Chapter 5

The Chromite wasted no time in attacking Steven and Amethyst, leaping right at Steven, first. Protecting her friend, Amethyst lunged into the side of the Chromite crashing it into the alleyway wall, "Steven, you ok?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm- Ngh! Amethyst, watch out!" Steven called out with the Chromite acting back on Amethyst's action with tackling her to the ground. Amethyst wasn't one to take this laying down, thankfully, as she kicked the Chromite up and behind her, sending it flying. Needing to think of something quick, Steven ran on inside into the back room to see if there was anything that could help. Looking around, Steven soon saw something that made him smirk in a strike of brilliance. "Come on you metal mutt, I ain't afraid of ya!" Amethyst was held up against one of the alley's walls as she was keeping the Chromite's teeth from snapping at her. "Amethyst, get out of the way!" Hearing Steven call out to her, Amethyst quickly kicked the Chromite back and rolled out of the way before the Chromite was immediately hit with a blast of fire, melting it down into a pile of orange liquid. "Wh-Whoa!" Amethyst was shocked at how Steven was able to pull it off, quickly turning her head to look at him. Realizing what he did, she smiled and shook her head, seeing the lighter and hair spray can that Steven was holding, "And who says the No Home Boys can't teach ya anything?" Steven laughed before him and Amethyst walked over to the orange liquid that quickly evaporated into a white smoke, leaving a pile of orange dust behind, "A-Amethyst, is this what I think it is?" Steven's eyes widened.
"Quick! We need to tell Garnet and Amethyst!" Not thinking twice, Amethyst immediately ran inside with Steven following after.

Inside the Hotel Room

"Are you two sure about this?" Pearl asked as it seemed like she was going into her panic mode.
"No lie, Pearl. Me and Steven saw it with our own eyes." Amethyst admitted.
"Chromites filled with Nega-dust…" Garnet stood there, looking down at the ground. "We have to find her, quickly, before she decides to unleash these things into the public."
"But where do we find her? She could be anywhere within the city." Amethyst started to panic as well.
"Not quite." Garnet stopped. "If she wants to unleash these things into the public, she'll have to find the center-most part of the city in order to do that so that the Nega-dust can travel quicker." As everyone started to think about where that was, Steven leaped out with a gasp, "Station Square!"
"Then we don't have any time. Let's move out as soon as possible." Garnet ordered.

Hours Later, Station Square

"Hehehe~…look at this drabble of human filth. To be perfectly honest, I'm doing them a favor by having them wipe each other out. Isn't that right, my pet~?" The hooded Carnelia softly petted one of the Chromites' head as it growled down towards the area of Empire City's Station Square. "Once I take out this pathetic landmark, I can now start moving on, internationally. England, Hong Kong, Australia, every major city within this world will be struck by a hint of negativity as every person in the world will act out on their violent instincts. And it's all thanks to you lovely things~. Yes it is~. Yes it is~." Carnelia began to baby talk to the Chromites. "Now then, why don't we start this party?" Carnelia stood up on the edge of the main building at the front of Station Square as she held her hands up, "Go play, my children." At the stroke of her command, a small army of Chromites jumped out into the public as the sounds of screaming could soon be heard by the approaching Crystal Gems, "Oh no! It's already starting!" Steven yelled as he tried to run faster.

Finally arriving on the scene, the Crystal Gems were horror-struck to see the Chromites exploding, unleashing their individual puffs of Nega-dust as the people in the crowd actually started to act violent and began to attack one another. Looking around, Garnet finally spotted Carnelia standing on top of the front building, "There she is! Come on!" But as the Crystal Gems tried to get close the civilians would start to attack them, "Wait, we're on your side!" Steven tried to reason as Amethyst had to push one of them back, "I don't think they're listening, Steven."

"Everyone, we have to find a way to stop these Chromites while avoiding the human civilians." Garnet ordered, "Let's split up. Pearl and Amethyst, you two take care of the Chromites. Steven, me and you got a Carnelia to capture." With that, the four split up.

Amethyst and Pearl weren't sure exactly how to stop the Chromites as only fire could damage them. "Oh dear, it's times like this where I wish we still had Bismuth." Pearl despaired as she knocked back one of the Chromites with her blunt end of her spear and Amethyst tried to tie up a group of them into her whips, only for them to liquefy and seep out from her grip, "Darn it! What should we do?!"

Carnelia's legs were swinging over the edge of the building as she looked right on up at the sky, enjoying the chaos she was ensuing, "Aaaaah sweet hubris~."

"You're pleasantry is going to end right now, Carnelia." Carnelia's eyes narrowed as she glared back to see Garnet and Steven with their individual weapons drawn. "Oh me oh my, if it isn't the Crystal Gems~." Carnelia teased them. "I see your little Pearl and Amethyst down there. Oh…hehe, where is your little half-human, Bloodstone friend~?" She poked about Zircon, making Steven a little peeved, "Don't act like you didn't know what you did."

"Hmmmm." Carnelia tapped her bottom lip in thought, "Wasn't it some kind of convention where I first placed him under my spell?"

"Shut up!" Steven yelled out, even shocking Garnet with this sudden attitude. "St-Steven?!"

"You're going to turn Zircon back, right now!" After yelling this, Steven jumped right at Carnelia, much to Garnet's dismay, "Steven, wait!" From underneath Steven, Carnelia's whip wrapped right around Steven's legs before pulling him down to the ground.

"Shoot, it's no use! They just keep coming!" Amethyst and Pearl get backed up to a corner as the Chromites were surrounding them. "A-Amethyst, just stay behind me." Pearl got in front of her as Amethyst quickly came to her side, "Don't think I'm gonna let you go down so easily, Pearl." Just as the Chromites leaped out at the two, Pearl quickly covered Amethyst with her body before loud thuds could be heard behind the seemingly unharmed Pearl, "W-Wait, what?" Turning around after seeing Amethyst's amazed expression, Pearl looked on to see the Chromites…sleeping?! "Whew, have to admit, that was a close one!" Pearl looked out behind the sleeping Chromites as there were even more put to sleep throughout Station Square as standing in the middle of it all was none other than Labra. "L-…Labradorite?" Pearl called out in complete surprise.

"Wait…Pearl?" Labra showed her the same expression.

"My, my, my what a temper you've gotten there, little Rose Quartz…" Carnelia smiled as she placed her foot on Steven's neck. "I guess he got that from you?" She looked straight up at Garnet who tried to attack Carnelia in order to free Steven, but Carnelia pushed out a cloud of Nega-dust, forcing Garnet to jump back, "Steven! Hold on!" Steven was gasping for air as Carnelia's whip was now tightening around his entire body as a sadistic smile crept upon Carnelia's face. "If only that Bloodstone could see what was going on right now…the rage he will go into when he realizes his best friend is dead." When she tried to tighten up the whip to seal the deal, something sharp was thrown, cutting the end of Carnelia's whip and loosening its grip on Steven, "What?!"

"You know…I'm not gonna lie. Seeing Steven bite the dust would make pretty mad. Actually, it would make me quite livid…" A voice started to speak as Steven quickly turned over to see none other than the half-gem himself glaring down Carnelia as his pupils changed from black to orange, "But if we're still being honest…you just hurting him was enough to make me get there."