Steven Universe Future: A Corrupted Identity

Chapter 15: A Corrupted Identity

Connie groaned, her eyes opening to a dark room. She looked around, seeing Jasper and Greg stirring beside her. What was this place?

"Guys?" she called out, vaguely hearing the Crystal Gems fighting in the distance, but her voice echoed eerily in the large room. She looked around and gasped, seeing a large statue-like figure of Steven, gray and lifeless, with a small pink glow standing on top.

"What's going on?" Greg asked, looking at his hands, which were transparent. "Are we dead?"

Connie shook her head. She recounted Steven's retelling of the situation to her, how each of his friends' consciousnesses stood on top of their unmoving physical forms. This had to be the same thing. "No. It's a classic psychological ghost situation," Connie said. "Steven did it when the Diamonds first arrived on Earth."

"What's a ghost?" Jasper questioned. "And why am I here?"

Connie looked at her, eyeing the green spots. "Maybe because you've been corrupted too?" she guessed, shrugging. "It doesn't matter. We have to get to Steven," she said, pointing at the pink glow. "Maybe we can help from here."

The three nodded, though Jasper begrudgingly, and watched Connie propel herself forward by swimming through the air. Greg raced after her and Jasper came up the rear, her face uneasy.

As they neared the height of the statue, the three stopped. Steven was indeed there, but it wasn't quite him either. Iridescent horns shone in his forehead, though the right one was cracked and broken, his left eye was blackened and his iris was pink and pointed, like a diamond. Deep pink blotches were all over his face, hands. and neck, covered by a pale pink aura.

And the stare, unseeing and unfeeling. She shuddered at it. Connie remembered that blank face well.

"Steven?" she called out, her voice echoing. He didn't look at her, his eyes still staring fixed at something Connie could not see.

"Shtuu-ball?" Greg tried, floating closer to his son and reaching out his arm, despite still being a good distance away. "Can you hear us, buddy?" His voice shook as he looked at his son, barely recognizable under the influence of corruption.

"HEY!" Jasper said, angrily pounding her fists against the air when Steven didn't react. "Stop ignoring us and let us out oh here!"

Pink Steven slowly turned and stared at her. Nothing changed in his face. Not even a stir of recognition.

"Yeah, that's right!" Jasper said, smirking to herself. "Show us some res...huh?"

Steven turned back to stare in front of him again before she finished talking.

"STOP THAT!" Jasper yelled. "Look at me!"

"Stay back," Steven said, his voice distant and emotionless.

Jasper growled, her fists clenched and helmet appearing on her ghost-like body. "I don't take orders from you," she growled. "You are not my Diamond!"

Steven's neck snapped over to look at her. "No, I'm not," he said. "Stay back."

Jasper pushed herself forward. "Make me," she goaded.

A sickly smile grew on Steven's face. Connie and Greg drew back slightly from it; the horns protruding from temples, the coldness in his eyes and the sickening amusement in his grin. The slow growth of a dark mark on his neck as he stared at the gem in front of him.

A pink aura burst from the teen, coming in waves and striking Jasper. She yelled, violently forced back, her hands clutching her head.

"STOP!" Connie yelled, watching Jasper wither. "Please!"