The Million-Dollar Heart

Noah joined the ranks of RST at seventeen, but by nineteen, the organization had splintered into GTO and CK after Jasper's devastating raid.

Assigned by F-Poison to infiltrate the Vanguard Agency as a mole at twenty, Noah figured he would bide his time, draw Vanguard's attention with GTO activities, and then slip back into the shadows of his true allegiance. But what he thought would be a brief chapter turned into nearly six decades-a lifetime invested and now, seemingly, lost.

"Tell me, Noah, in all the years you've been undercover in Vanguard Agency, what's GTO given you for your troubles? I'm genuinely curious. Heck, I haven't even caught a glimpse of the big boss's face. Have you?" Quincy asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Noah's frown was subtle but present. "You talk too much. When's my ride getting here?"

Quincy stepped back, a hint of apology in her voice. "Sorry, Noah, your ship isn't coming."

Noah turned, startled, only to be greeted by the dark mouth of a gun barrel.

"Master, there's no escape now," Vance said solemnly, gun in hand, a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

Instinctively, Noah stepped back, but another gun pressed against the back of his head.

"You know I don't move so fast anymore, Master," a familiar voice stated from behind him.

Noah exhaled heavily. "Let me guess, there's one more?"

As if on cue, Karen stepped out from Noah's side, her gun aimed at the man she once revered like a father.

"It's been a long time, Master."

Noah's gaze met Karen's. Her face, one he had not seen for years, suddenly before him, gave him a moment of stunned pause.

"All these years, and you haven't changed a bit, my little apprentice," he reminisced. "Back then, you and Daphne were the only girls among a sea of rowdy boys. Those were the days..."

interrupted from behind. "My mother couldn't make it. I'm here in her stead," Anna said, her

scanned his surroundings before settling his gaze back on Karen. "Anything else you want to ask, Karen? I'll

gun tightened,

with your own hands, did you ever think of the bond we

brief pause, Noah chuckled

truly considered any of you my own. You were merely stepping

these years, he had clung to the hope that his master was not a traitor. Noah had carried him from the crossfire when he was wounded on the battlefield. He had been there for every pivotal

dead, it was Micah who first sought out

a dead end for so many years, at most reaching

suspected Noah. Everyone else, but not

achieve his goals, even if it meant hurting those around him. Noah had

his doubts about Noah. However, that was soon

be the very reason for

ruffled their clothes, Karen felt

how much Noah meant to her. She respected Yorick, found a kindred spirit in Ulysses, but to Noah,

being drugged by her foster family and waking up in a stranger's bed, it was Noah who helped her out of that darkness,

Noah sat down,

to disappoint, but even if you've turned this young lady against me,

"Master, you taught us to hit the enemy where they least

as Vance added, "The photo I sent you carried a tracking virus. Once you opened it, your phone was compromised. Every device near you now pings back to Karen's computer, all you calls,

chuckled. "Ah, as expected of my apprentices. And Micah, what role did you play

family's detectors that you've been waiting on? They have trackers in them. Thomas is