Jasper and the green gem, Peridot, reform inside a reinforced containment room, their gems glowing before their bodies take shape again. The sterile, metallic walls surround them, lit by bright overhead lights. Jasper cracks her knuckles as she glares at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Peridot blinks in confusion, then looks down at her hands, her small, green hands. Her bare hands.

Her eyes widen in horror. "Where are my Limb Enhancers?!" She screeches, frantically waving her tiny fingers as if that would somehow bring them back. "This is unacceptable! I require my technology to function at maximum efficiency!"

Jasper, on the other hand, doesn't care about Peridot's tech tantrum. Her fists tighten as she processes what happened. She growls, turning sharply and punching the nearest wall. The impact leaves a deep dent in the reinforced metal, but it holds. "I can't believe I was defeated by a piece of junk!"

Peridot flinches at the sound of Jasper's punch but quickly recovers. "Correction: We were defeated. And I was shot by some primitive projectile weapon before I could even react!" She crosses her arms and puffs out her cheeks in frustration. "This planet is insufferable !"

Jasper turns to her with a sneer. "You got taken down by a single arrow. Don't lump me in with you."

Before Peridot can retort, a mechanical clank echoes outside the room. A door slides open, and a group of armed G.U.N. agents steps inside the containment sector, ahead from the gems' cell. Leading them is Colonel Andrew, his usual stern expression in place.

Behind him, Steven and Fionna enter. Steven has his arms crossed, still sore from the fight, while Fionna grips her bow, cautious but curious.

Andrew steps forward, his gaze unwavering. "Welcome to G.U.N custody."

Peridot scowls, pressing herself against the back of the containment room, her fingers twitching as if she were trying to summon a screen that no longer exists. "You— You can't just capture us like some kind of primitive organic zoo! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?!"

Jasper glares at Andrew, her orange eyes burning with defiance. "Tch. You think locking us in this metal box is going to change anything?" She steps forward, cracking her knuckles. "I'll tear my way out of here the second I get the chance."

Andrew remains impassive. "You won't. This room is reinforced with materials designed to withstand high-impact attacks, including yours. Besides, Steven's energy is all infused into the glass, touch it, and you'll poof again." He nods toward the dent Jasper left in the wall. "Impressive. But not enough."

Jasper bares her teeth but doesn't attack. Not yet.

Steven steps forward, rubbing his sore jaw. "Look, I don't want to be here either, but you two tried to blow up an entire rooftop full of people, so… yeah, you kinda brought this on yourselves."

Jasper scoffs. "You're lucky I didn't bring you down with me." Her sharp eyes lock onto him, analyzing his every move. "What kind of gem are you, anyway? You fight like an amateur but somehow managed to hold your own. A defective fusion?"

Steven sighs, already tired of the 'defective' comments. "I'm not a fusion. I'm just… me."

Peridot, who has been glaring at the glass, suddenly looks at Steven. "Wait… you're the one who sent out that energy pulse! That wavelength, it was gem-coded !" Her expression shifts from frustration to intrigue. "How is that possible? You're not a standard gem, you're an anomaly!"

Steven rolls his eyes. "Gee, thanks. That's not the first time I've been called that."

Fionna narrows her eyes at Peridot. "And what exactly were you two planning to do when you tracked that pulse?"

Peridot crosses her arms. "Our mission was to locate the source of the pulse and determine if it was a potential threat." She glances at Jasper. "But somebody assumed brute force was the best course of action before we could gather proper data."

Jasper huffs. "You were the one who said we should blast the place first."

Peridot waves her tiny hands dramatically. "I meant a precise energy scan! Not 'blow-up-the-building' levels of destruction!"

Andrew clears his throat, reminding them all of his presence. "We're more interested in why you're here in the first place. What's your real objective?"

Peridot hesitates. Her fingers twitch as she calculates her response. "That's classified."

Andrew doesn't react. "Then you'll stay classified inside this cell."

Peridot tenses. "W-Wait, you're actually keeping us here?!"

Jasper lets out a low growl. "You think I'll sit in this cage while you organics act like you're in control?" She takes a step forward, pressing a hand against the glowing glass. Instantly, her body flickers, and she staggers back, barely avoiding poofing again. She grits her teeth, now furious .

Steven winces. "Yeah… Told ya not to touch it."

Jasper clenches her fists, breathing heavily through her nose, but doesn't make another move.

Andrew turns to Peridot. "Cooperate, and maybe we'll talk about releasing you under certain conditions."

Peridot huffs, crossing her arms again. "Hmph. Not much of a choice, is it?"

Andrew smirks faintly. "No, it isn't."

Steven sighs and looks at Jasper. "You wanna stop trying to kill me now, or is that still on your to-do list?"

Jasper's silence stretches for a long moment. Her fists clench and unclench, her muscles tense as if resisting the urge to strike the glass again. Then, finally, she scoffs. "Tch. I don't take orders from humans. Or defective gems."

Steven crosses his arms. "Yeah, you've made that pretty clear. But considering you're stuck in here, maybe you should start thinking about working with us instead of against us."

Jasper just narrows her eyes. "I don't work with anyone."

Peridot, still fidgeting, huffs in frustration. "Well, that attitude won't get us anywhere! Logically, if we want to escape this ridiculous predicament, we need to negotiate." She looks at Andrew with a little too much confidence for someone locked in a reinforced containment cell. "I demand to speak to your superior officer! Or whoever is in charge of this primitive operation!"

Andrew raises an eyebrow. "You're speaking to him."

Peridot blinks. "Oh." She frowns. "That's… disappointing."

Steven snickers, while Fionna stifles a chuckle.

Andrew doesn't react to Peridot's disappointment, his expression remaining as unreadable as ever. "You want to negotiate? Then start talking. Why were you two sent here, and who sent you?"

Peridot hesitates again, her gem glowing faintly as her mind races. "That's… complex information." She glances at Jasper, who remains silent, arms crossed, glaring at the floor as if willing it to break under her gaze.

Fionna steps closer, tilting her head. "Complex? Or something you don't want to admit?"

Peridot huffs. "Both." She waves her small hands in exasperation. "Look, we were sent to investigate anomalies, particularly ones involving unauthorized gem activity on this planet. And given what we've encountered so far, this place is crawling with them!" She gestures dramatically at Steven. "Case in point!"

Steven sighs, rubbing his temples. "Again, thanks."

Andrew's eyes narrow slightly. "Sent by who?"

Peridot shifts uncomfortably. "I'm… not sure if I should say."

Jasper suddenly scoffs, finally speaking up. "Oh, just say it already. It's not like they don't already know we're not from around here." She turns her glare on Steven. "It's the Diamonds. Who else?"

The air in the room seems to grow heavier.

Steven widens his eyes at the mention of 'Diamond'. He side-glances at a window just to see Black Diamond's eyes glancing at him, snickering lowly.

"Who are these 'Diamonds'?" Andrew asks. "And where did you come from?"

Peridot stiffens at Andrew's question, her lips pressing into a tight line. She exchanges a glance with Jasper, who remains impassive, her arms still crossed over her chest.

Before Peridot can respond, a quiet chuckle echoes in his head. "Oh, now this is interesting," Black Diamond muses, her voice smooth and taunting. "Hearing my name must really shake you, huh? I wonder what they'd think if they knew about me?"

Steven ignores her, focusing on Peridot, who finally speaks.

"We are gems from the Gem Empire." She says, tilting her chin up. "An advanced civilization that spans multiple star systems. The Diamonds, our supreme leaders, govern the empire and dictate the purpose of every gem in existence."

Andrew listens intently, his hands behind his back. "And what purpose do you serve?"

Peridot huffs. "I am a peridot, a technician and a certified Kindergartener."

Andrew raises an eyebrow. "Kindergartener?"

Peridot straightens up, attempting to look more authoritative despite her small stature. "Yes! A Kindergartener is responsible for overseeing and maintaining Kindergartens—facilities where gems are properly formed from the earth." She lifts her chin. "I am a high-ranking technician specializing in data analysis, technological enhancements, and resource management!"

Jasper snorts. "You're a glorified maintenance worker."

Peridot glares at her. "And you're a brute with no tactical sense!"

Jasper grits her teeth but doesn't argue.

Andrew processes this information carefully. "So, you're telling me your civilization creates gems like a production line? That you… manufacture your kind?"

Peridot nods proudly. "Precisely! Each gem is assigned a purpose upon creation, ensuring efficiency and functionality in our empire. Unlike you chaotic organics, we do not waste resources on uncertainty."

Steven frowns at that. "Yeah, well, that 'efficiency' doesn't sound like it leaves much room for freedom."

Peridot waves a hand dismissively. "Freedom is an unnecessary variable. A gem's purpose is dictated by the Diamonds to ensure order and prosperity!"

Steven's expression darkens, but before he can argue, Andrew speaks up. "And Jasper? What's your purpose?"

Jasper lifts her head proudly. "I'm a Quartz. A frontline soldier, made for combat. Unlike Peridot, I don't waste time with useless talk. I fight, I conquer, and I win."

Peridot crosses her arms, still trying to maintain some form of authority in the situation. "Regardless of your primitive misunderstandings, our mission was simple: Locate the source of the energy anomaly and report back. That's all."

Andrew tilts his head slightly. "You already said that. But why did the Diamonds care in the first place? What's so special about this planet?"

Peridot huffs. "Oh, please, Earth has been on the Diamond Authority's radar for millennia! This planet is filled with compromised gem sites, defective remnants, and—" She suddenly stops, eyes widening as she clamps a hand over her mouth.

Steven immediately notices her reaction. "And… what?"

Peridot shakes her head rapidly. "Nothing! Forget I said anything! Irrelevant! Completely irrelevant!"

Jasper groans, rubbing her temples. "Ugh, you already screwed up, just say it."

"No! I will not compromise classified information!" Peridot insists, panic creeping into her voice.

Andrew narrows his eyes. "You just said Earth is filled with 'compromised gem sites.' What exactly does that mean?"

Peridot stammers, trying to recover. "I-I just meant the Kindergartens! You know, old gem production sites! Perfectly ordinary! Nothing to worry about! Certainly nothing hidden deep within the planet, continuing to—" She slaps a hand over her mouth again.

Fionna's brows knit together. "Continuing to what?"

Peridot frantically waves her tiny hands. "Did I say 'continuing'? No, no, I misspoke! Forget that part! Forget everything! Error! Data corrupted! Disregard!"

Jasper, clearly losing patience, rolls her eyes. "She's talking about the Cluster."

Peridot whirls around, horrified. "JASPER! You clod!"

Andrew's eyes sharpen. "The Cluster?"

Peridot freezes, her expression screaming regret. "I… I mean… hypothetically speaking—"

Andrew steps forward. "What is the Cluster?"

Peridot groans, dragging her hands down her face. "Okay, okay! Fine! You want the truth? Yes! The Cluster exists! It's an experimental geo-weapon, planted deep within the Earth's mantle by the Diamond Authority." She glares at Jasper. "Happy now?!"

Andrew's expression hardens. "A geo-weapon?"

Peridot nods reluctantly. "Yes. The Cluster is a massive, unstable conglomeration of gem shards, left to fuse naturally deep within the Earth's core. If it were to fully activate, it would destroy this planet. That's why the Diamonds have been monitoring Earth for so long."

Jasper adds with a grim smile, "And if it goes off, it's game over for everyone. But the Diamonds don't care, as long as they get what they want."

Steven looks horrified. "You're saying... they planted a bomb on Earth?!"

Peridot's shoulders slump in frustration. "It's not that simple. It's not just a bomb. It's a weapon that could potentially create an entirely new class of gems, but it's also a ticking time bomb."

Andrew takes a deep breath, processing the implications. "And that's why you're here. To stop it."

Peridot nods, but her expression shifts into something more calculating. "No… Besides investigating the energy pulse, we're here to make sure it woyld emerge and to know when it will emerge."

The room falls silent as everyone absorbs the gravity of the situation. The stakes are higher than anyone imagined.

Steven lets a low nervous chuckle. "So… you don't even know when it will emerge?"

Peridot crosses her arms, looking frustrated. "Well, no! We were going to obtain this information! But then you interfered, and now we're stuck in this primitive prison with no access to proper data!"

Jasper scoffs. "Not like it matters. Whether it's today, tomorrow, or a century from now, that thing will emerge." She smirks at Steven. "And when it does, your little planet's done for."

They all stare at Jasper and Peridot, the room filled with a heavy silence… until Fionna breaks it. "But… You're also stuck here. Does it mean you accept being destroyed with the planet?"

Peridot stiffens, her fingers twitching as the realization dawns on her. "W-Well, obviously, I'd prefer not to be destroyed! That would be highly inefficient!" She glares at Jasper. "And you didn't mention that part before!"

Jasper huffs, crossing her arms. "Doesn't change anything. The Diamonds made their decision a long time ago. There's no stopping it."

Steven steps forward, determination in his eyes. "We'll see about that." He turns to Andrew. "If there's even a chance to stop this Cluster thing, we have to try."

Andrew nods, his expression grim. "Agreed. But first, we need more information." He locks eyes with Peridot. "And you're going to give it to us."

Peridot fidgets, looking between him, Steven, and the reinforced walls of their containment room. With no Limb Enhancers, no access to her tech, and no way out, she exhales sharply.

"Hmph. Fine. But I expect proper working conditions." She mutters. "And a data terminal."

Jasper scoffs. "You're actually helping them?"

Peridot groans. "I'm helping myself ! Unlike you, I don't intend to sit around and let myself be shattered because of someone else's mistakes."

Jasper's eyes narrow, but she says nothing.

Steven nods. "Then let's get to work."

As the doors slide shut behind them, Black Diamond's voice echoes in Steven's head once more. "So… the game begins."

He groans in annoyance.

[TO BE CONTINUED]