33: Fuck You, Holly Blue

x x x x

"The what now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Pearl expectantly.

"Pink Diamond's Human Zoo," she replied matter-of-factly, withdrawing her hands from the controls as we sailed into the hangar of the larger spacecraft.

"Human Zoo?" Steven said from behind us. "Why would Gems have a human zoo?"

"Pink Diamond was fascinated with humans," Pearl said, "and she wanted to preserve them, even after the Earth was uninhabitable."

The pod made a smooth landing, and we looked out the windshield, seeing two large, purple gems standing by a door.

"Amethyst guards," Jasper said, squinting briefly at them, then turning to Amethyst. "That's what you would've looked like if you had come out on time."

"Oh," Amethyst said, watching the guards for a moment before turning back to us. "What now?"

Suddenly, the door of the pod opened, catching us by surprise.

"It seems like the decision's been made for us," I said, looking through the door at the mostly empty hangar.

"Well, let's go, guys," Amethyst said, shapeshifting herself to look like the big Amethysts and leading us out of the pod.

"What're you doing here?" one of the Amethysts growled, looking us over critically.

"We-"

"What is going on here?" a blue Gem, roughly the same size as the Amethysts, snapped, coming through the door and glaring at the Amethysts. She did a double-take when she saw us, focusing on Sapphire and doing a weird salute with her arms

"Your Clarity! I trust that these imbeciles-" the Gem punched one of the Amethysts in the arm "weren't rude to you?"

"They were not," Sapphire said, and the blue gem nodded curtly, her gaze sweeping over the rest of us.

"You brought humans!" she said, disgust rolling off her in waves. "Well, we need to put them in the containment area." She turned to the Amethysts, who straightened up, doing the salute. "Take them to be assimilated!"

Assimilated?! I thought, watching as the Amethysts nodded to the blue gem. They grabbed Steven and me, carrying us off through the halls.

x x

Back in the hangar, the Crystal Gems started to panic. Luckily, Sapphire knew that the blue Gem would bend over backwards for a sapphire, being of a lower class.

"I would like a tour of the facilities," Sapphire said, looking up at the blue Gem, a Holly Blue Agate.

"Of course, Your Clarity," Holly Blue said, saluting once again before turning and leaving the hangar. She paused briefly, glaring at Amethyst and Jasper as they started to leave the hangar. "Quartzes guard the door."

"Okay then," Amethyst said, rolling her eyes and leaning against the wall, watching the other Amethysts warily.

Beyond the door, the others followed Holly Blue down the hall as she rambled on, trying to impress Sapphire.

"As Blue Diamond's trusted Agate, I am honored to serve at such an important facility," she said. "But, of course, some Gems just don't know their place. Ugh, those Earth quartzes are so difficult!"

Holly Blue paused, as they had come to a door. The group stood there for a few moments before Pearl moved to the control panel and opened the door.

"I'll get that..." she said, letting out a nervous laugh and following the group through the door, stopping to close it behind them.

"I cannot understand how you put up with her," Holly Blue remarked to Sapphire as Pearl opened the next door, obviously irritated that Pearl wasn't completely subservient.

"As a Sapphire, I know that it will eventually be done," Sapphire said, and Holly Blue hummed her understanding, nodding in agreement.

"Of course, Your Clarity," she said, taking a breath before starting off on another rambling attempt to impress Sapphire.

Can she not see anyone but Pearl and Sapphire? Lapis thought, watching Holly Blue as she led them through the halls.

"Where does this door lead?" Sapphire asked, indicating the door that they were coming up to.

"It opens into the zoo," Holly Blue said, her lip curling in disgust.

"Oh, of course," Sapphire said, nodding. "And h-"

"Explosion!" Ruby cried out, causing everyone to turn to her in shock. "I forgot to turn off the gravity drive in the ship. It could explode at any minute!"

"Ah, yes, it will," Sapphire agreed. "We should have about five minutes, if we hurry."

"Come along, Your Clarity," Holly Blue said, turning to walk back the way they came. Sapphire gave the others a one-eyed wink, which confused them until Ruby winked back. "Honestly, why they trust rubies with those ships is beyond me..."

Once Holly Blue and Sapphire were out of sight, Pearl tried to open the zoo door to no avail.

"I-I can't get it open," Pearl said, staring at the controls as she kept trying to open it.

"Ugh! Aren't you a hacker?" Ruby snapped, tense.

"Well, yes..." Pearl replied, changing tactics and starting to hack the door.

"You hack, we'll try to force it open!" Ruby said, beating on the door. She ran at it, walking up the vertical surface and leaving charred footprints on the metal. In desperation, she scratched at it, finally sinking down to lay on the floor in defeat.

While Ruby worked, Lapis and Peridot attempted to pull the door open, also failing.

"Yes, Holly Blue..." Sapphire's voice carried down the hall, heralding the return of the blue gems. Pearl stepped away from the door controls, and the others moved away from the door, playing innocent.

"Oh! Those Amethysts have no respect," Holly Blue said, spotting the damage to the door. As she lamented the scratched and charred metal, a pair of Amethysts came running up to the group.

"Holly Blue Agate!" they shouted, coming to a stop beside the door.

"There is no running or shouting within these halls!" Holly Blue snapped, glaring at the gems.

"But Blue Diamond is here, Holly Blue," one of them, unusually red-tinted for an Amethyst, said.

"Blue Diamond?" Holly Blue repeated, and the Amethysts nodded in confirmation. "She just left not too long ago!"

"Well, she's back," the second Amethyst said, and Holly Blue glared at the pair, stalking over to them menacingly.

"If Blue Diamond is here, you must show respect!" she spat. "Backs straight!" she shoved them into a more upright position "Heads clear!" Holly Blue grabbed the Amethysts' heads and knocked them together "Now, go!"

"Yes, Holly Blue Agate!" the Amethysts said, saluting her and leaving.

"Oh, another visit from Blue Diamond!" Holly Blue sighed, in awe. "It's nice to know that she still respects the integrity of this place."

"Of course, Holly Blue," Sapphire agreed.

"Now, let us go and greet her."

X

(AN: I really don't like Holly Blue Agate. She's a bitch, and a kiss-ass.)