Disney? Or Meddly Eisner? I sure hope that they're accepting of this already." Alexander sure wouldn't want annoyances like monopoly accusations and sore loser mentalities to delay anything.

[Our lead negotiator already took care of that, little boss.] Mr. Legalities added with a bit of delay.

Delayed cause another voice could be heard murmuring in the background.

[Uhm... on that note, he actually wants to personally talk to you about that."

"Lead negotiator?" Alexander wondered but then...

The voice on the other phone already changed.

[Top of the summer to you, little boss!]

And it just happens to be another familiar voice as well.

It was somewhat British and somewhat elderly.

[I'm just an elderly old man here, settling the Marvel deal for you.]

[Hehe! I want my commission but I'll waive the money part. What I want is just advice from you, little boss.]

[For you see, I have a little grandson as little as you.]

[He's worked for 7 months straight. Just this year and it's gotten a bit unhealthy.]

[So... I've asked him to take a vacation, relax, and enjoy some fun times with so few of what he could count as friends.]

[However, I just found out that he found a loophole in all of it. Phone calls, you see. Work calls, business calls, phone calls like this one.]

[Oh what can I do? What can I do? What can an old man like me do?]

"Sorry... the connection seems messy by the beach..."

And end call to abruptly cut it all off.

It would seem that he's been found out and who knows how long that would have taken to finish?

Of course, Alexander just sighed at his grandfather's long-distance sarcasm.

Was there a block number option on this ancestral phone?

Knowing the old man, there will probably be more incoming calls to come.