Opening File: Beach City
Captain William Dewey founded Beach City nearly 200 years ago. After many months out at sea, the mysterious Crystal Gems, as messengers of Rose Quartz, came across William Dewey's ship and warned the captain and crew to turn back, as the land that would soon be known as Beach City was dangerous and not safe for humans. William Dewey, after an incident with the mast of his ship, drifted across the sea until he and his crew encountered a massive storm and a giant Gem Monster. The ship was saved from being sunk after a four-armed gem fusion saved William Dewey and the ship.
She brought Dewey and the ship to shore and told the captain not to reside on the land. William Dewey chose to stay on the land, and the fusion accepted William's decision and informed him that she would most likely interfere again. The Crystal Gems continue to reside in Beach City where they watch over and protect its inhabitants from danger and evil. Due to its isolation Beach City has not suffered large scale Grimm attacks and is home to very few people trained to be Huntsmen.
Despite this small blessing Beach City has its share of unnatural events, including an event where the entire ocean was stolen which has led to many online theories but no answers. For now Beach City remains a small town with little tourist attraction and conflict with Grimm or other dangers.
Close File
Xxx
"History is what we often look to learn more about how and what we were back then and what has shaped the world we know. Well, I hate to disappoint you but history is also full of lies. It's constantly being rewritten by just about everyone and their opinions to the point you got to be careful about what you believe. So when you go outside, look around the world and decide for yourself what exactly is the truth." TOM said as he closed the file on Beach City. "Remember you are literally living and making your own history."
Xxx
"You have returned."
Sammael barely acknowledged the comment made by the shadow as he stepped out of the portal into his personal chamber. "You were waiting for me?"
"I was curious how you'd react to Van Kleiss' newest additions."
Sammael smirked. "You mean his missing guinea pigs."
"So they escaped?"
"I didn't even have to lift a finger. It happened right under his nose and he had no clue until his machine blew up in his face." Sammael sat down on his throne. "Still, the fact that his escaped subjects slipped by with an unknown ally is cause for danger. I don't want Van Kleiss' blunder to cause trouble for us later."
"What do you suggest?"
"I want Van Kleiss' escaped subjects found and possibly put under the care of people we know can look after them." Sammael brought a hand to his chin. "The question should these people be allies…or enemies?"
"What do you suggest?"
"One of many good things about someone in my position is that I have encyclopedia like knowledge of all potential allies and enemies in my corner of the world and I've learned enough to know about what to expect." Sammael leaned back on his throne.
Encyclopedia like knowledge was one way to refer to it. A being like him was capable of living without the human need for sleep and hunger and plan strategies down to the finest detail, matching the cold calculating precision of a machine and it helped he had the experience to back up his claims.
"So perhaps I should not be trying capture these newcomers…But to let them see the wonders of our world. And if in time they choose to remain and have the will to fight it's exactly what we will give them."
"You suggest recruiting them to be your agents?"
Sammael smirked. "On a mission so secret they themselves will not know. I need to speak with some of our associates, the kind we know that won't be seeking to shoot first and ask questions later."
"They'd have to be skilled in tracking, considering the subjects are far out in the middle of Nowhere Kansa. The mountains are a perfect location to hide because they are far out and isolated even from the sole community out there."
"Not for one person I have in mind."
"Then perhaps we should move on to why I came to speak." The shadow made a gesture and the door to Sammael's chamber opened.
Sammael raised an eyebrow as a jelly-fish looking Grimm known as a Seer glided its way over to him and showed him what the shadow spoke of. "They are coming back?"
"Five thousand years ago they tried to colonize this planet, only to be repelled by their own kind in addition to the Grimm and the warriors of that time."
"This was before even my time." Sammael said thoughtfully. "They must be coming to check on the abomination they left deep underground, close to the planet's core."
"The abomination that has long since been terminated. We intercepted the message and have been keeping the Gems' location under surveillance."
"This might bear looking into." Sammael chuckled.
Xxx
"We will be arriving in Earth orbit at the end of the solar cycle."
Connie stared out the window of her quarters when Peridot made her announcement, looking out into the deep voice of space and was in awe of the thousands of stars she saw. It had only been a short time since she had been assigned to this mission and she was actually excited. She couldn't think of the last time an organic had been allowed to board a Gem ship since her ancestors has been evacuated from Earth. Her quarters were mostly bare since she had been assigned at short notice but it didn't matter since it wouldn't take long to reach the Earth.
Speaking off which she should move since she would be expected to be on the bridge once they made visual contact with the Earth so she quickly left her quarters, heading for the bridge. The ship resembled a large green floating hand, four fingers and a thumb, each of which is a separate division, make up the ship. A large atrium was located at the palm of the ship and what appeared to be either a docking port or an exhaust port at the back of the ship connected these divisions. Three of these divisions consisted of a prison block, weapons bay, and bridge.
The Prison Block contained rows of prison cells fortified with Gem destabilizing fields instead of typical metal bars. The Bridge was located at the tip of the index finger and contained a single seat with a console, screens and a cockpit window, where the pilot directed the ship. The index finger housed the primary weapons bay and, when triggered, shoots energy torpedoes, with enough power to injure or kill Gems or destroy large structures, and laser pulses which produce ablation explosions by vaporization of the target material. The atrium had a skylight and a symbol of the Great Diamond Authority.
The reactor room was located in the palm beneath the central chamber and contained a wide open space with tubes running along the walls, accompanied by a large reactor core in one of the walls. All fingers connect to the palm, which served as the command bridge, of which a diamond is present in the middle. Under the palm was the ship's engine room, where the main power core, a green sphere that was constantly discharging electricity, was located. Dozens of small energy tubes protruded from it and branch off into all parts of the ship.
These tubes could be seen clearly on any hallway ceilings as Connie traveled to the bridge. When she arrived she saw Jasper and Lapis already present. Jasper has her arms crossed with a scowl on her face while Lapis kept her head bowed and her hands pressed together while Peridot was focused on piloting the ship. The ship emerged from its hyperspace jump and on the view screen appeared a planet colored mostly blue with shades of green and white.
"Hyperspace Jump ended. We are entering Crystal System and approaching abandoned Gem Colony Planet Earth." Peridot announced.
"Set course to where their base is." Jasper ordered.
Connie took the chance to see the image of the planet her people were from. It was beautiful and she found herself spellbound as she took in all its features.
"Hey, runt." Jasper barked and Connie jumped, thinking she was speaking to her. "You know the exact location of their base right?"
Lapis nodded. "Yes."
"Bring up a map." Jasper ordered Peridot who grumbled as she did as told.
"Geographical data open." Peridot complied, showing a map of Earth's landmasses.
Connie studied the map, seeing differences in the current map and the ones she had studied in Earth history. She remembered reading that only five percent of the Gem Colony had been completed before the Rebellion and that many landmasses had been affected by the war.
"Show us where to go." Jasper demanded impatiently to Lapis who pointed at the eastern coast of the continent labelled North America.
"There." Lapis said. "It's along a beach near a small human settlement, disguised as a human house."
"A camouflage?" Peridot asked to which Lapis nodded.
"Take us in." Jasper ordered. "I want this ship right in front of their base."
Peridot angled the ship down, beginning atmospheric entry.
"What about the human settlement?" Connie spoke up, flinching as Jasper glared at her and spoke quickly to remind Jasper of the mission. "Blue Diamond ordered us to survey the status of the population."
"Which you'll get to do after the rebels are neutralized." Jasper said, letting Connie know in no terms was she tolerating an organic speaking.
Connie turned away, choosing to watch as the ship began entry into the planet's atmosphere.
Xxx
Gregory 'Greg' Universe formerly Gregory DeMayo could honestly say he's seen a lot of things in his life. Once a traveling musician who dropped out of college and left his family to become a one-man band known as 'Mr. Universe,' accompanied by his manager, Marty. When he played a concert in Beach City at the age of 22, the only person who came was Rose Quartz. Taking an interest in Rose, he soon met the Crystal Gems, before heading out on the road again.
However, Greg could not forget Rose and as such chose to stay with her in Beach City to start a relationship with her. Rose eventually gave up her physical form to give birth to Steven. In Steven's younger years, Greg took care of raising Steven until he could move in with the Crystal Gems and learn to use his powers. Greg has since settled down in Beach City, where he lives in his van and owns a local car wash, supporting Steven with his income.
Since then he's mostly kept his distance from things involving Gems, mostly because a rift had formed between them after Rose gave up her physical form, especially between him, Amethyst and Pearl. But he heard there was Gem trouble heading for Beach City and he knew it wasn't the Gem Monster kind. The Gem Homeworld was apparently sending an invasion of some kind back to Earth because they found out about the Crystal Gems still being alive. Greg remembered Rose telling him about the war, how it started and how it had ended.
She also told him how the Gems had feared the Grimm since they were able to destroy Gems easily. Apparently the light magic or whatever they are made from made them especially vulnerable to the Grimm.
'Before coming to this planet my people never experience such fear to a species that could destroy them so easily. The Dark Substance the Grimm are made from are toxic to the light energy that a Gem uses to create their bodies and we have no way to defend against it naturally. This fear drove the Diamonds to order Homeworld's to destroy all Grimm, even if meant ensuring no life on the planet was left. During the Rebellion many battlegrounds were assaulted by Grimm, endangering so many Gems to the point the Diamonds attempted to destroy the Grimm at the source but whatever it was that created Grimm was beyond even their ability to destroy.'
And now the Gems were returning and no doubt had been nursing a grudge against Earth for the last few thousand years. It's not like Rose and the Grimm were the only ones to blame for their loss. The people of this planet fought against the Gem armies too apparently and they really hurt the invading Gems. So who's to say they weren't going to try and blow up the entire planet?
"And we're ground zero." Greg sighed, holding up his guitar.
"You thinking it too?"
Greg spun around, gasping in shock at the person who snuck up behind him. "Vidalia?!"
It was indeed Vidalia, one of Greg's first friends he made in Beach City aside from the Crystal Gems, leaning against his van.
"I heard we got some space rocks with an attitude problem coming here." She said stoically.
She was dressed in loose black pants, a sleeveless orange top with a black turtleneck collar and wore grey shoes. Unlike when she was younger when she had knee-length, light-blond hair that seemed to spike around her face and at the top of her head she now wore her hair in a short, thick bob that closely resembles a Vidalia onion.
In her hands were the same light sticks Grey knew where the main default mode for her weapons when they were not active. Vidalia was never a registered Huntress but she was still trained as one, living a carefree life style like Greg did but became more responsible when her sons were born.
"I called Yellowtail and he's on his way back." Vidalia continued, her arms crossed as she looked up at the sky, seeing the Gem ship approaching. "We can make a statement to those space rocks when they land. You in?"
"Vidalia, these aren't Gems like Amethyst, Pearl or Garnet. You should be leaving with your kids." Greg said, closing the back doors of his van.
"I already asked Barb to take Sour Cream and Onion out of town." Vidalia stepped away from the van. "Besides, if we can handle being out in the middle of nowhere with the occasional Grimm or space rock monster coming round we can handle these rocks."
Greg sighed. "I want to say yes, Vidalia but I got to get Steven out of town. I don't want them coming after him for his mother's crimes."
Vidalia shrugged. "I actually understand you, Greg. Get your kid out here. I'll keep an eye on the Gems and see how things go."
"Be careful, Vidalia." Greg said, not wanting his old friend to be hurt.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Vidalia smirked.
Xxx
"Maybe when Peridot gets to Earth, she'll see how nice all the people are and she won't want to hurt anyone." Steven Universe, son of Grey Universe and Rose Quarts, said as he sat back in the passenger seat of his father's van, looking up at the sky and feeling optimistic.
"Just like your mother." Greg sighed nostalgically.
"Yeah?" Steven looked over at his dad.
"Yeah." Grey frowned as he looked back on the road. "But these other Gems aren't like your mother. They aren't like Garnet, Amethyst, or Pearl. They aren't gonna start caring about people now. They didn't the first time they..."
Steven noticed his father trailing off. "The first time they what?"
"I mean, it was thousands of years ago! It's-it's not like I was there!" He looked at Steven in resignation. "The Gems should be telling you all this stuff but I get it. I mean, they don't want you thinking of them like that!"
"Like what? Dad, like what?" Steven pressed.
"Like aliens, Steven! Aliens who invaded Earth!" Grey blurted out.
"What!?" Steven exclaimed, eye widening in shock.
"All they do is try to make up for it. They just can't forgive themselves, you understand? Look, they were doing something awful to the planet and your mother couldn't stand it anymore. She told me that's why she had to turn on her own kind." Greg explained sadly, remembering what Rose had told him. "She gave up everything just to stop what they started here and drive the invading Gems off of Earth."
"So sh-she saved the world, that's good!" Steven tried to look on the bright side.
"No such thing as a good war, kiddo. Gems were destroyed, people too... In the end, your mother could only save a handful of her closest friends. If it weren't for her shield, man, I don't know." He looked at Steven's face. "B-but hey, let's look on the bright side! We're gonna drive past that waffle place in a couple miles!"
But Steven had other ideas. "We gotta go back! Turn the van around!"
"No way, the Gems don't want you going back!" Greg refused.
"I know they're just trying to protect me, but I have to protect them! I have Mom's shield, they need me!" Steven insisted.
"I need you too!" Greg cried.
"Please Dad, what if they get hurt? Dad, turn around! Dad! Turn the van around, please!" Steven punched the panel in front of him, causing the airbags to inflate and he was launched out of the van in his bubble.
Greg stops the van and ran out after him. "Steven!"
"Dad..." Steven said sadly as Greg helped up.
"Greg, are you and your kid okay?" Mr. Fryman called from above, watching with many other Beach City residents who were evacuating with them.
"Yeah, yeah! We're fine, we're fine. Ugh..." Greg called back as he helped Steven to his feet.
"Dad, please. I have to go back. I have to! They don't have my shield, do you understand?" Steven said, tears slipping down his cheeks.
Greg saw there was no changing his son's mind. "Yeah, okay. Just... be careful, or I'm gonna run fresh out of family."
"Stay with everyone and keep them safe. I'll figure out some way to get back to Beach City."
Xxx
His way back turned out to be Steven's feline friend Lion who teleported them to the beach in front of the Crystal Temple, where Opal had been called upon to try to attack the spaceship with her arrows and stood by Garnet. "Fire!"
Opal fired a barrage of arrows at the ship to no effect.
Steven dismounted Lion. "Stay here! If something happens, Dad'll need a new son!"
Garnet and Opal watched as the ship increased speed in its descent. "At least Steven is safe..."
"Hey guys!"
"Steven!"
The surprise of seeing Steven at the beach caused Opal to separate into Pearl and Amethyst. The recoil forced them to the ground.
"You came back!"
"What are you doing?! Get out of here!"
"But-"
"It's too late! Just stay behind us!"
The ship landed.
"Ah..."
A ball appeared from the palm of the hand and rolled onto the index finger as it lowered down onto the beach. It opened, revealing four figures.
The first was Peridot who stepped forward, staring down at the Gems. "That's them, all right. They're the ones who keep breaking my machines."
"This is it?" The next was a large hulking Gem, wearing the same uniform as Peridot with a small cape that made Steven tremble slightly.
"Jasper! They keep interfering with my work!" Peridot complained.
Jasper sighed and stepped forward. "Looks like another waste of my time... Hey, get over here!"
She dragged the third Gem who turned out to be Lapis Lazuli out from behind her.
Lapis broke free from Jasper's grip and gasped at the sight of Steven.
"Lapis!" Steven whispered.
"This is their base?" The Gem named Japser pointed at the temple.
Lapis looked away from Steven. "Yes..."
"You need to leave immediately!" Garnet called out.
"Yeah, step off!" Amethyst shouted.
"This is not a Gem-controlled planet!" Pearl stated.
The four jumped onto the beach. Steven spotted the fourth person who looked oddly like a human.
"And neither of you saw Rose Quartz? Oh, what a shame. I'd hoped to meet her." Jasper crossed her arms, grinning darkly. "I was looking forward to beating her into the ground!"
"Euegh..." Steven shook slightly.
"But this is all that's left of her army?" Jasper each gave them a look, starting with Pearl."Some lost, defective Pearl," She then glanced Amethyst. "A puny overcooked runt." She finished with Garnet. "And this shameless display?" She glanced at Steven. "What is that?"
The three Crystal Gems bared their weapons in preparation.
"It calls itself the Steven." Peridot answered.
"He's just a human! He isn't a threat at all! He's not one of them!" Lapis quickly said.
"I know what a human is." Jasper replied, clearly not interested.
Connie glanced at Steven, seeing a human from this planet for the first time. "One human must mean there are others near."
Jasper turned away. "You don't need me for this. Just blast them with the ship."
"Ugh, fine." Peridot activated her finger screen.
The ship lifted up, the index finger taking aim. Peridot drew a wide circle on her screen and tapped the middle. It began to charge power.
"Steven! Get out of here!" Garnet shouted.
"No!" Steven refused.
"I won't let you risk your life!"
"But this is my home! And you're all my family!"
Steven's gemstone began to shine.
"Firing." Peridot announced coldly.
A beam fired out of the ship.
"I- I'm a Crystal Gem too!" Steven jumped in front of them, Rose's shield forming and stopping the blast.
Jasper turned around in shock, seeing the shield. "That shield! That symbol!"
The shield fell, and Steven collapsed.
"You! You have the power of Rose Quartz!" Jasper could hardly believe it.
This is not what she expected.
"Now do you believe I needed an escort?" Peridot asked, satisfied at the look on Jasper's face.
"Fire a barrage! Widespread!" Jasper shouted.
Peridot swiped a finger right across her monitor. Garnet pushed Steven out of the way. The ship cut a line across the beach, causing an explosion with Pearl and Amethyst getting caught in it. The smoke cleared, revealing Steven to be safe.
"Rose, why do you look like that? Why are you so weak?" Jasper asked, unable to believe this was actually Homeworld's enemy.
Lapis ran out in front of Jasper. "Don't hurt him!"
Jasper narrowed her eyes. "You knew about this!"
"It wasn't relevant to the mission!" Lapis shook her head.
"Forget about the mission!" Jasper retorted.
"What!?" Peridot facing Jasper in outrage.
"Yellow Diamond needs to see this…" Jasper glared coldly at Steven. "Thing."
"Uh..."
Garnet jumped out from behind Steven and charged at Jasper who grinned, battle lust burning in her eyes.
"Good." A light appeared around Jasper's head, revealing her weapon.
It was an orange, square helmet with a diamond shaped extension on the front and a visor to protect her eyes and gem. She waited for Garnet to attack and the two clashed blows, creating a powerful draft that pushed back both Garnet and Steven.
Garnet recovered from the knock back and charged towards Jasper. "Steven, run!"
Jasper pulled out, a rod resembling a goldish-brown arrowhead-tipped tuning fork with a pale yellow, oval-shaped orb suspended between the tips. It gave off streams of static energy between the orb and the hilt that caused both Peridot and Lapis to flinch. "Priming Gem Destabilizer." She dashed towards Garnet and hit her with the destabilizer in the chest.
"Ah!" Pearl and Amethyst screamed as yellow lines appeared along Garnet's body as she fell back, her body slowly breaking apart.
Garnet looked at Steven with a saddened face before disappearing and retreating to her gemstones. Two lay on the ground, one red, one blue.
Jasper stepped over Garnet's gems, towering over Steven, leaning down to take a better look at him. "I was there, you know. At the first war for this garbage planet. I fought against your armies and the Grimm. I respected your tactics. But this... ?" She lifted Steven by his shirt. "This is sick!"
Pearl and Amethyst charged at Jasper.
"Unhand him!"
"I don't get what you're planning, Rose. But look! Your base is taken. Your armies are ruined! You have failed!" Jasper head-butted Steven in the eye, knocking him out.
Pearl and Amethyst charged to save Steven but Jasper held him out by his neck. Both stopped, staring in horror.
"Figures." Jasper grunted. "Now get on the ship. We're taking a trip to Homeworld."
Just before anyone could say anything a shot rang out and Jasper took a blast to the face, knocking her down and causing her to drop Steven.
"Steven!" Pearl and Amethyst rushed forward and Pearl quickly picked up Steven, cradling his unconscious body against her.
Jasper growled as she sat up, rubbing her smoking face. "What was that?!"
"That was me telling you to get off my planet." A voice spoke from behind the Crystal Gems.
They all watched as a human woman silently approached them, holding two small weapons shaped like sticks that were glowing.
"Vidalia?!" Amethyst gasped in shock, seeing one of her old human friends back to before Steven was born.
"Hey Amethyst," Vidalia smiled as she walked up to the two Gems. "Long time no see." She glanced down at Steven. "So that's Steven…He's as handsome as his father used to be."
"What are you doing here?" Amethyst asked.
She remembered the times she spent with Vidalia and Greg and though it had been a few times she remembered Vidalia and Greg both had taken courses in fighting as Hunters and even fashioned their own weapons.
"Isn't it obvious?" Vidalia threw a look at Jasper. "I'm here to make a point to the space rocks who like to come down with an attitude."
"You can't fight them!" Both Amethyst and Pearl shouted.
"So…" Jasper stood up, looking at Vidalia with a smirk. "A human has decided to come up and fight. And by the looks of it you must be one of Earth's warriors."
"You can say that." Vidalia looked over Jasper. "You are definitely a big one. So you must be the boss space rock that's picking on my friends here."
Connie stared at Vidalia, feeling in somewhat awe at seeing a warrior from Earth. It was said that the warriors from Earth were able to fight Homeworld's armies alongside Rose Quartz during the Rebellion and it seemed that had not changed.
"I'll be doing more than picking on them when I am through with them." Jasper grinned. "But I'd like to see if the quality of human warriors has improved since the last time I was here."
Vidalia smirked. "Considering you were sent running last time I wouldn't be worried."
"You will be!" Jasper summoned her Crash Helmet.