What Lies Beneath

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe Future. Rebecca Sugar does. I only own the OC characters.

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They were marched towards the center of their camp. Steven occasionally tried to squirm out of the Jasper's grasp, but he was still too weak from the pain. Destiny recalled back to the time when the transformation first started, when it was nothing more than a few splotches of purple dotting his skin. Then the horns and claws grew in. The pain followed. She remembered holding him down in the bathtub, the Diamond essence swirling in its effervescent glow. She remembered the way he screamed and the feeling of despair when nothing was working. It was stupid to bring Steven along on this. There was no way she could face Greg or the Crystal Gems if something happened.

They were hauled onto a low-rising dais. It took Destiny a few seconds to notice that it was a warp pad under construction. All that was missing was the crystal centerpiece. She tried not to think of this advantageous mobility, putting her focus on Steven. As soon as they reached the top of the low stone structure, the Jasper unceremoniously dropped the young hybrid onto its smooth surface. A crowd began to form around them, whispering to themselves.

Bluebird then emerged from the circle of gems, haughty and triumphant. Steven managed to shove himself to his knees to meet the fusion's gaze. However, he was not defiant or confident. Instead, he trembled in fear. The gem before him leaned down, sneering. "The savior of the galaxy, Steven Universe himself, now being reduced to a mindless beast." Something malicious glinted in her eye. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"Don't you dare touch him!" Destiny screamed, straining against the arms holding her. Bluebird only side-eyed her briefly before ignoring her. She straightened herself, poised and regal. "It would be interesting to see the monster you've made yourself into. Your true self." That maniacal glee returned. "I think that would be most fitting, don't you agree? And once you've lost yourself completely, it would be best to put you out of your misery."

Destiny's frustrated scream ripped from her throat, the raw instinct within her coursing through her veins. The gems were struggling to hold her back. Orange flashed in her eyes. Bluebird noticed this and immediately drew her sword, positioning the tip underneath Steven's chin. "Uh, uh, uh," she clucked, wagging her finger. "You really need to control that temper of yours." The gem host ceased her struggling, clenching her fists. If looks could kill, Bluebird's gems would be reduced to hundreds of small pieces.

"Bluebird, please..." Steven begged, voice shaking. "Let's talk about this." The fusion moved her sword, fixing the young hybrid with a vicious glare. She leaned in close, their faces almost touching. "I think I've had enough of your chatter." She nodded towards the Jasper soldier still standing behind him. The burly gem approached Steven's side, kneeling. In her hand, most likely summoned from her gemstone, was a contraption that Destiny couldn't identify. She sucked in a breath when the Jasper gripped the back of Steven's head hard enough that he whimpered. Pulling away would only hurt more. The gem then brought the contraption towards Steven's face, making Destiny's heart beat faster. It was only when the strange device was secured over the boy's mouth and the mechanism clicked into place around his head, did she realize that it was a muzzle. He clawed at the restrictive device, whining, tears overflowing. Any noises he made were muffled and distorted.

"What are you doing?" Destiny cried, still pulling against the hands holding her. Bluebird didn't even glance at her. "Containing a wild beast, of course," she said simply, no hint of remorse in her expression. The gem host's stomach dropped when she caught sight of a small cage being hauled up to the platform. She continued to struggle and plead for Bluebird to stop as the Jasper picked him up and walked toward the cage. Steven squirmed and vigorously shook his head, but it was no use. He was roughly tossed into the small confines, the door slamming shut immediately after. Destiny could feel her own tears threatening to spill over.

Steven scrambled onto all fours. The cage was too small for him to stand up in. He started panicking, gripping the bars, trying to use his enhanced strength to pry them apart. But his powers had left him. He couldn't get himself out of this situation. The thought made him sob harder. Bluebird hovered at eye level peering through the bars. "Yes, I think this suits you perfectly," she said with a look of smug triumph.

Destiny's tears had eventually spilled. "Let him go!" she pleaded, having lost her earlier fire, rage replaced with desperation. The fusion finally turned around to look her in the eye, her whole attention focused on her. "You can kill me if you want, just... please. Let him go."

Bluebird floated over, positioning herself a few feet in front of her. "Kill you?" she inquired, as if the request was stupid. "Now why in the stars would I do that?" She spread her arms, gesturing towards the gem host. "You're the most important one here."

Destiny's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you talking about?" The fusion appeared to correct herself. "Well, not you, specifically," she said. Her eyes focused on the gem embedded in the young woman's chest. "I'm talking about her."

Destiny's eyes widened in realization. It brought uneasiness to stir within her gut. "Jasper?" she breathed out. "You want Jasper? But why?"

Bluebird snorted. "Why?" She rolled her eyes, as if the young woman were dense. "It's clear that she hated the rebellion on Earth, and Rose Quartz. Plus, she's one of the most skilled battle tacticians ever made. She is the only competent enough gem to lead us into battle against Homeworld." She smirked. "With her at the helm, we are guaranteed to win. If Rose could do it, then so can she."

Destiny grit her teeth, defiant. "I am not going to help you take down Homeworld. I won't let you destroy all the progress we've made. Too much has been sacrificed for someone like you to tear it all down."

The fusion sighed, rubbing her eyes between her thumb and forefinger. "Of course, you won't," she said, exasperated. "I'm not talking about you." She emphasized the last word. "I'm talking about her."

Suddenly, Destiny's knees were kicked out from behind, forcing to her to fall heavily on them. The hands gripped her shoulders and head, tilting them back. Bluebird inched her way towards her, calm and collected. It was then she realized the fusion's intention. She struggled, twisting her arms. "No, don't!" she begged, any sort of confidence she had dashed away. But their hold was too strong. She vaguely registered Steven screaming, hands reaching out between the bars, clawing at the ground. However, Bluebird's hand continued to reach for her gem, grin splitting her face. Eventually, her fingers closed around the edges of the orange stone. Destiny squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for a painful tug.

Jasper's gem was pulled from her body with a small pop.

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Author's Note: What am I doing?

I've had to move out of my dorm room. I don't know if I've mentioned that before. I'll be occupying my time by playing Doom Eternal and the PS4 version of God of War 3. Also waiting for a release date for Little Nightmares 2.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower