Steven Universe Future: Isolation

Chapter Three: Beach City Falls

Screams filled the streets and humans scattered and bolted. Some got into their cars as they remembered the plans they created years ago for gem related incidents, while others were just too panicked at the sudden appearance of the pink monolith to think clearly.

It had been a calm day. Everyone was going about their business; Sadie and Shep hung out outside of Fish Stew Pizza as they wrote their next song, Mr. Smiley was relaxing in the sun as the Quartz soldiers ran his amusement park; Nanefua was strolling along the boardwalk with her Roby guards.

It started with a rumble, then cracking noises. No one looked in time to see Steven's home explode open. They only saw a lizard-like monster appeared behind the mountain, so tall that it blocked out the sun. Collectively, their eyes trailed the monster. They counted the spines on its side and stepped back when they saw the iridescent rosy horns on its head and the pair that protruded from its face.

"What is that?!" Kiki asked, nearly dropping Sadie and Shep's pizza.

Nanefua's Ruby's raced in front of the mayor and led her away as quickly as they could. They shouted instructions to everyone at her orders: Gem attack. Evacuate now.

Sadie and Shep looked to each other and then back to the monster. They both knew that shade of pink. Could it be?

"Steven?" Sadie asked, throwing logic to the wind. The boy always had strange powers, maybe this was just one of them. But then the monster's snapped down to the city when someone in the distance screamed and they both jumped at the cruelness reflected in them.

"Maybe not," Shep said as they pulled Sadie out of her seat. "Kiki put it on our tab. We need to go!"

They all began to run as the beast lifted one of its four legs and stepped over to the city. In two bounds, he was able to cross the beach and reach the boardwalk.

"This way!" Sadie yelled. She pulled Shep and Kiki down an alley and they raced behind the Big Donut. The three cowered in its shadow and waited for the beast to take another step past them before they headed up the hill to the lighthouse. "We need to get the Crystal Gems!" Sadie told them. "They'll stop whatever that is!"

They ran around the mountain and were the first to see what Sadie feared as they peered over the edge to see Steven's house. It was completely decimated like something had burst through its roof and crushed the wood under its immense weight. Remnants of Steven's torn jacket caught their attention as it fluttered under a piece of debris.

"Steven!" Kiki called. She ran forward and Shep boosted her and Sadie up. They helped Shep up and all of them ran carefully over to the jacket and started shifting rubble.

"Is...is that?" Kiki pointed to red flecks on Steven's jacket and to small pools on the floor near it.

"Blood," Shep said. "That Steven kid could be in trouble."

"He can heal himself," Sadie reminded the group before they panicked. "Let's keep looking."

They searched as the chaos echoed across the beach. They heard screams of panic and loud crashes as the monster stepped through the city. And they found nothing. No Steven. No Pearl. No Amythyst. No Garnet.

"Steven!" They all jumped as Greg ran over and yelled for his son.

"He's not here!" Sadie told him, waving her arms to alert him. "We can't find the gems either!"

Greg stopped and looked around, something clearly catching his eye. He stepped out of Sadie's view and he heard him say, "Oh boy."

The three jumped down from the debris and landed hard as Greg walked over to them. In his hands were four gems: one pearlescent white, one deep purple, one dark blue, and one blood red.