December 31, 1994.

  Marvel was just a headache, a giant where opportunities seemed at risk due to the stant legal problems of the pany. Likewise, mere friendship wasn't enough for people; among animators, there was always a certain ambition, as demonstrated by Jim Lee himself.

  -The stock purchase must be made as soon as possible, - Billy ented on the phone, along with a drowning Raimon at his parents' house. Since December, he has been

  -I'll sider the purchases, but the situation is much more plicated than I initially thought. Moreover, if it's part of Wall Street, I see very few reasons to get involved. I know it's great, and the X-Men are one of the coolest series, but is it worth spending so much moo put out so many fires? It's almost irreverent. I see plications; we already have enough with Lucas oable, - Raimon ented, with despair, due to the many capital problems, faced with the many is he had ventured into between Lucasfilm and Lux Animation, just to iate.

  -You want to bet, I want to bet, - Billy replied perplexed, by the unpreted occasioed. - How would you solve a possible wsuit from artists many years ago? How would you gather the rights? -

  -In different ways, agreements, bonuses. If you have money, everything be solved, - Raimon ented, stroking his beard, sitting at the kit ter while his mother baked a chocote cake. With relish, on his left, he had a colle of Dungeons & Dragons magazines, w on the new Baldur's Gate game.

  -We'll do it; I agree. However, I want to buy Panini before the occasion. I have some magnifit ideas on how we make money, - Billy ented.

  -That's painful. However, I'll only meddle; we ime to finish our iments with Star Wars. Marvel seems like the disillusioned girlfriend, - Raimon said.

  -I uand. You're Team DC, while I prefer Marvel as a franchise. DC is impossible due to its closeo Warner, - Billy ented.

  -It's a shame you 't be part of my team. Batman is invincible. No character beat Batman, - Raimon ented.

  -I don't want to hurt any feelings. Say hi to your mother, - Billy replied, jokingly to Raimon, who had an obsession with Batman in many stories. Buying DC is quite plex; within his range of possibilities, he 't pete with Warner Bros., which has carried the franchise on its shoulders since 1969.

  Billy took a breath, from the office, he ended up drafting an essay on his new Digimon franchise, along with relevant ideas for Tamagotchi's involvement. He wondered about the Japanese lise, derivative work, along the union of ana toy pany. It's not profitable; it's better to follow Tamagotchi's strategy, outsource produ, and release the purchase in ic distribution stores, with minimal distribution.

  Digimon Tamagotchi, an eical product that doesn't require muvestment due to its simple design, be sold at a good price. Produ isn't plex, and the selling price it takes off is suffit, along with a proprietary version of Pokemon Tamagotchi. Choose your Pokemon as a marketing campaign. For now, the illustrations and operation are being done on a thiumber of sheets.

  The main brands are the three Kantionals, each Tamagotchi taining a uype. Green ones have grass-type Pokemon, red ones have fire-type, blue ones have water-type, and yellow ones have electric-type, while Digimon tains other patterns or characters. They choose between six to nine characters in one, but it's a bit more expensive.

  Is it bad to pete with your products? It doesn't matter; he just wants to promote his franchises. In subsequent years, the money from them will e by itself. For now, he hopes to dot the growth rate in Japan and stick to creating differeensible series that are lengthy.

  He stretched his arms and finished his break hour. His faithful bodyguard was on stage with his arms in the air. This time, he was apanied only by Erwin; the other two decided to take a well-deserved vacation from work.

  -We have a meeting, - Billy ented. - It seems the grandmother 't allow you to take a breath, like st time. e on, we have a Christmas party. -

  -I..., - Erwin began.

  -You have something to do. If you want, you tell me. I'll take a nap at my parents' house. I'll be with them until January 2nd, - the boy said to Erwin on the side.

  -I'll veh my granddaughter, - Erwin replied.

  -You're all set. The private travel pany gave me their number. Curiously, they're w today. They schedule a trip for you, - Billy ented. It was noon, and he likely wouldn't find the right spot.

  -I have everything arranged. I secured the perimeter, and I have a reendation with the state police. The numbers are saved on your phone, and if you pay proper attention, you'll be fine. I have a po cat two hours, - Erwin said.

  -Yoing to see yranddaughter without gifts, - Billy asked.

  Erwin blushed.

  -e on, we have a toy warehouse at the ic factory. We usually have many toys that haven't been dispatched yet. The st order we pced was for The Lion King. We have a batch we were supposed to deliver, but it seems there roblem with the shipments and requests. We have about 30,000 units in the warehouse, - Billy ented.

  Walking to the warehouse, both were lost ihoughts. Erwin was like a cold vas, but he had apanied him during Christmas. He probably didn't have the necessary time to perform. The warehouse was covered in many toys.

  -Look, we have a Woody, - Billy ented, handing it to him, looking for some Lion King plushies. -This will do, along with this and this, a plete colle of the three main characters, and a bame. -

  -Wow, this is... Quite something, - Erwin ented.

  -No problem. We pce orders from time to time. We have a stable retionship with some factories in a, Thaind, and Maysia, and it be outstanding for us,- Billy ented.

  -Thanks for the gifts. It's been a long time since I celebrated Christmas; I fot about gifts, - Erwin ented.

  The military haircut for the first time was seen, illuminated by a slight smile, a small glimmer.

  ***

  Billy took the car and dropped off Erwihe airport, taking a small detour to buy a personal-sized pizza to go. He o keep exerg, but he was exhausted. He felt some peace seeing that only a few streets remained before reag home. He took a deep breath. Eating pizza while driving was a habit he learned from Raimon. Upon arriving home, he was greeted by Helen Carson, who saw him from the kit table, and Richard Carson, who was taking a nap in a kit chair.

  -Grandma, it's good to see you, -Billy ented.

  -Where have you been, sweetheart? - asked the old dy with gray hair.

  -W, grandma. I 't afford to let my guard down for a moment, - Billy ented, grabbing some chips from the kit and receiving a sma the hand from his grandmother.

  -Wash your hands; I've prepared something for you to eat. You must be hungry for all the work you do every day. Don't worry; yrandma knew you were ing, - Helen ented.

  -Thank you, Grandma, - Billy said, looking at Livy with the twins in her arms. One was named Anne, and the other Andrew, a boy and a girl, the new addition. Anne's bright blue eyes were so simir to Ivanova's, how they illumihe room.

  -Livy, it's good to see you, - Billy ented.

  -Your father is in the back having a beer. He got a call half an ho and stayed there. You'll sleep on the couch, but your things are in the garage. You pick them up whenever you want, - Ivanova ented.

  Billy took a short trip to the garage to freshen up. His drawing room was taken over by Cudia, and his grandparents took over his guest room. The small studio was for the twins.

  The door to the guest room opened, and slender Cudia emerged. She was different; her once crooked teeth were now straight, and her ridiculous hairstyle had been repced by a fashionable ohat atuated her face shape. -Billy. -

  -Cudia, I heard you got into photography school, - Billy ented.

  -That's right. I'll take a course on human rights at the UN in Ju seems I'll follow in my mother's footsteps, though not as well as you, heartbreaker, - Cudia ented jovially.

  -Not something many know, - Billy said as he headed for the shower, feeling exhausted. He didn't have time to deal with strange women anymore. As he was about to ehe bathroom, he was stopped by a slight murmur.

  -The Davis sisters are ing. It seems they want to greet yrandparents. They have a good retionship! You should just know, - Cudia ented, with some doubt. They were kids when they met, but now that was all in the past, and Billy saw someone opposite to how he knew her, more rexed and calmer, than the furrowed brow when they were young. More imposing, filling the room. Everyoopped to look at him; a force ran through his entire being, more intehan Mr. Carson!

  New Year's festivities could never be calm. Now it was uandable why he wao keep w te. A quick shower, a sports shirt, a sweatshirt, and a neer in hand. Only the thump on his grandmother's table "no neers oable" stopped his reading of the year-end news, wonderfully, The Lion King was there as one of the best-animated films hailed by the public.

  -Son, I didn't expect to see you. I thought you'd work until te, - Richard Carson ented, sittio Billy, holding a bowl of chi soup.

  -I arrived half an ho. Even the employees wao go home! The best thing I could have done was close the pany early, - Billy ented about the security guards, operatives, and some security guards who could only reheir energy when Billy sent them home. Many were Ameris who didn't celebrate these holidays, but... what a beautiful moment to be with family.

  -Yrandfather appreciates you beioday. You only sted a week in Texas, now that you're a doctor, you're faithfully busy with your studies, - Richard Carson ented.

  -Don't mention it; you two are always a priority for me, - Billy said. - You move to my new house; it's delivered in January. -

  Richard's eyes widened. - Helen, dear, Billy has a new house, - he shouted from the kit.

  -A new house, how did it happen? - Cudia arrived to have lunch, grabbing a roll from the table.

  -Billy has a new house, - Helen said, happily.

  -It seems so, - Richard said.

  -Just a small apartment, nothing iing. However, I think, in the ing years, I might buy another ohe apartment is just temporary while I settle in a ve location, - Billy ented.

  -1200 square meters, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a Duplex apartment. I decorated it with your chubby friend. I got you some Batman curtains; I pyed along because of how stupid the superhero decorations turned out to be, - Ivanova ented, putting the twins in a high chair beside her. Both babies were tired, and their sleepy look was evident as they nodded off at the table.

  -Curtains... -

  -Curtains, rugs, beds. The walls were white, - Ivanova ented, gently stroking the twins.

  'She looks like a mother,' Billy thought, watg the woman. Cudia also helped, pig up Andrew from his chair aling him on her neck while she bed his few strands of hair, tousled.

  The boy's whimper didn't take long. The whispers were quieted, aopped to open his big curious eyes.

  -They 't sleep too much during the day. They take naps every five hours, but they've already been sleeping for an hour nht little Andrew? - Cudia ented. - They o get used to sleeping at night. -

  -I hought I'd get another joy of old age, - Richard Carson ented, stig out his to Ahey both started pying in a staring war. Thomas arrived at the table.

  -I'm gd you came, - he mentioned as he sat down.

  The festive day began.

  ...