He Did It For Me: Steven's Legacy

Chapter 13: Confrontation

As Spinel finished her tragic tale, she began to glow and reform back into her harlequin appearance. Connie wiped her eyes and slowly approached the Gem. "S-Spinel." She began. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"Yeah, I bet you are!" Spinel grabbed the collar of Connie's shirt and extended her arm to slam the young woman against the dome.

"Connie!" Pearl and Amethyst cried as they rushed over to aid her.

"Stay out of this!" Spinel shapeshifted her hand to be big enough to grab and hold both the Crystal Gems like they were dolls. Spinel turned her attention back to Connie walked over to her. "Well, it looks like you got what you wanted. I've got my memories back. All of them."

"Spinel, what Pink did to you was horrible," Connie said. "You deserve better. Come back and save the Earth with us. You can start over there, make new friends."

"Like you? I don't want anything to do with you! The meat-bag Pink, Rose, Steven, or whatever she wanted to call herself, loved enough to give her Gem to."

Connie's eyes widened. "How do you..."

Spinel laughed manically. "I told you I have all of my memories back, especially from the innocent, loving... stupid version of me. You never wanted to be my friend. You just wanted me to turn off my injector. Well, that ain't happening!"

"Spinel, I..."

"Don't even try to lie!" In her rage, Spinel tightened her grip of Pearl and Amethyst. The two Gems yelped in pain.

"No, you're hurting them!"

"Oh, you're so protective of your real friends. Yet, so careless with your fake ones!" She tightened her grip again.

"Stop it!"

"Then why don't you just stop me?! You have the power of a Diamond! And maybe if you were that strong, to begin with, Steven wouldn't have died!"

As soon as she heard those words, a wave of emotions engulfed the young woman as she let out a scream and manifested a pink bubble around that knocked Spinel away and freed Pearl and Amethyst. "Guys!" Connie ran over to the two Crystal Gems. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Pearl assured.

Spinel let out another psychopathic holler as she picked herself up off the ground like a possessed doll, she rotated her head with a sick smile. "Well, that happened." She said.

"I wish I had brought my sword," Connie admitted.

"Good thing you've got a shield," Amethyst said as she summoned her whip, and Pearl took a martial-arts stance. Connie took a deep breath and focused until she successfully manifested a somewhat stable shield.

"I may not have my rejuvenator. But I won't need it to beat you losers." Spinel taunted as she lunged toward the group.

Connie got in front of Amethyst and Pearl with her shield up. But with one punch, Spinel broke it and sent the young woman far back. Like a coil, Spinel bounced towards Connie with her hands shapeshifted into hammers. But was hit by pillar tossed at her by Amethyst's whip. While she was disoriented, Pearl took the opportunity to hit her with a hard roundhouse kick. But the rubbery Gem recovered and grabbed Pearl's ankle and tossed her away and slammed onto the dome. Amethyst charged at Spinel with a spin-dash that set herself, and the ground on fire. The pink Gem shapeshifted her hands into a wall to stop the attack but couldn't prevent herself from being pushed back. Eventually, Spinel just extended her legs and allowed Amethyst to zoom under her. Then stomped the purple Gem into a corner with a ridiculously large foot.

Connie got back onto her feet and summoned a new shield. "Spinel, please listen." She begged. "I don't want to fight."

"You may not want to. But I do!" Spinel threw a punch. But Connie manifested another shield. It protected her, and her air bubble, but shattered. Spinel delivered another blow, and Connie summoned another shield. The same result occurred again, and again, and again. "I bet if it weren't for that gem, you'd be on the ground already."

"Spinel, we can just talk this out."

"Why? I'm having so much fun. I don't wanna stop playin'!" Spinel clasped her head as she continued to laugh and dragged her fingers across her face. "Y'know, I came to Earth to take my anger out on a bunch of strangers, but now that I know you, I wanna kill you even more!"

"Just come back with us and stop the injector. Make Earth your new home, and we can put all of this behind."

"And how do you think you're gonna do that with me around, huh? I'm the source of all your problems. So, don't pretend you want me! Oh, what would your plan for me be, huh? You gonna put me somewhere? You gonna leave me somewhere? You gonna leave me all alone?! Or maybe you've gotta plan with my rejuvenator? Because what a plan that would be! I turn off the injector, and then the moment my back is turned, bam! Presto! Change-o! Problem solved!"

"I'd never..."

"Well, think again! You're not gettin' rid of me that easily!" Spinel leaped over Connie, then sprung backward with her arms and legs stretched out like a spider.

Connie summoned another shield and with all her strength, struck her opponent with it. The hit was enough to slam Spinel right into pillar she punched all those centuries ago, and finally caused it to collapse. "Spinel!" Connie ran over to the rubble and saw Gem lay in the center. Spinel picked herself up, but at a slower pace than before. Her whole body glitched. As soon as her gemstone was visible, it was revealed that there was a crack in the middle. "Oh, no." Connie ran over to the Gem. "Spinel, I..." Before she could even finish, Spinel punched Connie in the gut with enough force to knock her away, and out of breath.

"As much f-fun as it would be to ki-i-i-i-ill-l you mys-self. I think I'd rather let yo-o-u spe-end a d-day in my shoes. Or more app-p-ropria-a-ately, centuries." Spinel struggled to extend her arms over to the Galaxy Warp, but finally managed, and pulled herself to it. "So-orry, you won't ge-e-et to see what I do to yo-o-ur planet!"

"Spi... Spi..." Connie struggled for air. "Spinel!" She dashed to over to the warp pad as fast as she could, but wasn't fast enough, as she saw the pink vanish in the stream of light.

"Connie!" Pearl called out as she and Amethyst met up with the young woman. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Connie assured as she huffed and puffed. "Spinel's gone back to Earth, and her Gem is cracked."

"If she shatters, we'll never stop the injector."

"Then what are we waitin' for?!" Amethyst stepped onto the Galaxy Warp, but it did not activate. "Why isn't it working? It should be working!"

"She must have deactivated the pad back on Earth." Pearl looked at Connie and Amethyst. "We're stuck here in the Garden."