Author's Note
So, here I am. Never really thought I'd have the guts to actually publish a fanfiction, but hey, sometimes you gotta take chances. I must say, the thing that finally tipped me over the edge was a story called "Pearl in WWII" by pinheadh78. It's a great story and seeing that somebody could make such a good story out of such a niche topic inspired me to post my own. I suggest you give it a read.
Anyhow, there's a couple of things I just want to clear up before we get started.
1. How did this story come to be? Like, what the actual fudge would possess a person to write a story like this?
Well, one day me and a buddy were watching the show and, out of the blue, he says "Imagine how much different Steven would be if he'd been raised by three dads instead of three space moms." That intrigued me, for some bizarre reason, and I did start to imagine it. There's so much about Steven, especially what we see in later episodes, that is obviously influenced by his Gem upbringing. I mean, Steven doesn't even know that book series have an order to them! How different could things have turned out if he'd been brought up by humans rather than aliens, given that he himself is half-alien?
2. Okay, but super soldiers? What are you, some kinda Captain America fanboy?
Yeah, but that's besides the point. The point is, I found myself facing a problem. If Steven is brought up by 3 plain-Jane garden variety dudes, they're not really gonna be able to stand up to much fighting, especially not against Gems. Let's face it, while it's not the focus of the show, combat plays a pretty big role in SU, and thus I needed to beef up some humans so that they could go toe to toe with Gems. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for super-soldiers, so I was like, "Heck yeah! A chance to work them into an SU fanfic? What could go wrong!"
3. I know I'm not that good at descriptions, whether it be people or places.
Often times I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words, and you can really tell when I write descriptions. I'm not really good enough at writing yet to be able to seamlessly incorporate descriptions into my writing, and it really makes them stand out. I guess you could say I haven't really mastered the whole "show, don't tell" technique yet, so rather than work a character's description in some clever way through an interaction, instead you're just going to get a paragraph describing that person. Sorry, I'm doing my best and trying to improve.
4. Sometimes I reference stuff you might not know. Don't be afraid to search it up for yourself.
I'm something of a history buff (especially WWII) and I often find myself referencing or talking about stuff that a lot of people probably have no idea about. I'm working hard to tone this down and be more open to a broad audience rather than just making inside jokes for a bunch of history nerds. I also, like everyone else, find my mannerisms and speech influenced by the media I've consumed. Don't be too surprised if you start noticing lines that seem like they might be familiar - these days I quote movies and video games without even realizing it.
Alright, enough of this junk. Suspend your disbelief and strap in; it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
CHAPTER 1: TIMELINE and CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
***The story before the story***
Timeline of Events
2027 A.D. – WWIII Begins
What begins relatively simply as a "NATO vs. Russia, China, and Co." scenario quickly devolves into a chaotic free-for-all as the world burns. Casualties on all sides are horrendous as the new technological wonders of the age are turned into deadly weapons – remarkably, no nuclear weapons are used.
2035 A.D. – WWIII Ends
The self-proclaimed "Freedom Alliance" (in reality little more than a re-branded NATO) finally claims victory in the bloodiest, most destructive war in the history of mankind. While resistance still smolders in the conquered territories over the coming years, major combat operations have come to an end. This marks a major paradigm shift in the world, as essentially every nation is forced into some form of democratic government. Technically, democracy more or less reigns across the globe.
2045 A.D.
After a decade of military occupation by the victorious allied powers, Russia is finally given autonomy and its first (closely-supervised) free elections are held. The Russian Republic (now an ACTUAL republic rather than a pseudo-dictatorship masquerading as one) begins the long process of recovering from the war. Amazingly, the victors learn from their mistakes and make it a point to aid rather than punish their former enemy.
2047 A.D.
The occupation of China (I use that phrase loosely; more like the occupation of China's major cities and coast) comes to an end, and it is given a similar treatment to Russia.
2060 A.D.
Experts and analysts are genuinely surprise to announce that at the turn of the decade, the world is at the dawn of a new golden age. Democracy is surprisingly thriving, even in previous strongholds of totalitarianism. The world economy is booming, tensions are lower than they've ever been, and an overall feeling of optimism has gripped the world. It seems like the future is bright.
2113 A.D. – Invasion begins
The advance force of an alien empire that call themselves "Gems" reaches Earth. Attempts to make contact fail. The world holds its breath and readies itself for the worst. On September 24th, the invasion begins.
2114 A.D.
The alien "Gems" are, individually, much stronger and more durable than a human soldier. They are also quite varied in appearance and "powers." The aliens make several gains early on, but the humans put up such a spirited defense and surprisingly united front that these arrogant Gems are surprised by how little progress they've made.
2115 A.D.
Battles rage on around the globe as the Allied Human Forces continue to fight for every inch. US ground forces (including the brand-new "mechanized legion" of combat robots) struggle to hold the perimeter as alien forces push from the west coast. Russian and eastern European forces make the invaders pay dearly for every patch of ground they gain, but the aliens gain ground nonetheless. Western Europe is ablaze with multiple Gem dropships unleashing hordes of troops into the waiting soldiers of humanity. The alien invasion of Asia bogs down as guerrillas sabotage enemy infrastructure and endless waves of human soldiers crash upon the alien invaders. The Gems, for their part, make little distinction between soldier and civilian, and decimate several population centers.
2116 A.D.
Ferocious human resistance pays off, and the outnumbered Gems find themselves being driven back on every front of this unfamiliar and hostile planet. Advancing human forces are disturbed to find what they can only assume to be alien terraforming sites – huge tracts of land with no traces of life, just alien machinery and cold, barren rock. The largest of these sites is in the western United States centered around the Grand Canyon, although a number more are discovered scattered throughout the globe. Still, although the Earth is damaged and humanity bloodied, it looks as though the aliens are on the verge of total defeat. Regardless, the United States of America begins planning and research on "Project Deliverance" – a super-soldier program (the first to have any serious government backing in decades).
2117 A.D.
The rest of the Gem invasion force arrives. What was originally though to be the entire attack fleet was merely the first and smaller of two waves. With this second wave comes one of the alien race's leaders – an elite and aristocratic being referred to as a "Diamond," whom all Gem soldiers are loyal to out of either fear or admiration.
Alien forces flood the planet. Humanity is dug-in and ready for war, however. The Gems had expected a quick conquest over the primitive and divided organics of Earth. Instead they found themselves facing a united species that was only a few decades behind their own in terms of military technology – and perhaps even more advanced when it came to tactics and strategy. They were arrogant, to be sure, but nonetheless the renewed offensive rocked the world and suddenly it was the humans who were being driven back.
The Gems are simply stronger, faster, and far more resistant to damage (able to shrug off or quickly regenerate from even explosions). They need no sleep, no food, it's as though they are machines! The humans are more creative, and perhaps are more determined, but that matters little when they simply can not physically HURT the enemy.
2118 A.D.
Although they are behind schedule, it seems that the alien invasion is back on track. "Terraforming" resumes, and even permanent structures are constructed by the hardy and fast-working Gem builders. Things seem grim for humanity.
Some Gem soldiers are finally captured, and under intense interrogation, the Allied Human Forces learn much about the alien invaders. Evidently the alien leader of the invasion, one "Pink Diamond," is one of four such leaders that the alien race has. The Earth is to be her first colony, yet another jewel in the Gems' vast galactic empire. Alien prisoners assure their human captors that victory is inevitable and that the humans are merely making it worse on themselves. The humans are not impressed.
2119 A.D.
Although humanity still vastly outnumbers the Gem invaders, by the middle of the year the aliens control more of the Earth's surface than the natives do. Things look bleak for humans everywhere.
2120 A.D.
Alien structures dot the Earth's surface and a major center of terraforming has become visible: in the Western United States, a massive swath of land is dead and devoid of all plant and animal life. Alien machines work ceaselessly, injecting strange liquids into the ground that poisons the planet – but to what end? Prisoners call these things "Kindergartens," but refuse to speak of their purpose even under the most intense "interrogation methods."
The invasion has stagnated again and settled into a stalemate. By now the humans know the enemy well enough to outsmart them – the Gems are not very creative – but the aliens are still militarily more powerful than humanity. Human forces simply cannot produce enough tanks, planes, robots, and big guns to fight the aliens effectively.
2121 A.D.
It is difficult to say for sure which occurs first, but two major events happen at the start of this year that change the course of the war.
First, evidently all is not well behind the alien lines. A Gem soldier – a lowly grunt, no less – begins a rebellion within their ranks, mutinying against their Diamond. Slowly but surely, the alien rebellion grows. Human attempts to make contact with this "Rose Quartz," the instigator of the rebellion, fail.
Second, Project Deliverance pays off – the world and humanity's first official super-soldier, August Fairburne, is deployed in the USA. Faster, stronger, and immensely tough thanks to a computer chip installed in part of his brain, Major Fairburne is able to go toe to toe with the best of the Gem soldiers – and thanks to the chip in, he's a tactical genius as well.
The tides begin to turn, and humanity starts to push back.
2122 A.D.
The United States fields its second and third super-soldiers, Sergeant Fred Barnes and Captain Benjamin Cragg, respectively. While Major Fairburne, the first super-soldier, was enhanced via cybernetic computer chip installed in his brain, Sergeant Barnes was injected with an experimental ultra-vitality serum and Captain Cragg was voluntarily infected with a modified alien virus. Though the methods differ for each, all three are extremely powerful soldiers, and are used as shock troops and assassins to breakthrough Gem lines and eliminate high-ranking alien officers. By the end of the year, with US technical assistance, Russia, China, Germany, France, and the UK have all fielded their first super soldiers.
On the Gem side of things, the rebellion lead by Rose Quartz continues to grow. It seriously hampers Gem activity on Earth and sows distrust among Gem soldiers, as anyone could potentially be a rebel. The Gem loyalists on Earth still view their victory as inevitable, and as a sign of her faith in her soldiers and to boost their morale, Pink Diamond herself comes down to the Earth to manage things from the surface.
The human forces exist in an uneasy truce with the rebel Gems, as both sides are fighting Gem loyalists, but the humans are not happy to see any of their territory in the hands of any Gem, and the Gem rebels, for their part, pay little mind to the humans and make no moves to return their land.
2123 A.D.
The Allied Human Forces finally manage to determine the location of Pink Diamond on Earth, and plans are made to assassinate the alien leader. Codenamed Operation FRACTURE, the plan calls for over a dozen super-soldiers to be dispatched to eliminate the Diamond. Major Fairburne, recently promoted to Colonel, is among those chosen to carry out the mission. However, a day before the operation is set to commence, word reaches human ears that the rebel leader Rose Quartz has just confronted and shattered Pink Diamond herself.
Allied Human Command is furious that the opportunity has been stolen from them by a gem and that the chance for humanity to prove itself and gain some respect on a galactic scale has been lost. On July 14th, under orders from AHC, the super-soldier task force that had been assembled for Operation FRACTURE was given a new task: Operation AVENGE. Under Operation AVENGE, a small group of rebel Gems are covertly captured for questioning and "testing purposes," to supplement the growing population of Loyalist Gems that were being taken prisoner.
2124 A.D.
Battle continues to rage around the globe, but with the sudden loss of Pink Diamond, the continually increasing number of human super-soldiers, and the growing rebellion under Rose Quartz, it is becoming increasingly clear that unless something changes, the Gems will find themselves kicked off of Earth. In an effort to turn inevitable defeat into victory, yet another Diamond is deployed to Earth: Blue Diamond. With her, she brings reinforcements, but by that point it is simply too little too late.
The war rages on, but by the end of the year, Gem forces on the planet Earth were being pushed back on all fronts, and they were getting desperate.
2125 A.D.
Three huge things happened this year.
The first is that French chemical engineers successfully develop and deploy a chemical agent that is extremely harmful to gems. This "Anti-Gem" gas causes gems that are directly exposed to it to become brittle and crack. While humanity had long since agreed not to make use of chemical weapons against one another, they have no such qualms about using them on the alien invaders. Within 3 months, almost every nation worldwide was making use of the gas to combat the invaders.
The second is that yet another Diamond comes to Earth in mid-June. Yellow Diamond, supreme commander of the Gem military, is a formidable opponent and has confidence that she can succeed where her colleagues had failed. In her arrogance, she swears that both the rebellion and the troublesome organics would be defeated in a month's time. Obviously, this is not what happens.
The third is that humanity finally learns the purpose of the bizarre alien "Kindergartens." Human forces in Central Africa finally push the Gem army from the region and secure what had been a functioning Kindergarten: it was apparent now that these sites were being used to create Gems! Suddenly it became clear why the land around these Kindergartens was so barren – all of the vitamins and minerals and organic compounds were being drained into Gems to give them life! Humans around the world are infuriated and redouble their efforts to reclaim their world before it can be used by the enemy even further.
2126 A.D.
Human intelligence learns of a plan by the Diamonds. While details are at first unclear, it seems that some kind of massive weapon is going to be constructed at the "Prime" Kindergarten located around the Grand Canyon of the western US. In order to learn more about this superweapon, a super-soldier strike team is dispatched to capture a high-ranking Gem officer for interrogation. This mission is a success, and Allied Human Command soon learn with horror that the Diamonds are planning on FORMING ANOTHER DIAMOND to replace the one they had lost. Forming such a massive and powerful Gem, the prisoner confessed, would most likely leave most if not all of the planet devoid of resources and life.
This is unacceptable, for obvious reasons, and the humans race to make their own plans to counter it. Seeing this as another chance to claim the prestige they had been denied when Rose Quartz shattered Pink Diamond, the humans are careful not to alert the rebel Gems of this development. On September 24th, the anniversary of the Gems invading Earth, Operation BLACK ARROW is commenced. A massive offensive by soldiers from all around the globe in the western US allowed a strike team of super-soldiers including Fairburne, Cragg, and Barnes to make it to the Prime Kindergarten with a specially developed weapon made specifically to kill a Diamond. This weapon, "The Black Arrow," is successfully used to destroy the incubating Diamond, along with most of the Kindergarten.
In the wake of Operation BLACK ARROW, Gem forces retreated from their positions in the western United States, Mexico, and Canada, marking the first continent to be fully liberated from Gem control. Dismayed by this enormous setback and distraught at the loss of not one but TWO Diamonds, Yellow and Blue Diamond made a drastic decision. The colony on Earth, they decide, is not worth the trouble.
2127 A.D.
By the beginning of this year, the war has simmered down. The humans and rebel gems can practically see the victory that lays just ahead of them. Loyalist Gems continue to retreat, and humans and rebels reclaim most of the world.
On March 3rd, the Diamonds sound the call to retreat from the planet entirely. By March 4th, analysts estimate that nearly 90% of all remaining Gems have fled the Earth. Victory has fallen come. After over a decade of fighting, the humans finally have their world back – with one exception: the land currently held by the rebel Gems.
The Earth, however, is not even given a chance to catch its breath. In the early hours of March 5th, the Diamonds make their last attack on the planet. A great light fills the sky, and a horrific sound pierces the air around the world. Then, a massive blast of energy hits the Earth with the force of a small star exploding.
This energy blast had several devastating effects: for one, it completely wiped out human civilization on the planet. Humanity survived, barely, but all of their technology and knowledge and monuments were gone forever. Mankind was regressed, sent flying back to the Stone Age, and soon no one even remained to remember the "good old days." Man had been reset, and the Earth wiped clean.
The blast had an arguably even worse effect on the remaining Gems, leaving them horribly corrupted monstrosities. These animals were not capable of thought, and acted purely on instinct. Left in constant pain and perpetually disoriented, the monsters soon found themselves clashing with the newly-primitive human race.
There were four notable exceptions who escaped the effects of the Diamonds' attack. Rose Quartz, the rebel leader, had protected herself with her shield, although she failed to save any of her comrades. The other three were the super soldiers Colonel August Fairburne, Captain Benjamine Cragg, and Sergeant Fred Barnes. These three had been on a top-secret mission exploring the network of tunnels and bunkers that stretched below a recently-captured Gem facility.
When the three humans emerged from the underground lair together, they found themselves alone in a new world, the last remainders of the old world. They knew not what became of Rose Quartz, nor did she know of them. Both soldiers and Gem had to settle in to watch humanity rebuild its dominion and decide how to deal with the corrupted Gems that roamed the planet.
Almost 6,000 years later…
Humanity has rebuilt itself. Although it remains unaware of its past, it has become nearly the perfect image of what it was before – that is to say, with a few key differences, the Earth of 8000 looks just like the Earth did in 2000. And of course, unaware that their civilization is not the humanity's first attempt, people still refer to the year as 2000, completely oblivious to the fact that the year 2000 had already occurred once 6000 years prior. The slate had been wiped clean, humanity had started over and gone through the motions and become a perfect mirror of the way things had once been. The remaining super-soldiers refer to this new-yet-familiar world as the "Second Era" of humanity.
1989 S.E. ("Second Era")
Greg Universe, a wannabe rock'n'roll star with no real direction, meets the super-soldier August Fairburne while putting on a concert in Beach City. Taken in by Fairburne's tales of wonder and action, Universe abandons his "career" and decides to join the man's team, which consists only of Fairburne, Barnes, and Cragg at the time. They call themselves, "The Old Guard." The Old Guard has sworn to protect humanity from any threat, Gem or otherwise, and let them develop to their full potential on their own with no outside interference.
1999 S.E.
After living with and working with the Old Guard for a decade, Greg has become an important and well-liked member of the team. While on a mission to defeat a particularly powerful corrupted Gem, the team runs into Rose Quartz, who is after the same Gem. Whilst the three super-soldiers express their dislike for the former rebel leader, Greg and Rose fall quickly in love.
2002 S.E.
Greg Universe dies on a mission. A month later, his son Steven Universe is born to Rose Quartz – the world's first human-gem hybrid. His mother gave up her physical form so that he could be born, and as a consequence, the boy has her pink gem on his naval.
2014 S.E.
Our story begins.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
Colonel August Fairburne – Six feet tall, with short dark-brown hair (slightly greyed) and brown eyes. A solid man, not too fat and not too skinny. Has a thin face that one could only describe as "gaunt." Has a habit of using words and phrases from the 1940s and 50s, despite the fact that he was born in 2082 – has a sense of fashion to match. Is rarely seen without his grey trench coat, slacks, and white button-down shirt. Looks as though he's in his mid-40s. Always clean shaven. Fond of birds, old cars, old TV shows, and video games. Favors his revolver in combat, but is proficient with all manner of rifles, shotguns, machine guns, and explosives. Has a serious smoking habit and a rather dry, sarcastic sense of humor. The cybernetic chip in his brain gives him his superhuman abilities, and when it kicks into "overdrive," his left eye glows red.
Captain Benjamin Cragg – Six foot two, shaved bald head. His irises are a dull golden color, a result of the alien virus he was injected with in order to give him his superhuman reflexes. Has a tendency to scowl. A jagged scar stretches across his face, from his chin across his mouth and over his right eye. Occasionally he lets his facial hair grow out, but more often than not keeps it shaved. A serious man who keeps his sense of humor strictly under wraps, and listens far more than he ever speaks. Tall and thin, people often mistake him for being weak and fragile. Enjoys chess, making models, and reading. His weapon of choice is a sniper rifle with which he is extraordinarily deadly, but he has been known to use a wide variety of weapons including grenades, bayonets, machetes, handguns, and submachine guns. His clothing depends on where he's "working" that day but is usually nondescript and selected to avoid standing out. Seems to be in his late 30s.
Sergeat Fred Barnes – Five foot ten, with blond buzz-cut hair that makes him look like a stereotypical military man. Grey eyes that remind one of ice or concrete. Stocky, well-built, and with bulging muscles visible almost all over his body. Typically found in olive drab uniform pants, combat boots, and a plain white undershirt. Enthusiastic and outgoing in personality, quick with a joke and especially fond of dirty jokes or annoying jokes that are guaranteed to make you groan (i.e. Dad jokes). Has a tendency to interrupt others when he gets excited. Looks to be in his early 30s, and considers himself the comedian of the group. Loves slapstick comedy, eating, and hiking. Enjoys close combat, typically with knives and/or brass knuckles but otherwise relies on carbines, shotguns, and other, heavier weapons.
THE BEACH HOUSE DESCRIPTION
The main part of the beach house is exactly the same as it is in the show, albeit with slightly different furniture and decorations and the fact that the portrait of Rose is instead a portrait of Greg. The door that leads to the Temple proper additionally only has a single gem design on it – hers – because she was unable to protect any other Crystal Gems from the Corruption Song and thus never needed to create rooms for them.
The main differences are that on one side of the beach house there is now a smaller building that serves as a garage, and the tiny hallway where the bathroom door is has been extended. Now that hallway also houses the doors that lead to four other rooms, two on each side of the hallway. Three of the bedrooms are occupied by the Old Guard; the fourth was meant for Greg and is currently unoccupied.
Beside the Beach House are two flag poles: on one flies the flag of the United States of America that you and I know, which is different from the American flag of Steven Universe (as the USA in S.U. has only 39 states). On the other flies the flag of the Old Guard. To give you some idea of what it looks like, I made a quick (shitty) representation in PowerPoint that I ended up using for the cover image of this story.