The Long Way Home(Doctor Who/Steven Universe crossover)

Running Away

Pearl was on her hands and knees, shaking all over. She had only been in her gemstone for a total 10 minutes before reforming. The attack by the Star Quartz had taken her by surprise, but she knew that she needed to on her feet again as soon as possible, before these Gems could get the drop on her. Unfortunately, she had reformed to find that she was already too late. Her wrists still hurt from where a couple of Quartz soldiers had grabbed her the moment she popped out, tossing her into this cage; a cage that would send her crawling back to her gem if she dared to touch its orange surface. She was trapped and now she was going to meet her end under the waiting eyes of her own people.

"Calm yourselves, everyone. Justice will be served!"
This loud, hissing voice came from none other than the Star Quartz. Pearl lifted her weary head a bit to catch a glimpse of her would be executor, only to be in for yet another surprise. The figure of a tall, grey coloured Quartz stomped past her cage, carrying a familiar looking grey haired man on her shoulder. Pearl could swear that the Doctor still seemed to follow her, even when she was trapped. The massive Gem soldier tossed the Doctor roughly to the ground on the right from Pearl's cage, before digging her heavy foot into his shoulder. A square of light appeared under the Doctor's body and the ground itself appeared to shift, wrapping itself around the Doctor's wrists and ankles in cuffs of light. Pearl could do nothing, except turn away from this brutal sight.

"You are all probably wondering why I have brought this organic life-form to this execution?", the Star Quartz announced to the thousands of diplomatic Gems seated in the stone colosseum.
"Well, this 'human' is actually the one responsible for dropping the last of the rebel Gems into our laps."
Pearl felt her already weak body beginning to hunch over as she heard those words again. She was the 'last Crystal Gem'. She did not know what had become of her team, but just from the way that the Star Quartz had so coldly delivered this news, it was easy to assume that all of them- and, God forbid, Steven-were far from alive. And now she was about to die in a future that she hadn't planned for, all because she wasn't there to help. Pearl felt tears run down her pale cheeks.

"Garnet...Amethyst... I'm sorry...", she whimpered quietly as the tears turned from drops to streams. "I'm sorry for letting this happen...For failing the Earth....and Steven! Forgive me....Rose!"
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The Doctor snapped back into consciousness. He still ached all over from being dragged and tossed around, but his mind was suddenly on high alert, all because of this name. This one familiar name. All he could see, however, was one of the glowing sides of Pearl's cubic prison. His ears were now being flooded with the outraged cries of Gems and the never ending boasting of Star Quartz. The general just stood there as she rambled on about Pearl and the Crystal Gems' rather long list of crimes against Homeworld. The Doctor, meanwhile, looked to his right, where the distraught Pearl was knelt in her cage and tried to get her attention with a small "psssst." No response. The Doctor kept trying to grab her focus by tapping the ground near Pearl's prison with his fingers. He couldn't be too noisy, for fear that the already tremendous weight of the grey Quartz' boot would get even heavier if she heard even a single peep. Just then, however, the grey Quartz removed her boot from the Doctor's back and trudged over to her general, as Star Quartz had ordered 'a word with the accused.'

"Hey, what's the plan now?", the Doctor spoke to Pearl in a whisper. Pearl just let out a defeated sigh and her whole being drooped even lower, even as she was already slouching while on her knees.
"There is no plan, Doctor", mumbled Pearl. "It's over. It's all over."
The grey Quartz, now standing beside General Star, pushed another button on her metal bracelet. The orange light of Pearl's cage faded away, leaving the frame to sink into the ground. Shackles of light, like the ones on the Doctor, appeared and clung to Pearl's hands and feet. The Doctor could do little more than hang his head as Star made her way towards Pearl and him.
"So, you're going to give up just because we're close to dying with apparently no way of escape." The Doctor's voice still had the characteristic wryness that she had come to expect from him, but it also sounded somewhat sympathetic and depressed. It was clear he had no more of an idea on how to escape then Pearl did. Once she was in front of the Doctor, who still lay on his stomach, Star Quartz rested the tip of a katana balde beneath his chin. Slowly, Star Quartz raised the arm holding her weapon, urging the Doctor onto his knees while his hands remained tied behind his back.
"First Question," the general spat at the Doctor, "how long have you been associated with the Crystal Gems?"
The Doctor didn't respond right away, he just stared back at the General with a confused look.
"Speak," pressured Star, her voice slightly raised now but still as disturbingly cool and collected as ever.
"Well, that's an interesting question," the Doctor replied with a straight face. "I've only known Pearl here for about 20 minutes and all I can say is that she is not the most hospitable person in the world."
Star raised her eyebrow, while Pearl's melancholy expression shifted to a half-offended, half-puzzled glare.
"She just came barging into my ship earlier today and all I did was offer to take her home," pressed the Doctor. "She responded by threatening to cut my head off. I really hoped that you diplomatic types would be more civil, but I can see that chopping heads is just a 'Gem thing'."