The Drill
As Jason, Steven, and Lapis piled into the super soldier's SUV to go handle Jasper, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl joined Peridot in the drill. Once they were closed in, Peridot drilled them into the earth, and they were officially on their way. It was going to take two hours.
"Ugh, Jason was right." Amethyst commented. "This thing is cramped to the point we wouldn't all have fitted even if we shrunk down."
"Oh, why didn't I think of that at the time?" Pearl groaned worried about the choice they made. "At the very least, we could have brought Steven with us."
"Steven wouldn't have come even if someone had brought that up." Garnet reasoned. "We just need to have faith those three can handle Jasper while we focus up on the Cluster."
Suddenly, the ground shook again drawing everyone's attention.
"Get ready, we're about to penetrate the next level." Peridot voiced.
The drill now entered a molten landscape as it continued down.
"Whoa, check out all this magma." Amethyst marveled.
"Actually, that's superheated peridotite." Peridot smiled slightly. "The same stuff used to make peridots like me."
"Hey Peri, what was Homeworld like?" Amethyst ended up inquiring.
"Shouldn't you know?" Peridot inquired. "While you were born on Earth, those two behind me weren't." She glanced back only to see that Pearl was a bit uncomfortable while Garnet was eerily silent. "Well, at least they should know information six thousand years out of date."
"Guess they just don't like to talk about it." Amethyst glossed over what she really thought. "I get the feeling you don't have the same problem."
"Well, I don't know how they really feel, but I do think you can relate to me Amethyst." Peridot reasoned drawing the purple gem's attention. "After all, it's hard not to have certain feelings about the place you originated."
No matter where they sat, the three Crystal Gems all caught sight of the tears in the green gems' eyes. Peridot quickly noted this and wiped them.
"It's fine because I have something different now." Peridot shifted to genuine determination.
She didn't say anything else prompting Amethyst to speak up. "What would that be?"
"You know…" Peridot casted her gaze to the three gems before staring ahead. "It's you guys."
Garnet and Pearl smiled at that while Amethyst full on grinned. "Aw, you love us."
"I'm starting to regret saying anything." Peridot retorted.
Suddenly, things began clunking on the drill.
"We're surrounded by peridotite." Pearl stated. "There's shouldn't be anything that hits the drill at this point."
A hand hit the drill near Amethyst. "Nothing except for gem mutants!"
"It's buried prototypes of the cluster." Peridot informed. "Rather than digging to the surface, they ended up going down."
More clunking came from all around them.
Garnet still didn't like what Homeworld did, but she'd learned from the last time they encountered these beings. "Peridot, you and Jason managed to install the weapons, right?"
"I must admit that I had agreed with Pearl on their lack of necessity." Peridot admitted as she pressed a button causing a laser turret to pop out up top and a controller to fall into Amethyst's hands. "I eventually came around, and we managed it. Seems he was on to something."
"Nice touch using a gaming controller." Amethyst noted.
Thanks to that, the purple gem had no problem working the cannon up top. She used it to blast off every gem mutant keeping them safe. Eventually, the drill broke into the mantle of the earth before ascending a bit as Peridot dropped a binocular down that fed into a screen within the drill.
"We've arrived." Peridot investigated her end. "Now, let's see…that's not right."
The green gem had frozen in disbelief at what she was seeing.
"What do you see, Peridot?" Garnet asked.
Peridot said nothing as she pressed a button producing a screen which showed the others exactly what she saw. In short, there was no Cluster in the way any of them expected. What was there changed everything. There was a heavy duty, sophisticated drill parked near a huge hole.
It seemed to have been made specifically to allow humans to reach these depths safely. There were rows of heavy-duty semi-trucks with reinforced glass trailers containing every single shard that had comprised the Cluster. There were people wearing the armor of Humanity's defense.
Despite the number of semi-trucks and people, the cavern which once housed the giant sphere of the Cluster still had plenty of room within it. In the absolute shortest of terms, Humanity's Defense had disarmed and collected the Cluster.
These four members of the Crystal Gems just knew this couldn't be good. Even Peridot, who could only hear so much about this group in the short time she's been with this group, recognized that Humanity's Defense hadn't stopped the Cluster to purely save the Earth.
That was probably a huge reason as to why they did this, but the fact that every shard they could see hadn't been shattered further, in conjunction with certain higher rank members having reconstructed gems as power sources, gave them all an idea what this group was doing.
"This is really bad." Amethyst stated.
"Agreed." Peridot voiced. "Despite what Jason has achieved, I merrily assumed it had to do with his status as a hybrid. Now, this group somehow finds a way to neutralize the Cluster without sacrificing any of it."
Nothing concrete has come from the alliance between the Crystal Gems and World Government. As a result, Pearl found she agreed with Peridot. Jason was merrily an exception due to his status as a hybrid. Considering she never thought him a liar, this proof contradicted that thought.
"The mission has officially shifted." Garnet declared. "We can't let…"
Suddenly, a powerful bolt of white lighting hit their drill. Electricity coursed throughout it shocking the gems while frying the machine and completely shutting it down. This disengaged the drill sending it plummeting through hole and crashing into the ground.
While the drill made by this small group was impressive, it wasn't surviving the impact. The entire thing shattered, leaving the four gems laid out among wreckage. Fortunately, no one was cracked, but they had just lost their own way out of here.
The four gems were left groaning and having to rise to their feet as the semi's began driving out through their respective hole. Before anyone could speak up, someone the fusion among them was familiar with, Vance, was coming down on their group from above.
"Scatter!" Garnet shouted.
Even the fusion wasn't completely ready resulting in the four of them having to move on their own. Granted, they weren't all huddled together in the first place, so this did leave a one in four chance on who Vance had targeted before leaping.
Garnet and Pearl were both able to move; however, it was quickly revealed that this was not a future where the man had targeted either of them. He also hadn't targeted Peridot who'd arguably be just as good an option for their side.
This left Amethyst who received a powerful hammer fist, curtesy of Vance's already blackened hands, to the head. The blow impacted the unprepared gem so hard into the ground beneath them that it cracked. All that was enough to poof Amethyst to the shock of the three remaining gems.
Peridot was wide eyed while Garnet and Pearl immediately summoned their weapons. Vance made no move to back off even as the two veteran gems started to charge him. He merely scooped up the purple gem and held it out with a firm grasp.
"Stop where you are, or I shatter her!" Hearing that, as well as seeing the look in Vance's eyes, made the gems stop in their tracks before he gazed at a petrified Peridot. "You, move over to them, or I will shatter her all the same."
That was enough to snap Peridot out of it as she immediately ran to the other gems and stood a bit behind them…mainly Garnet. All the while, this little altercation did nothing to stop the semi-trucks which continued to exit one after another.
"Let Amethyst go!" Pearl yelled.
"I don't believe any of you have the leverage to demand anything." Vance glared at her while not lowering his hand. "If that's what you think, then maybe I should do what I've said I will."
Pearl's anger quickly faded into fear for her fellow Crystal Gem's safety.
"Don't." Garnet held up a hand. "We won't give any more orders."
"You're willing to listen to a lowly human." Dawn stated as she approached flanked by that girl Jason, Steven, and Greg found at the geode. "I must admit, I'm stunned. Given how gems view humanity, I expected Vance would have to shatter that gem."
"You expected us to risk Amethyst like that!?" Peridot questioned, shocked.
She was still frightened by everything going on, but the insinuation that any of them would risk one of their own like that. The green gem hadn't even been a Crystal Gem that long, but she already knew they wouldn't do such a thing.
"That's not what I said." Dawn retorted. "I fully expected you to ignore a human threatening one of your own which would have then resulted in her being shattered. After all, humanity is beneath the likes of you. Has been ever since gems first arrived."
"What are you talking about?" Pearl asked. "The Crystal Gems protected humanity, and we continue to do so."
"Do you?" Dawn shook her head. "That's a bold claim to make especially since I figured the super soldier would have filled you in on our last meeting. What exactly did or do you defend us from? Gems invaded Earth. Gems caused irreversible damage to the planet.
Gems became corrupt monsters. Gems left their structures behind. Gems now return just to destroy the planet. You claim to be defenders, but simply turning against your own race doesn't a defender make. Your merry band are nothing more than janitors.
A group of people cleaning up mistakes that are their fault to begin with. Even then, that doesn't change the fact that Earth was used as a battleground for your war. It doesn't erase the damage that was here before nor what's likely to come because gems were born or decided to conqueror.
While I loathe Homeworld for what they did to this planet, I personally hate the three of you standing before me now. Unlike you three, I never get the feeling Lapis Lazuli, Steven Universe, Amethyst, or Jason West think humans are beneath them.
Peridot would push a human off a roof thinking nothing of consequences to him and put down Jason West's capabilities because she thought him nothing more than a mere human. Someone who had to prove himself to be taken seriously. At least she wasn't a Crystal Gem at the time.
Pearl, I don't recall you taking any interest in Connie, before she came forth with the intention of training, beyond how she impacted Steven. Garnet, you caused damage to a human's family-owned business without a care in the world. Steven had to be the one to make things right.
Jason had to finish it. Despite the fact they deserve the same fate I want to grant you; I can at least recognize that the other four members of your group have humanity. You three clearly lack it, and two of you have been here for 6000 years at that."
Garnet was silent while Peridot could only look at the ground.
"You have no idea what the war was like." Pearl defended weakly.
"You haven't listened or internalized anything I've ever said." Dawn retorted. "You should have fought your war back on Homeworld rather than Earth. In fact, Earth should have never been touched. Your disregard for humanity shows me enough. Your war wasn't fought for humanity.
That was just a happy accident that came from fighting for a planet your side merely coveted in a different way from Homeworld. Your only defense comes from the fact that you wanted Beach City to be evacuated. One good instance does not a solid defense make.
The World Government would rather work with gems like you than realize such a truth. All gems need to be eradicated. If not just to secure Earth, then to protect countless other planets that haven't already been ravaged by them and bring peace to those that have.
Every day, I draw closer to bringing my own army to Homeworld. We will see how they like their home being ravaged before ultimately leaving no survivors. Before that day, I will eradicate you, those hybrids, and any corrupted on this planet to truly free humanity."
"I get that you're angry…" Garnet began.
"Anger doesn't even begin to describe it." Dawn held her arms out. "Everyone who follows me feels wrathful over everything I've said. Those corrupted monsters have destroyed lives. Where was the government or Crystal Janitors to help those people?"
"You speak of your people now, but the truth is you're out to satisfy yourself." Pearl retorted.
"Think whatever you must to feel the slightest bit better about yourselves, but the truth is that I don't force anyone to join me." Dawn stated. "Those that leave do need to be silenced, but what do you expect me to do in those situations?
Your group or the World Government would simply come after me if they knew anything prior to this. Once we were known, I've let people walk as killing them held no further purpose. A prime example is Frank Castle who I let leave. In return, he killed on his way out.
Trust me, I could have made an announcement that Frank was to be put down, but I didn't. Right now, it seems like you are all grasping at straws and attempting to downplay how we feel. That's only natural since all you seem to care about is the planet."
By this point, every semi-truck was gone. Only Vance, the girl, Dawn, a dozen of her soldiers, and their drill remained.
"Just look at where these feelings have brought you. All of you." Garnet retorted. "You have every right to feel as you do about Homeworld, but you've gone beyond that to the point you'll be the one ravaging Earth."
"This time, it'll be ravaging Earth to give it back to humanity. A war to rid it of gem kind before then going onto repay Homeworld for starting this in the first place. If Homeworld never came to Earth, if we were left alone, this wouldn't be happening now.
Your war six thousand years ago is what led to this, yet you'll likely shift the blame to me. To my people who have suffered. Corrupted monsters kill loved one while gem technology can kill or do something worse to anyone unlucky enough to end up there.
You know, you had another chance to prevent this. You had six thousand years to clean it all up, yet that apparently wasn't enough time. Allow me to summarize everything I've ever said. Gem kind reaps what it sows, and that's Humanity's Defense! Vance, sha…"
Just as her second in command perked up at having his name called, a sleek looking, black drill busted in from a newly created entrance that led to an otherwise smooth tunnel. It managed to drift along and end up sideways. A doorway opened revealing a tall man with a lithe build.
He had medium-length blond hair with ocean blue eyes. His attire consisted of black pants with a matching, no sleeved shirt and boots. The man aimed and fired nailing Vance's blackened hand, which held Amethyst's gem, with an armor piercing round.
He made the shot in a way that it disabled the hand without the bullet even grazing the gem which was now free. With all the commotion created by the arrival of what both sides knew to be the World Government, Garnet wasted no time in rushing forward.
She slammed her right gauntlet covered fist into the currently in pain second in command so hard that he was knocked clear into a wall near Humanity's Defense's drill. With her left hand, she'd dismissed that gauntlet to catch the purple gem before it could hit the ground.
Pearl was ready to advance on the remaining pair while World Army soldiers began streaming out of their drill and aimed guns at the opposing soldiers. By this point, Dawn had already slipped a hand into one of her pockets.
"Dawn?" The girl from the geode inquired.
Dawn was angry at losing this chance to do away with the Crystal Gems, but it was directed at herself. Even though she loathed the World Army, she wasn't about to blame them for this. After all, she had indulged in this moment that presented itself.
"Be ready, Kade." Dawn responded.
In that moment, the two of them looked down as Dawn pressed the switch within her pocket. This triggered rigged flash bangs around the area to go off. Dawn and Kade looked in the only place they could close their eyes to avoid being blinded.
Garnet, due to her visor, and HD's soldiers, due to their helmets, also managed to avoid it. Dawn began running for the drill while the fusion was prepared to follow. Kade's pietersite glowed before she slammed her hands on the ground generating a massive wall of volatile storm clouds.
When Garnet attempted to punch her way through, the wall discharged white lighting that shot the fusion clear to the opposite wall. By the time Garnet recovered, and everyone else could see, the wall of storm clouds was gone. Just as they were gone, so too was the drill.
Dawn, Kade, Vance, and the remaining HD men were gone as well. An older, heavily muscular man with dark graying hair and a beard approached the gems. He wore black camo attire, like every other soldier, but was set apart by the addition of a shield symbol on the left side of his top.
"I am Captain Chase Milton." The man identified himself. "Tye West sent us on this mission. We managed to get a scan on our way down and attempted what we thought was the best entrance given what our systems picked up."
"You did well in arriving when and how you did." Garnet stated.
"We're glad to hear it ma'am." Chase stated.
"Garnet, what are we going to do?" Pear asked worriedly. "Not only did they get away with all those shards, but they managed to escape as well."
"There isn't much we can do besides return home." Garnet turned to Chase. "Can you take us back to Beach City? Our drill was destroyed. Once there, we can debrief you with the rest of our team. We'll need to be more united than ever now."
"Of course." Chase nodded. "There is plenty of room in the drill." He then addressed his men. "Everyone load up for departure immediately!" He walked to the drill. "We need to get their gems bac home!"
Peridot approached the two of them while glancing at Amethyst's gem. "Is she going to be alright?"
Even though the gem looked intact, the green gem couldn't help worrying about Amethyst regardless.
"Amethyst is fine." Garnet placed the gem within her hands. "She'll reform soon. In the meantime, I'm entrusting her safety to you."
"Right." Peridot returned.
There wasn't much more to be said or done about anything down here. With this passing, while Pearl and Peridot were worried about the outcome, they turned their concern to what happened with their other three members. They only hoped everything turned out better on their end.
Love Like You:End Credits
(Love Like You (End Credits) (Karaoke Version))
Steven stood outside the beach house silently staring out at the ocean as he contemplated what he learned about his mother today. Jason had been placed on the couch where he could properly rest after his fight with Jasper.
Lapis and Greg were both worried about Steven, but they made themselves useful in the meantime by cleaning up the mess Jasper left. Mr. Universe was also taking mental stock of what needed to be repaired and replaced.
Aboard the drill, Garnet, Pearl, and Peridot sat sporadically among the soldiers as it now tunneled its way to the surface. Given how today turned out, the maroon gem was wondering what they could have done differently.
Now that there was time, the white gem was reflecting on her life. She didn't want to admit it, but a lot of what Dawn said had reason. It didn't mean she thought they should be shattered, but she was beginning to see how Humanity's Defense came to be.
Peridot was keeping careful watch over Amethyst while thinking over a few good points Dawn had raised about her specifically. Tye was sitting in his office within The Hub going over notes on the potential ways Humanity's Defense could have been able to target Eitri Corp.
He soon took a small break and turned his chair around to stare outside as his mind turned to the mission with the Cluster. Despite the shaking stopping, something in his gut told him it wouldn't all be good news. In Unity Hospital, Michelle was still sitting by her son's bedside.
Phillip had yet to wake which was deeply troubling the woman. Andrew entered and put a comforting hand on his mother's shoulder before passing her a wrapped sandwich and bottle of water. Michelle sighed before nodding.
On Homeworld, Yellow Diamond watched as the squad of Ruby's entered the Roaming Eye. Their missions were to discover what happened to Jasper and bring her that human that dared to talk to her in the manner he had.
Somewhere deep underground, Dawn stood on a balcony looking down on row after row of empty suits of armor that were pitch black and gray with dull yellow lines throughout. Nearby row after row of the reinforced glass trailers sat containing gem shards. She smiled.
Universal Rewrite OP 1:Season 1
(Yu Yu Hakusho - Opening 1 | Smile Bomb)
Running in a crowd
In a faceless town
I need to feel the touch of a friend
In the countryside
I wander far and wide
The isolation gets me again
I don't know where to go
When I feel like crying
"Oh my!"
It's time to open myself
Do something new
I want to stop and grow up a bit
Then suddenly, my power and confidence start swelling up
Magically erupt
And it's all because of the kindness that I feel
From people I don't even know
Then suddenly, my intuition and my wisdom grow
And then I know
That most of all I sense compassion's real
Thanks to strangers where ever I go
Thank you for waking me up!
Universal Rewrite OP 2:Season 2
(Dragon Ball Z Kai FULL Opening English HD 1080p)
Don't stop, don't stop, we're in luck now
Don't stop there's so much to be found
We can find paradise, all we have to do is go, go
Free your soul
Mysteries abound, made of a deep energy, (energy)
Foes all around, but I will go fearless and free
I'll give you strength, you give me love, that's how we live (that's how we live)
Our courage won't fade, with me my enemies will never win
We will fight with love and glory
We will live to tell the story
There's nothing we can't live through
Nothing ever dies, we will rise again
Don't stop, don't stop we're in luck now
Don't stop, keep your spirit proud
And ride upon the wind
All we have to do is go
Don't stop, don't stop we're in luck now
Don't stop, there's so much to be found
We can find paradise, all we have to do is go, go
Free your soul
Dragon Soul
This is part II, as well as the final chapter, of season 2. The 'reap what you sow' line was taken from Dabi's Dance of MHA season 6 because I think it fits in this context. Beyond that, I'd say this finale is kind of like what we got at the end of Steven Universe's proper season 3 finale. I'm not just saying that because Steven is now wrestling with what his mother did. I'm saying this because this isn't exactly a happy ending. Sure, Jasper was bubbled.
That's simply a small victory over what looms above our heroes. Homeworld is still an issue and Humanity's Defense is bolstering their army. At this point, it's cemented that the World Government and Crystal Gems are fighting a war on two sides. The only other bright spot is that WG and CG need to really come together. On that note, let's talk about what comes after the main bulk of this chapter. The end of season 2 marks some substantial change, so I included a credit scene.
It simply goes over where characters are, where some will be, and what they are doing. Then, I decided to do something I've already done in my Justice Force series. I find anime openings and apply them to a season based on if they fit or I like it for that story. Smile Bomb fits because the first season of this story was all about Jason furthering his own humanity by discovering that side of himself as a Crystal Gem. Dragon Soul summarized season 2 quite well in my opinion.
Goku275: Thank you for all your kind words, and I will do my best.
yonalkaru: Thank you.
Marbled Gold: It was a tactic to make Jasper not retreat and fight sloppily. Given Jason has experienced what uncontrolled anger can do to himself, and after hearing about Garnet's own fight with the orange gem, he realized he could turn the tables. He ran with it; however, the end shows he isn't completely in control of his newer emotions just yet as near the end the quartz was starting to get to him. By then, Jasper was already further gone in her anger, and it was much too late for it to grievously affect the fight.