Original Idea by: Scraps and Cleverun
Characters Created by Rebecca Sugar
Chapter 2: Invasion of the Gem Snatchers
[*]
Maheswaran Household
Three Hours Later
[*]
It was a quiet evening at the Maheswaran household, just as it was for months now. Connie was eating dinner, tofu steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, with her parent as she normally did. She always found a sense of peace when it came to her family that no matter what had happened they were there for her. After the whole crisis with Steven's Death was over, Connie's dad, once a security guard named Doug, was now promoted to the chief of security for newly reinstated Mayor Dewey. As for Connie's mother Priyanka, she got a promotion to chief of medicine at her hospital, but she believes that it was more of a pity promotion on account of what happened to her daughter. Knowing that they couldn't move away due to Connie's new problems, they decided, much to their disapproval, to stay in Beach City for Connie's sake.
"So, Connie…" Priyanka asked her daughter, scooping out a dollop of mashed potatoes before passing the bowl to her husband. "How did your training go today?"
"It's fine…" Connie said bluntly and with a shrug as she picked at her food with a fork. "I'm able to take on simple opponents, but the more complex ones are harder to focus on."
"Well, just keep going at it." Priyanka said to Connie, trying to stir confidence in her daughter as she took a bite of her tofu steak. "I know that it may seem hard now, but I know you can do it. I mean, after the training you've had before, I'm sure you'll be ready for your next adventure soon enough."
"You mean her death wish…" Doug muttered under his breath.
"Doug!" Priyanka shouted with a glare at her husband before exclaiming his name.
"Do I really have to remind you that this is our daughter we're talking about?! Our daughter who almost died?! Who lost a child?!" Doug quickly shouted back as he gestured to Connie, who watched her father with a blank stare. "Who thinks it alright to train a young woman to fight some intergalactic war?! A bunch of psychopaths that's who!"
Priyanka scoffed and pointed at Doug "They know what they're doing Doug, they would not be having Connie go through this without a good reason. Why are you so cynical about this?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Doug shouted as he slammed his hands on the table in anger "Have you forgotten what happened to that Steven boy and his father?! Those same Gems butchered them into pieces. Not to mention they tormented our daughter, or have you thought all those therapy sessions were for fun?!"
Connie, ignoring the arguments of her parents, got up from the table and walked into her bedroom and closed her door. As she sat on the bed and sighed, she could still hear her parents shouting at each other through the walls. Connie then slumped onto her bed with her face to the ceiling. As she did, she looked down at her stomach, and the Gem that rested upon it.
"I'm sorry to put you through all of this." Connie muttered to her parents, knowing that they couldn't hear her. "I never intended to put you through any of this. I…I just wish things could go back to the way they were."
With that, she slipped into her pajamas and climbed into her bed to fall asleep; hoping that tomorrow would be much better.
[*]
Beach City: Exterior
Two Hours Later
[*]
The small town of Beach City was quiet, much of the small community was asleep, and the streets were lifeless and dark. The only lights came from the lone lighting of lamp posts and neon signs that covered the boardwalk and the streets of the city. Little did the citizens know, that on one of the rooftops of the Funland Arcade, two figures in grey cloaks were looking upon the city. As they both gazed upon the city, the figure on the right, a white-haired Gem, unhooded herself and knelt to survey the location.
"You'd think that Rose would've choose a place that was a lot more…lively." Zirconia said with a tone of disappointment as she watched a strange looking boy leaving the arcade with a large bag of and a crowbar. "Then again you didn't have much of a say in the matter didn't you?"
The hooded Gem responded with to Zirconia with silence. Zirconia then noticed the Gem's hands clench. The white Gem then rose up and faced the Gem, patting her hand on the figure's shoulder in a sarcastic manner.
"Oh, come on now! Think of this as somewhat of a reunion for you." Zirconia chuckled, gesturing to the Crystal Temple in the distance. "Besides, I'll finally meet your other half, it should be quite fun, won't it…Pearl?"
As Zirconia walked away from the Gem and jumped off the rooftop, the long-nosed Gem looked towards the direction of the crystal temple. She then unhooded herself and gazed upon the temple with a cold, black shot stare. Ten months ago, she had committed an evil deed and was shattered there, and now she was back, all because of the Master she served.
"Yeah," Pearl said softly as she felt ichor tears roll down her face. "Yes it will."
[*]
Mayor Dewey's Office, present day
[*]
It was a dream come true for Bill Dewey, after Steven and his father had to on a "space road trip" that would last their lifetime. Nanefua, his successor as mayor, resigned as mayor and he was able to win the next election, especially since no one else wanted the job. Sure, the job wasn't as fun as running a donut shop, and sure, all that character development Bill had acquired had eroded into nothing. The important thing was that Mayor Dewey was back, and…well…he's back…hooray?
Mayor Dewey was sitting in his office as usual, performing his evening ritual of being on the phone with someone called "Lucy Lead Pipe." Bill placed the picture of his son that sat on his desk down as he unbuckled his trousers and continued to listen to the tranny on the phone.
Your tax dollars at work.
As he continued to ask Lucy questions about her "meat pipe," he heard a knock on the door.
"Hey uh, could you come back later" Dewey shouted as he covered the phone with his hand, "I…uh… I'm having an important meeting with a…uh…representative of a piping company and I cannot be disturbed...uh…for the next eight minutes."
"Sir, this is urgent," a woman's voice said from behind the door, "It's someone saying that they work for someone called "The Master."
Dewey's stomach sunk, dropping the phone in his hands and feeling the blood flow back into his pelvis. After recomposing himself, he hung up the phone and buckled up his trousers.
"S-s-s-send her in." Dewey said nervously, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
The door to the Mayor's office opened and Zirconia walked in, along with two Pyrite drones behind her. As she sat in the chair across from Dewey's, the Pyrites hovered beside him. Dewey was now sweating bullets, knowing that this might end in a way he did not want it to end.
"Hello Mr. Mayor." Zirconia said warmly, examining the gold name plaque that sat on his desk "I would first like to say congratulations on your reflection and I'm glad to see that you're able to break away from your disgusting human habits to make time for an old friend like me."
"Of c-c-course Zirconia" Dewey said with a shudder, trying to keep a straight face as he glanced as the Pyrites beside him. "Now, we've provided the intel on the Gems like you asked, and I've been keeping track on Connie's actions and movements for the past few months. Is there anythi-
"Quiet!" Zirconia barked to the Mayor. "You know why I'm here; the Master would like to first thank you, and those before you, for your hospitality over the ages, for allowing him to proceed with his plans without obstructions and for providing support and intel for our troops."
Dewey smiled as he wiped his head with his handkerchief. However, as he looked up and saw the door open again; his smile vanished when he saw Zirconia was now crouched on the desk before him, her hand clutching the base of his neck.
"But I'm afraid that your uses to our cause have run their course, and the Master doesn't like to leave behind any…loose ends."
"Wait Zirconia, I still have money and power. I know many people who you could use as servants." Dewey pleaded as began to panic. "Governors, Generals, anyone he wants. Please, I have been so loyal to him. I did everything he asked me t-"
*crack*
Zirconia released the Mayor's neck and watched as Dewey's head fell onto the desk, smashing his family picture.
"I know you did," Zirconia said mockingly, "But just like Master said, in a game of chess, you must sacrifice the pawns to win."
As she let go of Dewey's body, she pushed his lifeless corpse aside and sat down onto his desk. Relishing the thought of controlling this city, she looked to the Pyrite's beside her.
"Go and assemble the others." Zirconia ordered her Pyrites. "Raze this city to the ground and find Connie. Then bring her to me, alive."
The Pyrite's saluted as they hovered out the doorway. As they did, Zirconia sat her chair around and gazed out into the sleeping city, knowing that in a few minutes, it would be awoken with a force on the high.
[*]
Maheswaran Household, present day
[*]
"Wake up Connie!"
"They're here!"
It was still the middle of night when Connie woke to the sound of a door banging. As she rose up from her bed, she quickly put on her cloths and walked towards the door. As she opened the door and looked outside, she saw her parents talking to someone at the front door.
"…Look, just tell us why you need to speak with our daughter?" Doug said in a concerned tone, "I'm a police officer and I work for Mayor Dewey; and I am sure whatever my daughter did was a simple misunderstanding."
"[YOUR OFFSPRING HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH THEFT AND HIGH TREASON… YOU ARE TO ALLOW THIS UNIT TO COMPLETE THIS UNIT'S DIRECTIVE…FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL LEAD TO USE OF FORCE BY THIS UNIT.]"
Connie gasped lightly as she recognized the voice of the "guest", it had the same voice as that strange robot she fought to the Tribunal Temple months ago. As she opened her door by a crack to look onward, she saw her father and mother in the hallway, blocking the Pyrite drone from moving on.
"But you still haven't told me what she stole! My daughter isn't some thief!" Priyanka objected to the Pyrite, "And Treason?! Do you even have proof that she stole anything?! Do you even have a warrant?!"
The Pyrite's lens switched from a green to a yellow color as it stared at the humans blocking its path
"[THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING ORGANIC…COMPLY WITH THIS UNIT'S SEARCH OR THIS UNIT WILL USE FORCEFUL ACTION UPON YOU.]"
Then the Pyrite tilted its body, noticing the small pair of eyes peeking out from the door. Doug then turned as well, seeing his daughter watching from beyond. Choosing his actions carefully he first looked to Priyanka, who looked to him with fear as she looked to her daughter as well.
"Connie…" Priyanka said softly before shouting to her daughter. "Run!"
Both Doug and Priyanka then football tackled the Pyrite. Connie was about to run in when she heard her mother's scream, followed by the sight of Doug being thrown down the hallway past her. As Connie looked in shock and horror at her father, she then saw two more Pyrites float down the hallway, one of them had its arm stabbed through the body of her mother.
"[TARGET LOCATED…IDENTIFIED: CONNIE MAHESWARAN…CLASSIFICATION: GEMIAN…PYRITE UNITS IDENTIFIED…COMMENCING ACQUISITION OF ASSET]"
As Connie screamed at seeing her dead mother, Doug rose up off the floor and pulled a shotgun from under one of the hallway tables, knowing that his preparation for a home invasion would finally pay off.
"Connie!" Doug shouted as he shot at the Pyrites, which didn't damage them but knocked them back, allowing his daughter enough time to escape. "Find the Gems and get out of here! GO!"
Connie quickly ran into her room and shut the door and locked it; she then grabbed her dresser and dropped it in front of the door to block it. As soon as she approached the window to escape, she heard gunfire behind the door, this was followed by the sounds of tearing, her father's screams, and a large wet thud. At that moment, Connie froze in shock, crouching down with the realization that her parents were now dead. Her mother, her father, more people that she loved had died because of her. She never got to say goodbye, to say she loved them, and she was sorry…just like Steven…
She regained focus when she heard the Pyrite's trying to break down the door. Connie quickly jumped onto her bed and slid her window open. As she squirmed through and attempted to climb down the wall of her house, her hand slipped and she fell onto the ground below. As she laid on her back disoriented by the fall, she saw the three Pyrites hovering above her. She tried to summon her weapons, but it was no use, she was too disorientated to concentrate.
"[CONTACTING AGENT ZIRCONIA…THE TARGET HAS BEEN CAPTURED…THIS UNIT WILL TAKE THE GEM THIEF TO THE RENDEZVOUS LOCATION…THE OTHER UNITS WILL PROCEED TO SUBJUGATE THE ORGANICS AND LOCATE THE OTHER GEMS.]"
"[THIS UNIT QUERIES WHY UNIT 2,358 IS THE UNIT TO TAKE THE TARGET TO RENDEZVOUS POINT...THIS UNIT SHOULD BE THE UNIT TO TAKE THE TARGET THE RENDEZVOUS LOCATION.]"
"[THIS UNIT IS IN AGREEMENT WITH UNIT 4,229…BUT THIS UNIT SHOULD BE THE UNIT TO TAKE THE TO TAKE THE TARGET THE RENDEZVOUS LOCATION?]"
As the Pyrites argued with each other, Connie tried to resist but was too disoriented to fight it. As the Pyrite came to an agreement, one of the Gemdroids flew away while the other two lifted her up, Connie vision blurred before everything turned to black.
[*]
Beach City: City Hall
Twenty Minutes Later
[*]
Connie woke to the sound of panicking voices. As she came to, she saw she was moving toward the City Hall. As she looked around, she saw in horror as hundreds of Pyrites were breaking into homes and rounding up the citizens. Buildings and homes were ablaze and destroyed. There were bodies of citizens all over the streets. Connie saw as the young boy known as Onion was sitting next to the corpse of his father Yellowtail, hugging it as a Pyrite approached him.
"[ORGANIC…STAND UP AND ASSIMILATE INTO THE GROUP…FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL-]"
Onion suddenly whistled as he and several other odd-looking children pounced onto the Pyrite and attacked it, with Onion clinging to the head of the Gemdroid and bashing it with a crowbar. Connie watched in horror as the Pyrite simply fired a red laser from its lens, blowing off Onion's head and causing his twitching body to fall next to his father. The Pyrite then tore apart the other children and then hovered away without remorse, dragging the bodies of Onion and his father behind it. Connie then saw Sour Cream scream and try to chase the Pyrite that killed his family before two Pyrites grabbed him and dragged him away.
As Connie choked at the sight of her city burning, her attention was refocused to the now present City Hall. As Connie was brought into the building, she could see Pyrites, robonoids, and Gem technology everywhere. As Connie glanced down a hallway, she saw people lined up at a table, under the watch of Pyrites, as they were forcing citizens to build strange looking pods.
Connie was then brought into the office of Mayor Dewey, whose office was now occupied by his immanent successor, Zirconia.
"Hello Connie, it's nice to finally meet you." The white-haired Gem greeted her captive as she walked up to her, "Do you like what I've done to the place? I honestly think I've done a grand job so far, don't you? After all, this dirtball of yours was supposed to be a colony, unlike that pathetic Gem hovel nearby, and now it is."
Connie gritted her teeth at Zirconia before spitting in her face; this resulted in a sharp slap in the face by Zirconia.
"I was told that you humans were lacking in the concept of respect." Zirconia said while wiping her face, "It doesn't matter though, once my Master deals with you it won't make a difference. However, if you tell me the location of Garnet and Amethyst, I might make sure your end is painless."
"Why are you attacking Beach City?!" Connie shouted as she tried to release herself from her restraints "Why are you killing them?! Why did you kill my family?!"
Zirconia smiled as she bent down to Connie.
"It's because I want to break you." Zirconia whispered to Connie.
As Zirconia moved away from her captive, Connie looked in confusion at what Zirconia meant by breaking her.
"You must know by now that Vitae is the life force of a Gemian, and by that extent, a Gem, it's the source of our powers and grants us immortality." Zirconia explained as she looked out the window towards the chaos outside. "However, the Master knows how to extract it from a Gem and use it to enhance his own well-being. But to extract the most at a time however, the subject must be placed in high states of agony and pain. This is because the process of producing Vitae in a Gem, or human, is much like the production of endorphins, once the subject has suffered a specific level of pain, they'll be ripe for consumption."
Zirconia then turned to Connie and gave a large grin, looking to the Gem girl that stood before her.
"Which is why I'm giving the job of extracting your Vitae to a familiar friend of yours." Zirconia then gestured to the door behind them as the Pyrite made Connie turn to see the Gem behind her. "She's been waiting to catch up with you, just like the good old days."
"No…" Connie whispered as she saw the Gem before her, and that her fears had finally manifested.
There walking into the room along with two Pyrites, was a tall gem with a long nose and pale skin. Her Gem was a dark grey and it had indents upon it, as if it they were scars that healed but never went away. One of her eyes was milky white and scarred while the other was black shot and trickling Ichor fluid. She was wearing a grey and black variant of her original suit but with a grey diamond in place of the yellow star. To Master Diamond, she was a servant of the Diamond Authority, but to the Crystal Gems and Connie she was known as…
"Pearl?" Connie muttered; a cold sweat trickled down her brow.
"Hello Connie, it's been a while hasn't it?" Pearl looked down at her captive and smiled warmly, summoning a handkerchief and wiping the sweat from the head of her old friend. "My, you've grown a lot since the last time we last meet. Did you lose weight?"
Connie glared angrily at Pearl while trying to break free of her restraints. She then noticed one of the Pyrites behind Pearl looked far different from the rest. Its color was shades of purple and grey, and its lens was white with a black dot in the middle, much like an eye. Her attention was then brought back to Pearl as the Gem grabbed her face and examined it. Pearl then traced her hand down to Connie's stomach.
"I can sense the fear inside you Connie." Pearl said with a smile, "I am surprised you haven't been affected by the mental ailments basic organics endure during such an ordeal. It seems as if you were not maimed at all. Perhaps your mind is adjusting to your Gem powers. Just like Steven."
Connie then watched as the purple Pyrite slowly moved behind Pearl. Pearl then noticed Connie's focus and turned to see the Pyrite, who then stuck out its tongue at Pearl before decking her in the face.
"[This unit is authorized to kick your backstabbing ass, bitch!]" The Pyrite yelled as it transformed into Amethyst, "Guys! Now!"
Just then, there was the sound of a car horn, followed by a loud and violent crash as a large van drove right through the office's window. It was the van that Greg used to own, only that there was a small light cannon attached to the roof. As it stopped inside the building, the back door opened and Garnet and Bismuth jumped out, smashing two Pyrites onto the floor before facing Pearl and Zirconia.
"Oh look, its Garnet!" Zirconia said in a mocking tone as she summoned her Katars "And Bismuth too! Looks like the family is all back together.
"Pearl?!" Garnet said in shock to her former Gem comrade, "How is this possible?!"
Pearl responded by pouncing at Garnet, only to be knocked back by a punch from Bismuth and getting knocked into Zirconia.
"I got Connie!" Bismuth yelled as she grabbed the Gem girl and pulled her over her shoulder. "Let's vamoose!"
Without another word, the Gems entered the Van and Garnet floored it, sending the van through the city hall and out into the streets.
As Zirconia and Pearl looked to the van that was speeding away, they ran out into the streets of the city and raise their hands in the air.
"The Gems have Connie!" Pearl and Zirconia shouted to the Pyrites. "Get them!"
[*]
Beach City: City Limits
Present day
[*]
As the van barreled out the streets of Beach City and onto the open road, Bismuth removed Connie's restraints. The Gem girl rubbed her arms and looked around. Bismuth slump back onto the wall of the van and buried her head in her hands, letting out a large sigh. Amethyst was sitting in the
"Can anyone tell me what just happened?! Why are the Pyrites attacking Beach City?! Who was that Gem with Pearl, another of Diamond's cronies?!" Connie asked, her questions became more frantic as she felt her hand tremble. "In fact, why the hell was Pearl there?! I thought Amethyst shattered her?!
"Well…" Amethyst said as she shifted gazes with Connie and the Gems and shrugged. "…technically I…just threw her off a cliff. But she did shatter…I think…"
Connie stood up and was about to strangle the purple Gem before Bismuth stopped her.
"Hey! Easy there! Easy!" Bismuth shouted at Connie, trying to calm the enraged Gem down.
"You should've let me shatter her then and there your insensitive clod!" Connie shouted at Amethyst. "My family's dead because of you!"
"Hey! Don't blame me for that!" Amethyst shouted as she looked behind her seat at Connie. "In case you forget, this "insensitive clod" just saved your ungrateful uptight ass! But then, we should've just taken the Gem!"
"Both of you stop that!" Bismuth shouted as she grabbed Connie and held her at eye level. "You know that's not true! Amethyst's not responsible for Pearl being there. Besides, that other Gem she was with was behind this attack. They both were at Little Homeworld before this attack, and Amethyst, that was uncalled for, you know that it's too soon to hit that below the belt!"
Connie yanked Bismuth's hands off her shoulder and sat back down.
"Look, we can play the blame game after we lay low for a while." Bismuth said as she looked to Amethyst, who was now buried in her arms and curled up in her seat.
"Incoming Pyrites!" Garnet shouted to the other Gems as she looked in her rear-view mirror. "They're coming in fast!"
Connie and Bismuth looked out the rear window as Amethyst looked out the passenger side window. The Gems watched in horror as a large cloud of Pyrites began to swarm towards them like locust. With each passing second, the swarm was getting closer and closer. The light cannon was very effective with repelling a few of the Pyrites that got close enough, but it wasn't enough to take on an entire swarm.
"Guys…!" Amethyst said in a worried tone to her comrades. "Not that there is any pressure and you can answer at any time but…Do we have anything short of a plan B?!"
Garnet looked back to Bismuth before they both pulled on a rope attached to the ceiling of the van. As they did, the light cannon fell off the van and tumbled onto to the road.
Amethyst looked to the cannon, then to the swarm, then to Connie, and then to Bismuth and Garnet.
"Okay, how about a plan that's not crazy or stupid?!" Amethyst shouted at the Gems.
As Bismuth smiled, she pulled out a small remote and pressed it. As she did, the cannon began to glow brightly, pulling in the Pyrites passing by like a magnet to metal shavings. Suddenly, there was a blinding light followed by a deafening roar. The ground behind the Gems shook violently, causing the van to swerve and nearly turned over. Garnet stopped the Van as Bismuth and Connie opened the rear van doors and looked back.
They saw the large funnel cloud of smoke rise into the air, no Pyrites were in sight. As Amethyst cheered at their victory, her woos cut short and she and the other Gems noticed Connie, looking to the road to Beach City, the city which she was leaving behind.
Connie could see smoke rising further in the distance, the smoke coming from the attack on the city. She then thought about the people that she considered friends that she left behind and how would they survive. She then remembered her parents, Onion, and the others that were killed by this attack, an attack masterminded by Pearl…and her Master Diamond.
"Don't worry Diamond, I'm coming for you…" Connie said as she walked back into the van. "…and when I find you, I'm gonna make you feel everything that they're feeling…what I'm feeling…"
As Garnet started the van, the Gems watched as the black clouds of Beach City vanished into the distance. Connie turned to Bismuth, who gave her a look of both relief and sympathy. Connie tried to speak, to say something to the Gems, but only found herself falling silent. Amethyst wrapped herself into a ball she looked onto the descending road, the smoke filling up the grey skies above, like black paint in milk, an omen for the terrible force that would come.
[*]
Earth: Somewhere Over the Ocean
Present Day
[*]
The ocean was peaceful and calm Not a single speck of land was in sight. As the water sat calm and undisturbed in the ocean, there was suddenly a large wake as seven Pyrites flew across the sky, scanning the ocean below them.
"[THIS UNIT WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH SECTION 11.32. OTHER UNITS WILL SEARCH 332.3, 77, 12, 34.5, AND 7654.3338.]"
Just as the Pyrites prepared to split up, the water below them suddenly shot up into a huge hand, swallowing the Pyrites and dragging them into the watery depths below. In the distance, a blue Gem by the name of Lapis Lazuli was hiding beneath the water as she watched the spectacle occur. She sighed with relief as she saw the Pyrites vanish beneath, unaware that she was being watched as well.
Suddenly, she felt a powerful current force her above the water and into the air. As she spun around in the sky, she then saw four Pyrites surround her and grab hold. As Lapis tried to break free, she saw a Gem with Grey skin, and a black suit with a grey triangle in the center approach her with two Pyrites behind her, she smiled as she examined Lapis.
"Who're you?!" the water Gem exclaimed as she tried to break free of the Pyrites, "Are you another Gem sent to capture me?!"
The Gem raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why yes, my name is Onyx, and I am here for you and your little colony. My Master wanted me to find you." She said with a small laugh, "Seeing how you single handedly wiped out his forces back at Little Homeworld and escape for so long, I'm can see why."
"Master?!" Lapis asked in confusion, trying to break free but finding herself unable to access her powers. "What's happening here?! Why did you attack my colony?!"
"She knows nothing, does she?" Onyx sniggered as she floated back to her Pyrites. "Remind me, Why's she so important again?
The Pyrite left of Onyx approached Lapis and scanned her.
"[IDENTIFICATION: LAPIS LAZULI…CLASSIFICATION: PUEREM...WEAPON TYPE: LIQUID MANIPULATION...THREAT LEVEL: SEVERE]"
"You see, you're a very special Gem." Onyx explained with a smile as she lifted her hands and summoned a black short sword. She then turned to Lapis and pointed it at her throat. "My Master will definitely be expecting you, let's not keep him waiting now."
Before Lapis could respond, she felt a beam of yellow lightning pierced her chest, causing her to destabilize into her Gem. Onyx then floated towards it and clutched it in her hands, as a smile grew on her face; she then felt burning tears streaming down her face. Instantly knowing what just happened, she then turned to see Master Diamond, along with Sandstone and Moonstone, floating before her.
"Master!" the Gem phrased as she knelt before him, the Gem of Lapis held out towards him "I've captured the Gem known as Lapis Lazuli, she'll no longer be a threat to your plans."
Diamond took the Gem and examined it. He then clenched it in his hand and the Gem's color dimmed.
"It seems you had found a way to escape our attack, you truly are a Puerem of Topaz." Diamond said to the Gem as he bubbled it. "Nevertheless, you will find that I'm your new Master now and I'm not as kind as they were."
Diamond then sent the bubbled Gem away and then lifted his hand into the air, causing the group of Pyrites, including the ones Lapis submerged into the water below, to shoot up into the sky and fly away.
"You have done well with following my tasks Onyx; unlike my other servants, you've truly proven your loyalty and efficiency to me."
"Thank you, my Master." Onyx said as she stood up before the Gemian before her. "Does this mean that Pearl and Zirconia have been failing you again?"
"Pearl's failure to acquire Steven's Gem have become a problem, not only have they allowed the Vitae of my sister Rose to join another host, but now the thief has escaped the city." Diamond explained as he turned to face the sky above him. "Since they went to my old temple, chances are that she and her companions are now on their way to find my missing sibling Topaz, hoping that they'll provide assistance."
"Does that mean you will want me to stop them?" Onyx replied as she moved next to Diamond. "I can find those Gems, just as I've found Lapis."
As Diamond was about to speak, he paused and placed his hand on his chin. He then turned to Sandstone and Moonstone.
"Leave us" Diamond said to his servants as he waved his hand. "Go assist Zirconia with suppressing Beach City."
"Can do Master!" Sandstone said with a salute and smile. "We'll make sure Ol'Zirry get those flesh bags in line."
As the two Gems left, Diamond then turned his attention back to Onyx.
"No, not yet." Diamond said as he looked down to the water below him. "Once Lapis is conditioned, I'll have her track them until they find Topaz, then n you can stop them. But for now, I have a task that's far more important for you to do first, and it is crucial that you don't fail me."
"Of course Master! I will not fail you!" Onyx replied with a smile, "What is it that you wish of me?"
Diamond turned away from his servant and looked down to her before answering her question with one of his own.
"Do you know what the Peridot Intelligence is?"
[*]