Default Settings // Sequel to "Factory Reset"

Chapter 5: Red

Chapter 5: Red

*A Few Minutes Earlier*

"Hey, do you have a moment?" Jasper poked her head into the dark and stuffy room.

"Hm?" The gem in question didn't bother looking up from what she was doing.

"Have you seen Lapis anywhere?" Jasper asked. "She's been acting weird lately."

"No. She's probably off somewhere moping with her feelings. Besides, Lapis always acts weird."

Jasper chuckled a little, "Right." Jasper looked at what the gem was doing. The two were deep down in the secret rooms scattered across the underground of the Beta Kindergarten. Jasper had put her new partner in crime in charge of working on a new injector for the time being, since the Crystal Gems had destroyed all of theirs' after Lapis was caught.

"How's the building going so far?" Jasper asked.

"Well the spinning thing won't spin." Red pointed at random parts of the machinery. "And the lever thing won't lever. These instructions you gave me suck. I can't even read them." She angrily waved the flimsy piece of paper in Jasper's face.

"That's not my fault," Jasper shrugged.

"Since when was it a Ruby's job to build things anyways? I wasn't made for this."

"It's only temporary," Jasper grumbled. "Once those are working we'll have a whole army in no time. I'd like to see those Crystal Germs try to take back their precious Earth then." Jasper grinned, imaging their glorious victory in her mind.

"Ah, yes, this grand army you're creating," Red said sarcastically, shattering Jasper's previous image. "Honestly if you want to defeat these defects let's just go now."

"It's not that easy." Jasper thought back to her previous battles. "They may seem like they're not that much but they're tougher than they look."

"Pff. That doesn't sound like the Jasper I know. You've really gone downhill since the last time I saw you. And besides, just because you couldn't defeat them," Red pointed accusingly at Jasper, "Doesn't mean we never can." The gem's eyes danced with excitement. "Lets attack. We could sneak over to their base or, or catch them on their way to the store. We could kidnap their leader or for diamonds sake act like the soldiers we made for and crush their gems to bits. We could bring the remains back to Homeworld in a doggy bag for all I care. We have the manpower to do anything we want to them if we wanted. We'd be worshipped back home. Yellow Diamond might even give us a Pearl. So tell me, why are we wasting our time just sitting here breaking broken machines?"

Jasper stared at her partner in awe. She still was amazed by the utter difference between the former Crystal Gem and the new Homeworld soldier. It caught her off guard sometimes. Most Ruby's she had encountered before had never been like this either. She really was something new.

"We can't just attack without a plan," Jasper stood her ground. "My impulsiveness got us into this mess, and I don't plan on losing to those mistakes again."

"Well then make a plan," Red growled. "I'm not going to stay cooped up in this room forever."

"Guys," Lapis ran into the room panicked, unintentionally breaking the tension between the two gems. "You might want to see this."

Jasper nodded, eager for a fight in the near future.

"You ready Red?"

But Red was already out the door, weapon in hand and a smile on her face.