"That was close..." Johnny whispered, pressing a hand to his chest. He could feel his own heart still racing. "We almost got caught as lab rats."
The five of them—Tseng, Reno, Rude, Zack, and Cissnei—had disappeared behind the church doors, leaving a heavy silence amidst the ruins.
Aerith innocently tilted her head, asking in a naive yet cute tone. "Why are you panicking, Johnny? Isn't it a good thing? Now you're a Cetra... just like me. We're a Cetra couple!"
Puck popped out of Johnny's pocket, his round head warping into an onion shape from sheer excitement. "That's right, Boss! Good, good! Now Boss's Mana has increased to two teaspoons, right? I can feel it! That's a 100% increase!"
Johnny sighed deeply, massaging his temples. "Puck, shut up."
He stared at Aerith seriously. "Listen, Aerith. This change... my eyes... the risks far outweigh the benefits."
Aerith pouted. "I disagree. Now you're even more handsome and mysterious."
Ivalera, perched on Aerith's shoulder, nodded in agreement. "True. That green color increases your appeal by about 30%. Not bad by workshop standards."
Johnny shook his head, frustrated but amused. "Let's sit down again. I'll explain it slowly."
They sat back down by the edge of the ruined flower garden. Johnny looked at Aerith, trying to find the words to make this teenager understand the dangers of the adult world.
"Aerith, if my eyes change like this, there are two possibilities," Johnny held up two fingers.
"First: Shinra. They'll hunt me down to be a guinea pig. You know Professor Hojo, right? Imagine if he found out there were two Cetra—a male and a female—capable of breeding. We wouldn't be humans in his eyes anymore, just rare specimens to be harvested."
Aerith's face paled. "Oh..."
"Second," Johnny continued, "People will start asking questions. How do I explain this monstrous physical strength combined with glowing green eyes? They'll think I'm a SOLDIER deserter on the run. Unlike you, who is 'monitored' from afar by the Turks, SOLDIER deserters are usually shot on sight."
Johnny sighed. "It might be better if I modify my armor. Approach it by disguising myself as a 'Fake SOLDIER.' At least people will think I'm just a dedicated cosplayer."
"But you prefer your leather armor, don't you?" Aerith asked.
"Yeah. Leather allows more freedom of movement. Honestly, that SOLDIER uniform Zack was wearing..." Johnny snorted with amusement. "It has zero function other than style. That pauldron is too big, it blocks peripheral vision. Too many belts. Right, Puck?"
"Agreed, Boss!" Puck exclaimed. "I almost got stuck in his zipper when I was hiding earlier. The designer must have been drunk."
"See?" Johnny smiled faintly. "This world has strange logic. People are smart enough to make advanced technology, but when it comes to combat gear... their fashion sense is ridiculous."
Aerith nodded along, though her eyes suggested she didn't care much about combat gear.
" The point is, Aerith... my eyes will attract attention. We are in danger."
"So we have to cover them up?" Aerith asked worriedly. "Puck, Ivalera, can you trick people?"
"I can, Boss," Puck answered. "I can use a small glamour, but it won't last long. Maybe an hour."
"Same here," Ivalera added.
"Let's leave it for now," Johnny decided. "I'll wear sunglasses or say it's cosplay if anyone asks. Wearing contact lenses during combat is a bad idea; if they shift, I could be blinded for a second."
Johnny stood up, looking around the ravaged church. Shards of roof glass, broken chairs, trampled flowers.
"Maybe we should clean up first," he said.
"I'll sweep and tidy the flowers," Aerith said quickly.
"I'll do the heavy lifting. Moving the debris," Johnny added.
===============================================================
It took them a full hour to clear the mess. Replanting the flowers and fixing the roof would take days, so they only cleared the debris so the church could be used again.
When they were done, Johnny sat on a pew, drinking a bottle of water Aerith had given him. Sweat soaked his black shirt.
"I'll start work tomorrow," Johnny said, staring straight ahead. "Likely the same thing Zack mentioned. This isn't just hunting monsters in the sewers. I might be gone for a few days to Sector 4 or further."
Aerith sat up straight immediately. "No, Johnny. This time, I'm coming with you."
"You can't. This mission is dangerous. We're dealing with Genesis Copies, not mutated rats."
"Oooh no, no, no, my dear Johnny," Aerith wagged her finger. "There is no such word as dangerous. Period."
Aerith's green eyes burned with newfound determination.
"I want to be strong too, Johnny. I don't want to just be a Flower protected by a fence. I want to be able to fight beside you. I want to be able to hit monsters that try to hurt you. The Planet will surely call on both of us someday, right?"
Johnny fell silent. His instinct wanted to scream: 'NO! Stay at home! The outside world is cruel! You will die!'
"I'm worried, Aerith. I don't agree," Johnny argued stubbornly.
Aerith smirked, a dangerous, mischievous smile. "I'm more worried, you know... What if your Berserk State becomes unstable like earlier? Or you get badly hurt, I'll just use Soulbound immediately so you panic go rush to my home and see me sick again?"
Then she played her ace card.
"If you don't want me to come... maybe if Zack comes back tomorrow and asks me on a date, I'll say 'Yes'."
Johnny choked on his water. He slid off the pew, kneeling and hugging Aerith's legs like a whining child.
"Anything! Just not that!" Johnny panicked. "Fine! You can come! I'll protect you! Just don't date that Spiky Head!"
Aerith laughed victoriously, stroking Johnny's head resting on her thigh. "There we go. Trust me, Johnny. I've learned a lot of magic, especially Curaga, to heal you."
Ivalera flew closer. "Trust the Princess, Johnny. She's stronger than you think."
Puck added, "I'm sure of it too, Boss. Besides, if Boss goes crazy again, who's gonna calm him down if not the Flower Girl?"
Letting his head rest on Aerith's lap, Johnny (Guts) remembered Casca. Back then, Casca was a great warrior. A feared vice-commander. And because Casca could fight, they survived that long on the battlefield. In this world, helplessness was an invitation to death.
If Aerith wanted to survive Shinra and destiny... she had to be able to fight.
"Alright," Johnny said finally. He stood up, then bowed theatrically. "That is the best decision, Princess."
Aerith returned the bow gracefully. "That's the spirit, my Prince. Now take me home. Tomorrow we leave for the mission."
Puck and Ivalera chuckled in the air. "They're a weird couple, but they fit."
===============================================================
Johnny dropped Aerith home, then sped his bike back to Sector 7.
At the simple dining table, full of good foods, Garrick and Marilla were waiting for their son. However, when Johnny took off his sunglasses, the fork in Marilla's hand clattered onto the plate.
"Johnny..." Marilla's voice trembled. "Your eyes... why? I'm scared you have Mako Poisoning ?."
Garrick, his father, stood up immediately. His face was pale. "Did Shinra inject you, Son? Did you secretly sign up for SOLDIER? Those Turks are always looking for you... Oh God, what happened?"
"Relax, Dad, Mom. Everything is safe," Johnny raised a hand, trying to calm them.
But he hesitated. Should he lie? He had told them the truth about Aerith. His parents in this world were very good to him. Hiding something this big would be hard.
Johnny decided on a three-quarters of the truth.
"Alright, Dad, Mom. I'll be honest. It seems that since two years ago... you know I changed." Johnny sought a plausible alibi. "This transformation happened because of the Planet, Dad, Mom. The Planet called me. That's why I changed so drastically these last two years."
Garrick and Marilla looked at each other. They knew their son's change was unnatural. From an ordinary teenager to a mechanical genius and monster fighter in two years. Their workshop was a huge success, they became nouveau riche in Sector 7, all thanks to Johnny.
"And now..." Johnny looked at them seriously. "I want Mom and Dad to keep this secret."
He took a breath. "It seems your son has evolved into a Cetra. The Ancients."
Garrick gasped, stumbling back into his chair. Marilla covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes glassy. They knew the legend. That humans now were descendants of Cetra who lost their power. But if one of them awakened again...
"Is that true, Son?" Garrick asked hoarsely. "You could be Shinra's test subject if they find out."
"Of course I know the risks," Johnny answered calmly. "Don't worry, Dad, Mom. I can wear sunglasses, or say these are contact lenses, or say I was recruited as a secret SOLDIER. I will hide it."
Johnny stared intently at his parents. "I need you to trust me. I can take care of myself."
Marilla walked closer, holding her son's face, which was now much higher than hers. "Are you sure, Son?"
"Of course I'm sure, Mom."
===============================================================
That night, in his room upstairs.
Johnny was packing a combat rucksack for tomorrow's operation. He packed double supplies: two thick blankets, large portions of durable rations, extra Potions, and a change of clothes. He left empty space in the large pack—specifically for Aerith's things and, of course, the carbon sunglasses he bought at Wall Market.
Johnny planned to travel on foot through the underground routes. Following the trail of the Copies in Sector 4, based on the PHS info from Tseng tonight. And possibly heading towards lower Sector 3, Sector 2 and Sector 1. This was an area Johnny had never explored.
After everything was ready, Johnny didn't sleep. He sat on the windowsill, staring at the giant steel plate covering the Midgar sky.
Puck sat beside him, eating leftover biscuits.
"Still thinking about something, Boss?" Puck asked with his mouth full.
"Of course, Puck," Johnny mumbled. "Today I almost killed a man..."
"That Spiky Hair?"
"Yeah. If Aerith hadn't stopped me, I might have split him in two. Or he would have destroyed me."
Puck swallowed his biscuit. "Isn't that normal? You're Guts, the Hundred Man Slayer. What difference does killing one more make?"
Johnny pinched Puck's cheek affectionately. "That was then, Puck. That was when I was Guts. Now I'm Johnny."
Johnny cast his gaze down to the streets of Sector 7 below. He saw some Shinra Troopers walking home, laughing while carrying bags of food.
"You see those Shinra soldiers, Puck?" Johnny pointed. "They have families. They aren't demons. They don't know anything about Shinra's evil plans, they're just people working to eat and wanting to go home."
Puck nodded slowly, beginning to understand.
"Now imagine our old world," Johnny continued, his eyes looking far away. "If a thousand mercenaries passed through a village... they would rape, pillage, burn the granaries. And we... we would kill them all without a second thought. That was our old world, Puck. A dog-eat-dog world."
Johnny sighed.
"But here it's different. Even though Shinra is corrupt, even though there is war... there is no mass genocide like in Midland. There are no demons eating people every night. Cities are built, not burned. I almost never hear of rape cases. The Republic of Junon, taken over by Shinra, actually became more advanced."
Tears trickled slowly down Johnny's cheek without him realizing.
"Puck... it's much better here. Much better than our previous hell."
Johnny wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"That's why I don't want to kill people anymore, Puck. AVALANCHE, opponents in the Colosseum, or anyone... as long as I don't see them killing someone else in front of my eyes, I won't finish them off."
Johnny's voice lowered, heavy with the burden of responsibility.
"Besides, Puck... here I have something precious. I have parents. I have Aerith, Elmyra, and friends."
Johnny clenched his fists on his knees.
"If I kill Shinra Troopers or a SOLDIER... even just one... Shinra won't stay silent. They will hunt me, and the people I love will be the victims. I cannot let history repeat itself, where innocent people die because of my sins."
Johnny's voice trembled, honest and fragile.
"I just want to kill monsters, work on bikes in the workshop, earn Gil from that. Date Aerith, walk around eating steamed buns. I want those little things, Puck."
He stared at his bedroom ceiling.
"If only there were no Lifestream whispers... if only the Planet didn't beg to be saved... I really just want to live a normal life. Work normally. Be an ordinary person."
Puck felt the deep sadness from his "Boss," but there was also gratitude there.
"If the Planet hadn't pulled you here, Boss..." Puck said softly, "Boss wouldn't have felt these two years of happiness, right?"
Johnny smiled faintly, closing his eyes.
"You're right. This is much easier, Puck. Much more beautiful."