Chapter 14

Steven, Pearl, Carnelian, and Iron steadily made their way west from where the groups had separated. Like the rest of the dead city, the path they walk was a somber one. The street lights who's lights had long since been extinguished stood with vines strangling their metal bodies. The streets were crumbling and cracking far more than in the other parts of the city. Tall sickly looking trees hung ominously over their heads as they passed underneath their shadows.
The wind felt some what colder as his whistled softly. The unnerving calmness had put everyone on edge, with the exception of Iron; who was simply content with following the group leader.

"This place is way too quiet..." Steven stated softly as he trailed behind Pearl. "What are we looking for again?"

"Anything that looks out of place," Pearl responded as she walked with her spear in her hand.

"How will we know when he see... whatever it is we are looking for?" Steven asked. "This place is a big mess, it could take days to search the city."

"My guess is that it will look fairly obvious," Carnelian chimed in almost eagerly. "Gem architecture is very different from that of humans."

That's really helpful, Steven thought bitterly.

Finding anything in this abandoned city was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Steven was starting to feel like this whole trip was turning into a wild goose chase.
But he knew better then to question Garnet's intuition, and if she felt that there was something hiding within this ruined city, then she was probably right.

While the group walked past an abandoned elementary school, Pearl suddenly stopped. She tensed up and gripped her spear tightly.

"What's is it Pea-"

Pearl put her hand over Steven's mouth and silenced him. She then pointed up towards the elementary school building.

"I saw something moving up on the second floor," she whispered in a firm tone.

"Really, should we check it out?" Steven asked after pushing Pearl's hand away from his mouth.

"No, you stay here with Carnelian and Iron," Pearl stated. "It's too risky for all of us to go in at once."

"What? Come on, Pearl," Steven exclaimed disappointed. "I'm not going to let you go in alone and get whomped by some crazy mutant."

"Steven's right, Pearl," Carnelian stated with a smile. "There is power in numbers."

Pearl frowned and looked over the group. Her gaze fell upon Iron who had said nothing since the teams had split up.

"Well, what do you think, Iron?" Pearl asked in a stressed tone.

Iron was quiet for a moment before he gave his answer.

"I will follow..." Iron spoke softly through his helmet.

Pearl sighed shook her head.

"Fine, lets go, but be quiet," she ordered bitterly.

"Right behind you," Steven stated happily.

The team slowly and cautiously approached the abandoned school building.
Pearl slipped her hand down towards the tip of her spear for better control in case of a close quarter ambush.
With an orange flash of light, Carnelian summoned her chakram disc. She twirled it with her fingers to build up it's speed for a more powerful throw.
With a low grunt, Iron swung his sledgehammer off of his shoulders and held it at the head of the hammer with one hand.
A low howl emanated out of the entrance of the school building as wind blew through it. Steven had to admit, this place was way too creepy; even for an abandoned building.

"Alright, I'll go in first," Pearl stated softly as she reached the entrance.

Pearl cautiously tiptoed through the entrance, her spear held out in front of her. She looked around and made sure the coast was clear.
So far there was nothing but dust and dirt.

"You're next Steven," Pearl whispered as she waved him on.

Unlike Pearl, Steven bolted into the building. He was really creeped out and something in the back of his mind told him to stay close to Pearl.

"Are all schools this creepy?" he asked as his eyes darted nervously.

Pearl rolled her eyes and turned back towards Carnelian and Iron.

"Everything seems clear, come on, we don't want to get separated," she stated as she signaled the two to follow her.

Carnelian briskly walked into the building as if nothing was wrong.

"Well, isn't this place sad looking?" she asked as looked down the hallways. "Alright, what do we do now?"

Before Pearl could answer, a loud thud sounded behind them, startling her, Steven, and Carnelian.

"Oww..." Iron groaned.

Pearl turned to face the source of the loud thud with her spear raised. She gave a sigh of relief once she realized what had caused it.
Iron had walked into the top of the entrance frame. His simple mind was so focused on following the group, that he didn't notice that he was far too large for the entrance. The entrance way had been built for people of an average height, not for someone who was eight feet tall.
Iron backed up and tried to enter the building again. He met the same results with an even louder thud.

"Oww..." he groaned as he shook the concrete crumbles off of his head.

He took a step back to make another attempt, but luckily Pearl intervened.

"Iron, stop," she exclaimed as she held her arms out in front of her. "That isn't going to work."

Iron looked down at Pearl then back up to the entrance as if bewildered.

"Why?" he asked.

Pearl was astonished at how simple minded Iron was. She had her doubts, but now knew that there was defiantly something not right with his head.
Pearl sighed and patted Iron on his knee.

"You're just too big to fit through the door," she stated in a soft, comforting tone.

"Yeah, and you might bring the whole building down if you keep slamming into it," Steven interjected.

"He is right Pearl," Carnelian chimed.

Pearl looked up at Iron with a saddened look.

"Iron, you're going to need to stay out here and wait for us," she stated sadly. It felt like she was punishing the gentle Alloy for some reason.

"We won't be long, I promise."

Iron took a few steps back as if he was hurt. He kept looking down at Pearl then back up to the entrance as he tried to process what she had told him.

"But-I...Wolfram's orders..." he muttered in frustration. "If I'm out here...then I'm not following them..."

Iron's frustration quickly turned into agitation. To him, Wolfram's orders were always to be followed.
He knew no better, so whenever something came in between him and his orders, the obstacle needed to be removed.
Steam seeped out of his helmet as he readied his sledgehammer. He was going to get into that building, one way or another.
Pearl began to cautiously step back from Iron. She felt like she was standing in font of a cannon with a lit fuse.
Before Pearl could form the words she needed, Carnelian brushed past her. She lept up onto Iron's back and began to hush him softly.

"Shhh...calm down, calm down," Carnelian cooed gently as she rubbed her hand against the Alloy's shoulder. "I'll stay out here with you...so technically, you're still following your orders."

Like a dying fire, the colossal Alloy began to calm down. Iron lowered his sledgehammer and the steam stopped. With a dull thud, Iron sat down with Carnelian still on his shoulder.

"Better?" Carnelian asked with a warm smile.

Iron was quiet for a moment before giving a barely audible response.

"Better..."

"Good," Carnelian said patted Iron's helmet. "Pearl and Steven will be fine on there own. Right Pearl?"

"Right, you two stay out here while Steven and I search the building," Pearl responded, not showing how relieved she was at how quickly Carnelian diffused the situation. "Come on, Steven."

"Take it easy big guy," Steven said with a friendly smile. "We'll be right back."

After leaving Iron and Carnelian outside the school, Pearl and Steven made there way through the desolate building.
The rooms on the first floor were the most damaged. Years of neglect had allowed plant life to grow through the windows and up through the floors.
The walls was covered with peeling paint and even the tattered remnants of banners and posters.
The one thing that stood out the most for Steven was the graffiti that stained the walls. It made the building seem even more unwanted.
Smiley faces with ex-ed out eyes, what he could assume were gang signs, and even small cartoons.
None of it sat well with Steven, or Pearl.
For Steven, it made him feel as though the graffiti was disrespecting the memories that still lingered.
For Pearl, it was just one more thing that needed cleaning.

"Oh, dear...just look at this place," Pearl sighed as she ran her finger along the wall, leaving a line in the dust and grime. "Why can't human buildings degrade more...pleasantly?"

Steven didn't respond, he didn't know how to. He had grown up seeing crystal gem ruins and temples, but this was the first time he had seen actual ruins of humanity. Something about the emptiness struck a nerve inside of him. The desolation, the darkness, it made Steven feel empty.

"Pearl?" he asked stoically. "You know that sad feeling you get whenever we walk into gem ruins?"

"Yes...why?" Pearl asked cautiously.

"I understand it now," Steven responded sadly. "To me, those crystal ruins were just part of growing up. But you still remember them back when they were still whole and lively."

"Steven...what are you getting at?" Pearl asked, a little unnerved at Steven's observations of her behavior.

"Just sayin' I get it now," Steven responded as he kicked a pebble. "It sucks but I get it."

The sound of movement made both Steven and Pearl freeze. Pearl was right, she had seen something, and it was still in the building.

"It's coming from the floor above us," Pearl whispered. "Follow my lead."

Outside of the school building, Iron and Carnelian waited patiently for Pearl and Steven to return.
Carnelian hummed happily to herself as she swung her feet off of Iron's shoulders.
Despite the desolation around her, Carnelian wasn't going to let it dampen her mood.
The sky was just as blue as it would be anywhere else and the sun was still shining.
And despite his silence, Iron made for great company.

"Your voice...is pretty..." Iron stated bluntly, breaking his silence.

"Aww, thank you," Carnelian responded happily.

Iron fell silent once again, his thoughts and emotions hidden underneath his helmet. Carnelian continued her humming. Another minute passed before Iron spoke again.

"Carn-elian...?" he asked as he struggled to pronounce her name.

"Yes?" Carnelian asked playfully.

"When you close your eyes...do you see pictures...?" Iron asked.

Carnelian hung upside down off of Iron shoulder with a puzzled look.

"Like dreams?" she asked. "I don't need sleep, so I don't dream that much. Why?"

Iron began to fiddle with his hands nervously.

"In the pictures...I see me, but it isn't me, its another me. The other me is smaller and soft." he spoke stoically. "In the pictures...people are pointing and laughing at the other me. They throw things...call the other me names...hurt the other me."

Iron dug his fingers into the dirt as he tried to form the right words for what he was struggling to say.

"Iron, are the other Alloys bullying you?" Carnelian asked worriedly.

"No!" he snapped as he pounded his fist on the ground. "Wolfram, Steel, Titanium are good to me..."

Carnelian sat down in front of the distraught Alloy. What he was describing sounded like a case of repressed memories. But that couldn't be as he and the rest of the Alloys were artificially made.

"These pictures, if you don't mind me asking, how do they end?" Carnelian asked inquisitively.

Iron was quiet as he tried to answer the orange gem.

"Mama..."he spoke wistfully. "They end with Mama..."

This confused Carnelian even more. Iron didn't have a mother.

"What is your mama's name?" she asked.

Iron shook his head.

"Don't know...Mama doesn't talk...only smiles."

Carnelian felt a chill run down her spine. What kind of nightmares was this poor soul seeing? Someone so kind and gentle as Iron should not have to go through that alone. She could tell that Iron was challenged, he couldn't possibly understand what was happening as he slept. But the question that pried Carnelian was who was this 'Mama' that Iron spoke of?

"I hope Pearl and Pink are okay..." Iron stated as he looked up at the school building.

"You mean Steven...right?" Carnelian asked.

"Steven...that's what I meant," Iron responded softly.

Pearl and Steven slowly crept up a flight of stairs, trying their best not to make a sound. But the aging stairs creaked and groaned with each step they took.
As Pearl peeked around the corner of the stair way, she saw something dart into one of the class rooms.
She didn't get a good look at it, but could hear a low rustling noise coming from the room. With her spear raised, Pearl tiptoed down the hallway with Steven close behind. The rustling turned into a low growling. As the two crept closer towards the classroom, Pearl began to notice large gashes on the floor and wall.
No human could make gashes that deep. Pearl stopped at the edge of the door frame. Steven's heart was pounding as he waited for Pearl to make the next move.

"On three, we move in," she whispered firmly.

"One."

Pearl tightened her grip on her spear.

"Two."

Steven readied himself for the rush.

"Three!"

Pearl and Steven rushed into the classroom. They were greeted by a loud growling mass of brown, splotchy fur.
The creature slowly turned around and stood up on its back legs. The creature's muzzle was red and worn of flesh.
It's teeth were dripping with saliva and blood as it issued a threatening growl. The beast stood a least seven feet tall and was covered in scars.
But the beast's most disturbing feature was it's lack of eyes. Where it's eyes should have been was covered in skin, as if born without them.
Blind or not, the creature seemed to have no problem knowing where Pearl and Steven stood.

Pearl was ready to slay the creature, but then she heard a small mewling coming from behind the beast. Hiding behind the creature were two smaller beasts. Then it finally clicked with her.

"Steven, we need to leave," Pearl stated quietly.

"What, come on Pearl, we can take-"

"I said we need to leave!" Pearl snapped as she pushed Steven out behind her.

Pearl didn't stop pushing Steven until they were halfway down the hallway. Steven finally pushed back and staggered Pearl.

"What was that all about?" he snapped hotly. "We could have taken that-"

"Bear..." Pearl stated grimly.

"What?" Steven asked confused.

"That...thing in that classroom was a bear," Pearl responded coldly. "With cubs."

Steven felt as though he had been slapped.

"How was that thing a bear?" he asked. "Bears don't look like that."

Pearl sighed sadly and walked ahead of him.

"Radiation doesn't just kill things, it also corrupts them," she stated bitterly. "That poor creature in there is an example of what happens to those exposed to it before they are even born."

Steven felt a hint of anger in Pearl's voice. Something must have struck a nerve in her.

"Pearl, is there something you're not telling me?" Steven asked cautiously.

The two stopped as they saw something spray painted on the wall.
On the wall were the words "where are your gems now?!" painted in bold black spray paint.
An angry tear rolled down Pearl's face before she stormed down the stairs.

"Pearl-Pearl wait up!" Steven exclaimed as she cased after her.

Pearl didn't slow down as she walked away from Steven.

"Come on, Pearl, just slow down and talk to me!" Steven exclaimed as he grabbed her by the shoulder.

"There is nothing to discuss!" she snapped fiercely. "I for one am done wasting time in this husk of filth and shame!"

"No, something is bothering you," Steven responded defensively. "Now tell me what it is!"

Pearl trembled with suppressed anger.

"We, the Crystal gems have tried so hard to keep this planet safe," she stated with an angry trimmer. "Sometimes I wonder if the humans even care about their own home word. How could they do the things they do to it?"

"Why are you asking me?" Steven asked. "I'm a half gem, remember?"

"Yes, but you're also half human," Pearl responded. "What does the human side of you think? Why do they hurt this planet so much? Why do they try to ruin what your mother fought so hard to protect?"

Steven fell silent, he hadn't realized how deeply this place was affecting Pearl. It made sense that she would get upset over places like this. If his mother was half the benevolent being everyone said she was, then places like this must have made her feel as though she had failed to keep the planet safe. Steven placed his hand on Pearl's shoulder comfortingly.

"Everyone can make mistakes," Steven stated somberly. "The only problem with humans, is that we can't live long enough to see the lasting effects of those mistakes."

"That can't be the only reason," Pearl sighed bitterly. " Everyone can see the consequences of the mistakes they make. Humans are always toying with powers they hardly understand. The motive is always the same, to gain an advantage over their opponent, to become stronger. Why can't they just let us protect them? Why can't they be more like us?"

"Like you?" Steven asked with a hint of anger in his voice. " What, godlike?"

"You know what I mean, Steven," Pearl responded defensively.

"Maybe I don't know what you mean," Steven stated hotly. "Explain it to me, why should they be like you? Is there something unappealing to you about humans?"

"You know that isn't true, Steven," Pearl responded. "There is nothing wrong with humans themselves. It's what they do to the planet and themselves that upsets me. They fight, they pollute, they kill each other. And for what?"

"Survival," Steven stated coldly. "It seems to be the one thing they are better at than Gems."

"You're speaking nonsense, Steven," Pearl stated dismissively. "Human lives are but a blink of an eye to us. How is that survival?"

"Tell me, can you still call the Crystal Gems a civilization?" Steven responded venomously. "While they might not live as long as you, their civilization still stands. To me, that is survival."

"Hatred, anger, lust, how does survival justify those?" Pearl asked angrily.

"It doesn't," Steven responded. "But that doesn't make humans monsters."

"Then what does that make them?" Pearl asked.

"Flawed, just like you," Steven responded. "If Rose could look past all of the flaws and see the potential, then why can't you?"

Pearl could tell that she had said too much. She didn't intend to say all of those things, she was just so frustrated that she didn't think about what she was saying.

"Steven...I didn't mean to-"

Before she could finish speaking, Steven stormed out of the school, leaving Pearl stricken silent.

Nice one, Pearl, she said to herself as she squeezed the ridge of her nose. You just keep pushing him even further and further away.

Pearl shook her head and followed after Steven, who had regrouped with Iron and Carnelian.

I certainly hope Amethyst is fairing better than I am.