Default Settings // Sequel to "Factory Reset"

Chapter 16: Trapped

Chapter 16: Trapped

"Be careful," Pearl said as the group huddled in the shadows of the entrance. "We have no idea where Red might be."

"You could say that again," Red's voice echoed through the cube as the lights shut off. The others were seconds away from pulling out their weapons when they heard an annoyed groan from Red and a bang.

"Really?" Red growled as she kicked the wall. The lights flickered back on and Red turned back to the hovering screen she had been talking to. "Jokes aside Jasper, why did you call me again?"

"Lapis told me you'd be here. You know, after I reformed. I assume you wont be needing anything from me. I was just calling to say Lapis left already to 'warn' the Crystal Gems," Jasper explained for the third attempt, putting air quotes around the word warn. "They'll be there any minute."

"She was suppose to wait until I told her to..." Red frowned. "Why would she leave already?" Jasper shrugged in response, earning a glare from Red. The Crystal Gems shared a look. They were going to have to have a talk with Lapis after this.

"Look, I don't know why Lapis does half the things she does." Jasper rolled her eyes. "I just called to warn you." She seemed to contemplate keeping quiet but added, "Not that you care." Jasper ended the video transmission, causing the screen to go black and Red to grow more, well, red.

"Imbeciles," Red paced. The Crystal Gems shared a look with each other. Now was their chance, right? Pearl held up three fingers and began to count down. 3...2...1...

"Charge!" Amethyst yelled as the five raced towards Red, weapons drawn and ready to fight. Red's eyes widened but her reflexes were fast and she threw the screen in their direction, jumping out of the way.

Peridot was the first to reach Red and used her metal powers to send the screen flying back at her. Red managed to dodge, allowing it to hit the wall. Red's eyes widened, "Wait!"

Her yell wasn't heard though as the gems went to attack. Although it was five against one Red was doing well, holding back her own fighting almost. She kept a watchful eye for projectiles.

Things almost seemed even until a spear, one of Pearl's, flew past Red's face and hitting a control panel hidden in the shadows of a wall. Red yelled as the box sparked and the lights went out again. Large slamming noises could be heard. The lights restored themselves and showed the true damage: exactly what Red had been worried about.

The doors, and all other means of escape, were sealed shut.

Like clockwork the trap set itself off. The floor began to split apart, breaking up the group of gems, before they fell away into their own different areas.

Red groaned as she hit the ground. It was completely dark so Red summoned a ball of fire in front of her, only to groan to find she wasn't alone.

"Perfect," Red growled, "This is just perfect! You idiots really know how to screw things up, don't you?"

"If I recall," Sapphire helped herself up, "You were the one who built this thing."

Red glared a glare that made even Sapphire nervous. The look in her eyes along with the large ball of flame in front of her didn't make her seem too friendly.

"You did this," Red spat. "Now I'm stuck with you. And now it's my job to get myself out of this mess." Red threw up her hands in frustration. Sapphire, seeing just out of the corner of her eye something flying towards them, tackled Red to the ground.

"What the-" Red seemed infuriated but faltered when she realized what happened. A multitude of odd glowing arrows fired where Red's hand, and gem, had just been. Red looked at Sapphire, who was still on top of her and felt herself blushing quite involuntarily. Sapphire noticed and quickly got off, staying close to the ground.

"Let's go," Red led Sapphire in an army crawl to where she knew the exit to that room was. As long as they stayed low they'd be fine, so of course the door was several feet off the ground.

The two gems shared a look of understanding as if they had been working together for all their lives. Sapphire summoned a chunk of ice, big enough to act as a shield and Red threw her at the entrance where she quickly shut off the trap.

Red grinned for a moment unknowingly and then mentally face-palmed when she came to the realization she couldn't reach the door herself. Once Sapphire left her, she'd be stuck and-

"Are you coming?" Sapphire stared at the red gem with her arm outstretched.

"You...aren't going to leave me behind?" Red frowned.

"You said so yourself," Sapphire laughed. "You're stuck with me."

Red glared but she felt that spark of anger beginning to fade, if only slightly. She took her hand as if sealing her already doomed fate. She lifted herself up and the two walked in silence to the next room.