CHAPTER 2: FACE TO FACE

Steven couldn't believe his own eyes, she was there, just outside the door, staring at him, grinning evilly, Jasper was there, he had hoped not to see her ever again, but even if he had faith in Lapis, Steven knew that she couldn't have kept Jasper trapped forever. As Steven looked at her with wide eyes, he noticed something horrible. Jasper was holding Lapis, who seemed unconscious, by her hair. Suddenly she lifted her in the air in front of Steven.

"L…Lapis?!" Steven called her, hoping she would open her eyes.

"Come on, tell your little friend to run away…" Jasper said, tittering wickedly.

"S…Steven…r…run…" Lapis muttered as she slightly opened her eyes.

Steven would have never abandoned Lapis, but he also knew that he didn't stand a chance against Jasper, he had to find the gems, with their help he could have saved Lapis. Steven turned around and began to run towards the warp pad. As he was running, he heard the door being torn down. The warp pad was near so Steven jumped towards it, but, sadly, Jasper managed to grab him by his short and pulled him back, making him fly to the other part of the house, violently hitting the floor. Slowly, Steven opened his eyes and raised his head. Jasper was in front of him, she released Lapis, making her fall right next to him. As she hit the floor, Steven painfully dragged himself close to her and gently raised her head.

"Lapis? Lapis can you hear me? Please… answer me!" Steven whispered with tears in his eyes.

"S…Steven…I'm…I'm sorry…" Lapis muttered as she smiled weakly.

"You are pathetic Rose, look at yourself, you can't protect her, you can't even protect yourself…" Jasper said as she stretched her arm towards Steven.

But as she was going to grab him, Steven summoned his protective bubble around him and Lapis, then he raised his head and looked towards Jasper.

"You won't hurt her anymore!" Steven yelled as he stood up.

"Do you really think that this is going to stop me?" Jasper said as she summoned her helmet and hit Steven's bubble.

Steven gritted his teeth as he kneeled down. He stretched his arms forwards in order to prevent his bubble to be destroyed, but after a few hits Steven couldn't take it anymore and as his bubble disappeared. He fell to the ground, strengthless as Jasper came closer and lifted Lapis by her arm, then, she looked at Steven.

"Now Rose, you'll come with me…" Jasper said as Steven got up.

"I'll never follow you!" Steven yelled angrily.

"Fair enough…" Jasper replied as, smiling evilly, she looked back at Lapis and, suddenly, she grasped her by the shoulders and hit her in the head with her helmet. Lapis could only stretch her arm towards Steven before being hit another time. Steven gasped in horror as Lapis disappeared into clouds, leaving her gemstone on the ground. He tried to grab it but Jasper took it first and after looking at it, she turned towards Steven.

"I wonder how much it will resist before becoming dust…" Jasper said as she began to tighten it in her fist.

"No! Please Jasper don't hurt her! I'll come!" Steven yelled with tears in his eyes, as Jasper began to titter.

"Your friends will be always your weakness Rose, now, where's Peridot?" Jasper asked as she looked around.

"Wha…what?" Steven replied, even if a week before, when he went out with Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream, they found her escape pod, he had no idea of where she could have gone after the landing.

"I'll ask you one last time… where… is… Peridot?" Jasper asked, kneeling down, showing him her clenched fist, in which she was holding Lapis Lazuli's gemstone.

"I have found her escape pod not so far from here, it was busted and Peridot wasn't inside, but I don't know where she is, I swear!" Steven said as Jasper got up, reflecting.

"Mmm, I know the place where she's going, now move…" Jasper said as she pointed the warp pad.

"Why… why do you need her?" Steven asked.

"Because thanks to that green imbecile, we'll be able to leave this chunk of rock you call home very soon, and when you'll be in front of 'her', I'll be promoted, and 'she' will have the pleasure to put an end to the miserable life of 'her' worst enemy…" Jasper said as she began to walk towards the warp pad.

"Who… who is this 'she'?" Steven asked, he couldn't understand who Jasper was talking about.

"I thought I told you to move… do you want me to break this little rat you care so much about?" Jasper said without turning around.

"No! Please, I'm coming..." Steven said as he began to walk towards the warp pad, wiping his tears.

Suddenly, Steven heard something behind him and as he turned around, he saw Lion, who began to growl as he noticed Jasper.

"What is that?" Jasper said as she stepped off from the warp pad.

Lion began to walk towards her, roaring as Jasper summoned her helmet again and began to laugh.

"Do you wanna play kitty? Then let's play!" Jasper yelled as she began to rush towards Lion.

Jasper rushed towards Lion and as he tried to slash her, she dodged his attack and punched him, sending him on the beach. But as Lion hit the ground, he got up immediately and began to rush towards her. Jasper was ready to hit him again but as he jumped towards her he hit her with his supersonic roar, sending her crushing against the temple's door. As Jasper hit the door, she released Lapis Lazuli's gemstone from her grasp, which Steven caught before it could hit the floor. Before Jasper could get up, Steven ran in front of Lion and, as his mane began to glow, Steven placed the gemstone in it, 'Please, help them find me when you'll come back…' he thought as Lion rushed towards Jasper, but, sadly, as he was going to slash her, she got up and hit him with its helmet. Lion rolled on the floor and as he tried to get up, he fell down to the ground. Jasper began to walk towards him but Steven came between the two.

"Stop! You don't need to hurt him! He won't give you problems anymore!" Steven yelled as he waved his arms. Unfortunately, Jasper continued to walk towards Lion and pushed Steven aside, she was going to strike him one last time when Steven began to talk again.

"Wait! Y… you said you wanted to find Peridot, the gems are searching her too, if you want to find her first, you… you can't waste time!" Steven shouted.

After a few moments, Jasper sighed and got up.

"It will be for another time…" Jasper said as she began to look around, then she turned to Steven.

"Where is she?" Jasper asked.

"I… I don't know…" Steven replied sheepishly.

Suddenly, Jasper lifted him in the air by his t-shirt and grinned.

"Oh, you don't know?" Jasper asked sarcastically.

"Let me go! I don't know where she is!" Steven yelled as he struggled to get free.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me where she is, I'll have to use another method to keep you good…" Jasper said as she made her helmet disappear and Steven assumed an expression of terror.

"Oh no… no plea-" Steven was cut off by Jasper who knocked him unconscious.

"Sweet dreams Rose…" Jasper chuckled as she stepped on the warp pad and disappeared into the beam of light.

Well here ends chapter number two, I want to thank you for all the follows, favs and reviews, I didn't expect to find so many of them after only one chapter, you are great guys, I want also you to know that I'll continue to write this story, I hope you have liked this chapter and the story so far, see you in chapter three!