Background

[localdeliveryboy]

(CW: MURDER, DEATH, CRIME)

His oldest memory started on the night his sister, Alexandra, left him in the care of Sister Antoinette at the Shepard's of the Hill Orphanage. It was raining and the cable car station clock read ten past midnight as they exited onto the platform of Caliburn Tower, level twenty two. The main street was a blur of yellow street lights and colorful neon signs as they walked briskly through the rain. There was another with them, a man whos face he remembers only has shadows over rugged features and thick black beard, and he guided them through the city. He remembers how the street went from wide and vibrant to cramped and dark as they entered the ghetto, Alexandra holding his hand tightly, and arrived at the orphanage where the Sister already there and waiting with a warm towel.

He can still see his sister, her blue eyes quivering with sorrow and her damp silver hair clinging to her face to hide the tears she shed as she put a locket with a picture of her and their mother around his neck. "This isn't goodbye forever, Noah, but it is goodbye." She said, cupping his face as he started to cry. "I love you, little brother. One day this will all over and I'll come back for you. I promise." Then she kissed him on the brow then embraced him one last time before the bearded man lead her away.

Noah was reserved and kept to himself, always looking out the window waiting for the day his sister returns for him or asking sister Antoinette for answers. Why did she leave him? Did she still love him? When will she back? Each question was met with only vague answers or I-don't-know's followed by words of encouragement and to have faith, things that quickly lost meaning to him - if they ever had any. The only question that was answered was about the man they were with, a person the sister simply called Frederick and that he could be trusted, but other than that she could not say.

It wasn't easy, alone in a new place without so much as a reason as to why he had to be there, but with her patience, compassion, and infallible affection, Sister Antoinette was able to break through his sorrow and bring out his the real Noah.

Bright, considerate, and kind, Noah soon became known around the neighborhood as Sister Antoinette's little helper - always by her side carrying something or offering to help. At least help as much as a five year old can. It was during this period that he started to warm up to the other children in the orphanage, playing games and getting into trouble, but he spent most of his time with the sister or with Benjamin Wright, one of the older kids. Despite being so young Ben, age thriteen, was the big brother to the other children and was already doing everything he can to support the sister and the orphanage, doing odd jobs and chores around the area for cash or donations - something that Noah looked up to and made a great impact on him.

Since they lived in the slums there was no shortage of jobs for them to do. Ben did jobs like watching a store, stacking shelves, and cleaning tables while Noah watched and occasionally helped – carrying things or handing items to Ben. He enjoyed being helpful and going around the slums, bringing a bit of happiness to everyone he met helped him sleep and keep his loneliness at bay. He still often looked at the locket, wishing and waiting for his sister to come back but all the while wondering why she had to leave him anyway. He was happy and didn’t want for anything, but there was a feeling in his chest that wasn’t loneliness which left him feeling empty every single time he thought of his life.

Life in the slums wasn’t great but it was pleasant, even with the occasional ruckus from the local gangs, Noah was getting by and as the days turned into months, months into years, he grew from the quiet little helper to a bit of a hot head. The local gangs would give him, Ben, and the orphanage a hard time because they think they can get away with it. One gang in particular, hoodlums and low rank Divers who call themselves the Black Hand, had it out for the orphanage and Ben – which Noah detested.

They’d harass them at whatever job they’re doing, vandalize the orphanage, and even scare the kids while they were out collecting alms. It frustrated Noah, made him angry, but Sister Antoinette told him to never retaliate and instead choose peace because it was the will of the Architects. Noah, unlike the other kids, wasn’t as devout to the Creators Law and quietly questioned the faith and the teachings. He mostly expressed those ideas with Ben, despite being one who was completely faithful, but always made sure to be respectful about the faith despite his doubts.

He tried his hardest to follow the sister’s teachings but, one day, Noah lost it. He was nine years old and by this time he knew all the members of the Hand by face and had several small encounters with them, which he always lost or someone had to bail him out of it, but nothing serious had ever really happened. They’d poke fun at him, harass him, and he’d lose his temper and get beat up for it, a regular happening in the lawless slums. On this day however the Hand had gone too far.

A couple of the Hands had taken the doll of one of the newer kids, a little girl called Sarah LeRue, while she was outside the orphanage playing. Sister Antoinette saw this and stepped, trying to peacefully get the doll back but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Noah and Ben were returning for lunch just as the encounter reached its boiling point where one of the hoodlums struck Sister Antoinette across the face, enraging Noah instantly. He picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the one who struck the sister, hitting him right in his eye, and then he picked up another and threw it at the other one – this time hitting him and breaking his nose.

Noah wasn’t finished. He charged at the Hands in his blind rage and took advantage of their disorientated state, quickly taking the knife of the first one he hit and stabbed him in the leg. He tried to stab him again but the second Hand regained his bearing and kicked Noah in the head, knocking him to the ground, and then pulled out a gun to finish him off. It all happened so fast and no one could react in time, Noah was staring death in the face, and then a shot went off but Noah didn’t look away.

He wasn’t dead, but the Hand hoodlum with the gun was on the ground. The shot came from the other end of the alley, from a rugged man that was armed to the teeth and carrying a silver revolver. The man was accompanied by five others, three women and two men – all as well armed and rugged as he. The man ordered one of the men to check and treat the Hand members, the other to check the sister, before arresting them while he ordered the rest to secure the area. The man picked up the doll and returned it to Sarah, then turned his attention to Noah.

The man introduced himself as Isaiah MacLeod, leader of the Wild Vanguards, a group of high silver Divers assigned by the Guild to look after their sector. Isaiah took an interest in Noah’s abilities and mettle, noting that for a kid he’s surprisingly capable and that with a bit of polishing he’d make a great Diver. The encounter rattled something inside Noah, something telling him to follow this man, a voice he couldn't ignore.

A few days passed and their area was becoming more secure thanks to the Vanguards and before long the Black Hands had lost their territory, bringing some semblance of peace to the neighborhood. Noah kept watch of them, building his courage while waiting for the right time to approach them. That moment came when Sister Antoinette decided to bring the Vanguards a gift for saving them, Noah naturally tagged along and when face to face with Isaiah and his crew he asked if he could join them and become a Diver.

Flustered, the sister tried to pass it off as a joke by Noah and most of the members also just thought of it as such but Isaiah took his request seriously and declined it, but offered something else. Diver work was much too dangerous for a nine year old so, until he becomes stronger, they'll train Noah to be part of the crew. He was thrilled and from then on, he spent the weekdays there with the Vanguards in their home base training his body and and his mind.

The members took turns to teach him various things, not just about being a Diver, but also giving him an education. His lessons always started in the books with the tactician, Faith Graves. The orphanage relied on local teachers donating their time, so his education was as developed as the Vanguards liked, so she was rounding out his knowledge by teaching him mathematics, history, and science, then it would alternate between the members. There was physical training with Bradley Harper, the muscle of the team, to build Noah's strength, endurance, and stamina. Then there's weapons training with Toby Fletcher, survival lessons with Yvette Beaufort, and finally hand-to-hand combat with Isaiah.

His development wasn't just as a Diver. Through the Vanguards, he also met Maximilian Briggs who was the handyman, technician, and grounds keeper of the group. He also watched over Noah whenever the group were away on missions and taught him about repairing machines and airvehicles. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and in that time Noah was growing into a capable fighter. Isaiah didn't allow him to join them in exploring the Deep yet, but he was taken on patrols of the neighborhood and proved that he was strong on more than one occasion. At eleven, he managed to bring down an armed Black Hand member that was causing trouble with just his bare hands, then at twelve he had little to no problem keeping up with Bradley and could almost make Isaiah go all out in their sparring matches.

He also earned a lot of praise and admiration from the kids at the orphanage, him now being one of the 'big brothers' like Ben, and from around the neighborhood. Even adults, who were always fond of him, were starting to rely on him more and more. Sister Antoinette always had her apprehensions about Noah training to do something so dangerous, but seeing turn into a respectable person everyday made her smile and fill her with pride. When he turned thirteen Isaiah brought Noah to the Diver's Guild for a mock examination composed of a practical and written exam. Noah passed both tests displaying that he's more than capable, but then Isaiah revealed that the mock examination was actually a real Diver's License exam and Noah had just earned his.

He was registered with the Vanguards as their rear guard and assistant cartographer until he gets more experience with navigating the Deep. They spent the next week preparing and planning for the expedition, buying supplies and ammunition, and wrapping up whatever business they had in the town. For Noah, this meant doing as much of his weekly chores as he can and trying to calm Sister Antoinette. It was a dark and cool morning when the day of the expedition came and Noah was out of bed early and excited, though is excitement turned into a mix of anxiousness as they approached the menacing entrance to the Deep.

The darkness was intimidating even from the outside but he swallowed his fear and stepped into the pitch black world, a world that showed him no mercy. The air was humid and smelled of charcoal, the heat clinging to his exposed skin on his face and neck, and breathing was already a bit difficult but the rest of the Vanguards didn't show any trouble. The others called it Deep Air, the first method of attack that the Deep employs and that he'll get used to it soon. Their words rung true as they walked into the dark, leaving trails of Torchlight while Noah took note of their route. Their mission was simple, establish a new route to the second level with before the end of the week, more than enough time even with Noah lagging behind.

A few hours in and the expedition was going well, Noah had adjusted to the air and they'd only encountered small Fog Monsters that the young Diver could take on himself, and with each passing hour he was growing more and more confident in his skills. By the sixth hour their group was deep inside the dungeon covering a considerable amount of ground, Noah in particular had performed better than expected as he successfully kept pace with the rest of the crew. They were on their way back when a sudden earthquake dropped the pieces of the level above them and smashing through their own level, and Noah was unfortunate enough to become a victim. He wasn't crushed but a large piece had crashed right next to him, breaking through and making him fall into the darkness - the last thing he saw was Faith and Isaiah reaching for him before his vision went dark.

When he awoke Noah found himself in strange area where flower like organisms grew. They were harmless, had no scent, but were black or dark grey in color and curiously they let out a faint yellow glow much like Torchlights when touched. They were useless alone but in a group is seemed enough to keep weaker Fog Monsters away. While it was welcomed it didn't help him find out how deep he fell, or what kind of Fog Monsters roam, and to make matters worse he lost his main gun in the fall leaving him with only a knife and his side arm. His situation was hopeless, even the seasoned Divers in his situation know that only death awaits him, but oddly Noah was not afraid.

He was calm, eerily so, and confident that even in this situation as bleak as it is - he won't die. It wasn't a just something he told himself, not something to hype himself up. It was like stating a known fact, one that cannot be disputed no matter what. He won't die.

He took a flower with him and then with gun and knife in hand and that unshakable and inexplainable feeling in his chest, Noah proceeded into the dark and headed to the entrance. Each step was certain but his pace was measured, cautious, but he proceeded at a steady pace while taking out any Fog Monsters he encountered quickly and quietly if they were small or weak enough, and sneaking past the larger ones. He proceeded through the dark without worry, movements more fluid and reflexes getting sharper with each step he took, but he still couldn't tell if he was getting any closer to the surface and with hunger stabbing at him, the trek only seemed to get longer.

The hours dragged on as he waded through the dark alien land and as Noah seemed to start to slow he finally came across a sight that lifted his spirits. A working Torchlight along a worn path. The light meant he was in Diver known territory, although it didn't necessarily mean he was near a camp of any kind or that he was safe from fog monster attacks, it was still a welcomed relief to know he was on the right path. A few hours later his efforts would pay off when he crossed paths with Faith and Isaiah, finally bringing his ordeal to a close.

When things had calmed down Noah was told he was missing for thirty two hours and that he was near the entrance of the Deep when they finally found him, which surprised how much ground he had covered. Everyone else was astounded when he retold his side of the story and they could hardly believe it, a lone rookie child Diver covered thirty two hours’ worth of an unexplored part of the Deep by himself but the flower he brought back was solid proof of his achievement.

Word spread like wildfire about his accomplishment and he quickly became the talk of the town, earning equal amounts of respect and fame from his neighbors, peers, and brothers and sisters. He's also garnered some form of scorn from other Divers who were either envious or simply thought his survival was a fluke and has nothing to do with skill, and any hate on him also bled onto the Vanguards - and they reveled in it.

One group in particular, Grand Halberds and their leader George Faulkner, hated the Wild Vanguards - Isiah most especially, and now Noah simply for his fame. There was history between the two leaders, one Isiah didn't want to discuss but he assured Noah that they had nothing to worry about. They were occasionally confronted by the Halberds and a few fist fights broke out, but just as Isiah said they were not really a threat. Just a nuisance.

Two years passed since that incident and Noah has grown into a splendid Diver, becoming the Vanguards second scout and advance guard. He matched Yvette and Toby when it came to tracking, exploration, and marksmanship and weapon handling. Even Isiah admitted that Noah could keep up with him in hand-to-hand combat. More than that, Noah earned enough money to support the orphanage, make repairs, even buy the kids there some books and toys. He also managed to have some savings for himself but more importantly, his soul felt full from being able to support himself, his home, and his family.

Things only seemed to be getting better and better for Noah, and outside the occasional injury his life was very bright but that didn't mean that the darkness was far behind. During this time the rivalry with the Halberds grew and became a bit more aggressive ranging from brawls breaking out over petty things, to fights over resources and missions from the guild. The worst were accusations that Vanguard members sabotaging missions of the Halberds, all of which were baseless, forcing Isaiah to be summoned by the guild to defend the Vanguards on more than a few occasions - some directly accusing Noah of theft and spying.

All of them were baseless accusations but inconvenient nonetheless, though Noah took them quite personally especially since it affected the rest of the Vanguards. His spite for the Halberds reached the point that even the slightest provocation riled him enough to throw the first punch during confrontations, which led to all kinds of scolding and problems but Noah never escalated past fist fights. The Halberds, however, were not of the same mind.

It was early in the day when the Vanguards entered the Deep, nothing out of the ordinary for the first few hours they were in. A simple clearing job, kill as many fog monsters as they can find and destroy any nests, and they volunteered to go further in towards the fourth and fifth levels where monsters were stronger but they could keep any spoils they find and earn more. More money sounded good to Noah, but he couldn't help but feel something was off about the area. There were tracks from other Divers but they didn't encounter anyone else for hours, but there were signs of others fighting like spent bullets cases, discarded food wrappers, and disarmed traps.

Noah's suspicions were confirmed when, out of nowhere, their group was beset by gunfire from the darkness. Bradley was the first to fall forcing the Vanguards into a mad dash for safety but in their scramble, Toby was next to be killed - caught by a trap - and then Yvette was badly injured shortly after. With the group once again pinned down Yvette forced the rest to go on and leave her, a decision Isaiah made very quickly much to Noah's shock and dismay but he wasn't given time to argue as he, Isaiah, and Faith had to make their escape.

The attack was relentless, cutting off their escape, pinning them down at a cliff and wearing the three down. Someone had planned this, lured them in, and they all knew it was the Halberds but didn't have any proof. Their attackers were well hidden and coordinated, as if they've been doing this multiple times - which troubled Noah greatly but before he could think about the matter further, Faith and Isaiah were hit by a grenade with the latter shielding the former. Things were dire, and with their attackers now closing in for the kill Isaiah did the only thing he could to ensure their safety. He pushed the unconscious and injured Faith onto Noah and, with the last of his strength, cast the two of them over the edge.

"Survive" was his last order to the young diver, placing his bets on his luck and extraordinary skill, and as Noah fell he saw it - George Faulkner coming out of the shadows with his gun raised at Isaiah. The gunshot rang loud and clear as Noah and Faith were consumed by the darkness of the Deep.

When he awoke Noah found himself in a familiar area, the same flower field he fell onto during his first expedition into the Deep. It was as he remembered, black flowers that glow when touched, but now he noticed more things - mainly the large door that was covered by the flowers and their vines. He had no time to take in the rest of the scenery as next to him was the injured Faith, still alive but unconscious which was a little comfort as he could do very little in this situation to help her. His only course of action was to check that door and hope what lay behind it could help them both and, fortunately, it did. Behind the old door was some kind military outpost, one that had power and a medical facility where he immediately treated his companion and managed to save her life though she still remained unconscious.

He explored the outpost further and found that it was armed with weapons that were a bit dated but are still functioning, along with some other military grade goods and a strange heavy duty gate. He also found some rations and a service elevator that lead up but he would explore this another time since there was something that weighed heavily on his heart and mind. The Wild Vanguards were no more, destroyed by George Faulkner and his cronies. Grief and sorrow gripped his heart and body as he wept, his sobs echoed around the empty outpost, but they changed as Faulkner's face surfaced - a twisted grin on his face as he emerged from the shadows. Noah's sobs turned into a growl, and his sorrow turned into unbridled rage and he screamed into the darkness - a vow of violent vengeance for what he's lost.

He sat in silence for hours waiting for Faith to awake but when it was apparent she would not Noah let it become fuel for his rage. He further investigated the outpost and found many more weapons and ammunition, even an airbike and airtruck fitted for long distance travel. Both were models he didn't recognize but he could tell they were old and incredibly durable, the same can be said for the guns which were pristine and more than enough ammunition and explosives to reach the entrance where the Halberds are likely lying in wait or hunting for the two of them. In terms of sheer number they have him beat, and while he was a great Diver he was sure that there were more than a few Halberds who were better...but so what?

He had two advantages over them, the first was was the fact they think he's dead, if he could set up a sight were it looks like they were eaten by fog monsters then he could spend take his time planning his revenge. The second was the outpost - if he played his cards right he could make a lot of money from selling even just a few of the guns, but first he had to get out of the Deep. Going to the entrance was out of the question so all that was left was the gate in the outpost, which to his surprise turned out to actually be an active elevator - a rather large one. After arming himself and making sure Faith was safe he took the elevator up expecting a fight, but when the coast was clear and after a relatively short ride he arrived at what he thinks is the exit gate and he was more than surprised by what he found.

The elevator brought him to the upper middle levels, specifically to level fourteen, to some kind of abandoned factory. It was night time and he was unfamiliar with the territory, but he could see Caliburn tower in the distance so he had some footing and fortunately there weren't any fog monsters in the area. He proceeded cautiously which served him well as after a couple of hours of traversing and mapping the area, Noah stumbled upon what looked like an execution scene - two men armed with guns and another on his knees begging for his life. He wasn't interested in the man, one look was all he needed to tell that he was someone he should steer clear off however the other two were of great interest as they wore the Halberds crest on their outfits.

Noah saw red and didn't hesitate to attack, taking the two by surprise and mercilessly gunning down the first Halberd Diver then demanding answers from the other "who was there when they killed the Vanguards?" Was all he asked, immediately getting a list of teams and a few names - Faulkner being at the top - before executing him without any hesitation. He crossed a line, a human life, and frankly he didn't feel a thing - only the heat from his veins as his hatred focused on the list in his head. The man he unintentionally rescued, Jack Neilson, turned out to be the cousin of the boss of a big gang, Francis Reeves, who wanted to pay Noah back for saving him by introducing him to Reeves who'd give him a reward.

At first Noah wasn't interested but after some consideration he realized he could make use of this. He agreed to the meeting but only if they stayed out of sight while in transit, which Jack easily agreed to, and shortly that evening Noah was finally meeting Reeves. They met in Reeves personal restaurant where he served him the finest steak made of real beef, but that's not what he came for. He gave Reeves and offer, untraceable weapons from rifles to handguns to explosives for a price - enough to arm all of his men. Reeves was amused but didn't believe him - mostly cause he thought that Noah was too young - but when Noah showed him the rifle he had on him, Reeves' considered the proposition seriously.

Reeves asked Noah to deliver ten guns to him the next evening, if he could do that then they'd make their deal a formality and with Noah's access to the outpost satisfying that demand was easy. Before he knew it Noah had just stepped into a much more sinister world, but he didn't care - the money he gained was a means to an end and Reeves was just another tool at his disposal. Noah hid the entrance to the outpost and delivered weapons to Reeves biweekly, there were many guns there so running out wasn't even a concern, and using the money Noah found a doctor who would house and care for Faith while hiding her identity and his. She was sadly still unconscious but the doctor said they would do all they can. Meanwhile, Noah used the rest of his funds to gather information about the Halberds - the ones on the list - and planned to kill every one of them very carefully.

His first two targets were Jason Owen and David Tyson, two Halberds he recognized as two of the ones that harassed them on sight, whenever and wherever. He waited until they went out to drink where they were well and fully drunk before shooting them dead in a dark alley. Their deaths barely made ripples at first but over the next months, Noah continued to work through the list garnering notoriety. He took his time, planned his every move, and studied his targets carefully before striking and whenever he did - he made sure they knew it was him that ended their life.

The body count started to pile on and Noah earned himself a reputation with his new "friends". They called him "Ghost" because of his ruthlessness and silver hair but more than that. He was a natural at killing, almost inhuman in the way he hunts his targets down, Reeves in particular was keen to stay out of his way and being on his good side. Even when he found out about Faith and her comatose state, he made sure to have his men steer clear unless they wanted Noah to hunt for them next.

Meanwhile, in his quest for vengeance, Noah stumbled on something sinister that the Halberds were involved with - human trafficking. He found cages, chains, and drugs in the home of one of his targets along with coded messages and tons of money. Unfortunately the merchandise was recently sold making the place devoid of solid evidence of the crime but, he was confident if he stayed on this path he'd eventually find proof even though that wasn't his main concern. The Guild peacekeeping unit eventually started to follow Noah's trail, also discovering the Halberds secret and the lack of evidence prevented them from investigating the large Diver group, but they were much too late as the last few names Noah needed to cross out were all gathered in the Halberd's main headquarters.

Noah took his time, studied the patterns of the guards, whenever someone or something went in and out of the facility, he memorized their faces, evaluated their weapons, just like his previous hunts but this was going to be the biggest hunt yet and the one with the loudest bang. He held nothing back, bringing out all of the biggest guns and the most devastating explosives he could carry, and spent the small fortune he amassed on the other equipment he needs to pull of this hunt. The plan was set, Noah played the plan over in his head over and over, imagined every scenario, and that night he set out to kill the man that took his family away. He rigged a car bomb and rode it straight into their base to get in before unleashing his fury on the Halberds, he wanted them to feel his sorrow and rage in every bullet and ever explosion that he let loose. He wanted them to fear him, and they did.

Amidst the chaos, the Guild peacekeeping force were en-route to stop Noah but they were preoccupied by Reeves and his men who had blocked the streets and placed floating mines to stop aircars and bikes from flying there. Noah didn't see that coming but he didn't care, he was already a third of the way through the base with only the quarters where Faulkner and his cronies had holed up. They had their guns trained at the door where Noah would have to enter, but Noah had prepared for this and instead brought down their floor and buried them under rubble to incapacitate them. From there Noah took his time and picked them off until finally reaching Faulkner and, using his knife, took his life.

His revenge was complete and all Noah could do was sigh wearily as he started to slowly walk out of the base. In his solemn trek he found a reinforced door damaged and partially open from his rampage and when he pried it open he found the captured people of the Halberds human trafficking ring. They were from different levels, some were kids, others were people his age or a little older. He even recognized a few of as he opened their cages but while he was going around, the Guild peacekeepers arrived and arrested him.

Noah was ready to confess his crimes as he had fulfilled his objective but for some reason, even after being capture and put in a cell no one had come to interrogate him. In fact, no one had come by at all, they simply locked him in a cell with a turret that tracks his moves. This persisted for a couple of days with his only human interaction was the guard that brought him his meals, until one day a guild official stopped by and the first words out of her mouth struck Noah like lightning. "Did Isaiah make a monster or a Diver?"

She introduced herself as Madeleine McGregor, an old and dear friend of Isaiah and she wanted to know the truth. Noah told her everything, the ambush, the connection to Reeves, his revenge, and Faith's condition, and the whole while she didn't bat an eye - only asked a question here and there. Hours passed and it was dawn of the next day when they finished, she thanked him and left but as she did - Noah noticed the look of pity in her eyes. A few more days had passed and the day of his trial finally came and Noah was taken before the Diver's Guild and an Architect.

He was already accepting that he will either be put to death or imprisoned for life when he saw the Architect, his crimes were the most severe by the law they set forth and he had confessed to Madeleine. The trial was just a formality to him and he barely paid attention as the prosecutors presented their case, his defense presenting theirs, and over and over he was called to recount his tale. By the end of the trial he was tired but the outcome would be clear, or at least he thought it would be. He was found guilty of his crimes, of that there was no doubt, and the Guild had voted to have him executed but in a surprising turn of events the Architect had decreed for Noah to be spared.

His punishment as decreed, was for him to be red listed by the Guild for five years preventing him from joining with other Divers, and he is to surrender the location of the armory - should he follow this decree he will be let go. Noah was stunned but agreed, and within the week he was a free man. He returned to the orphanage, the people there welcoming him back with tears and scolding in equal measures, and there he rested for a time. In this time he moved into Vanguards base of operations as its new landlord, Max even going so far as to put the deed in his name, and after settling in he quickly returned to work.

His name was on the lips of every Diver he passed, calling him various names like 'Ghost', 'Noah the Crimson', 'Red Death', being the most common ones. Still, he persisted on returning to work as a Diver but it was incredibly difficult on his own. He traversed the Deep by himself only once and even then luck played a heavy role in that venture, and he didn't want to rely on that too much. He could reach the lower levels but, what made it difficult to really progress was how the other Divers avoided going in the same direction as him, which meant he had no back up if things went bad.

He did his best to not let this get to him but, the amount of money he brought in was significantly less than what he used to bring in - even less to help the orphanage. They didn't blame him but he certainly let it weigh heavy on his shoulders. Day by day he would go into the Deep, and each day became a little harder than the last, and while he managed to bring in enough money to help with the expenditures of the orphanage it was clearly not a stable source of income. While he was contemplating what to do Madeleine had visited him, much to his surprise.

She came to chat, to tell him the reason for his light sentencing. He had ended a human trafficking ring that they've been trying to pin down for years, not to mention that the armory he gave up became one of the major footholds for Divers in the Deep, these two coupled with his motivation and the Architect's decree easily swayed the Guild to give in. He had figured that was the case but it still struck him strange, nor did it stop him from expressing how difficult it was to be a Diver with his red listing. In response, Madeleine brought him a gift - the air bike and air truck from the armory, along with a personal request from her.

She gave him a map and some cash, telling him there's cargo in the back of the truck that she needs delivered to a hamlet a few hours out of the Clarent Tower. He couldn't say no and the next day, Noah hopped in the truck and took off. The journey was short but calming, and it was also his first time outside of the towers and at a hamlet. It was a quaint little village with a few families that were growing fruit and vegetables. He was greeted by none other than Madeleine who welcomed him to her and Isaiah's hometown and gave him the grand tour. She showed him the crops as small as they were, her home, family, and lastly where Isaiah was buried.

She recounted how they had found the bodies of the Vanguards, all but his and Faith, and had them sent to their families. Noah spent a long time at Isaiah's grave, quietly saying his goodbyes, thank you, and sorry for not being able to save him. It was night when he returned to Madeleine, who insisted that he stay for the night and head out in the morning. He accepted and slept comfortably for the first time in a while. The next morning, while he was unloading the cargo he brought Madeleine stopped him and said that the cargo was really for him and that she just wanted him to see Isaiah so after saying farewell Noah headed home. Unpacking the cargo, he found it was full equipment he recognized as the ones his team last carried and some donations for the orphanage, but the last one alarmed him as it contained a lot of money and a note from Reeves.

He didn't much care for the real intentions of Reeves in offering the money, he was very much done with that side of the world anyway, but he could breathe a little easier thanks to it at least for a while. Max then approached Noah asking if he could borrow the new truck, he had some stuff that he needed to bring to a friend - car parts for the engine - which large and cumbersome, and without reason to say no he loaned the truck for a day under the condition he could tag along.

When they delivered the parts, Noah was paid and confused for a courier. He tried to refuse but the man insisted then actually asked for his help again. This time to pickup another part from someone on the higher levels and bring it down to him. Again, with no real reason to refuse and nothing better to do, Noah agreed and became a delivery boy for a day. From there it only continued, one delivery lead to another, then to another, until the sun had set and Noah had seen more of the Caliburn tower in a day than he had seen in his life but before he left - Max's friend paid Noah a hefty sum for the work he did along with a grand revelation.

He realized that a great opportunity was in his hands this whole time, courier services, and with the truck and bike there's a lot he can do. That night he started to plan and call various government offices, banks, and made a list of Diver teams that would have use for a courier, even enlisting Max and Ben's aid, and by the end of the month Noah and Max had founded Lantern Light Deliveries. Within the first week of business Noah immediately found work, mostly small request from Divers to pick up supplies they ordered which he could fulfill on his bike, then it grew to the suppliers themselves requesting him to deliver special orders that grew bigger and bigger until he had to start using the truck to deliver orders to the Diver's Guild and various offices. Eventually, he also started getting request from nobles and rich folk that requested him to ferry goods that larger delivery companies either don't accept or take too long to delivery.

Work came in everyday and soon the orphanage's money problems were a thing of the past, and while Noah spent less and less time in with the kids and sister Antoinette he was proud that he can provide for them, though he would sometimes venture into the Deep when he can. Three years would go by quickly and Noah's business and reputation would grow, employing two of the older kids from the orphanage - Roland Fournier and Giselle Coleson - who handle local deliveries while he and Max take care of the ones that take them around the three towers or to a hamlet. In this time, Noah had planned to grow Lantern Light even more by going off to work on a cargo ship, gain some more knowledge, experience, and contact, but only when Roland and Giselle were old enough to drive and can be trusted with the truck and bike. He wants to expand and grow the business from being a small courier service to a transport company to reach his dream of a comfortable life for him and the children.

The opportunity would come two years later when, while out on a delivery to the main skyport, Noah met up with a ship captain he had befriended, Henri Babineaux. Henri captained a private cargo ship owned by fairly wealthy business man, Jonathan Hall, and he was looking for a new young pair of hands to help crew the ship, an offer he extended to Noah alone. He saw the Noah was eager, capable, and intelligent, more than meeting expecations of the owner, but the offer meant that for at least two to three months he'd have to be away from everyone at least twice a year.

The news was shocking to everyone, each bringing either encouragement or apprehension to Noah about the job, and he worried that Sister Antoinette would be the one that'd be heavily against it. To everyone's surprised, she was not. She told him to go and make the most of the experience, and hearing this Noah immediately signed up. One month later, after making sure everything at Lantern Light was secured and could opperate without him, Noah had shipped off as the newest crew member of the Saint Liberty.

The first few weeks on the ship were, needless to say, horrible. He was the greenhorn and so often made mistakes but also he had difficulty sleeping properly in the quarters. His sealegs had also taken their time to develop and more than once did Noah start thinking this was a mistake, but when he first reached their destination, the tower Elysium and bore witness to the grand silver tower that almost pierced the sky - all doubts had left his mind. Instead, his determination to succeed was reinvigorated and he gave his all to learning about being a sailor whilst also learning what he can about the places he visited.

On the second leg of the journey, from Elysium to Asgard, his efforts were already bearing fruit. He still made mistakes but they were minor and with the guidance of Henri, Noah was becoming a fine sailor. Three months out and Noah finally returned home where everyone welcomed him back like a hero. He brought with him gifts and stories about the things he saw and experienced, about his struggles and triumphs, and his dreams for the future - a future that starting to become more and more vivid.

Two years would pass and Noah had grown into a steady and reliable sailor, and his courier business was also doing well despite his long absences, but he thought it was time for him to go back home and stay there. While he enjoyed working as a sailor he still has plans for Lantern Light deliveries and he couldn't bring them forth from millions of miles away. Those thoughts would have to wait as one evening, on the stretch heading from from Asgard, their ship was suddenly attacked. At first he thought it was just some pirates, nothing they haven't dealt with before, but as he was fighting back he immediately noticed that these insurgents were better armed and more organized.

They had a ship of their own that had ambushed them, they were also organized in a way that told him that they some form training similar to that of Divers. It was only when he got a good look at them did he see they were all wearing uniforms with a logo that he recognized as one of the anti-Architect rebel groups, Longinus. Now realizing how dire their situation was, Noah rushed to the captain but only more trouble would come his way - this time in the form of a loud paralyzing roar that came from beneath the fogsea. Peering out the port hole he saw a giant serpentine creature rise out of the fogsea and set it's sights on them. All thoughts turned to call for help and escape, they were not nearly armed enough to take on a monster of that size, but before he could make a move one rebel had taken advantage of his shock and immediately knocked him out.