[color=7bcdc8]"H-Howlite is d-dead! Johnny, s-she is gone a-and I...I..." 
[/color]
The words punched a knife into his gut and twisted. Howlite, was dead. Sure she was odd, always seeming not quite there or her attention splintering off to other things in short order. But now she was...dead. He knew, he just [i]knew[/i] something was up when Eve showed up and it took a great deal of effort to bury the notion that it was in any way her fault before Aqua's cries pierced the veil of his confusion.

The sight of a person he could almost consider a part of his family overcome with hurt unlocked every protective instinct in his body. Without a word Johnny shot to her side, the world blurring together as he wrapped Aqua in a hug. He didn't say anything, no shushes or whispers that everything will be all right, those can come later. For now, she just had to let it all out.