Chapter 8: Warping
His presence alone is unnerving. He flips his brown hair out of his eyes and stares at each and every one of the Gems with those soulless, light grey eyes. He wears a set of diamond-clad partial plate armor over his muscular body. The right arm is uncovered, showing his large, rectangular cut gem. It's an opaque color. "What's the matter, you guys? Cat got your tongue?" Smokey Quartz looks over to Garnet. "You know Garnet, you can separate into Sapphire and Ruby. I'm not going to fight you."
"I can't," Garnet says, trying to summon her gauntlets, "and I can't trust you." She can't.
"Steven, don't show him your Gem," Amethyst whispers. Steven looks at Amethyst and nods. Steven looks at Garnet too, wondering what Smokey Quartz meant by her separating.
"What are you doing here, Smokey Quartz," inquiries Garnet forcefully.
"Please, please," he says, holding a hand up, "just call me Quartz. I'm here for you guys—in a nonviolent kind of way."
"We don't want you here!" Amethyst hollers, pushing Steven behind her.
"Well I can't leave," Quartz says, putting his hands on his hips. "I messed with the warp pads so you can come here and find me. I can't stay in this jungle anymore. It's boring."
"That's your problem," Garnet says, stepping forward. Her hands are shaking. "Deactivate your powers so I can fix the warp pad."
"Not until you let me come with you guys." Quartz and Garnet stare each other down. His face is unreadable. He can do anything at any time. He could even be lying. Garnet knows she can't trust him, but she can't just stay here. If Steven wasn't here, Garnet could wait this out for weeks on end, but right now, she can't.
"Fine."
"WHAT!" Amethyst and Steven shouts in unison.
"Garnet, are you crazy?!" Amethyst continues.
"For trusting him? Yes," Garnet replies, "but what choice do we have?"
"Uhh, beating him up would be nice."
"Oh, come, come now, Amy," Quartz laughs. "You know you can't touch me. Not with those stubby things you call arms."
"Don't call me Amy," Amethyst says, with anger and with spite. He's egging her on, trying to get her angry. He smiles insanely, giggling to himself.
"Amethyst," Garnet says, walking over to her. She places a hand on her shoulder. "Don't let him get to you. You know what he's trying to do."
"So is it a yes or a no? I've changed! Give me a chance!" Quartz exclaims, laughing. "I'll even prove it to you! Trying summoning your weapons."
Reluctantly, Garnet does and she succeeds. "Your point?"
"You can fix the warp pad now. I've been trying to contact Rose for the longest," he replies.
"…Fine." Garnet walks to the control panel by the warp pad. The gems on her hands glow. She only needs one to open the control panel, and the other to put in the password. A screen opens up. It lights up, typing a language unknown to this world. Garnet types something back, and then the panel types something again. It's like it's alive and speaking to her. Garnet finishes after a couple minutes. The panel shuts off and closes. Garnet turns around, finding Quartz squatted down next to Steven with his hand on his hairy chin, examining him.
"Is he a Gem?" Quartz asks, not taking his eyes off the boy. Steven is looking back at him in his eyes. "He reminds me of Rose, somehow."
"He's just a human. Now come on," Garnet says. "Get on the warp pad so we can get out of here." Garnet walks over to the staircase on the warp pad. She fixes her shades with a hand on her hip, waiting for the others. Amethyst and Steven walk onto the warp pad and stand next to Garnet, Quartz folloing right behind, but he stands away from them.
"Alright, let's go." They warp.