Johnny and Aerith trudged upward. The rucksack on Johnny's back felt heavier with every step, but his pace remained steady, a rhythmic thud against the metal. They were ascending the massive iron staircases that connected the grimy depths of Sector 3 to the elevated plate of Sector 2.
The contrast was jarring. If Sector 3 was a neon-lit den of vice for miners and factory workers, Sector 2 was the "Public Face" of Shinra in the Slums. Unlike the chaotic sprawl below, Sector 2 boasted orderly streets and buildings designed in a stiff, neoclassical architecture—the signature of Shinra's lower administrative branches. It was cleaner, colder, and far more heavily surveyed. CCTV cameras pivoted in the corners, and watchtowers loomed over intersections. Due to the G Copies invasion, autonomous security drones—Sentry Rays—buzzed through the air, ready to fire on anything that moved without authorization.
Beyond the administrative district lay the sector's industrial graveyard: the logistics hub. Thousands of decommissioned shipping containers were stacked like leaning skyscrapers, forming a rusting canyon of red steel. Endless railway tracks snaked through the area, mostly reclaimed by wild grass sprouting from cracked concrete.
"This place is like a labyrinth," Aerith commented, her eyes scanning the towering walls of faded red containers boxing them in.
"Stay sharp," Johnny rumbled. "That trail of purple slime leads toward the Weapons Storage Depot on the hill."
Suddenly, a harsh shout erupted from behind a stack of crates.
"HALT! IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!"
CLICK. CLICK.
Five blinding spotlights from assault rifles slammed into their faces.
Blocking their path was a squad of Shinra Public Security Troopers. They wore the standard blue uniforms, helmets obscuring their faces. But their posture betrayed them; their rifles were shaking. They were terrified.
Johnny's hand instinctively twitched toward the hilt of his sword, but he stopped short of drawing it. Slaughtering them would only make them high-priority fugitives. He remembered he was still wearing the modified remnants of a SOLDIER uniform.
Oi... let's try acting, Johnny thought.
He straightened his posture, shifting his body so the remaining SOLDIER plating caught the light. He stepped forward, letting the fading sunlight hit his face—or more specifically, his eyes.
Johnny's green eyes flared with a sharp, unnatural intensity. It was the unmistakable glow of Mako—the trademark of a predator.
The Corporal leading the squad gasped and stumbled back, lowering his rifle as if the barrel had suddenly turned red hot.
"Those eyes..." the Corporal whispered to his squad mate, his voice trembling. "That Mako glow... and that giant sword..."
Panic rippled through the squad like a virus. "That's a SOLDIER..." "1st Class? Down here?" "Look at the muscles on him... he's not human." "Central must have sent him!"
Johnny remained silent, letting their imagination do the heavy lifting. They think I'm SOLDIER? Perfect.
Aerith, standing beside him, caught on immediately. A mischievous, knowing smile tugged at her lips. She nudged Johnny's ribs with her elbow, then cleared her throat with exaggerated elegance.
She stepped forward, puffing out her chest and adopting a super-serious expression she had definitely copied from Tseng of the Turks.
"Do you dare aim your weapons at a superior officer?" Aerith scolded, her voice dripping with feigned icy authority. "Lower your weapons! Do you have no idea who this is?"
The troopers panicked. In unison, they dropped their aim and snapped into stiff salutes.
"FORGIVE US, MA'AM!" the Corporal yelled. "We... we didn't receive a memo regarding the arrival of a SOLDIER 1st Class!"
Aerith glanced at Johnny, winking one eye. Just go with the flow, Mr. Commander.
"Ahem." Aerith gestured to Johnny like a presenter unveiling a masterpiece. "This is... Commander Johnny. Of the Secret Deepground Division. And I am his Materia Specialist Assistant, Princess Gainsborough. We are on a strictly classified Black Ops mission to hunt a biological target. And you are standing in our way."
Johnny's mouth twitched. Deepground? What the hell kind of name is that?
(Author's Note: The Deepground Division exists in the lore, but here Aerith is just making a lucky guess).
The Corporal was shaking now. "Sir! Sorry, Commander! We... we are in big trouble, Sir!"
Johnny decided to play the part. He took a deep breath, channeling his inner Guts—cold, commanding, and terrifying.
"Report," Johnny said curtly. His voice was deep and raspy.
The Corporal swallowed hard. "Reporting, Sir! One hour ago, Logistics Warehouse 9 was attacked by... by red monsters. They killed our Sergeant and pinned the rest of the platoon inside. We... we were ordered to retreat and call for backup, but our comms are dead."
Johnny stared at the large warehouse at the end of the tracks. "Red monsters. G-Copies."
"Yes, Sir! But... there is a big one," the Corporal squeaked. "It... it's wearing the armor of one of our Riot Troopers and carrying a heavy weapon!"
Johnny glanced at Aerith, then looked back at the troops. "How many are still alive inside?"
"Three men, Sir. They're wounded."
Johnny exhaled. If he were the old Guts, the Black Swordsman, he might have walked away. But this Johnny... he couldn't let these grunts die a pointless death.
"We're going in," Johnny commanded.
He reached over his shoulder. CLANG. The sound of the Dragon Slayer sliding from its sheath made the troopers gasp in awe.
"You," Johnny pointed the massive slab of iron at the Corporal and his four men. "Follow behind me. Don't die. That is an order."
The troopers exchanged looks, their eyes shining with newfound hope. "SIR! YES, SIR, COMMANDER!"
They kicked open the side door of the warehouse. The interior was pitch black, lit only by the rotating crimson glare of emergency lights. Crates of weapons and ammunition lay scattered and smashed.
In the center of the warehouse, three wounded Shinra troopers were taking cover behind a wall of sandbags, firing blindly into the darkness.
TAT-TAT-TAT!
"Hold position! Don't let them get close!"
From the shadows, five standard G-Copies emerged, sprinting with jerky, unnatural movements.
"Aerith, Light," Johnny ordered.
Aerith raised her staff. "Light!"
An orb of pure brilliance floated up to the warehouse ceiling, illuminating the entire area. The monsters shrieked as the light hit them. But behind them, the true nightmare revealed itself.
It was a G-Copy, but it was wearing heavy plating. The creature seemed to have "consumed" or fused with a Riot Trooper. Its melting purple flesh bulged out of the thick anti-riot armor. Its right arm had biologically fused with a Heavy Machine Gun meant for vehicle mounting. Its face was hidden behind a cracked Riot helmet, dripping thick purple slime.
"GRRRR... GHHH..."
The monster raised its gun-arm, aiming directly at the pinned soldiers.
"THEY'RE GOING TO DIE!" the Corporal screamed.
"Not on my watch," Johnny growled.
Johnny ran. Not toward the enemy, but straight in front of the wounded soldiers.
"TAKE COVER!"
Just as Johnny slammed the tip of the Dragon Slayer into the concrete floor to form a makeshift shield, the machine gun roared.
BRRT-T-T-T-T-T-T-T!
Hundreds of high-caliber bullets slammed into the flat side of Johnny's sword.
TING! TING! TING! TING!
Sparks cascaded like a welding torch gone mad. Johnny grit his teeth, the muscles in his shoulders screaming as he fought the incredible kinetic force. His boots, planted firmly, slid backward inch by inch, carving grooves into the concrete floor.
The soldiers behind him stared at his wide back with their mouths hanging open. This man was holding back a heavy machine gun barrage alone!
"He... he's a monster..." one of the soldiers whispered.
"No!" Aerith shouted from the rear, her staff glowing as she prepped a spell. "He is your Hero! Now help him! FIRE!"
Aerith's scream snapped them out of their trance.
"FIRE! PROTECT THE COMMANDER!" the Corporal yelled.
Eight Shinra assault rifles opened fire simultaneously from behind Johnny, peppering the giant G-Copy. The bullets sparked harmlessly off the thick armor, but it was enough to distract it.
The monster roared, pausing its barrage to reload the belt mechanism.
"NOW!" Johnny shouted.
He ripped his sword from the ground and lunged forward.
The G-Copy tried to pistol-whip Johnny with the red-hot barrel of its gun. Johnny ducked, letting the searing metal pass inches over his head. He jammed the hilt of his sword into the ground, using it like a pole-vault to launch his massive frame into the air. He spun mid-flight.
"SOMERSAULT SLASH!"
CRASH!
Johnny's sword collided with the machine gun arm, shearing through the metal and turning the weapon into scrap.
The monster stumbled back, roaring in fury. It charged, trying to ram Johnny with its left shoulder, which was protected by a thick Riot Shield.
"Aerith! The legs!"
"THUNDARA!"
Lightning crackled from Aerith's staff, striking a puddle of water at the monster's feet. The creature convulsed, its heavy iron armor acting as the perfect conductor.
Johnny didn't waste the moment. He gripped his sword with both hands, raising it high above his head.
"GROUND BRAVER!"
It was a pure vertical strike. Full power. Johnny exploded from a low stance, bringing the giant sword down in a devastating overhead smash—a move he had adapted when fighting Zack.
KRAK! SRAK!
The Riot helmet, the armor, and the creature's torso were split vertically from crown to waist.
Johnny landed in a crouch. Behind him, the massive monster split in two and collapsed with the heavy thud of dead metal. Purple fluid pooled rapidly on the floor.
Silence.
The only sound was Johnny's heavy breathing and the hissing of steam from the monster's corpse.
Johnny stood up, flicking the remaining slime off his blade before sheathing it on his back. He turned to face the Shinra troops, who were still frozen in shock.
"Area secure," Johnny said flatly.
A second later, cheers erupted.
"WOOOAHHH!" "INSANE! THAT WAS AMAZING!" "LONG LIVE COMMANDER JOHNNY!"
The soldiers swarmed Johnny, wanting to shake his hand. Some even patted his armor in reverence. The Corporal immediately snapped the most perfect military salute of his life.
"Thank you, Sir! Thank you! You saved my men!" The Corporal looked ready to cry. "We must report this to Central! What was your unit name again? Deepground? We will recommend a medal!"
Johnny's eyes went wide. Crap. If they report this, SHINRA Leader will know.
Johnny looked at Aerith in panic.
Aerith immediately stepped in, putting on her "Strict Secretary" face.
"No, no, no!" Aerith waved her hands dismissively. "I told you, this is a Classified Mission. Black OPS Top Secret. If you report our presence, the enemy will track the Commander's movements. Do you want to put the Commander in danger?"
"N-No, Ma'am!"
"Good," Aerith smiled sweetly, yet intimidatingly. "Just pretend we were never here. Pretend... a ghost saved you. Understood?"
"SIR! UNDERSTOOD!" they shouted in unison.
"Good. Now clean up this mess. We have to pursue the remaining targets to Sector 1," Johnny ordered stiffly, desperate to escape the awkward situation.
"YES, COMMANDER!"
Johnny and Aerith walked quickly out of the warehouse, leaving the troops staring at their backs with hero-worship in their eyes.
Once they were far enough away, hiding behind a row of derelict train cars...
Johnny slumped against the rusted wall, wiping his face roughly.
"That was close..." Johnny sighed. "My heart nearly stopped."
Aerith burst out laughing. She mimicked the Corporal's salute perfectly. "Reporting, Commander Johnny! The enemy is destroyed, Sir! Hahaha! You should have seen your face, you looked so... cool and scary!"
Puck poked his head out from the bag. "Princess, your acting was superb!"
Ivalera fluttered next to him. "The Princess is ready to audition for LOVELESS with that performance!"
Aerith giggled.
Johnny glared at Aerith with annoyance, but eventually, the corner of his lip curled into a faint smile.
"Materia Specialist Assistant?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Cool, right?" Aerith winked. "My salary is very expensive, Commander."
Johnny shook his head, then turned his gaze toward the looming structure in the distance—Sector 1.
"Let's go, Miss Assistant. The Reactor is waiting."