Chapter 20: The Nemesis Dealer
The flyer appears on Tuesday.
Someone taped it to my front door, right at eye level. Bold red text, impossible to miss:
TIRED OF OVERPRICED COMICS? VISIT MARCUS'S COMIC EMPORIUM BETTER SELECTION • BETTER PRICES • BETTER SERVICE We actually know what we're doing
The last line feels personal.
I pull it down, walk inside where Leonard's already setting up for Wednesday night. He sees my face.
"What happened?"
I hand him the flyer.
"Oh. That's not good."
"You know Marcus?"
"Big shop in Glendale. Been around for years. Aggressive businessman. Why's he targeting you specifically?"
Before I can answer, Marcus himself walks through my door.
I recognize him from industry events—tall, expensive suit, the kind of guy who treats comic retail like corporate warfare. He surveys my expanded shop with obvious calculation.
"Stuart Bloom. Finally meeting the competition."
"Marcus. Can I help you with something?"
"Just wanted to see what all the fuss is about." He picks up a comic at random, examines it with exaggerated scrutiny. "The Walking Dead investment everyone's talking about. The 'legendary instincts.' Cute little operation you've got here."
The condescension drips.
"Thanks. We're doing okay."
"For now." He sets down the comic. "But let's be realistic. You've been open what, six months? Got lucky with one investment? That's not sustainable. You're in over your head."
Leonard tenses beside me. I touch his arm—wait.
"I appreciate your concern," I say evenly. "But we're doing fine."
"I'm offering to buy you out. Fifty thousand for inventory, customer list, and lease rights. You walk away with a profit before this whole thing collapses."
"Not interested."
"Seventy-five thousand. Final offer."
"Still not interested."
His smile goes cold. "Your funeral. Just remember I offered fair terms before you fail."
After he leaves, Leonard explodes.
"What an asshole! He can't just—we need to—"
"Leonard. It's fine."
"It's not fine! He's actively targeting your business!"
"Which means I'm a threat. If I wasn't, he wouldn't bother."
"That's—" Leonard stops. "Actually, that's a good point. Huh."
By Wednesday, the gang's in full defense mode.
Sheldon arrives with a presentation.
"I've analyzed comparative advantages between Stuart's shop and Marcus's Comic Emporium. Stuart's location has superior parking-to-foot-traffic ratio. Marcus's inventory, while larger, lacks curation. Furthermore, Stuart's community engagement—tournaments, events, personalized service—creates customer loyalty that Marcus's volume-focused model cannot replicate."
"Did you make a PowerPoint about why my shop is better?"
"Nineteen slides. Would you like to see the data visualization?"
"Later. Maybe."
Howard's already mobilizing online.
"I'm starting a rumor campaign. Nothing illegal, just strategic truth-telling. Did you know Marcus got cited for fire code violations last year? Public record. Very shareable."
"We're not starting a rumor campaign."
"Too late. Already posted in three comic forums."
Raj offers the nuclear option.
"I can perform a curse. Hindu tradition, very effective against business rivals. We'll need—"
"No curses!"
"But the gods favor—"
"Raj. No."
Leonard's the most practical.
"You need a strategy. Not rumors or curses—actual business strategy. How do you compete with someone who has more money, more inventory, and apparently no ethics?"
Good question.
Marcus has advantages. Bigger space. Larger inventory. Years of customer relationships. More capital.
But I have something he doesn't.
Future knowledge.
I spend Wednesday night after everyone leaves planning my counterattack.
The tingle guides me. Images flash: titles that'll spike in the next six months. Events that'll drive traffic. Connections I can leverage through the Magnetism power.
I make a list:
Stock the future hits: My memory shows me what's coming. Captain America #25 (death of Steve Rogers) drops soon—I'll order heavy. Same with Batman #676 (start of Grant Morrison's Batman R.I.P.). These will be huge.Improve the calendar: More events, better organized. Tournament series, not just one-offs. Creator signings for up-and-coming artists who'll be big names soon.Leverage industry connections: The Magnetism power's been bringing people to my shop. Time to formalize those relationships. Get exclusive variants. Early access to hot releases.Service over volume: Marcus competes on selection. I compete on knowing my customers, building community, making the shop a destination.
It's not petty warfare. It's building something Marcus can't replicate with money alone.
Thursday morning, I implement phase one. Place orders for titles I know will spike. Email industry contacts about exclusive signings. Draft tournament schedule for the next three months.
Friday, Marcus's flyers appear on cars in my parking lot.
Saturday, I host a tournament that draws fifty participants—double our normal turnout. Word's spreading that something special's happening at Stuart's shop.
Sunday, I get a call from a comic journalist wanting to interview me about "the new wave of community-focused comic retail."
By Monday, Marcus's flyers are in my trash can where they belong.
Wednesday night, the gang reconvenes.
"Marcus hit back," Howard reports. "Price slashing, targeted ads, the works."
"Let him." I'm restocking shelves with the new inventory—all titles my memory says will be valuable. "He's competing on price. I'm competing on experience."
"The Taoist approach," Raj observes. "Yielding overcomes resistance."
"I was thinking more 'community trumps commerce,' but sure, Taoist works."
Sheldon examines my new inventory selection.
"Your ordering pattern has shifted. Previously you focused on proven sellers. Now you're investing heavily in titles with uncertain market performance." He pulls out Captain America #25. "This storyline hasn't generated significant buzz yet. Why bulk order?"
Because in two weeks, Steve Rogers dies and this becomes one of the most sought-after issues of the decade.
"Instinct," I say instead.
"That word explains nothing."
"Best I've got."
Leonard joins us, carrying pizza boxes.
"You really think you can outlast Marcus?"
"I think Marcus has a bigger shop. I have better relationships." I gesture at the gang, at the expanded space filled with gaming tables and event areas. "He can compete on volume. He can't compete on this."
"This being friendship?" Leonard sounds skeptical.
"This being community. People don't come here just for comics. They come here because it feels like theirs. Because they're part of something. Marcus can't buy that with bigger inventory."
"Sentimental but potentially effective," Sheldon concedes. "Studies show community engagement increases customer lifetime value by—"
"Sheldon. Just say you agree."
"I agree your strategy has merit."
We eat pizza in the expanded shop—my shop, with space for everyone now. Outside, Marcus is probably planning his next move. Let him.
I'm playing a different game.
He thinks it's about who has more inventory, better prices, bigger space.
But I know something he doesn't.
In this universe, in this timeline, relationships matter more than retail.
And I'm building something real.
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