Makena Smith was thinking about leftover pasta and whether she'd remembered to lock her car when the world ended.
There was no screech of brakes.
No dramatic slow motion.
Just the sudden, undeniable sensation of impact—
—and then nothing.
No pain. No darkness.
Makena stumbled forward and caught herself against a brick wall that absolutely had not been there half a second ago.
"…What the hell?"
She straightened slowly, heart hammering, and looked around.
The pier was still the pier. Same salt air. Same ocean. Same Santa Barbara skyline. But the details were wrong in that unsettling, itch-at-the-back-of-your-brain way. The buildings were closer together. The street signs looked slightly older. And across the street—
Makena froze.
A modest end unit office space sat facing the ocean. Fresh white paint along its siding and the sign in the window read: PSYCH.
Under it, in smaller letters:
Psychic Detective Agency.
Her stomach dropped.
"No," she said faintly. "Nope. Absolutely not."
Before she could take another step, translucent blue text bloomed into existence in front of her eyes.
[INTERDIMENSIONAL SURVIVAL SYSTEM — ONLINE]
[Welcome, Makena Smith!]
[You have been selected for dimensional transference.]
Makena squeezed her eyes shut. Opened them.
The text remained.
"…Okay," she whispered. "I guess we are really doing this."
[You now possess the Survival System
(Auxiliary: Multiversal Energy Core).]
[World: Psych]
She let out a slow breath.
Of all the fictional universes she could've landed in, at least this one didn't have dragons, aliens actively invading, or an apocalypse scheduled every Tuesday.
Probably.
[Your past identity has been transferred to this dimension.]
[Assets integrated: $70,000 deposited into a local bank account.]
[System Credits acquired: 70,000 SC.]
"That's generous."
A new line blinked into place.
[MCU Item Granted: Stark Smartphone]
[Features: Unlimited data. Limitless cellular access. Dimensional signal stability confirmed.]
Makena reached into her bag on instinct.
Her phone felt… sleeker. Lighter. The screen lit up instantly, displaying a clean interface she'd never seen before and somehow already knew how to use.
"Tony Stark," she murmured. "Of course."
Another chime sounded.
[Mission Notification: New World Integration
Objectives:
• Secure identity
• Establish living situation
• Obtain employment
Reward:
• ITEM: Basic Whimsical Toolkit (Bee & Puppycat)
• Ability: 1 Mid-tier Ability from one eligible fandom
Eligible Fandoms:
• Bee & Puppycat
• I Shall Survive Using Potions
• Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Sherlock
• Star Trek]
[Note: All abilities are permanently assimilated to your physiology.
All items will be stored in infinite System Inventory.]
Makena stared at the mission text, then slowly looked back at the Psych office window.
Inside, two men were arguing animatedly.
One was tall, animated, and gesturing like he was conducting an invisible orchestra. The other—shorter, neat, clearly long-suffering—stood with his arms crossed, trying very hard not to scream.
Shawn Spencer.
Burton Guster.
"…Employment," Makena said softly. "Yeah. That tracks."
Before she crossed the street, she pulled up the System shop, fingers steady despite the adrenaline still humming through her veins.
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED]
[ITEM: Key to Pocket Apartment (Bee & Puppycat)
Cost: 3,500 SC
Description:
• Dimensional living space
• Secure storage
• Key cannot be lost, stolen, or misplaced
• To activate: unlock a space in front of you]
[SC Remaining: 66,500]
Makena exhaled, relief loosening her shoulders.
"Okay," she said. "I have a home. That's… good."
She closed the interface and crossed the street.
---
The bell above the Psych office door jingled cheerfully as Makena stepped inside.
The office smelled like fresh paint and cheap carpet. A mismatched couch sat against one wall. A desk dominated the center of the room, cluttered with folders, candy wrappers, and a pineapple that had no business being there.
Shawn looked up immediately.
"Ohhh," he said, eyes lighting up. "Gus. We have a walk-in."
"I can see that, Shawn," Gus replied without looking up.
Makena smiled politely. "Hi. I was wondering if you're hiring."
Shawn blinked. "For…?"
"Receptionist," she said. "Office support. On-call if needed."
Gus finally looked up. His eyes sharpened.
"Do you have references?"
"Nope," Makena said cheerfully. "But I'm willing to work for minimum wage and flexible hours."
Shawn leaned forward, suddenly far too interested.
"Okay," he said. "Pop quiz. Favorite Avenger."
"Depends," Makena replied without missing a beat. "Morally? Steve Rogers. Tactically? Natasha Romanoff. For chaos? Tony Stark."
Shawn's grin widened.
"Star Trek or Star Wars?"
"Star Trek," she said. "Star Wars is space opera. Trek asks questions."
"Favorite fictional detective?"
Makena didn't hesitate. "Sherlock Holmes."
Gus perked up. "Which version?"
She tilted her head, considering. "The ones where Holmes actually notices things instead of explaining them afterward."
There was a beat.
Shawn's grin spread slow and delighted. "I like her." He snapped his fingers. "Last question. You walk into a room and know something's wrong. What do you notice first?"
Makena met his gaze evenly.
"What doesn't belong," she said. "People lie better than environments do."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Shawn slapped the desk.
"You're hired."
Gus's head snapped toward him. "Shawn—"
"Don't fight it, Gus," Shawn said. "The universe sent her."
Makena bit back a laugh.
As she stepped behind the desk, the System chimed softly in her mind.
[MISSION COMPLETE: New World Integration — Phase One
Rewards Granted:
• ITEM: Basic Whimsical Toolkit (Bee & Puppycat)
• Ability Assimilated: Enhanced Agility & Reflexes (MCU)]
Her body warmed, nerves firing clean and precise, like everything had suddenly been tuned just a little sharper.
Makena steadied herself, hands resting lightly on the desk.
Gus watched her with careful interest.
Intrigued.
Alert.
Wary.
Makena smiled to herself.
'Good,' she thought. 'I'd worry if he wasn't.'
Outside, the ocean rolled on, blissfully unaware that its reality had just gained a new anchor.