Chapter 74: Semimaru

The cocoon of Semimaru was hatching. Finally it's black hand with red claws emerged and then it's whole body. It was a demonic looking creature that stood as tall as Garnet with an athletic build. It had charcoal gray skin with red claws on his hands and feet. It had bat like wings and anoa horns and pointed ears. It's face however, lacked eyes, mouth or nose. All it was a T face red visor as if it was wearing a built in helmet. As he broke free he he roared, he turned to Gien, Viggo and Huntress and approached them about to attack them.

Viggo: This is Semimaru?

Huntress: Darling get back he might attack.

Gien: Lower your weapons. If you attack, he will be provoked and kill us all.

Gien stepped forth as Semimaru growled and ran towards him. Gien's eyes flashed at him. Semimaru stopped for a moment and tried attacking again. Gien eyes flashed again, making Semimaru stop and drop his guard.

Gien: Step back.

Semimaru steps away. Viggo and Huntress looked surprised while Gien smiled.

Gien: Come to me.

Semimaru steps foward to Gien.

Gien: You see, he is now under my control.

Viggo: Incredible.

Huntress: So how is he going to help us win?

Gien: When I retrieved this cacoon , I was told that he was meant to be used as a weapon to absorb it's victims power's and useful knowledge.

Viggo: The man you said that saved you gave you this as well right?

Gien: He did.

Revenger was still in the air vent. He couldn't get his eyes off of Semimaru. But he was confused on who saved Gien. What mad man would save this monster? So many questions entered his mind, but he had to focus on what he came for.

Revenger: ( In his mind) This is finally it.

Revenger formed a aim scope around his eye and got the shoulder cannon ready. He was about to fire. But then he thought about Steven and the others. What if he messes this up, dies and fails to warn them about Semimaru. It could be worse than anything they have faced. He tried to snap out of it and ignore, but couldn't. After he left lashing out on them, he soon regretted it since they were the only friends he would talk to or be comfortable around. Maybe it's not too late to go back to make things right with them and at the same time warn them of this Semimaru. Revenger puts away his weapon.

Revenger: ( his mind) Looks like I have to wait a little longer.

Revenger tries to go back, but despite being as quiet as possible, Semimaru could hear him with his strong hearing. He looked up at the ceiling.

Viggo: What is he looking at?

Semimaru growls. His horns began to glow and shot out a laser the cuts through objects clean off. He shot it at the airvents and Revenger falls out.

Viggo and Huntress: Revenger!?

Viggo immediatly wrapped him around with his electric whip.

Gien: So, you're at it again Revenger, snooping around, trying to kill me.

Revenger: What have you done this time Gien?

Gien: I just incubated him to hatch is all. Oh this is perfect. Semimaru, here is your first victim.

Semimaru approached Revenger. He grabbed Revenger's arms, but nothing happened. Semimaru stopped and looked at himself, but noticed he hasn't changed.

Huntress: What was he trying to do?

Gien: Absorbing his power, but it seems it had no effect. It might be due to him being mechanical.

Viggo: So will it not work with the gems?

Gien: I hope not, but we'll find out soon.

Huntress: What about Revenger? You want me to kill him now love?

Gien: Not yet. I want to try something first. Guards!

Two black knight droids enter.

Gien: Take the prisoner to his specified cell. We'll deal with him later.

Revenger: You will not get away with Gien. You hear me!

Revenger is taken away.

Gien: Let's make the plans now. Semimaru.

Semimaru turns to Gien.

Gien: Get ready so we can test your abilities.

Semimaru bows to Gien.

Meanwhile

Steven and Connie were having a picnic near the light house. He had his ukalele and she had his violin as they played their Jam Buds song.

Connie: Steven, this is just beatiful what you did.

Steven: Thanks, I really tried to make this the best. What do you think of my snack sushi?

Connie: Oh it's great, I had no idea you could make sushi out of cheese puffs.

Steven: I know.

Steven looked away for a moment as he had something to say to her.

Steven: Hey uh Connie.

Connie: Yeah.

Steven: I uh... um I just want to say that, I really love spending time with you. You're smart, independent and strong and you're just flat out amazing. What I'm trying to says is...uh...I uh... uh I'm not really good at these things.

Then he felt Connie holding his hand.

Connie: You don't need to say anything.

Steven: ( gulped) Connie I...I...

Connie: I know Steven. I do too.

Connie was getting close to him, about to kiss him, but suddenly the sky went dark, strong winds came and there was lighting.

Connie: What is with this weather?

Steven looked back at her and his eyes widened when he saw Gien behind her.

Steven: Connie behind you!

Connie looked behind and Gien hits her across the head knocking her down.

Steven: Connie!

Steven tried to run to her, but he felt himself going slow. Then his feet sank into the floor like quicksand. He couldn't get out as he watched Gien place his foot on Connie's head.

Steven: Don't! Stop! What are you doing?

Gien chuckled as he began to press his foot down on Connie's head. She screamed in pain as Steven struggled to get out.

Steven: Please stop! Do whatever you want with me, but leave her out of it.

Gien ignorned him and then smirked. He lifted his foot up and stomped down, crushing Connie's head.

Steven: NOOOOOO!

Steven woke up. He was breathing heavily and looked around. He was in his room, it was all just a dream, a really bad dream. After taking a minute to calm down he brushed his teeth and got dressed, but sat down on the couch and frowned. The past few nights he's been having nightmares of Gien killing Connie. Now that he was back he'll most likely be attacking people he loves. If he got Connie and anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. He took time to think and came to a conclusion...he had to have Connie stop joining him on his missions, even if it meant ending their friendship. He took out his phone and called her.

Connie: Hello?

Steven: Connie?

Connie: Hey Steven, what's up?

Steven: We need to talk.

10 minutes later.

Steven was waiting outside of the house for her. As he was trying to gather the right words to say to her, a portal opened and Connie riding Lion entered.

Connie: I came as fast as I could Steven, is something wrong?

Steven looked nervouse, this would most likely hurt her.

Connie: What is it?

Steven: Connie uh...um... how do I say this? Uh...you wouldn't marry a panther would you?

Connie: Um...what?

Steven: Okay I know stupid question. Connie I wanted to talk to you because...I think you should stop coming on our missions and sword training.

Connie: ( eye's widened) What? Why?

Steven: It's just... I had no right to get you involved in all this gem stuff. I mean like, you got more important things to do like school, violin practice or other stuff.

Connie: Steven this is important to me.

Steven: You shouldn't let this be. I mean, just let me handle all this for a while. I got the gems and Revenger, we got this.

Connie: Steven just because Bomber's gone doesn't mean the fight is almost over. You need me.

Steven: No I don't.

Connie: You don't? What about the time when we were attacked at the hospital or how I convinced Nevets to realize what he was doing was wrong or the countless times we formed Stevonnie in big attacks. You think I'm not needed.

Steven: Things have changed.

Connie: How?

Steven: It just has.

Connie: So are you saying if my old sword wasn't broken, you would take it back from me?

Steven looks down avoiding eye contact.

Connie: Well?

Steven: I would.

Connie looked at him all hurt. Why is he acting this way all of the sudden? She grabbed his shoulders.

Connie: Steven what's wrong with you? Why are you pushing me away from this?

Steven: Connie...just drop it and do as I say.

Connie: I'm not going to drop just like that! You can't tell me what to do!

Steven: Connie...

Steven started to get angry and he unknowingly glowed pink as he lashed out at her.

Steven: FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WOULD JUST DO AS I SAY AND STOP COMING WITH US!

The energy around Steven pushed Connie away to the ground. She tumbled on the ground, hurting her arm. Steven took a moment to realize what he did. His skin turned back to normal as he had a sad look on his face. He saw Connie on her knees, sobbing from what he did. Steven got close to her.

Steven: Connie are you hurt?

Connie: Get away from me...

Steven didn't hear her as he kneeled down to her

Steven: I'm sorry, I swear that was an accident. I didn't know what I did there.

Connie: I said get away from me!

Connie slaps him across the face. Steven fell back as he touched his cheek as Connie got back up. Looking at him with tears in her eyes. Hurt, sadness and betrayel was all she felt.

Connie: If you want me to stop coming or being my friend so bad, you could have just said so. I hope you're happy.

Connie walked away from him. Steven wanted to get back up and apologize to her, but it was too late. Lion passed by him and even glared at him for what he did. Lion gave Connie a ride back home and Steven was alone now. She hates him now he thought. It wasn't supposed to turn out this bad. He got what he wanted but he feels so horrible now. He went back inside and saw the gems sitting there.

Steven: ( sighs) You guys saw what happened didn't you?

Pearl: Yes.

Amethyst: Yup.

Bismuth: Mmmm-hmmm.

Garnet: Everything. Steven, why did you do that?

Steven: It was for own good. I can't get her involved in this anymore. Gien's alive and I fear that he's going to target her soon. Unless I keep her out of this and have her focus back on her old life, she'll be safe.

Pearl: But you two have been through so much together. You're really going to throw all that away?

Steven: I had to Pearl.

Amethyst: You had to or you chose to? Because, from what I noticed, she didn't want to stop. Even I let you do whatever you want back then when you couldn't summon a single shield.

Bismuth: I mean I just finished her new sword right here. It's supposed to be ten times more durable than Pink's old sword.

Bismuth held out the new sword she made for her.

Garnet: Steven, Connie is a part of our team and our lives. You need to make things right with her.

Steven: You guys did the same exact thing a year ago when Jasper and Peridot first invaded. You tried to get me to leave to protect me. I'm doing the same exact thing except what we're dealing with is a lot worse. I did what I did because...because... I love her.

Steven looked down as a tear dropped from his eye. Garnet was about to kneel down to say something to him, but then she looked up seeing something with her future vision.

Pearl: What is it?

Garnet: There's Gara Droid activity. Let's go everyone.

They all got onto the warp pad as Steven thought for a moment, was he really too hard on her? But even if he wanted to talk to her, Connie would probably never want to speak to him again. But he couldn't let that bother him now, he had to focus on the mission and so they all warped to their destination.

They arrived at the outside of an abandoned mine, but there was no one there.

Bismuth: Uh, where is everyone?

Amethyst: On lunch maybe.

Garnet: Be alert, it might be a trap.

Then they heard a roaring noise from the inside of the cave.

Steven: What was that?

They had their weapons ready as out from the cave walking was Semimaru. He exited out of the cave, looking at the gems as it growled.

Amethyst: What is that?

Pearl: Is that an elite?

Garnet: It doesn't look like it.

Gien: That is Semimaru.

They heard Gien's voice from the cave as he and Viggo and Huntres emerged out as well.

Gien: Behold as you face off the most dangerous creature not known anywhere in this galaxy, Semimaru.

Steven: Semimaru?

Semimaru turns to Gien.

Gien: These are the ones I told you about. Attack them.

Semimaru turns back to the gems and roars at them as he moved faster to them.

Bismuth: You don't scare me.

Bismuth went at him first. She tried to hit him with her hammer hands, Semimaru dodged every attack. He caught one of her arms and tossed her aside. His horns glowed and fired lasers at the ground in front of her.

Bismuth: Ha! You missed! Huh?

Once the dust cleared up, Semimaru was gone. Bismuth was on guard, he had to be somewhere. Semimaru was flying in the sky and landed back down behind her.

Pearl: Bismuth! Behind you!

But Semimaru wrapped his arms around her.

Bismuth: Hey! What are you... let go of me!

Semimaru had a tight grip on her. His visor began to glow and then his whole body did along with Bismuth.

Garnet: Get off of her!

The others ran to help her. They were hitting Semimaru to get off, but he was unfazed by the hits. Finally he let go and backed away.

Steven: Bismuth are you okay?

Bismuth: Y-Yeah I'm good. That ticked actually what he did.

Bismuth looked back at the others as they had horrified looks on their faces.

Bismuth: What?

Bismuth looked down and she too look horrifed to see what happened...her gem was gone. Gone as in it was never there.

Bismuth: Where's my gem? What happened to my gem?!

Gien: Is this what your looking for?

They looked back at Gien who was motioning to Semimaru. To their surprise, Bismuth's gem was on Semimaru's body, on his chest.

Amethyst: Dude, is that your gem?

Steven: How did he do that?

Gien: That is Semimaru's power! He absorbs the victims powers and gains them. He has grown stronger now.

Semimaru showed his hands and formed them into hammer hands like Bismuth does.

Bismuth: Hey that's my ability.

Bismuth tried to shape shift her hands, but couldn't.

Bismuth: I-I can't do it. He really did drain my power. But I can still fight I...

Bismuth tried to run at thim, but she felt so weak now.

Bismuth: Oh man, why do I feel so weak?

Garnet: Steven, stay by Bismuth, we'll handle him. Do not let him get you.

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl took on Semimaru next. With his new hammer hands, he didn't hold back. He not only had Bismuth's abilities, but her fighting style too. He attacked aggressivly at them. He kept blocking Garnet and Pearl's attacks. While they kept him busy, Amethyst spindashed at him, pushing him down. But when he was pushed down, Bismuth suddenly fell down.

Steven: Bismuth what happened?

Bismuth: I don't know, it felt like I was pushed by nothing.

Pearl was attacking Semimaru, the moment he left his guard down, she slashed him across the chest. But when she did that, Bismuth grunted in pain and held her chest as if she was slashed there.

Bismuth: AAH! God that hurts!

Steven: What's wrong?

Bismuth: I feel like I was just slashed across the chest.

Steven: What?

Steven thought about this. How could she be hurt. She couldn't be having a heart attack, she has no heart. He looked back at the fight. Pearl was shooting laser projectiles at Semimaru, he shielded himself with his wings. When he opened them up, Garnet appeared in front of him and punched him in the chest twice and once across the face. Once again, Bismuth felt that pain.

Steven: She's feeling his pain.

Steven yells out to them.

Steven: Guy's stop! Every hit you blow on him, Bismuth feels that too.

They all looked back, as they saw Bismuth lying on the ground looking hurt.

Garnet: I don't understand.

Gien: What's not to understand? When Semimaru absorbed her gem, he didn't just take her powers, but she is now linked to his life force. If he gets hit, she gets hurt as well.

Pearl: What?

Amethyst: Dude that's cheating.

Gien: And to top it all off, if he dies, she will as well.

The gems looked at each other. They didn't know what to do now. They can't kill Semimaru without killing Bismuth.

Gien: Semimaru, don't stop. Keep going.

Semimaru roared and lunged at them. They only blocked now, not knowing how to fight back. Then he focused on Pearl. He knocked her spear out of her hands and grabbed hold of her and began to absorb her.

Amethyst: Pearl no!

Semimaru let's go of Pearl and now he had her gem on his forehead like she did. Pearl felt her forhead to feel for herself and it was gone.

Pearl: It can't be...

Semimaru formed two of her spears and threw them at them. Steven got in front and shielded them.

Garnet: We have to retreat. Gems fall back.

With that they ran back to the warp pad and warped back. Gien and Semimaru followed them to the warp.

Viggo: My lord, it seems they have escaped. Shall we head to their home town?

Gien: No, let Semimaru handle this.

Semimaru stepped onto the warp pad.

Huntress: Wait, can he warp?

Gien: He has to. You and I can't because of our metallic bodies blocking our gems. But Semimaru has his open. Go now! Find their base. Attack them with a surprise. Viggo, go with him.

Viggo: Yes my lord.

Viggo steps on the warp pad.

Viggo: Shall we?

Semimaru nods and growls as he activates the warp pad.

To be continued...

Author's note: That's it for this chapter. I'm glad to finally get to Semimaru the one monster I've been developing for a while. We'll see more of him next time. Also the spin off story I mentioned before now called " A Different Universe" is now on the works. Hopefully it will start next week. I'd like to thank Lady Shadow92 for help on this. If you liked this chapter, be sure to follow, favorite and review. Thank you and until next time.