Unity City: Ramos Industries' Basement
A girl, 11 years old and with the build of a runner, stood inside a room comprised of three walls and a large pane of glass. She had short black hair and hazel eyes. She wore a white tank top, black pants, and sneakers. A rectangular piece of jet was within her left shoulder.
This young lady was Zara Ramos. She glanced around as an audible beeping started and the room flashed red. Slowly, the glass lifted before there was an air horn and green light. Zara ran from the room and onto a metal walkway which led to a small doorway.
She ran right on in and entered a large courtyard before a huge, castle structure. Men in black suits stood behind massive launchers, all aimed at the doorway. Zara was already running before they fired large, colorful spheres. The men ran with them, giving her two things to dodge.
The spheres weren't all that hard, but the unpredictability of the men was a whole other factor. Still, she managed to run through these obstacles before four spheres suddenly came at her. They exploded, leaving a large smoke screen that made her hesitate.
In that hesitation, four men came out of the smoke, tackling her to the ground. A horn blared signaling an end to the exercise. The suited men got off Zara, who sighed as a man she was all too familiar with, who had a muscularly refined build, stepped out of an elevator.
"Alright, let's clean up and reset everything." The newly arrived man called out.
This man wore a black suit with grey accents and had a pair of black sunglasses hanging from his suit's neckline. His hair was short and blond while his eyes were the same hazel as Zara's. His name was Andrew Ramos.
"Well, I wouldn't call this a success." Andrew took out a folder and used it to tap Zara on the head. "You hesitated, and as a result, you barely got into the exercise. Do you see now why your father doesn't want you doing what the other hybrids do?"
"Not really." Zara frowned. "I mean, that super soldier is out of my league, but what about the younger one? He's clearly less trained than I am."
"That's not exactly the case anymore, but it hardly matters since my brother isn't his father." Andrew sighed before getting on a knee before her. "Look, I know you want to join the Crystal Gems, but what they do could see you die.
Your father loves you and wants to make sure you're around for years to come. Honestly, I'm right there with him." Zara sighed as her uncle smiled. "Don't worry, we'll get you to that level eventually." He ruffled his niece's hair. "Until then, staying with us isn't that bad, right?"
Zara smiled at that. "I suppose I can't argue that."
Beach City
Jason was standing next to a new SUV that was indistinguishable from the one he'd been using since leaving base. He even moved all his weapons, which had sustained minimal damage from the fiasco with Lapis, into it. The one he's driven all this time was on a flatbed.
"Tell the commander thanks for sending a new ride." Jason stated. "I would have worked to fix mine, but with all the damage it sustained, it wouldn't have been practical. Especially since I'd need a new door anyways."
The driver's door hadn't washed up anywhere in Beach City.
"Think nothing of it, sir." A soldier, decked out in a simple mechanic's get up, had been the one to bring him his new SUV. "With your track record, this is a simple thing to arrange." He held out his hand. "Just continue your good work."
"Of course." Jason shook the offered hand.
They then parted as the soldier got into his truck and Jason into his SUV. As he drove on down to the car wash, Jason couldn't help but think of Lapis. He was still surprised at the kiss that she gave him before leaving.
Before this point, the soldier was preoccupied with his duties, so he never dated. That kiss with Lapis had been his first. Regardless of that fact, there wasn't much he could do about it. Lapis was gone, so he busied himself with getting things back to normal.
It's a Wash
"Those water constructs really did a number on Greg's van." Pearl commented.
"Ah, give it a rest Pearl." Amethyst voiced. "That thing will be busted forever. Greg should have just let Jason hook him up with a new one."
"I, for one, completely disagree on the matter." Pearl declared. "It's just a simple, human machine. I'm sure I can figure this whole thing out before you know it!"
"Hey guys!" Steven declared, as he and Greg were coming over.
"Zoop!" Greg declared as he boosted himself along on an office chair using a hockey stick. "I got something that will patch that van up!"
The man began rummaging through his toolbox.
Pearl can't help but gasp and cup her hands. "Is it some kind of complex, human tool?"
"Yup, high-quality duct tape!" Greg held out said item. "Some well-placed duct tape can patch anything in a pinch, see?"
He pointed to his broken leg which was fitted with a ruler and a stick duct-taped to it.
"I don't know, Pearl." Jason stated, having arrived and now joining the group. "Maybe you do need some duct tape."
"I'm sure I can fix this without your tape." Pearl bluntly declined.
"At least let me give you a hand." Greg offered.
He tried to stand using his hockey stick but failed due to his weak leg.
Steven ran over to help him. "I'm sorry you hurt your leg, and your van was smashed up because of me."
"You apologize too much." Greg pat his son's head. "Maybe I shouldn't have tagged along in that crazy adventure, but at least I got to spend some time with my fave guy!"
"What if you stayed with us until you got better?" Steven proposed.
"Hey, that's a great idea, but won't I get in the way of your training?" Greg asked.
"Yes!" Pearl quickly declared without hesitation.
"Pearl, that's rude." Jason scolded. "My dad was around when I trained, and you saw how far along I was before I started living with you guys."
"Wait, Steven." Amethyst got the kid's attention as she sat up. "Don't you have healing powers?"
"Oh, yes!" Pearl smiled nervously. "You fix Greg, I'll fix the van, and nobody has to live with us."
Jason sweat dropped. "Whoa, she really doesn't seem to like Greg that much."
"Yeah! Here goes something new and exciting." Steven licked his hand. "And…go!" He slapped his hand onto Greg's leg. "Okay, you should be better now."
"If you say so." Greg tried to stand, but he fell back in his chair almost immediately.
"Why didn't it work?" Steven asked disappointed.
"Sorry buddy." Greg tried to reassure his son. "Maybe you just need a little more practice."
"But...I was doing so well before!" Steven cried out.
"Steven, don't worry about it." Pearl assured. "Your powers are a bit fickle after all."
"Just give it a bit more time." Garnet chimed in.
"Besides, from what I can recall, your powers have only been used on gems." Jason added. "If it didn't help your dad's leg, maybe it's because he's fully human."
"That is a possibility." Pearl stated with a hand to her chin.
"But wait, what about Connie?" Steven questioned. "I healed her eyes, remember?"
"Well, her condition wasn't really an injury." Jason reasoned. "It was more like a genetic defect."
"Oh, who cares!" Greg piped up and grabbed his son in a headlock. "Cheer up, Steven! At least now we get to spend more time together, right?"
Steven seemed to finally feel better with that. "Yeah, right."
"Garnet, can you give me a lift please?" Pearl asked.
Without a word, the maroon gem reached forward and lifted the front end of the van. Almost immediately, the engine fell out.
Beach House: Days Later, Evening…
Steven and his dad spent days having fun around the house, and Jason gave them their space to have it. Considering Greg was injured, he gave up the couch and tended to sleep on the floor. That or out in his SUV. By this point, he'd fixed anything wrong with his weapons.
He was just thinking of beginning work on a gun that could fire knives. Something like that could be effective against stronger gems. Plus, it seemed rather simple compared to some of the other ideas in his head. He was just contemplating which gun to try it with.
"Jason." Garnet approached him.
"Oh, hey Garnet." Jason greeted. "Did you need something?"
"You've told us of your father's intent to eventually visit, so I was hoping to better understand the type of person he is." Garnet stated.
"Ah, want a read on him before he shows up, huh?" Jason smiled. "Well, I think I can speak best by what our relationship was. We weren't quite like Greg and Steven, but he was a supportive father. He understood the pressure I was under.
It was his idea for me to take up a hobby, and he let me pick it. It's why I can play the guitar, but there wasn't much time to practice. There were many times he rewarded me with ice cream. We'd sit out in the backyard and just talk about anything really.
I'm certain he missed my moms, but it must have been when I was younger. Honestly, I don't remember a time when he blamed me. After learning what I have from all of you, I was conflicted. He ended up hiding a lot from me. Then, I concluded he did it because he loved me.
I was a hybrid and looking back, there were some tense situations. By then, not everyone was on board with us. I only remember that now looking back on it, so he really protected me. I specifically remember one of the few vacations we ever got together."
Lake: 8 Years Ago…
A younger Jason was out on the lake fishing with his father, but he really seemed down.
"Hey Jason, you know what's one of the best things about fishing?" Tye asked.
"No, what?" Jason asked.
"The time it takes to catch a fish is the best time to talk, so why don't you tell your old man what's been eating you since we got here?" Tye asked.
"It was that mission I went on." Jason replied. "I managed to take down the monster and shatter the gem; however, a soldier lost his life protecting me. His son yelled at me for it. He said, 'What use are you if men are going to die just so you can live! You're supposed to protect us!'"
"I'm sorry that happened." Tye nodded. "Listen Jason, losing someone is never easy if you genuinely loved them. It can make us lash out. You might be a super soldier, but that's just the title. Your gem and human; both make mistakes.
No matter how strong you get, how old you become, mistakes will still happen. That's part of life. That boy's father gave his life to protect you because he believed in the power you will cultivate, the protection you'll bring. All you can do is honor that by learning from this."
"I think…I understand." Jason nodded. "I won't let his sacrifice on my behalf be in vain. I'll keep training, learning, and living to do what I've been set to do. I'll protect the innocent." He looked at the water uncertainly. "Do you think that's something I can hold to?"
"You're your mother's son." Tye ruffled his hair. "With her power, I think you'll be able to do it and then some."
Present
"I know it's easy to look on the World Government and think them irredeemable for what they've done to the corrupted gems." Jason looked at her. "In the end, it was a complicated situation. My father didn't want to contact any of you until he was certain things were safe.
Unbeknownst to me, I was that indicator. The fact he sent me was the sign of things to come. A sign they want exactly what you all want. Any of you can think what you want, but I think humanity deserves the chance to protect their own planet. It's their home to."
"I see." Garnet nodded. "Despite what the World Army has done, your father does sound like a good man. I'll look forward to meeting him."
The maroon gem walked away. Jason just smiled as he locked down his SUV and decided to head on into the beach house.
Beach House: Morning…
"Bombs away!" Amethyst declared, as she threw her paper airplane.
It twirled a bit before coming back around and hitting Greg on the head. Him, Steven, and Amethyst laughed. Jason just smiled as he worked on a blue print for his first, modified weapon. He settled on using a rifle. The door opened and Pearl came in toweling off the oil from Greg's engine.
"You're back." Garnet entered from the stone part of the building. "The Geode is cracked. We must leave immediately."
"What?"
"Oh, no!"
"Steven, Jason, you too."
"Alright." Jason declared before jogging to the warp pad.
"Yeah!" Steven stood up excitedly.
"Aw, really?" Greg asked.
"Oh. Oh, yeah." Steven realized he's been taking care of his father this whole time.
"It's okay, Steven, I'll be fine." Greg encouraged. "You go on your mission."
"Are you sure?" Steven asked.
"Of course."
"Thanks Dad!" Steven ran on over. "We'll be back before you know it!"
"Don't worry about your old man because my leg's not getting any more broken. If I need something, I'll just crawl." Greg attempted to garner sympathy. "My arms still aren't broken."
"Oh, brother." Amethyst muttered.
Only Jason remained on the warp pad.
"Jason could you…" Garnet began.
"On it." Jason stated as he activated the warp pad.
The Geode
There were dark clouds from which lightning struck the baren ground and thunder boomed loudly. There was a large, metallic sphere in a massive crater which wasn't far from the warp pad.
Without hesitation, Jason stepped off the pad and slid down the crater. The soldier approached the crack which was emanating a bright light. He placed a tentative hand on the structure and got a feel for its composition.
"Hm, a slight metal feel." Jason muttered. "The crack isn't any larger than my forearm."
His contemplation was interrupted as the warp pad activated. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven had arrived.
"Man, this place is janked up." Amethyst commented.
"You're telling me!" Jason called out.
"Was there an explosion or something?" Steven questioned.
Garnet walked off the pad with the others. "Almost."
"What you're looking at is a synthetic storm contained in…" Pearl's explanation was interrupted by a distinct whistling noise coming from the warp pad.
"Is that the Warp Whistle?" Amethyst asked.
"Warp what?" Jason asked.
"Ah! Dad needs me! I'll be right back!" Without missing a beat, Steven warped back.
"What's going on?" Jason asked as he joined the group.
"We gave Greg the Warp Whistle to call us should he have an emergency." Pearl explained.
"Ah, okay." Jason stated.
"Did you have any ideas for that crack?" Garnet asked.
"I have one. I was thinking…"
Steven warped back. "Sorry for the holdup!"
"Is everything okay?" Pearl asked.
Amethyst laughed. "Did Greg fall down and break his butt?"
"That's not funny." Garnet stated seriously.
"I know." Apparently, Amethyst knew the gravity of the situation because she looked down.
"Like I was saying, this is a synthetic…" Pearl tried.
Then, the warp whistle went off again.
"I'm sure it's very important." Steven predicted before warping back to the house.
"So, it's a what?" Jason asked.
Pearl sighed. "This structure houses within it a synthetic storm so powerful that if it were to completely break open, the storm would be unleashed and vaporize almost any gems body within a five-mile radius. I'd imagine it wouldn't feel good for anything human either."
"This synthetic storm, if contained enough, could it act just like a normal storm would?" Jason asked. "You know, thunder, lightning, dark clouds, and massive rain fall?"
"In a way, yes." Pearl admitted. "The storm would mostly be used for its powerful vaporizing with potential lightning strikes, but rain would accompany it. Why?"
"I can see this both as a weapon, and an agricultural boon. In war, it would be easy to place this in an enemy's supply route or troop movement and effectively cut them off. For a boon, it could help water-starved parts of the world." Jason explained.
The warp pad activated yet again, revealing Steven. "It was very important."
"Okay, so if the Geode breaks, the storm will be unleashed, and our bodies will be vaporized." Pearl quickly explained before there were any further interruptions.
"That's where you come in." Garnet explained as she directed Steven toward the crack.
"Say what?" Steven questioned.
"You should try and seal that crack with your healing powers." Garnet proposed.
"What if I can't?" Steven asked dejectedly.
"It won't hurt to try." Garnet encouraged.
Jason clapped his shoulder. "There's no shame in trying."
"Okay." Steven walked up to the Geode, licked his hand, and slapped it onto the crack; however, nothing happened. "It's not working!" The boy sighed in defeat and let go of the Geode. "I knew this would happen. Just when I thought I was getting better."
"Don't beat yourself up, Steven."
"Yeah, don't worry about it!"
"We'll find another way!"
The gems tried to reassure the kid of his apparent failure, but he was having none of it. "You don't understand. How am I supposed to call myself a Crystal Gem if I can't even…"
He was interrupted as the Warp Whistle went off again. With nothing else to do, for the moment, the group decided to warp back together.
Just after they left, a young woman approached the Geode. "I don't get why I was sent to do something anyone else could have."
She had brown hair which reached down her back and eyes of the same color. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved gray shirt, matching pants, and boots. Over her pants she wore a pair of greaves, one red and the other blue. Each had a shattered gem of the opposite color embedded.
She sighed. "Mission commence, I suppose."
Beach House
"Dad! Daaad! Are you okay?" Steven cried out at seeing his father slumped against the bed. "Answer me!"
"Steven!" He jerked awake and looked at his son. "You just missed the funniest commercial."
"What?"
"It was that one for the dog treats where the dogs are dressed up like a doctor." Greg chuckled. "If I ever get heartworms, I'm eating those dog treats."
"Dad, you're only supposed to use the Warp Whistle for emergencies." Steven scolded. "Like if you fell and broke your butt."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Greg apologized.
Steven sighed. "It's okay."
"Since you're here, mind grabbing me a snack from the Big Donut?" Greg requested.
"Yeah, sure thing." Steven stated. "I'll be right back guys."
"Hang on Steven." Jason called out. "I might as well come with you."
"Alright." Steven stated.
"We'll be in the temple." Garnet declared as the gems entered it.
"We have to come up with another plan, quick." Pearl added.
"Yo dude, no worries about earlier." Amethyst stated to Steven. "You'll get ahold of your powers before ya know it."
"Thanks, Amethyst." He replied.
"Also, get me a croissant." Amethyst requested, as she followed the other gems.
Steven and Jason exited the house before the former realized something. "Ah, I forgot to ask Dad what kind of donuts he wants."
Jason patted his shoulder. "Better to remember when we're just outside of the house rather than at the Big Donut."
They both moved to enter the house where they saw Greg dancing on his 'broken' leg and carrying food. "Steven, Jason!" Upon seeing them, he dropped it all. "Ha, you scared me you two. Didn't see you standing in the doorway.
Your old men still got it son!" Steven stared at him angrily while Jason crossed his arms. "What, this? I guess I couldn't wait for those donuts." He motioned to the food on the ground but then noticed they were referring to his leg. "Ugh...ouch...ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
Jason sighed. "Greg, you're embarrassing yourself."
"Yeah dad, just stop." Steven declared. "I get what's going on. Your leg isn't broken at all, is it?"
"It was broken, but you healed it back at the car wash." Greg answered truthfully.
"You lied to me!" Steven cried. "Now I can't do it anymore!"
"What?"
"The Gems needed me to fix the broken Geode, but my healing powers aren't working. It's because of you." Steven declared fearfully. "You messed with my head!"
"No, I didn't mean to!" Greg declared sincerely. "I just wanted to live with my son again!"
Steven had none of it. "I really thought I was getting better, and I finally felt like a Crystal Gem. Now, what if I can't do anything?"
"Steven, don't beat yourself up!" Greg assured. "This is my fault!"
"Yeah! Yeah, it is!" Steven agreed before running outside.
"Classic psychological move." Jason noted. "Sometimes, things happen or don't happen based on a person's psychological state. By lying to Steven about his power not working, even though it did work, his mind processed it to make his powers stop working.
Tell a person something enough times, and they'll believe it." He sighed. "Greg, that wasn't cool. You really shouldn't…" He noticed the man was standing on the warp pad with his toolbox in one hand and warp whistle in the other. "What are you doing?"
"Dad, I'm sorry, I…Dad!" Steven walked in to see his dad on the warp pad.
"It's time for me to fix the trouble I've caused." Greg declared before blowing the whistle.
Steven and Jason immediately jumped in after him.
Geode
Due to jumping in, Steven and Jason appeared on their stomachs after Greg, who was now making his way down the crater.
"Dad, be…" Steven began.
He stopped as Jason gently elbowed him and pointed out a young woman standing before the Geode. She had brown hair. Her attire consisted of a long-sleeved gray shirt, matching pants, and boots. Over her pants she wore a pair of greaves, one red and the other blue.
"Is this another Frank moment?" Jason questioned.
"Don't worry Steven, your old man is going…" Greg fell and rolled down the hill.
"Dad!" Steven, regardless of the stranger, moved to his dad's side. "Are you okay?"
Jason joined them just before the sky cleared, and the geode was left as a husk. The female turned around, lightly tossing a gem which looked like it contained churning clouds. Considering what it seemed to absorb, that was quite apt. The woman had eyes as brown as her hair.
The soldier stepped out before the father/son pair protectively. "Who are you and what did you just do to the Geode?"
"It doesn't matter what my name is." The woman walked away. "All I came here for was the storm contained within the Geode. That was my mission. I'm not in the mood, nor do I need to, fight the Super Soldier and/or his hybrid sidekick."
Jason ran on over and stood in her way. "What do you plan to do with the Geode?"
"That's not up for me to decide." The woman replied. "Even when I think a mission can be done by anyone else, I do what I'm assigned. That's how this works."
"If this is about simply getting rid of the Geode, you can hand us the gem, and we'll deal with it." Steven tried, as he joined Jason.
"I don't know what the person I work for will do with this, nor do I care." The woman shrugged. "I was tasked with collecting the storm in this stone, so I did. Simple as that." She held the gem downward. "Now, I'll be going."
She suddenly lept clear to the top of the crater, performing a feat Jason has seen no other human do. As Steven was stunned, Jason booked it up the crater and was heading straight for her.
"If you insist on fighting…" She took out a switch and pressed it. "…you can fight this."
Suddenly, the ground started shaking while she ran from the scene.
"Steven, get your father and go back to the warp pad." Jason walked towards the vibrations and summoned his blades. "If I tell you to, get the two of you out of here."
At that moment, a huge, black lizard crested the top of the crater. It had an orange underside, claws, and a hessonite gem embedded in its chest. Said corrupted gem gazed upon the three figures in the crater before running down to them.
"Right Jason." Steven ran back to his father and helped him start moving towards the warp pad. "Come on dad!"
"Right there with you!" Greg declared.
The monster tried to swipe at Jason, but he jumped above, forcing the creature to look up. As it attempted to snap its jaws at the soldier, he sent his swords into the monster's head with enough force that its head turned.
He then landed on the monster's back and returned his blades before summoning them back. He grabbed two of the blades while imbuing them all with electricity. The three free blades were sent into both the monster's back legs and left front leg.
The discharge brought the monster down on those limbs. Jason then ran to the head and held both blades with one hand before shoving them into the monster's head with all his might. They pierced it and discharged. The monster cried out in pain before poofing into its orange gem.
Jason returned all his blades before picking up the gem. "Now's as good a time as any to see if I can bubble." He focused, and a blue bubble appeared around the gem before he pressed on it to send it back to the temple. "That'll lower the potential for shattering a gem if I'm alone."
The soldier looked off in the direction that female ran off in before sighing and walking back to the father son pair. "Come on, we need to report this to the gems."
"About all of this, I really am sorry." Greg stated sincerely. "If I hadn't psyched you out Steven, then someone wouldn't have been able to make off with the Geode. I just wanted to spend more time with my son."
"Aw dad." Steven hugged him. "I forgive you. After all, if every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs. Also, I'm sorry for…"
"Steven, don't finish that sentence." Greg hugged him back. "If I'd only talked to you about how I was feeling, you two wouldn't be in this mess. From now on, I'll communicate better."
"Despite what you did Greg, once we're done explaining things, why don't you two have a proper day together?" Jason asked, as they reached the warp pad.
The father son pair were excited by that prospect. "Yeah!"
"Alright, let's head back already." Jason smiled. "Don't worry, Steven and I will smooth everything over with the gems. Just never do anything like this again Greg."
"You have my word." Greg nodded. "Trust me on that."
With that, Jason warped them back.
Beach City, Evening…
Greg's van looked pristine which led the soldier to one conclusion, Pearl was a miracle worker. The owner of the van was fawning over this.
"I've replaced the tires, realigned the axles, replaced the spark plugs, sealed the leaks in the intake manifold gaskets, and recalibrated the timing belt. The gears are still sensitive so do ease up on second gear." Pearl informed.
"Pearl, I can't thank you enough!" Greg hugged the gem, but when he let go, she backed away a little fearful. "Now that I'm better, I should get out of your way. You don't need me messing up more than I already have."
They'd already told the gems all about what happened.
"Just keep in mind how important this is, don't mess with Steven when it comes his powers, and no more Warp Whistle." Jason nodded. "Do those three things, and I'll make sure you're welcome to visit Steven whenever."
Greg chuckled. "Deal."
He and Steven then shared a hug. "Don't forget, we'll be spending all day together tomorrow."
"I won't miss it for the world, Schtu-ball." Greg declared.
Jason and Garnet moved off the side to have a chat.
"Two humans with put together gems is a trend I don't like." Garnet informed.
"I know, but I've talked with my dad about it." Jason sighed. "He doesn't know who's behind this; however, he's begun an internal investigation. Once the home front is secure, he's intent on helping track down who's behind this."
Garnet nodded at that.
The poll as it currently stands: In my story, Universal Rewrite, should Steven's mom be Pink Diamond or Rose Quartz? (Do you want Steven's mom to be a genuine Rose Quartz or the canon of Pink Diamond shape shifts into Rose Quartz)
Pink Diamond: 2
Rose Quartz: 1
This takes into account the currently 1 vote on the poll and the swing vote, which I will count as 1 vote for each, given by the reviewer dindagangleader14. The poll is still open on my profile, and I shall obviously still take reviews/pms into consideration.
dindagangleader14: Yep. As for your question on the poll, I'll potentially do a Universal Future Rewrite. I think it'll depend on how the story ends up evolving to the end.