The warp pad to Galaxy warp is activated and from it warps Steven and Peridot. Peridot is with her limb enhancers on.

Peridot grumbles. "I can't believe you limited my limb enhancers this much."

Steven rolls his eyes. "You should be grateful to even have these back. You're going to fix that ship with them, and we're taking it off."

Peridot rolls her eyes and mutter unhearable words.

Steven leads her to the warp pad that leads to the ship and they warp.

As soon as they step off the warp pad, Steven and Peridot take in the sight of the temporary G.U.N. base surrounding the damaged ship. Engineers and soldiers in uniform are scattered around, some examining the ship's exterior while others review the files Peridot had reluctantly handed over.

Peridot clicks her tongue in annoyance. "Ugh, organic tools everywhere. They're going to make a mess of the ship." She crosses her arms, her enhancers whirring slightly. "And why didn't we just use my ship? It would've been way easier."

Steven chuckles. "Because the only ones who know how to drive that thing are you and Jasper. Jasper would kill all of us without Metal Steven around, and you know too much about that ship, and it means you would escape."

Peridot opens her mouth to say something, but she pauses and grumbles realizing Steven is right. They walk towards the engineers and Peridot analyzes the current state of the ship. She taps her chin. "Huh… It seems these humans have made a good job fixing the superficial damage." She pauses. "... Maybe this can work."

Some hours later, Peridot is still working on the ship non-stop while the engineers have been taking pauses from time to time. Steven had been listening and enjoying a few musics on his earphones while waiting for Peridot.

She notices Steven enjoying the music and goes to talk with him. She approaches and huffs. "What are you doing instead of being productive?"

He doesn't notice Peridot talking to him.

Peridot narrows her eyes, stepping closer and waving a hand in front of Steven's face. When that doesn't work, she scowls and crosses her arms. "Hey! Defective! Acknowledge me!"

Steven, still lost in his music, nods his head to the beat, completely unaware of Peridot's irritation.

Peridot grits her teeth before reaching out and yanking one of the earbuds from his ear. "Are you even listening?!"

Steven flinches and looks up, pulling the other earbud out. "Whoa, what? Oh, sorry, Peri-angle. I was just vibing."

Peridot groans. "You were supposed to be supervising! Instead, you've been sitting here, doing nothing but—" She snatches the earphones and squints at them. "—whatever this nonsense is!"

Steven chuckles, taking the earbuds back. "It's called music, Peridot. You'd like it if you gave it a chance."

Peridot crosses her arms. "I highly doubt that. Unlike you, I actually work instead of wasting time on pointless distractions."

Steven smirks. "Says the one who got obsessed with the TV we had on the HQ."

Peridot freezes for a moment, her face scrunching up in frustration. "That—That was different!" She points an accusing finger at Steven. "Television is a fascinating human invention filled with important data and narratives that require thorough analysis!"

Steven grins. "Yeah, like the 'complex analysis' you did of Camp Pining Hearts ?"

Peridot sputters. "It was complex! The shifting dynamics of the relationships, the underlying themes of loyalty and betrayal—" She stops mid-rant, realizing what Steven is doing. She groans loudly and throws her hands up. "Ugh! This is irrelevant! You're distracting me from the real issue!"

Steven chuckles, slipping his earbuds back into his pocket. "Alright, alright. What's the real issue, then?"

Peridot huffs, gesturing toward the ship. "I've already made significant repairs, so I suppose this will still take home days before being capable of flying." She looks at her data. "We still need to fix the engine, the security system, the accelerators, the—"

Suddenly, a raindrop falls on Peridot's nose, startling her completely.

As the raindrop hits Peridot's nose, she immediately flinches, pulling back and blinking at the tiny drop of water. She raises her hand to touch the spot, her face contorting in confusion. "What… what was that?!"

Steven, who had been standing nearby, looks up at the sky as the gentle rain begins to fall, growing heavier by the second. "Oh, it's just rain," he says casually, looking around as the clouds darken overhead.

"Rain?" Peridot repeats slowly, her voice laced with suspicion. "What is this… liquid… doing from the sky?!"

The rain continues to fall in a steady drizzle, and Peridot's eyes widen. She looks up, instinctively raising her hand to shield herself from the downpour, though it does little to stop the water. Her limbs tense as droplets splash onto her face and clothing. "What kind of alien weather is this?!" she hisses, taking a few hesitant steps backward, looking around like she's been surrounded by some sort of hostile force.

Steven chuckles, watching her, amused by her reaction. "It's just water. Happens when the clouds get full. You know, like how your spaceship gets all wet when you leave it outside?"

Peridot's expression turns from confusion to mild panic. She pulls her limb enhancers closer to her, as though they might somehow protect her from the elements. "But… it's everywhere!" she exclaims, her voice rising in pitch. "The ground is becoming wet! I… I don't like it! I didn't sign up for this!"

Steven holds back his laughter, but can't help but smile at Peridot's over-the-top reaction. "You're gonna be fine, Peridot. It's just water. It'll stop eventually."

Peridot shoots him a glare, still not convinced. "Water… is unpredictable and… and completely unmanageable!" She shudders as another raindrop lands on her shoulder. "This is an invasion of my personal space!"

She begins to look around frantically, as though searching for some way to shield herself from the rain. Her eyes settle on the nearby ship, and she rushes toward it, holding her arms up as if the rain might attack her. "Why didn't you tell me about this?!" she demands, her voice laced with anxiety. "I have no contingency plans for precipitation!"

Steven watches her for a moment, then shakes his head with a soft laugh. "I guess you didn't have a chance to study Earth weather patterns, huh?"

Peridot reaches the ship and hurriedly takes shelter underneath it, looking around nervously as the rain continues to pour. She crosses her arms defensively. "I will not be exposed to these... these damp particles any longer! This is— this is barbaric!"

Steven shrugs, walking over to stand beside her. "It's not that bad, Peridot. Actually, it's kind of relaxing when you get used to it."

Peridot gives him an incredulous look. "Relaxing? How can you be so calm? We're under attack!"

Steven grins. "Oh yeah? So what if I just…" He suddenly picks her up and launches her in the middle of the rain.

Peridot lets out a yelp of surprise as she's suddenly lifted off her feet and tossed into the downpour. She flails her limbs wildly in mid-air, her limbs enhancers whirring as she tries to grasp at something, anything to stop her from getting drenched.

"Steven! What are you doing?!" She shouts, spluttering as she lands on the wet ground with a loud splat . She scrambles to her feet immediately, shaking water off her limbs in a frantic attempt to regain control of the situation.

Steven, standing a few feet away with his hands in his pockets, looks entirely unfazed. He grins and walks closer to Peridot, entering the rain completely. "What, just trying to help you get used to it. I told you, it's not so bad."

Peridot stands frozen in the middle of the rain, her whole body stiff as more droplets splash against her face and limbs. She scowls, wiping at her visor aggressively. "Ugh! This is—this is ridiculous! Why do humans tolerate this?!"

Steven chuckles, stepping closer, completely relaxed as the rain soaks his clothes. "Because it's just water, Peri. It's not gonna hurt you. You should try just… feeling it instead of fighting it."

Peridot growls, still glaring up at the sky. "Feeling it?! What possible benefit could there be in—" She stops mid-sentence as a particularly large raindrop lands on her nose again. Her scowl deepens, but this time, she doesn't wipe it away. Instead, she hesitantly raises a hand, catching a few droplets on her palm. She watches them roll across her fingers, her expression shifting from frustration to something more curious.

Steven notices and smiles. "See? It's kind of cool, right?"

Peridot doesn't respond right away. She rubs the water between her fingers, analyzing the sensation. "It's… different," she admits quietly. She glances around, observing how the rain creates tiny ripples in the puddles forming on the ground, how it makes the metal of the ship gleam, how it softens the hard edges of the world around her.

A sudden breeze blows through, sending a cool chill through the air. Peridot shivers instinctively, but then she pauses. The air feels… fresh. Clean. She takes a cautious breath, the scent of damp earth and metal filling her senses. It's unfamiliar. Strange. But not unpleasant.

Steven tilts his head. "You okay?"

Peridot hesitates before nodding slowly. "I… I think so." She extends her arms slightly, letting more raindrops hit her enhancers, watching the water bead and roll off their smooth surfaces. She tilts her head up toward the sky, letting the rain hit her visor and streak down the glass.

For once, she doesn't immediately wipe it away.

Steven grins. "Told you it's not so bad."

Peridot clicks her tongue, but there's no real irritation in it this time. "It's still wildly inefficient," she mutters, crossing her arms. But then, after a moment, she glances back at the sky and quietly adds, "…but it's not the worst thing I've ever experienced."

Steven chuckles. "I'll take that as progress."

Peridot watches the rain for a little longer, then suddenly turns to Steven with narrowed eyes. "But you're still on my list for throwing me in it."

Steven smirks. "Worth it."

Peridot huffs but doesn't argue. Instead, she turns her gaze back to the falling rain, watching as the storm continues, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

[TO BE CONTINUED]