Steven had expected a normal Sunday, just like every other day. A day where he would wake up, and continue his journey on the road with not much of a plan. Another few more miles down the Pacific Coast Highway, and stopping anywhere he thought would suit him. This life of unpredictability, yet of adventure seem to keep be helping him heal. Heal from the traumas and issues of the past. Right now, he needed to get away from anything gem related. And he felt that his dad, and the Crystal gems would probably handle everything back home. After all it was all peace throughout the universe, he thought to himself.
It was around 8 in the morning when he stop by a cosy little Diner tuck in the middle of nowhere for a bite.
Upon entering, he knew something was amiss. It was silent, with the only noise coming from the televisions set at the top corner of the counter. The patrons were all pale face, and wide eyed as the watch the news that was unfolding.
"Hey, is there anything wrong?" Steven asked, the lady at the counter.
She nodded and motion towards the news. He gasped in horror at what he saw.
The headlines before him caught his attention immediately.
"World At War. Invasion from Outer Space!"
Behind the banner were recordings of the capital cities around the world coming under attack by spaceships that Steven had never seen before.
But he knew enough to guess that they were powered by gem technology.
"I knew this time would come. Them aliens are now showing their true colours," the counter lady said, her eyes wide with fear.
"We are all going to die!" the waitress beside her wailed.
"More like enslave us!" a bespectacled man said.
Steven was about to say something when one of the patrons, a man that wore a cowboy hat stood up and spat on the ground.
"Look at all of you, giving up already before the fight has begun. You going to turn tail and let them aliens take over just like this? I say we go out there and show them what that we humans ain't stupid apes. We got to show them we got weapons, and fight in us," he said pulling out a revolver.
A huge bearded man dressed in red and black checkers cheered.
"They think we are easy targets?! They think we will go down without a fight. Boys, get em guns. We are got some aliens we going to fill with lead! Let them come! We gotta get ourselves ready to show those space rocks a welcome they ain't going to forget," he said heading towards his truck outside.
The atmosphere in the diner began to change from fear, to slow but steadily erupting anger.
"Send them home! Send them home in pieces!" a few patrons shouted. Already they were all heading outside. A mob had started.
The waitress gave a relief sigh.
"There still hope as long as there is fight in us, Daisy," the counter lady said.
Daisy wipe a tear off her eye.
"Sure is," she replied, then notice Steven who was standing there, pale face and not moving.
"You alright there sir? I know it's a bit to take it, ain't everyday our planet get's attacked by some nasty aliens. If you are feeling unwell take a sit. I'll get something to make you feel better," she said.
"Huh?" Steven said suddenly been shaken out of his initial shock.
"No, no it's ok. Thanks for the offer but I have to go home. Like right now" Steven replied with a faraway look in his eyes.
The Daisy nodded.
"I understand. Ain't no telling what going to happen now. End of the world I suppose. Best be it with your family," she said to Steven.
But Steven had already rushed out the door. His head burden with questions, and his heart beating at the some speed of the anxiety coursing through his whole body.
"What was going on? Homeworld invading earth? Had the Diamonds gone mad? He had to reach Beach City. Surely this was a mistake,"
He felt his pocket for his phone, and realised that the battery was dead. One a convenient time. No wonder none of the gems, his dad, or Connie had called him to tell him about the incident.
"Arggghhh!" Steven said as he stomped on the ground in frustration. Then he noticed to his horror, that his hand was glowing pink!
"What in tarnation!" someone shouted.
Steven turn to see that it was the guy with the cowboy hat. The one with the gun, now pointed at him.
"That boy's glowing like some neon light at them gambling bars!" another man said, looking very afraid.
"He be one of them aliens!" another man said. He lifted up a shotgun.
"Look there is nothing to be afraid off okay! I'm not going to hurt you guys alright! I'm human too," Steven said, lifting his hands. But already he could feel the pulsing sensation of power coursing up to his head.
"Human my grandma's behind your human! You glowing up like an ornament on Christmas!," the cowboy hat man said.
"Look out! His gonna use his mind control power I tell ya. His head pulsating like them mutants in those movies," another man said. Steven realised that he was recording the entire incident with his phone camera.
"No! No! I'm not. I just get like this when I am stress!" Steven shouted.
"You ain't gonna probe me like what you did too mah cow Betsy! This is for Betsy you dirty cow probing spaceman!" the cowboy shouted and fired!
The crowd gasped as the bullet bounced off harmlessly over a strange pink looking shield like construct that Steven had erected.
"Leave me alone," Steven said in a low but threatening voice. He was breathing heavily, barely able to control himself now. His body no longer that of a young man. In fact it had become tall and muscular.
"It didn't graze him a bit" a bystander shouted.
"Everyone fire! If we hit it together we might be able to kill it!" the huge bearded man said, pulling out an automatic rifle.
All muzzles aimed at him.
Steven had never use his shields to fend off bullets before, but the sensation was very different than from a gems punch.
It was not as powerful as that of an attack from Jasper or such, but it felt more traumatising. Perhaps it was because he had never been attacked by others who look so much like him. Like his father, like Connie.
"Fire at will!" the huge man shouted.
The air rang with gunfire, as bullets rain at Steven. But all bounced off harmlessly like flies knocking into a windshield.
The big man swore.
"What are you?!" he said pulling out a metal pipe. Other did the same and charged forward.
Steven looked straight up. His entire body now pure pink.
"I said leave me alone!" he shouted.
A sudden pink energy blast erupted from him and send the angry mob flying backwards.
A huge crater now form around Steven. His glow faded away, and he look around him in horror.
The motionless bodies of his attackers seem to be sprawl all around.
"No, no, no!" he said running up to one of them.
He ran up to the nearest person to quickly check for a pulse. He was going to try and heal him with his powers when something hit him from behind. It was a rock. He turn around and saw that it was a young boy with a sling.
"You leave mah pa alone!" the boy shouted. There were tears in his eyes, and his legs were shivering but he stood bravely blocking the diner.
Behind him there were other people who were unarmed but had their phone cameras all pointed at him.
Daisy gave a loud shout, and rushed up to the boy. She grab him in her arms, and her back instinctively turned towards Steven.
"Don't hurt my baby. Don't hurt him,"
"No, no, you've got me all wrong I'm not trying to hurt them. It was an accident," he said.
"Get away from them you monster!" the cashier lady said, pointing a bat at him..
"Please listen to me, this is a mistake. I am not a monster..." Steven said, his voice droning off, as he saw his reflection in the mirror.
He was beginning to glow pink again. And this time it was going to be worse than before. There was no choice, he had to run, or else risk doing something worse to the people here.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I will make it up to you all" he said retreating. Time began to slow down, and he knew that his speed powers were already activated.
He gave a sad sigh, and turn to the people now frozen like statues.
"I'll come back to fix this. I promise," he said, and with that made a dash down the road.