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Chapter 196 - New talents for Comic Con & an explosion...

Here you go, another one. Total: 4k words. C'mon guys, more powerstones pls. 

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Next was April.

The door clicked open again, and April O'Neil stepped inside. She looked smaller than Alex expected, her frame lean from long shifts on her feet, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She clutched her bag against her chest like a shield, her Starbucks uniform long traded for simple jeans and a white blouse.

"Sit," Alex said, gesturing to the chair across his desk.

She nodded quickly and sat, her back stiff, eyes flicking nervously toward him.

"April O'Neil. Twenty years old. Former barista, part-time model." He glanced at her file. "Your career started good, getting your name up in the top 10 isn't a small task, but things didn't work out. If I were to guess, you got one of those usual offers from the studio that launched you, didn't you? You refused, and they made your life harder. You thought about giving up before the letter came, didn't you?"

Her lips pressed together before she gave a small, honest nod. "Yes. I… I was ready to quit. Nobody was calling me back. My parents said it was a waste of time and I ain't earning much. My manager at Starbucks laughed when I said I wanted to model. I was just… done. I'm so desperate that I was ready to do a camgirl thing and felt stupid to refuse the previous offer."

Alex leaned back in his chair, folding his hands. "And yet you're here."

April gave a small, shaky smile. "Because of you. Because someone thought I was worth more than spilled lattes and fake smiles."

"Worth more, yes," Alex said evenly. "But a dream doesn't hand itself to you. You'll sweat for it. You'll fight for it. And in this studio, only the strongest rise. I'm investing in four of you. At the end, only one will land a role in my upcoming movie. The others will keep modeling contracts, but only one gets that leap."

April blinked, her stomach flipping. "Wait… a movie?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed. "A role. It's not guaranteed for you. It's a competition. Performance, discipline, growth. Whoever proves themselves will earn it."

April sat frozen for a second, her hands gripping her bag tighter. 'A movie? He's saying I could… I could act? This can't be real.'

Alex reached into his drawer, pulled out another folder, and slid it across the desk. "Here's the contract. Two years. Fifty grand a month. A car. Health insurance. Exclusivity with Titan. And your first gig: Wonder Woman cosplay at Titan's Comic Con."

April's hands shook as she opened it, her eyes widening as each line burned into her brain.

'Two years exclusive? Fifty thousand dollars a month? A car? Medical insurance? This… this is insane. I've never seen numbers like this in my life. Is this even legal? This is… it's too much.'

Her eyes hit the last line: First gig: Wonder Woman cosplay at Comic Con.

"Wonder Woman?" she asked, her voice breaking into a small laugh of disbelief.

"Yes," Alex confirmed. "This is your stage. Take it."

April stared down at the papers again, her breath quickening. She could see her old self mopping up coffee stains, scraping for tips. Now here was Alex Wilson offering her the kind of stability she never thought she'd have.

She looked up at him, eyes wide, trembling with the weight of it. "I… I'll sign it. I want this."

Alex slid the pen toward her. She signed.

"Good," He said simply. "Welcome to Titan, April."

She nodded quickly. "Thank you. I won't let you down."

..

Next...

Bobbi walked in with a dancer's poise, her posture perfect despite the sweat still clinging faintly to her skin from the morning's practice. Her brunette hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she wore simple streetwear over her athletic frame. She didn't fidget. She didn't glance around. She looked Alex dead in the eye as she sat down.

"Bobbi Starr," Alex said, skimming her file. "Backup dancer. Twenty-three. You've been grinding, but you know as well as I do that path doesn't lead far."

Bobbi crossed one leg over the other, voice cool. "That's why I'm here. I don't want to fade into the background anymore."

"Good," Alex said. "Because fading isn't an option here. I'll tell you the same thing I told the others. Four of you are being signed. Only one of you will be cast in my upcoming movie. The rest will model, but this is a competition. Do you understand what that means?"

Her jaw tightened slightly. "It means I have to fight for it."

Alex nodded once. "Exactly." He slid the contract folder across the desk. "Two years. Fifty thousand a month. A car. Medical insurance. Exclusive to Titan. First gig: Magik cosplay at Comic Con."

Bobbi's eyes flicked over the papers, her hands tracing the edges of the folder as she opened it.

'Fifty grand a month? A car? Health insurance? Two years exclusive? No scandals allowed? This is too much… I've been living paycheck to paycheck, doing side gigs just to cover rent. This is… unreal. It's like a cheat code for life.'

She paused at the cosplay note. "Magik?"

"Yes," Alex said. "My team will mail you with the necessary information on the character. All you have to do is get yourself familiar with the character."

Her lips curved faintly, the first hint of a smile breaking her stoic exterior. "Alright. Sounds good."

"Well, at least you look confident, that's a plus in my book. But we'll see soon enough what you are capable of," Alex said with a smile.

Bobbi stared at the signature line, her pulse hammering. She thought of the cramped dressing rooms, the cheap managers, the offers that would stain her before she even had a chance to shine. Plus, no stripping involved. This contract was salvation.

She picked up the pen and signed without hesitation. "I'm in."

Alex gave her a small nod of approval. "Welcome to Titan, Bobbi."

Bobbi stood, folder in hand, a new fire in her eyes. She left the office with the confident stride of someone already stepping into a bigger world.

The assistant's voice followed: "Megan Fox? Mr. Wilson will see you now."

...

Megan stepped into the office. She looked nervous and gorgeous. Way better than the plastic version Alex knew from his past life. This time, he has the power to change that, and he is going to use it.

Alex told her to sit and explained the contract to her, just like he did with the previous girls.

Two years. Fifty grand a month. A car. Medical insurance. Exclusive to Titan. And a chance to get a role in Alex's movie.

First gig: Black Cat cosplay at Comic Con.

Megan's fingers tightened on the folder as she read.

'Two years? Fifty grand? A car? Health insurance? No scandals? This is… impossible. I've been begging for roles where I don't even get a name, and now… this? And Black Cat? This is it, Meg. Your first chance to step into the big game. With the upcoming Spiderman anime coming up and the rumors of movies, if I can crack this one, I might just get the chance to become one of the leads.'

Her heart pounded. She thought of the auditions where they never looked at her twice. Of the whispers telling her she wasn't enough. Of her cat at home, curled up on the floor beside her, the only witness to her laughter when she read the invitation.

Megan picked up the pen. Her hand shook, but the signature came out clean.

'This is my chance. I'm not going to waste it.'

She closed the folder and met Alex's gaze. For the first time all morning, there was no hesitation in her voice. "I'm in."

Alex leaned back slightly, the faintest smile playing at his lips. "Good. But remember... this isn't a gift. You're competing. Four of you signed today. Only one of you will get cast in my upcoming film. Work harder than the rest if you want that spot."

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[Later that noon]

As planned, Alex was about to meet up with Angelina and Halle for lunch, but things didn't go as planned. On the way to the restaurant...

Alex stopped at a school zone. There were kids everywhere, crossing the road as usual. Today was probably half day. So, he waited.

Suddenly, his survival instinct flared. It was unlike before when he faced those goons with guns. This was on another level. He couldn't tell what or where the attack was coming from. There were too many cars and people... kids...

Bullets? Sure, he can dodge any day. But what if it's an explosion? With such a tight space, if anyone was targeting him or someone else around that place might use explosives.

'Gang war?! Or... A fucking terrorist attack in a crowded area?'

"Where the fuck are you motherfucker?!" He mumbled under his breath.

BOOOM!

For a moment, everything blacked out. He felt the world slow down as usual, but this time, something was different. The intense heat and pain...

Alex squinted his eyes, trying to regain his focus. His ears were ringing like hell and his ribs ached. He could taste blood in his mouth. There was smoke everywhere. The car on his right was burning.

It exploded.

To make things worse, his car was burning.

People screaming...

Alex ripped his seat belts off and tried to open the door, but it was stuck, so he kicked the windshield hard enough for it to shatter and somehow dragged himself out. Then another explosion followed. The car behind his burning car exploded.

The shockwave sent him flying a few feet back.

He watched people running, caught up in the explosions, burning... dying.

The guards assigned to Alex quickly grabbed him and were about to put him into the SUV, but...

"Those kids..." Alex pointed at the unconscious kids on the ground. "Save them. We got enough cars. Get them to the fucking hospital. NOW! This is an order."

He ran over and picked up two kids and then ran to the SUV. Their parents looked at Alex. They were still in shock. "Get that ass moving. C'mon. No time to daze around." He yelled.

His guards followed to help them.

The parents felt a jolt as they came back to their senses.

Thus, the sudden rescue mission began...

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[5 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers] [No double billing.]

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