"Where are Julianna and Amethyst?" Garnet asked. "There are light monsters starting to swarm towards the city, and we need the whole team to take them down quickly."

"I haven't seen them since last night." Steven replied, not saying anything about their earlier conversations.

"Pearl and I will take them alone. You're in no condition to fight." Garnet summoned her gauntlets. "Stay in the house."

"Alright." Steven relented. He was too weak to fight, and had every intention of obeying Garnet's orders. He sank down in the seat near the window, curling his knees into his chest.

"Come on, Pearl. Let's go." Jaw set in anger, Garnet left the house, with Pearl following behind her, leaving Steven behind.

"Where do you think they could have gone?" Pearl questioned.

"I'm not sure." Garnet replied. "But I'm not letting them get away with it. Ever since Julianna showed up, our entire team has been falling apart."

"Garnet.." Pearl pleaded, sympathizing for the pink gem. "Don't be like that, please."

"Well, it's true." Garnet defended. "Amethyst hasn't been focusing in training, and now they're running off. I don't much like it."

"Can you honestly blame her, Garnet? She hasn't been taught-"

"That does not excuse Amethyst's behavior."

"Julianna is not to blame for this. It's Peridot. She's the one responsible."

Garnet nodded curtly. "We'll discuss this later. Right now we have humanity to defend."

The sounds of battle echoed far across the land, reaching distances as far off as the lower levels of the Kindergarten. The basement was dark and empty, completely uninhabited except for Julianna. She knelt in the center of the room, her wrists chained to the floor, her entire body aching from the previous nights, deep blue bruises and small cuts littering her skin, her clothing twisted and ripped in a handful of places.

Desperate for an escape, Julianna dug through her pockets, hoping for anything sharp enough to cause damage.

"I might not be able to regenerate this time, but I refuse to let myself be Peridot's prisoner for the rest of my existence."

She wound her arms around her neck, the skin around her collarbone flushing red. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, her lungs aching from lack of oxygen. Unable to withstand the pressure, she let go, breathing heavily, feeling lightheaded. She glanced around the room, searching for another way. The floor was barren, leaving nothing she could use to escape. There was no other way, and so she tried again, the strong desire for freedom overpowering the physical pain. She disappeared back into her gem, a gentle puff of smoke rising into the air.

Julianna materialized once again, rubbing her free wrists. "Connie!" She glanced over to the girl, unaware of her transformation. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

Morganite gave no response.

"Come on! They'll be back soon, we don't have much time!" She pleaded.

Morganite looked over to her, shaking her head. "I can't leave." Her voice was hoarse from weeks without use.

"Steven misses you, Pearl misses you- come on, Connie!"

Her pleading was cut short by Peridot's reentrance.

"I see you're smarter than I thought, Julianna." Peridot narrowed her eyes, grabbing her tightly by the bruised wrist.

Julianna pulled away, ingnoring the blinding pain coursing through her wrist, she shoved Peridot, sending the green gem stumbling backward. "I'm done being your slave, Peridot!" She shouted. She approached Morganite, reaching her hand out to her. "Come on, Connie."

"She's not going to come with you, because you aren't leaving." Peridot wielded her gem destabilizer, and the pink gem took her chance, grabbing Morganite's arm and running out of the Kindergarten.

"Come back here!" Peridot demanded, charging after the escapades.

Amethyst ran across the landscape, whip in hand. "Julianna!" She shouted, her voice echoing across the expanse.

Julianna turned her head, then bolted towards her, dragging a stumbling Morganite behind her.

Amethyst's eyes widened. "Is that-"

"There's no time! Peridot's coming." She slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. "Where are the others?"

"They had a fight in the city. They should be back soon."

"Good. We're going to need Garnet for this." She tilted her head towards Morganite. "Peridot's brainwashed her somehow."

"I'll go and get the gems." Amethyst shapeshifted into a large bird and took flight, soaring through the air towards the beach house, maneuvering around screaming citizens and intrigued tourists. Swiftly, she landed on the doorstep, switching back to her usual form. She pounded her fist on the door of the beach house. "Steven!"

"What?" Steven jumped up to answer the door. "Hurry, we have to go!"

"Wh-What's going on?" He stammered.

"There's no time to explain. Come on!" She grabbed him by the wrist and flew off again.

"Whoa!" Steven screamed. "Amethyst!"

She set him down on the flat land outstretching from the Kindergarten and whispered, "Look over there."

"Connie!" He ran to her and hugged her tightly, softly crying into her hair. "I missed you…"

Morganite looked down at him, confused. She stood frozen, a response for this action not being programmed into her chip.

"Wh-What's wrong?" He asked, trembling slightly at the vacant look in her eyes. "Did she hurt you?"

Peridot emerged from the Kindergarten, backed by Prasiolite and her remodeled Robonoids. She fired a laser at him, which Morganite promptly blocked.

"There is nothing wrong with Morganite. On the contrary, she couldn't be better. She's the perfect warrior- does whatever I say with ease- no emotions attached! Much better than my… Other attempts." She shot a quick glare at Julianna.

Tears formed in Steven's eyes as he looked up at his long lost love. "You-You destroyed her!"

"I made her better." Peridot argued, a wicked sneer forming across her lips.

Unable to contain himself, Steven charged at the green gem. He attacked her in blind rage, only managing to land a few weak punches and kicks.

Peridot scoffed and pushed him aside.

"Don't touch him!" Pearl charged at Peridot, being knocked to the ground mid-lunge as Robonoid A slammed into her, pinning her down to the dirt. It took the weapon from her hands and snapped it, the spear disappearing into a small cloud of dust.

Peridot simply rolled her eyes. "Keep a good hold on her."

Garnet sprinted across the battlefield, her gauntlets forming around her fists. She launched herself into the air, pointing her arms in front of her and aiming for the Robonoid. She came cascading towards the ground, and the Robonoid released Pearl's wrists and stepped aside just seconds before the red gem came crashing down.

"Pearl!" Garnet scrambled away and knelt down beside her, eyes wide with horror. "I'm so sorry, I-"

"It's okay, Garnet." The white gem flinched, cradling her impacted abdomen. "I'll be fine."

The Robonoids grabbed hold of the two in their moment of distraction, leaving them completely under Peridot's will.