this is set at the end of season 1, kind of missing scenes for the last episode.

thank you for the prompt! I hope this is any good.

~

Todd wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. He’d done a lot of shitty things in his life, yet not that much apologizing. Or crawling back, as he would categorize what he was about to do now.

He stared at the entrance of the hospital. Time to swallow his pride and talk to Dirk. But before he could take a step, he heard his name called out.

“Mr. Brotzman. May I take a moment of your time?” Colonel Riggins asked as he walked up to Todd, seemingly coming from inside the hospital.

Todd frowned. “You. You’re the Blackwing guy.”

“Colonel Riggins.” Riggins provided.

“Blackwing.” Todd repeated.

“Formerly with Blackwing, yes.” Riggins said.

“Which means I’m not talking to you.” Todd sad and turned to walk away from him.

“What I have to say is important.” Riggins insisted, stepping up to block Todd’s path.

“Oh, I’m sure.” Todd scoffed.

“Give me five minutes and then decide.” Riggins suggested.

Todd stared at him for a moment before giving a curt nod. Riggins lead him to a more secluded corner of the hospital parking lot.

“What’d you want?” Todd asked.

“Icarus is dangerous.” Riggins began.

“Who?” Todd asked.

“Right. Dirk. Dirk is dangerous.” Riggins corrected.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Todd replied.

“Ic- Dirk leaves a trail of injured and dead wherever he goes. It has been this way for a long time. His abilities are dangerous. It would be in your best interest to stay away from him.” Riggins explained.

Todd was silent for a moment, processing. “What do you mean dangerous?”

“The less you know, the better. All I’m saying is that innocent civilians shouldn’t be endangered because of an individual like Dirk Gently. If you hang around him, if you become a part of his life, you and those you care about will become collateral damage.” Riggins said.

Todd didn’t say anything more. He stared at his shoes, deep in thought. But he didn’t know what to think. He’d only known Dirk for a week in which he’d gotten enough information to know that Dirk was special and that it seemed to get him into plenty of trouble. But dangerous? He found it hard to believe. Maybe Todd didn’t know enough about him...

“If you know what’s best for you, you’d better stay away from Dirk Gently.” Riggins continued. “I’d hate to see decent people like you and your sister to get hurt by association.”

His sister? Would Amanda be in danger? Amanda wasn’t even talking to him at the moment. But she was spending her time with other holistic... Somethings.

When Todd finally looked up, Riggins was gone. That man had a way of appearing out of nowhere and disappearing just as fast.

Todd felt uncertain about the whole situation, but he thought he should give Dirk a chance to explain himself. Dirk had lied, yes, but Todd didn’t believe his intentions were bad, even when he was furious at him.

After a moment of reconnecting, Todd told Dirk Farah wanted to meet them and they made their way towards the car. Todd had already as good as agreed to continue to work with Dirk, but he suddenly felt unsure. He had made his choice before the talk from Riggins, but he had planted a seed of doubt into Todd’s mind.

“Hey, Dirk?” Todd said, not looking at Dirk but keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.

“Yes, Todd?” Dirk replied, his eyes immediately glued to Todd.

“That... Riggins guy came to talk to me earlier.” Todd said.

Dirk’s face paled. “O-oh?”

“Yeah and uh... Well, he said all this stuff about... You.” Todd said lamely.

“And?” Dirk prompted nervously.

“Well, he said something about you being... Dangerous.” Todd finally said.

Dirk closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “He’s right.”

Todd’s heart sank. “What?”

Dirk opened his eyes. “He’s right. I am dangerous.”

Todd didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t expecting this, despite Riggins’ warning. Dirk was dangerous. It made sense. Nobody had powers like Dirk’s and used them for good. It was too good to be true.

“You- okay... Uh. The Riggins guy told me to stay away from you. That... That you hurt people.” Todd said, hoping Dirk would explain.

“Right again.” Dirk said instead.

“So... What, you just... Hurt people? Is it... Is it like that Bart girl? The universe tells you to... To kill?” Todd asked carefully, his hands gripping the wheel tightly, his knuckles beginning to whiten.

“Oh God, no.” Dirk replied. “Blood makes me queasy. Besides, I grieve the flies that die between windows, I could hardly ever murder anyone.”

Todd blinked a few times. He could not make sense of the situation.

“Wait, what? So how do you hurt people then?” Todd asked.

It was Dirk’s turn to look surprised. “You thought I was a serial killer or something?”

“You just said you were dangerous and hurt people!” Todd exclaimed.

“Not on purpose! My God, Todd.” Dirk huffed.

“What do you mean then?” Todd asked.

Dirk took in a shakey breath. “My life is dangerous. I’m constantly in danger. And the people associated with me... Tend to get hurt. The universe protects me to an extent, but others... Aren’t as lucky. You’ve seen it. The death. The pain. It follows me wherever I go. I try my best to help people, but in doing so, I end up getting people hurt. Or worse. So yes, Todd, I am dangerous and I do hurt people. And I hate it.” Dirk explained quietly.

“But those things aren’t your fault?”

“How can you say that? You’ve experienced first hand what working with me is like. You almost died multiple times. That would not have happened had you not met me. I bring death and destruction with me. How is it not my fault?” Dirk replied with his eyes cast down.

Todd took a minute to collect his thoughts as he parked the car in the diner parking lot.

“The cases you take... The universe leads you to them, right?” Todd asked.

Dirk looked up at him. “Yes?”

“So, the people involved in those cases... You meet them because of the universe, right?” Todd continued.

“I guess?” Dirk replied.

“So, you could argue that the death and destruction is the universe’s fault.” Todd stated.

“But-“

“Dirk, if it weren’t for you, Lydia Spring would still be a dog. Or worse, dead. And I’m sure she’s not the only person you’ve saved.” Todd said.

“Yes, well-“

“What you do is help people. The universe is a dickhead. I’ve known that since before I even met you. People get hurt for no reason. They die for no reason. What you do is try to save people from that fate. You’re in a difficult position. You see more pain and death than most, but you don’t cause it.” Todd explained and tentatively squeezed Dirk’s shoulder.

“Why are you so sure of that? You barely know me.” Dirk whispered.

Todd shrugged. “Call it a hunch.” He smirked.

Dirk couldn’t help but smile in response.

“Come on. Farah’s waiting.” Todd said and gestured towards the diner.

They both got out of the car and started walking towards the diner.

So there was still a lot they had to learn about each other, but Todd was sure whatever secrets there were to Dirk, being anything remotely evil was not one of them. He reminded himself to punch that Riggins guy in the face the next time he showed up.

~

if you have any fic ideas, send me prompts! my inbox is always open. xx

yes! I love this prompt because I am a dirk!angst fan (what’s wrong with me) & this is our first look into the blackwing side of dirk’s story & therefore it’s easy to put todd into that situation as well. plus I love me some protective todd.

(I’m not sure if you wanted todd to interfere with the actual scene or to talk to dirk afterwards but this is what I ended up writing)

-

“It’s all real, isn’t it? You really are what you say you are. Some kind of… Holistic detective?” Todd asks, already knowing the answer.

“I’m trying.” Dirk replies sincerely. “Is this enough proof? Will you help me?” He asks.

Todd can see the desperation in Dirk’s eyes, how much he really, genuinely wants Todd’s help. Todd doesn’t say anything right away, he still feels unsure about this mess he’s somehow been dragged into, but he also knows he will eventually accept it. There’s no way out for him, not anymore. Besides, something about Dirk just makes it feel like this is supposed to happen. Todd never used to believe in stuff like that. None of that ‘everything happens for a reason’ crap. Yet somehow meeting Dirk seems like something he was meant to experience. Somehow Dirk is supposed to be a part of his life. It doesn’t mean Todd is thrilled about the danger and illegal aspects it has brought him, but he knows he can’t walk away from it. From him.

“Fine.” He finally replies.

Dirk’s face lights up like a child’s on Christmas. He gives Todd a huge smile and pats him on the shoulder. Then he turns around and basically hops down the stairs. Todd is left standing in the hallway. There’s many things on his mind, most of them questions.

He turns around to go back to his apartment, but his feet stop moving before the thought really registers in his mind. After everything that’s happened, after the revelation of Dirk being… Whatever he is and Todd actually committing to this bizarre case they seem to be on, he doesn’t feel like going about things the normal way. He doesn’t feel like going into his apartment and sitting on the couch, chatting with his sister. It all feels… Different.

As quickly as he’d stopped mid-step, he turns back around to go after Dirk. He’s not sure why. He shakes his head, mocking himself for choosing to go after the man who broke into his apartment and claims that they’re friends instead of going back to the safety of his apartment. Then again, his apartment wasn’t exactly safe at the moment. A man had been killed there. It had been broken into. Twice. 

Todd reaches the stairwell that leads to the ground floor and he sees Dirk at the end of it, but something stops him. An ominous voice Todd doesn’t recognize.

“Hello, Project Icarus.” The voice says.

Todd has about half a second to wonder what the hell that means, until Dirk reacts.

“No..” Dirk whispers. “Leave me alone.” He says, but it comes out as more of a plea than an order.

A feeling of anxiety sets in Todd’s stomach. He’d come across all kinds of crazy people in the last few days, but none of them had made Dirk pale the way this man did.

“Svlad, we have to talk.” The man continues.

“That’s not my name anymore.” Dirk says defiantly.

Dirk isn’t his real name? Todd suddenly considers the things he knows about Dirk aside from his eccentric personality and comes up with nothing. He doesn’t really know anything about Dirk, or Svlad, or whatever his name was.

“Dirk then.” The man complies.

“I said leave me alone!” Dirk says with more power in his voice now.

Suddenly a man charges at Dirk and tackles him, both of them collapsing against the bottom stairs. Todd instinctively takes a rushed step forward, going through any self-defense techniques he’s seen on tv in his head, ready to pull the man off Dirk, but stops as the other man yells.

“Friedkin! Friedkin, goddamn it, get off him!” The first man orders.

Todd stays still, but on guard. These people were obviously not friends of Dirk’s and if the situation escalated, he would need help.

“He was escaping!” The younger man explains, still holding Dirk down.

“You release him now, soldier, that’s an order!” The older man yells.

Soldier? Who the hell are these people?

The man, the soldier, gets off Dirk and sits next to him on the stairs. Dirk scrambles to get up and basically wraps himself around the pole at the end of the staircase, grunting and panting franticly. He was obviously shaken, understandably so.

“Is this what you do now!? You just attack people!” Dirk screams once he’s recovered.

“Sorry, sir, I got confused.” The soldier says and gets up from the stairs and walks back to where Todd assumes his commanding officer is standing, out of view. Todd rolls his eyes.

“He seems like a winner!” Dirk comments sarcastically.

“Dirk, listen to me.” The older man says.

“Why? You have new lies to tell me?” Dirk comments.

Todd furrows his brow. What is Dirk’s history with this guy? In the short time he’s known Dirk, Todd’s never seen him so shaken or as defensive as he is around this guy. He lied to Dirk? About what?

“We need you to come back in for a debriefing.” The man says.

Debriefing? On what? Was Dirk… An agent of some sort? He couldn’t have been telling the truth about the CIA… He admitted it was a lie?

“Oh yes, why not, it’s only been sixteen years!” Dirk exclaims in frustration.

Sixteen years? Dirk must’ve been a teenager sixteen years ago? What kind of agency would employ a teenager? 

“Blackwing is under review. That’s why we bailed you out when the police brought you in. It’s the least you can do.” The man explains.

More and more questions form in Todd’s mind. What the hell is Blackwing? They bailed Dirk out?

“The least I could do?” Dirk repeats in disbelief. Dirk obviously didn’t think he owed these people anything. Todd started to feel like this situation was truly threatening.

“This is in your best interest.” The man says.

In Dirk’s best interest? Was Dirk in danger? Well, of course he was, Todd had experienced more danger in the short time he’d known Dirk than in his previous 30 something years of life, but was there more danger than he originally thought? Was someone specifically targeting Dirk?

To Todd’s surprise, his first thought was worry towards Dirk’s safety, not his own.

“You promised them something you couldn’t deliver. You promised me something and you couldn’t deliver.” Dirk says.

Todd frowns. This man had obviously hurt Dirk. Just a few minutes ago Todd couldn’t have imagined hearing the fear and bitterness in Dirk’s voice that was clearly present now. This made Todd worry.

“Dirk, I am not the enemy here.” The man says and takes a step closer to Dirk, now coming into Todd’s view too. Dirk quickly stands up and backs himself against the wall, like a scared animal. Todd suddenly feels the need to stand between Dirk and the man who scares him so.

“And you’re not a detective.” The man continues and Todd can see tears forming in Dirk’s eyes. “You’re going to get yourself hurt or killed if you-”

“I am on a case!” Dirk interrupts in a teary voice. “I have friends! And we found clues! We’re gonna solve a mystery! A real one! And some people think I’m a pretty good detective!” Dirk yells, the last words coming out shaky. He sounds like a child trying to defend himself to adults.

Dirk’s teary, shaky voice breaks Todd’s heart. Dirk takes so much pride in his title as a holistic detective and just earlier he told Todd how he was trying to live up to that title, and now this man was demeaning the thing Dirk put so much effort in? So much so that the man’s words made Dirk nearly cry? Now, Todd hadn’t exactly been on board this holistic detective train until a few minutes ago, but seeing the normally cheery, optimistic Dirk so sad and broken by just the sight of this man? It makes Todd’s blood boil.

Dirk kept panting and fighting tears as the man opened up his mouth again to speak, but suddenly Todd decided he’d had enough. He marched down the stairs, drawing the strange men and Dirk’s attention to him.

“Todd…” Dirk almost whispers, obviously surprised to see him.

“Who is this?” The man asks.

Dirk opens his mouth to speak but Todd beats him to it.

“I’m his friend. And I’d appreciate it if you left him the hell alone, now.” Todd says, coming to stand between Dirk and the man, trying his best to appear as intimidating as he could despite being the shortest of the four men.

Dirk looks at Todd, his eyes shining with unshed tears, his expression somewhere between shocked and grateful.

“This doesn’t concern you.” The man says.

“Like hell it doesn’t. I don’t appreciate people making my friends cry. Actually, I have a tendency to punch the daylights out of people who do that.” Todd replies.

“Todd.” Dirk says, his voice a clear warning, but Todd doesn’t break the intimidating staring contest with the older man.

“Do you want me to take him down, sir?” The younger man asks.

“No!” The older man and Dirk exclaim at the same time, the man’s voice giving out an order, Dirk’s tone more pleading.

“Dirk…” The man tries again.

“I suggest you get the hell out of here unless you want me to call the cops.” Todd says with no intention of actually doing so, since he is currently, possibly a murder suspect. “And I never wanna see your face here again. Or anywhere near Dirk for that matter.” Todd continues. 

The man seems unsure for a moment before nodding slowly. He walks towards the doors and then stops and turns back.

“I’m only trying to protect you, Dirk.” He says.

Dirk shakes his head behind Todd. “I don’t care. I don’t need you.” He says.

The man sighs and gestures for the younger man to follow him. Once both of them are out of the building, Todd turns towards Dirk.

“Are you okay?” Todd asks, adrenaline still burning in his body.

Dirk swallows. “Yes. Well, no. But yes. I’ll be fine.” Dirk mumbles. “Thank you, Todd.” He whispers.

Todd gives him a reassuring smile. “Sure.”

Dirk gives him a small smile, still a bit shaken from the interaction.

“Who the hell were those guys anyway?” Todd asks.

Dirk looks down at his feet. “It’s… A long story. And I’m afraid it’s not a happy one.” Dirk replies.

“Hey,” Todd says and places a comforting hand on Dirk’s shoulder, which gets Dirk to look up at him again. “It’s okay.” He promises. Dirk smiles a little more brightly this time.

Then Dirk sits back down on the bottom steps and sighs. Todd follows suit, sitting right next to Dirk and immediately placing his hand back on his shoulder. Dirk looks to Todd, as if to ask for permission. Todd gives him an encouraging nod.

Dirk takes a deep breath.

“They’re a part of a CIA operation called ‘Blackwing’…”

-

if you have any fic ideas, please send me prompts! I’d love to write them. my inbox is open! xx