A rumble echoes across beach city, waking Atom up from their charging sleep and making them fall onto the floor.
"What's going on?" They ask an empty house and look out to across the beach, only to see a green hand ship slowly fly towards the city.
Atom jumps up and unplugs their cable, they see the crystal gems standing in front of the beach house with a telescope and Steven running up to them.
They rush down to meet the gems as Steven looks through the telescope with Greg behind him. "I wanna see!"
As Atom makes it downstairs and stands next to Amethyst, Garnet gives off the next command. "Ready the light cannons!"
The A duo run upstairs and pulls a cart with one of the light cannons, dragging the cannon to the front balcony.
"What is this thing?" Atom dumps the handle while looking close at the cannon that is now opening like a rose petal and glowing brightly.
"Careful dude!" Amethyst pulls them back as the cannon fires a pink beam of light up and towards the green hand only barely missing Atoms face. "It's Roses light cannon, as you can see it can destroy anything" As Amethyst says that, the laser doesn't even make a scratch on the ship.
Atom looks over at Amethyst with a raised eyebrow. "Well it should've" the two descend the stairs and meet back with the others.
"We'll take them head on" Garnet states "the whole town might be in danger"
"I better make a call" Steven pulls out his phone. "Time for some political favours." As Steven calls the mayor, Atom stares up at the green hand, feeling a slight tingle of fear creep up their spine. They have never seen any other gem apart from the crystal gems so naturally they would fear what ever came out of that ship.
"Are you alright, you seem worried?" Pearl puts a hand on Atoms shoulder trying to steel their nerves.
*warning: fear level rising*
"Definitely worried" They laugh slightly and rub their arms up and down with as nervous tick.
"It's nothing to worry about" Pearl looks up at the green hand ship and then back at Atom. "We have defeated gems way worse than Jasper"
"Jasper? Is that another gem?"
"Bigger and stronger but we will still defeat her, we always do" Pearl has a look of uncertainty etched on her face that goes under Atoms emotional detector.
~~~
Pearl left Atom standing on the beach looking up at the ever approaching hand while the gems back Greg's van for Steven to leave.
"Hey! Great idea dad, you should leave with the rest of the-" As Steven notices his bags being loaded into the van he stops. "Is that my luggage?"
Greg looks over at Pearl. "Who's gonna tell him?" Greg and Pearl look at each other awkwardly before turning to Amethyst.
"Hey! I'm not good at this stuff!" Amethyst turns away and walks towards Atom.
"Hey dude..." She looks up at the bot who is still frozen in place. "Dude?" Atom shakes their head and looks down sheepishly at the gem.
"Sorry, I'm just trying to find some type of weapon systems I can use to help you guys fight"
"Why do you want to fight with us?" Amethyst replies.
"I don't know but it just feels right" As Greg's van drives away, the rest of the gems walk over to the two looking up at the hand ship.
"Let's get to work everyone"
~~~
Attempt after attempt the gems have decided to try fusion to blow up the hand ship but after Amethyst and Pearl fuse together to form Opal, which caused Atom to slightly panic while being calmed down by Garnet, Opals bow and arrow didn't work.
The hand ship closes in on the crystal gems. "At least Stevens safe" Garnet says.
"Hey guys!" Steven runs up to the group from behind causing Opal to defuse making both Amethyst and Pearl fall to the floor. One more happy that Steven is here than the other.
"Steven!"
"You came back" Amethyst smiles as Pearl groans.
"What are you doing here?!" Pearl looks at the boy with terror at the thought of him being here in the middle of the fight.
"It's too late! Just stay behind us!" Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl make a sort of protective wall in front of Steven and Atom who are both staring up at the ship with various levels of fear.
As the ship lands a green bubble appears up from its palm, gliding forward until it opens and shows three gems, one big and orange resembling a buff Cheeto puff, one who is green and has mechanical limb enhancers and finally the smaller one with blue skin behind the orange one.
"That's them alright, they're the ones who keep breaking my machines!" The green one opens a screen made from her fingers and looks towards the orange one.
The orange one doesn't look impressed almost as if her time has been wasted just standing there. "That's it?"
The green one looks alarmed. "Jasper! They keep interfering with my work!"
Jasper sighs and steps forward. "Looks like another wast of my time... Hey, get over here!" Jasper grabs the blue ones arm and roughly drags her forward.
"Lapis!" Steven gasps causing Atom to look back at both of them.
"Is this their base?" Jasper turns to Lapis who isn't meeting any of the Crystal Gems eyes.
"Yes..."
"You need to leave immediately!" Garnet yells as she summons her gauntlets.
"Yeah, step off!"
"This isn't a gem controlled planet!"
Peridot and Jasper drag Lapis while they jump off the finger and onto the beach just a few meters in front of the Crystal gems.
"And neither of you saw Rose quarts? Shame I was looking forward to beating her into the ground!" Steven shudders, causing Atom to stand in front of Steven protectively.
"But this is all that was left of her army! Some lost, defective Pearl, a puny overcooked runt and this shameless display?" Jasper glares at Atom and Steven. "Hmm? What's that?"
The rest of the gems summon their weapons while Atom just opts for raising their fists trying to look scary which doesn't work.
"It calls itself "Steven" and that other one seems to have a metallic like skin, most likely a robot of some sorts"
"He's just a human! He isn't a threat at all! He's not one of them!" Lapis pleads for Jasper to not hurt her human friend but it doesn't seem to work.
"I know what a human is. You don't need me for this. Just blast them with the ship."
The hand ship lifts up and points towards the Crystal gems. Peridot draws a wide circle on her finger screen and taps it. The ship then begins to charge with green energy causing the Crystal gems to panic.
"Steven get out of here!" Garnet turns to the human but he doesn't budge.
"But this is my home! And you're all my family!" Steven yells back as the ship is about to fire.
"Firing." As Stevens gem starts to glow the hand ship fires at the group. Steven jumps in front of everyone and summons a big pink shield that protects everyone who is stunned by the reveal of Stevens shield.
"The shield! That symbol!" Jasper turns back around to glare at the collapsed Steven who is being helped up by Atom. "You have the power of Rose Quartz!"
"Now do you see why I needed an escort!" Peridot points at Steven and the gems.
"Fire a barrage! Wide spread!" Jasper commands as Peridot swipes one of her finger on her screen.
Garnet pushes Steven out of the way leaving Pearl, Amethyst and Atom getting caught up in the explosion. Atom groans but soon notices that their right arm is missing, finding it across the beach where the Peridot has picked it up.
"Interesting"
Garnet emerges from the sand behind Steven and charges towards Jasper.
"Good" Jasper smirks and summons her weapon which is a helmet, she blocks a punch from Garnet.
"Priming gem stabiliser" Jasper dashes at Garnet and jabs her with the destabiliser. Garnet slowly falls back with yellow lines etching across her body before poofing. Two gems fall onto the sand, one red and the other blue.
Jasper then stalks towards Steven. "I was there you know? The first war of this garbage planet. I fought against you and I respected your tactics but this?" She lifts Steven by his shirt. "This is sick" Pearl and Amethyst charge at Jasper as Peridot has taken hold of Atom who is trying to escape. "Look around Rose, your base is taken, your army is in ruins. You have failed!" She headbutts Steven, knocking him out.
"Amethyst!" Atom yells as they finally move the hand off of their mouth.
She and Pearl turn around and sees them being captured. "No!"
And for Atom, it all goes dark.
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