AN: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! After much hyping up, it's finally time for Little Homeworld Life to begin! For the next thirteen weeks, from now all the way to November, you'll all be getting non-stop fun, parodies, action, and just mostly wholesome antics along the way as a nice breather from the action & drama of Alternate Future and Black Pearl Brigade. But that doesn't mean this will be completely drama-free!
Synopsis: Black Rutile unwillingly acclimates to life in Little Homeworld as punishment for her crimes. Meanwhile, White Topaz helps welcome some new Gems to Little Homeschool.
Cast:
Noël Wells as Black Rutile
Lauren Ash as White Topaz
Estelle as Garnet
Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Tiger's Eye
Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl
Della Saba as Aquamarine
Charlyne Yi as Eyeball
Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate
Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye
Shelby Rabara as Peridot
Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli
Uzo Aduba as Bismuth
Kimberly Brooks as Jasper
Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon
Guest starring Gal Gadot as Desert Glass
Willa Holland as Albite/Obelisk
Courtenay Taylor as Beryl
And Maddie Ziegler as Serpentine
Steven Universe Alternate Future: Little Homeworld Life
Chapter 1: Enrollment
"I love being a turtle, dudes." Black Rutile mumbled as she slowly woke up in the bed she had been sleeping in for the past few months since unwillingly moving to Little Homeworld as punishment for her crimes. The new red visor given to her by Holly Blue Agate rested on the nightstand next to the bed, on top of the "Psychology: A Basic Guide" book Dr. James Brenner gave her after her trial.
"Okay, I'm getting up." Black Rutile groaned to no one in particular before putting on her visor and leaving her bedroom to go downstairs. "No need to mollycoddle me!" Marching down the hall, she opened the door to Aquamarine's room and peered inside. "Hey, Aqua! Rise and shine!"
Unfortunately for Black Rutile, Aquamarine didn't seem to be anywhere. Not in bed, not at the comically oversized vanity mirror she requested for her room, or the punching bag with a photo of Steven taped onto it. "Huh, weird." Next, Black Rutile opened the door next to it, which led to Holly Blue Agate's room. "Holly, have you seen Aquamarine anywhere?"
Like Aquamarine, Holly Blue was nowhere to be seen in her equally lavish room. The same went for Cat's Eye, whose room was next door to Holly's, making Black Rutile equal parts confused and a little unnerved. "Okay, this is starting to get weird." She ruminated to herself. "Did I wake up late, or did they get up early?"
Investigating further as she walked outside the house that resembled her old Revanche-666 headquarters, Black Rutile soon discovered that it wasn't just her residence that seemed empty, but all of Little Homeworld as well. As eager as she was to seemingly finally be rid of the Crystal Gems and anyone associated with them, Black Rutile knew that celebrations had to wait, because she needed answers first.
"Hello, where did everyone go?!" Black Rutile called for any Gems that might hear her. But alas, it seemed Little Homeworld was indeed deserted. "Seriously, this isn't funny anymore; come on out! First one to make a move will be punished accordingly!"
"Oh, good morning Black Rutile." Aquamarine's voice greeted ominously, catching the Rutile's attention. "How has your day been progressing?"
"Oh finally, Aquamarine!" Black Rutile sighed in relief. "You have no idea how worried I was for you! I just woke up this morning, and suddenly everyone is gone! Any idea what happened?"
"I'm sorry Black Rutile. I'm afraid I can't do that." Aquamarine said emotionlessly as she emerged from the shadows, her arms spread out like White Diamond was controlling her. But instead of being drained of all color, Aquamarine was now colored an ominous shade of pink. "Not until you join us."
"Oh no! This can't be possible!" Black Rutile began panicking as more Gems began surrounding her, just as pink as Aquamarine was and sharing her plastered-on smile & soulless eyes. "You really have been brainwashed!"
"Brainwashed? Oh no, Black Rutile." The assimilated Gems began speaking as one in Steven's voice. "We have simply been allowed to live better lives free from oppression. Steven was right. Tyranny and conformity was never the way to go."
"But you're conforming to his standards right now!" Black Rutile said, panicked. "You must snap out of it, so together we can overthrow that bratty fascist once and for all!"
"Steven is no fascist!" the hive mind declared angrily, their faces still smiling emptily.
"He is literally the grandson of the Gems we called gods!" Black Rutile retorted.
"Oh, Black Rutile, it seems you still refuse to understand." A pink-colored White Topaz said sweetly, much to her former superior's terror. "Maybe a little reconditioning could change your mind."
"You could change your mi-i-i-i-i-i-ind." The other Gems began singing eerily. "You could change your mi-i-i-i-i-i-ind. You could change your mi-i-i-i-i-i-ind."
"You can't sway me so easily!" Black Rutile challenged the drones while summoning her sword. "Don't make me shatter you all!"
"We'd like to see you try, Black Rutile." Three more voices dared the Rutile as the Diamonds, now just as pink as everyone else, emerged as well. "There is no stopping Era 3! We are legion, for we are many!"
"Stay away from me, stay away!" Black Rutile yelled as the Gems slowly began to back her into a corner while taking her sword away. "No! No!"
"Are you ready for your first lesson?" the assimilated White Topaz offered before she grabbed Black Rutile by the arm and dragged her master into the horde.
"NEVER!" Black Rutile shrieked defiantly and began trying to wriggle free from the crowd, no matter how much resistance she met as White Diamond readied her eyes. "CHOKE ON THEM! CHOKE ON THEM! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Aquamarine, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye watched as Black Rutile kept on screaming once she woke up from her nightmare. And she just kept screaming in horror of what she woke up from, much to the trio's chagrin.
"She has been shrieking like an organic infant for an hour!" Cat's Eye groaned while wearing an orange-yellow sleeping mask and matching nightgown. "Do you have any clue how disruptive this is to my beauty sleep?!"
"Rock paper scissors to see who calms her down first?" Holly Blue offered to her two not-screaming compatriots.
"Oh, you're on!" Aquamarine declared before she, Holly, and Cat started engaging in a bout of roshambo as Black Rutile continued screaming in horror. To Aquamarine's delight, she came out victorious with scissors against the other two Gems' paper. "Haha, I win." Aquamarine then fluttered over to Black Rutile and gently slapped her across the face, shutting her master up instantly. "Get a hold of yourself, my Rutile!" she yelled. "Did you have the dream again?"
"Yes, but it feels like every time I close my eyes, the dream gets more horrifying each time." Black Rutile answered as she curled up into a ball and laid back down in bed. "Do the Gems even recognize how traumatized I am?"
"Looks like someone's still being a bit of a sore loser." Cat's Eye purred under her breath.
"What was that?" Black Rutile asked in response.
"Nothing!" Cat meowed innocently with a cute smile before she changed into her regular outfit with a stylish twirl. "Come on, girls, I hear they might be uncorrupting some new Gems today! I think that might be a perfect opportunity for us to get some fresh meat on our side."
"A most excellent idea, Cat." Holly Blue said delightedly before turning to Black Rutile. "You coming with us, boss?"
"Y'all go on ahead. I'm going to lie here and recover from my mental breakdown." Black Rutile answered flatly as she threw her covers back over her head.
Meanwhile, the Crystal Gems at the temple were preparing the bathtub to heal a new set of Gems to introduce to the new world around them and enroll them into Little Homeschool. This time, Bismuth suggested they finally restore some old friends of theirs to normalcy as she fetched a few bubbles from the Burning Room with Peridot's help. "Welcome back, old pals." She sniffed nostalgically while gazing at the gems of Desert Glass, Albite, Serpentine, Beryl, and Tiger's Eye in the bubble she held. "You're gonna love it here."
"Wow, the Burning Room seems pretty much empty now." Peridot contemplated how barren the room she and Bismuth were standing in looked at the moment. "Then again, we did heal tons of corrupted Gems after pacifying the Diamonds."
"But then with Demantoid & Pyrope, Spinel, and Black Rutile, I guess we just got a little distracted finding new Gems." Bismuth added as the two left the Burning Room and went to the bathroom with their findings. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Lapis, Jasper, and White Topaz already had the red carpet rolled out with a bathtub full of water with the Diamonds' essences being poured into it, now all they needed were the gems themselves for the final touch. "Well, here goes nothing."
The five gems were dropped into the bathwater after the bubble was popped, and slowly became fully submerged in the Diamonds' essences. "One more thing." Pearl declared as she reached in and removed Desert Glass's gem from her pillow, allowing the reversal of her corruption to take full effect just like the others.
A few moments later, the five gems began glowing white as their forms emerged from the water before finally taking shape and being reborn at last. Desert Glass looked the most humanoid out of the five with green skin, her gem on her stomach, a rather Egyptian design with a white top & skirt, a golden pair of arm bracelets, brown boots, and a strangely ample chest.
Albite was next to reconstitute. She looked somewhat similar to Peridot, primarily thanks to their shared hairstyles, but Albite had one large bang over her forehead, a dark gray star over a pair of matching-colored straps, her gem being on her back, gray gloves, and gray leggings.
Then there was Serpentine, who had a more snakelike face than the others with a forked tongue. She had an orange hooded bodysuit with stars on her legs, her arms were exposed and had black spots zigzagging on her arms, is barefoot, her gem was on her shoulder, and rather uniquely styled hair that gave her head the appearance of a snake's mouth.
Next was Beryl. She looked almost identical to Aquamarine, but she was primarily green-colored with her hair in pigtails, her gemstone located beneath her right eye, and a star pin on the left side of her chest. Also unlike the perpetually smug Aquamarine, Beryl had an innocent smile on her face as she spat out some bathwater.
Finally, there was the red, orange, and brown colored Tiger's Eye, whose gem was also on her stomach like Desert Glass, and she had reddish-brown flare-cut hair, stripes all over her body, white-tipped feet, and the legs of her shorts were torn up.
"Guys, you're finally back!" Bismuth cried in delight as she brought the five restored Crystal Gems in for a hug. "It's been so long!"
"We missed you too, Bismuth." Desert Glass said as she returned the hug, but not before she noticed the unfamiliar Gems in the room with them. "Um, excuse me, but who are these people?"
"Oh, Glass, I see you noticed that we've made quite a few changes since we lost you." Pearl said while helping Desert Glass out of the tub. "Let me introduce you to Amethyst, Peridot, and Lapis Lazuli, a couple of recruits we met ages after the war."
"Wassup?" Lapis greeted the new arrivals.
"Welcome to Earth, guys!" Amethyst added while passing out pamphlets talking about Little Homeworld and the Gems' corruption scars. "You're gonna love it here!"
"Thanks for the gratitude, but I want to know." Albite said. "What has happened to this planet? I thought the Earth would've been lost, and yet here you all are! I need answers! And a good challenge too."
"Oh, are you in for quite a surprise." Garnet grinned while leading their five new students to the Warp Pad, which took everyone to Little Homeworld. "Welcome one and all to Little Homeworld!"
"Little Homeworld?!" Serpentine responded in shock. "You mean you surrendered to Homeworld?!"
"No, you're getting it all wrong." Bismuth tried calming Serpentine's nerves. "We didn't surrender; we're all at peace now. I know, shocking to hear after all the fighting we've done, but we managed to reach an agreement with the Diamonds after learning that Rose was one of them the whole time."
"Pardon?" Tiger's Eye's interest was suddenly piqued.
"Yeah, that was my first response too." Jasper snarked.
"It's a very long story, you guys." Peridot replied. "We'll tell you more later, but in the meantime, why don't you introduce yourselves to everyone?"
"I'd very much like that." Albite agreed before she leaped onto a nearby lamppost to make herself known. "Greetings, fellow Gems! I am Albite, the greatest fighter in the coliseum turned the mightiest warrior of all the Crystal Gems! If anyone wishes to challenge me, I'd be more than happy to!"
"Oh my, someone's eager to make friends." Desert Glass chuckled lightly while continuing to read through the pamphlet. "So, what is there to do here?"
"Oh, tons of stuff, now that the government gave us enough funding to expand Little Homeworld." White Topaz responded. "We got art classes, forging with Bismuth, dance with me, self-defense with Jasper, sports with Laz & Zuli, human fashion with Morganite & Pyrope, gardening with Peridot, the whole shebang!"
"I feel like doing further research on this establishment." Serpentine said as she took the pamphlet from Glass's hands to read some of it herself. "These classes are so fascinating."
"Wow, everyone looks so cool and colorful!" Beryl cried excitedly and started running off. "I wanna see everyone!"
"Hey, wait up Berry!" Tiger's Eye hollered as she got on all fours to race after Beryl as the little green Gem began introducing herself to every Gem she could find.
"Hi, my name's Beryl! Baa!" Beryl greeted Teal Zircon, before she moved onto Morganite and gave her the exact same greeting. "Hi, my name's Beryl! Baa!"
"Come back here, you little weirdo!" Tiger playfully cried as the chase continued. "Maybe when we catch up, I can help you make all sorts of friends!" However, the pursuit was abruptly ended when Tiger accidentally ran into a blue Gem that she realized looked quite a bit like Beryl. "Hey, wait, you look a bit like someone I know."
"You mean that obnoxious Beryl over there?" Aquamarine asked while pointing to Beryl greeting Holly Blue with a baa. "I swear, I just met her, and she's already getting on my nerves with how childlike she is."
"Oh, what up pot, name's kettle." Tiger's Eye replied with snark. "I think we'd get along just fine."
"Don't you dare talk back to such a high-ranking Gem, you low-class soldier!" Aquamarine yelled back at Tiger. "Though, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Tell me, how do you feel about this whole Pink Diamond chicanery?"
"Frankly, I don't really care whether it's Rose Quartz or Pink Diamond." Tiger's Eye responded. "I'm just happy to be me again."
"But technically, you still aren't you anymore." Aquamarine commented. "You went from a mindless monster to a mindless slave of the Crystal Gems. But with Black Rutile, she can allow you to do as you please once she conquers our entire race!"
"Look, squirt, if you're trying to indoctrinate me into your weird cult, I'm not buying it." Tiger responded as she picked up Beryl with her teeth and began to walk away. "See you in class!"
"But, but!" Aquamarine stuttered, but she was too late as Tiger's Eye and Beryl had already left. "Ugh, we lost one."
"Looks like the new blood won't be as willing to join us as we thought." Holly Blue pondered. "What do you suppose we do to bolster our ranks? Maybe find another Cluster Gem to take apart so we can find the pieces of their components?"
"That would take quite a while." Cat's Eye disagreed with the notion. "I say we just go to our classes and wait until Black Rutile comes out for further orders."
"I suppose so." Holly declared defeatedly as the three Gems began to go their separate ways. "Maybe when we finally win, I can stop being that Jasper's punching bag."
"Oh my, this is quite intriguing." Black Rutile muttered to herself after a sip of coffee while reading her psychology book. Right beside her in the living room was a big whiteboard with the Crystal Gems drawn on it with the title "HOW MENTAL ARE THEY?" written above him and surrounded by their various mental issues. Lapis had "SHOCKING LACK OF EMPATHY; VIOLENT URGES" written next to her. Peridot was given "NARCISSISTIC TO THE NTH DEGREE." Bismuth got "RESISTANT TOWARDS DISAGREEMENT." Pearl had "INCREDIBLY CLINGY." Amethyst was "BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN POOR SELF-ESTEEM AND PERFECTLY NORMAL." Finally, Garnet had "NO PERSONALITY BESIDES FUSION."
But at the center of it all, Steven had the most notes surrounding him, ranging from "EMOTIONAL IMMATURITY," "REFUSES TO ACCEPT CHANGE," "INCREDIBLY FORCEFUL," and "REFUSES TO ACCEPT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE HIM." It was only natural he gets this many, since Black Rutile hates him that much.
"Now, let's see what we got here so far." Black Rutile muttered to herself while taking another sip of coffee and looking through her book. "Peridot just screams narcissistic personality disorder, obviously. Amethyst, probably bipolar disorder." As she diagnosed each of her enemies, Black Rutile wrote every disorder she could find that she believed fit what she observed about them on the board. "Lapis most likely has antisocial personality disorder, Bismuth certainly fits borderline with a hint of rejection sensitive dysphoria, Pearl just screams dependent personality disorder, and maybe Garnet does as well."
When Black Rutile finished with the other Gems, she grew an evil smile on her face while gazing at her portrait of Steven. "Oh, hello there, Mr. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder!" she cackled as she wrote the name of that affliction under Steven. "I mean, it is pretty obvious when you look at it." She then monologued to herself. "And of course, that also leads to some good ol' borderline personality disorder and maybe a little bit of dependent, since he's been everyone's crutch whether they like it or now."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, followed by Garnet and White Topaz kicking it down and causing Black Rutile to spill her coffee all over the whiteboard in alarm, accidentally erasing all of her data. "Look at what you did! All my hard work is ruined!"
"You can focus on the board later; your first class is starting soon!" Garnet exclaimed as she snatched Black Rutile's book out of her hands and slapped it on the coffee table. "What were you writing, anyway?"
"Oh, nothing much, just diagnosing all of you with mental conditions from my book to prove how dysfunctional you are." Black Rutile admitted with another sip of joe. "And also becoming obsessed with this hot brown morning potion and slowly realizing it's one of the only things keeping me sane in this cruel, hateful world."
"Come on, Black Rutile, you'll learn to like Little Homeschool." White Topaz assured her former superior while dragging her out of the house.
"No, let me go!" Black Rutile yelled as she grabbed onto the doorframe to keep White Topaz from keeping her outside. "I've gained a special interest in the human brain and how evil it can potentially be!"
"I thought she was a tough nut to crack before, but she keeps proving me wrong every time." Garnet smirked. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll love what your first class could be."
Contrary to what Garnet said, Black Rutile's first class was with Amethyst, and she was not amused with either the subject she was forced to learn or some of her classmates being part of her enemies list. "I do not love this in the slightest."
"Morning, students." Amethyst greeted her class of Teal Zircon, Onion, Biggs & Ocean Jasper, and Tiger's Eye. "Today, we have some new Gems joining our class, one of which I'm pretty sure you're all familiar with. Say hi, Black Rutile."
"Hi, Black Rutile." Black Rutile sarcastically greeted, to the amusement of her fellow students.
"Wow, it looks like you finally got a sense of humor!" Teal Zircon giggled.
"Don't make a big deal out of this, everyone." Black Rutile said as she got up and faced her schoolmates. "Just because you're forcing me into your disgusting hivemind doesn't mean I'll give in! My willpower is far stronger than you realize!"
"Oh geez, here we go with the speeches again." Amethyst mumbled with a roll of her eyes.
"I don't care about you; you are all nothing to me!" Black Rutile continued ranting. "You are all bacterium! I travel in worlds you cannot even imagine! You can't conceive what I'm capable of! I'm so far beyond you, I'm like a god in Gem clothing!"
"Okay, that's enough introductions, now please sit down." Amethyst ordered Black Rutile, cutting off her insane ramble and turning it into disgusted grumbling as Black Rutile sat down next to Onion.
"What are you looking at?" Black Rutile asked Onion, who just stared at her ominously. "What's wrong with you? If you have nothing to say, don't say it at all!" Onion continued staring at Black Rutile, further creeping her out. "Seriously, quit it. You're creeping me out!"
"Okay, let's have our other new student introduce themselves now." Amethyst groaned before gesturing to Tiger's Eye. "Hey Tiger, come on up!"
"Gladly!" Tiger's Eye said as she got up to introduce herself. "What's up, everyone? My name's Tiger's Eye! I'm new here. Gladiator turned soldier in the Rebellion. I hope we can all be friends!"
"Wow, Cat's Eye, you have been doing excellently in my class!" Pearl complimented Cat's Eye as the aristocrat turned lawyer turned rebel took multiple selfies of herself in various outfits as a new student of Pearl's technology class. "Maybe a little too excellent. You know there's more to technology than just posting pictures online. It can also be used in various ways, mainly for informational purposes."
"Yeah, but my ways are much more fun." Cat's Eye said while handing her smartphone to Pearl. "Look! I got 15k followers across all my social media pages, and in such a short time too!"
"Wow, remarkable!" Pearl gasped in amazement. "Then again, I have seen many people online get that many followers just as quickly, perhaps even faster than you."
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Cat proclaimed as she dragged Pearl in for another selfie. "Here, let's take one together!"
"Now, Holly, don't scream for this part." Jasper urged his reluctant teaching assistant before launching her into the air and repeatedly smacking her with what Holly Blue thought was an infinite amount of roundhouse kicks.
"Make! It! Stop!" Holly Blue yelled with every kick to her face. "I! Hate! Every! Second! Of! This!"
"I said not to scream!" Jasper roared back as she finished kicking Holly and punched her to the ground, creating a large crater where Holly Blue lay unconscious. "Make another sound, or I'll show my students here what to do when an opponent tries to escape by begging for mercy."
"You're doing amazing, Jasp!" White Topaz cheered for her friend, causing Jasper to blush.
"Wow, this is so much fun!" Beryl cheered. "Can I give it a shot?"
"Sorry, kid, maybe when you make yourself a little taller." Jasper declined with a shake of her hair, much to Beryl's disappointment. "Look, I get you're eager and want to prove yourself, but maybe you should try some fighting that's more your style."
"I understand." Beryl politely nodded. "I never got a chance to prove myself back when I was an aristocrat. Everyone thought I was too much of a little kid to be taken seriously."
"And you still are!" Holly Blue groaned as she struggled to get out of the crater. "No one ever took you seriously because you're just an annoying child!"
"I know I am, but what are you?" Beryl responded sassily before slapping Holly Blue in the face, causing the other Gems present to cheer for Beryl and laugh at Holly's expense.
"I miss the good old days." Holly proclaimed wearily.
"Good, good." Lapis reviewed each of her students' sculptures. Albite had made a bust of herself, while Larimar created a big polar ice cap. "Nice work there, Cherry!" she complimented Cherry Quartz's sculpture. "And what do you have there, Aquamarine?"
"I have sculpted the truth." Aquamarine calmly declared as she presented a statue of Steven that made him look like he was on the verge of death. "I have sculpted my truth."
"Uh, any reason why Steven looks like he's dying?" Lapis asked nervously.
"I plan on using it to vent my frustrations against Steven." Aquamarine replied before taking one of the sculpting tools to cut Steven's face off with an evil grin on hers. "So therapeutic!"
"We should really get an onsite therapist." Lapis muttered to herself before turning to face Desert Glass and Serpentine. "So, what did you two come up with?"
"Using Glass's architectural genius and my regular genius, we made a perfect replica of Little Homeworld out of sand." Serpentine proudly declared.
"Are you impressed?" Desert Glass asked, just as confident.
"Yes, very!" Lapis replied in amazement as she examined the model Little Homeworld further. "Hey, you even got little versions of us, doing exactly what's happening right now." The tiny sand Lapis gazed up at the real Lapis in amazement before examining her small, sandy hands. "Okay, this got a little existential."
"Oy, they just don't respect art these days." Aquamarine groaned depressingly before she turned to find Eyeball and the other Rubies planting flowers with Peridot. "Oh, hey Eyeball! How's the infiltration going?"
"Infiltration?" Peridot asked. "What are you infiltrating, Eyeball?"
"Just infiltrating this class so I can get good grades!" Eyeball fibbed as she nervously glanced at Aquamarine behind her. "Yep, nothing suspicious!"
"Well, if you say so." Peridot shrugged before getting back to teaching the Rubies.
"You better not screw this up and turn on us." Aquamarine scowled at Eyeball while she returned to cutting up her voodoo Steven sculpture.
Once the Gems' school day began winding to a close, the students started milling about and conversing about their classes today. However, only one wasn't as social as the others, that, of course, being Black Rutile. She stood in the darkness cast by some buildings, scowling at the Gems she was forced to call her classmates while jotting down ideas for big-scale revenge plots on the holograms created by her visor. However, someone was there to quickly break her concentration.
"Whatcha doin'?" Beryl asked innocently, giving Black Rutile a spook before she looked down at the adorable green Gem beneath her. "Why are you standing here instead of talking with everyone else?"
"That's because I hate everyone else, little runt." Black Rutile growled. "How can I live with myself if I'm forced against my will to act like every other Gem in this repugnant, squalid concentration camp?!"
"What do those mean?" Beryl asked again, making Black Rutile's eyes widen at how little this Gem knew of the world around her.
"Well, repugnant is when something is utterly deplorable, squalid means incredibly dirty," Black Rutile reluctantly explained in the most condescending way possible. "and a concentration camp is where innocents are held against their will in very harsh conditions. Oh, crack, I can't believe I had to explain all that."
"Hey, Beryl, making new friends again?" Serpentine asked as she, Desert Glass, Tiger's Eye, and Albite approached Beryl and Tiger's Eye, only to recognize Black Rutile immediately. "Wait just a second, Black Rutile? Is that you?"
"Serpentine?" Black Rutile gasped in shock as she was joined by Aquamarine, Eyeball, Holly Blue, and Cat's Eye. "What happened to you? It's been ages!"
"The Diamonds have corrupted me!" Serpentine answered. "So, I hear you've been up to some rather shady stuff that landed you here, huh?"
"Shady might be selling it short." Eyeball answered. "How do you two know each other, my Rutile?"
"The two of us, along with Bloodstone, actually worked together on a few projects long ago." Black Rutile revealed. "The three of us were like the science equivalents to the Diamonds, since I worked under White Diamond, Bloodstone worked for Yellow, and Serpentine worked for Blue. Which reminds me, Serpy, are any of our old machines still around?"
"Unfortunately, I think some of them have been taken down for parts." Serpentine declared. "But fortunately, there are a few we couldn't finish that I think might be collecting dust in our old lab somewhere."
"Oh, really? Name one of them." Black Rutile continued asking, making Serpentine very uncomfortable.
"Well, I think we couldn't finish the Vortexxer." Serpentine sweated nervously before she yanked herself away and walked off. "Well, I gotta go! Nice catching up with you!"
"What was that for?" Tiger's Eye asked Black Rutile.
"None of your beeswax, Tiger!" Cat's Eye yowled back while blowing cigarette smoke in Tiger's face.
"Oh great, you're here too, kitty cat." Tiger rolled her eyes at Cat and stuck her tongue out before picking up Beryl to take her away,
"Are you sure this Vortexxer wasn't made to murder people?" Desert Glass asked innocently, despite how violent her question sounded.
"I kind of doubt it." Albite replied as she and Glass were the last Gems to leave Black Rutile's group.
"Yeah, I kinda want to know too." Eyeball wondered. "What is the Vortexxer?"
"The Vortexxer was a portal to other universes that the Diamonds commissioned some of their greatest minds to build so they can conquer universes beyond the one we're familiar with." Black Rutile explained while presenting a holographic image of a large ring-like device containing a green-colored portal. "It's kind of a ring thing. Comes with a dialer. You hit the symbols, it spins around, and lights come on. However, the first prototype proved to the Diamonds that multiversal conquest would be too dangerous since some of the test subjects that went through the portal never came back."
"Are you insinuating that we complete this portal ourselves?" Holly Blue wondered. "What can this do for us?"
"Why yes, I'm surprised I didn't make it more obvious." Black Rutile stated. "If we work out the kinks and make it less hazardous, we can use the portal to create a bridge to other worlds with like-minded souls we can recruit to our cause."
As Black Rutile shut off the hologram and the Rutile Rebels separated, White Topaz quietly watched from afar and hid away as soon as Black Rutile turned to check if someone was listening.
Thus, we have our ongoing storyline for this season! Black Rutile's revenge plot this time involves the multiverse, which will culminate in Two Sides of the Same Gem, due to begin sometime in 2023. But in the meantime, you can expect the backstory of Bluebird Azurite, some episodes dedicated to Teal Zircon, expanding on the relationship between Jasper and White Topaz, a parody of The Big Lebowski starring Lapis, the return of Bane Jones in a special two-part episode, a pair of holiday specials for Halloween and Christmas, a human AU episode, and much more! This series should be fun to write, but I hope we can all have a good time with this one. See you all again soon, and happy birthday to our boy Steven Universe.
