"What's got you in a pause, grandpa?" Alexander asked.

"Oh... nothing much. Just wondering what you'd do next?" Old Sullivan explained his contemplation. "Your past few projects have been a resounding success in their own rights and I was also wondering how your little brain of yours has set them up?"

"What do you mean?"

"The success of Dragonball and the others can't be discounted but your Flawed Heroes protocol, Legalities protocol, and the 'Calvin and Hobbes' project pack quite some calculated punches." Old Sullivan explained. "They are even more than just simple haphazard responses to outside problems as you've put many other extra functions in them."

"Watchmen responds to the Alan Moore challenge but it also damages people's perception on DC's Mary Sue heroes." Old Sullivan read this 'Mary Sue' archetype from reading a magazine article that analyzes what Watchmen's implication was.

Of course, other articles helped Sullivan break down what Alex had done. "For the Legalities protocol that I suggested, you brought out Ace Attorney. A comic book that hits right where everything should hit and depictingly distort how you wish readers to perceive the multi-lawsuit situation."

"Well, there's not much needed to expound on the 'Calvin and Hobbes' projects as you've probably listed out the steps in which it needs to be conveyed." Although Old Sullivan was proud of all of these accomplishments, he still had to ask. "But... aren't you too prepared, Alex?! You're making me start to think that you are a super paranoid kid and you hide it behind your expressionless face and deep down inside your very core."

The old man's points made sense, however, Alexander wasn't really that much of a paranoid person aside from the 'chaos monster' trauma.

In any case, he had a proper reason for what the old man interpreted to be paranoia. "Isn't it better to be prepared than not? You're the one who taught me that?"

"True... that's true..." Old Sullivan felt he should pat himself for a business lesson well done, but... "But... didn't you say that those protocols are meant for other things? That's quite hard to believe given that multi-functional layering needs quite some ample time to prepare and strategize."

"Just did what I could to rise up to the equation." Anyways, Alexander was code-savvy by past-future profession and just integrated it into his creator and business endeavors.

While the output of artists is largely from inspiration and businessmen conduct their strategies by analyzing many pros and cons, a programmer's coding methods just put an extra procedural methodology to it.

Codes are matters of logic, command, and excelling appropriation in Alexander's perspective.

Each trouble that arises in the grand design of things need to be mitigated with extremely accurate and appropriate means that would hopefully excel in its effect.

While businessmen and creators treat problems with business adjustments and creative outbursts, programmer Alexander has his twist on it.

In any case, he found balance in the three fields and made do with the synchronicities that come with it.

"You could say that it's optimizing the impromptu." Alexander added. "Although I had other original plans for the protocols and projects you singled out, this Plan B usage still worked out quite well for each of them and it was more than what I hoped to expect."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"What were Watchmen, Ace Attorney, and 'Calvin and Hobbes' originally meant for then?" Old Sullivan was now curious. "I do know that they fit in a certain scheduling of yours but what could their respective Plan A's be?"

"Well, didn't we chuckling-ly envision that we buy the Big Two as a joke?" Alexander explained with mirth. "When we became owners of DC, Watchmen was sort of my commemoration as the little boss and to convey my plans for how I want the DC characters to be portrayed under my belt."

Old Sullivan could only chuckle at that. The two of them did mention in their business 'meet-and-teach' that DC and Marvel would be Creed Comics' imprint.

Although this ambition was mentioned as a joke, none of the two Creeds dismissed the idea to only being humor though. It may as well be one heck of a strategic target.

Marvel and DC ownership hopes aside, Old Sullivan was now more curious about the other's original path. "What about the rest then?"

"Well, 'Calvin and Hobbes' was something I always considered to be our newspaper and print media advancement." Alexander explained. "However, I hoped to launch it when the Back to the Future movie needs some help on the publicity side of things. Anyways, starting it last April is a welcome change in schedule as we could help hype the film much earlier with our now accumulated newsprint connections."

Old Sullivan could only listen in and ruminate at his little grandson's over-consideration of many things. Did this come naturally in their family line and just abnormalize when it came to little Alex?

Alexander had no clue about his grandpa's ruminations and just went on. "As for Ace Attorney, I planned it to be a tripartite for a comic universe I planned to launch. It's just a work in progress though."

"Oh... I'm listening." Old Sullivan was intrigued. He wasn't really comic-inclined but he had turned into one now. A comic book universe headed by his grandson, the ultra-established Creed creator, would no doubt be exciting for everybody in the comic book industry.

"With Ace Attorney Wright heading the Legalities protocol, there would be a detective field counterpart by a "death-bringing" Kid Detective protocol. As for the semi-criminality point of view for this comic book universe, a thief with magical flair should work like the Magic Thief protocol." Alexander expounded. "But as I said, it's a work in progress with an addition or a subtraction that might come up."

Old Sullivan didn't care much for the other kinks but he asked with expectation. "Does that mean that your May and onwards releases would either be one of those?"

"I would like that as well but it's best to suspend new productions for a while." Alexander could only have some regrets about this. "As for the reason, I'm sure you already know."

Of course, Old Sullivan knew as well. He was there when Mr. Legalities reported how much of the legal scene have been riled up by the enemies once again.

Although the attackers were mostly quiet on the publicizing part now, they seem to be much livelier on their lawsuits.

Even Ace Attorney was being sued for being a story that put the respective companies, people, and parties in a bad light.

The Creed duo was not sure what the trigger for their newfound enthusiasm was... but they were sure that they were roping in other parties to attack 'Calvin and Hobbes' as well.

A fencing player this time around was the Peanuts owner who sued for Calvin and Charlie Brown's likeness while Hobbes was targeted by Tigger under the banner of Disney.

A big player was playing along and the famous Eisner at its helm must want some momentum to establish his position to grow Disney from its Walt-less depressing state. Perhaps the major Disney minds don't know about the lawsuit at all but there should be some layout of Disney on the entire thing.

"What an irritating bunch of leeches that just leech to whatever we throw out!" Old Sullivan could only grumble. Even something like 'Calvin and Hobbes' was attacked, so Alex's next bunch of projects would be compromised.

In any case, Old Sullivan's interest in what his always-busy grandson would be doing from the hiatus scenario. "What are you going to be doing the next few months then? It's not like you to be idle or maybe you should take this time to be idle and relax."

Of course, Alexander has a solution for that as well. "The month of May and onwards is long grandpa. We have other projects in long development and I want to meddle around when I'm relatively less busy."

It is not like Alexander's life would always revolve around releasing new comic books or creative projects after all.

Seasoned Hayao's animation projects have already jumped up from the storyboarding and pre-production phase, so the dubbing process and the necessity of sound should be on the May agenda.

Like Bizarre March and Easter April, Alexander had already labeled the new protocol-less month as 'Musical May' for the sake of designation.