Steven sighed in frustration as another of the robonoids collapsed when he tried to set it down. Whatever the peridot did had really done a number on her little friends. He'd spent the whole night trying to get them working again, he'd taken a few apart, tried running electricity through others, even his new ability to analyze had afforded him little, though he now had an idea of how the pieces fit together he was still unable to make them work. The sun had shown itself through the large gap in the roof of the warehouse where he'd been working, and he suspected the holo-steven lying in his bed wouldn't fool the gems for much longer.

"I don't even know how I sound when I snore." He said to himself but jumped when he heard a response.

"It's kinda like a boar snuffling after truffles." Connie chuckled as she stepped into the light. "You fell asleep while we were watching TV one time." A grateful smile spread across Steven's face and he hopped up from his sitting position onto his feet.

"Thanks for coming so early, I hope you didn't have to sneak out or anything." Connie shook her head.

"No it's fine, my dad is doing some safety inspections at funland today, so I just had to promise to do all my homework at your place before he goes home." Steven nodded and connie turned her attention to the pile of broken robonoids, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gosh, real alien tech!" She rushed towards them, dropping the small pile of books she had tucked under one arm. "Your texts said you were having trouble figuring them out, but I don't know how I'm gonna help, wouldn't one of the gems be better at this? I know things aren't great between you and Rose. . ." When Steven didn't respond she turned to find him glassy eyed and staring down at one of the books she'd discarded. His hand flipped rapidly through the pages and the gem in his forehead glowed. She moved to touch his shoulder but he seemed to come out of whatever trance he'd been in before she could make contact.

"Whoa, I know calculus." He lifted his head, stars in his eyes as he shut the book. Then he saw the look of concern on her face and he flushed. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you worry." He handed the book back to her. "I figured out another of my powers, well mostly I still go all wonky when I do it, but I can basically. . ." He paused groping for the right word. "Scan stuff, like if I look at it I can know all kinds of stuff about it." Connie practically bounced in place as she listened, gripping the book to herself. "So I wanted to see what happened when I used it on a book and, Connie I read the whole thing! And I retained all of it!"

"Steven. . .That is without a doubt, the coolest power ever!" Steven flushed again and she laughed. "Shapeshifting, cool, Hologram projection awesome, but instantaneous analysis, perfect retention and comprehension?! You could learn to do anything!" His face fell a little at that.

"Not anything, I've been trying it all night with the robonoids and I haven't been able to make any progress." Some of the excitement drained out of Connie, but not all of it."

"It's a shame you didn't get to "Look" at them when they were still active, then you could compare." Steven scrubbed a hand over his gem.

"I kind of did, but I was more focused on the aura around them then the robonoids themselves." That peaked Connie's interest.

"An Aura? Like an energy field connecting all of them together?" Steven nodded.

"And I think to the Peridot who was controlling them." Connie looked confused, his text hadn't been super informative really. Though he didn't want to spend a lot of time they didn't have recounting what had happened or even replaying it through his gem. "Look, the reason I asked you here is because I thought a pair of fresh eyes would help." She nodded, clearly not understanding and he felt his cheeks grow hotter. "I think Stevvonie should look at it, she's as smart as you, and experienced with gem stuff like me, I know last time didn't end the best but. . .would you wanna give it a try?" Connie appeared uneasy for a moment, but before he could retract the idea she nodded.

"Yeah, I thought about it last night and as long as we don't go for as long it'll be okay. I like being us, but I like being myself more." Her eyes shot open, realizing something and she looked away, her own face growing redder as she toyed with the fingers of one hand. "Do we have to. . .ya know." Steven's cheeks colored scarlet and he shook his head vigorously.

"No! Uh no, I don't think so, the Gems don't ki. . .do that to fuse, they just kind of dance with each other." Connie's face grew hopeful.

"Oh, okay! We did that last night and it was pretty fun." He nodded and pulled his cellphone from his pocket and hit a random song on the Dotify app. He set it down and the two of them began to move. It came more easily than either of them would have thought, Steven making elegant sweeping leg movements, Connie swinging her arms in time with the beat. Eventually they came together, and that familiar opalescent light washed over them. Stevvonie hugged themself and laughed before reaching over to turn off steven's phone.

"Okay cool." They nodded and information passed seamlessly. What the Steven part of them knew about the robonoids and the Peridot the Connie part of them knew as well. "Oh that is awesome." Stevvonie said remembering Steven's use of his powers. An idea hit them and they reached over taking up Connie's books and with an ease Steven hadn't yet acquired fell into that trance. they read through the science, and physics textbooks (all advanced for Connie's age of course) instantly acquiring the contained knowledge. It was different for them however, whereas Steven would have simply gotten the knowledge understood it, and how to apply it, as Stevvonie connections began to form as soon as the information was absorbed.

"I know how to fix them." They said and with that knowledge the two of them split once more.

"That was amazing!" They both said at the same time then laughed, hugging one another.

"So yeah, you don't need to be Stevvonie, or me to get these little guys working again." Steven nodded and looked over at the Robonoids.

"Knowing what I have to do, and knowing how to do it are two really different things." He felt her hand on his shoulder and turned to see her beaming as she looked up at him.

"You've totally got this." He smiled back and nodded pressing his hand to hers.

"Yeah, I'll figure it out, but right now I need a break, I've been at this for hours." She nodded as well and let her hand slip away to gather up her books.

"Being Stevvonie was cool, but now that I'm myself again I can't recall the stuff we learned as easily, looks like I'll still need to refer to these. Wanna go to your place or the library?" Steven was gathering the robonoids into his gem when he answered reluctantly.

"I would rather go to the library, but I should go home, if the gems haven't figured out that's not me in bed they will soon." He smiled a weary sort of smile. "Plus I am really tired, hopefully my snuffling won't distract you too much." Connie snorted a laugh and punched his arm as they began walking out of the warehouse together.

"Things are weird with you and the gems huh?" She asked, shivering slightly. Steven noticed and produced one of the thick jackets he kept in his gem and slung it over her shoulders. She flushed again but thanked him as she hugged it around herself.

"They're scared, and I understand why they fought a whole war against homeworld and now it looks like it might start up again." He kicked a bent can on the side of the road in frustration. "They made me promise to go with my Dad if more Gems do show up, but I think they're gonna need my help if that happens. My mom was a great fighter, and she's gone now, they won't be as strong as they were back then." Connie let him speak, as she starred at the ground.

"I know you're a good fighter but, I kind of agree with them." Steven turned to her sharply, hurt plain on his face, though she didn't notice as she went on. "It's just, I don't want anything bad to happen to you, it's not that I don't think you wouldn't be great, but a selfish part of me wants you far away from anything dangerous. I would never make you promise like they did because it has to be your choice, but I understand them is all I'm saying." Steven slowed a little, his long legs letting him still keep pace with her.

"I don't think you have a selfish part Connie, just an honest one." They both blushed but she smirked and eyed him out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh? Did you analyze me just now?" Her tone half joking he could tell there was a curiosity to it as well.

"WHAAA? No no way, I don't know what that power might. . .show me about other people, it might be rude to do it you know." Both of their faces were bright red now, though some of that might have been from the sharp wind stinging at them. Steven shivered as well now and pointed down the road. "My dad's carwash, he can give us a ride to the house.

Sure enough Greg Universe was sat behind the counter of "It's a wash" flipping through a magazine with some old hair band on the cover.

"Hey kiddos what's up you're both out pretty early." Steven nodded and explained they needed a lift. "No problem, forecast says it's supposed to snow later this week, no one's washing their cars for a while." So off they went back to the house in the Van. Greg dropped them off at the beach and waved as he headed off. When they got inside Steven called out for the gems.

"Garnet, Amethyst . . .Rose?" There was no answer. As Connie settled herself, books and paper on the couch he went to check on the holo-Steven he'd left, finding it completely undisturbed. With a slight push of his will the hologram vanished and he felt the power he'd invested in it come rushing back, which served well to help ease some of the weariness he'd been feeling from being up all night. "That's weird, I would have bet anything they'd have figured out that wasn't me by now." Speaking to Connie as he rejoined her. She was still clinging to the jacket he'd given her.

"Maybe it was more convincing than you thought." She shrugged and Steven gave a pensive look back at the temple door. "Or they went on mission." Steven turned back to her and sighed, letting his mind clear of suspicions and frustrations for a bit.

"Here let's warm this place up a bit." Then he set himself to getting a small fire going in the fireplace in the corner of the room. Before long he was sitting with her on the couch watching her go over her work. He tried to help her in a few spots, making use of information he'd absorbed but she politely hushed him insisting on doing it all herself.

"It would be cheating otherwise." She explained. From then he simply sat back and watched her, letting himself just be for the first time in what felt like a very long time. Eventually he slipped off to sleep head resting on her shoulder. His snuffling indeed did little to distract her, though a smile remained on her face as she finished the last few problems.