"Ok, wait here until I get back, and be ready to run."

"Yes, My Diamond." Said Jasper.

The statement was echoed by two of the new Quartzes (all that safely fit in the Dondai. Jasper assured him they were necessary for his protection, despite his insistence otherwise). The pair of them shifted in curiosity and excitement, craning their necks to see what their Diamond was doing. Steven sucked in a breath and let it out, keeping his eye on the Seven-Eleven. The parking lot they stood in was completely empty, and cloaked in a thin layer of early morning fog. It was past three AM, and all was quiet. The little town typically fell asleep as soon as nine PM, which was convenient considering Steven wanted to avoid witnesses. That, and the police weren't particularly a threat at this hour. There were only four total police vehicles in the province, Steven had made sure to check. Right now, most of them were already in bed, or napping in their patrol cars during the night shift.

He didn't love the idea of stealing, but he'd run out of supplies again and hadn't eaten in over a day. He promised himself that he'd just grab what he needed and run.

He inhaled, embracing the nervousness and allowing the pink hue to buzz across his skin. The Quartzes gaped in awe, and Jasper smirked in pride. This was the first time they'd ever seen Steven actually use his Diamond powers, and they were clearly impressed.

"Here we go." Steven whispered, feeling the change in atmosphere hit him as time slowed down. He sprinted across the parking lot, pushing through the doors and keeping an eye on the clock. He didn't want to be here more than five seconds. He jogged through the isles, haphazardly piling food, water and other essentials into his arms. The people inside all shared delayed expressions of shock, and he felt a little guilty about sending stray papers and empty boxes askew.

He was just about to leave, holding about two weeks worth of groceries, when he noticed the foam footballs for sale near the door.

Jasper eyed him questioningly when she saw him come running out with arms full of scavenged goods. The pink faded, and he handed some of the load to the Quartzes. He was more than strong enough to carry it all, but his arms were awfully short, and it was a hassle to make sure he didn't drop anything. Behind him, he heard the doors burst open, and he ushered his following towards the woods behind the convenience store.

"We gotta go now." He cried, breaking into a sprint and rushing for cover underneath the darkened canopy. Every few seconds he'd glance behind him, making sure he hadn't lost anybody. Shouting echoed through the empty parking lot behind them, motivating Steven to keep running even when they were far out of sight.

He didn't stop until they'd reached a remote clearing, and even then, he waited a few minutes before finally allowing himself to relax. He collapsed to the soft, damp grass, exhausted but glad that he finally had something to eat again. He ripped open a protein bar with his teeth, nearly crying from joy at the bitter sweet taste. Meanwhile, the Quartzes unloaded the rest of the cargo, stacking it in neat, military columns nearby.

Steven finished his humble meal, turning attention to the soft football he'd swiped on his way out. Sure, he didn't technically need it, but something about it had caught his attention. Even though it brought up sore memories of the time he'd spoken with his mother in her old room, he realized he'd still liked playing catch. Maybe… Maybe he could make some new memories. Some better ones.

"Jasper! Think fast!" Jasper's reflexes kicked in before she even turned her head, hand clamping down on the projectile with a force that would have popped it had it not been soft and moldable. She gazed at it curiously, unsure of what it actually was.

"...I do not require sustenance, My Diamond."

"No, i-it's a football. You throw it back to me." Jasper squinted at it for a second, before reeling her arm back and launching it toward him like a missile.

"Whoa!" He scrambled to catch it before it collided with his face, giving her an anxious look. "No, not that hard. It's supposed to be fun."

"...Oh." Said Jasper. She coughed uncomfortably. "What… what exactly is that?"

"You know, like. This." He threw it to her, watching it sail smoothly through the air in a gentle arc, coming down for Jasper to catch it easily.

"It's when you do something just because you like doing it." He told her.

"I like fighting." She said. Steven huffed.

"I know you do. But, please give this a shot? You might like it."

Jasper nodded, albeit skeptically.

"As you wish, My Diamond."

They tossed it back and forth, Jasper using a surprising amount of restraint. She still threw it way too hard, but he could only assume this was as gentle as she could get. They fell into an easy rhythm, throw, catch, throw, catch. Steven's throws were relatively graceful, rising and falling smoothly, contrasting heavily with Jasper's style. While Jasper's throws usually had a decent spiral, they always shot in a straight line, like a bullet. She hadn't quite got an understanding of the game, but he appreciated her trying.

Every so often, he'd glance at the other two Quartzes. They had busied themselves looking for bugs underneath rocks, like he'd shown them earlier. It made him smile, they kind of looked like a pair of eight-foot toddlers. Jasper followed his gaze, and frowned.

"My Diamond," Jasper started, trying her best to be polite despite lacking skills in that area, "When are you going to use your soldiers for… soldiering?"

"Hm? Oh, you know…" Steven stumbled, nearly dropping the ball when Jasper sent it to him. He chuckled nervously. "Soon?"

Jasper stared at him blankly, only moving when he threw it back to her. "How soon is soon?"

Steven focused heavily on the ball so he could avoid eye contact.

"Well, they're only a few days old, Jasper,"

"I was minutes old when I shattered my first enemy soldier." Steven missed the ball, staring blankly ahead as it plunked quietly onto the wet grass. Something like recollection flashed in his eyes, and his skin lit up, reflecting off the fog in the air to give him an ambient, ghostly appearance. Jasper knew instantly that she'd said the wrong thing.

"I-I-" He stuttered, gaze unfocused, absent. Staring down at something Jasper couldn't see.

"I'm sorry, My Diamond." Jasper stepped in quickly, trying to steer the topic away to something less sensitive. "I didn't mean to upset you,"

Cautiously, aware that he was in a very volatile state, she placed a hand on his shoulder, gently turning him to look at the Quartzes.

"You've just made such an excellent army, an army that needs to be used. They are your means to fixing the Earth." Steven's glowing began to fade, but his eyes were rapidly filling with tears. He choked, avoiding her eyes.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He whimpered.

"Fine." Jasper growled, trying not to roll her eyes. She squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to comfort, leaning in close to him. "But you at least need to disarm and overpower your enemies."

She gestured to the Quartzes, and Steven sniffed, eyes de-glazing. "With training, they could do that."

"Th-they don't have to- we can take over peacefully?" He looked at her with hope, and she huffed.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever."

He stared at his feet a few moments, before looking up at her shyly.

"Jasper… C-could I have a hug?" Jasper looked at him a moment, trying to process the words.

"Uh. Yes, My Diamond." She begrudgingly got down to her knees so that he could wrap his arms around her neck, cringing once her face was out of view. She wrapped her arms around his waist in a loose, awkward hold, trying to at least pretend like she was participating.

"Thank you." He chuckled, wiping at his eyes and pressing his cheek against her thick neck. "I'm sorry I got all worked up. I don't really know what came over me."

"...If I said anything-"

"No, no. I mean, I don't think so." He sniffled again, but his eyes were drying. "You know? I can't really remember what we were talking about before."

"Must not have been important." Said Jasper.

"I guess not."

They stayed like that for a while, Steven still clinging desperately, and Jasper just praying to the stars that the hug would end soon. Unfortunately, the other Quartzes had given up their bug hunt and caught sight of them.

"Hey! Steven's giving out free hugs!"

"I want one!"

Jasper grit her teeth as two other pairs of beefy arms wrapped around her and Steven. Steven didn't seem to mind, if anything he melted further under the added warmth, sighing contentedly.

"We should return to base, My Diamond." Jasper tried reasoning. "The humans are probably searching for us-"

"Just a couple more minutes." Said Steven.


The rest of the night was looking like it'd be very uneventful. Without the time constraints of running from the law, his Quartzes had simply stored the pilfered goods inside their gems, avoiding the hassle of carrying everything with them.

It'd been a long walk back to where they'd parked the Dondai, but Steven was glad he'd put in the effort to hide it. They'd left it in the parking lot of a chain drugstore, just outside the entrance to an alley that bordered a pizza place, nestled between a dumpster and a young oak tree.

Steven had thought it'd be enough cover, so when he led his soldiers out into the light of the street lamp, he honestly thought he wouldn't need to be that careful. He was wrong.

The Crystal Gems had found their location.