Re-shaping the Universe (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency)

Chapter 1

"And another down, another one down, another one bites the dust!" Todd and Dirk sang happily, dancing their way into the detective agency with Farah behind them.

"You know that song is about taking out opponents, right?" Farah smiled, flopping into an armchair. Dirk leaned against the main desk, sighing happily.

"Well, we kind of did, Farah." He grinned.

"You're still happy about Blackwing, huh?"

"I'm happy they're gone. No more looking over my shoulder for them. For him." Dirk's smile faltered ever so slightly at the thought of the biggest source of fear he had. "There's no way any of them could have survived that carnage."

"Not a chance," Todd grinned. Neither he nor Farah knew what had happened in Blackwing that day. Dirk had told them everything: Friedkin's change of heart and ultimate demise at the hands of a scissor-wielding knight; the shootouts in the corridors; Blackwing soldiers being sliced where they stood. The place had been blown up. There wasn't a chance in hell that any of them had survived, and if they had, there wasn't a chance in hell that any of them would still have a job. And he wouldn't bother tracking him down for fun. Blackwing was what made it fun for him.

"Alright – tea, anyone?"

"Sure." Farah and Todd both looked at each other. Seeing Dirk so happy made them both incredibly happy too. He'd relaxed, he slept well, he ate well, he took care of himself... he was content, and as a result everything seemed to go perfectly. They had cases coming in as the universe saw fit to send them, and in the three months it had been since Blackwing, they'd had six successfully-solved cases. Life could finally go on.

"Hey, Todd? There's a postcard for you." Farah's eyes crinkled at the edges with the brightness of her smile. She shifted the pile of post and handed it to him. It was from Amanda.

Hey bro,

No cell reception out here, so I'm hoping this gets to you. I'll visit you on the September 2nd. Stay put. We'll find you.

Rowdy 6

"Rowdy Six? Really?" Todd shook his head. "Well, I guess we have to be here on September 2nd. "

"Why?" Dirk leaned against the doorframe, the sound of the kettle starting to boil behind him.

"Amanda's coming!"

Sixteen years earlier

The chaos was astounding. Hundreds of people running about the place, rooms on fire, explosions everywhere. It was as if they'd snapped, their powers too much for them to handle.

This was why the CIA wanted these subjects under complete control.

A young-ish lad ran about in the commotion, trying to find his way out. He held the hands of two younger girls, one just a year younger than him, the other a few years younger. He shielded them, dodging bullets which flew from agents sent in to crack down on the ruckus.

Operation Blackwing was aborted. The projects were escaping.

Alarms and sirens and screaming made it nearly impossible to think, but Svlad Cjelli had one objective of his own: get himself and his friends out of there, and get them out now. He ran on, covering the two girls with his body as more rooms exploded. Another objective the girls didn't know he had: run like hell away from Osmund Priest.

More explosions, and Svlad found a few more young subjects, mere children, cowering among a pile of rubble. One boy lay dead beside them. He gestured for them to run with him, and they complied. Evangeline Brooke, the girl slightly younger than Svlad, took charge of two of the children and they ran, dodging the agents that tried to stop them. Evangeline's powers were incredible, but she couldn't control them. She gripped one of the agents by the arm and made him aim the gun he held at his own head. One press of the trigger, and six automatic rounds were pumped into his skull, his brains scattering across the wall behind him.