So this has been a bit of a slow burn. That's mostly because it's an AU fic. But things are really going to start picking up in the next chapter or so. Excelsior!

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Steven sat on the beach underneath the house, his hand clutching the bottom of his shirt, eyes distant. He'd just gotten finished telling Connie everything that happened a day ago. About the car accident (Connie didn't see exactly what happened, she was shoved out of the way). About the glowing barrier, Steven put up that saved his life and about the Gems.

The girl just looked at him, her eyes wide behind her rose-colored glasses. "Steven, that's…"

"Hard to believe? I know." It was overwhelming; he didn't know how to take it. Everyone just carried on like usual. Then again, Garnet had said to keep it a secret. Her words echoing in his head.

"There are many people that wouldn't understand. People that would take you away from us, you have to be careful, Steven."

"You want to see, don't you?" The boy said to his best friend after she made a "pinky swear" to keep it a secret. He could trust Connie; they were jam buds. (Plus, the "pinky swear" was a legally binding agreement.)

The girl nodded enthusiastically and sat up on her knees. Steven looked around in front of him for a second, making sure the beach was clear. His house was relatively isolated behind a cliff, the property was owned by his dad. Greg always bragged that he got it for cheap, a rickety house with an acre of beach property. But that was because Beach City wasn't even close to the tourist attraction it is now. (Mayor Dewy made sure his city was a success after he took office.)

Even though the house and beach were private property, it didn't deter beachgoers from walking through the area. (Despite Pearl's "Private Property" signs.) When Steven was confident that they were well and truly alone, he showed Connie his powers. He put up his left hand and…

"Whoa, Steven!" A soft pale pink light cut through the shadows underneath the house as Connie looked on in astonishment.

"Can I?" She raised a hand, unsure.

"Yeah, it's okay, go ahead!" The girl made a fist and knocked on the barrier as if she was knocking on a door. It made a hollow, almost musical tone. A second later, Steven dropped the bulwark.

"That's incredible! Do you have other powers?" Connie said excitedly, a grin on her face.

Steven smiled; he was anxious about telling his friend anything at all. He was afraid that she wouldn't want to hang out anymore or run away. Especially after what Garnet and the others said about people not understanding. But it was Connie! And he needed someone that wasn't his family to talk to. Connie was a kid like him, she understood.

"I'm supposed to be able to do more stuff, but Garnet and Pearl said I shouldn't strain myself. At least until I get my stitches out." The boy absent-mindedly put a hand on the bandage over his left eyebrow. It was starting to heal already; the bruise was fading from dark purple to a sort of green color around the edges.

"You're like a superhero, but for real!" Connie was almost bouncing; it was every kid's fantasy to have secret superpowers.

"Yes, it must remain a secret. I must protect the ones I love…" Steven jumped up and put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, trying to look stoic and dramatic at the same time.

"Can I be your sidekick?" She said, laughing and standing up along with Steven.

"Not a sidekick, but a partner!" Steven looked over as Connie put her hands on her hips as well. The girl looked back, and the pair started laughing.

"Well, partner, it's past noon, and I'm hungry!" The boy finally said, glancing at his phone. He looked mischievously at Connie.

"Fry bits?" Steven said, cocking a dark eyebrow at her.

"Fry bits!" Connie said, confidently adjusting her glasses.

The children ran out from underneath the house and trampled up the wooden stairs to the deck.

"What is going on, you guys? You sound like a freaking stampede." Amethyst groaned, her eyes half-closed, dosing.

She was lying on the thickly padded bench inside the house by the front windows. She had a couple of magazines and a blanket with her pillow. Steven winced a bit, he forgot that she had to work tonight. Amethyst was a bartender at the Ocean Inn Tavern; she started work at five in the evening and got home around two in the morning.

"Sorry, Amethyst, but I got a question. Can Connie and I go to Beach Citywalk fries?" It was a dicey question, after the car accident. (It had only been three days.)

"I don't know Steve-O, Pearl said that you can't go out on your own until your 20." The stout woman rolled over on her side and gave him a sleepy gaze through the screen in the window. Steven knew the tone; she was playful but serious at the same time.

"Only till you're 20? My mom said I can't cross the street till I'm 30…" Connie said, pursing her lips.

A deep chuckle erupted from Amethyst at the comment. She raked a tan hand through her feathery white hair before she answered.

"Oh man, you're a riot, Connie, till you're 30. Well, if you stick to the boardwalk and come back in exactly one hour, I'll let ya go. Deal?"

"Deal! Uh, want anything?" Steven added as he started for the stairs.

"Naw little dude, just come back in one hour. I'm setting the timer." Amethyst leaned back and pulled out her phone.

"Don't… Make me come looking for you. I mean it." Once again, Amethyst contrasted herself, sounding serious but looking playful.

"Don't worry, Amethyst. Steven and I won't let you down." Connie said while skipping down the stairs. Steven hopping after her.

"We'll be back soon!" The boy waved and joined his best friend.

… … … … … … … … …

It was a charming little town on the coast with a decent sized beach and boardwalk. One could even call it a hidden gem. Once upon a time, Blue Diamond may have also sought out a quiet, small-town like this for a weekend get-away. That was no longer the case, however.

She sighed and took a drag from her coffee. Blue was on the fourth floor of the Home Sweet Hotel… hotel. She had a lovely view of the boardwalk and the beach from her perch. The lodgings were quaint; if she were on one of the lower floors, she would have gotten a unique perspective of the dumpsters and the alley behind the restaurants.

A small suite was reserved for her; a bedroom and bathroom separate from a modest living area. She sat at the small desk near the window in her bathrobe and slippers. (It was just past nine in the morning.) The television was on in the background, 24-hour news playing low and steady. She couldn't complain too much; clean room and decent food with friendly service.

The small amount of info she had was in front of her. A shaky, blurry video on an obscure website that was less than 30 seconds. Some questionable identification software that hadn't given a solid report. Blue had done investigations on less information before, but these circumstances would definitely be in her "Top 5" list.

This was where she had to work miracles. She'd have to do a deep dig and rely on the locals for information. That could become capricious if she weren't careful; in small communities such as Beach City, word can travel fast about someone asking questions.

Blue would have to cast a wide net with the help of Agent Aqua Marine. The Beryl class Gem had a spotless record, she used to work directly under Blue Diamond. But Blue always thought she was a little too ambitious… She shook the thought from her mind.

So, who maintained Keep Beach City Weird?

Blue looked at the specifics of the blog, and the name Ronaldo Fryman came upon the "Ask Me" link. The colonel picked up a seemingly innocuous thumb drive and plugged it into her laptop. A secure, encrypted wireless connection to the Authority network was established, and Blue began researching the name.

Surprisingly (or maybe not so much considering the content of the blog), young Ronaldo Fryman had a rather extensive criminal record. Nothing serious, just a lot of nonsense. Trespass, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, one or two vandalism charges. All misdemeanors, there was just… a lot of them.

There was a single charge for simple assault; Blue opened the file and got a small notebook and pen ready. She took a sip of her coffee and then choked after the police report loaded.

The police statement had the colonel gaping at her computer in disbelief. Ronaldo Fryman had (for whatever reason) the belief that one of the owners of Cone and Son was a snake person or "sneeple." He thought that the gentleman was going to bite and enslave Ronaldo and his family with his sneeple venom.

Ronaldo confronted the business owner and claimed that he was performing a citizen's arrest. Then proceeded to attack the business owner in his car with potatoes from the Beach Citywalk Fries restaurant.

Ultimately Ronaldo Fryman was charged with simple assault and property damage. An order of protection was put in place for a year. (It expired in three months.) Then there was a civil suit in Small Claims Court for the damage done to the car…

The profile of this young 18 year old was becoming clear. He was a conspiracy theorist and seemed to be paranoid. Blue could play that card a few different ways. She finished her coffee and proceeded to get ready. Beach Citywalk Fries was the only lead she had right now unless Aqua Marine found something when she went to case the city this morning.

One final look in the mirror; she had on a cobalt skirt that fell just below the knees and a pair of flats along with a pale blue casual button-down shirt. She grabbed her hooded sweatshirt and messenger bag and took the stairs to the lobby. Unsurprising, Aqua Marine was on her way to give the colonel her status and any findings.

"Blue Diamond, I trust your night was pleasant?" Blue regarded the woman for a moment. She was short in stature and wore a pleated navy-blue skirt with a blazer. She had a perfectly straight bob haircut and bangs.

"It was adequate," She stepped closer to the diminutive woman.

"Did you find anything interesting when you cased the town this morning?" Blue said softly, so those in earshot would have a hard time hearing.

"No, by all appearances, this is just another droll coastal town. Nothing remarkable about it at all. Even the locals are terribly common." The woman had a sharp British accent as she was originally from London. It made her comments sound incredibly condescending, even more so than they already were.

"Hopefully, you're having better luck than I am." She added with a sniff.

"I'm going to follow up with the owner of the blog. He has a colorful criminal record. I hope to scratch up at least a couple leads from him. For now, just keep a low profile." Blue adjusted the strap on her bag and looked towards the door.

"Ma'am, if I may?" Blue turned back to her agent.

"It is my distinct pleasure to serve under you again. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call on me." There was a very visceral glint in the woman's eyes. It was unsettling.

"Thank you, agent, we'll meet up tonight and compare notes." Aqua Marine grinned and gave a slight nod before disappearing up the stairs.

Blue proceeded to walk through the hotel lobby doors and shook the unsettled feeling off. The problem with Aqua was she was overzealous; her means always met her ends, and she could be cruel when working in the field. She had half a mind to call back to HQ and see if someone else could be sent out here. But White Diamond had handpicked the diminutive woman for a reason. She didn't know what reason, but there was one for sure.

Blue Diamond looked at her watch; it was a little bit before noon. The perfect time to hit a particular food stall on the boardwalk.

… … … … … … … … …

"They have a simple but solid hierarchical system. It's the biggest conspiracy there is! The Aluminati are nothing compared to sneeple." Blue Diamond regretted the conversation she began with Ronaldo Fryman.

There were a few ways one could approach getting information from a potential target. Blue posed herself as a fellow conspiracy theorist and got quite a response from the teenager. But now, he wouldn't shut up. Adding insult to injury, none of the information he gave was relevant to the video on his blog.

Blue now leaned on the side counter of the fry stand and tried to politely listen to the over-excited Ronaldo. His curly blonde hair bouncing with every feverish movement. At least the fries were good (excellent really).

"And that's how they indoctrinate you!" Blue snapped up from her roaming thoughts.

"Thank you, Mr. Fryman. You seem to be a very well informed young man. It's rare to find someone so... passionate about what they believe in." Blue said, trying desperately to close the conversation.

"Heya' Peedee! You know what we want?" Ronaldo's younger brother was taking orders and generally doing work while Blue spoke to his intense older brother. Two young customers had come up to the front window. Blue was going to take the opportunity to break free.

"Oh man, come on, Steven… Do you have to do that every time?" The younger Fryman groused out the window.

"You know I have to, it's tradition." A young boy's voice filtered over to the colonel. She didn't have the best view as she was standing at the side counter. He had a curiously melodic voice, though; it was warm, inviting.

"Give me the bits!" A loud thump ensued after the command was given.

"Jeez man, okay. Give us a minute. Ronaldo!" Peedee shouted, voice cracking as he did so, "Stop slacking and get two orders of bits ready. Dad's already going to be mad at you for not doing the inventory today."

Blue sighed in relief. Finally, she could escape. She turned her head to at least give Ronaldo a proper goodbye but noted a distinctly suspicious expression on his face.

"Wait... You're one of them, aren't you?" The 18 year old said, voice low.

"Hardly young man. It's been an interesting conversation, thank you for humoring me." Blue said, arching a cautious eyebrow.

"You're a sneeple! You came to make sure I wasn't a threat to your overlord's grand plan!" The younger Fryman quickly grabbed his brother by the arm and dragged him into the walk-in freezer.

"Ronaldo, NO! You've gotten in enough trouble; dad will kill you. Go and do the inventory, I'll do orders!" Peedee managed to get Ronaldo to the walk-in freezer and gave Blue a contrite grin and waved. The older woman just nodded in return and made to leave.

Blue had gotten all of three feet away when the side door to the fry shop burst open. "Sneeple hate water! Take this!"

Ronaldo had grabbed the hose from the side of the building and was aiming it directly at Blue Diamond. Hardly the sort of danger she was used to but… The familiar hiss of water pressure being released could be heard.

"No!" The colonel felt someone push her from waist level, and it was enough force to make her stumble back four or five steps. Blue put up her arm as a chaotic spray of water hit the cement and the child that had pushed her.

"Ronaldo, stop!" The younger Fryman had come out and kinked the hose behind his brother halting the watery assault.

"Steven! You ruined my chance to prove to the world that sneeple exist!" The 18 year old said frantically as he dropped the water hose.

"No, I stopped you from spraying a person that came to Beach City for a visit! That's not cool, Ronaldo." The young man was wearing a faded red t-shirt with a yellow star on the front, red sandals and jeans. He had a mass of dark curly hair that was now wet along with the front of his shirt. He also had a bandage just over his left eyebrow with an ugly looking bruise just underneath.

"I'm calling dad!" Peedee said as he ran into the shop.

"No! He'll dock my pay again!" Ronaldo yelled as he followed his brother

Blue looked back over to the boy as he rung out the end of his shirt. He gave her a shrug and a sheepish smile.

"Uh, sorry for pushing you, I didn't want you to get soaked." There was that pleasant musical voice again.

"Ronaldo, he's not a bad person. Just intense." The boy's companion added. She was wearing a sundress with white sneakers. She had big brown eyes underneath rose-colored glasses.

"Well, thank you for the impromptu rescue." The older woman watched as the boy blushed and gave her one of the most charming smiles she'd ever seen.

Blue couldn't help herself; she crouched in front of the boy and gave him a smile in return. The voice in the back of her head reminding her she should be working, but this boy reminded her of…

"My name is Blue, and you are?" She held out an elegant hand as arctic blue eyes met warm brown eyes.

"Steven! Steven Universe." The smile never left his face as he took her hand and squeezed.