Everything was black. Steven opened his eyes. He was in a jail cell. It wasn't like one of the cells on the hand ship, where he could break through because he was half-human. This jail cell was real, rusty, gray metal bars. There was no way he could escape this time. Josh was in a cell next to his, Amethyst was on the other side, but Connie was nowhere to be seen.

"Guys? Where's Connie?" Steven asked loudly. "Ugh!" Josh stretched. Steven's question was loud enough to wake him up. "Good morning…" "Where's Connie?" Steven repeated. "She's not next to my jail cell," Amethyst said. "She's not next to mine, either," Josh said. "I don't see her at all." Steven got worried. What would the Gems on Homeworld want with her?

"Wait. These jail cells have locks and stuff, right?" Steven questioned. "Amethyst, turn into a key that will fit!" Amethyst jumped. Her body glowed as she shrunk into a key shape. Josh watched in amazement while seeing what the Gems can do. Amethyst dropped on the ground. Steven picked her up, put his arm over the bar of the jail cell, then unlocked the gate.

He opened it, then went to Josh's jail cell and opened his. Amethyst turned back into her original shape. "Let's go find Connie!" The three team members ran through the hallway with different jail cells and prisoners. They couldn't find Connie anywhere. "Guys, look!" Josh yelled. He pointed to the room's exit. They all ran to the door and went outside.

They hid behind crystals, just as they did before. "Where is she?" Amethyst asked. Steven tried something. He took out his phone and called her. It rang, but went to voicemail. "That was our last option. She could be anywhere on-" Then, Steven's phone rang. It was Connie. Steven answered. "Connie! Where are you?"

"Steven!" she replied. "Listen! They've taken me to a testing lab to see why I've been able to fuse with you! They've been watching us the whole time. They're not letting me go! The testing lab is on the other side of the place you've been imprisoned in!" "Got it," Steven said. "We're on our way." Connie hung up.

A Gem came inside the room. "I heard noise. Are you communicating with someone? Your team, maybe?" she asked. "No," Connie said back. "So tell me," the Gem said with hatred in her voice. "Why do you think you can fuse with your little friend?" "He's half-human! There's no need for an explanation! Why do you even care about the Crystal Gems, anyway?!"

"The Crystal Gems are nothing but a pain. They've sacrificed everything just for their dumb planet, Earth. It's such a useless planet with useless lifeforms. The Crystal Gems have even taken one of our own, Peridot, and turned her against us. When we kill the Crystal Gems tonight, it will be a glorious day for Gems on Homeworld."

"I've never even seen you before," Connie said. "What beef do you have with them?" "What beef do I have with them? Plenty of beef, girl," the Gem said. "My name is Topaz. And what the Crystal Gems did to me was the worst thing that any Gem could do to another Gem!" "I still need an explanation of what they did," Connie said.

(flashback time, ladies and gents) "About two-thousand years ago, I created plans of how to destroy a planet to give to Yellow Diamond. I thought that they were the best plans I've ever come up with. Until a stupid Gem named Rose Quartz destroyed the plans before I was ready to give it to Yellow Diamond. After I found out that she made a team called the Crystal Gems, I was ready for vengeance. That's what beef I have with them."

Topaz left the room. Connie looked at the paper sticking to the wall. She tried to read it. The only words she could make out was "DISSECT THE HUMAN GIRL FOR SECRETS ON FUSION." Connie was in shock. She was so scared that she was shaking.

Meanwhile, Steven and the others were running around Homeworld trying to find her. "There it is!" Amethyst said. They walked over to the testing lab and opened the door. Connie noticed them and jumped. "Guys! I'm glad to see you! Hurry, let's leave!" "Why, is something wrong?" "There's a Gem named Topaz after me! I'll explain on the way!"

Topaz. That name. That exact name sounds familiar, Steven thought. Garnet… Garnet told me about Topaz. Her plans. My mom destroyed them. Steven had come back to reality. The elite force ran out of the testing lab. "Amethyst, you know about Topaz, right?" Steven asked. "Topaz? Like, the Rose incident one?" Amethyst replied. "Yeah, never heard of her."

They went back to the conversation that got them in jail. "Connie, please, we have to fuse," Steven said. Connie thought about it. "Fine," she finally said. "I will fuse with you. But only if we take off these dumb uniforms." "Dumb? Ugh… Okay." They both spun around, light surrounding them, then the jumpsuits were off and they had their regular clothes on.

"Let's dance," Connie spoke (That sounded like it could be a line from a movie. Is it from a movie? Whatever, I'm losing my train of thought.). They put their hands together, moving their legs together, then Steven bent over, making Connie bend (dear God) over. Their bodies glowed and collided, making a bigger person.

As they were fusing, Josh ran at them. "Josh! What are you doing?" Amethyst asked. "Seeing if I can fuse!" Josh replied. He ran into the fuse, making his body glow and collide, making an even bigger person. The glowing went away, and Amethyst saw the fusion. It was basically Stevonnie, but bigger, with more fashionable clothes and a different hair color.

"Wow," the fusion said. "This is better than any fake mustache! And I didn't even have to dance!" "Woah," Amethyst said. "Josh can fuse! What will the new name be? 'Stejoshie?' Nah, too stupid." "Being a fusion is really weird… Josh, get out! This is just for me and Steven! Calm down, Connie, it'll be fine, let's go," the fusion argued. (Being a fusion! It's like talking to yourself, but with more people!)

Amethyst changed her shape. They all walked through Homeworld to see if their plan worked. "Hey," a Pearl said, stopping them. "You're a little… tall to be a regular Gem. Are you a fusion?" The fusion got nervous. "Show me your gem." The fusion did as ordered. Pulling up its shirt a bit, it revealed the one gem it had. "One gem? Okay, no fusion. You may go."

Amethyst and the fusion kept walking to where they held the Crystal Gems hostage. The fusion glowed bright light, splitting apart into Connie, Josh and Steven. Amethyst went back to her original shape once more. "I felt stronger! Better! Why don't you guys do fusion more often?" Josh asked. Connie and Steven looked at each other.

Then, Steven saw something. "Guys, a note is on the door," Steven declared. He read it aloud. "'This area has items that will be shipped…' Oh no. They're going to ship the Gems to another planet!" Everyone gasped. "Why would they do that?" Amethyst wondered. "Does Topaz have something up her sleeve?"

"I don't know," Steven replied. "But whatever this is, we have to stop it before the Gems get deported!" They ran through the door the note was on. Josh and Amethyst spun around and took off their uniforms. The room they were in was dark. All they saw was pitch black. "How will we save them? It's too dark in here," Connie said.

Just then, a huge light shined on them. A big light that blinded them. The one who controlled the light was Topaz. "You're that Topaz girl!" Josh said. "What's with the light, anyway?" "I'll tell you what the light is for. This light is to indicate that you have fallen into my trap." Everyone got grabbed by a machine with advanced Gem technology.

"The person who I want to speak with is the leader of your team," Topaz told them. "I have to speak with them." "I'm the leader," Steven said. "Talk to me." "What he's saying is false," Josh said. "I'm the leader." "What? No you're not!" Steven said back. "Uhh… yeah. I am. I mean, the story was kind of following me the whole time," Josh replied. (Yes, I broke the fourth wall. No judgement required.)

"Since when are you the leader? I asked you to join the team!" Steven said. "I'll have you know, Steven, that if I'm the leader, (starts to whisper) you won't get destroyed," Josh said. "No! I don't care! You guys can get the Gems and I'll get to talk with Topaz!" Steven yelled. "Woah there," Josh said. "You're getting a bit riled up over nothing."

"Josh, just go!" Steven said. "You're not a leader! You're never going to be! After all the stuff I've seen you do with the team today, I think you're never serious enough, you can be lazy, you're basically Amethyst but worse!" "Hey!" Amethyst remarked. "But it's kind of true." "I'm never serious enough? Connie told me that you've always been the type of guy who watches Crying Breakfast Friends every morning! And that you have dreams about Cookie Cat taking you to his spaceship!" Josh yelled.

"Never insult Cookie Cat!" Steven yelled back. "I can insult him all I want! In fact, I think that Cookie Cat is a gross ice cream sandwich!" Josh yelled. Steven growled. "Guys, stop fighting!" Connie said. "This is not what an elite force is about." Everyone stopped. She was right. Topaz watched the whole thing, loving every second.

"Are you two finished now?" Topaz asked. "So, I'm going to ask one last time. Who is your leader?" "ME!" Steven and Josh yelled at the same time. The machine split apart. Connie went to the other side of the room, so did Amethyst. But Josh and Steven were still together in the center of the room.

Topaz walked over to them. "It seems we have a little disagreement. I'll tell you what. If you can settle who your leader is, then I'll let you get to your Crystal Gem freaks. But you two have to settle who is the leader by my standards. I want you to fight each other." Amethyst and Connie gasped. "It will be the best fight I've seen in years. A weak Gem versus a human with a sword."

"Steven, don't do this!" Amethyst yelled from the part of the room. Connie watched in awe. "Come on, Steven Quartz Universe, you want to see your family, don't you? You don't want your family to be sent to another planet, right? Well, it can all be determined here. You just have to fight a friend, and prove you're the leader of this team."

"Steven, you can't do this…" Connie said to herself. "I…" Steven was thinking. "I… I accept." Topaz smiled an evil smile. "Very well. I will send you to a chamber, where you can brawl it out and I can watch." Topaz took Steven and Josh's uniforms out of their pockets. "You won't be needing these. Because as far as I'm concerned, there is no more team."

Topaz pressed a button on a controller she had in her hand. The button sparked. She walked away and Connie and Amethyst went with her in the machine. The machine under Josh and Steven moved, then two bars rose up from it. "What's with these bar things?" Josh asked. Steven didn't talk to him, he was too mad.

Then, the bars smashed on their heads. They were out cold. (I think I'm knocking them out too much in this.)

To be continued…