Burning Conscious

Chapter 1 - That Night

He put the cigarette to his lips, inhaling smoke with a cautious gaze over the city. It felt nice to have the smoke swirl in his lungs. But even he knew that the feeling couldn't last. He exhaled, the smoke leaving his mouth in a swirling cloud that quickly got lost in the wind.

He looked at the burnt out cigarette, rolling his eyes as he puts the stub out. Those things never really seemed to last.

He felt it vibrate in his pocket again. The gems had been calling him for the past few hours, only stopping for what he assumed was a charging break. They were the last people he wanted to talk to. In reality, he just really wanted to talk to the Diamond's.

Espically Blue. The news must have shook her the same way it did him. If anything she was really the only one who could relate to what Steven was feeling.

And to think, the youngest member of the Diamond Mafia was actually alive. 

He really wanted to break his phone. The buzzing was getting on his nerves.

Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out his cigarette pack, turning it to tap a piece out. The box nearly crushed under his fingers tapping, but in the end it gave him what he wanted. Putting it to his mouth he lit it with his lighter, the only thing really calming him down at the moment. The flame from the lighter looked nice. It reminded him of the first time he met the diamond's, the first time he met Jasper.....

He inhaled, choking on the smoke. Clenching at his throat he forced himseld to take deep breaths, though he really couldn't care less.

He looked down on the busy chaotic city, the vast difference from Beach City comforting. He wish he had grew up with the diamond's....

The phone buzzed again. With an annoyed groan he pulled it out, answering the call. "WHAT?!" The other side was quiet as the video finally kicked in. Connie gave Steven a look of worry as his face went into a shock. "C-connie! H-hey... Sorry its just.... The gems have been calling me all day....."

He trys to play it off cool, but the doctor in training rolled her eyes. "Steven where are you? What happened...? The gems said you just... Left."

The cigarette hung on his lips, the wind blowing it out. He covered his mouth as he relit it, mumbling as he did so. "Oh it's nothing, just that mom might be alive."

The look on Connies face is one of the few things that make him smile. "S-shes alive?! I thought.... I could've sworn that she died in that car accident after you were born....?"

Steven chuckles. "I know right. My mom, the boss of nearly the entire US, dead for 15 fucking years. Suddenly, she gets in contact with Pearl, and she expects every thing to be fine and fucking dandy." A crooked grin comes to his face. "Funny right?"

"How could she just exist? Wait are you ok?" Steven avoids Connies gaze as he smokes. 

"I'm fine. Just needed some time to think." Connie gives him a studying look. Steven groans in annoyance. "God Connie I didn't fucking shot anyone. I don't even have my gun."

Connie relaxes slightly on the other side. "Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Can I smoke in the car?" Steven counters. Connie rolls her eyes as the two drift into an uncomfortable silence. "Exactly."

"Steven-"

"I'll stay with Yellow tonight. Shes in town at the hotel in the middle of the city, I'll talk to her, get this shit off my chest, and come back home in the morning." Steven says quietly, now putting the cigarette out, his chest begining to hurt.

Connie fixes her hair. "Fine. Just.... Come home this time."

Steven rolls his eyes. "Yeah yeah whatever." He says, quickly hanging up before she begins to lecture him about something.

Standing up, Steven looks over the city one more time from atop the abandoned office building. Granted, this wasn't Beach City and the lights were annoying as hell, but it was pretty nonetheless. 

Walking down the stairs, he began to think about his life.

Just a normal kid born in a city that should've went under years ago. His mom lost in a tragic car accident, his life was good back then. Just him and his dad.

Then the Crystal Gems, a small team of bounty hunters whos sole purpose was to bring down members of the Diamond Mafia. Granted, Pearl and Sapphire were far more suited for office work than Ruby, Amethyst and Garnet, but they fought regardless.

He thought it was cool back then.

Then 4 years ago, when he was 12. He began finding secrets about his mom and her family, and Lapis, a prisoner at the time, told him so many stories when the gems left.

Then Blue came to visit.

His only true relative, the only person who really got him when it came down to his mom.

Joining her gang was fun for a while. Really the only bad thing about the half year trip was how Steven became addicted to smoking.

Hanging with Yellow was fun too. She even got him his own gun. Boy was Garnet pissed at that.

In a way it kinda felt like the gems had fell from his life, that was until Yellow and Blue left. Pearl practically smothered him in attention after that.

But after all of that, after everything he's had to go through with his mom, the thought of Steven even replacing her implimented by the diamond's, how Steven was forced to take his mothers place when Garnet got injured when they were on the Jasper case.... All of it....

Was pointless now that she was alive.

So it felt anyways.

He wondered what life would be like if they were alien warriors or something outlandish like that. He let out a chuckle at the thought. 

He stepped out of the back door of the building, the doors automatic locking system making a click sound behind him. He fiddled with the buildings keys in his pocket as he rounded the building, jumping slightly at the sight of the pointed haired Peridot, who was looking over her tablet silently. 

Peridot was basically his assigned babysitter, a lower rank of the massive mafia but still someone with some value. Even if White saw the value as simply a meat sheild and a paperwork manager.

Not like Steven needed any of those things.

With a sigh he walked past her, forcing her to look up from the tablet and follow, nearly running to keep up. "M-my diamond!" She says, doing the diamond symbol as she struggles to keep up. "The 'Crystal Gems' wanted to talk to you, and Yellow has unfortunately reported that she wont be visiting the city tonight due to p-paperwork...."

Steven balls his hands into a fist, pausing in the middle of the empty sidewalk. "Damnit!" He grabs at his hair, pulling at it as he thinks. "Is Blue around here?" Peridot shakes her head. "Jasper?!" 

Holding the tablet in her chest, she shakes her head. The look in Stevens eyes send a chill down her spine as he reaches for his belt, only to remember he left his gun at home.

Taking a deep breath, he clears the frustrated blush from his face. Reaching into his jackets pocket he pulls put his phone sending Connie a quick text.

"I need a ride home."