AN: Anything that is in italics and parenthesis, is a memory. Twoie will be experiencing some flashbacks occuring alongside the events in this chapter.
"How did she escape?" Steven cried out as Peridot danced in victory. She sneered at him, reaching her claw arm into the barn to grab the rest of the truck.
"Fools! Your invisible rotary shield was no match for me; once I applied logic! Now, to do this RIGHT!" The truck sailed through the air. Garnet wrapped a hand around Steven's waist and jumped out of the way. Steven gasped in horror as he noticed that Twoie just stood there watching Peridot. He had to snap him out of it.
"Twoie!" The young man jumped, eyes widening as he finally saw the danger. He lunged out of the way just in time for the truck to land where he was initially standing.
"Are you all okay?" Pearl shouted as she and Amethyst ran up to Garnet and Steven. Peridot noticed the communicator in her hands. She ran forward and extended a robotic arm at her, making Pearl flinch. She raised her hands to shield herself.
That was all Peridot needed to snatch the communicator from her hand. "See? None of you know what you're doing!" She took off into the open fields. Pearl stared at her hands in horror at the realization she had essentially handed over the communicator.
"This is all your fault!" She rounded on Twoie. "If you hadn't let her take the communicator, then she wouldn't be getting away with it right now! She's going to contact the Diamonds! We're doomed!" Twoie clenched his fists and turned his head away.
Amethyst ignored them and shape-shifted into a helicopter. "Not yet, P! Everyone, get in!" Pearl and Garnet stepped into the aircraft, but Steven didn't notice as he scolded himself. "Stupid Peridot. Stupid giant robot! Why, oh, why did I encourage her?"
"It's not your fault, Steven. It's mine." Twoie narrowed his eyes in the direction that Peridot had run off in.
The younger boy glared at him. "Why didn't you stop me from having the robot competition? She wouldn't have been able to get the communicator without it! Why did you let her bring it back from the moon? Why didn't you warn us that she would use the robot?" He brushed his hands through his hair. "I stuck up for you when the gems started that stupid fight. I told them they should've talked to you. But now, it's you who should've talked to us!"
Twoie felt his cheeks flush pink. Steven didn't back off, though. The young man clenched his fists. "You're right! I should've given you more warning! There's a lot I should've done, and I'm sorry! I'm trying my hardest to make things better without changing too much, but did you ever think that maybe I don't talk to you guys for a reason?" Surprise flickered across Steven's face. Before he could try to get Twoie to clarify, Garnet's hand wrapped around them and dragged them into the helicopter.
"Argue later! We need to stop Peridot from contacting the Diamonds. Step on it, Amethyst!" The purple gem grinned as jetted into the sky. It was easy for her to track down the giant green robot. She bee-lined for it as quickly as she could. The inside of the helicopter was crowded, with all four of them trying to fit. Twoie was standing with his feet pressed against the bench and his back to the exterior.
"What did you mean by that? Why don't you want to talk to us?" Steven quietly asked him. The gems stared at the older brother in a mix of curiosity and anger. Twoie gritted his teeth. Of course, they would blame him for this. They always blamed him without ever getting the full story.
"Maybe because the last time I tried to talk to you guys, I was thrown through the front door? Because every time I tried to talk to you guys, I got yelled at and condescended, and I'm sick of it?" His cheeks glowed even brighter as he continued. "Maybe because I am still scared to be around you because I have this stupid fear that you're going to attack me again. Because you two," he pointed at Garnet and Pearl, "still don't trust me!"
Pink encompassed Twoie's entire body. "So maybe you should tell me why I should tell you anything when I don't even know if I can!" Angry tears prickled at the corner of Twoie's eyes. Silenced reigned inside the helicopter.
Steven could feel his anger leaving him, replaced by guilt at taking his anger out on his older brother. "Twoie…"
Twoie silenced him by raising his hand. "I don't want to hear it." Pearl and Garnet exchanged guilty looks but stayed quiet.
Amethyst finally caught up to Peridot and lowered herself, so her passengers were face to face with the green gem. "What's up, Peri-snot!" Garnet summoned her gauntlets and fired several rockets at her robot. Steven and Pearl couldn't help but notice Twoie flinch as the missiles shot out. That made their guilt stronger. The missiles did their job, though, and Peridot went careening off the road. The communicator landed against the ground and bounced away.
Twoie launched himself from the helicopter and slammed into the ground by the communicator, launching it several feet away from them, and forcing Peridot back inside her cockpit. "Dogpile!" Amethyst shouted as she transformed back into herself. Steven clung onto Garnet as the gems landed on top of the robot. When the gems summoned their weapons, Twoie felt a spike of fear stab his heart. His pink powers faded as he backed away from them while they battered the robot. (The whip cut through his skin from the pressure of the constriction. The gauntlets dug into his stomach and smashed him into the cliff. The spear clanged against his shield with a loud piercing ting.)
Peridot noticed that she could sneak out through the claw. She giggled, creeping through the tubing until she was free. Steven saw her crawl out of the arm and jumped off of Garnet's back. "You're not getting away with this!" He pounced on her, right as she picked up the communicator. "I trusted you! Twoie trusted you! Amethyst trusted you! We spent all that time bonding and hoping and caring about you!" He wrestled her to the ground.
"You don't get it either! This is your whole," she wriggled her other hand free, "problem!" Before she could turn the communicator on, Steven reached out with his hand to grab it. He knew he'd never be able to reach it in time and looked around. He saw Twoie standing back, watching the gems.
"Twoie! Help me!" His older brother jumped in surprise. When he saw the two, he ran over and snagged the communicator from Peridot's hand.
"No! Give me that! I thought you understood!" Peridot, kicked Steven hard in the gut, forcing him to let go. As Steven doubled over in pain, Peridot launched herself at Twoie, trying to snatch it out of his hand as he held it above her head. (She looked at him through her triangle glasses, pleading with him.) "Please, Twoie! You know how much this means to me!"
He lowered his hand slowly in confusion. Steven looked up to see Twoie's eyes were glazed over. Peridot took advantage of his inattention to shove him backward. Light returned to his eyes, but it was too late. The communicator rolled out of his grasp, and Peridot was on it in an instant. Steven backed away as the communicator turned yellow. The Crystal Gems looked on in horror as the device rose higher into the air, taking cover behind the remains of the robot as it opened up into a yellow diamond screen. Garnet swiftly pulled Steven to her, hiding him from view. The kid stared in wide-eyed terror as Twoie remained frozen where he laid on the ground. "Twoie!" He reached his hands out to him, but Garnet's firm grip prevented him from lunging out of their hiding place.
A gem appeared on the screen. It was a yellow pearl with a pinched expression of anger on her face. "This is the Yellow Diamond Control Room. Who authorized you to make this call?"
Peridot nervously curled in on herself at the pearl's tone. "No one… B-b-but it's an emergency!"
The pearl rebuked her, "That's no excuse to use the Direct Diamond Communication channel." Everyone flinched as a new voice interrupted the conversation.
"Pearl."
The gem on-screen changed her expression from annoyed to a look of fear and respect. "Yes, my Diamond?"
"Why is there someone on the Diamond line?"
Peridot was sweating nervously at the sound of her Diamond's voice. Twoie laid wide-eyed a couple of feet to the side of Peridot. So far, Yellow Pearl had not noticed him. Yellow's annoyed tone brought back too many memories; he started shaking in fear. He couldn't move. "I don't know! I was just about to tell her that-!" A large hand lightly pushed Yellow Pearl out of the way and grabbed hold of the communicator. He held his breath as Yellow Diamond appeared. She was working on something off-screen, head turned away from the caller.
Peridot swiftly moved into her Diamond salute. "My Diamond. Peridot reporting in. Facet 2F5L Cut-5XG. I'm sorry to contact you this way, but all other forms of communication have been destroyed and-!"
Yellow Diamond silenced her with a raised hand. "This says you're behind schedule on your mission to-." She finally faced the screen. "How is the earth." Her eyes narrowed in on Twoie. Her mouth pursed in disgust, and she glared at the human's shaking form. "Ugh, organic life. Why is that disgusting creature here?"
Peridot hadn't noticed that Twoie was still nearby; she stiffened in fear. "I-uh, he's -um, my servant!" She turned on Twoie and hissed at him to get up. Twoie didn't acknowledge her as he blinked owlishly at the glaring Diamond. Peridot grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him to his feet. He obeyed that time, but never took his eyes off the screen. Yellow Diamond apathetically watched the interaction. Peridot snapped her fingers in his face, startling him out of his daze. "You will stand in the presence of my lustrous and radiant Diamond!"
Yellow Diamond interrupted them. "And where is the Jasper I assigned you? And why aren't you calling from the ship?"
The green gem nervously thought of what to say. "The ship was destroyed." Yellow's eyes shrank in anger. Twoie shivered, his instincts screaming danger as she coldly asked, "By whom?"
Peridot looked around anxiously. "I-it was destroyed by…" She caught a glance of the pleading look in Twoie's eyes as he waited for her to continue. "No one. There was an accident while we were landing."
Her Diamond narrowed her eyes at them before turning back to her control panel. "I'll inform your manager of your incompetence. And what is the status of the Cluster?"
"The Cluster will emerge shortly." Peridot stared at the ground.
"Good, we'll finally get some use out of that miserable planet. Thank you for your report, Peridot." Yellow DIamond lazily waved her hand at the screen, focusing on something that seemed more important than the current conversation. "There'll be a ship heading to your location to take you to your next assignment. And leave that there when it arrives." She pointed at Twoie.
Her satisfaction at being congratulated was trampled by the implication that she was about to be dismissed. "Wait! I-I wouldn't have called just to waste your time with a report."
The Diamond set her piercing gaze on the technician. "You already have."
Peridot shrank in on herself for a moment, but she steeled her nerves. "The reason I called. The real reason is I believe we should terminate the Cluster!"
Yellow Diamond's eyes became cold like pricks of ice. "Why."
Twoie could feel himself trembling at what was about to occur. Peridot nervously wrung her hands together as she presented her argument. "The organic ecosystem creates its resources unique to this world. We can't sacrifice all that potential just for one geo-weapon! I'd like to tell you some plans I came up with to utilize the planet without disrupting the local-."
"I've heard enough. I don't care about potential and resources." Shock erupted on Peridot's face as she heard her Diamond disregard logic.
"What?" Yellow Diamond regarded her with a look of distaste.
"I want my Cluster, and I want that planet to die." She stared at the trembling figure of Twoie as she said it. "Just make that happen."
Peridot reeled back in horror. Her eyes flickered back and forth across the ground as she thought about how foolish her Diamond was being. She narrowed her eyes. "No!" Yellow Pearl gasped at her insolence.
"Are you questioning my authority?" Yellow Diamond enunciated in barely concealed anger. Peridot nudged Twoie to copy her as she performed the Diamond salute. He awkwardly mimicked her. "I'm questioning your objectivity, my Diamond."
Yellow Diamond stood up and brought the device closer to her face. "You are out of line."
Peridot flinched at the remark. "I just think-."
Yellow cut her off. "I'm not interested in the puny thoughts of a Peridot." She briefly set her glare on Twoie before refocusing on the technician. "At least your pathetic little creature knows his place." The young man flinched, dropping the salute.
"But-!" Peridot's mouth snapped shut as Yellow's glare became icy.
"You have disrespected this channel and my time with your presence, and you would do well to-."
"But-!"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Peridot eeped as she defensively curled in on herself.
Twoie took a step back. (Yellow loomed over him as she stood at full height. "She has to set an example, and we have to set an example! If we bend the rules for her, we have to bend the rules for everyone! Take them back to the tower now. Is that clear?!" She stepped even closer. Blue matched her glare.) "I won't do it! I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting!" Peridot's shout startled him out of the flashback.
Twoie could feel himself beginning to hyperventilate as Yellow Diamond glared at them. "What do you know about the earth?"
Peridot pointed at her, "Apparently more than you! YOU CLOD!" She shut down the communicator and stared at it in shock.
Steven and the others ran out of their hiding place, cheering and praising her. "That was amazing!" Steven hugged her.
"I can't believe I just did that." She mumbled.
"I was so wrong about being so wrong about you!" The kid let go of her and threw his hands in the air.
Peridot ignored him as she tried to come to terms with insulting her Diamond. "I can't believe I just did that."
Garnet placed a hand on her shoulder. "You thought you could change her mind."
Amethyst butted in, "Yellow D got torn down by the Peridactyl!"
The green gem only sighed and handed the communicator to someone behind her. "Can one of you take this?"
Pearl grabbed it and started to inspect it. "Why?"
Peridot curled up on the ground. "Because it can be remotely detonated." The communicator brightly lit up, becoming completely red.
Pearl shrieked, "How do we stop it!"
"Just get rid of it!" Garnet answered while summoning her gauntlets. Pearl tossed it to Amethyst, who squawked and threw it to Steven. He quickly bubbled it, and Garnet punched it into the sky.
The danger passed as it burst in the air. "I thought I could reason with her." Peridot groaned.
Steven smiled as he came to a realization. "Do you know what this means?"
She whined as she curled up tighter. "That I'm a traitor to my Homeworld."
Steven hugged her again. "You're a Crystal Gem!" The others smiled as she slowly got to her feet. Pearl noticed that Twoie hadn't joined them in praising Peridot.
"Twoie?" He hadn't moved from his spot, so his back was still facing her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I understand why you let her keep the communicator now." She fiddled with the end of her ribbon. "I also apologize for starting that dumb fight with you and for making you think I didn't trust you this whole time. I really didn't mean to make it sound like I did back when you and Peridot went to the Kindergarten to get the drill head. I thought it'd be better to keep you guys together since you all got along, and we wanted Peridot to trust us."
Garnet walked over as well. "I also apologize for not trusting you. My future vision hasn't been working as well as it used to due to your presence. I was on edge because of that and because I was worried about Homeworld. I took that worry out on you when you were only trying to help." She gestured to the others who were watching their discussion with wide, hopeful eyes. "This is a wonderful outcome. I should've tried to understand your decision better. You already know what would create the best future, so I need to remember that you have good reasons for allowing certain risks. I should've trusted you more."
They gave him hopeful smiles, waiting for him to accept their apology so that things could go back to normal. "Heh. Heh-heh-heh. Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Everyone startled as Twoie burst into hysterical laughter. His eyes wide, but his pupils were shrunken. One hand gripped his hair while the other gripped his shirt where his gem was.
"Twoie? You're scaring me. Are you okay?" Steven stepped forward.
"I can't take it." Steven paused as Twoie spun on his heel. Pearl and Garnet exchanged a worried look while Peridot backed into Amethyst. "I can't take it anymore!" Twoie hunched over himself slightly, body shaking. "What do you want from me!" He lashed his hand out, swiping it to the side as he stepped towards them aggressively. Steven reached a hand out for Twoie but paused when his older brother glared at him.
"Every. Single. Time! I tell you that I need to wait before I can tell you something, and I get yelled at. Afterward, you always apologize for not listening to me. Then you yell at me when I do it again! I went through one hell already! I'm trying to spare you from going through the same thing. Is this how it's going to be every time?" He glared at Garnet and Pearl. "Do you want him to become traumatized? Do you want him to be as broken as I am? To go through life needing to be needed and once no one needs you anymore, to realize that they're better off without you?"
Garnet took a step forward. "Twoie, you need to calm down. We can talk about this. I don't want him going through that, and I'm sorry that you did. That was never what we wanted for you when we decided to raise you."
Twoie roughly brushed his hands through his hair. "Well, you did! All the nights I cried myself to sleep, all the times you left me alone in the house, all the times YOU DISREGARDED ME UNLESS I WAS ACTING LIKE YOU WANTED ME TOO!" Everyone took a step back. Pearl grabbed Steven and held him close. "WELL LOOK AT ME NOW! STEVEN UNIVERSE, SAVIOR OF THE GALAXY, AND LOSING HIS GODDAMN MIND OVER THE FACT THAT LIFE IS PEACEFUL AND EVERYONE'S FINALLY HAPPY!"
His breath came in ragged gasps as he gripped the area above his gem in pain. It felt like it was throbbing. "How funny is that." He smiled, even though tears trickled down his face. "Life is great, and here I selfishly wish that it wasn't. I have the chance to make things better in the past, and yet I only make everything worse. I guess it's true what they really say. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
Steven couldn't hold back his tears any longer. "Twoie! Please, what's wrong! What are you talking about? I want to help you!"
Twoie collapsed to his knees and gripped the grass harshly. He couldn't handle it anymore. He couldn't handle another failure. He couldn't handle the gems' flip-flopping behavior. (He couldn't handle living through all of this again! He couldn't handle knowing that he made everything worse!) His mind was racing with every horrible experience he ever lived through. (Garnet punching him into the cliffside. Pearl trying to stab him with her spear. Amethyst's whip embedding itself in his skin. Jasper headbutting him unconscious. Aquamarine throwing him into a tree.) "Twoie?" (The coldness of warp space. Lars dying in front of him. White pulling out his gem. Bismuth fighting him in the forge.) "Twoie, answer me!" (Blue making them cry. Yellow poofing everyone in the trial. Eyeball trying to stab him. Yellow and Blue fighting over the bridge.) "I think he's having a panic attack! What do we do?"
It felt like his mind was falling apart at the seams.