….
After discussing a few more logistical details - tentative release schedules, soft launch partners, and the inevitable leak-proofing of [Spider-Man: Web of Destiny], the energy in the room slowly began to taper off.
The big decision had been made, for now, at least, Regal had done what he came to do.
He stood up without fanfare, sliding the sketch back into his coat like it was never meant to stay on a boardroom table too long.
Carrow nodded once, Tolliver offered a more personal farewell - just a quiet 'Good luck'.
And Stan? He just smiled.
Regal wasn't quite finished though.
Before leaving, he addressed something lingering in the air, which wouldn't be in the film.
He admitted the script wasn't finalized yet, but the structure was clear in his head. Then he dropped the first major divergence: this Spider-Man wouldn't shoot webs from his wrists.
Instead, he would build his own web-shooters, tech-based.
But that wasn't the point.
It was never about the webs.
It was about creative license.
A signal that this adaptation wouldn't be a page-by-page homage.
It would break from the comics, at times boldly, he needed them to understand that now, not later.
And Stan wasn't the kind to push back against change.
He had worked with Regal long enough to recognize when something was coming from instinct rather than ego.
Just like always, Regal reached the door, cracked it open—
Then paused.
Turned back around.
Tolliver and Carrow looked amused…
But Stan narrowed his eyes, already suspicious.
"Not again." Stan muttered. "What are you pocketing this time? I have cleared this room of all vintage posters and company antiques."
Regal blinked, genuinely confused - or pretending perfectly.
"What are you even talking about?" He asked innocently. "Anyway, I forgot something important, I have a 'dude' in mind for Peter and I think he could be perfect."
That landed harder than expected.
Tolliver and Carrow exchanged looks.
That was no small announcement, casting Spider-Man meant choosing the face of the franchise.
Studios usually leaned toward familiar names, or well-connected faces.
"How's he?" Stan asked, trying not to sound too cautious.
"I am confident you will like him." Regal said. "But I won't finalize anything until you have seen it for yourselves."
Stan nodded. "Fair, so when do we get the bound script?"
Regal hesitated. "I would like to say soon… but I don't want to rush this. So, for once, I honestly don't know."
That line surprised them more than anything.
Regal not knowing? Not having a deadline?
That could only mean one thing.
He was taking this one personally.
And when Regal slows down, it usually means he is building something… dangerous.
"I might prep for a test shoot." He added casually. "If you are unsure about the 'dude', that might help."
Carrow leaned forward, already intrigued. "We would definitely prefer that."
Regal finally left the office for real this time…
He took a slow breath, slid his phone from his coat pocket, and stepped into the elevator alone.
As the elevator doors closed, he dialed a number from his contact list.
[Spidey]
It rang twice before a voice answered, smooth but slightly hoarse.
"Hello, Director Regal…"
Regal smiled faintly, eyes scanning the numbers above the elevator. "Yeah... you can speak properly? You are holding up a lot better than I thought you would."
There was a pause, a dry one.
"Director Regal? Are you really making fun of me right now?"
"I was." Regal said bluntly. "But you are no fun, that wasn't the expression I was expecting."
Andrew chuckled quietly, then sighed. "Actually, I wanted to visit you after [Harry Potter] came out, but… everything looked like it was all over the place for you. Thought I shouldn't disturb you."
Regal shook his head slightly, stepping out of the elevator and into the parking level. "Nah, don't worry about that, let's talk more after we meet, things are starting soon."
A small silence stretched between them, friendly but loaded.
Regal kicked a stray can near the curb.. While Rock to his side unlocked the car. "Anyway… how is the old man? Still breathing? Still yelling?"
From the other end, a very familiar shout burst through the phone.
"I said you can only talk for ONE minute, and it's already over by a few seconds, so get your ass here RIGHT this moment! And I DID hear what you said, brat!"
Click–!
"...." The line went dead
Regal stared at the phone, then broke into a crooked smile.
"Still yelling." He muttered, tossing the phone onto the dashboard and sliding into the passenger seat.
Rock, already behind the wheel, turned the key without a word, the engine roaring to life.
They drove off into the city dusk.
….
The door to the old converted studio opened with a metallic creak, the scent of sweat, rubber mats, and polish hanging in the air.
"Regal!"
Andrew practically leapt forward, arms wide, voice fast, breathless with excitement. His hair was slightly longer, messier, and his whole frame moved like a livewire.
"Holy crap, man, [Harry Potter], I swear, I watched it four times already! Genius! Also - Ross! Ross is a maniac. He had me jumping through flaming hoops, literally, one time, I was half-dead! He made me hang upside down while reciting Shakespeare! Can you believe that?"
Regal didn't speak, he walked around him instead.
One hand in his coat pocket, the other holding a water bottle he hadn't opened, his eyes trailed Andrew's posture, shoulders, legs.
He circled, inspecting, not like a friend, but like someone observing a specimen for a purpose.
Andrew didn't even notice, he kept going, voice full of kinetic energy.
"I have been doing stunts too, like, real ones! I almost broke my wrist on the parallel bars, but I didn't fall, and I even started movement classes, full-on dance and acrobatics, and—"
Regal suddenly spoke.
"Take off your shirt."
Andrew stopped and blinked.
"Oh, yeah, sure - take off my shirt, of course." He said lightly, chuckling as he began unbuttoning the top.
Then he froze.
"…Wait, what?"
Regal raised a brow, deadpan.
"I said take it off, I want to see how your body turned out… after all that blood-sweating effort you have been putting in."
Andrew blinked again. "Oh, right, I mean - yeah, sure."
He pulled the shirt off, slightly hesitant but not self-conscious, his torso now exposed under the studio lights, no longer boyish, but far from bulky.
A cut along the lower ribs, tension in the arms, the kind of shape that looked like it was sculpted by movement, not weightlifting.
Regal nodded faintly.
"…Not bad." He said. "I told you not to bulk up, but the muscle tone's starting to show, when did you start focusing?"
Regal was getting all the updates on his training from Samantha every now and then… But he asked anyway.
Andrew scratched his neck. "About three months ago? Before that, it was just bodyweight, gymnastic drills, and like… cardio, now I am mixing more core, more dynamic stuff, Ross had me on a strict regime - yoga, mobility, all that."
Regal circled him once more, slower this time.
"Good." He said softly, almost to himself. "Keep that pace, you are still about a month behind where I want you, but it's… close."
Andrew beamed, shirt still in hand.
"You really think I am getting there?"
Regal didn't smile, but his voice dropped just a bit, gentler.
"You are getting somewhere."
And that, from him, meant more than applause.
While Andrew seems to be happy… with that.
Regal wasn't done though, his fingers twitched slightly, eyes narrowing as the system flashed quietly in his mind, showing updated status details for Andrew.
===
[Name:] Andrew Garfield
[Traits:] Empathic Mirror, Adaptable Physique
[Acting Grade:] A -
[Unique Skill:] Threadwalker
Allows the user to intuitively "follow the emotional thread" of any scene, grants uncanny foresight of emotional beats and how to embody them. Especially powerful when under the direction of someone with visionary-level instinct.
===
The moment Regal finished scanning, a strange sensation tightened in his chest.
Something like pride… and something else.
Investment, this guy wasn't a project anymore, he was becoming something Regal could believe in.
Regal suddenly took a few steps back, one, two, three….
Andrew straightened instinctively, spine stiffening, shirt still off from earlier, he blinked.
"Uh… something wrong?"
Regal didn't respond, he was already tilting his head, squinting with sharp focus.
He closed his eyes, then opened them.
Not out of habit - but intent.
Because lately, some parts of his system, especially after his recent [Screenwriter] skill upgrade to [World Class] combined with his [Director] skill at the same class, had felt like the hidden features of… that were passive before, he could trigger it at his will…
When did he start feeling that way…
It is just now, he was confident he could do it - he just doesn't know why though.
He did.
A low pulse ran through his vision like a lens snapping into clarity, and in that moment, as he looked at Andrew—
He saw him.
The Spider-Man.
Red and blue suit, angular webbing wrapping the chest, wind cutting past as the masked figure stood atop a tower, then leapt.
And—
Andrew gasped.
Just for a heartbeat, he locked eyes with Regal, and something flashed.
Like the echo of a dream passing between them.
And suddenly, Andrew saw it too.
The red-blue suit, the webbed insignia and a dizzying leap off a cliffside tower.
The rush of wind and the terrifying, groundlessness beneath his feet.
It was so visceral, he nearly lost his balance, legs buckled and he collapsed to one knee.
Regal reacted instantly, running to catch him. "Hey, hey, what happened? You alright?"
Andrew clutched his knees and shook his head slowly. "I am okay… I just saw something weird, like a… red and blue suit and I was falling off a cliff, or jumping. I don't know, it was—"
"—a vision?" - that made Regal freeze for a moment.
It was the exact same vision he had just had.
His fingers tightened slightly on the bottle he handed over.
What the hell was that?
The system had never done that before, never shown someone else what he saw.
This… this was new, and external.
He didn't say anything yet, just watched Andrew, who was sipping the water slowly, still visibly rattled.
But Regal knew one thing for certain.
Whatever just happened - it wasn't imagination.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
Author Note:
Visit Patreon to instantly access +1 chapter for free, available for Free Members as well.
For additional content please do support me and gain access to +12 more chapters.
--> p@treon.com/OrgoWriters