Tristan walked back inside the light house, it was quiet like usual. Well, except for Keith's snoring. But it was all good, Tristan had been running around atop of Empire city's roofs training. Trying, and sometimes failing, to recreate what he had done on the boat. It was wonderful, and stressful. He was able to summon his weapon on instinct, and he could move faster and he could store his pistols in his gem. But nothing more, he couldn't even summon the shards on will. It was always luck or an accident. It'd been an entire month and he had almost nothing to show for it. It was frustrating! Tristan walked back outside and dropped down to the statue's hand. Landing on the warp pad and warping to the arena. I'm not sleeping until I learn how to fight like her, like Beryl.

Tristan woke up covered in sweat, he'd passed out standing up. Tristan looked at his hands, they were covered in calluses. Ever since he'd been thrown into the fountain again, his skin had become soft and scar free. Tristan wasn't use to it, and he didn't like it. Tristan tried to summon his sabre, but it didn't work. He tried again, but to no avail. "You're overworking yourself." Said Garnet as Tristan turned around. "You need to stop, you're only hurting yourself."
"I'm fine." Said Tristan.
"Look at yourself!" said Garnet. "You're so skinny, you look like you haven't eaten in days, no, weeks!"
"To be honest, I'm not sure when the last time I ate was."
"Take some time off." Garnet walked towards Tristan. "You need it."
"No I don't." Tristan took a step away from Garnet as she put her hand on his shoulder. "What I need is more time."
"Steven misses you."
"And?" Tristan tried to summon his sabre again, and it worked. But it looked, unstable. "I need to become stronger, so that I can protect Steven."
"Just spend some time with him." Garnet grabbed Tristan and dragged him to the warp pad. "You can't even fight back! You need rest."
"No I don't, just leave me alone." Tristan attempted and failed to get out of Garnet's grasp.
"You're sleeping on the couch until you can properly stand." Said Garnet as they warped into the beach house.
"Oh, hi Garnet." Said Pearl. "And…Tristan what's happened to you?"
"Oh come on!" said Tristan. "I don't look that bad!"
"Yes you do." Said Garnet as she tossed Tristan onto the couch. "No sleep."
"Don't you fucking dare!" said Tristan as Garnet punched him in the face, knocking him out.
"What was that about!" asked Pearl.
"He needed rest." Said Garnet. "So I helped him."

"Is he awake yet?" asked Amethyst as she poked his nose.
"I am now!" said Tristan as he sat up. "Why do I have a blanket?"
"Pearl thought you would get cold." Said Steven. "So she put one on you."
"Oh…" said Tristan.
"Are you okay?" asked Amethyst. "You're just staring into the wall."
"Yeah." Said Tristan. "I'm just famished, let's grab some grub."
"It's like midnight." Said Steven.
"…Midnight grub." Said Tristan with a smile.
"Alright." Said Amethyst. "I'm up for grub anytime."
"But, I should be in bed right now." Said Steven.
"And am I supposed to care?" asked Tristan. "The other's will never find out. And if they do, we'll blame it on Amethyst."
"Hey!" said Amethyst as Steven and Tristan grinned.
"But how're we gonna get to any place open?" asked Steven.
"Oh, I know a way." Said Tristan.

"So your friend just let you take his truck?" Asked Steven
"No." said Tristan. "He doesn't even know I'm back."
"Nice!" said Amethyst, giving Tristan a high five.
"That's not nice!" said Steven. "That's mean!"
"It's funny when I do it to Keith." Said Tristan as he pulled up to an all-night open bar. "I'll go inside and grab us all burgers and a drink. You both stay out here."
"Why?" asked Amethyst and Steven.
"Cause this place isn't exactly the Ritz." Said Tristan as he got out of the car.

Tristan was right, there were drunks waiting for an excuse to fight and guys with pills ready for any right looking girl. Tristan walked up to the counter and waved down the bartender. "ID?"
Tristan slapped a stack of cash on the table. "There's my ID. I need a few burgers and some hard, hard liquor."
The bartender gladly took the cash and turned around, asking no questions. Tristan sat on a stool, waiting for his food. "Hey!" said a man, sitting down next to him with a drink in his hand. "You look like a really pretty boy. I'm sure you don't need these, but if you really want a girl. I have the good shit that'll make a girl yours in less than ten minutes." Tristan almost reached into his gem and pulled out his Beretta's right then and there. It was bastards like these that made Tristan wish he was still in power. And in a way, he still was!
"No thanks." Said Tristan. "I prefer not be a worthless scumbag. But thanks for the offer, you won't have a car within the hour." The man stiffened up as Tristan just smiled.
"No need for a fight." The man slid him a drink. "Let's just settle this over a drink, alright?" Tristan sniffed the cheap beer and drank it in one go.
"Curare. An alkaloid. Cheap, but very effective." Tristan just smiled at the man. "Too bad it doesn't work on me. Now you won't have a house within the week."
"Are you insane?" asked the man. "You and your friends won't last a day with us."
"Don't worry." Said Tristan cracking the glass by hand and placing it in front of his eye. "You won't have a life in a minute." Tristan was tapped on the shoulder and was confronted with the bar owner.
"Here's your food, just take this outside please. I got enough troubles as it is." Said the bartender.
"Thank you." Said Tristan as he shoved the glass all the way through the man's eye and into his brain. "But I can't let Steven see this." Tristan took the food and left.

"Son of a bitch." Said Tristan as he saw three guys hitting, or at least trying to, on Amethyst.
"Why not honey." Said one of the guys. "You look like you have some nice meat on you that I'd love to squeeze."
"What!" screamed Amethyst as she reached for her whip.
"Don't do that." Said Tristan, tossing the food into the car. "You'd kill them, and that's my job." Tristan grinned as he looked at the three guys. "Follow me, I'd really like to shove you three into body bags."

"He has to learn restraint." Said Garnet.
"How so?" asked Pearl. "I like his determination."
"He pushes himself too far. Barely eats, sleeps, or thinks." Garnet looked out the window. "Everything is battle and killing. Nothing more, nothing less."
"True." Said Pearl, setting Steven's laundry down. "But it can't really be helped, can it?"
"No, no it can't." Garnet nudged her glasses. "It'll take a while before he fully settles down. But for now, it battle and liquor for him."

"You smell horrible." Said Amethyst, giggling as she opened the window.
"Never had liquor before?" asked Tristan, taking yet another swig of the alcohol. "It's good shit when you get enough of it."
"I'm so glad Steven's back in his bed." Amethyst leaned up against the window frame. "The others would kill us is Steven saw this."
"Agreed. Cheers, to not having our asses beaten by the others!" Amethyst clanked her motor oil against Tristan's liquor bottle.
"To not having our asses beaten by the others!" They chugged their bottles until it was empty, tossing them over the cliff.
"This shit is strong!" Tristan hiccuped. "What brand was that? I need five crates of that!"
"You're lucky, you can drown yourself in alcohol and forget things. It doesn't work like that for us Gems."
"Honey, I think you're severely mistaken."
"How so?"
"This stuff doesn't help you forget, it makes you forget. It's not the best thing in the world, and huge slap on the face when you realize the mistake you've made." Tristan stared at the dirt. "This stuff makes you the most depressed person in the world, and I love it!"
"Why? If it hurts you, than why do it?"
"Because I deserve it more than anyone else." Tristan looked at the stars with droopy eyes. "And because I don't deserve it at the same time."