Wellp...

Quahog Graveyard: May 17th

Soulless, Death's Head, Mario, and Officer Swanson carried a casket up the graveyards hill. Solemn faces all around as a large number of others from all over followed them up the hill. From kids, teens, adults, and even a robot, many attended the funeral.

"They didn't find his body…why are we burying an empty casket?" Harvey McKenzie, the current leader of the KND asked aloud, not looking up from the ground.

"It's supposed to be…" Rack began.

"…Symbolic." Ruin finished.

Crystal Wickens, dressed in her Wiccan outfit, followed close behind the casket. She shook her head and gritted her teeth.

"You alright?" Crystal turned her head to see Josh Puncture walking close behind.

"Yeah…he was the only here I could call a friend." Crystal said sadly.

"He didn't know it…but he changed a lot of lives." Josh said solemnly as he motioned to his harpoon arm. "When he was in the KND…all he wanted to do was help those looked down on…I can't believe he's gone."

As they reached the top, the four individuals lowered the casket into a six foot hole in the ground. Lance, the former Numbuh 10-Speed, looked around at all the attendees. "Wow." Lance said amazed. "I didn't know Nolan had so many friends."

"Not friends." Lance and many others turned to see Affright, Holiday, Pester, Promethean and the Moose walking towards the front of the crowd. "We are here to pay our respects to a fallen adversary, nothing more."

"And someone as terrible as them are here…and yet she isn't." Angelie, the former Numbuh 78, said shaking her head.

"You're right…his own mom isn't here." Lance said shaking his head.

"That's not who I was referring to." Angelie rolled her eyes.

Several meters away. Kayla Valera sat on a tombstone, tears streaking her face. She didn't mean to do what she'd done. She didn't know it was him. She told herself that if she'd known it was him…but that's 'if' she'd known. She already committed the act. She shot and killed her boyfriend…Sandman/Nolan…

Another tear streaked he face. She'd severed her ties with Benedict Uno. She now knew that he already had knowledge of Nolan being the one behind the gas mask. He just used her in some sick twisted game to screw with his head at the last moment, just like how he went through all that trouble to bring Dillon back from the dead.

Kayla shook her head. She looked up to see those atop the hill tossing dirt into the grave.

"You were... you were my best friend Nolan..." Affright said as he stood by the grave. "Thank you…for never giving up on me…"

"Thanks…thanks isn't enough ol' friend." Josh began as he looked down at the grave. "I will never forget what you did for me…"

"You were everything Sector Q stood for." Mario looked up towards the sky. "You were our legacy."

"You were like the brother we wish we had…" Rack and Ruin said simultaneously.

"You stopped me from becoming a murder…" Soulless said as his eyes began to water. "You were something else…"

"You stayed the course…you didn't compromise your beliefs…" Officer Swanson trailed off. "…You did good kid…you did good…"

"A pleasure…yes?" Death's Head said, not looking at the grave.

"Dodds would be proud of you for what you've accomplished." Kent Nelson said, slightly smiling at the grave.

"I got to say…" Crystal began. "You were probably the closest thing to a friend I had…thanks Nolan…thanks for sticking up to Gwen for me…"

"Thanks Nolan…" Kayla began as she looked up at the hill. "I'm sorry…"

Valera Residence: Midnight

Kayla tried her best to sleep. Ever since that night, she couldn't sleep. She began to have nightmares and couldn't will herself to touch her rifle. She stared silently at her ceiling. Her weary eyes slowly began to close under protest.

Kayla floated in a white void. She looked around, finding nothing. "Hello?" Kayla called out into the white void. "Is anyone there?"

"Hey Kayla." Kayla turned to see Nolan in his Sandman outfit, standing on solid land.

"N-Nolan is that you?" Kayla asked disbelievingly.

"I guess so." Nolan said slightly laughing. "So…how've you been?"

"I'm sorry Nolan…I'm sorry for what I did to you…" Kayla said, unwilling to look Nolan in the eye.

"Okay…you're definitely miserable." Nolan said as the piece of land expanded, allowing Kayla to stand. "Well…apology accepted…"

"R-Really? Just like that? After I-I killed you?" Kayla practically exclaimed.

"I don't think you killed me…well I'm not sure actually…it's pretty vague at the moment." Nolan said as he examined his wrist, tapping a green gem. "You've got to stop beating on yourself. It's not going to help solve anything."

"Why aren't you mad with me?" Kayla asked puzzled with Nolan's reactions.

"Because…that really won't help anyone now would it?" Nolan said walking forward towards Kayla. "People will shun you for your action…but you need to rise above it. A dark day is on the horizon…and you need to be there to see it through."

Kayla rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

Nolan brought Kayla into a hug. "He will be here to save us all…he'll need help Kayla…it's your choice Kayla. The paths are before you." Nolan rose his hand, showing three pathways, a red one, a blue one, and a white one.

"What are these?" Kayla asked as Nolan let go of her and grabbed her hand.

"Your paths." Nolan said simply. "The Red one is the one you're already on with working for Benedict. The Blue one represents a loop of sorts. The White one is a fresh start where you could do some good."

"I'd like to go down the white path." Kayla said stepping forward.

"And I'll be there, every step of the way." Nolan said walking beside Kayla down the white path.

Kayla awoke. She looked to her alarm clock, finding it to be half past eight in the morning. She remembered every detail of the dream, it had been the one good night sleep she had in a long time. She got up and prepared to walk to the bathroom. Kayla stopped in her tracks as she noticed a brown box sitting on her desk.

She walked towards the box and looked for any indication from who it came from. Finding none, she opened up the box. Her eyes widened at what she found in the box. She pulled a gas mask out of the box and examined it. "The dream continues." Kayla said as a smile slowly began to form.

Well...I'm not sure whether to continue this or leave it the way it is...either way. I guess I'll let you guys decide...