Lanada saw a new world, several new worlds. As they tried to piece together their crumbling brain, memories of strangers passed instead. Places that they’d never seen or known were recalled, realities that didn’t even seem possible. It was like a bad high rush, twisting their mind into a whirlwind. Their thoughts were out of control, as if someone else directed them.

It was like a group of people were communicating loudly, filling Lanada’s mind until they drowned. They were thrown back and forth, crashing in each turn. They slowly opened their eyes, an attempt to distract from the chaos of darkness.

They were in the plane of infinity, looking into the horizon. They tried to look, and their head followed later, moving their body as an echo. They were raised upon the platform of the figure. No, they were the figure.

Their brain swarmed and they tried to scream, but only a wave of warmth passed through them, bringing a strange calm.

Don’t worry, they thought.

We are together now. Death is a tragic thing, but at least it brought you to us. Forget your pain, for we are whole, and there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. Welcome, Lanada.

✪

Gerry was interrupted by a loud, patterned knock, as if it had been rehearsed several times before. He tried to wait out their visitor, but with every knock, it only became more awkward with his partner.

“Um, you want to get that?” he asked Gerry mid-stroke.

“Ughh no. But I probably should.”

Gerry’s partner pulled out and began cleaning up, Gerry doing a quick wipe before wrapping himself with a towel. The apartment was still cold, biting into his exposed skin.

Through the door’s peephole, Lanada’s partner, Sam, was standing, his fist about to knock again. Gerry didn’t wait for it to hit his door though.

“Sam? Whaddya want?”

“Uh, I need to talk to you… Is now a good time?”

“No, definitely not, actually...”

“Please, it’s about Lanada.”

Gerry stopped and looked back to his room, where his partner was waiting on his Circle. He looked up to Gerry, but he only turned back to Sam.

“Yeah, um, give me a moment.”

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Gerry quickly popped back in and offered his partner to stay in the room until Sam was gone, but he decided to leave instead, giving them the proper space. After clothing themselves, Gerry let Sam in and his partner went.

“Lanada’s dead.”

Gerry only froze, his eyes growing larger and wetter. He was visibly shaking, his head swaying. Sam was stiff, but even his eyes were watering as he watched Gerry break down.

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Gerry’s voice was barely heard, broken by his breaths.

“Oh, have this.”

Sam fumbled over his Circle, handing it to Gerry with an unsteady hand.

“Uhm… I already have a Circle, Sam…”

“No, don’t reset it, and don’t turn on its internet. That has everything we could download off King Lactain’s personal computer, as well as all my mission reports from my career. You can make use out of that, right?”

Gerry looked panicked.

“Sam, are you really trusting me with this? What if STAR finds out?!”

“I don’t really care. I can access those files again if I need to, but you can do some actual good with that information. More than I could. Take it.”

Sam’s arm looked tired, so Gerry reluctantly grabbed his Circle, handling it delicately. How many secrets were within that device? Its wake up screen had a low vertex image of STAR’s seal for a background. Gerry didn’t unlock the device though, sitting down instead.

“Did Lanada die for this?”

“No. We were about to leave, but they stayed behind. They took the fall for shooting the King.”

“Lanada shot the King?!”

“Um, no.”

“Was it the Geldor?”

“No, no. I did it.”

Gerry just opened his mouth in a circle, staring briskly ahead. He reached for his bong nearby, preparing a bowl of weed to smoke.

“Sounds like you need some of this too. Sit down,” Gerry’s voice cracked.

Sam looked awkward as he took a seat next to Gerry, watching him slowly start smoking.

“Here,” Gerry tried to hand it off.

Sam had never smoked before. He always prided himself on that. His pride was gone though.

“Thanks.”

It didn’t look so bad, Gerry had done it easily enough. Sam tried the same motion, but only found himself coughing up a storm, quickly handing the bong back to not drop it.

“Strong stuff. Be careful. I’m putting on Love Dove. In their honor.”

The goofy show about doves flashed on the TV. It had been around for years, so the episode was nothing new. Just continuing Lanada’s thirteenth watch through posthumously.

Sam had never watched it. Even though he had made fun of it before, he was willing to give it a chance. For Lanada. The show was absolute shit. He couldn't help but enjoy it. Whether it was his bias, or the uncanny situation, in some ironic way he loved what he watched.

Gerry was used to it though. His only interaction was with Lanada; his distaste for it was so high. As he watched just the opening theme though, Sam could see a few tears roll down Gerry's face. It wasn't until the third episode he began crying the hardest.

Resting in Sam's lap, he laid a hand on Gerry's head, comforting him. Gerry embraced it, weeping on Sam. He didn't know what to do otherwise. He only kept his hand stroking Gerry's face, keeping him company while they stared through the television.

“Fuck STAR."