Miss.

November 23rd.

-Look, we had an adventure and we had fun, but I'm someone who likes to live in the moment. It was nice, but now I'm in a different country. I understand that it might not seem true to you, but I want you to respect my opinion, -  Claudia said over the phone.

-That's a lie, it's quite the opposite. You overthink everything you do at least twice, you don't like surprises much because they give you anxiety, and you're a terrible liar, - Billy exclaimed on the other end of the phone, his voice sounding a bit agitated and distant.

-Of course! Mr. Know-it-all has a lot to say about everything now. Go have fun with the cheerleading team. Do you think I wouldn't notice? You started jumping all over Alice the moment I left. She might be prettier than me, but at least you could pretend not to be so eager to deceive me with one of my best friends! - Claudia yelled into the phone.

-Those are baseless lies. Alice only shares classes with me, - Billy said.

-Well, now you're being cynical too. Screw you, Billy! I don't have to put up with your tantrums. Go be with whoever you want, just leave me alone, - Claudia shouted.

The phone line disconnected, and the repetitive beep sound echoed for almost ten minutes. He officially had a broken heart. The dark room settled into silence. He never does anything right; all his relationships end in bitter breakups...

-I think it's better to be completely alone, - Billy thought. Women only disappoint him.

He's tried calling whenever he gets a chance. What else can a guy do when he has to focus on working at a company, receiving reports from two other companies, doing his job as an artist, editor, writer, printer, and all the other nonsense it takes to make a comic? On top of that, dealing with school and the multiple assignments he's buried under.

Then there are the acting, dance, and theater classes. He's about to explode. He just wants someone who can understand him. He thought Claudia did, but now he's misunderstood everything. Love is so volatile at this age. Now he'll just focus on his work... Oh, work is such a nuisance.

Billy went downstairs to grab something to eat. His father hadn't arrived yet. He's also suffering the consequences of having a packed schedule with no breaks. Even ordering food is causing him discomfort in this situation.

He saw some precooked pasta, with five minutes of hot water he could have a good meal. He chopped up some peppers and fried two eggs; he needed to nourish himself properly. His mind was a bit jumbled.

Billy dedicated himself to drawing tirelessly, burying his concerns in a long night of sketches. He would only complete Evangelion for now. He infused a bit more sadness into the recreation of the characters, capturing the emptiness of Shinji Ikari/Khan Mito.

What are the characters' fears, especially the protagonists? It's a fear stemming from the void left by an absent father and a deceased mother. He's felt misunderstood since childhood. The despair of living in oblivion, loneliness, and sadness—these feelings highlighted the seven hours of hopelessness he felt after his disappointment. He endowed the character with ambivalence, framing the concept of suffering in silence as best he could, for Shinji is more resilient than in the original version; the unfounded fear is now developed in other ways.

He continued like this all night, detailing the characters on multiple occasions, and making lists of behavioral patterns.

He saw the morning light through the window. He had to go to school, but he didn't feel like it. He would just sleep today. So, he decided to sleep like a child, sprawled across the bed, without worrying about companies, studies, or anything he had to present. Let the warm rays of the sun wake him up in the afternoon, almost around noon. He woke up tired, took a shower, and saw it was 3:00 p.m. on the clock.

He headed to catch transportation to the company, grabbing his backpack with all his sheets. He would need to prepare everything for printing the four volumes he drew yesterday.

As he left his apartment, he remembered the essay he had to submit to his philosophy teacher. He would figure out what to do about that tomorrow.

Lux Comics had undergone a progressive renovation that left him satisfied with the results. The building had an impressive façade spanning an entire street, a four-story construction. The former two-story factory located in the front had been adapted to house the entire comic industry. The second floor housed numerous offices in an open space, enclosed by some glass-walled offices. Initially, there were many vacant rooms, but with the renovations, gradually all these rooms began to be used.

The supervisory sector is composed of two individuals: Dave, the inspector general, and Raimon, a machinery expert who oversees machine stability. They conduct quality control of the machines, ensure proper usage and printing quality, and maintain factory orders according to safety protocols.

The second group consists of the information analysts: Mr. Cloud, an information analyst; Lucas, formerly an assistant and intern at the company, now a full-time worker; and Austin, the new intern. They are responsible for reviewing all company information and assisting Anne in optimizing processes, reviewing expenses, and promoting projects.

Sarah Robles is the publicist who handles the company's advertising. She creates posters, flyers, and brochures, and collaborates with anyone willing to work with the company. She works in conjunction with the chief administrators: Jack Coman, Mr. Murphy, and Anne.

The company premises include rest areas, the main boardroom, the corporate boardroom, and Billy's drawing room. There is also a game room on the second floor equipped with arcade machines that were either purchased or donated.

On the first floor, there's a small café, a dining area, and an initiative to start a garden as a relaxation zone. Billy entered through the main door and climbed the stairs, visibly tired.

His drawing room is undoubtedly a reflection of the young man's mind—a large library filled with comics and manga. Papers are stuck to the walls, and a big table is occupied with scattered sheets. Every month, Anne forces him to clean it up. Numerous pencils, markers, inks, paints, highlighters, and everything an artist needs and more clutter the space.

The company's success lies in catering to the whims of the young man

Billy is an all-in-one artist—writer and scriptwriter, draftsman, illustrator, inker, colorist, letterer, and editor. No one has completed drawings as quickly as this young man has.

Anne appeared flustered.

-Your father is in the office, - Anne said.

Billy could only catch his breath and enter the room.

-Good afternoon, Father, - Billy said.

Thomas Carson was reading Billy's drawings, his coat spread out on the table.

-I wasn't expecting to see you so early. The new comic is undoubtedly interesting, - Thomas Carson said.

-Is something wrong? - Billy asked.

-That's right, Billy. Mike Richardson called on the phone not long ago and said he won't be renewing our distribution contract for the coming years. We had agreed on a four-year term, which means until 1992. Our company will be left without a distributor, - Thomas explained.

-Rejected us? There's no reason, we have a good relationship!- Billy exclaimed, somewhat surprised.

-That's what he said, young man. He mentioned it's due to business reasons. He fears our company might take over Dark Horse Comics and believes our series could conflict with his interests, - Thomas said.

-That's ridiculous. Did you manage to negotiate in any way? - Billy inquired.

-I did, but it wasn't very satisfactory. Mike demanded 55% of the profits, -- Thomas Carson said, his tone serious. -- Caught between a rock and a hard place, we can start selling, but after deducting 25% of the comic's costs, it's not enough to sustain us. -

The shadow under Dark Horse Comics is over. There are some good distribution companies that we initially didn't consider due to our limited recognition. But now, there are a few labels that might be interested in publishing our company, - Mr. Carson continued, sounding somewhat burdened.

-What will happen to the proposal of expanding alongside Dark Horse Comics in Canada and the UK? - Billy asked.

-Completely canceled, - Thomas replied.

-What could we do? - Billy wondered.

-Well, for now, let's assume that we'll have to do it all on our own. We can send periodic shipments to Ireland and distribute from there. Additionally, there's Luxembourg, Malta, and Belgium. We can test in each country to see the advantages and which one is more beneficial for us, - Thomas said.

-Do we have to do this, Father? I think it's better to focus our efforts in other areas, - Billy suggested.

-Why? - Thomas asked.

-Father, let another company handle the distribution. It's a risky and costly endeavor to start. However, we can open a branch in Ireland for Lux Animation, - Billy explained.

Thomas Carson hesitated. He sensed that something was missing, something his son wasn't telling him.

-What's going on, son? There's something you're not telling me, - Thomas said.

-Father, it's the internet. In the future, we'll dedicate ourselves to uploading our comics digitally. Investing in factories will only lead to losses. We can open a branch for Lux Animation just to gain some visibility, - Billy said, somewhat naively.

-The internet? -- Thomas questioned, clearly confused. -- What the hell are you talking about, son? -

-Ah, Father, it's that thing that would allow people to read comics digitally. Have you heard of Microsoft 3.0? It's got some useful features. Computers will take off in about two years, and web pages will become more popular. That's why I'm betting on those companies so much, -  Billy explained.

-It's not logical, Billy. Let's create the factories, distribute as best we can, and make money. Waiting for these machines to develop doesn't seem like a good idea, son, - Mr. Carson said.

-Don't worry, Father. We just need a distributor. Finding a distributor in Europe is the key, - Billy said, sounding quite disappointed. Mike's rejection perplexes him; they've been selling in large quantities, the company is doing well, and he's even managed to publish his drawings. He doesn't understand this behavior.

-Mike closed the door on us, so we'd better find another one that would help. We'll have to continue looking for opportunities, - Billy said. - What do you say, Father? Want to make another bet? -

-Make a bet? I have reservations about your plans again, - Thomas questioned.

-Turns out, I have a direct line to the casino that bets on sports games. We'll bet on the Red Bulls championship. I'm certain they'll win this year, just like Michael Jordan was the best player in the tournament, - Billy explained.

-We'll do it, but you should know that if you lose, your commitment to completing your business degree will be entirely on your shoulders, - Thomas stated.

-We'll do it. A $100,000 bet on the Red Bulls' victory is something that's going to happen, - Billy said.

-I'll make the arrangements and place the bet in Las Vegas, - Thomas replied.

-As for distribution, Father, we just need to continue with our work, - Billy assured.

-That doesn't justify the risk. I'll try to secure the contract for 1992 as soon as possible. It's better to be prepared, --Thomas said.  -- Oh, by the way, Billy, I received a call from your school. You missed classes. -

-Yes, Father, I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well this morning, and the day got away from me, - Billy explained with evident remorse.

-Don't break my trust, son. I hope this won't happen again, - Thomas warned.

-It won't, Father. Tomorrow will go on like any other day, - Billy promised.

The secret war between Disney and Warner has officially begun, with them cutting off development lines of Dark Horse Comics, along with Lux Comics.

...

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