So you know how Prime is a comic book store worker in this Superman run? I absolutely need a no capes au with librarian Jason Todd who’s getting Damian a few volumes of a manga series as a birthday gift and refuses to shop anything but small businesses when he can. This means no Amazon and no Barnes and Noble. He’s more familiar with the second hand bookstores he frequents for well loved classics. He’s a regular at a hole in the wall second hand bookstores he frequents store run by an old couple. There’s something special about second hand books and the stories those tell on their own. Unfortunately those don’t carry manga.
So after a quick Google search, he sees a nearby comic book store has a manga section.
Prime is ranting with a coworker coughKyleRaynercough about live action adaptations of superhero movies and how they never do the heroes justice. It has to be animated. Of course, Prime brings up the Batfam.
“The Batman castings are okay I guess. But those Nightwing fancasts? Those actors publicly shooting their shot to be casted? No. Absolutely not. Our only hope is an open casting call, which we know are rigged. They’re going to go with the same actors every time. And don’t get me started on Red Hood. I don’t think anyone would be able to do him justice.”
Enter Jason Todd. This boy has never stepped foot in a comic book store in his life. He read the one off comic before. Ones he found while living in Park Row and was reading anything he could get his hands on, ones got from Dick as a kid that his older brother thought he’d enjoy, and the issues one of the others would leave around the manor Alfred hadn’t gotten to yet. But he never went searching for comics to read.
Prime is floored when Jason opens the door and walks in. Jason looks around and only sees comics in the front section of the store.
“Hey,” Jason greets, doing that small tilt upward of his chin guys always do to acknowledge each other regardless of if they know each other. This should not have made Prime’s heart flutter the way it did.
Prime is physically unable to respond, staring at Jason with no shame. Kyle has to elbow Prime to snap him out of it.
“Yeah, they’re further in the store towards the back. There’ll be a few bookshelves along the wall. Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“Nah, it’s alright. I think I got it.”
Prime hunches over once Jason walks away, whispering quickly to Kyle. “That is not one of our regulars. How do we make him one of our regulars? I’m not losing him to that store on Fifth and Kane or the fuckass Barnes and Noble.”
Now Kyle agrees with Prime’s sentiment. Trust him. He’s ready to make fanart of this guy that walked in. But Jason’s is just a guy. Jason’s a tank and overall looks really fucking cool, but he’s just a guy. Regardless Kyle doesn’t get to tell Prime any of this as Jason walks up to the counter again. In and out. Jason was not planning on lingering.
“Yeah, my little brother has been wanting to own this one for ages, and I think he’ll like this other series.”
Prime throws in a Red Hood comic claiming it’s a leftover freebie from Free Comic Book Day. Jason is none the wiser and thanks him. Kyle raises a brow at Prime, muttering that Prime is not slick. Obviously Prime is a liar and pays for it himself after Jason leaves.
After Jason pays and leaves, Prime and Kyle hear the motorcycle and immediately look out the window. They watch as Jason rides away. Prime is absolutely gone. This loser fucking whimpers when he says out loud that he has a motorcycle.
“I need to see that man cosplay Red Hood.”
If I end up properly writing this, I need to make this fic super meta and in a universe that it’s a coincidence that the names match or at least are really close.
gamechangershow
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
izzy806
yousharknotpass
romaincrisis
kianamaiart
