The Curious Case of the Two Dirk Gentlys

52: Wild as Fire, Defiant as Flame

Smoke and flame filled the tiny record room faster than anyone could have ever expected, yet that never seemed to be too much of a problem. They'd already opened the door, allowing white and grey twirls to roll out into the corridor. The group covered their mouths with their shirts to protect their lungs but the ventilation never allowed the toxins to get to dangerous levels. Even the heat of the inferno didn't seem to affect them. It turned everything to ash and dust, burning Blackwing's past sin by sin, leaving them feeling safe and clean.

"What's going on?" Farah appeared in the doorway, shortly followed by Mona. Smoked whirled around her ankles like a pool of water. She saw her friends gleefully throwing metal draws to the ground, she saw bright orange flame consume the left wall, and in the middle of it all she saw the paper mountain rising and falling as it shifted into place.

"Farah, it's so good to see you. Where have you been?" Dirk beamed.

"In the right corridor...where you told us to be." Farah replied cautiously. There was no way to properly relax when Dirk was smiling and excitable, which was a shame because smiling and excitable was Dirk's usual setting.

"We've been making friends." Mona added proudly.

"Well now you're here, with us, where you should be. Now grab a draw and chuck whatever's in there on the fire." He nodded rapidly like a child on the ultimate sugar high, another usual Dirk setting. Which was odd considering Dirk didn't seem to eat much of anything let alone sugar.

"Dirk, a fire in such a closed area is highly dangerous." Farah told him.

"This is Dirk and we're in Blackwing. Did you really think the results wouldn't be highly dangerous?" Asked Todd. Farah let out a deep, exhausted sigh. Of course she didn't. She never did.

"Hey, shape shifter lady, think this one is yours." Grinned Bart. She waved a little brown file high in the air. A sick feeling rose in Mona's stomach as she spotted her own childhood photo pinned in the corner, a tiny picture for an equally tiny girl. Just ten years old, her dark hair cut uncomfortably short due to regulation, her lips clearly far too pale even in black and white. She shook her head and snatched the file out of Bart's hand, committing to the plan in a split second of fear and anger. She threw it down into the firey pit. No more stupid short hair, no more unhealthy pale lips, no more frightened ten year old girl.

"Come on. It's not exactly like you can cause more damage." Said Todd.

"Now that's not true. In fact I'm pretty sure-" Her skin turned to ice as the all too familiar click of a gun cut the fun short. She slowly rised her hands high in the air, not daring to turn around. Everyone similarly assumed the position, everyone apart from the three ex-Blackwing projects. Call them brave or call them stupid, they were defiant. Mona took some degree of caution, she placed her hands up at shoulder height in the hopes it would be seen as a signal of peace. Not surrender, just peace. However, she refused to take the common sense decision of staying still. She nestled herself between her Blackwing companions, the two titans. Dirk, who had tried so hard to calm her when she was a child, and Bart, who she barely knew yet trusted completely. They offered no chance of peace, no hope of surrender. Bart's fists were curled and ready to strike. Dirk was not so violent but far from passive. There was something behind his eyes that nobody had seen since the outbreak, not quite fear, not quite fire, just a cold calculating glint like the shine of a knife. It was a hatred without rage, the most dangerous kind.

"Hey, guys." Grumbled Richard. He was surprisingly undeterred by the gun that was being pointed at every single one of them. This clearly wasn't the first time he'd been threatened.

"You not going to say hi to your friend, big guy?" Priest thumped Robert's shoulder causing him to jerk forward. He was doing a lot worse than Richard. He was trying and sadly failing to suppress on going trembles. It wasn't highly pronounced and no more than could be expected but enough for Priest to notice and take a sickening pleasure in.

"H-hey, guys." He stuttered.

"Now, children, why don't we put all this nonsense behind us and have a nice little chat."