'How much can a person change in ten hours?' Harry had never asked that question before, but the circumstances of the last ten hours made him wonder.

Right now, he didn't have the time to think about it because he was running as fast as he could, barely able to catch his breath. He felt danger coming and bent forward as a green bullet hit the wall.

"Expelliarmus!" He fired a red bolt which might or might not have disarmed the ones that were following him. He took a left at the end of the hallway. He was hoping this would be short, but it was another long hallway behind him; he was bound to come under fire. He ran up, seeing a box midway, and hid behind it.

He pointed his wand at the junction, waiting patiently and listening to the beating of his heart that was about to come out of his chest, and when he saw the shadows, "Bombarda!!"

"Bombarda!!" "Bombarda Maxima!!"

He hadn't been able to cast the Maxima spell, but after casting the first two, he knew he could do it. Everything blasted out, and even he got pushed up, but he capitalised on the force and started running.

'Think, think, think, how do I do it? What spell? If Hermione were here, then she'd know which one to use!'

He wanted to use a spell to stop the Kree from chasing after him but couldn't remember a spell. He hastily took the left turn, colliding against someone. He fell back and pointed his wand forward, hearing a girl's voice, "Harry!"

Harry gaped for a moment, "Hermione!"

"Get up! Get up!" Hermione pulled his palm, making him stand up, "Let's go!"

They barely walked a few steps when a Kree Soldier holding the gun came out from the room, "Impedimenta!"

"Harry! Use Stupefy!"

"Stupefy!!" Harry used the spell without thinking, and the Kree got hurled back until it stuck against the wall and fell to the ground.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione used another spell, getting rid of the gun, and continued to cast while running forward, "Accio! Gun!"

The Kree's gun got pulled in her hands, and she tried to hold it, "Heavy!"

"Facere Leviora!!"

"That spell…?'

"It makes things lighter," Hermione held the gun with one hand, shooting a few bullets, "Come on. We need to hurry."

She ran forward, and Harry followed her lead until they reached the next turn, peeking, and there were a few Kree, "They are coming."

"Over here," Hermione whispered, pulling his hand, taking him into the room that the Kree came out from. They entered what seemed like a lab, and she pointed at the door, "Colloportus."

"I know this room; they were making the guns we are supposed to destroy," Harry checked the crates.

"Shh," Hermione placed her finger on her lips, taking a step back, pointing her wand and gun towards the door, and Harry did the same. They waited until the voice of footsteps disappeared, and they still waited, finally signing in relief.

Hermione dropped down on the floor with Harry, both gasping for breath, "Why…how are you here?"

"What? You get kidnapped, and you don't think people would get worried? I get that they wouldn't tell others, but when I asked, Aerith told me. At first, I didn't believe it when they said that Cloud took you to a distant planet, to the home of an alien race to train you and make some distance between you and You-Know-Who as you train."

"Then?"

"I was so angry, thinking they were making a fool out of me. But more hurt than I was angry," She covered her face, "Don't ask. When I wasn't expecting it, this orange portal appeared in front of me, with Cloud standing on the other side, and he explained to me. Well…more like saying a few keywords, and I had to figure it out."

Harry laughed, "Hah, he hates long explanations. Doesn't he?"

"Yeah, absolutely," Hermione held the gun, pointing it forward, "And when I knew that you were here, fighting. I asked him to send me too."

"You shouldn't have," Harry shook his head, "Every one of them is so strong. I was with Cloud in the first facility and the second with Mr Fury and Mr Pym. At first, my magic wasn't working…it was like just pushing them back, like an insect bite."

"I know…mine was the same. I was in the second facility with Cloud. I had to be a bit more crafty and use the guns. I heard from Cloud that you showed amazing progress, but it wasn't until now that I believed it. Your Stupefy was so strong."

"I think it's the fighting…the constant sense of danger hanging over my head," Harry covered his face, "Oh. Wait. I forgot."

He took out a device from his pocket, tapping the main button and a hologram appeared on it, "What is it?"

"I found it. One of the rooms that's keeping guns," Harry showed around the room, and a portal appeared in front of him.

He stepped in, looking at Cloud, standing on the docks, and telekinetically pulled in one box after the other.

"Good job. Do you want to rest? Or go in again?" Cloud asked them, taking in the inventory.

"Of course he's not going," Hermione pushed Harry in, coming out of the portal, "How could you send him there alone?"

"He's already had the talent. He showed it at the Triwizard Tournament. He needed the pressure to bring it out, but Dumbledore babies him too much. Look at him now; he might be able to stand his ground against even Voldemort. He lacked an arsenal of spells, which is why you are here."

"Oh, is that why I am here," Hermione raised her eyebrows, riding her hand on her waist, only to see him nod.

"Yeah. Why did you think you were here?"

She tightened her jaw, "Fine! I'll teach him!!"

Hermione pulled Harry by his collar, "Come on, Harry! We are going!"

Harry helplessly looked back, and Cloud shrugged, closing the portal.

He sat down, hearing the voice in his head, "What happened? Did you make Hermione angry?"

'I did.'

"Cloud, so consistent," Aerith giggled.

"You know…we don't mind, right Cloud?"

'I don't know if you mean that kind of test, but I don't mind either. I mean…a part of me thinks it's fine…to use her feelings…if she is useful, and that scares me.'

He shook his head, 'Let alone…the fact that you don't mind means System did something…and that annoys me even more.'

"Oof, you overthink. If any other guy got this chance, he'd be all for it," Aerith rolled her eyes.

Tifa gently smiled, "Ok. No one tells you to sleep with her or tell her that you love her. …be nice to her? She was apprehensive about you."

'Ok. Anyway, we are done here…so I will take the Tesseract now.'

"Uh-huh, is that what you want to say?"

Cloud inhaled deeply, struggling, 'It's nothing. Aerith. I'll talk later.'

Cloud covered his face, taking a deep breath. What he wanted to say was how much he wanted; he needed to be with them. Being around them was easy, but it was too much work when he was not.

They'd probably come if he called for them, but if both of them did that, it would be the same as becoming outlaws since Aerith was under the Ministry's care. Under the reasons that it was for her protection, but he wasn't sure who was protecting who.

Moreover, Aerith had her plans; she didn't want to make it easy for Voldemort to make his return, and taking over that incompetent group of Ministers didn't seem all too tough.

This is why Tifa was staying with her; somehow, the thought of leaving her alone felt like they were leaving her in the hands of Shinra.

Because of all that, he was left to fend for himself. He took a deep breath, "Whatever."