Steven Universe
Rise of the Lucent Jewels
Chapter 2: Protocol 4
Earth 2/25/16
"Peridot to Crystal Gems come in, come in Crystal Gems!" Peridot said hands frantically waving over a computer she had built. Connie was pacing outside the room desperately trying to contact Steven on his cell.
"Peridot to Crystal Gems, Come in Crystal Gems! Stars! How are you doing trying to contact Steven?" Peridot asked Connie.
"No, he not picking up his phone or anything, Peridot what if..." she stopped mid-sentence when she saw Steven running up the house. She sighed in relief and ran outside to meet him.
"Steven!" she yelled, but he ran pass her, tears in his eyes as he went to Lion who had been sleeping for most of the day. Steven then jumped in Lions mane disappearing in the pocket dimension where Rose kept her personal belongings. Connie worried for him "What happened back there," she thought. Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst came running up behind her. They looked badly beaten, like a pact of rabid wolves had torn each of them apart.
"Where's Steven?" Pearl asked Connie anxiously.
"He's in the pocket dimension in Lions mane. Can someone please tell me what happen and why is Steven so upset!?" yelled Connie angrily.
"We confronted the one who attacked the city, a girl named Amber Red," Garnet said her tone grim. "She was stronger than any enemy we've ever faced. I barely kept myself together during the fight." she continued
"Yeah she was like, Bizzaro Lapis Lazuli's with all that control over fire she had," Amethyst interjected. Peridot joined them, relieved her new allies were still alive. "We still don't why she targeted us, could she be from Homeworld?" Pearl asked.
"Negative, there is no recorded of gems that have complete control over the element of fire. The closet would be a shale gem and they can only shoot fire, not control it like a weapon," Peridot stated.
"But why is Steven so upset?" Connie asked again, still worried about him.
Garnet looked away from the group which Pearl noticed.
"Garnet, what happened while we were unconscious?" Pearl asked sternly. Though Garnet was the leader, when it came to Steven, Pearl took charge in caring for him properly.
"Steven told me that he and Amber were the same," Garnet said.
"The same! how, does that monster have anything to do with Steven," Pearl yelled at Garnet.
Garnet didn't reply, she thought about what this might do to the faith they have in Rose or the way the rest would look at Steven. After some thought she finally replied after Pearl yelled at her a third time. She sighed and said in a calm, but serious voice "Because Amber Red is a human gem hybrid just like Steven." Everyone stood there in shock, mouths open, eyes widen. It seemed like an eternity til someone spoke, no one could believe Garnet.
"So the reason why Steven is so upset is…" Connie began
"Is because he thinks Rose created him to be a killing machine," Pearl finished
Garnet nodded slowly letting them take in the situation. Pearl dropped to her knee's, looking down at the floor.
"But, this is a good thing right, I mean now that we know how powerful one can be, it's a good thing Steven is on our si…" Pearl slapped Amethyst before she finished.
"How dare you talk about him that way! Like he's one of them!" she snapped.
"She's just speaking the truth Pearl, whether we like it or not we have to accept what Steven is," Peridot stated.
"So what, were going to just look at him like he's some sort of monster now!" Connie yelled at Peridot.
"There's no denying from what we saw today, even if he is on our side we have to consider the potential threat Steven is." Peridot retaliated.
"We've raised him since he was a child Peridot! You wouldn't understand!" Pearl yelled in anger.
"Enough!" Garnet shouted. Everyone turned to her in surprise, a little afraid of Garnet at this point.
"I knew this would happen if I told you all about this, I saw it and I told you anyway. I thought it might be different, that this would give you a purpose to comfort Steven not argue if he is a threat or not." Garnet said trying to calm down
"Garnet, as much as I hate to admit it, Peridot has a point. I'm not saying he's a monster, but what if him being a hybrid makes him turn into something like Amber." Amethyst said with some guilt in her voice.
"We can't think like that, what we need to do is make sure Steven is alright," Garnet stated.
"She's right, I haven't seen him this upset since after you guys destroyed that Homeworld ship." Connie said.
"What we need to do is analyze the footage of the battle and evaluate this threat," Peridot interjected.
As the gems and Connie continued to argue with one another, Steven sat in the pocket dimension of Lions mane. He looked at all of his moms items under the tree, the XXL shirt that his dad gave her, the damaged flag during the war, and the strange pyramid object. Since he couldn't breathe in this dimension, he would occasionally peak his head out of the dimension for some air. He was holding the picture of her and his dad together.
"I don't get it? Did you pretend to love him, did you have something to do with that girl we fought today?" he thought to himself. He looked at the picture, thinking it would give him some answer.
"Why did you keep so many secrets from us?" He thought in anger and he threw the picture at the tree. Instead of hitting the tree however, it hit the pyramids bubble popping it. It landed with a thud and suddenly began to move. Steven watched curiously as the pink object began to hover in midair its pointed side facing the ground. Then the bottom began to project an image of Rose, who was tinted blue.
"Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet" the hologram Rose began "If you're watching this then my worst fear has come true and my actions have now doomed the planet. I just hope Steven never watches this and if you are, believe when I say I am so sorry. I never meant to make you feel this way…"
"How can you even say that!?" Connie yelled
"It's the most logical step we take after a defeat like this, you organics could never understand," Peridot yelled back. Both she and Connie were at each other's throats, Garnet stood between them trying to calm the situation down. Then suddenly Steven stepped out of Lion mane holding the hologram projector in his hand. He had a serious look on his face, that replaced the sad and crying on he had on before. Everyone paused and looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Guys you need to see this," Steven said seriously. He let go of the projector and let the message play. Rose appeared to them.
"Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet" the hologram Rose began "If you're watching this then my worst fear has come true and my actions have now doomed the planet. I just hope Steven never watches this and if you are, believe when I say I am so sorry. I never meant to make you feel this way, but I must explained. If you are watching this then Protocol 4 has gone wrong."
"Protocol 4? Rose never mention any Protocol 4 to me," Pearl said.
"You might be wondering what Protocol 4 is and please try to understand that I did this as a failsafe just in case the three of you failed to stop a second Homeworld invasion. Protocol 4 is several weapon programs I participated in with the human authorities of this sector. Our goal was to create a super soldier that is part human part gem, we called these hybrids, jewels."
Everyone except Steven mouths dropped in shock, Rose had been helping the government make weapons. Not just any weapons, living weapons.
"In my research on earth's organic life, I discovered that the bioelectricity in an earth lifeform actually enhances the powers of a gem individually. Let's take sapphires ability to see the future, if sapphire had been a jewel her ability, in theory, could allow her to alter fate to her own whim." Garnet shuttered at the thought.
"The only problem was there was no way to transfer that energy into a gem, so I came up with a conclusion, if I couldn't give gems more power through organic, I would give the organics the power of gems. For their first experiment I gave them a strand of my gem to their first project, Project Grey Horse. The down side to this was that the jewel would take around 13-14 years to grow. Then I backed out of the projects when I met Greg," she laughed. 'That man knew how to sweep you off your feet, he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world," Pearl looked away
"But, I'm getting off topic, please I beg you if Protocol 4 has gone out of control, please put him down, he can't be allowed to rampage upon the Earth and Steven if you did hear all of this, I am sorry. I never had the intention to make you were just a weapon, you are my son, the son I wish I could see grow into the strong man you'll become one day, please take care and stay safe," she finished with tears in her eyes. Rose faded back into the projector, the message was over. Everyone stood still speechless still trying to take all this information in. Five minutes past, before Garnet spoke.
"Rose said he, she wasn't talking about Amber,"
"Your right, but that would mean," Pearl began
"That Protocol 4 created other jewels." Connie said.
"Right, but I don't think Protocol 4 was behind the attack, remember when those 10 gem shards went missing from the room a year ago?" Garnet asked.
"Yeah, but I don't see what this has to do with anything," Amethyst said.
"What if they weren't just lost or missed placed,"
"Garnet are you saying someone broke into the Burning Room and stole gem shards from us and used them to create more jewels." Peridot asked.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. We need an expert on government conspiracies if we're going to find a way to stop these jewels and whoever's working with them." Garnet said.
"You're not thinking of what I think you are thinking," Amethyst grumbled.
"Whether we like it or not Amethyst, we're going to need that idiots help," Pearl said also clearly annoyed that they would need Ronaldo's help in this.
"I don't like it either Pearl, but we don't have any other choice, Peridot watch the drill while we're gone let's move gems," Garnet ordered calmly.
As the gems left Connie pulled Steven aside.
"Are you ok," Connie asked.
"Yeah, I'm good it's just whenever I feel like I finally knew Rose, and we find this out I just… don't know what to think anymore," Steven said depressed. Connie hugged him trying to cheer him up. "If you want to talk, I'm here for you." He nodded acknowledging her support then they followed the others in suit.
Meanwhile at the bottom of the ocean, Malecite was chained to the sea floor with the weight of the ocean on top of her. So far Lapis was in control, barely keeping Jasper down. Then she sense the same feeling she had a few weeks ago, Steven was coming back. She looked around trying to find him and saw a bubble descend down to her feet. "No Steven what are you doing here? I told you to stay away," Lapis shouted at him through Malecite. The figure in the bubble stayed silent, only lifting his hand and expanding the bubble so there wasn't any water in the area. Lapis grew more aggravated and angry." What is he doing, he knows I'm powerless without the water why is he doing this," she thought to herself. Then suddenly she lost control of Malecite to Jasper, she couldn't watch and closed herself off from the sight.
"You were a fool to come down here Rose, now I have you exactly where," Jasper paused and looked at the small figure before her. "Wait a minute, you're not Rose? Who are…" she was cut off short as the figure slashed through Malecite like she was butter with its sword, landing behind Malecite. The figure took off it's hooded to reveal a face that Jasper noticed looked exactly like Rose's new face, but it was clearly not Rose.
"Her son," said Michael sheathing the sword into his gem. As soon as the swords hilt made contact with the gem, Malecite exploded separating Lapis and Jasper. They both reformed in 5 seconds, Jasper shocked at the appearance of this abomination.
"Son, that's impossible, gems can't reproduce!" Jasper said before Michael grabbed hold of the gem on her. Lapis watched in horror as Jasper began to lose color and start to glitch. Suddenly her form went into Michaels gem on his hand letting go of the now colorless gem that shattered as soon as it hit the ground. He looked at Lapis with a blank expression, but had a permanent look of anger on it.
"I'm not going to hurt you, unless you give me one," he said.
"What? Why? Who sent you?" she said
Michael slashed at the air creating a portal.
"We can talk about that once you meet my employers, now come with me or I'll have to use force." He said coldly.
Lapis looked at him, he looked almost like Steven, but taller and he had a bloodlust in his eyes. Despite the distrust she had towards this Michael, she had no other choice. She rose and walked with him through the portal, the bubble disappearing letting the water sweep Jaspers remains away.