The Curious Case of the Two Dirk Gentlys

39: Reunion

"So let me get this straight." Said Todd. "Blackwing is pissed off at us because Bart, who found our agency because of a bird, stabbed Ken, now supervisor of Blackwing, over a toddler?"

"That's an extremely simplified version yes. How is our story more surprising than yours?" Asked Farah.

"What's going on?" Asked the cafe owner shakily.

"I've been asking myself that question all my life." Sighed Robert.

"My story makes perfect sense." Said Todd.

"You met a guy with the exact same name and power as Dirk." Farah recited.

"Yes." Todd nodded.

"And met one of his Blackwing friends who's now married and the mother of a child with uncontrollable teleportation powers."

"Well yeah."

"Who sent a whole ton of objects and one person to the 'backstage' of the universe, watched over by the ex-Blackwing supervisor, Friendkin, who is now either our God or just an apathetic asshole."

"Pretty much. Except certainly not our God, not really apathetic either. He has a message for us from the universe."

"The universe talks?" Asked Mona.

"Yeah this Friendkin guy is kind of the universe's PA." Explained Robert.

"Can you tell the universe to stop being a little bitch?" Asked Bart.

"Am I high? Maybe I had some bad food, some mould on the bread or son I don't know. I'm wigging out." Muttered the man.

"No, the universe didn't talk. It did kind of do a little presentation though. Anyway, we're not doing ourselves any favours running away from Blackwing." Started Todd. He wished running from Blackwing was an option. He hadn't even experienced the organisation first hand the way that Dirk had and yet the very idea of them rocked them to the core. Yet of course he would be the one sent behind the curtain. Of course, out of all the surviving projects in the world the universe would choose them.

"Call me old fashion, Todd, but I think running away from the psychopaths is a good idea." Said Farah.

"Or driving away, quickly." Said Mona.

"No, no you don't understand. Blackwing is dangerous." Said Todd firmly.

"See our above answer." Said Farah.

"No, not to us, well yes to us but also the universe itself. Blackwing's very existence is destroying the way the universe operates. Allowing things to keep going the way they are could alter everything." Todd explained.

"So you want us to shut down Blackwing down?" Asked Mona.

"Not shut down." Todd said, shaking his head. "Destory."

"Destroy Blackwing?" Asked Farah.

"Apparently it's very important." Said Robert.

"Destroy an ever returning, all consuming organisation?"

"It's human run, just like any business. Like a...really messed up 7/11. If we either appeal to an emotional core or we get some leverage or...or..."

"Or we kill them. We kill the human element." Said Bart.

"Right, we kill the human element." Todd replied quietly.

"Great. Let's go." Bart marched furiously towards the exit. She'd already let Ken go twice. Once when they first met, when he burst into her life faking fear and later friendship. Again when she had fled Blackwing when staying a few more seconds could have finished him off. She might have been willing to move on with her life, no matter how much the universe yelled. She trusted that Dirk and his agency would help her protect Project Genome from a distance. Then they had to turn up at the agency's door. Even if they weren't following her directly that's when she knew the universe would never loosen its grip no matter how much she fought and shook. Part of Blackwing had to die. It didn't matter if that was Ken or Priest or someone else entirely, something had to give.

"Wait, wait don't you want to try the other things first?" Asked Todd. "I mean I thought Ken was your friend."

"I don't have friends. Just people I kill and people I won't. Now let's move."

Her march on the war path was halted by the smallest thud. Just a tiny echo that confused her into stopping. She looked down. At her feet rolled a tiny, sleek black object. A ping floated from Farah's phone. The message on the screen was from Dirk's number but it lacked his disjointed, emoji filled style. It was far too formal, too rigid. It was just one sentence, a simple question.

'Did you get the ruby red: Yes or No?'