Pearl blinked away her tears, breathing quickly in order to relax her body and ease the pain.

Jasper had stabbed her with the destabilizer for several seconds and her chest was burning, every molecule of her body was trying to get back to the others while several shocks from the destabilizer's energy kept them apart even after the weapon was removed from her body.

Jasper looked at her coldly, repeating the same words, like a broken record:

"Tell me everything you know about Rose Quartz, don't force my hand!"

Pearl knew she didn't stand a chance against that pain, but she didn't want to betray Steven, she was a knight after all and her safety wasn't as important as Steven's, like Rose, he was everything that counted at the end of the day and she wouldn't let any harm come to him, even in the form of informations.

There was no telling what Homeworld would've done to him if they knew that he was only half-gem, they might dissect him to discover how his biological body worked or tryied to make him retreat to his gem to see what it would've happened.

There was no way she could let that happened and they needed time in order to think something, any plan to get back on Earth in a city where Steven could've been safe and...Pearl's thoughts stopped as a new wave of pain originated from one of her legs, it seemed like Jasper was tired to hit her chest and she began to work on her limbs, telling her:

"Don't space out!

I won't give you the time to even think about lying and if you do, I will notice."

The sharp pain stopped and soon Pearl felt a big hand caressing her check, wiping away some of her tears, un unexpected kind gesture followed by a far less intimidating speech:

"You can stop this you know?

There's no shame in giving up to the pain and you did resist far more than I anticipated, talk and this will end."

Pearl's chest still hurt and her leg was in an even worst shape, the homeworld gem had increased the strenght of her instrument of torture and the Crystal Gem knew that she could do much worse, even that kindness was just a well-tought and praticed part of her questioning.

It was supposed to penetrate where the pain couldn't, to break her willpower as much as the pain, Pearl spoke with a raspy voice, her throat felt sore as a consequence of her pained screams:

"I... can't..."

Quickly she felt her other leg shocked by the pain inflicted by the destabilizer, her body tried to move but her restraints were impossible to move and the pain was so intense that she didn't notice the destabilizer being freed from her body until it stabbed her arm.

Another wave of pain made her body tremble while her limbs began to become numb, another painful stab hit her other arm and she closed her teary eyes in the desperate effort to retire in herself and stop thinking about the pain and her hopeless situation, she felt someone yell but now she had gotten used to it and she almost didn't register them as her own screams.

After what it felt like an eternity, she felt the pain reduce, the destabilizer was removed from her body and the pain slowly began to fade, leaving Pearl trembling in her restraints.

Jasper didn't ask anything, she let her prisoner recuperate a little from the pain before stabbing her in the stomach, Pearl felt her body jerk in every direction from the shock before she was allowed a little relief from her jailer who caressed her hair coming closer to her face and gently whispering to her victim:

"Do you think you had enough?

Sure that THING isn't worth all this pain, I can see that you are scared, but only you can stop this."

And she was right, Pearl was trembling in fear, even Jasper's touch gave her some sense of safety and it was absurd considering that she was the one inflicting the pain, Pearl didn't want this to continue, she felt tired, ready to retreat in her gem, maybe think a little about herself and how weak she was compared to her companions, but she was a pearl and pearls weren't able to do anything by themselves, Amethyst was certainly able to resist all of this and a part of her for a moment tought that it would've been better if Jasper had choosen her instead.

Pearl retreated in horror from Jasper's touch, she was about to wish that pain for her friend and that made her weakness overwhelming, she had to endure since she was such a wortless and horrible gem!

Amethyst would've never tought something like that, they fought often but she knew she could count on her friendship, she found a little determination coming back when Jasper suddently pulled her hair, speaking menacingly to her:

"Listen to me you defective chunk of rock!

Tell me what happened to Rose Quartz and you will spare this not only to yourself but to your little friends as well."

Pearl opened her eyes in horror looking to the other gem that kept speaking:

"Maybe I'll take the blue one and let the red one watch, this way I'll get a little more chance to get some information out of them, I should've bring that overcooked runt as well, maybe she would talk to make you stop screaming."

She looked Pearl in the eyes, a look full of cruelty and rage, the homeworld gem was about to gave her worst and Pearl was in her power.
Jasper brought the destabilizer right in front of Pearl's eyes, she looked at it in fear while the homeworld gem began to talk once again:

"I've put this thing on the maximum setting for this use, you will feel it all over your body, not just over one part of it, do you really want me to use it?"

Pearl began to talk thanks to the panic growing in her stomach:

"N-no please!

Keep it away!"

Jasper kept talking becoming more menacing:

"Talk then!

Tell me everything and I will bring you back to your cell!"

Pearl was desperate and she struggled deciding what to do, she wasn't able to make up a credible lie in that time and she didn't want to suffer any more, but she didn't want to betray her friends either, she still was unsure about what to do when Jasper began to lower the destabilizer on her prisoner's chest.

Pearl began to yell to stop her:

"No please!

Don't do that...I...I..."

Jasper looked at her with anticipation, sure that she would finally talk when Pearl closed her eyes and finally decide what to do:

"I...can't!"

The pain came immediatly, Jasper stabbed her in the chest with rage, the pain quickly expanded all over her body, she felt like every single atoms of her being was beginning to split up and be replaced with incledibly hot fire.

All over her body thick yellow lines began to appear, leaving her the impression that they were burning in her body.

She yelled until she lost her voice, her tears kept flowing and everything ended after what she tought were hours in wich every single one of her senses was hit by the pain in a way or another.

She took big breaths and hardly listened to the argument between Jasper and Peridot trough the comunicator, unable to tell what they were saying.

Her ears ringed for the shock and her body felt numb and usless, her vision was blurry from the tears and she was only able to see Jasper's back, Peridot was unable to hear the Crystal Gem weak moans from her comunicator.

"I already told you Peridot, the mission it's not as important as Rose Quartz, now go prepare the engine and set the course for Homeworld!

Now leave me alone!"

She emphatised her words with a punch to the wall, that put and end to the conversation but it didn't looked like it was the end of it.

Jasper turned back to Pearl, giving her a glare full of disgust and barely containig her rage, she come closer to the crystal gem and begun to release her from her bindings, talking to her:

"Our little meeting ends here for now, I have to talk some sense into my subordinate but don't worry, you and I will pick up right where we left.

We will have plenty of time during our trip back home."

Pearl barely reacted to the news, she was glad it was over for now but she knew that her torment had only just begun, she was unable to move and she kept sobbing quietly even when Jasper put her on her muscolar shoulder, the homeworld gem kept talking:

"You forced me to this, if you cooperate you can expect a little mercy for the rest of the trip, otherwise not only you, but also your friends will come to suffer from your stubbrn silence, remember this pain and think carefully how you will answer to me the next time I will come to your jail cell."

When Amethyst saw Jasper holding a still Pearl, she quickly got up and began calling the name of her friend, not hearing any answer, she quickly yelled at Jasper:

"What did you do to her you monster!?"

The homeworld gem answer came short after:

"I've just asked her some questions, sadly, she didn't want to answer."

Jasper smirked before grabbing Pearl by the sash and lifting the Crystal Gem in front of Amethyst, allowing the two of them to look at each other.

Amethyst looked in horror at Pearl's face, she was crying and her expression was incredibly tired, all over her body were still visible some of the yellow lines left by the destabilizer, the gems hair were disheveled and her eyes were full of fear and pain and the purple gem felt her chest grow tight.

Pearl just let her head hung in shame, closing her eyes and hiding her face from her friend, she didn't wanted to be seen in that state, she didn't deserve her pity.

She knew that she had been really close to give up everything just to stop that pain, she was weak and worthless.

Jasper trew her in her cell before reactivating the energy field, the homeworld gem left with few words:

"Think carefully about my offer."

Amethyst yelled something to Jasper but Pearl was unable to hear it, her body felt so heavy and yet, she wasn't able to retreat in her gem, sleeping might've help, but she didn't knew how to do it and asking Amethyst was beyond her forces.

She lied on the cold floor, feeling just a vibration when the ship took off for space, too weak to move, too tired to think.