(sorry for the wait, had to figure out some story details.)
"If you heard the shot, it wasn't meant for you"- Mark Wahlberg:Shooter
Lapis stood tall omver Steven's body like an unmovable golem gaurding it's treasure. Her fists clenched and her arms in a defensive stance. Her wings were reflective of her mood. In the shape of a dragons and made of jagged water and ice.
Her eyes bore into the triple gaze of the corrupted gems. Filled with pure hatred and malice at it having hurt Steven. No one, did that and got away with it. She would make sure of it.
The gem itself seemed to study her as well. It's posture was like a snake, poised and ready to strike at her.
Dark green energy radiated from its mouth and caused the same mechanical crackling sound. Which made the very dirt to mutate and decay wherever it landed.
But Lapis was to busy thinking how she would tear it apart to realize what the breath did. She steeled her nerves and shot forward. A fist of water forming from the rain. Lapis intended to drive it straight into the face of the corrupted gem. But it moved out of the way and ducked underneath the strike.
It then opened it's maw of teeth and tried to clamp it's mouth shut around her waist.
Lapis in response, caused her wings to flare out and shield her body from harm. But still caused a few scratches to appear on her jacket from where the gem got through her water.
Lapis grunted as the corrupted gem continued to apply pressure around her abdomen. Her water since slowly being pushed closer and closer to her body as the rips in her jacket became more numerous.
"Fuck you, you ugly bastard!" She yelled as the rain droplets around her bent to her will and became her instruments of destruction.
The droplets stopped suddenly in midair and here larger and larger as they coalesced into dozens of gloves of water. Once they were about the size of bowling balls she stopped. She then smiled as they let loose.
The bowling ball sized globs of condensed water flew toward at impressive speeds into the corrupted gem. Hitting it with the equivalent of a cannonball several times. Which made the gem howl in pain and drop her to the ground.
Lapis let out a gasp as she landed hard on her back. But thankfully didn't feel any cracks on her gem. So she didn't have to worry about being shattered, for the moment at least.
The corrupted gem shook it's head and turned to look at her with malice in it's eyes. The white pupils shrinking to pinpricks as it narrowed in on her. It let out a growl before charging at her with speed that belayed it's size.
Lapis barely had time to duck out of the way by rolling her body to the side. Missing the gems mouth by mere inches. But she still got a parting gift from it in the form of a large cut going down her arm from one of it's razor sharp claws.
Lapis winced as she touched it to try and get a better look at the wound. She peeled away the hardlight leather that made up her jacket and the light fabric of her shirt.
The gash wasn't to deep, but it did extend a good 5 inches along her upper arm and was bleeding a steady flow of blue blood.
Lapis only heard the thump of the gems paws at it charged once again at her. This time she didn't even hesitate to summon her wings and flew upward as fast as she could. She felt the honey teeth of the gem trace across her shoes. But it did less than negotiable damage.
The corrupted gem noticed that it's new pray had slipped away once again. It growled as the primal anger inside it rose at it's inability to rip it apart and eat.
But in it's anger a power arose. Something that felt like a fleeting memory from a time to long ago to even tell. It was an ability that only beings like it possessed.
It could feel a tingling along it's spine as it drew in energy from the background radiation of the universe itself.
Lapis could only watch in stunned silence as what looked like green particles of light were absorbed into the spine of the gem. Causing the crackling to grow louder and louder with each second that passed. As well as a sickly green glow to spread along the spine.
"That can't be good." She said with a bit of worry. In the next second the gem shot it's head up at where she was. Aiming directly at her chest.
Time almost seemed to freeze for a second as Lapis collected the rain which caused the droplets and the pitter patter of them hitting the trees and ground to stop. It felt like all the air was sucked into the mouth of the corrupted gem when the entire environment around her seemed to fall with a stolen breeze. It had felt like time itself stopped for just a few moments.
Than a bright flash erupted like an exploding volcano from the gullet of the corrupted gem. Blinding like a supernova. Then the sound of the air collapsing and superheating ripped through the sorrounding area.
Then what almost seemed like a miniature energy projector spewed from the mouth of the gem. The color of the thick energy the same sickly green color as the now blindingly bright glow along the gems spine.
Lapis had the foresight to try and move out of the way. To get as far away from the corrupted gem as possible. But she barely had time to move more than a foot before the beam fired. It travelled at just under the speed of light, so the chances of dodging at what was effectively point blank were absolute zero. Even if she was going full speed, she'd never escape it fully.
The blast hit the left side of her body and coated her left arm and a good portion of her chest. Melting immediately through and causing Lapis to poof from the power of the beam.
Her teardrop gemstone fell to the ground with a small thump. Almost insignificant compared to the majestic lightshow that the gem had just performed.
The energy dissapeared into the space sorrounding the corrupted gem. The fight was over as far as it was concerned. It let some of it's tensed body slacken. It let out a hurt of green energy that floated like embers to the ground and turned the moss it hit into either mutated forms of their original selves, or simply caused it to die.
It walked over casually to the gemstone of Lapis. It's feet causing the muddy ground to cave underneath it's weight slightly. It had resumed it's downpour in the ocean gems absence. It scanned the gem with it's triple eyes, looking for an sign that it would reform and attack it.
It growled at the gem like an angry dog that didn't want anyone near it's house. It gently swatted the stone away and into a puddle.
The gem then turned back to it's original pray that lay on the ground. Still unmoving as it was when it passed out. It walked over and sniffed it to make sure it was still fresh. It was glad to find out it was still alive.
It picked it's lips as it's gaping maw opened to devour the small human with strange powers.
It lunged forward and expected to cleave through the abdomen of the squishy being. Teeth sinking into flesh like knives through butter. Rending bone like it was nonexistent and crush the skull.
But then, something the gem would remember for the rest of it's now dramatically shortened life was how quickly the tables had turned against it. How it's own power had inadvertantly created not just one monster, but two.
A large hexagonal barrier burst from Steven's prone body. Expanding out and smashing into the gem that so very nearly just ended his life. The corrupted gem was then sent skidding along the ground for the latest time this night. Crashing into various rocks and boulders.
It came to a stop rather quickly though. It shrugged off the lingering pain that filled it's body. It's anger suppressing anything that was wrong with it. It was going to rip apart whatever got in it's way this time.
It narrowed it's eyes at the human it so desperately wanted to kill. Expecting to still see it's pitiful form lying on the ground where it was left.
But instead it came face to face with a monster that it's never before witnessed. Something that even it's now primal mind knew was so far beyond any it's ever seen.
Steven was now standing on his own two feet once more. We'll standing would be a bit of a stretch right now. His body was slumped forward slightly. Making him look like he was gonna keep over at any second I'd someone didn't help him.
But the power that simply radiated off him told any being with even the smallest bit of intelligence that this was not a force to be taken lightly. Pink energy wafted off his frame like snow falling from the sky. The smell of ozone was prevalent throughout the area due to the sheer energy igniting the air around him to form an aura of ionized gas.
But that wasn't the only thing to change about him in the least. Almost his entire form had changed in one way or another.
His whole body had grown over a foot taller with a sickening pop as his skeleton was stretched, grown and strengthened. Making his bones stronger and larger. His new height, if measured. Would be just under 7 foot 4. Making him tower over all but the tallest Spartans and Gems.
His muscles had likewise grown and strengthened themselves to more fittingly accommodate his new form. They wriggled like tentacles under his skin to wrap around his skeleton and each other. Attaching to new points to be properly utilized to their fullest. Giving him a build that looked like a cross between an olympic runner and a professional weight lifter.
His hair had even changed to fit a new form as well. Growing more wild and messy than it had been before. As well as streaks of pink flowing through the onyx strands like lightning through a black sky.
His skin had changed also. Becoming more pink in areas the sorrounded vital areas. Such as his chest, spine forearms and shins. It was the heaviest along his feet, hands and the top of his skull. Tapering down to be slightly lighter as it connected with the spine. Making it look like he wore constant, Draconian armor on his extremities.
A pair of large pink horns grew out of his forehead like hellboy. Their looks like they were made of large and sturdy chunks of crystal. They narrowed to a sharp point a good inch above his head.
Likewise, smaller spikes grew out of his spine. They got smaller and smaller as they went down his back. His arms and legs had similar spikes at the ends. For incase things got a little to close.
His toes were replaced with dinosaur like feet that still sprouted from the base into five claws. But there was also an additional claw on the back of each foot. His fingernails were also replaced with razor sharp claws that could go on par with a Titanium A combat knife.
His gem now also showed proudly underneath his shirt. Which was torn to shreds through the subsequent transformation. Shining like a star in the cold vacuum. Filling him with untold power that rivaled starships.
The last part of his transformation was shown to the now terrified corrupted gem as Steven lifted his head. Revealing his face to the world.
The whites of his eyes were replaced with the deepest black Sclera. His pupils had shrunk to diamond shaped pin pricks of hot pink that glowed in the dark. His K9s had also grown longer and sharper.
Steven stared at the thoroughly terrified gem with pure unbridled rage that boiled within him like a cauldron. His teeth gritting and grinding like stone. His hands were clenched to the point that his claws threatened to poke through his toughened skin.
"You....hurt.....Lapis!" He growled out like a monster. He stood in front of a gem that had done more than poofed the gem he cared about the most. Letting the teardrop fall to the ground like trash. He wasn't just going to shatter this gem, he was going to grind it init dust with his bare hands!
The corrupted gem had know instinctively that it was faced with an overwhelming situation. So, it charged up the energy along it's spine once more for an attack. The crackling building up to a crescendo of mayhem that threatened to turn the entire area to glass.
The blinding sphere of molten green energy built up in it's mouth like a ball of uncontrollable plasma. Burning hundreds of thousands of degrees.
The beam then left it's mouth with an even louder thunder clap that blew all the leaves off the trees nearby. Even knocking over both old and young trees altogether. The beam itself turned the ground around it to glass from the heat as it travelled at just under the speed of light.
But Steven had already raised a pink shield of overlapping hexagons with the raise of his hand. The move almost instinctual with it's ease.
The beam hit the shield with a heavy blow. It's continuous use spraying sickly green, irradiated energy all around. Melting the ground in front of the shield and forming a wave of molten and jagged glass. As well as igniting the air itself and creating an explosion.
The resulting bang kicked up dirt, soot and silica into the air. Shielding the whole area in a bit and dense cloud of debris that was impossible to see through.
The corrupted gem stood on shakey legs. It had used most of it's energy in that one blast. Trying desperately to destroy the monster it had inadvertantly created.
But it had damn near exhausted itself doing so. Making it so, if anything else attacked it. It couldn't do much to stop it even if needed.
But it was then that the cloud of debris had started to settle across the scarred landscape. It cleared like a fog to show the sight of an angry Steven. Still behind his unfazed shield. But with a secondary one that wrapped around his body like a cloak. Coating him head to toe in protection.
Steven let his arm lower to his side, causing the primary shield to fall as his secondary one fell into invisibility as it was no longer being taxed.
"My turn."
Steven then started to glow a light pink as he suddenly vanished from sight in a flash.
The only sign the corrupted gem got he was still very much there was the massive strike it had gotten. The Hardlight flesh rippled as the force of the strike reverberated through it's body. The force of which would've went it crashing straight through a tree. But Steven suddenly appeared above it in a haze of pink energy. With his arm already reeled back for a solid punch.
He let his fist fly at the gem. Sending it into the ground like a meteor. As soon as it touched the ground, it immediately poofed from the force of the impact. Leaving it's cracked gemstone in the center of the newly created hole in the forest floor.
Steven activated a previously unknown ability, kicking his feet slightly. Which made him fall like a feather to the ground in a trance like state.
Steven simply stared toward the ground with a look of malice that beamed from his face.
He bent down and plucked the round gem from the dirt. It was slightly see through and had the same sickly green color as the energy it used. Somehow, he knew that this gem type was uranium glass. Able to use radiation to both attack and power itself up. A deadly combination in the hands of a skilled gem, and even more potent in it's power when it was corrupted.
And apparently had the power to corrupt gems if his new transformation was anything to go by.
He narrowed his eyes and brought his hand around the gem to enclose it in his hand. Applying more and more pressure until he could hear the tell tale crack of stone.
It brought a cruel sense of satisfaction to his mind as he both heard and saw the gem start to break apart under his mit. The fact that he alone had the power to end this gems life in an instant.
But it was also in that moment that his mind had came back to him finally. He was so caught up in the moment, so caught up in the fact that this gem had hurt Lapis, nearly destroyed her gem. He had only seen red after that, and he completely lost it.
This is exactly what he didn't want to be. It was the whole reason he had run away from the gems when he had found the truth. He didn't want to hurt anybody anymore, and he didn't want to see their faces when they got it through their minds that mom was Pink Diamond.
But in doing so, he had probably caused more harm than good for himself and everyone else. He had left without any explanation on what his reasoning was in the first place.
Wait, did he really even have a reason other than a split second decision?
He racked his mind for the information that would've helped him. Trying to come up with some explanation.
But the overwhelming answer he got from his own thoughts was that he had made a very, very dumb decision. One that would have consequences for both himself and the Crystal gems.
Steven balled his clawed hands around his hair, pulling on it in frustration at his series of dumb mistakes. Causing immense strain to his scalp that he didn't care about. He just wanted to hit himself in the head for the dumb things he could do.
But he knew that anger wouldn't get him anywhere, a lesson he learned from watching Garnet all these years. Learning how to be a good Crystal gem. He chuckled slightly at that.
Steven closed his eyes and let his form to lax, letting the tension in his body he'd been holding be released. He focused on the background sounds of the forest he was in.
The sound of the rain hitting the trees and ground, the gentle pitter patter. The load roar of the thunder. The flow of the wind as it shipped branches and leaves in all directions.
It would've been very peaceful if he'd been here under different circumstances. But now wasn't the time to just sight see and enjoy.
Much to Steven's surprise though was the fact that most of his new monstrous qualities dissapeared into his body. How this worked he didn't know. But he shrank back down to a smaller height of six foot and the pink skin and claws on both his hands and feet dissapeared. While the horns and spikes on his head and spine grew smaller.
Steven opened his eyes and stared down at the puddle in front of him. Noticing that now he looked much more like a man than a monster. Bringing no small amount of comfort to him. But the same black and pink eyes stated back at him.
"But the question now is, how am I gonna explain the horns and spikes to everybody?" He said to no one but himself. Rubbing his fingers along the pink crystal horns poking out of his head. They may have been smaller, but they were still sharp as an arrow at the point.
"Wait, Lapis!" He yelled as he shot up from his sitting position. Which inadvertently launched him a dozen feet into the air and into a branch. Hitting him in the head.
He tumbled to the ground like a sack of bricks. Holding his head in pain as he cursed to himself for his accidental high jump.
He gazed upward to notice the branch he hit was launched off the tree from the force be hit it with.
"Well, that's a new one." His abilities looked to be permanently raised by many times now. If that super jump was anything to go by.
Steven groaned as he more slowly picked himself up off the ground this time. The damp soil of the forest sticking to him like glue and dirtying him.
He also noticed that his sight at night seemed to be better then just an hour ago. Another byproduct of turning into a Diamond probably.
Great, what else is he able to do now. Burnt people back from the dead?!
Wait, could he?
Steven shook his head at that thought. Best not to think about completely treading on the supposed laws of life and death more than he already was. Because if Will is anything to go by. He'll probably have the same lifespan as a gem as well.
He'd cross that particular bridge when needed and not a moment sooner.
He stopped yet another internal debate with himself as he saw a blue glint in the distance that shown from the ground.
Steven's diamond shaped pupils widened as he realized what it was. He didn't even hesitate to run over to her.
He ran over to the blue gem that barely poked out of the dirt and debris. He brushed it away and held the gemstone in his hands with the same love and care one would a baby. Inspecting the teardrop for any damage or cracks that could spell disaster.
Steven let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when he saw that there was no physical damage that he could see. But it didn't mean Lapis was completely fine. So sadly he wouldn't know that until she reformed fully. Which could take anywhere from a few seconds to a week.
God he hoped it wasn't a week.
All of his thoughts and emotions finally overflowed from him as he knew that Lapis was safe. He couldn't live with himself if she died when he could've done something.
Tears of joy fell from his eyes and mixed with the still falling rain that continued to fall on him.
__________
1600 meters northwest
A thin man looked carefully through the scope of his SRS99-AM. Magnifying the scope up to 20 times so he could see the target they were supposed to bag.
His position was hidden from the dark black and maroon armor he wore. That was overlayed with a ghillie suit that covered almost all of his form.
His face was the only thing that one would ever see sitting 20 feet up in a tree in the thunderstorm. A dull silver visor coveeijg his upper face. While a black balaclava with a faded white skull covered the rest of his head.
He wiped off the scope of his rifle to rid it of the raindrops. He ignored the feeling of the damp ghillie suit that rested on his armor and bodysuit. It wasn't miserable persay. But it wasn't pleasant.
He gazed at the teenage boy that their entire mission rested on tonight. Be was the power that their whole movement was riding on. And if they didn't get him now then those UNSC dogs that somehow got here would use him against them.
This intel was of course courtesy of their AI friend and his superior. Their skills combined could kill almost anybody or infiltrate almost anywhere.
Well, at least they used to, now that they knew more about these gems who've been here for thousands of years. As well as the UNSC were both very hard to infiltrate. But there were ways around both.
"Ranger, you got sights on the target still?" Came the voice of the groups temporary leader. A man in black and maroon armor with a dull red visor asked him. Ranger turned his scope a bit to the right to see the man who clutched an old MA37 rifle.
Two more people were on his sides respectively. One was a muscular women in the same armor, but with a dull silver visor. A SPNKR rocket launcher in her hands, for just in case things needed a big book to solve. The kid was a gem, he could probably regenerate. Most likely.
The last man there was an average guy with the same armor as his female companion. But he held an M45 shotgun in his hands.
All three of them were huddled up against a large rock. They were significantly closer to the gem hybrid than him. About 180 feet to be precise.
"The target is on his knees and appears to be hugging an inactive gemstone. The other Gem from earlier looks to be abandoned by a large puddle. He doesn't know your there." He replied to his temporary leader in a calm and collected voice.
"Got it, alright. Natalie and Dan, move into positions. I want this to be airtight." He ordered to the two. They nodded and moved through the trees as silently as they could. Their silhouettes like shadows dancing between the trees and along the dirt. The rain masking their movements further to make them damn near invisible.
Dan took up position just outside of the clearing that the hybrid and blue gems fight with the corrupted Gem. He flicked the safety off his shotgun and peared around his tree to see the sobbing teen clutching onto the gem.
Natalie quickly clambered up a small boulder like that gave her a good vantage point of the whole clearing.
Ranger swirled beneath his balaclava. If all went well, none of their weapons would even need to be fired.
Well, except for his of course. But he trusted in his aim, his rifle and physics. Despite the fact the ammo he was firing was underpowered for what this rifle could fired by far.
A series of three green status lights were shown on his visor to tell him that all three of them were ready.
"Take the shit Ranger."
He held his breath as he zoomed in on his mark. His muscles keeping the rifle resting on the branch in front of him perfectly still.
He then pulled the trigger and the round flew from the barrel at over 3,000 feet per second. Far slower than its usual 12,000. But it would get the job done.
The 14,5 mm smart dart flew through the air. It was specifically built for this kind of mission, with a system that would send waves at lightspeed to tell how far it's target was and deploy it's micro brake rockets.
After a half second the rockets opened up and slowed the bullet down considerably. Making it survivable.
It did it's job and hit Steven directly in the back. Poking it's needle all the way into him instead of going through him like a regular bullet would.
He barely had time to figure out what was going on before the potent chemicals worked it's way through his system and knocked him out cold.
Steven fall to the ground forward and rolled to his side. Covering him in even more mud and gunk than before.
The blue gemstone fell out of his grasp and fell softly to the ground a mere foot away from him. His arm stretched out toward it.
"Nice work Ranger. Meet up with us for evac. The UNSC will be here soon from all the commotion. I know you'd rather but a few of those fuckers down. But we can't take them on." He spoke over the squads comm.
Ranger simply lifted his gun up and slowly climbed down the tree. Before then running to catch up with his squad.
Dan walked out into the clearing to where Steven lay, asleep, on the ground. He was so glad the plan went off without a hitch.
He slung his shogun over his back with a sling and bent down to pick up the teardrop shaped gemstone. Eyeing it carefully before pulling out a small case on his side and sticking the stone inside. The simple plastic case with foam padding did an amazing job at stopping them from reforming.
He stood back up before he flipped the case back to his side.
Just in time to see Natalie kick the green gem farther away into the forest.
Luke, their current leader was about to chastise her about it before she cut him off.
"That one was highly radioactive. Better to let the UNSC fucktards deal with it.
Luke either agreed or didn't care since he didn't tell her otherwise. He then turned to look at the hybrid they'd been sent to grab. Luke bent down and put reinforced titanium cuffs around both his legs and arms before hoisting Steven over his shoulder. His grunt telling them how heavy the teenager was.
It took a few moments before Ranger appeared out of the woods panting. He had ran full speed the whole way there in full armor. Which was a lot of work even with the rain cooling him.
It was not a moment to soon before a dark black Pelican swooped from the sky and landed in the middle of the clearing. The roar of it's engine's quieted from its low power mode.
The pelican was the same old model the UNSC used. But painted primarily in black. The only discernable detail was the maroon fist on the side that was the single for the Insurrection.
The back of the Pelican opened with the boss of hydraulics before they cut off as the Titanium ramp not the damp dirt.
They all swiftly got in the Pelican. It took off immediately after they entered, the door closing in flight.
"I see you got the package, good work." Came a deep and gruff voice from the front of the troop compartment.
All four members of the squad looked to their actual leader as he stood up. His massive size scraping the ceiling from his thickly plated helmet.
He cut an intimidating sight to anyone who saw him. He wore thickly plated armor that was worn over a mechanical exoskeleton. Making him just under 8 feet.
His onyx black armor was only broken up by the dull gold visor that stared at them emotionlessly. And the numbers 066 engraved on his chest plate in red over where his heart was.
"The mission went perfectly Commander Soren. The subject was captured without any struggle. We even managed to get a second Gem." Luke informed their Commander.
Soren stood like a statue in the troop bay as they flew. No perceptible movement other than the quick note of his head.
"Good, put him in a max security cell when we get to base." He said simply before he turned around and walked to the cockpit. Leaving the four Insurrectionist soldiers and the unconscious Steven to their own devices.