Steven Universe Future: Isolation

Chapter Seven: Fighting Back

Connie felt her body unfreeze and she toppled to the ground, but something caught her before she hit it.

"Steven?"

But it wasn't the boy. Lion had swooped in under her and quickly carried her away. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the field around her. Gems were swarming Steven again, who desperately twisted, turned, bucked and stomped, but he was being overwhelmed.

Connie noticed he didn't fight as hard as he was before. He didn't create any walls. He didn't force them away with his power. He just writhed and thrashed instinctively as their weapons dug into his skin.

And the gems. Only some of them attacked him. Others stayed on their knees; eyes pained as they looked at the monster they briefly shared a connection with. Most of them who watched had been corrupted themselves. Nephrite was the only one on her feet and begging others to stop fighting as she openly cried.

But no one listened, even if they too cried as they fought Steven. They all understood now. But they also understood that it wasn't over. Not yet.

The few new gems that joined the fight didn't understand, though. They pressed on, relentlessly.

White Diamond stood there stoic and unresponsive as Steven cried out in a mix of panic and pain.

"No, Lion!" Connie pulled on his mane and the cat stopped to look at her. "We need to get them to stop! Steven's still in there."

"Connie!" Greg shouted. He ran over to her and tried to pull her off the cat's back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Connie said as she pushed Greg away. "I need to get back to Steven!"

"What?!" Greg exclaimed. "Connie, I got help. They'll take him down. It's okay."

"No," Connie shook her head. "He's still there! I talked to him!'

Greg looked at the girl, not understanding. "Connie," he said gently. He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but the girl shrugged it off. "When I came back, you were frozen solid. If Lion hadn't grabbed you..."

Connie pushed him away and caught sight of her hand. Both her and Greg froze: her fingers were a deep pink. The same color as Steven's skin. As soon as she noticed it, her hand began to ache and throb.

"Connie," Greg said. "Is that...?"

Connie nodded and clenched her fist to hide her fingers. "It happened when I was in Steven's head."

"In his head?!"

Connie nodded. "When he froze all the gems, he connected with their minds and overwhelmed them. When I got there, I had some time to get through to Steven."

"And did you?"

Connie nodded again and looked over to the panicked monster as it roared loudly and smashed its tail against the ground. "He's fighting it," she told Greg. "But he can't do it without us."

Greg took a deep breath and his shoulders sagged in relief. "He's still in there?"

"Yes," Connie said. "But I don't know how much longer we have. I have to get to him."

"Then go," Greg said. "I'll get Sadie, Shep, and Kiki to safety."

Connie smiled at him and put her hand on Lion's mane. The cat looked at her as if he knew what she was going to ask him.

"Please, Lion, get me close to him," she asked.

After another moment of staring at the girl, the big cat turned to run toward Steven.