What Lies Beneath

Chapter 6

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

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Steven shifted onto his side, tucked in the corner of his steel cage. It was placed underneath the overhang of a rock outcropping, providing optimal shade throughout all hours of the day. Something the rebels had only recently discovered.

He couldn't help but feel a tight twisting in his heart when Jasper and Destiny vanished. He held out hope that they would come back for him. The first day on his own brought a damper on his resolve. The rebel gems all took turns laughing and jeering at him, throwing insult after insult. Eventually, they started chucking rocks at him. He curled up into a tight ball, minimizing the amount of damage inflicted. He did his best to hide his tears.

When the sun began to set, he was hot, tired, and very thirsty. Unfortunately, the muzzle kept him from voicing his needs. Not like they would answer them anyway. He lay curled in the fetal position on the floor of his cage, solemnly accepting his fate. Until a light tapping sound resonated from the roof of his confines.

The taps that followed made it clear that something was being dropped on the cage, most likely pebbles. He tried to ignore them, the relentless plinks driving him mad. Slowly, he lifted himself to his knees and leaned his head back to peer up through the bars at whatever was trying to get his attention.

His eyes widened, fresh tears spilling over. There, tucked into a well-concealed alcove in the cliff wall, were Destiny and Jasper, looking down at him. The young woman gave a light-hearted wave, trying and failing to shine some light onto this bleak situation. However, Steven could see the steely determination and resolve set into her expression. She knew what to do, and she wouldn't let anyone get in her way.

Destiny glanced around, making sure no gems were nearby to hear. They didn't really put much effort into guarding him. He didn't have the strength to escape anyways. She leaned over the precipice, one hand cupping around her mouth. From where she was standing, Steven could only make out her words in a light whisper, but he heard them all the same. "Hang in there, Steven," she said. "I promise, we'll get you out of here."

With one last reassuring smile, the two vanished back into the shadows. It was only then that he realized that one of the quartz soldiers had gotten a little too close. He settled back into his dejected state, concealing the swell of hope inside him.

The second day seemed hotter than yesterday. His throat was dry, his skin felt like it was slowly turning into a dried riverbed. He couldn't move. His vision was blurry. He could barely make out the tiny figure floating just beyond the bars. "Hmm," mused the figure. "I almost forgot that humans need watering."

Soon, he heard a door swinging open and a hand yanking on his collar. His body flopped around uselessly, the rough handling irritating his burned skin. With a soft click, the muzzle was removed, and cold water slipped down his throat. He couldn't stop himself from greedily slurping on the makeshift canteen, the craving more powerful than reason. When the canteen was empty, it was drawn away, the muzzle placed back over his mouth. He was tossed away, the door slamming shut. He cracked open his eyes, spotting Bluebird assessing him like a zoo animal. "We'll have to move him out of the sun as well." At her command, he was carried over to a large overhang, finally escaping the blistering rays of the sun.

And on the third day, this was where he found himself. Curled up, as comfortably as he could, in a cage meant for a monster. Maybe he was. They kept giving him water, but not any food. His stomach rumbled, desperately trying not to think of donuts and Fry Bits.