Chapter 1
The planet Shear. An alien world inhabited by many dangerous creatures. Humanity had been pushed to colonize other worlds, and Shear was their first choice. There was an unfortunate backlash. Monsters of many shapes and sizes began to emerge. With these leviathans on the rampage, hunters were deployed to deal with the monster menace.
Over the planet, a spaceship known as the Nemesis was looking over the planet. Onboard were robotic soldiers known as the Decepticons and deformed humanoid monsters known as the necromorphs. Their leader was a child named Steven Universe, who had powers that would deem him worthy of the title of a god. He was looking over the planet, carefully observing it's natural essence when his second in command, Megatron, walked forward.
Megatron: My master. What use do you have for this planet?
Steven: I don't know. I felt something here, calling for me. It said…"Help me."
Megatron: Master, forgive me but, how long has it been since you got sleep?
Steven: I don't require sleep. Gems don't need to sleep.
Megatron: Even still, your human side requires rest. No sleep fogs the mind, makes you make wrong choices in battle.
Steven: How do you know about sleep? Decepticons don't need sleep either.
Megatron: I don't know much about sleep, but I do know when one requires time to rest. This "Help me" you speak of could be the result of sleep deprivation. That, or there is something you heard say "Help me", but your quest to find it has deprived you of rejuvenation. Either way, you need to sleep.
Steven: Fine. I'll go get some rest. While I'm asleep, I want you to scan for lifeforms capable of psychic communication. I'll be back.
Steven retired to his quarters on board the ship as the rest of the Decepticons watched.
Megatron: Well? What are you waiting for? Do as he says, Decepticons!
The Decepticons got to work with the scan.
Steven's room was simple. A bed. That was all. As he laid down to sleep, he could only think about the mysterious voice. It was a female voice in nature, but it wasn't a human. He could feel it in the voice. His eyes closed slowly as he fell into a deep sleep.
Pain.
Torment.
Disrespect.
A blinding light shone from above as multiple people were seen in a glass window ahead.
Person: She's a beauty.
Person: It may be a powerful ally in this war and prevent many deaths. Not that that's a problem of course.
Person: I agree with him. Any edge we get over the monster's ability to sneak and fight shaves months off this war.
Person: Marshall. She is beginning to display unusual abilities. Last week, her brain activity has accelerated three times than what she began with. Today, it is six times that rate.
Person: She's getting smarter.
Person: Won't be long before she starts psychic communication.
Person: We don't know what she's capable of.
Person: We should. We created her.
Person: From the genes of the monsters. There's no way to know what'll happen with this.
Person: Experiment 028 may be too powerful to contain, Marshall. Are you sure it's worth the risk?
Person: If it helps save thousands of colonists, it's worth the risk. We're done here. Set the chip to sleep.
A powerful shock was felt, then unconsciousness.
Steven awoke suddenly, having experienced this dream.
Steven: What was that? That thing. I could feel its pain. It's helplessness. It's anger. It's real. Psychic communication they said. What kind of psychic communication?
Megatron's voice boomed over the intercom.
Megatron: Master.
Steven: What is it?
Megatron: We've picked up a psychic signature, but its weak, and fading fast.
Steven: Give me the coordinates. I'm going down there myself.
Megatron: As you wish.
Chapter 2
Four people were running through the jungles of Shear. One of them was an older man with a beard, yellow armor, and a large handheld laser gun, named Hank, while one had a large moustache, hat, and a harpoon gun, named Griffin. One of them was a tall woman, wearing medical armor and was armed with a sniper rifle, named Val, while the other had massive red armor and a large lightning gun, named Markov. Griffin placed a spike into the ground.
Griffin: Ears set up. Try hiding now, monster.
Hank: Hey! I see it! Way out there! It's headed this way!
Val: Don't be afraid to get hurt. I've got your backs.
Markov: Markov is ready!
A massive stage 3 Goliath leapt out in front of them, unleashing a torrent of flame on the four humans. Markov was instantly shooting it with his lightning gun, while Val shot the Goliath multiple times with her sniper rifle. Hank began shielding Markov from the Goliath's relentless assault. Griffin shot his harpoon gun into its back, linking an energy line and restricting its movement. Markov switched to his assault rifle, rapidly firing at the monster's weak points Val had opened up with her sniper rifle. When the monster was locked in place, Hank dropped a barrage of bombs and missiles on top of it, while Griffin opened fire with his SMG.
Hank: It's all outta armor! Keep it up!
Griffin harpooned the monster again.
Griffin: Bastard's tethered! Attack!
Markov switched back to the lightning gun, removing massive portions of the monster's health. When the Goliath was preparing to escape, Griffin pulled out a small device, throwing it into the air.
Griffin: Cage is coming up!
The device spawned a massive energy dome that trapped the monster inside.
Val: It's almost dead!
Val used her healing burst to heal her teammates. Hank used his laser cutter to cut and burn into the Monster's shredded skin and armor. Griffin kept it harpooned, keeping it in one place. Markov finished off the monster with his assault rifle, the massive Goliath collapsing to the ground.
Hank: Well, that was hard. Evac!
A dropship flew in and picked up the four, leaving the dead monster's body. Some time later Steven walked in, having observed the entire battle. He looked over the monster's body.
Steven: Interesting. This creature, doesn't seem to be a part of the native wildlife. Something in their blood maybe?
He looked at the monster's tracks, pulling out some glowing dust.
Steven: Megatron? What do you make of this?
Megatron: It appears to be some sort of mineral dust.
Steven: Megatron, I'm returning to the Nemesis with a sample of this dust.
Megatron: What about the psych signature?
Steven: We'll get to that. I have to understand what this does.
Later, Steven was onboard the Nemesis. He and Megatron were analyzing the dust alongside the Decepticon scientist known as Soundwave.
Soundwave: This appears to be some sort of irradiated minerals. Closer analysis reveals a multi-stage property. It is my belief that these minerals bonded with the cell structures of some of the wildlife, spawning the Monsters you encountered. They give the host the ability to consume and grow in a small amount of time.
Steven: Incredible. If I could bond these to my cell structure, who knows what I'd be capable of.
Megatron: It would give you an advantage in combat, but we've only just seen these compounds. There's no guarantee you'll be compatible with the minerals.
Steven: Is it just your function to worry?
Megatron: It is my function to serve and protect you.
Steven: And you're doing a fine job of the protecting part, but you do also have to serve me. Unless you want me to humiliate you like last time?
Megatron: No, master.
Steven: Very good.
Later, Steven was hooked up to a machine, and the minerals were in a syringe, held by a 4 ft. tall Decepticon named Frenzy.
Frenzy: Oh kee chacaplutan?
Steven: Yes. I'm ready.
Frenzy took the syringe and injected it into Steven's arm. Steven took deep breaths as he prepared for a new rush of power. But there was nothing.
Megatron: Did it work?
Steven: I don't feel any different.
Frenzy scanned Steven's body and relayed the information to Soundwave.
Soundwave: It appears to not be able to bond wiht your DNA. Could it be possible that your Crystal Gem heritage neglects these foreign contaminants?
Steven: Of course. The irradiated material in those minerals must be harmful to my body. My healing powers must be keeping my body safe.
Megatron: Hopefully they don't cause any more negative affects.
Steven: Well, that didn't work. We continue as planned. Following that psychic signature.
Megatron: Very good master. I shall get our forces ready for the attack.
Steven: No! Fool, if we try an all-out attack, then we may lose whatever keeps calling for me. I have to try sneaking in there. If I can get in without causing an alert, I'll find what they want guarded so carefully.
Chapter 3
In another part of Shear, a huge facility was being guarded by all 12 of the hunters. There was Griffin, Bucket, a yellow robot with a rocket launcher, Hank, Caira, with a white t-shirt and jeans, Lazarus, who was bald with a beard and had a glove on his hand, Parnell, with a red berserker suit and goggles, Maggie, a dark-skinned woman with markings on her face and her pet dog-like trapjaw named Daisy, Val, Cabot, who was of chinese descent and had a railgun, Hyde, with a tank top and red shoulder armor, Markov, and Abe with a moustache and a cowboy hat. All of them were spread out around the entrance to the lab.
Caira: Are we sure this is safe, keeping that...thing in there?
Bucket: I don't believe it to be safe, but Cabot's orders are clear.
Lazarus: I wonder what dangers that thing poses other than death.
Hank: How about having to feed it?
Griffin: That's a fate worse than death right there.
Parnell: I think we should just get rid of it. Fucking thing gives me nightmares.
Val: So, all of a sudden you're afraid of a lab rat?
Markov: Do not worry, Markov isn't scared.
Maggie: Thanks, I feel so much better.
Abe: I'm detecting hints of sarcasm in that.
Hyde: Oi. You some sort of genius, Abe?
Cabot: Shut up, all of you. We've got a job to do.
Inside the facility, Steven was moving around the cameras sneaking through the defenses. He saw Bucket approaching. He focused for a moment, then morphed his body to look like Cabot. He walked out, past Bucket, but not before Bucket stopped him.
Bucket: Marshall? I just saw you outside a minute ago.
"Cabot": Now I'm in here. I'm just going to see 028.
Bucket: Understood.
Bucket continued on his patrol route. Steven came up to a set of steel doors, triggered by handprint identification. He looked at the scanners, then morphed his hand to be Bucket's claw. He inserted the three fingers into three holes on the screen.
AI: Identified. Bucket. Welcome.
Steven continued through, finding another door. He used Cabot's hand, entering the next door. He found a large containment area, locked down by steel doors. He saw a number pad on a console. Looking close, he saw fingerprints on the numbers 4,7,1, and 9. He hit them in that order, and the doors opened. Behind was a window, and inside was the creature.
The creature resembled a canine, with two long horns on the head and smaller spikes on the cheeks. Its color was a pitch black, with red stripe like markings along it's back. It's long tail had a large scythe-like blade on its tip, and its long titanium claws reflected the bright light. Crocodilian teeth protruded from it's mouth and its green eyes glowed brightly.
Steven: Greetings, 028.
It spoke in a female voice, classifying it as a she.
028: Do not speak to me, human.
Steven: Oh, I am no human. And I wouldn't be talking in such a manner to the person who just set you free.
028: Set me free? Don't be ridiculous. I am still in this god forsaken prison.
Steven waved his hand, and the entire glass wall was destroyed, setting off a massive alarm.
Steven: They'll be here any second.
He held his hand out.
Steven: Come with me if you want to live.
028: Who are you to determine if I am about to live or die?
028 snarled, displaying her massive dagger-like titanium fangs, a sight Steven was unfazed by.
Steven: Let me rephrase that. Come with me, or die.
028 glared at him, but did not argue further.
Parnell: Hold it right there, kid.
Steven looked and saw all twelve of the hunters.
Bucket: This is a restricted area. Who are you and why are you here?
028 instantly crouched in a defensive stance, fear flashing in her eyes as she recognised the hunters. She bared her fangs at them, lashing her long tail. The blade on the end of her tail sliced gashes in the ground beneath her.
Steven: Please get out of my way, unless you feel you've lived a full life.
Lazarus: These are bold words from a small person.
028: Silence human! I'm losing my temper.
Griffin: Did we document her being able to talk?
Caira: Not that I remember.
Steven: Enough talk!
Steven suddenly warped forward, slamming an open palm into Markov's chest. He then warped to kick Griffin, trip up Caira, punch Parnell, elbow Hyde, take out Bucket, Val, and Maggie in one kick, sent his fist into Cabot's stomach, knocking him into Lazarus and Hank, then finished Abe off with a clothesline all in the time it took 028 to blink.
028: Impressive. Although I still don't trust beings of human forms.
028 eyed Steven skeptically, tempted to run, but also tempted to attack him.
Steven: Let's find a different place to settle this.
Steven snapped his fingers, and he and 028 were warped to a open area near the facility.
Steven: Now, let's see if you were worth the trouble. Come at me with all of your power.
028 narrowed her eyes at Steven, and in a split second she was charging at him. Instead of attacking straight on, she darted to his left, lashing out with her titanium claws and ripping them across Steven's face. She rebounded off a large tree and slammed her spiked head into his chest attempting to knock him over. 028 sank her shiny fangs into his neck, intending to kill him. She used her powerful jaws to crush his throat, blood splattering her face. Steven stepped back from the attack, grasping his throat and face in pain, then he stood back to his original position, with a smile on his face. The scars in his face, and the opening in his throat suddenly closed up instantly.
Steven: Impressive. Now it's my turn.
Steven flew forward at hyper speeds directly at 028, then suddenly teleported behind her with the side of his hand raised.
Steven: Hm.
Steven karate chopped 028 in the groove behind her head on the neck. She was knocked unconscious instantly.
She later awoke in a room onboard the Nemesis. Steven was standing in front of her.
028: Can I help you? Or are you just going to stand there?
Steven: Do you know what just happened? You got your butt-kicked, dumb-dumb. Just be glad I didn't use 2% of my power, or you would've been killed. And I have other uses for you.
028: Uses? Do I look like some tool to you?
Steven: Not a tool. An ally. I know what's been done to you. I could feel what they were doing to you. You think I am in some way still connected to the humans? I despise every one of them, and have dedicated my immortality to extinguishing them from the universe. I know you feel the same way. You were poked, prodded, stabbed, stung, burned, cut, and tested on, like an oversized lab rat. From inside that cell you were nothing, but now, this is your opportunity to reverse the pain done to you. It is time for righteous vengeance. You will become…
028: You speak to much, like most humans. You look like a human. But, you do not smell like one. Let's say for a moment that I believe you. What do I get out of this?
Steven: You get to be face to face with people who made your life miserable. You will be able to turn their last moments on Shear into pure agony and torture. You can flip the script.
028: I approve of where this conversation is going.
Steven: Then tell me. Who are you now?
028: You can call me… Proditor.
At the lab facility, the hunters were recuperating themselves from their split-second defeat.
Parnell: We just got our asses kicked…by a kid?
Val: Apparently. Anyone need to be healed?
Hank: Well, my bones are broken in 17 different places, and my lung is where my stomach should be, and I think I lost my liver, so yeah I need some healing.
Abe: I'm 90% sure that my neck is snapped.
Cabot: Shut up and get yourselves together. We need to find out who that person was and what it wanted with that… thing.
The medics activated their healing bursts, healing all the hunters.
Bucket: Well, in the 0.16 seconds he managed to disable us, I did a scan of his body, and found only 1/3 of him is human DNA.
Maggie: What's the other 2/3rds?
Bucket: Unknown. One third appears to be some mystical energy, while the other third is an unknown pathogen.
Hyde: So how do we kill it?
Bucket: Once again, unknown.
Hyde: Useless piece of scrap metal….
Bucket: On the unnecessary note, I do detect an energy reading somewhere due west.
Cabot: West? Do you have the exact coordinates?
Bucket: Yes. The coordinates are...wait. That can't be right.
Cabot: What is it?
Bucket: Coordinates are 73.5 degrees west, 59.3 degrees north. That's where…
Val: Spit it out, Bucket.
Bucket: During a scouting mission, Cabot and I had located some sort of crystal pad. We'd seen them in many other planets during our planet taming career. Some of them, were deemed active. They are called warp pads, and with them, alien conquerors known as Gems would try and attack their respective planets, but they never chose to colonize.
Cabot: So, you're saying that energy is coming from an inactive one?
Bucket: Yes. It's impossible to know how, but I suggest an investigation at once.
Cabot: Bucket, Hyde, Lazarus, Maggie, and Daisy will go investigate this crystal pad. But be careful, that boy and that thing are out there somewhere.
Lazarus: Death will be no problem, assuming it doesn't take me.
Later, the five were running through the jungle, following Bucket's scan.
Bucket: It's only a little bit further to the warp pad.
Daisy began howling, facing a deep part of the jungle.
Lazarus: Maggie. What seems to be unnerving Daisy?
Maggie: Not sure, but it might be a monster. Daisy's nose never lies.
Something dropped from the sky. It was a bright blue tentacled cthulhu like monstrosity with electrical whip-like appendages on its back.
Bucket: Highly charged Kraken located. If I short circuit, you know why.
Maggie: I've got the monster domed!
A massive dome of blue energy expanded over the area, trapping the Kraken with the hunters. Hyde used his flamethrower on the monster, igniting it. Lazarus activated a personal cloaking field that kept him invisible as he jetpacked to a higher vantage point to fire at the Kraken, opening weak points that Hyde hit with his flamethrower. Bucket began laying down sentry turrets that fired at the monster while he fired with his guided missile launcher. Hyde switched to his minigun and began rapidly inflicting damage into the Kraken. Maggie set up several harpoon traps that ensnared the Kraken, slowing it down significantly. Hyde switched back to his flamethrower, inflicting just enough damage to finish the Kraken off.
Hyde: That was easier than I expected.
Lazarus: It is a shame I was not able to use my device to bring you back from death.
Bucket: This just in, the warp pad is activating!
The five ran to the crystal pad locked into the ground. It was beginning to flash over and over.
Hyde: You said warmongering aliens come through these?
Bucket: There's 98.6 percent chance that warmongering energy beings will come through here intent on killing us all.
Lazarus: And the other 1.4 percent?
Bucket: No idea. Nothing else has happened before other than that.
Hyde: Great. Sound like we're in for some fun.
Bucket: Warp is coming in in 5...4...3...2…
The pad suddenly flashed a beam of light. Dark shades came through the light and materialized into three female warriors. One was a tall, muscular woman, with dark pinkish-brown skin and curly black hair styled into a cubed afro. She had futuristic triangular shades, and two red gems in her hands. She wore a black and red bodysuit with cube shoulder pads and a pink star with a magenta outline on the chest, and long black gloves covering her middle fingers. One of them had a thin, bird-like body and pale white skin with a bluish-green tint. Her short hair was pastel orange/strawberry-blonde styled to a point like a pixie cut. She had large light blue eyes and a cone shaped nose. She had a white gemstone embedded in her forehead. She wore a light blue-green tunic with a yellow star and a large turquoise sash tied around her waist. She had pale orange short leggings, pink socks and turquoise shoes, and was just a few inches shorter than the red woman. The last one was dark purple and had long very pale, light-purple hair covering her left eye. She had plump lips and lilac-purple skin, and a heavier build than the other two. She had a purple gem in her chest. She was slightly taller than Steven, but shorter than the other two. She wore a dark purple, off-shoulder tunic with a black tank top underneath, black leggings with a star shape cut on the knees, and a small rip on the left leg, and white boots.
Bucket: Greetings, beings from another world. It is an honor for you to select our planet for desolation, but we encourage you to do the exact opposite of that. Are you willing to oblige?
Hyde: We could always just blow a hundred holes in their heads and move on.
Purple woman: Woah woah! It's ok. We're not bad. We're here to help, people!
Lazarus: You have names, yes?
The red woman spoke in an english accent.
Red woman: We are the Crystal Gems! I am Garnet.
White woman: I am Pearl.
Purple woman: I'm Amethyst.
Maggie: The crystal whats? Why are you all named after gems?
Pearl: It's the gem we were born with, so we inherit its name.
Garnet: That's beside the point. Did you recently get beaten in the blink of an eye by a child who's short and stocky, with curly hair and a red shirt with a star on it?
Bucket: Oh dear. You've clearly faced this foe before.
Amethyst: More times than you can count.
Bucket: My numerical measurements reach infinetely, making that statement untrue.
Hyde: Shut up, scrap metal. It was an expression.
Bucket: I think you should understand more than anyone that I never understand expressions.
Pearl: Trust me, I'm the same way. Why do expressions exist? It's easier to get straight to the point.
Lazarus: How about you get to the point about who the kid is?!
Garnet: His name is Steven Universe, and funnily enough he wasn't always able to move at the speed of light and hit like a supernova. He wasn't even evil. I won't go into details, but we found a relic called the Marker, that imprinted evil in Steven's mind, and now he's what attacked you.
Bucket: And you knew of this beforehand how?
Garnet: I possess the ability to foresee multiple futures, and this was one of them.
Maggie: Interesting. Any idea why he'd be on Shear?
Garnet: Well, let's see...do you have any super powerful highly intelligent creatures in your containment facility?
Hyde: Actually I think we did.
Garnet: Some sort of canine creature? Forged from the DNA of the creatures you hunt? Called 028?
Bucket: That's an accurate statement. Been awhile since I've heard one of those.
Pearl: Oh. Ha ha ha! I get it! That's hilarious.
Hyde: Well, if we're done braidin' each others hair, can we get to the part where we melt more faces? Also, how do we know you're any help to us?
A goliath dropped down in front of them.
Garnet: Weapons!
The gems in her hands lit up, and a pair of gauntlets were created on her hands. The gem in Pearl's forehead lit up and she pulled out a spear from it. Amethyst's chest gem lit up, and she drew a whip from it. Amethyst wrapped her whip around the Goliath's hand, pulling it to the ground, then Pearl stabbed the other hand with her spear, locking it in place. Garnet jumped into the air then aimed her gauntlet down as she flew into the Goliath, crushing it into the floor, killing it instantly.
Maggie: I feel a bit useless right now.
Lazarus: Impressive skills in combat. I'm surprised you still have yet to defeat our common enemy. Speaking of...where are they?
On another section of Shear, Steven and Proditor were searching for...something.
Steven: If you're wondering what we're searching for, it's the nest of the monsters. Wherever they come from. Where they spawn and grow.
Proditor: Good luck with that.
Steven: Why the skepticism?
Proditor: Well, they don't have the same mindset as us creatures of higher intelligence. They probably won't just let us stroll up to their nest.
Steven: They won't have a choice. All it'll take was just one monster kill, and they'll respect us. That is how they work, right?
Proditor: You amuse me.
Steven: Well, you're made with monster genes, so I would assume you have some knowledge on their inner workings.
Proditor: If the monsters just respected whoever takes down one of their kind, the hunters wouldn't have a job. And you claim to have general intelligence.
Steven: I would say the same about you for your first time on Earth.
Proditor: What is this Earth you speak of?
Steven: A world I gave up on a long time ago. Then it gave up on humanity, hence humans being on Shear.
Proditor: Interesting. Not.
Steven suddenly grasped his chest in pain.
Steven: M-megatron. B-bring the N-Nemsis here. N-n-now!
Those were his last words before losing consciousness.
Sometime later, Steven awoke, strapped to a table, with Megatron standing over.
Megatron: Well, that's bad.
Steven: What happened?
Megatron: You had a heart attack, and fell unconscious.
Steven: How is that possible?! How?!
Megatron: Remember those minerals I injected you with? They reacted much more negatively than we expected. Your blood fused with these minerals and your heart is rejecting them, killing your cells. Your regeneration will keep you alive for now, but soon your cells will die faster you can regenerate.
Steven ripped free of the table and pulled Megatron towards him.
Steven: How do I get this out of me?! And...where's Proditor?
Megatron: The canine-like creature alongside you? She's in the holding bay with the other alien specimens.
Steven: Have her brought to me at once.
Megatron: Yes, master.
Steven was waiting on the bridge of the ship when Proditor was escorted to him by Decepticons Brawl and Barricade.
Proditor: I do not appreciate being escorted as though I were a prisoner.
Proditor glared at the two Decepticons, tempted to destroy them, although she didn't.
Steven: My apologies for the rude treatment. We have multiple problems. One...I'm dying. Two...my old enemies, the Crystal Gems have arrived on Shear. Three...we're nowhere closer to finding the monster's nest. Unless...that's it! They don't have a nest. They have areas all over Shear that they inhabit, but not a central area. That explains the randomness of their occurrences.
Proditor: I have solutions to some of your problems. First of all, I don't care enough to provide an answer for your first problem. Second of all, kill them and eat them. Third of all… well you figured that one out by yourself. Congratulations.
Steven: You do know I can still snap your neck from where I'm standing, right?
Proditor: You do know petty threats do not concern me, right?
Steven held his hand up, lifting Proditor into the air, holding her in a telekinetic choke hold that gripped tighter and tighter.
Steven: Now, will there be any more sarcasm, or are you going to cooperate?
Proditor: I shall… cooperate…
Proditor wheezed, struggling to breath.
Steven: Good.
Steven dropped Proditor as she took in enormous gasps of air. The canine-like creature sat and eyed Steven nervously yet respectfully.
Steven: I think I've made my point clear. Don't you?
Proditor: Agreed.
Steven: Now, let's see if we can solve our problems. First, how do I reverse my heart cancer? I injected myself with the minerals that allows the Monsters to evolve, and now they're making my heart reject my body.
Proditor: Can't you just keep healing yourself somehow?
Steven: My healing factor will keep the death from overtaking me for only so long. Soon my cells will die faster than they can heal.
Proditor: I may have an idea. But it may not work.
Steven: I am sort of low on OPTIONS HERE!
Proditor: You could inject yourself with the monster's DNA.
Steven: And thereby negate the effects of the minerals that give them their evolutionary abilities?
Proditor: It may help.
Steven: I should probably ask this. What other effects could occur if it doesn't cure me? Believe me, I learned my lesson about injecting myself with random chemicals.
Proditor: There's a 37.6 percent chance your body will reject the DNA again, accelerating your cancer. and a 0.4 percent chance it'll bind with and enhance your own physical ability.
Steven: I can live with those odds. No pun intended. But that can't happen until we find a way to get all the monsters together. Unless I could borrow your DNA?
Proditor narrowed her eyes with distrust towards Steven.
Steven: Wait a minute. You weren't made with the monster's exact DNA. They could never collect from a live specimen, and a dead specimen would have unusable genes. Yours are approximations of the Monster DNA. If that's the case, we need the monster's actual DNA. Can monster's psychically communicate with each other?
Proditor: I believe they can.
Steven: And you have those abilities, right?
Proditor: Perhaps.
Steven: Then how about you summon the monsters to a central location?! Gah! If I didn't have heart cancer I could just take this whole place by myself. I don't know why I still ask for help from anyone, when everyone is a pure disappointment. Well, a disappointment compared to me.
Proditor narrowed her eyes at Steven, slightly irritated.
Steven: What? Don't like the truth?
Proditor: Well, since we're all speaking our minds here… You happen to be the most pig-headed, temperamental, peasant I have ever met!
Steven said nothing for a moment.
Steven: My apologies. You are right.
Proditor flicked her tail, creating a high pitched screech as the bladed tip scraped the ground.
Proditor: Apology accepted.
Steven: Nobody should have to deal with my temper. So I'll just take Shear by myself…
He lifted Proditor in the air with his telekinesis.
Steven: While you rot in space...and die.
Proditor snarled, then froze. Her eyes rolled back and she passed out.
Steven: So weak. Decepticons. Put her in a pod and send it back to Earth. She'll be at the mercy of the humans.
Barricade: Don't you need her to communicate with the monsters?
Steven: No. When I picked her up, I was able to copy some of her powers. Now, I can talk to the monsters without her. Now do as I said.
Brawl: Yes, master.
Brawl and Barricade grabbed Proditor, taking her to another end of the ship. The sound of metal being crushed and ripped apart sounded from the other end of the ship. A few moments later, Proditor walked back into the room that she was previously in, glaring at Steven.
Steven: Should've known you'd be back. You must enjoy the taste of humiliation and defeat.
Proditor didn't speak. She eyed him with mild curiosity, but mostly boredom.
Steven: Question. Did they ever tell you what happened to your parents?
Proditor: What do you know of my parents?
Steven: Just enough. When I copied your psychic powers, I saw your memories. I saw your parents. I remember encountering them on my first time on Shear. They weren't exactly nice to me, so needless to say, I snuffed out the fire of their life.
Proditor lunged at Steven, and began swiping her titanium claws at him. He easily dodged every attack with little effort.
Steven: Yes. Yes. I killed your parents. What is it with people and their families, anyway? I killed my parents too, and you don't see me whining about it!
Proditor: You pathetic low-life!
Proditor spun around, slicing her tail blade across Steven's face. The scar on his face quickly subsided.
Steven: You know the real reason I didn't want to use your DNA? Because I thought you could be an ally. If it would work, I'd need every ounce of your blood, which would then kill you. But now that I think about it, I think I'll still use your DNA.
Steven blasted Proditor into a wall with a telekinetic wave. Proditor yelped, although strangely seemed unharmed. She snarled, exposing her titanium fangs.
Proditor: I'd like to see you try.
Steven: Gladly.
Steven jumped forward, sending a punch into Proditor's jaw. This attack knocked her back further. While his hand was still near her face, she bit down on it, locking her jaws and biting down with her powerful jaws. Steven held his hand up with his fingers pointed forward, then poked Proditor in the head with a quick strike. This attack knocked her unconscious the second time.
Steven: Your parents would be ashamed.
Megatron walked in to the bridge.
Steven: Megatron. Take her to the medical bay and have Soundwave drain her blood. Every single drop of it. No need to be gentle.
Megatron: It shall be done.
Chapter 5
The Hunters and the Gems were talking about Steven.
Hank: So this Steven guy. He's all sorts of screwed up in the head.
Amethyst: We've established that already.
Maggie: So, how do we fight him if he's so powerful?
Pearl: We never have actually beaten him.
Griffin: What?! Why'd you even come here if you can't beat him?
Garnet: The point isn't to beat him.
Hyde: Then what's the point?
Pearl: To increase your chances of surviving and living. Killing him isn't the point. And I don't want to kill him.
Cabot: Then how can you increase our chance of survival?
Amethyst: Well you know who he is. And you know how strong he is. And you saw what we could do. We can't help you beat him, but we can help you beat his army.
Val: Beating an army is different than winning a war.
Lazarus: Maybe, but it brings us many steps closer to victory.
Cabot: Lazarus is right. If we can at least defeat his army, then we can work out a way to defeat him after that.
Caira: Well, then it's settled. But where would he be at this point?
Garnet: Knowing him, he'd rally his army of mechanical robots called Decepticons to a central point.
Abe: So should we just start searching?
Bucket: I suggest a team go on a scouting mission to search for Steven and his army. When found, they will return here, and we will prepare for attack.
Cabot: Sounds like a good idea. Me, Abe, Caira, and Parnell will go and search for him and his army. We leave at once.
Parnell: Long as I get to shoot something.
Caira: I think our priority should be stealth.
Parnell: Fine.
The four ran into the jungle, trying to track down where Steven was.
Abe: Here's something fun. Before Steven ran away, I tagged him with a dart. He didn't even notice. I'm activating it now.
Abe turned on his tracking dart, and a marker was shown on the team's HUD, 300 meters away.
Caira: Let's kick up the pace. Acceleration on. Woo hoo!
Caira switched on an adrenaline field, accelerating the running speed of the team. Soon, they were nearing their location.
Cabot: Everyone, stay quiet. Stealth field on.
Cabot activated a cloaking field that turned himself and the others invisible. They hid around a corner, ready to check.
Parnell: We got anything?
Abe: I don't see an army anywhere.
Caira flew onto the cliff, and saw nothing.
Caira: There's nothing. And the tracker says he's right on top of us.
Cabot: Right on top of us? That's impossible.
Suddenly, a creature flashed out of the bushes, abducted Caira, then warped back into the bushes.
Parnell: It got Caira. I'm going after it.
Cabot: I'll go with you.
Parnell pulled out his rocket launcher, firing it into the bushes, flushing it out. It had a sleek, serpentin-like body with a feminine torso, four spikes in its back, four arms(two with blades, two with claw hands), and three tentacles for legs, and its movement pattern involved floating.
Parnell: It's a Wraith! You ain't disappearing on me, freak!
The creature exploded out of the bushes, using it's blade-arms to impale Parnell. Caira used a napalm grenade to make it shake him off. She then switched to healing grenades and fired them at Parnell, getting him back on his feet. Parnell activated a serum in his arm, that injected him with powerful adrenaline and speed. He pulled out his combat shotgun, firing high damage pellets into the Wraith. Cabot activated a damage amplifier, multiplying the amount of damage Parnell was doing.
Parnell: You got it man! Maximum damage!
Cabot fired at the monster with his railgun, causing heavy damage. Abe shot at the Wraith with his custom shotgun, also dealing quite a bit of damage. The Wraith warped away from Parnell and Cabot, stopping in front of Caira and causing an explosion. Abe threw out energy grenades that created energy shackles that locked down the Wraith's movement. The Wraith created a massive nebula arena of energy, transforming its body as it unleashed a blitzkrieg of light speed blade slashes amongst the group. The Wraith suddenly fell dead from the obliteration of attacks.
A tall man wearing a blood stained lab coat emerged from the bushes. He had black messy hair and glowing yellow eyes.
Man: Bloody hell! You guys killed that thing!
Parnell: I'm sorry. Do we know you?
Man: No, but I know you, Parnell.
Parnell: No. I mean your name.
Man: Oh, you can call me Alfie.
Cabot: Alfred Lozer?
Alfie: Er.. Yes. But, just call me Alfie, please.
Caira: Oh. Is this the guy who builds all of our weapons? You built my dual-mode grenade launcher.
Alfie: Yes, as a matter of fact I did. You have no idea how hard it was to build a grenade launcher that shoots napalm and regeneration grenades.
Abe: Pardon me, but what the fuck is up with your eyes!?
Alfie: Its a long story. One that involves a lot of serum injecting, painful migraines, seizures, lack of consciousness, and near death experiences every hour or so. You know, the usual.
Parnell: I go through twice that with my Berserker suit.
Caira: Nobody likes a showoff. Without me, the suit would kill you if you kept using it.
Alfie: Actually, Parnell, I can assure you that my experiences are much worse than yours. Especially considering 028 was my creation.
Abe: You made that dog-monster mutant, motherfucker?!
Alfie: Yes as a matter of fact I did, you bloody wanker.
Cabot: Well, you should get back to our Base of Operations.
Alfie: I suppose you don't want to know where your new enemy is. You know, about four feet tall, red shirt with a star on it, and could beat Markov in an arm wrestle?
Parnell ran up and pinned Alfie to the wall by his shirt.
Parnell: How. Much. Do. You. Know?
Alfie: D-don't scare me… Please.. You don't w-wanna scare m-me…
Alfie began convulsing, shaking violently and foaming at the mouth.
Abe: Woah. What the…
Caira: Don't say it again.
Cabot: He's having a seizure. Give him some room.
Abe: Is that why he's spazzing out like a fucking epileptic squid?
Alfie stopped spazzing and went limp, passing out.
Parnell: Is he…
Alfie suddenly jolted upward with a huge inhale.
Alfie: West! West 200 meters…..
Parnell: You mind clarifying the seizure?
Alfie: I'd rather… not.
Caira: Suit yourself. 200 meters west. Let's kick up the pace.
Caira switched on an adrenaline field. The team, including Alfie, was boosted to incredible speeds allowing them to reach the area the british scientist had described easily.
Cabot: Let's try this again. Cloak up.
Cabot cloaked himself and the team. They jetpacked onto a cliff, and saw Steven, and hundreds of monsters in front of him, in cocoon state.
Steven: Rise, my army.
Many stage 3 Goliaths, Krakens, and Wraiths began to emerge from their cocoons. The Goliaths unleashed bursts of flame from their mouths, Krakens unleashed waves of electricity across its tentacles, and the Wraiths glowed with ethereal energy.
Abe: Well fuck.
Cabot: This is worse than we thought, people. Bucket, can you hear me?
Bucket: I read you, Cabot. Go ahead.
Cabot: The situation has reached Omega level. The kid has amassed an army of Stage 3 monsters, and is planning a full scale invasion.
Bucket: Oh...God. That is bad. What do we do?! We're gonna die! We're gonna…*clank*. Ow! Amethyst: You talk a lot of smack when all you have is a tank top under that armor. Bet you got nothing without that flamethrower. Or mini-gun. Or toxic grenades. Geez you're like a Swiss army knife with all of your weapons.
Hyde: At least I ain't some friggin' pixie.
Amethyst: This "pixie" can make you scream "uncle" faster than a kid broke you.
Bucket: Here's an idea. Shut up!
Cabot: Everyone. Stay quiet. He's saying something.
Steven: We will wipe the humans off the face of the Earth. Then, we take the surrounding cosmos, then the universe.
Alfie started shaking again.
Alfie: Oh god…. Not again…
Alfie collapsed, having another seizure.
Abe: For fuck's sake! Can I just shoot the fucking guy?
Parnell: No. Abe, wait!
Abe got up and shot at Steven with his shotgun. The pellets flew forward, and stopped right when they were about to reach Steven.
Cabot: Cloak's running out!
The cloak on the team suddenly deactivated.
Abe: Fuck.
Alfie sat up, apparently done seizuring.
Alfie: Sorry.
Abe: Shut the fuck up.
Alfie: It only happens when I'm frightened! It's not like I can control it.
Parnell: So what I'm hearing is…you can control it?
Alfie face-palmed.
Steven: Are you quite finished?
Everyone jumped to see Steven floating right in front of them.
Steven: Relax. I have a proposition. I challenge the man with the moustache to a game of rock-paper-scissors. If you win, I'll leave and pretend any of you existed. If you lose, I turn you all to dust.
Abe: You've got to be fucking kidding me.
Caira: He's not about to put our fate to a game of rock-paper-scissors? And in the hands of Abe?
Parnell began whispering.
Parnell: Wait. Didn't the Gems say he was a mind reader?
Everyone else began whispering.
Caira: What are you getting at?
Parnell: All you gotta do is think one sign, then throw another. If you think paper, but throw rock, you'll win. Think scissors, throw paper, or think rock but throw scissors. Whatever. Just think one throw another.
Abe: That's crazy enough to fucking work. Little shit thinks he's got me pegged.
Abe turned to Steven.
Steven: Are you ready?
Abe: You bet. You ready to do this?!
Steven: On 3. 1.
Abe: 2.
Steven: 3!
Abe threw paper, and Steven threw scissors.
Cabot: What? How did you…
Steven: I was standing right here. I heard your entire plan. Of course I can hear you when I'm floating 2 feet away from you. I'd kill you, but I'm tired. Monsters. Kill them.
A group of 4 Goliaths, 2 Krakens, and 2 Wraiths jumped over to attack as Steven floated away.
Caira: I believe it's safe to say we're screwed.
Alfie: Should we run?
Before anyone could answer, the monsters grabbed the hunters, running into the forest.
Steven: They should finish them off no problem.
At the base, the hunters had lost communication with the five.
Hank: Well, crap. We lost them on the comms.
Val: Should we go after them?
Bucket: I counted at least 8 different monster roars going after them. We can't go after them with that many.
The monsters that grabbed the five crashed out of the jungle, breaking down the trees and foliage in the process.
Griffin: They came after us!
The hunters locked their weapons, prepared to fight. Caira came up from the monsters back, waving her arms.
Caira: Don't shoot! Don't shoot!
Bucket: Caira? What are you doing on the back of a Goliath?
The rest of the hunters appeared from the backs of the monsters.
Cabot: These monsters just saved our asses.
Hyde: You wanna run that by me again?
Alfie: The… monsters… saved… us… Got it?
Parnell: Nobody asked the british psychopath.
Alfie: I am actually quite offended by that.
Bucket: Your voice. It sounds suspiciously familiar.
Alfie: It should. It's your voice.
Bucket: That's right. You were the voice enabler for my a.i. system. Quite an enjoyable voice to speak I must say.
Abe: Is it wrong that I hate Bucket a little more now?
Bucket: Yes. But besides that. Let us discuss the elephant in the room. Or the monster right in front of us.
Cabot: Garnet. Do you mind? I don't speak monster.
Garnet: Sure.
Garnet walked up to the leading Goliath. It knelt down and she placed a hand on its head. After a moment she spoke to the group.
Garnet: It says that these particular monsters defected from Steven's army. They want to help us, not for humans, but for the good of Shear itself.
Lazarus: Why would monsters think we would jump for joy at this offer, considering the many times in the past that they have attempted to kill us.
Garnet: It's not like any of us have many options. As far as they're concerned, compared to Steven, humans are the lesser of two evils.
Cabot: So they'll help us?
Garnet: Yes. For now.
Markov: Let us return to weapons armory, for jetpack fuel and ammunition.
Griffin: Doesn't it ever feel like we never run out of ammo?
Cabot: No. I feel like I could still run dry on the railgun. Bucket. Pilot the dropship, and have it take us to the armory.
Bucket: Yes sir.
Garnet: Wait. We can help you with that.
Markov: You help carry ammo?
Pearl: Well, we the ability to bubble objects and people, and send them back to a location.
Amethyst: Yeah. Just let us go, and we can send all the ammo back to you from here.
Hyde: That's convenient.
Chapter 6
Steven and his Monster army were running through the jungle, with a thirst for blood and destruction.
Steven: Where are you headed this time, Gems? Wherever you hide. I'll find you soon enough.
A tall, camel-like Nomad animal charged into the monsters, but was quickly subdued.
Steven: And if I don't kill you, the wildlife will.
The Gems were on the dropship, preparing to drop to the armory.
Garnet: You know the mission. Find the ammo, grab it, then send it back.
Amethyst: Yeah we got it.
Pearl: You have no idea what we're doing do you?
Amethyst: Not a clue.
Pearl: We're bubbling ammunition, batteries, and jetpack fuel for the hunters.
Amethyst: Oh yeah. That.
They dropped onto the field.
Garnet: All clear. Move in.
They walked through the jungles toward the armory.
Amethyst: Hey guys! Check out what I found!
Garnet and Pearl saw Amethyst standing next to a giant rock.
Amethyst: It's a big rock! I'm taking it home with me. It could be my "Ignoring Pearl" rock.
Two eyes suddenly opened on the rock. It sprung out of the ground, grabbing Amethyst and slamming her into the floor repeatedly.
Pearl: That's not a rock. It's one of those Megamouths.
Amethyst: Yeah! I…
The Megamouth threw her into the air.
Amethyst:...noticed!
Garnet drew her gauntlets, hitting the Megamouth in the throat as Amethyst hit the floor.
Amethyst: Ouch.
Pearl drew her spear, attempting to keep a distance, then threw her spear into its back. It bounced off the rock hard armor, breaking in two. She drew another spear, and threw it into its face, piercing its skull, and puncturing its brain, killing it.
Pearl: Let's try to avoid rocks shaped like that.
Amethyst: You are really being a captain obvious today, Pearl.
The gems made their way to the armory. On their way, they found an animal that resembled a Goliath, but moved on all fours, had a bird-like head and mouth, and had long hairs on its back.
Garnet: Watch it! Crowbill Sloth!
It charged forward, forcing the Gems to scatter. Garnet brought her fist down on it, but the Sloth knocked her away with one hand, slamming the ground, then prepared to attack Pearl. Amethyst's whip wrapped around its wrist, pulling it to the floor, as Pearl sent her spear into its back. Garnet then sent her gauntlets upward, crashing into its chin, sending its mandibles into its upper lip. She came back down, gauntlet ready, crushing the Crowbill Sloth into the floor.
Pearl: Let's get to the armory before we become a Tyrant's lunch.
At the base, the hunters were checking their ammo, when a woosh was heard in the jungle.
Maggie: You hear that?
Griffin: Yeah.
Cabot: Eyes sharp, and ears on people. Something's watching us.
Unknown Voice: Something is.
A canine-like creature dropped out from the branches. Red markings were scattered across its back that stood out like blood against it's black body. It's glowing green eyes scanned the hunters as if it were sizing them up.
Caira: Is that…
Bucket: 028. Why yes. Yes it is.
Markov: It has returned to us. But for what purpose?
Proditor: That reason depends on your decision.
Hyde: That's right you can talk now, can't you?
Hank: What do you mean "our decision?"
Proditor: Whether you'd like to make use of my services, or become my lunch.
Val: You want us to help you with something don't you?
Proditor: More like you need me to help you something.
Lazarus: It appears we may share a common enemy.
Parnell: And because you probably hate him, we're your tools for payback.
Proditor: I'm surprised you deciphered my plan so soon. Most of you have very low intelligence.
Abe: You'd be surprised what we humans are able to comprehend.
Proditor: You're right, I would be surprised.
Multiple bubbles full of ammunition and batteries began to appear. The Gems appeared, having bubbled themselves, and they popped all the bubbles of ammunition.
Pearl: There. I think that's a mission accomplished.
Cabot: I wouldn't celebrate yet. Steven's still out there with a monster army.
Proditor: No wonder you humans are so easy to defeat. You're cowards who worry about everything.
Hyde: And you're not. And look what happened.
Proditor: Do not speak to me, human!
Alfie: Woah, woah, woah! Everyone just relax! No need to make enemies amongst ourselves.
Abe: So now you want to bring in profound advice, motherfucker? Where were you when we were staring down an army of stage 3s?!
Proditor locked eyes with Alfie, a look of bitter hatred crossing her face.
Proditor: Oh look, it's the science experiment gone wrong.
Alfie: For the record, I believe that you are the science experiment gone wrong here.
Proditor snarled, her jagged titanium fangs gleaming in the dim light. She lunged forward, clearing the 3 meter space in a split second. Just as she neared him, Alfie instinctively extended his hand, shooting a blue bolt of electricity at her. Proditor stumbled, then collapsed on her side, twitching and panting heavily.
Abe: Do you care to explain what the fuck that was?
Alfie: I… I don't know…
Garnet: I can do that too.
Garnet powered up balls of electricity in her hands.
Markov: This is not competition. But if it were, Markov would win.
Alfie: Actually, your lightning gun is three times weaker than the electric projection of a Kraken.
Abe: I hate you more and more every time you open your fucking mouth.
Alfie: It's not my fault I'm double your intelligence, Abe.
Abe: Okay! Time to die, asshole!
Abe pulled out his shotgun and shot at Alfie. The spark from the shotgun ignited into an explosion of flame, creating a wall of fire in between them.
Cabot: What the…
Caira: You all see the fire too, right?
Pearl: I thought it was just me.
Alfie: What the bloody hell…?
Amethyst shapeshifted into a giant fan, and attempted to blow out the fire, but the increased oxygen caused it to grow brighter.
Alfie: Do you know nothing about pyrotechnics?
Amethyst: I think you should've figured out by now that I do not.
Alfie: Alright, let me try something…
Alfie concentrated on the fire and it slowly went out.
Griffin: You are one buggered up man, Alfie.
Alfie: I find that relatively offensive.
Bucket: It is indeed relatively offensive.
Val: Maybe his powers can help us.
Hank: No shit.
A transmission from a colonist came in.
Colonist: This is evacuation ship, Chernobyl. Cabot, do you read?
Cabot: I read you, Chernobyl. Go ahead.
Colonist: We've just about finished fueling. We only need a little more time, but a huge wave of monsters are at our doorstep. We need you to help hold them off.
Cabot: Roger that. We're on our way.
Caira: Cabot, there's no way we're gonna get there in time. Even we did take the dropship, the monsters would already be there.
Bucket: I would like to point out that the monsters are still here, and still want to help us.
The monsters had been standing beside the base the entire time. They were painted with special red markings that made them distinct from the other monsters.
Caira: Right. Forgot about that.
The monsters knelt down, allowing the group to climb onto their backs and ride them.
Cabot: Let's kick it into high gear. All of humanity depends on us.
Amethyst: So no pressure? Got it.
Chapter 7
The monsters were running through the jungle in the directions indicated by Cabot.
Griffin: How about we lighten the mood with a little song from where I'm from?
Griffin began singing the song, "Rawhide".
Griffin: Rollin', rollin' rollin'. Keep movin', movin' movin'. Keep them doggies movin', rawhide. Rain and wind and weather, hell bent for leather. Wishin' me girl was by me side.
Male hunters: Rollin', rollin' rollin'. Keep movin', movin' movin'. Keep them doggies movin', rawhide. Rain and wind and weather, hell bent for leather. Wishin' me girl was by me side.
Griffin: Cut 'em out
Male hunters: Ride 'em in
Griffin: Ride 'em in
Male hunters: Cut 'em out. Ride 'em in rawhide!
Griffin: Yah!
The monsters took the hunters through the jungles, making it to a massive fortification, shielded by a series of generators.
Cabot: Alright people. Let's get some defenses set up and prepare. We've got a fight on our hands.
Bucket, Maggie, and Markov began laying down sentry turrets, harpoon traps, and arc mines to prepare for the coming attack. Griffin went out and placed a sound spike near the area.
Bucket: Traps and defenses have been placed.
Cabot: We're ready then.
Garnet: How long until the ship is ready for launch?
Bucket: An estimation of 15 minutes until the ship is prepared.
Alfie: Wonderful, now we just have to try to survive for 15 minutes. Sounds easy enough.
Pearl: How long until the monsters are here?
Bucket: An estimation of 15 seconds until the monsters arrive.
15 seconds later, trees began crashing, roars erupted in the jungle, and animals were running away in fear.
Parnell: This is the big one, folks.
Griffin: Gonna be the challenge of a lifetime right here.
Maggie: We can do this.
Markov: This battle will be legendary!
Hyde: Fuel's loaded, and I'm ready to melt some faces.
Caira: Let's go team!
Val: I'll keep you patched up.
Lazarus: Death will not be a problem.
Bucket: I am prepared. This will be positively delightful.
Hank: Let's bring these things down.
Alfie: I'm 99.99% sure that I'm going to die.
Proditor: Do not worry, I'll make sure that you stay alive. Besides, I plan on killing you myself at the end of this.
Abe: Save some for me too.
Cabot: Anybody got anything else to say?
Abe: I do…
The monster army appeared.
Abe: They fucked with the wrong motherfucker.
The battle began. The hunters unleashed their full firepower on the monsters. Markov chained lightning beams to the other monsters, Hyde melted them with his flamethrower, Parnell blew them away with his shotgun, Maggie shot at them with her machine pistol, Griffin shot with his SMG, Abe fired his custom shotgun, Val used her sniper rifle to get headshots on the monsters, Lazarus did the same with his silenced rifle, Caira lobbed fiery grenades into the horde, Hank used his laser cutter to pierce and burn their armor away, Bucket used his rockets and sentry guns to the take them down, and Cabot kept the pressure on with his rail cannon. Goliaths pushed through the gunfire, breathing fire as Krakens rained electrical death from above, and Wraiths used their speed to close the distance and attack. The hunters used their jetpacks to outmaneuver the coming attacks as they continued to assault the monsters with barrages of bullets, bombs, and fire. The Gems drew their weapons, and used them to fight the monsters. Garnet used her strength and stamina to take down the Goliaths, while Amethyst shapeshifted into a dragon to attack the Krakens. Pearl used holograms of herself to confuse the Wraiths, then impale each of them through their heads. Steven watched in annoyance and anger.
Steven: They're just three people! Why is it so hard to get rid of them! Raaaaaahhhhhhh!
Steven shot towards Pearl at sonic speeds, preparing a powerful uppercut. Just as he was about to close the distance, a Wraith warped in between them, raising its blade back, then knocking Steven away with a massive upward slice.
Steven: What?
The friendly monsters began to join in on the fight. The 4 Goliaths began wrestling with Steven's Goliaths, attempting to overpower each other. The 2 Krakens flew into the air, firing at the monsters from above. The 2 Wraiths warped through the armies, unleashing supernovas to make them much more lethal to the other Wraiths and heavily armored Goliaths.
Steven: No! Those monsters joined the humans?! This is unacceptable!
Proditor was wrestling a Wraith, gnawing at one of it's blade arms, severing the limb clean off. She finished the monster off by whipping around and slicing it's head off with her tail blade and ripping her claws down it's chest and stomach, gutting the monster. Blood dripped from her jaws and was splattered on her claws and bladed tail.
Alfie, who was being chased by an angry stage 3 Goliath, turned and faced the monster as it unleashed it's fire breath on him. Alfie held out his hand and the fire collected into a massive ball before him. He then caused the fire ball to fly at the Goliath, scorching it's face.
Alfie: My, that was incredibly satisfying!
Bucket: I know, right? Goliath! Have a missile! They're delicious! I'm only assuming, of course. I've never tasted a missile!
Bucket fired more rockets at a Goliath, killing it. He fired rockets at the other monsters.
Bucket: Missile! Missile! Missile! Missile!
Steven could feel his heart speeding up, pain surging through it.
Steven: It's been an hour. The serum should be working by now.
The pain in his heart suddenly kicked up to an aggressive state. He yelled in pain as he felt himself dying. He soon stopped moving, hitting the floor. Everyone saw him on the ground.
Abe: What the fuck?
Amethyst: Did he just…
Maggie: I guess his body couldn't handle the powers.
Alfie: Well, that's convenient for us.
Suddenly, Steven twitched. His eyes opened, having turned a dark black with orange pupils. His whole body began bubbling, growing, and expanding. Two Wraith arms with scythe-blades exploded from his shoulders, and his real arms grew into the Goliath's massive fists and arms. Two Kraken tentacles and Kraken spines burst from his back. Three Wraith tentacles grew into a tail with Kraken legs. His body grew with the mass of the Goliath, color of Wraith, and skin composition of the Kraken. His face began sporting Kraken tentacles, Goliath mandibles, and Wraith teeth. Steven stood up, standing on two legs, unleashing a roar akin to that of Godzilla.
Hank: Holy shit.
Bucket: I believe we've discovered a stage 4 monster that seemlessly combines the aspects of the known monsters.
Alfie: Yes, I believe that to be true. I also believe that we're all officially dead. Shall we shoot each other now and save him the pleasure?
Abe: Sorry. "Giving up" ain't a part of my vocabulary.
Cabot: Alright team. He's transformed into some sort of Leviathan.
Proditor: No shit. Do we need to point out anything else obvious while we're at it?
Steven flashed forward into the group, creating a massive explosion that sent them to all corners of the area.
Cabot: Damage amp is live.
Cabot fired an armor weakening beam of red energy that multipled the damage Markov, Hyde, and Parnell were doing. Parnell activated his super soldier, allowing him to shoot and move faster, Hyde dropped a toxic grenade on the area, and Markov laid down mines around the area. Maggie laid down harpoon traps, that locked down Steven while she fired her machine pistol, Griffin used his harpoon gun to lock down Steven as he was slowed by Abe's stasis grenades. Caira fired healing grenades into everyone Steven attacked, and used the adrenaline field to assist the team in combat, Val tranquilized Steven, firing sniper shots to open up weakpoints, then focused on using the medgun for healing. Lazarus used his silenced rifle for more weakpoints. Hank used his shield projector to shield the team, then dropped an orbital barrage on top of him, then cutting into him with his laser cutter. Bucket's sentries fired on Steven, and Bucket fired at him with his missiles. Cabot soon switched to his railgun inflicting massive punishment. Garnet clashed with his Goliath fists, Pearl clashed with his Wraith blades, and Amethyst clashed with his Kraken tentacles. Steven leapt into the air, smashing the ground, then threw a rock at them. He unleashed his supernova, inflicting highspeed pain on the hunters. He used his Kraken tentacles to fly into the air and start firing electrical blasts. He charged a bubble of energy, moving it between the hunters, exploding in a hailstorm of thunder. He started dropping his homing banshee mines, firing a vortex blast, and attacking all of the hunters with his aftershock. He warped to Val and Hank, blasting them different directions with a warp blast, warping another direction to abduct Lazarus, then using Wraith's decoy to create a copy that attacked everyone while he breathed fire on the rest, charging through them as the copy died.
Steven: Just give up and accept your fate!
Caira: I'm getting tired of hearing your voice!
Abe fired his shotgun, causing an explosive shell to pierce Steven's skull, exploding out of the top of his head.
Abe: That's Abe's special dose of "Fuck You Up!"
The hole in Steven's head sealed up as he warped towards Abe, grabbing him in his Goliath hands, smashing him into the ground. Val used her healing beam to get him on his feet.
Val: This isn't working. We need a new plan.
Garnet: Pearl! Amethyst! We have to fuse together.
Proditor: Lovely. The pixies have a plan.
Amethyst: At least we're not about to be lying dead on the floor.
Steven was standing right over Proditor.
Steven: Time to die…
Proditor: Oh really?
Proditor looked over at the hunters.
Proditor: When I say 'now', dome him and run.
Abe: What the hell are you planning?
Afie: I may or may not of installed a nuclear bomb on her harness…
Abe: You installed a bomb...on a fucking walking dog-lizard?!
Alfie: It may just save our lives.
Abe: I'd kill you right now, but I'm out of shotgun shells. Run!
The entire group ran from the area to a safe distance. Proditor twisted around, pulling a pin out of the nuclear bomb strapped to her harness. She lunged up at Steven, snapping her jaws shut on his throat and clinging to him with her titanium claws.
Proditor: Now!
Abe pulled out his mobile arena, locking it.
Abe: Only get one shot at this.
Alfie: Then don't miss.
Abe grabbed Alfie, throwing him into the area as he threw up the mobile arena. A massive explosion shook the earth, causing the hunters and gems to lose their balance. The explosion was contained within the dome, and the ground eventually stopped shaking and the dust settled in the mobile arena.
Cabot: You mind explaining why you threw him inside the dome before the bomb went off?
Abe: He was an annoying motherfucker.
Abe dropped the mobile arena.
As the rest of the dust settled, a figure was left standing. Two yellow eyes shone out from the dark. There was a quiet beep as the figure's personal shield deactivated.
Abe: AW FUCK! FUCK! GODDAMMIT! FUCK FUCK! SON OF A SHIT WEASEL! WHAT THE FUCK? WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!
Alfie: Personal shield, dumbass.
Abe: Who are you calling a dumbass, mister "Oh I'm gonna put a nuclear bomb on this experiment for fun!"?
Alfie: I'm calling you a dumbass, and I'm also calling you dead.
Alfie pulled a handgun out of his lab coat pocket and aimed it at Abe.
Abe: Go ahead, doc. Shoot me.
Alfie: My pleasure.
Alfie was about to fire the gun, when a dart hit him in the neck. Val had shot a tranquilizer dart to render him unconscious. Alfie collapsed, dropping the gun and blacking out.
Val: Tranqs. It'll slow a monster and it'll knockout a person.
Something suddenly burst from the ground behind them. Steven slowly emerged from the ground.
Steven: Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Amethyst: We are out.
Steven: Really? How's the view?!
Steven giggled maniacally as he grabbed his arm in pain. Every part of his body was scarred and torn.
Garnet: He's weakened. Now's our chance. You guys stay back. We got this.
Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst drew their individual weapons.
Steven: You think this is over? I'm just getting started!
Steven warped forward, now having been slowed. This allowed Garnet to move out of the way, countering with a side kick.
Garnet: Your reign of terror ends here.
The three of them attacked from all different directions, building up and landing a strike that sent Steven through the skies. The Gems morphed flight packs on their bodies, enabling them to chase after Steven. When they reached the skies, Steven was gone.
Amethyst: Where'd he go? Where'd he go?
Steven teleported behind them, swinging a hook that Garnet warped away from, appearing behind Steven, and slamming him into the ground. The Gems followed underneath to find Steven land in an underground lake.
Pearl: Steven. Just surrender now. You can't beat us like this.
Steven: I don't care. If you're still here, my purpose in life has not been fulfilled! I'll scour you from the face of Shear!
Steven ran across the water, hitting Garnet with an elbow, chop, kick, punch, then palm strike. Amethyst jumped above and Steven warped away, beginning to fire blasts at Amethyst and Pearl.
Amethyst: You didn't tell us you were gonna start using blasts!
Amethyst and Pearl attempted to evade the fury of energy bombs. Garnet suddenly flew in from the back, Steven turning to see her just as she delivered a powerful blow across his stomach.
Steven: Grah! Grr. Wuagh!
Steven fired energy blasts in every direction from every part of his body in a fit of rage, causing a ton of rocks to fall from the ceiling. The Gems tried to punch away all the rocks, but began getting buried under the rockslide. Steven flew out of the underground lake.
Garnet: Gah! I will not let you get away this time!
Garnet suddenly exploded into fiery energy, grabbing Amethyst and Pearl, bursting through the rock, following behind Steven. The hunters were watching from their dropship.
Cabot: What happened to Garnet?
Bucket: She appears to have gained a monumental increase in energy.
Hyde: No fucking duh, robot.
All three Gems attacked Steven from every direction, attempting to hit him from all directions. Steven struggled to hold off all of the attackers. Pearl swung her spear down on him one direction, Amethyst attacked with her whip from the other direction, and Garnet swung down her gauntlet from the other other direction. Steven dodged Pearl's spear, grabbed Amethyst whip, then blocked Garnet's gauntlet, leaving him open to take another gauntlet to the face.
Their battle took them to the upper atmosphere, where their battle was kicked up to hypersonic speeds.
Hank: So fast. Mags, you still following this?
Maggie: Nope. Totally lost.
Pearl kicked Steven in the back, Amethyst hit him in the shoulder.
Garnet: If you're gonna use blasts against us, then fine! I got one for you!
Steven: Go on then. Feel free.
Garnet teleported behind Steven, charging a glowing red energy blast in her hands. She fired the blasts as a red beam streaked towards the sky at Steven.
Steven: ah. Ah. AH! AH!
The red beam exploded into a blinding supernova. When the smoke cleared, Steven was one step away from death. Garnet moved towards Steven, grabbing him by the head.
Garnet: I'm going to make sure you never hurt anyone, ever again.
A green bright glow emanated from Steven's forehead, and warped into Garnet's body. When she was done, Steven fell unconscious. She brought him back to the ground where the hunters had landed.
Markov: Why is Steven continuing living?
Garnet: It's fine. He's not gonna hurt anyone.
Steven awoke, standing to face the Gems.
Steven: You should've killed me!
Steven ran forward, punching Garnet in the stomach...and it did nothing.
Steven: What?
Steven continued striking, but nothing happened.
Steven: What did you do to me?
Garnet: You finally let me get close enough to take away those powers of yours.
Steven: You took my powers? No. It can't be.
Garnet: Now we're going home, and your going on a timeout. For a thousand years.
Pearl: Garnet. That's not gonna help make him better. It'll just make him more crazy.
Hyde: Please. I spent my whole life in solitary confinement. Would you call me crazy?
Everyone: Well…
Hyde: Don't say it.
Amethyst: What happened to the monsters?
Maggie: Guess they ran off. We still got that problem.
Cabot: We can handle them. At least we got Steven out of the way.
Steven: Hey. I'm still here.
Garnet: Right. We need to get back to our home anyway.
Bucket: Your assistance was much appreciated.
Parnell: What he said.
Caira: Thanks.
Garnet: No problem.
Amethyst: Happy to help.
Pearl: No thanks needed.
The Gems boarded their warp pad with Steven.
Garnet: Do you have anything to say for yourself, young man?
Steven: sorry…
Garnet grabbed his ear.
Steven: Ow! Ow! I'm sorry!
Garnet: Very good. We better get him out of here. Good luck on those monsters!
Cabot: Good luck on the kid!
The warp pad activated, and the four disappeared.
Hyde: Now where are the new recruits you were telling us about?
Voice: We're here.
Four new hunters, named Slim, Crow, Sunny, and Torvald were waiting.
Torvald: And we're ready to mash some monsters…
THE END