Elastic Hearts

Counterstrike of the Triad

Steven's P.O.V

For the first time in my life, I'm completely and utterly speechless. What sort of sick and twisted game is she trying to play with me?! Forcing me to choose who won't die in front of my very own eyes?! How on any dimension will this end well? But then it hits me. This is exactly her goal. She wants me to feel this way. She wants to cause me grief and pain because I somehow caused that to happen to her. Frowning angrily, I glare up at the fusion, wondering just what else she'll try to pull on me to make things more internally excruciating.

"Can't decide?" Bluebird says, still mocking me, "So be it then. I'll make things easier for you".

Then in fast secession, she drops Connie and Spinel back on the rooftop before summoning two swords and stabbing each of them in the chest, Connie getting it right through the heart. I freeze, my mouth hanging open as my heart skips a beat. Spinel then poofs, reverting back into her gemstone which Bluebird snatches out of the air before she kicks Connie over the edge. My best friend falls limply through the air, racing towards the ground. My body then springs into action, running and jumping on a summoned shield as I rush to grab her. I make it just in time, Connie landing in my arms. Garnet then catches me but as I lay my best friend down, it looks like I wasn't quick enough to save her. Connie lies completely still, her eyes glazed over as I take off the blindfold. A tightness forms in my chest, tears threatening to come out. Garnet and Lapis kneel beside, looking down with sorrowful expressions at my dead best friend. Bluebird then begins chuckling, all three of us shooting daggers at her with our eyes.

"You humans are so weak and fragile!" She cackles, "It takes very little effort to snuff you out and then you just break down and cry about it immediately! So pathetic! No wonder the Diamonds wanted to destroy this world all those years ago".

"Why?! Connie and Spinel did nothing to you!!" I nearly yell.

"Hmm, true, true" Bluebird nods her head back and forth, "But they both have special meaning to you though. And that's where the real purpose lies".

"Why? What's your game?" Garnet demands.

"Oh don't worry, you'll see soon enough" Bluebird smirks, "In fact, now that I think about it, I see no reason to drag this out any further. I'll show you exactly what our intentions are".

The ground then starts trembling and shaking wildly, scaring off the gathered crowd to the point where they all scramble and run away. Bluebird then takes flight and heads off in a diagonal left direction from the skyscraper. Lapis summons her wings as well, flying after her as Garnet and I leave Connie's body behind to keep up with Lapis. We don't have to go far down the street though before the two houses a bit farther down crumble to the ground, the earth caving in like a sinkhole. It brings up a bit of a dust cloud but Garnet and I run right in without stopping. Bluebird flies down into the hole and then a second later, the sound of something powering up hums in the air. Garnet and I peek over the edge of the hole but can't see anything at first. That is until something large and heavy jumps out of the hole towards, making us both leap backwards and land on our butts. As the dust clears from the air, I look up to see a 20 ft tall mech looming over us. It's arms, legs, and body are constructed from a mix of solid metal and overlapping plates colored black, green, and lime yellow. On its head is some sort of monitor, which glitches with static a bit before Emerald's face pops up, leering down at Garnet and I.

"It's quite grand, I know" Bluebird says, admiring the machine, "Built from used Homeworld tech by Peridots and Bismuths combined. I'd say you could ask them how they did it but they were shattered not that long ago, so no luck for you there".

"Not only that, but check out what power source it runs on" Emerald says, her voice sounding as if she's talking through a microphone.

A panel on the 'chest' region of the mech then spreads apart like the Temple Door, revealing a circular bubble with Amethyst, Peridot, Pearl, Bismuth, and Spinel's gems spinning around. I gasp, completely horrified by the sight of my family being used like a giant battery. I hear Garnet growling, her clearly being bothered by it too.