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Up In Flames

The first thing Pearl registered was heat and pain.Pain like bolts of electricity shooting down from every nerve in her body. Her flesh warm as if she were standing next to the basement incinerator. Pearl opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the Diamond room, covered with smoke, glowing with red, and speckled with stars from her own faulty vision. Pearl sat upwards, gasping for air; smoke filled her lungs instead."My Diamond?" A croak, barely audible over the roaring flames. Pearl forced herself to stand on her quaking legs, glancing around the burning room. One part of her searched for her master, Pink Diamond, the other searched for an exit,"My Diamond?" Pearl repeated. No response. Panic set in; Pearl looked around again, this time for an exit. Flames blocked every door and covered every wall, and were beginning to make their way towards her spot in the middle of the room. Doomed to die, tears fill Pearl’s eyes. Escape was fruitless. Her legs shook, knees knocking together. They threatened to give out from under her as she watched the flames crawl along the floorboards towards her feet.She doesn't want to die.A bout of something overcomes her. Pearl whirled around, facing the door of the entrance to the Diamond Room. Her eyes draw towards the viewing glass beside it. Her feet move before she can process her actions, and she barrels towards the glass, running through high red flames and curtains of thick smoke. Using her momentum, Pearl launched herself forward, arms covering her face as she collides with the glass. It gives way to her weight. Shards fly through the hot, smoky air, slicing through her Diamond-issued jacket and her skin. She hits the wooden floor, hot from the flames, and gasps for air barely provided in the hallway. Her head swims as she rolls over onto her stomach, yelping as the glass on the floor slices in effortlessly and pricks the flesh of her stomach.  Damaged hands pressed down on the wood, pushing her weight up and leaving bloody handprints on the charred wood.Reeling from the lack of oxygen and the pain of her sliced skin, she presses on with an arm wrapped around her stomach and a hand covering her mouth and nose. She turned on her feet and started down the side of the hallway with the least amount of fire. Pearl’s lungs seized as smoke enters them despite the barrier her hand provided, throwing her into a coughing fit as she ran. Her eyes burned from the heat and turned red from the smoke. Doors and walls blur into a single shape as she rushes down the hallways. She needed to get to the stairwell. Her ears pick up the sound of screaming and gunshots, seemingly coming from below.'What in the world is going on?!' Her mind shouts at her. She shoulders open the exit door, right as a bullet whizzes past her ear and hits the wall in front of her. A frightened scream escapes from pink lips as she slammed the door shut and rushed down the stairs. Step by step she goes down, away from the larger extent of the flames. A flash of green and grey catches her eyes.Standing by the stairs was a man; he appeared to be guarding the entrance. He wore makeshift metal armor and a gas mask; typical outsider garb. Adrenaline in full effect, Pearl doesn't stop to contemplate a plan as she runs down the stairs. The raider turns to look at her, rifle raised. She grabs ahold of the railing, using momentum to swing herself around the corner. Her legs hit him in the chest and he stumbles back into the railing, a few stray bullets firing from his rifle; a bullet grazes her cheek. The railing gives under his weight, and he loses his balance and falls, his terrified, muffled scream vibrating through the air before being silenced by a loud crack! A part of her felt guilty, but she reasoned with herself that it was necessary, and that he would've most definitely killed her had she hesitated. It didn't stop her from feeling awful as she passed his twitching body, neck broken from the fall. Climbing down the last set of stairs, Pearl’s shoulder hits the second floor door, opening it. More twisting and turning hallways pass Pearl in blurred shapes. The only thing sticking out from the endless rusted brown and orange smear were the corpses, both gem class and raider, lining the floors. One charred corpse stood out to her, and she felt fresh tears come on as she recognized the face of Pearl #03.Voices drift down the hall, and she halts. Panicked, she jumps behind an overturned table littered with bullet holes."Everyone is dead on this floor! We need to get out before the building collapses!" The first voice said to his partner. His partner’s answer was quick and snappish."We need to be thorough! Boss said no survivors, and Pink Diamond hasn't shown up yet." Pearl's breathing increased as the voice became louder. The raiders drew closer to her hiding spot.'Why do they want my diamond?" She thought to herself as she searched for her escape. She caught sight of a loose beam on the ceiling, only a few red-hot metal rods holding it up. Eyes narrowed in determination, Pearl reached for a block of wood near her side. Hand gripping the wood in a white-knuckled grip, she waited until the raiders were only a few feet away from her. Their shadows stretched out in front of her; Pearl chucked the wood to a window, breaking it."What the hell?!" They drew closer, and it was then that Pearl realized her plan operated on sheer luck. The building creaked, dust and wood chips falling from the rafters. She could barely react before the large flaming beam detached from the ceiling, falling and landing on the raiders. Pained screams filled the air as the flames licked at their skin, burning away the leather and heating up their metal armor to the point where their skin melted into it. Pearl stood from her hiding spot and started down the hallways once more, once again telling herself that it was either them or her.Lead settled in her stomach as she approached the next stairwell exit. The gunshots were louder than before. Pearl wondered if they are facing what remained of the quartz guards. Haziness begun to set in, and Pearl realized how little air she had been taking in. She inhaled the smoke-filled air for what little oxygen it provided, moving down the stairwell. The door to the first floor was ajar. From what she could hear, the gunfight was taking place in the next room.Quartz soldiers surrounded the door, their backs to Pearl, exchanging fire with raiders on the other side of the canteen. She doesn't think twice as she rushes to a quartz’s side, hiding along with them behind a table."Shit, you survived that explosion?" the quartz’s voice rose as loud as it could over the cracking gunshots and roaring flames. Pearl nodded. The quartz leaned away from the debris and fired off her hand gun a few times, hitting one raider in the arm. "We need to get you out of here. Follow me." Reloading her handgun, the quartz turned to her fellow soldiers."Cover me! I'm taking 34 to safety." The quartz begins to move, and Pearl follows her. They ran out into the chaos, the quartz emptying her mag into the group while shouting back at Pearl to run in a zig-zag. Pearl ducked her head down as bullets flew past her. Two bullets sent two raiders to the floor, leaving an opening in their blockade. The quartz wasted no time dragging Pearl towards it. They exited the open room into another tight, scalding hallway.A bullet grazes the skin of Pearl’s shoulder; the twinge of pain barely noticeable with the adrenaline pumping in her blood. More dead bodies lie on the ground as the quartz rushes her down to the end of the hallway, the sound of gunshots fading. She stopped at the corner and glanced around it."There’s more of them." The quartz mutters to herself. She leans back behind the wall, hand pressing Pearl away. Her other hand reaches to her belt, pulling a grenade free from it. "Keep away from the wall." She pulled the pin and threw the frag.Seconds passed. Nothing. Then a cloud of grey smoke, a quake, and a shower of blood and limbs flying in different directions. The quartz grabs Pearl by her arm and pulled her around the corner. Pearl's foot hit something hard on the ground; a leg. A scream that turned into a dry heave ripped from her lips. The large soldier dragged her in front of a door. Large hands pulled on the handles and threw it open.
BLAM!
The quartz staggered back, chest filled with holes from the assailant’s shotgun. She crumpled to the floor, and Pearl faced her attacker with terrified eyes."Well, hello beautiful!" A soft purr combatted Pearl’s horrified scream.  Bright blue eyes examined every inch of Pearl's body as the raider took a heavy step forward, the wood creaking beneath her metal boot. She clicked her tongue, and cocked the shotgun “Tis’ a shame the pretty one has to die." Pearl couldn't move, only watching as the raider took aim at the center of her chest.A loud bang.A bullet rips from the skin between the raider’s eyes, sending out a spurt of blood that landed on Pearl’s chest and face. She fell down to the floor in front of Pearl. Yelping and taking a step back, Pearl looked up at her savior. Behind the doorway stood Pink diamond, dressed in pristine pink tactical gear. Holstering her pistol, she regarded Pearl with an impassive expression.”34, I see you’ve escaped. Come here.” Monotonous. As if everything was a simple inconvenience rather than a disaster. Compared to her Diamond, Pearl felt silly for her panic. She moved toward the tall woman, standing by her side as if she were accompanying her to a meeting, rather than escaping a burning hospital. Pink Diamond turned and started a calm stride out of the building, leading Pearl past the reception. She kept her eyes down to the floor, examining the dead raiders upon it, all executed with a perfect shot to the forehead. Pink Diamond gripped the rusted handle of the entrance door and turned it. A gust of hot wind and fresh air hit Pearl.Pearl took in a deep breath that ended in a loud cough as they exited the burning building. Pink Diamond walked ahead, but Pearl’s legs shook so badly she fell to her knees. Pink Diamond stopped, not bothering to look back at her. Pearl gagged as her stomach flipped.“Knock it off and come over here.” Pink Diamond finally said. Pearl glanced up to her with eyes brimming with tears. She forced herself to stand and her diamond began working forward again without sparing a second glance back at her. She wobbled after her. In the foggy distance were a dozen other gems standing in a tight circle. Pearl looked back to her diamond.'How could she be so calm?' Her face betrayed nothing to Pearl.  Her mind lapsed into another thought; the high of her adrenaline coming down. It brought in its wake pain and dizziness. She almost fell forward again as her diamond stopped to look over the group. She shot her a subtle glance."Stay with the group." An order. She looks over to a jade class. "Make sure she lives." Pearl fell to her knees as Pink Diamond began a calm stride back toward the hospital. The jade hurries over to Pearl’s spot on the ground, and she is quick to strip Pearl of her jacket."The back of your forearms are all tore up." Pearl wanted to snap at her for stating the obvious, but thought better of it. The jade turns to the group. "Hey, give me your sleeves." They oblige, grabbing ahold of their burned and tattered sleeves caked with blood and ash and tearing them from the seam. Pearl mused over how such good tailorship was ruined.The jade tied the sleeves over Pearl's sliced and bleeding forearms. She pressed her hands onto the shoulder with a bullet in it, adding pressure. Pearl's head felt foggy, and her hearing and vision began to fail her as the jade spoke."Badly burned—bullet-- shoulder is -- blood loss." The jade splits into two images, and Pearl's head felt as if it were filled with lead."Hey don't---sleep! ---Concussed--." Pearl tries to obey. Her eyes roll back into her head, her condition catching up with her in the wake of her adrenaline."Don't--" She blacked out. It was only a minute later when Pearl awoken, lying down on hot, crumbled pavement and staring up at a pitch black sky. Where is she? Her head rolls from one side to another as she observes her surroundings; she's in the lot. Her stomach twisted, and she quickly rolled over onto her palms and vomited out whatever of her dinner she hadn’t digested."Hey!" Pearl looks up, seeing the concerned face of the jade staring down at her. "Do you know where you are?" Pearl doesn't answer, wide eyes staring straight through her. She feels lightheaded."What year is it?" Simple question. Pearl answers without issue."2210." The jade nods, satisfied with her answer."What is your full I.D designation?" The next question wasn’t so clear. Pearl had to think for a moment."2210." A repeat of her last answer. The jade looked disappointed. A frown pulls on the jade’s lips as her she turns to the other gems standing by."Keep an eye on her; I'm going to get bio foam from the reserves." The jade rises from the ground and leaves Pearl's sight, off to find the named reserves. She attempts to focus her eyes, but her vision begins to fail again. She wanted to go to sleep. She fell over away from the puddle of regurgitation."Stay awake." One gem said, shaking her shoulder. Pearl grunted and swiped at the hand. The hand smacked her in return; her cheek stung from the hit, and more so from the graze being irritated. It began to bleed again."Open your eyes!" Had they closed? It was hard for her to acknowledge what was happening; everything seemed so muddled now. Another slap to her face jolted her from rest."Why do we care if the pearl dies?" One gem said to the other. Pearl felt angry; conditioning that told her to ignore such comments failing to suppress the emotion. She heard heavy footsteps behind her, and craned her neck to get a view of the person. Pink Diamond returned, once pristine body armor smeared with blood and char marks."Report." It didn't matter that she couldn't keep her eyes open; Pearl still served her duty to her diamond."12 and… uh… 12." Pearl replied. Her diamond sighed, turning away to look at something else out of her cone of vision."Where is the jade?" She asks another gem class."Who, me?” Pink Diamond shot a glare at the oblivious gem. “Uh, I think she left about 10 minutes ago to get bio foam from the reserves." Her diamond hummed."I have dealt with the remaining nuisances. The third floor collapsed while I was in there. The Hospital is done for." The gems had no time to reply as the jade came scurrying back towards the group. There was a metal canister under her arm, as well as a bottle."My Diamond, I had to borrow from the reserves." The jade says, giving a quick salute to Pink Diamond. She nods."You three." She points to three quartz classes. "Go to the reserves and bring its supplies back here." The trio nods, hurrying off and leaving Pearl’s line of vision.The jade twisted open the canister, kneeling in front of Pearl and setting the cap down to the side. She scoops green sludge out of the can."Take off the bandaging and sit up." Pearl forces her arms to push herself off the ground. Leaning forward, she gingerly unwrapped the makeshift bandaging. The jade takes one of Pearl's hands and pulls them towards her, stretching out her arms. She slaps her hand down on the open wounds, coating them with the cold substance. Pearl shuddered as the jade smeared foam upwards to her shoulder, and then on the many burn marks. The wounds sealed over with a green artificial skin, the healing process beginning."Take these." The jade hands her two capsules. "It'll combat radiation from the foam." Pearl nods and pops the pills in her mouth, swallowing them with considerable effort. The jade pushes a bottle of water towards her."Stay hydrated." The jade stands and takes her leave, heading back to the group of gems. Pearl turns her gaze back to Pink Diamond."My diamond... what happened?"She doesn't look at her as she replies."So, they finally sought to get rid of me. Shame.""My diamond, if I may ask: What do you mean?" Pearl asks. Pink Diamond shakes her head."Stay put, I need to make a few calls." She strides off away from the group, crossing the lot and to a makeshift shed near the sand and dead grass. At that moment, the quartzes returned with armfuls of supplies. They set the supplies down, pulling tents from the pile. One quartz began setting up the pegs into the larger cracks and holes in the pavement. The other two began to untie the tents.Her conditioning tells her to assist. Pearl begins to stand up, head reeling from the sudden movements."Sit your ass back down!" The jade snaps at her. Pearl plops back down on the ground, squeezing her eyes shut as the environment spins before her. She opens her eyes again to look down at her bio foamed wrists, thin green skin coated over her already-healed wounds. Pearl sighs as she digs her nails under the artificial skin, peeling it away.'Why would raiders try to attack us?' Pearl muses to herself. She remembers being in the diamond room, and she remembers the quartz’s words. She survived an explosion-- that explains the aching all over her body, and the bout of unconsciousness she woke up from."Who in the world would try to attack my diamond?" The idea was unfathomable. Pearl falls back down onto the pavement, light blue eyes filled with unshed tears staring up into the dark sky. The sky rumbles in response. Soot-colored rain falls from the black clouds above, landing on Pearl and the ground below. Two weeks passed. Two weeks of uncertainty as what remained of Pink Diamond's regime tried to stay alive. Inside a rather large tent stood Pink Diamond and Pearl, the latter by her side as the former talked into a radio. The radio clicked, fading into white noise until Pink Diamond twisted the dial, turning it off. She turned to the thin woman, diamond-shaped pupils boring straight into her."Call everyone to gather." Pink Diamond ordered her pearl. She nodded and turned, walking past the various tables and crates filled with supplies to the tents flaps.She steps outside into the blazing mid-afternoon sun, facing the center of their makeshift camp."Everyone gather! Pink Diamond has an announcement." Pearl's voice was loud and clear. Gem classes exit their tents and shuffle over to the center, faces grim. Pearl stood aside, waiting for her diamond to make her appearance. It was only a few minutes later when the flaps of the tent opened and Pink Diamond stepped outside. She examined the group, eyes moving towards Pearl before snapping back to the group. She stands a bit straighter, an imposing figure amongst the group of intimidated gems."I have contacted White Diamond." Pink Diamond starts. "She has prepared a temporary base for us while we recuperate from our lost numbers. Our checkpoint is the Greenzone, outside of Empire City. After we reach the checkpoint, we'll go the rest of the way by automobile." A light chattering starts at the mention of automobiles, an old world technology not yet observed by Pink Diamond's regime."We'll not be traveling in a group; too dangerous. I'll send you out in pairs over the course of 6 weeks; I’ll be the last to go out." Pink Diamond says. Pearl purses her lips at the last sentence."My Diamond, what about-?" Pink Diamond shoots her a glare for speaking out of turn, shutting her up. Despite her annoyance, a small smirk pulls at the corner of her lips."You will be escorted on your own, 34." Pink Diamond said. She faces the group again. "Hired escorts will arrive in about a week’s time. Be prepared for your turn. Dismissed." The gems slowly began to scatter, and Pink Diamond turns away from them, facing her tent. Pearl moves to follow her."Stay outside, 34. I want to be alone." She nods and moves aside as the tent flaps close after her diamond. Standing rigidly, she watches as the other gems move back into their tents. A few sit themselves at the tables, taking inventory of the supplies atop them.'Escorted on my own?! Why shouldn't I accompany MY Diamond?" Pearl's face morphs into a scowl as she thinks to herself. Her fingers twitch slightly before they clasp together in front of her.'At least I'll get to see the wasteland.' A part of her is excited for the journey; another part says that her excitement was flawed. A Diamond and her dominion were not built for the outside. Pearl feels angry at herself for even thinking that way.'Looks like someone will need to be reconditioned." Her inner voice mocked the words of her Diamond and her superiors. Her conditioning had been failing her ever since the hospital burned down. Pearl wonders if she should mention it to her diamond. She reasons with herself that Pink Diamond already has enough to worry about. Not like she was trying to save her own skin or anything.
Bang!
Pearl starts. Hot, gusty wind became flames licking at her skin, and the sight of the parking lot became visions of endless burning hallways. The vision flickers away as soon as it came, and she was instead facing an embarrassed quartz apologizing to others. Pearl’s erratic heartbeat began to slow, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  She wasn't at the hospital.She spares a glance back at it, burned and crumbled to the ground. A frown appears on thin, chapped lips at the memories that resurface from the sorrowful sight. Tears fill her eyes as she recalls the body of Pearl #03, the pearl she would share books she had stolen from the upper caste library with."I miss home." Garnet raised a shot glass to her lips, taking a shot of whiskey that burned her throat as it slid down. Setting the glass back down on the scratched wooden counter, she let out a small sigh as she rubbed her eyes. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a woman taking a seat beside her. She regarded the woman with a side glance; the sight of her pink-hair made her blue and brown eyes widen."Now, you are just the person I'm looking for." The woman purrs. Garnet turned her head towards her."Huh." There was no disbelief in Garnet's tone, only boredom, as if she had heard the line a thousand times before. The pink-haired woman smiled."Oh yes. So many viable men and woman in this bar, but you- you caught my eye. Strong, beautiful, and you look like you can handle your own. My type of woman" Was she flirting? A soft chuckle spills from Garnet's thick lips."Not looking for personality, huh?” Garnet said. The woman laughs."Oh, I'm sure you’re a lovely person, but that's not what I'm looking for." Her vibrant green eyes become half lidded as she snakes her arm over to Garnet's bicep. Garnet's eyes drag down over the woman's body, examining her. They move from her head to her legs and back up, lingering on her breasts longer than they should have. She made eye contact with the woman again."Well, you might be my type of woman as well.” Garnet shot her a smirk.“Not for personality either, huh?” The woman jokes and grins, turning her attention to the bartender, a mustached man with a brown business suit and an eyepatch. She waves him over."Hey Bartender!”“Sam.”“Whatever. How much is her tab?" She gestures to Garnet as she speaks. Sam frowns as he turns his attention back to scrubbing a glass in his hand."57." Sam answers."57?! That better not all be from today; I don't want to feed any habits." She sputters. She pulls out a metal box from a pocket in her leather jacket, pulling out a few playing cards from it. Garnet notices the letters ‘EC’ scrawled on the back of the cards, and raises an eyebrow. The woman hands Sam the currency."A water, too." Sam nods, opening a register near him and sticking the cards inside. He turns away from the two women. The woman faces Garnet again."I'm S, by the way." S waved her hand about as she talked. "I also love a woman that can handle her drink." Garnet smirks as she fiddles with her shot glass."Thanks for paying my tab. How ‘bout I get us a room?" Garnet offered, turning to face S. She let out a small laugh."Oh, believe me, I would love to. Unfortunately, I'm here for business, not pleasure." S said. Garnet frowned, disappointed, but urged her to go on with a gesture of her hand. “I’ve heard about you from some... credible sources. Your success rate is something admirable." S starts, a sly grin spreading across her tanned features. “Let’s talk about that job you did for ol' Kofi last week. You know, clearing out that bandit camp that had been robbing his suppliers. Here's an interesting tidbit I heard; all them killed with a bullet to the head." She leans back on her elbow on the bar counter, taking the water that had been set down by Sam moments ago and taking a sip."Only two types of people perform headshots: those who have skill to show off, and those who don't want their victims to suffer. I hope it’s the former; my client is looking for skill." S finished. Garnet hummed, sitting up a bit straighter from her previously slouched position."So, are you gonna list all my accomplishments or are you gonna get to the point?” Garnet urged. S let out a little laugh."Impatient." She joked. “I admire how well you can rid the wasteland of scum, but the job I need you for is different." S set her water down."You'll be escorting a medium-high priority target from point A to point B; Beach city, Delmarva to Greenzone, outside Empire city." S explains. Garnet's face falls."Empire City? Your offer better be worth it." Garnet said. S frowns a bit, before continuing."It's a lot of money, I can assure you.""Well, what is it?" Garnet said."200." Garnet barked out a laugh, bringing the filled shot glass to her lips. "Upfront." The laughter stopped."I'll pay you when you arrive at Beach city, a compensation for the supplies you'll need. After you deliver the target to Greenzone, I'll be there to give you the rest." S said. Garnet downs the glass. She sets it on the counter."How much on completion?""500." S said with a smirk. Garnet let out a full throated laugh, hitting the counter with her fist and startling a patron near her."You're joking?" Garnet said. An annoyed look crossed S's face."No, I'm not." S said. Garnet shakes her head."No deal. Stop wastin’ my time." Garnet dismisses the woman with a wave of her hand, turning her attention back toward the bar. She returned to her slouched position"Then what's your counter offer? I'm willing to haggle." S crosses her arms."400 upfront. 900 on completion.""1300?! Th-that's almost double!" S sputtered. Garnet sits back up."Will you provide supplies at the pick-up zone?" Garnet shot her a look. S frowns."No.""Then 400 to compensate for what I have to buy for the trip. 900 for the long distance, havin’ to pass through Empire City, to replace whatever comes out of pocket once the 400 runs out, and because I'm the best." She said the last part with a smile on her lips. S frowns as the darker woman twisted her words against her. Letting out a heavy breath through her nose; she gives Garnet a forced smile."Alright... alright" She begins to laugh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Okay, it's a deal." She holds out her hand to Garnet. She shook it firmly."So, am I still your type?" Her voice was low, a flirtatious smile appearing on her lips. S let out a laugh, standing up from the barstool."You were before you put me out 1300 cards. Be at Beach City in 5 weeks." S turns away from the darker woman, striding away from the bar and to the rusted metal door. Garnet watches after her. It clanks as it shuts. She hears footsteps behind her."You trust her?" Garnet turns to face Sam, frowning."Not one bit. Money is money though and my parents need it." Garnet answers. Sam moves to fill up her shot glass with the bottle in his hands; Garnet raises her hand, stopping him."Jus' a water." Sam nods."She looks like one of those Diamond-types. Maybe even a contracted killer straight from that hell forsaken city."“She is. Check the cards; ‘EC’” Garnet said. Sam’s eye widened.“You’re still taking it?” He asked.“Like I said, money is money. I’ll keep an eye out when I go to pick up this 'target'" Garnet said. Sam nods."I'll let you know if anyone follows you out, or if that broad returns." Sam said."Thank you, Sam." Garnet offered him a smile. Sam waved her off, turning away to fetch her drink. Garnet ran her hand through her afro, sighing. Her other hand toyed with the empty shot glass."Empire city," Garnet let out a whistle. "Should've asked for more."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

First Impressions

Pearl couldn't believe how fast five weeks went by.

Each week passed in a blink of an eye, their numbers diminishing as what remained of Pink Diamond’s regime were sent out into the wasteland. Pearl recalled the escorts that would take them away; all hardy, loud people clad in rusted metal armors and tattered leathers. She inwardly shuddered at their uncleanliness and wondered how they could live that way, caked with grime and blood and stinking of death. The sun beamed down on her back, flushing her skin red and dotting it with beads of sweat. Bullets slipped out of her clammy hands, and she wanted to cry out in frustration as they knocked against the perfectly organized piles and sent the rest of the bullets rolling across the table.

She reached for the bullets again, grasping onto them firmly as she cleared the table and started another pile.

"34." Pearl instinctively straightened from her hunched position. She turned her head towards her diamond.

"Yes?"

"Your assigned guard will be here soon. Get your stuff together." Pink Diamond's tone was monotonous. Pearl cringed away at the thought of being sent out, of having to go away from her diamond and her old home. She set a bullet down in its caliber group, clasping thin fingers together and resting them in front of her.

"My diamond," Pearl started, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. "Are you sure I can't travel with you?"

"My decision is final, 34" She spat her number with a small amount of disdain. Pearl shrunk away, eyes casting aside “I am being hunted down; having you with me is a risk I do not want to take. You are expendable, I am not." Pearl nodded, cheeks blooming with red.

"I understand my diamond." She reached for another bullet, fiddling with it. "Will you be safe?" Her diamond laughs at the question. An actual full-throated laugh that made her shrink away even more from the taller woman. Diamond-shaped pupils bore holes into Pearl's back.

"Of course I will be; Yellow Diamond has sent her two best Topaz's. Don't ask something so stupid again; you were not programed to do so." Pink Diamond turned away from her and walked back to her tent. Pearl willed the embarrassed flush away, but it stayed on her freckled cheeks. She set the bullet in her hand down with its group and began to count them. Two gloved hands slammed down in front of her, scattering bullets across the table once more.

"Whatcha doing Pearl-girl?" Pearl jumped away from the voice, looking up to meet the grinning face of S.

"Um, hello?" She scooted her chair away from the woman. S placed a hand down on its rest, keeping Pearl from moving it any further. She plucked a .22 cal bullet from a scattered pile, turning it to and fro as she examined it. A laugh spilled from her lips.

"Why are you even bothering counting these out? This is shit ammo. You'd be lucky if you killed a bunny beast with it." She set the bullet down on the table. She reached for a .50 cal this time, letting out a small whistle as she inspected it.

"Well, I

was

counting it before you-"

"Now this - this is a bullet!" One shot from this baby can make a human head explode like a rotten watermelon!" Pearl went green at the comparison, letting out a small gag as her mind generously provided her with the image.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Her face grew hot as she realized how close S was, her chest only inches away from touching her back. She drew away with a small chuckle, much to Pearl's relief.

"I'm here to pay your escort." S said.

"My escort?"

"Yep, she should be here today." Pearl took note that her escort was a 'she'. "I have to give her the upfront and the location." Pearl nodded slowly, though she wondered what an 'upfront' was.

"What regime are you apart of?" S snorted and shook her head.

"I'm a contractor, not a diamond's bitch! Even if I was, I couldn’t take them seriously with those wonky eyes they have." S said, tracings circles in the air with her index finger near her eye. Pearl let out a small gasp, narrowing her eyes.

"Well I- that's incredibly rude!" The pink haired woman shrugged in response, letting out a small 'eh.' Pearl pulled her attention back to the once-again ruined piles of bullets. "You should consider joining a regime, you'd be surprised-" Pearl let out an undignified squawk as S's hand rested on her back. She patted it a few times.

"Get back to work, Pearly." Pearl recoiled away from her touch. S smirked, walking away towards another table. She leaned against a wooden posting holding up a tarp. Pearl frowned. She scooted her chair back and stood up from her seat. She grabbed her jacket off the back of it and pulled it on, zipping it up.

Her long legs carried her from the campsite, towards the green ocean where she stood watching the waves crash down onto the debris riddled shore.

"How could she not trust me?" She seethed to herself, glaring down at the ground as if it were the source of all her problems. "And how could she recruit

outsiders

to do a job that any other common gem can do? It's not like walking to one destination to another is that hard!" Pearl's hands waved about as she ranted. She must've looked crazy to any onlookers.

“Oh no, Pearl, it’s

very

hard to walk from one place to another, it’s walking! Why would Pink Diamond need to hire filth to do it?!” She had wanted to rant more, but she ran out of words to express her frustration. Instead, she kicked a rock to the side and, with a huff, Pearl stomped back towards the makeshift camp, her eyes still glaring down at the sandy, sun-bleached pavement.

"Ah, there she is!" Pearl perked up at S's voice. There she saw her standing next to a tall, dark woman. Pearl squinted at her. Was that her escort? She certainly didn't look the part; she wasn’t even dressed to the nines in armor like the others. In fact, she almost looked plain, wearing only a long sleeved white shirt and dirty blue jeans.

"It's not polite to stare." Pearl didn't even realize she was staring. Her gaze shot back towards S's smiling face.

"Pearl, this is Garnet." She gestured to the dark woman. Garnet stared blankly at her, and Pearl wondered for a moment whether she was talking to her or Garnet earlier. "Garnet, this is Pearl." Garnet didn't answer; she continued to stare at Pearl, her face betraying no emotion. The air grew awkward; S's eyes darted between the two women with forced toothy grin on her face.

"She's a diamond member." Garnet finally said. Pearl immediately picked up on her accent, eyes briefly widening. S smirked.

"That is correct. Something wrong with that?" Garnet didn't respond, her eyes still boring into Pearl. She shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, dragging her eyes downwards. Her nose crinkled at the site of her dirty, scuffed combat boots. They stepped forward, and she looked back up at her. Her hand was sticking out towards her, and Garnet looked almost expectant; Pearl examined her hand strangely, head tilted to the left. What was she doing? She offered her a curtsy instead. The woman blinked twice, retracting her hand back to her side. The silence was impeccable.

"Wow!" S clapped her hands together, creating a small dust cloud with her gloves. "You two are perfect for each other! Ya' sure know how to make things awkward as shit." S wiped sweat off her brow, shaking her head. She turned towards Garnet.

"Anyway, Greenzone’s your destination; you'll be paid the rest of your fee there. Got that part down?" Garnet nodded. S clapped her hands together again. "Awesome. Gimme' your map so I can mark it for you “Garnet reached into her back pocket, pulling out a folded map. S took it from her, taking a couple seconds to unfold it and set it on the table. Smoothing out the wrinkles, she pulled a piece of charcoal from her front pocket and marked an area down.

"Not too far, huh?" Garnet murmured. S nodded, not facing Garnet. Her thick lips formed a tight line.

“Greenzone is outside of Empire city?” She repeated. S nodded in confirmation. Garnet gives her a blank stare. “It’s in Pine city” S waved the other woman off, scoffing.

"It's only another days' worth of walking." Garnet didn't answer, face still impassive. She mouthed an 'okay', turning her gaze away from S.

"Time limit?" S shook her head.

"Nope. Just get Pearl-girl there safe." Pearl bristled at the nickname. The pink-haired woman reached into her back pocket, pulling out a thin metal box. She handed it to Garnet, who popped the lid off and began to examine the contents of it. S rolled her eyes at the gesture; she shot a wink Pearl's way.

"We outsiders are

so

mistrustful." Pearl blushed, looking away from S, wondering whether she overheard her little monologue. S and Garnet began to converse again, but Pearl tuned it out, staring down at her booted-feet. Her hands fidgeted a bit, and she swayed side to side in boredom.

"Ready to go?" Pearl jumped up, looking up to see the dark woman staring at her. Pearl nodded. Garnet looked away from her and back at S.

"I'll see you at Greenzone." She looked back to Pearl. "Let's go."
 
Pearl had never been outside of the hospital before.

She hadn't realized how much she was missing out on until she and Garnet had left the parking lot. Sure, all the surrounding buildings were reduced to rubble and ash, the roads were filled with large potholes, and the trees were all dead trunks of wood without a single leaf on the blackened branches. But, there was still a degree of interest to the ruins, like a sign in a pile of wreckage that read "Fish Stew Pizza". She didn't know what 'Pizza' was, but the cute picture of a cartoon fish was enough to make her want it. Pearl couldn't help how she stopped every few seconds to take in her surroundings, no matter how many annoyed glances her escort shot her; it was all too new to her.

Pearl kicked aside a rock from her path, watching as it skimmed over the sandy streets and hit an old stop sign lying in the gravel. The sign clanged loudly, vibrating back and forth.

"Nice shot." Pearl perked up at the sound of Garnet's deep voice. She glanced back towards her, seeing that her mismatched eyes were trained on her. Pearl frowned a bit, nodding. The woman looked back towards the empty streets, taking in a deep breath through her nose and releasing it through her mouth.

"You ever played kickball? I used to play it with the neighborhood kids, back at Percy."

"No." Was Pearl's one word reply. Garnet frowned.

"Well, what games do you play?"

"Nothing." Garnet frowned even deeper. She drummed her fingers on her thigh.

"There has to be something."

"There isn't." Garnet went silent. She stayed silent for the next twenty minutes, until they passed a collapsed "Now leaving, Be-ch City" sign. Pearl scanned both sides of the road, fixating on the dead trees; she tried to imagine them with bright greens leaves, like the one she saw in a native plants book. The picture didn't come to her, and she was still facing dead trunks.

“The flora always interested me. I used to run off into the woods with friends when I was younger. Lots of adventures ‘ad there; injuries too.” Garnet spoke again. Pearl hummed.

“Really?”  She didn’t think she could sound more disinterested if she tried. Garnet shot her a look over her shoulders. She took in a deep breath.

"We'll be headin’ to Percy first." Pearl pulled her eyes away from the cluster of trees and dead bushes, looking back at her escort. Garnet faced away from her.

"What's a 'Percy?' “She asked.

"Percy's a settlement in Keystone." Garnet explained, turning her head towards Pearl. The thin woman frowned.

"Why can't we travel to Greenzone through Jersey? It'll take a lot less time." Garnet let out a small chuckle, shaking her head.

"There's no way I'm travelin’ through that dead zone. Would rather not 'ave my face melt off from radiation." Garnet scratched the back of her neck. "We'll be headin’ to Percy to pick up supplies.”

"That is unnecessary. Pink Diamond said that the trip should take three days." Pearl threw her arms out in expression as she spoke.

"Pink Diamond didn’t take avoiding bandit camps and the craters into consideration." Pearl glowered at the back of the woman.

"Pink Diamond takes

everything

into consideration." Garnet let out a huff.

"We'll ‘ave to pass all the way through Keystone to avoid the Jersey deadzone."

"Th-that'll at least take four days!" Pearl sputtered. Garnet shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well." Pearl narrowed her eyes at the woman. Her face transformed into a scowl.

"And what about Percy? How long will that take?"

"Never met someone who asked me so many questions in such a short time." Pearl didn't say anything, awaiting the woman's response. "It'll take a day if we walk fast enough." Pearl let out a huff, but kept quiet. They continued down the streets in silence, passing by the wreckage of a house crushed by a large water tower.

"You know, I was a bit reluctant on straying so far from home. I've never been outside of Keystone before." Pearl internally groaned. Couldn’t they just enjoy the silence?

"At least you still have a home." Either her guard didn’t hear her, or she ignored her, as she continued.

“’ad to ask around a bit; finally got some clear directions from a traveling merchant and mercenary only a fortnight ago.”

"So, you don't even know your way around the wasteland, and you're getting paid to escort me?" Pearl interrupted the other woman’s rambling.

"You could just walk yourself there, since you know your way around. Jus' pass through Jersey, right?" She shot right back at her. Pearl frowned.

"I've never been outside the hospital before."

"Then shut the hell up." Pearl was taken aback. Her face contorted into an angry expression.

"Excuse me?" Pearl challenged Garnet. She threw a smirk her way.

"You heard me." Garnet turned back around. Pearl once again found herself glaring at her back, almost for a full ten minutes, until they finally left the dead forest behind them and were now entering an equally as dead wheat field, with countless old world military vehicles strewed about it. Pearl only calmed down enough to look at the vehicles with curiosity in her eyes. She wondered what kind of battles could’ve taken place here.
 
Pearl decided that she didn't like Garnet.

She didn't like her attitude, or how she talked down to her as if she were superior--an outsider being superior to a member of the Pink Diamond Regime??-- And she absolutely abhorred how she seemed to pry her for information. It seemed like she was interrogating her at times! Pearl began to worry; maybe she wasn't exactly her escort, but some sort of trafficker that caught wind of her and her circumstances. It would explain how severely underdressed she was for a guard and the unnecessary prying. Trafficker or not, Garnet was another filthy outsider that she would have to be stuck with for who knows how long. Pearl didn't care for her; even if she was far mellower than the other outsiders she had the displeasure of meeting.

She didn’t like the look of wonder that would cross her face every time they passed an old world tank. And she certainly didn’t find her interesting enough to stare at her long enough to notice she walked with a slight limp. And Pearl

definitely

did not like how-

Suddenly, she crashed into something in front of her. With a yelp, she fell back onto her rear, holding her throbbing nose. Garnet had stopped in the middle of the road, looking off into the distance, seemingly focused on the setting sun.

"It's getting dark out. We should set up camp." It sounded like less a suggestion and more like an order. Pearl stood up from the ground, brushing sand from her uniform.

"We can travel a little further." Pearl stated. Garnet shook her head, whipping her curly hair side to side.

"Not without flashlights and weapons." Garnet said in response. It was then that Pearl noticed the gun holster strapped to her chest and the knife scabbard at her thigh were empty. She drew in a deep breath through her nose, rubbing her temples with her pointer fingers.

"You didn't bring weapons?" Pearl couldn't keep the frustration out of her tone. Her guard nodded.

"They needed to be repaired; I dropped them off before I left." She said. Garnet turned to her right, straying off the road and towards a cluster of trees. She disappeared behind them, and Pearl contemplated staying still until she came back, to force her to move on. Instead, she decided to trudge after her.

They moved through the mass of trunks and dead branches, only stopping occasionally so the other can catch up. Eventually, they broke through the thicket and into a small, circular clearing.

"This is a good spot." The dark woman crouched down, plucking sticks and dead grass off the ground. Pearl watched her with a tilted head.

"What are you doing?" She had gathered the sticks and grass into a pile.

"Building a fire" Was her quick response. Pearl raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips.

"What? Are you going to bang sticks together until it sparks?" Garnet said nothing in response, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a matchbook. Striking a match, she dropped it into the pile, setting it alight almost instantly. She then grabbed a stick and began to spread the grass around, taking a moment to shoot a smug smirk towards Pearl before turning back to the fire. Pearl grimaced and her face burned with embarrassment. She took a seat in the grass, nose crinkling at the smell of sulfur that wafted towards her.

"At least you outsiders are somewhat civilized." Pearl remarked to herself. Garnet had heard her, judging by how she stopped poking at the fire with the stick. Her head barely tilted towards her, regarding her with a side-eyed glance from her blue eye.

"I don't like you." Garnet said it so coldly it was miracle the fire didn’t go out. She turned back towards the fire, resuming her prodding. Pearl's face grew even hotter, and she placed her arms across her chest, bowing her head.

"Likewise." Garnet didn't respond. She felt annoyed. It didn't matter what she thought of her, Pearl started to reason with herself. She was just a hired mercenary, a face that she would unfortunately have to get to know over a course of a few weeks and forget almost immediately after they depart.

Pearl didn't know why her words stung so much.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Percy

Pearl awoke to the cold morning air. A groan slipped out of her thin lips as she sat up, rubbing her stiff neck and blinking sleep out of her eyes. She pursed her dry lips and tried to swallow. When was the last time she had something to drink? Looking over at her guard, Pearl had to force back a laugh as she saw the awkward position she had fallen asleep in; the upper half of her body was as straight as a board, while her legs were propped up against a tree.

She involuntarily shuddered as the cold breeze swept through the air again. Tucking her hands under her armpits, she lifted herself from the ground, walking towards the dying fire in the center of the glade. She plopped herself down on the grass, raising her numb hands to hover over the flames.

An image flickered before her eyes.

The fire roared to life, rapidly consuming the dead grass for fuel and beginning its spread towards Pearl. She yelled, scrambling away from the fire. Her back hit something hard, and she glanced back to see the clearing had dissolved into a large brown wall. She looked forward again, right down into the barrels of a shotgun. Her eyes rose up to the assailant and met with a familiar, grinning blue-eyed raider.

“Where’s ya diamond now?” She pulled the trigger.

"Pearl!"

Large, cold hands were clasped over her thin shoulders, shaking her back and forth. Pearl blinked twice, eyes focusing enough to pick out the image of Garnet kneeling in front of her, face etched with worry. Her expression twisted into a scowl, and she shoved the darker woman off her.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped. Her guard frowned, drawing away. Garnet’s hand moved upwards, rubbing at her eye; it was clear that Pearl woke her up in her panic. Throat bobbing up and down as she swallowed; Pearl felt guilty.

“What was that about?” Garnet asked her. Pearl grimaced.

“It’s… It’s nothing.” She shook her head. "Do you have any water?" Her voice was calmer than before. Garnet cracked her neck, looking at Pearl with a single eye opened.

"No. I didn't bring anythin’ with me." Garnet answered her. Pearl rubbed at her throat, swallowing again and wincing as it burned.

"I hadn't had a drink in a while."

"Percy won't take that long." Pearl let out a huff of frustration, glaring daggers at her guard.

"A human can only survive 3 days without water intake. It has already been two-"

"Suck it up; I once went a week without a drop of water." This drew a scoff from Pearl

"That's impossible."

"It's possible."

"So what, are you a mutant too? A human can't survive a week without water."

"When rations are in moderation, you learn to survive without the necessities. Now, if we are talking about people from the diamond regime like you, then yes, it's impossible."

"What, because we are well-off?"

The two women descend into an argument, their voices steadily grew louder as they tried to talk over one another, until they were shouting almost loud enough to make the trees shake. A two-headed bird watched them curiously from its spot on a tree branch. Eventually, Garnet stood up from her spot on the ground, throwing her arms out in defeat.

"Alright! Go find a lake then!" She walked away from Pearl, brushing away the grass and dirt from her pants.

"I will." Pearl stood up and turned on her heel, stomping away from her guard and the clearing. Garnet curved her head towards her.

"Try not to die of radiation." Pearl waved her off, heading deeper into the dead woods. It was still somewhat dark out, the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon. She stumbled over a jutting branch, and nearly smacked into a large tree trunk in her attempt to correct herself. With a frustrated string of curses, she stomped further into the forest.

It was only after ten minutes of stumbling around that Pearl realized she had no idea how to get back to the campsite; she had not bothered with keeping track of which direction she came from. Her eyes shot side to side, searching for a familiar tree or bush to help guide her back to the clearing. She raised her hand to her mouth and began chewing on her fingernails, still glancing about.

"Calm down." She murmured to herself. She took in a deep breath, and decided where she would need to go; Pearl started north, towards the rising sun. She pushed her way through clusters of branches, before coming upon a meadow. She stepped into the clearing, scanning around for anything of interest. She caught site of a small pond and a vibrant yellow flower in the very center of the field.

"A marigold!" She exclaimed. Pearl had recognized the species from her nature book. She rushed over and gently lowered herself down onto the stiff grass, staring at the yellow flower with large blue eyes. Its petals fluttered under the gentle breeze as the flower swayed back and forth on its stem. She tentatively reached forward to stroke one of the yellow petals; it felt soft under her fingers. She turned her attention away from the flower, gazing at the pond beside it. The water was clear, nothing compared to the dark green ocean the hospital overlooked.

Pearl sat up and scooted herself over to the pond, placing both of her hands down onto the grass and leaning forward, gazing into the water. The water reflected back a woman with skin smudged with dirt, eyes with bags under them, and messy red hair.

'Disgusting' Pearl seethed to herself. She reached into the water and cupped it into her hands, splashing herself with the liquid and wiping at her face. She reached forward again, using the water to wet her hair. She ran her fingers through it, undoing some of the tangles. She reached into the water again and brought it to her lips.

"It'll need to be boiled first." Pearl yelped, losing her balance and toppling forward towards the pond. Two muscular arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling into the water. Pearl blinked twice, before she began to squirm in Garnet's grip.

"Stop touching me!" She snapped. Garnet’s eyes narrowed as she let go, allowing Pearl to fall face-first into the pond. She hit the rocks underneath; evidently, the pond was not that deep. Sputtering, Pearl flipped herself over onto her back and coughed. She wiped water and mud off her face and began to frantically scrub at her sides, shooting a glare towards a very-amused Garnet.

"I hate you." She growled. Garnet smirked in response. She held her hand out to Pearl, who promptly smacked it away with as much force as she could muster. She stood up and brushed away the mud that had been smeared on her uniform, stomping away from the other woman. Garnet brought her hand up close to her, rubbing it as she watched after the pale woman, a sly smile on her lips.

"Wait, do you still want to take a drink?" Pearl made a rude gesture in response.

Pearl had refused to talk to Garnet, only nodding and making various noises whenever the dark woman tried to make conversation with her. She continued this behavior throughout their entire walk through the woods. They had only just found the road when Garnet broke the silence.

"So, silent treatment, huh?” Silent treatment? What’s that? Pearl kept her gaze forward and her mouth shut, despite the question burning on her tongue. Garnet exhaled heavily through her nose, but didn't say anything else. They passed by a fallen powerline, and Pearl barely avoided tripping over one of the many spread wires.

"Cars." Pearl looked up, seeing the vehicles in front of them. It was a traffic blockade, no doubt created by people trying to escape before the bombs fell. Pearl marveled at the various models, all of which she had recognized from her books.

‘Ford.' She thought to herself, pursing her lips as she looked over to another. 'Impala'

Garnet walked over to a red car. She wrapped her hand around the handle of the driver’s door and threw it open, leaning in and rummaging through the car. Pearl's nose scrunched up in distaste at the action. Garnet pulled out of the car for a brief moment, examining a piece of scrap metal in her hand before depositing it into her pocket.

"You outsiders are like packrats. What use will you find in a piece of rusted scrap?" Pearl questioned. Garnet continued to rummage, popping open the glove department and reaching into it.

"You ‘ave no room to talk. Knowing people of the diamond regime, you probably never had a single belongin’ in your life." Pearl's mouth fell open. Did she really say that? She tried ignoring the clenching of her heart as she looked off to the side. Garnet moved away from the red car and made a bee-line straight towards a black SUV. She opened the car door, reached in, and pulled out a skeleton from the driver's seat. The bones clattered as they hit the ground; Pearl winced.

"That's disrespectful and quite frankly disgusting."

"They've been dead for 200 hundred years; I doubt they mind." Garnet responded as she fished through the side pockets. She searched the glove compartment next and then turned to the back seat. She halted, staring ahead. Slowly, she drew away and walked over to the next car. Pearl followed after her, glancing into the tinted windows of the SUV. Her heart dropped at the sight of a small skeleton in a car seat.

"You don't think they mind?" Pearl's voice took on a tone of sarcasm.

"If I were dead, I would be over it after the first few months." Garnet pulled away from the car with a small box in her hand. She popped the lid off the box, peering into it. She grabbed a diamond ring from its seat atop a piece of cloth, turning it to and fro as she examined it. Depositing the ring into her pocket, she turned towards Pearl.

"Here." She handed Pearl the box. She looked at it strangely "You can keep things in it." Pearl nodded slowly, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked the box over. The moment Garnet turned away from her she threw it over her shoulder.

They passed through the traffic blockade with little incident. Garnet had found nothing significant in the cars, except for one handgun, rusted and broken beyond repair, and a couple .22 bullets.

"Those are unsatisfactory ammo." Pearl said. Garnet only shrugged at the comment.

"Good in a pinch." She dropped the bullets into her pocket and they moved on, leaving the old vehicles behind. Pearl sped up so she was walking side-by-side with her guard.

“How much longer?”

"Percy is an hour away from here,"

"They better have water."
 
Pearl liked to think she had a good imagination.

There wasn't much for her to do whenever she wasn't assisting her diamond or other gems back at the hospital. If she couldn't sneak into the Upper Caste library, then she would usually find herself at the Pearl barracks, lying down and staring up at the walls as she allowed her mind to wander. With that said, Pearl didn't know why she imagined Percy to be a poor man’s paradise.

It was the exact opposite of that image; it was far from being the bustling settlement she had expected it to be. Instead, it was a rundown motel with a partially collapsed roof. Perhaps the only thing even remotely interesting about it was the surprisingly-intact flag tied to a fence post; a flag that had the image of a green maple leaf in the center with equally-as-green strips on the bottom and top of the flag. Directly in front of the motel was a sign that said “WELCUM TO PERCI”; written in what appeared to be blood.

"That's an odd way to spell 'welcome' and 'Percy'." Pearl said. Garnet craned her neck upwards, squinting at the sign.

"It looks fine to me." She responded. Pearl shrugged her bony shoulders. They headed towards a makeshift gate. Garnet pulled something from her pocket and shoved it into the lock; she threw it open and stepped aside, allowing Pearl in first. The moment she walked in, a pair of screaming kids whizzed by her, knocking her off balance. She barely avoided falling backwards as her guard stepped in beside her, shutting the gate. Stabilizing herself, Pearl choked at the horrid scent that wafted towards her.

"Does anyone here bathe?" Her voice was nasally, as she had pinched her nose in an attempt to block the smell. Garnet pointed towards a swimming pool, filled with surprisingly clear water.

"You can bathe in there." Pearl made a noise of disgust.

"Using the same water? In front of everyone else?" She felt sick at the thought.

"Jus' close your eyes and pretend no one is there." Garnet joked. She beckoned her with her hand as she began to stride towards a pair of stairs near the building. She grabbed onto the railing, taking far too much time to set her left foot on the first step. Pearl watched her with interest.

“Having trouble?” It was a genuine question. Garnet vigorously shook her head, and Pearl could have sworn she saw a dark blush spread across her cheeks.

“No.” She mumbled. She finally managed to get her leg on the step and, as if she never had any difficulty at all, walked up the rest of the flight. Pearl frowned and followed after her.

Reaching the second floor of the motel, they passed a few doors, all with different letter markings on them. Pearl assumed that they were assigned rooms.

“Garnet!” Pearl nearly jumped out of her skin as a small woman ran towards them. “Tell her to stop bothering me!” She pointed to another taller woman that calmly followed after her.

“Lapis, stop bothering Peridot.” Garnet said, looking towards the brown-haired woman. Lapis frowned.

“No.” Garnet shrugged, turning towards Peridot.

“I tried.” Peridot scowled, reaching up to fix her head-covering. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she caught sight of Pearl standing beside Garnet. Her bright green eyes significantly widened.

“You’re wearing a diamond uniform!” She exclaimed. “Are you another renegade?” Pearl let out a gasp.

“Excuse me? As if I would consider the idea!” She snapped. Peridot frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

“Well, what are you here for?”

“I’m escorting her,” Garnet butted in, “We stopped by here to get some things for the road.” Peridot’s face morphed into a visage of excitement, and she looked back to Pearl.

“Wow, so you aren’t a defect? What’s it like to be a Pearl? If I recall correctly, you’re wearing an upper caste uniform, right? Who do you work for? Why are you being escorted? Do the diamonds ever talk about the best Peridot ever made and how wrong they were to treat her so badly that she defected?!” Pearl’s head was reeling from the bombardment of questions, but at the second-to-last one, her eyes narrowed at the woman.

"Because you damned outsiders burned down my home and slaughtered our people." Everyone went quiet. Pearl felt Garnet kick her calf, but she kept her glare on Peridot. Her eyes darted around, and she shrunk away from the pale woman.

“Oh, I’m not an outsider.. but I’m-I’m sorry for your loss.” Pearl scoffed. Garnet grabbed ahold of her hand.

“It was nice talking to you Peridot, but we 'ave to get going.” Without waiting for an answer, she began to pull Pearl away from the pair of women.

“Don’t do that again.” Garnet warned her. Pearl yanked her hand from her grip and rubbed it, but kept silent as her guard led her to an open door.

As Pearl neared the door, she began to sweat from the immense heat wafting from the room. She wondered what could possibly generate that much heat as Garnet led her inside.

It was dark in the room, the only light was coming from glowing embers in a cauldron; Pearl shrunk away from it. Leaning over a table was a ridiculously muscular woman. (Pearl wondered if it was even possible for anyone to have that much muscle mass without being a mutant.) At the sound of their entry, the woman whirled around, pulling up a welding mask to rest at the top of her head. A large grin stretched across her face as she spotted women standing in the doorway. She strode over to them.

“Hey G, you’re back!” She grabbed Garnet’s hand and fervently shook it. Pearl noticed a slight wince on her face from the corner of her eye. The large woman’s eyes trailed over to her, and she gave Pearl an excited wave. She turned back around, facing the inside of her shop.

“You need to start taking better care of your weapons.” The large woman started as she began to dig through a drawer. “I mean, this is an old world magnum-- in near perfect condition might I add-- and you’re always throwing it around like it’s worthless. There is only so much I can repair, you know?” The woman ranted as she pulled out said gun from the drawer. She turned it over in her hands, examining it, before reaching into the drawer again.

“Sorry Bismuth; I'll try not to throw it around as much.” Bismuth scoffed at Garnet’s words.

“You better.” She turned back around, walking towards them. She held out the knife and revolver to Garnet, who took them and placed them in their respective sheathes. Bismuth nodded, and turned towards Pearl.

“So, what will it be for you little bird?” Pearl blinked.

“I’m a human.” Pearl stated bluntly. Garnet waved Bismuth off before she could respond.

“She’s with me, no weapons.” Garnet said. Bismuth scoffed.

“Well, she has to have something! What if you get hurt, what will she use to defend herself?” Bismuth reasoned.

“If she ‘as to use a weapon, then I’m not doin’ my job.”

“You don’t do your job anyway.” Pearl muttered to herself. Garnet ignored her.

“Thank you for fixin’ my stuff, Bismuth. I owe you one.” Bismuth laughed.

“No you don’t, now get out of here.” Garnet nodded and turned to Pearl. Together, they walked out of the room. They headed towards the flight of stairs, and once again Garnet took her sweet time getting her foot on the first step, only to walk normally the moment she stepped down. Pearl thought it was weird, but knew better than to call her out about it again. Once on the ground, Garnet stopped in front of room “S&R” and turned to face Pearl. She pulled a few pieces of paper from her pocket and handed it to her.

“Here, go to those shops and ask for my orders. Give this to them and tell them it's prepaid.” Garnet pointed towards three doors, each respectively named “Ammo and Gear”, “General stuff”, and “Medical”. Pearl slowly nodded, looking down at the paper. She scoffed.

“Stars, their spelling is atrocious! I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones that wrote that sign.” Garnet let out a genuine laugh, and Pearl couldn’t help but blush; it was cute. She ducked her head down, hiding her burning cheeks as she set off towards ‘Medical’. Garnet watched after her for a moment, before turning towards the door to room “S&R”. She opened the door and walked into the room.

“My baby girl is not going to Empire City alone!”

“Ruby, Garnet can take care of herself.”

She had walked right in the middle of an argument, it seems. She watched as her mother Ruby paced about the room, hands tangled in her afro. She then looked over to Sapphire, who was simply watching her from her spot on the bed.

“Hey mums.” Ruby stopped her pacing almost immediately, turning towards Garnet.

“Garnet, I have decided that I’m coming with you!”

“She’s not.” Sapphire said stoically.

Garnet let out a laugh as Ruby shot a glare towards Sapphire.

“I’ll be fine, mum.” Ruby rapidly shook her head.

“No, there is no way you’ll be traveling two states over alone!”

Sapphire chimed in.  “I believe in you, Garnet, ignore Ruby.”

“I already packed a bag for the both of us.” Ruby pouted.

“I unpacked it.” Sapphire said. Ruby flared up almost immediately, eyes nearly bulging out of her sockets.

“Why would you do that?! I told you I’m going with her no matter what! “

“Ruby, you threw your back out the other day making the bed.”

Garnet tuned them out as she headed towards a set of drawers. She kneeled in front of the dresser and pulled out the bottom drawer. Inside was a messenger bag, which Garnet grabbed and opened. Her mothers continued to argue as she cleaned out her bag, pulling out random items such as rocks and bullet casings.

She left in a roll of bandages and a bottle half filled with radiation resistant pills, along with a few other select items. Standing up, Garnet slung the bag over her shoulder and walked towards her broken nightstand. She fished out the diamond ring and scrap metal from her pocket, taking a moment to examine the items before setting them next to the assortment of trinkets on the nightstand.

“Bye mums” Garnet said as she walked out the door. The two women shouted a quick ‘Goodbye!” before immediately going back to arguing. Garnet smiled and shook her head as she stepped outside. She couldn’t help but shiver at the cold. She turned and headed towards the three doors she directed Pearl to.

“Oh, Garnet, I didn’t see you there.” Garnet turned to her right, facing a balding, overweight man. A small frown set upon her face. She didn’t know why he was talking to her.

“Hello Greg.” Garnet greeted, “Where’s Rose?” Rose was almost always by his side; he must have been bored without her around.

“Oh, she went off on some sort of expedition an hour ago. What are you doing?” Garnet sighed.

“Looking for Pearl; have you seen her?” Greg shook his head.

“Don’t even know who she is. Sorry, can’t help you there.” Greg said. Garnet nodded.

“I should go find her, goodbye Greg.” Garnet hurried off before he could say anything else, and headed towards the doors. She peered into the first one, only finding the shop keeper in there. She then moved on to the next one; a shopkeeper and a patron. With a frown, Garnet looked into the third one and was relieved to find Pearl inside, waiting next to the counter.

She was mildly surprised to see her holding a bundle of items in her hand; she was convinced she would have some trouble with the list.

“Found everything okay?” Garnet asked as she walked up to Pearl. She scoffed.

“What is it with you outsiders and playing cards? What sense does it make to use cards as a form of currency?” Pearl questioned. Garnet shrugged her shoulders.

“It used to be scrap metal.”

“Even more ridiculous.” Pearl said, squinting at the list as she juggled the items in her hands. Garnet reached over, plucking a few items from her grasp, relieving her of the burden “We never had to pay for anything back at the hospital; everything we needed was given to us. I mean 200 cards for a box of medicine? How in the world is that fair?!”

“Well, your medicine also represses you so you don’t rebel.” Garnet replied. “I would rather pay the 200.” Pearl looked over at her, bewildered.

“Where in the

world

did you hear that lie?” Garnet shrugged.

“It’s what I’ve always been told.” She said. Pearl huffed, rolling her eyes.

“I’ve yet to understand how outsiders could be so amazingly ignorant.” At that moment, the shopkeeper returned with several boxes of .44 ammo in hand, along with a worn down gasmask. He handed them to Pearl. She nodded her thanks to him and headed out of the store; Garnet followed.

“Set them down here.” Garnet pointed to a spot on the ground. Pearl obliged, carefully placing the items down. Garnet took a seat on the blacktop and grabbed the box of medicine bottles and packets. Together, they packed the supplies in the bag. A flashlight, a rad detector, and a matchbox went inside the left front pocket. The medicine went into the right front pocket along with a canister and a flask. A rag, gun oil, sharpening stone, and a bore brush were packed into a small side pocket. Tattered blankets and a map went inside the interior. Lastly, the .44 ammo boxes were packed into the other side pocket, and the gas mask was attached to the bag via a buckle.

“What about those?” Pearl pointed to the two rolled up foam mats on the ground. Garnet spared a glance towards them

“We’ll jus’ carry them.” Garnet said.

“It seems unnecessary to lug them around.”

“I don’t mind the weight.” Garnet dismissed her. Pearl breathed out heavily.

“It doesn't matter if the weight doesn't bother you, it’ll be cumbersome to carry them around.” She pressed. Garnet let out a groan.

“Can’t you listen to me for once?” She had enough of the constant arguing. Unfortunately, her words seemed to fuel Pearl’s fire even more.

“Why should I? It’s not like you-“

“Garnet!” They both jumped from the sudden shout. Ruby ran over, a bag in her hands and a jacket slung over her arm.

“You forgot your sweets, and your jacket!” Ruby said. She packed the sweets into the bag interior, before turning to a very-embarrassed Garnet. She pulled out her arm and tugged the jacket sleeve over it, before moving onto the other arm and repeating the motion. “I don’t want you getting cold at night.” Ruby murmured. She placed a sloppy kiss on Garnet’s burning cheek. She promptly hid her face in her arms.

“Thanks, mum.” She murmured. Ruby grinned.

“Aw, don’t be like that! I love you and I’ll be thinking of you every night!” Garnet seemed to retreat even further into herself.

“I love you too mum.” She murmured. Pearl watched the two women, curiosity in her eyes

“Are you sure you don’t want me going with you? I swear I-“At that moment, Sapphire rushed out of the opened motel door, speeding towards the trio and grabbing Ruby by the arm. She began to pull her away from the two women, muttering:

“I look away for one minute and you already found a way to embarrass Garnet.”

As she guided the woman away, Pearl glanced to Garnet. From what little bit of her face that wasn’t covered by her hands, she could see that Garnet had turned a very deep shade of maroon.

“I-I’m sorry. Th-that was awkward.”

“Who was that, and why did she smear her lips on you?” Garnet’s face seemed to darken even more as she ducked her head down even further, avoiding Pearl’s curious gaze.

“That’s my mum. She’s a bit… eccentric.” Garnet murmured, wiping the dampness off her cheek. Pearl tilted her head.

“A mum?” Her short explanation seemed to rouse even more questions with the pale woman.

“Someone that gives birth to you.” Garnet explained. She lifted her head from her arms. Pearl slowly nodded.

“That was odd.”

“She worries about me a lot. Can’t say I blame her.” Garnet stood up from her spot on the ground, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “We’ll head to the back of the motel to pick up food and water.” Pearl scoffed.

“Finally.”

Together, they walked to the back of the motel, where multiple stalls were set up. Garnet led Pearl to the first stall. Even from the distance, they could see that the man was practically seething.

“Hello, Kofi.” Garnet greeted.

“Jenny ran off again!” Kofi started, not even bothering to greet the woman back. “Back to that slum Pierre!” Garnet frowned.

“We’re headin’ that way, we can get her back for you.”

“We?” Pearl interjected. Garnet ignored her. Kofi let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you. Now what do you need?” Garnet pulled out the list from her pocket.

“Six pack of water with purification tablets, and ten cans of mystery food.” Kofi reached down into his stall, pulling out the aforementioned items.

“100; its discounted for that job you did for me.” Kofi said. Garnet snorted.

“Not by much.” She deadpanned as she pulled out two kings from her pocket. She handed them to Kofi and gathered the items in her arm. She turned around and walked a few feet away from the stall, before sitting in the grass. Pearl joined her.

“Where to now?” She asked as they began to pack the rations into the interior of the bag.

“We’ve got everythin’ we need. Now we’ll head to Pierre.” Garnet answered.

“How far is that?” Garnet shrugged.

“A few hours at the most.” Pearl let out a puff of air, pouting.

“At least it isn’t another day’s worth of walking. Can I have water?”
 
Pearl and Garnet didn’t linger around long before leaving. Instead of going back on the roads, the pair headed towards the wilderness.

Garnet kept her mismatched eyes on the map before her, only occasionally looking up to make sure she wasn’t going to run into a tree. Pearl lagged a bit behind her, eyes to the ground as she fiddled with her hands.

“Percy has such a low population. The hospital used to be filled to capacity before the attack.” Pearl commented, breaking the tranquil silence. Garnet hummed.

“Used to be a lot more people about a year ago. Then we got attacked from raiders; numbers ‘adn’t recovered” Garnet said. “Percy’s a trader town as well; no one stays for long.”

“Our regime makes our own supplies. We never needed to trade, unlike the other Diamonds.” Pearl said. Garnet shot a glance back at her, eyes filled with interest.

“Really? How do you make medicine?” A smirk spread across Pearl’s face.

“I used to be a medical assistant for one of my rotations. We would import mutated flora from Yellow Diamond in Empire City. It was used to create something called ‘biofoam’, which can heal all external wounds and cure any infections.” Pearl explained, prideful. Garnet frowned as she looked back down at her map.

“If your regime was so great, you would’ve shared things like biofoam with the rest of us.” Pearl let out a laugh at that.

“Why would you deserve it?” Garnet halted as she whipped around to face the smaller woman, eyes filled with anger.

“Do you know how many people die a day from something as simple as an infection? How people I’ve seen die because we ‘ad no way to heal them? If the Diamonds were so great they would help prevent that!” Garnet yelled at Pearl, taking a step forward. Pearl didn’t react.

“Why would you deserve it?” She asked again. “If I recall, you are the ones that make up the horror stories about us, you’re the ones that shun us, and --not to mention-- you’re the ones that burned down our hospital and massacred our population. Give me one good reason why we would share.” Her guard stayed silent. Without another word, she turned on her heel and started back on her path, head down as she looked over the map. Pearl rolled her eyes and followed her.

The sun was beginning to set behind the large trees when Pearl tapped Garnet on the shoulder. She spared a glance her way, before turning back to the map that she had kept focus on for the duration of their travel.

“Should we stop? It’s getting dark.”

“’s up to you.” Garnet muttered, not entirely focused on her. Pearl’s eyes slightly widened.

“My choice?” Garnet titled her head at her.

“Yes, your choice. Do you want to stop for the night?” The pale woman fidgeted slightly in her spot. She looked down at her feet.

“I think you should decide.” She murmured. Garnet let out a small sigh.

“Well, Pierre is still a few hours away. We might as well rest for the night so we can travel further tomorrow.” Garnet packed the map into her bag. She then bent down and began to gather sticks and grass. Pearl watched her for a moment, before setting down the foam mats she was carrying and unrolling them.

Within a few minutes, the mats were set up and the fire was lit. Garnet sat near a tree, leaning on its trunk as she fished through her bag. Pearl took a seat on the mat, surprised at its softness. Her guard pulled a blanket and a can from her bag.

“Catch.” She threw the can, which Pearl barely managed to catch before it hit her in the head. She scrutinized the label, ignoring the blanket that draped over her head after Garnet threw it at her.

“Mystery soup? Don’t you have something better?” Pearl said, digging her fingers under the tab and opening the can. Garnet shrugged, opening her own can of food.

“I’ll buy you bunny beast steak at Pierre if you’re good.” Pearl rolled her eyes. They began to eat their food.

“What do you think about Percy?” Garnet asked. Pearl hummed.

“Seems homely.” Had she been looking up, she would have seen the shock that crossed her guard’s face, before she returned to her usual stoicism.

“Yeah, it is.” She agreed.

“The weaponsmith’s shop was interesting. I saw she had quite a few old world weapons there.” Garnet nodded.

“Yes, she likes to collect them. She even bases some of her original models off them. Lots of travelers come to see her.” Garnet said.

“I liked the rapier she had hanging on the wall.” Pearl added. Garnet let out a small laugh.

“I tried using that rapier once in a fight; nearly cut the tip of my finger off. I’m not good with swords.” Pearl laughed along with her.

“Now how did you manage to do that?”

“I grabbed it by the blade instead of the handle-- that's how I got this scar. To be fair, I was drunk.” Garnet answered, pointing to the thick scar on her middle finger. Pearl shook her head, a small smile on her face as she finished off her can of food.

“ I did something like that before; I grabbed a beaker with my hand after I had it over a burner for an hour. Burnt flesh is not a good smell.” Pearl said. She let out a yawn, setting aside the can as she lay down on her mat. She pulled up the thin coverings to her chin, gazing up at the stars. She reached up, tracing patterns with her index finger in the air.

“Summer triangle.” Her eyes moved to another mass of stars “Orion the hunter.” Garnet listened intently as Pearl named off the constellations, looking up at the sky as she attempted to pick them out herself. Eventually, she heard light snores from the woman; she had fallen asleep. Garnet frowned, slightly disappointed. She looked back up at the stars and tried to find the constellations again.

With no luck, she rummaged through her bag, pulling out her bore brush and oil. Pulling her revolver from its holster, she began to clean her gun, keeping a watchful eye in the dark night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Odd Feelings
Garnet hesitantly opened her eyes, shifting on the foam mat beneath her and unwrapping herself from her blanket 'cocoon'. She sat up and let out a raspy breath.'Looks like the cold didn't last long." She thought bitterly as she wiped sweat off her brow. The heat was stifling today, and Garnet noted with disgust that the back of her shirt was drenched with sweat. She stretched her arms above her head, popping her back several times, and reached back down to grab her boots and slip them on. She grabbed for her bag and shook off the grass sticking to the fabric. Shrugging off her jacket as she stood, Garnet trudged over to the fire and kicked dirt over it, putting out the last of the dying flames. Garnet slung the bag over her shoulder and spared a glance over to Pearl; she was still asleep.Garnet wondered if she should wake her; Pearl didn't look particularly peaceful. Face contorted with distress, knuckles white from clutching at the blankets, and she was murmuring something under her breath. Definitely not peaceful. Her decision was made for her when her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around the forest blearily."Wha-?" Pearl sat up, looking around again. Garnet hummed and moved over so she stood at her side. She fetched a bottle of water from her bag and held it out to her companion, who sluggishly reached for it and twisted the cap off, bringing the bottle to her dry lips. Her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed, and Garnet couldn't help but be somewhat impressed at how fast she drank. Letting out a satisfied sigh, Pearl handed the bottle back."I don't particularly like waking up with a mouthful of sand." She murmured, wiping sleep from her eyes and letting out a yawn that she covered with a petite hand."It was supposed to get cold soon." Garnet took a seat in the grass and rummaged through her bag. She handed Pearl a can of food."Breakfast." She said, offering Pearl a small smile as she reached into the bag again, grabbing her own can."Chicken noodle." Pearl murmured after opening the lid. She brought the can to her lips and started drinking the broth."My favorite." Garnet opened and looked into her own can, immediately frowning. "Oh, tomato again."They ate their food in silence, both enjoying the quiet of the morning despite the heat that singed their skin. After finishing, they packed up their makeshift camp and headed on further into the wilderness. Garnet stayed ahead of Pearl, all her focus on the tattered map in her hands. Pearl stayed quiet, looking and enjoying the scenery."Those stars you were naming," The sound of Garnet's accented voice broke the silence. “What are they?""The constellations?""Yeah… those." Garnet confirmed. Pearl pursed her lips in thought."Well, from what I've read, they are clusters of stars forming distinct shapes named after old-world heroes and objects." Pearl explained."Like Orion the Hunter?" Garnet asked, stopping in her tracks and turning to look back at Pearl. Pearl stopped as well, only a few feet away from the taller woman."Yes, like Orion.""So he was a person once?" Garnet asked. Pearl frowned."I'm... not sure. Maybe." Pearl brought her hand up to her chin, rubbing it in thought."Did Orion become a constellation after he died?" Pearl took a moment to contemplate her question. There were a lot of pages and passages missing from her old book of astronomy and constellations; she had never read this information if it was there."What makes you think that?" Nothing was malicious about the question. Garnet hummed."Well, if he lived once and the stars are shaped after him, maybe that’s him up there." Garnet explained. Pearl contemplated this for a moment, before she nodded in agreement. It seemed plausible enough. Garnet turned to her."My mum used to tell me a lot about the old-world heroes, like Memnon and Joan of Arc. Sapphire knew a lot about them." Garnet said after a few moments of silence. Pearl hummed in response."The only heroes we were ever taught about are the Diamonds." Pearl's voice contained a small ounce of disdain. She wanted to learn about those old world heroes too, and almost expressed the desire to Garnet, but she decided against it."What should I expect from Pierre?" She instead asked. Garnet shrugged."Jus' imagine Percy but dirtier and filled with people that would shoot you without a second thought if money was on the table." Garnet explained. She stopped in her tracks, and Pearl stopped before she could run into her."Speakin' of that, you should take off your jacket and pants before we get there." Pearl looked down at her attire, before looking back up at Garnet with a puzzled expression."Why?""Pierre hates the Diamonds." Garnet said, shooting a pointed look at the Pink Diamond insignia on Pearl’s chest and knees."But I have nothing under my pants?" Garnet waved her hand dismissively."Oh well." The tips of Pearl’s ears turned red at the thought of streaking in Pierre."I am not walking half-naked through a mercenary town!" Pearl said."Nudity is not that bad, and everyone is far too worried about themselves to notice someone is walking around stark naked." Garnet attempted to assure her. Pearl vigorously shook her head."No, it’s uncomfortable and demeaning!""Then you can wear my trousers." Garnet cracked a grin as she said this, reaching a hand toward her belt buckle."Uh, no thank you." Pearl declined. Garnet shrugged her shoulders and began to walk again."Your loss.""Not really."A few hours passed, and still Garnet and Pearl found themselves walking through the near-endless forest, only occasionally coming across ruined structures that they would scour through, or fields that they would jog across. Pearl nervously glanced up at the sky, overcast with black clouds, and gripped at her naked, freckled shoulders. She fiddled with the straps of her tank top and glanced back over to Garnet's bag, where the sleeve of her grey jacket hung out of the opening."We should take cover from the rain soon." Garnet said as she folded the map in her hands and placed it in her back pocket."We should stop taking unnecessary breaks so we can limit our travel time." Pearl responded. Garnet let out a hum."Alright." She didn't spare a glance back at the pale woman as she walked forward. Pearl found herself in momentary shock; she expected at least a little resistance to the idea.'Maybe she doesn't want to fight anymore.' Pearl thought to herself as she followed after her guard. Garnet broke through a clearing, and Pearl followed right after her, marveling at the rather large field they came across. If she strained her eyes enough, she could see the silhouettes of animals grazing in the field. A rather large figure lumbered out of a thicket a few yards away from them and into the field. It craned its neck down and pulled at the grass with mangled, blunt teeth."Does that bear have... bunny ears?" Pearl murmured to herself with a slight pause, observing the curious sight. The moment the words left her mouth Garnet’s head jerked up and towards the large bear-bunny hybrid. A grin wider than anything Pearl had seen before split across her face."Bunny Beast!" Was Garnet's overjoyed yell. The Bunny Beast's head jerked up at the sound of her voice, and it quickly turned and hopped away back into the mass of trees, its massive paws creating clouds of dirt and grass behind it. Pearl looked at her guard oddly, surprised by her break of character."Bunny Beasts are good luck because of how rare they are!" Garnet went on to excitedly explain without waiting for a question. There was a slight skip in her step as she walked on. "My mums met by following a Bunny Beast." Pearl tilted her head and frowned."So what does that mean for us?""Hopefully not running into much trouble during this trip." Garnet's excited face dropped back into her usual stoic one, and she cleared her throat, composing herself again. "Pierre is a mile ahead." Pearl nodded with a single eyebrow raised, and they continued onward.--Pierre was certainly more impressive than Percy.For one, it was surrounded by large rusted steel walls that could even be seen half a mile away, and even around the perimeters of the wall were several stalls and buildings. Pearl looked around the stalls, reading off the signs attached to them and looking at the merchandise presented. A few people standing off to the side of the buildings leered at her and Garnet, and Pearl picked up her pace so she walking side by side with her guard."Why are they staring at us?" She whispered. Garnet didn't look back at her."We should've smudged more dirt on you." She said under her breath. Pearl looked down at her mud-covered knees, not a single sign of the Pink Diamond insignia showing through. She swallowed heavily. They arrived at the gate, almost twice as tall as Pearl was and surrounded with rebar with the ends sharpened into points. A pole with a flag- nearly the same as Percy’s except blue- was off to the side near a tollbooth."Hey, I'm going to have to frisk you." Pearl jumped at the close voice. She turned around to meet an armored abdomen. She dragged her eyes upward to lock eyes with the person glaring down at her. She gulped."Chip." The imposing woman looked over to Garnet and grinned, showing off a prominent chip in her tooth."Ay! Garnet." Chip strode over to her companion, completely ignoring Pearl. She and Garnet shook hands. "What you doing back here so soon?""Passing through." Was Garnet's simple response."Just passing through?" Chip threw a pointed glance over at Pearl. "Any... cargo I should be worried about?""She's not a mule," Garnet sounded irritated. "I'm better than that.""Sorry, I've been having a lot of problems with that bunch lately." She slumped her shoulders. "I've been stuck at this post for a week." Garnet hummed."I hated being posted at the gate; I liked the patrol routes far more." Pearl glanced between the two women, annoyed that she was seemingly forgotten as they chatted on."So who's your friend?" Chip jerked a thumb back in Pearl's direction after a few minutes of discussion."P. I'm escorting her somewhere; paid job." Garnet said swiftly. Chip nodded , eyes drifting back over to Pearl as she examined her. Pearl shifted her weight from foot to foot."Alright. Well, imma' stop wasting your time. Let me get the door." Chip said after a moment. She walked towards the gate and threw open a latch. She pulled on the door's chain.Pearl covered her ears at the loud screeching noise that came from the door as it opened, gritting her teeth in anguish as her head throbbed from the noise."How can you stand this sound?" She yelled to her guard, who was standing prone at her side, not even making an effort to cover her ears."My hearing isn't that great to begin with." Her voice was barely audible over the noise. The screeching stopped, the door wide open. Pearl let out a gasp of relief, dropping her hands to her sides."That was unpleasant." She murmured, her ears ringing."Let's go." Garnet walked into the town. Pearl shuffled after her."P?" The corner of Pearl's lip quirked downward as she whispered the word to herself."Pierre hates the Regimes," Garnet reminded her. "Refer to yourself as 'P' for the duration of our stay here." Pearl nodded, rubbing at her arm."We'll be picking up a bit more food and water and Jenny. Should take an hour.""Do you want to send me off again?" Pearl asked. Garnet shook her head."No, stay close." They passed by a few stalls, all decorated with various items and paintings. Garnet seemed to be looking over at an ammo and weapons stand. Her hand moved to the side pocket of her bag and she whispered something under her breath. Pearl looked over to the stand as well. She started to stray away from her companion."Towards the bar." Garnet gently grabbed ahold of her wrist and lead her back towards her. Pearl pulled her wrist out of her grasp and rubbed it as if it had been injured. She glanced up at the building she had pointed out; a broken down diner that had a sign that read "The Best Diner in the World." Pearl somehow doubted that."The... bar?" She tested out the unfamiliar word."You can buy food and alcohol. Acts like a motel too." She pointed off to a side expansion that was clearly not a part of the original design. Pearl's nose scrunched in distaste."Why in the world would you drink alcohol? That's medicine!" Pearl exclaimed. Confusion was written on Garnet's face."No... Alcohol for consumption.""Like wine?" Pearl asked. Garnet nodded."Like wine." She affirmed."Oh!" Pearl realized, "You mean drugs! Alcohol is medicine!" Garnet pointed over to stall hidden in the dark."You can buy drugs over there, but I wouldn't prefer it." She furrowed her eyebrows as if remembering something particularly distasteful.Both women shrugging the odd interaction off, they headed inside the diner. Pearl wasn't used to feeling this way.She didn't know what the 'feeling' was, but it twisted her stomach, bloomed anger in her chest and made her face burn almost as badly as it did out in the sun. Her blue eyes were narrowed on the pair sitting at the bar, one of the pair being her guard and the other being this 'Jenny' character.Garnet had walked in- Pearl was behind her-, spotted her almost immediately, and dumped Pearl off at a table with some man named 'Harold.' She glanced over to the man; face down on the table with an arm outstretched to a drink. She looked back at the bar, and felt the strange feeling increase tenfold when she heard laughter from the pair, when she saw Garnet look particularly elated, and when she saw Jenny's arm snake over to her bicep. Her nails dug into the skin of her palm, cutting through and drawing thick blood that she quickly smeared on a rag.'Why must you feel this way?' Pearl gritted her teeth at the mental scolding, eyes still glaring at the laughing pair. 'Never have I wanted to be reconditioned again so badly in my life.Conditioning told her to ignore petty feelings. To ignore anger at Garnet, sadness for her lost home, and whatever this was. She glanced over Harold, who was mumbling something to himself as he reached for his glass. Her face softened from its angry expression."No, Harold." She murmured quietly, reaching over to take his hand away. He shifted his head up, peering at her with a red, glazed eye. "I think you had enough." Conditioning also told her to ignore concern for strangers such as him. She felt ashamed of herself.More laughter. She glanced back and Garnet had scooted closer to Jenny, who was freely running a hand up and down Garnet's arm, which was flexed enough that she could barely see the definition of her deltoids and biceps through the thin cloth of her shirt. A warm blush spread across her already hot cheeks and she swept her tongue over her lips. Anger spiked again; that was enough.She jolted up from her wooden seat and marched over to the bar. It was only when she was a few feet away that the two women looked up towards the figure looming over them."P. What do you need?" Garnet asked her with her smooth accent. Pearl opened her mouth, but quickly clamped up. What was she to say?! She looked over at Jenny, and her guard seemed to get her own idea."Oh, right. P, this is Jenny." She gestured to Jenny, who gave her a wave and a smirk. "Jenny, this is P.""How ya' doing, girl?" Jenny said. She stuck her hand out, and Pearl looked down at it. What’s with outsiders and gesturing to her with their hands? She curtsied."Ooh, fancy!" Jenny let out a small chuckle as she looked back to Garnet. "This your new fling, G?" Alright, now what was a fling? Pearl assumed it was something particularly lewd judging by the way Garnet's cheeks darkened."N-No. This is a friend.""Can I have water?" Pearl finally said. She cursed herself for forgoing her original idea to put a stop to the pair. Garnet seemed relieved to have the distraction, body relaxing from its stressed position. She waved over the bartender, cleaning the counter with a dirty cloth but forgoing it once he noticed the motion. He walked over, leering at her with one eye. Garnet seemed expectant, and Pearl realized that she expected her to order. She swallowed."Uh, water... please" She murmured, casting her eyes downward. Sam nodded."10." He said gruffly. Pearl drummed her fingers against her thigh and shot a nervous glance towards Garnet."Put it on my tab, Sam." Garnet said. Pearl breathed out as Sam nodded once more and walked off to the back room. Garnet turned away from her and back towards Jenny, and they continued a conversation Pearl couldn't bother listening in on. She felt the twisting in her stomach again, and a new symptom; a sour taste in her mouth. Sam returned with a glass of water in hand."Here." Pearl nodded her thanks and took it. She spared one last glance at the pair ignoring her, before stiffly turning away and trudging back towards her table."Here, Harold." She moved away Harold's glass and set the water down in front of him. He glanced at it with his reddened eye, slowly reaching for it. He lifted his head up, revealing a -in Pearl's opinion- quite impressive goatee. He downed the water, and set it back down on the table."Thank you, P." He wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand. His eyebrows sloped. "What’s wrong? You seem troubled.""You aren't drunk?" Pearl said with a hint of surprise. A large grin spread across his face and he let out a small laugh."No! I just hadn't slept in days! Gotta entertain those kids, y’know? Percy breeds energetic people! I come here to wind down." He chortled, completely switching moods. "Now, tell ol' Smiley your troubles!" Pearl bit her lip as she sat down."I feel… weird watching Jenny and Garnet." She admitted. Harold looked over to them, smile unwavering."Why’s that?""I don't know!" She threw her hands out in front of her. "That’s the thing! I've felt like this before but I wasn't made-" She stopped, remembering Garnet's words. "It just angers me... seeing them laughing and Jenny feeling Garnet's arm and- Isn't she far too old for her?!" Harold raised an eyebrow."Who, Garnet? Her and Jenny are only a few months apart." That made it worse. "And they've been friends as long as I can remember. And I can't seem to remember much nowadays!" He let out a loud laugh. Pearl gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, glaring at the pair. They had both stood up from their seats and were exchanging a hug. She gritted her teeth even harder."Green's not a good color on you." Harold spoke up. Pearl looked back over at him, before glancing down at her attire with a raised eyebrow."I'm not wearing green?"“It’s an expression… though I don’t think I used it right.” He rubbed at his beard, smile faltering for a moment. He looked back up at her. “If you feel bad about it, just tell her! You’d be surprised at how understanding Garnet can be at times.”“At times.” Pearl repeated monotonously, a silent implication in her tone. Harold didn’t seem to get it, as he only smiled wider and nodded."P." She jumped and looked back, seeing that her guard was standing near her chair. Jenny was next to her, her arm hooked with Garnet’s and she felt her feelings roar to life again."We're goin’ now." She looked back at Harold. "Thank you for watching her Harold.""No problem!" He waved at her and looked back at Pearl. "I hope I helped somewhat, P.""You didn't." Pearl said bluntly. Harold’s smile fell from his face. She stood up and followed after Garnet and Jenny, who were already leaving without her. She let out a huff as she sped up.They headed to the market, where Garnet stopped at a stall and bought a couple of cans and bottles of water. They then headed to another, where she got a bag of something called 'Jerky." The whole time both Garnet and Jenny were chatting, ignoring Pearl and seemingly ignoring where they were going because next thing the pale woman knew, they were at the gate leaving Pierre in the exact same direction they came."Where are we going?" Pearl finally spat out. They either ignored her or didn't hear her. She stomped forward and tugged on Garnet's sleeve. She looked back at her curiously. Pearl repeated her question."Walking Jenny back home." Garnet said. Pearl's eyes widened."Back to Percy?!" She fumed. Her guard nodded, oblivious to her anger, and continued her conversation with Jenny. "That's backtracking, Garnet!""Relax," Jenny chimed in, looking back at her. "I can walk myself home; I'm grown." Garnet shook her head."No,’s too dangerous out here. We'll walk you, it’s jus' a few hours away.""It’s jus' a few hours away." Pearl repeated, mocking Garnet's accent. She was ignored again, and the two women in front of her continued their way down into the forest."You can stay here if you want, P." Pearl jumped at the sound of Chip's voice right next to her. "Wait till she gets back. She always walks Jenny home whenever she has to come fetch her." Pearl looked back over at the pair, and the thought of them being alone together created a sickening feeling in her stomach. She shook her head."No, but thank you, Chip." She walked on. "Thank you walking me, Garnet. It was nice meeting you P." Jenny waved at the two as she approached Percy's gate. Garnet waved back at her."See you whenever." She responded. Jenny opened the gate and went inside. Garnet turned back to Pearl."You want to stop for the night?" The dark woman asked. Her companion narrowed her eyes into slits."We didn't have to walk her home!" Pearl blew up, stepping forward towards her guard. "We lost a day's worth of traveling just because you wanted to 'be nice'" Pearl seethed. Garnet rolled her eyes."And here I thought we were gettin' along." Pearl's face turned red."We'll never get along; I thought I made it clear that I hated you!" She yelled. Garnet touched her hand to her chest and feigned hurt. By now Pearl’s fists were shaking at her side, and she opened her mouth to spew more abuse, before clamping up again. Without another word uttered, she turned on her heel and stalked away from Garnet towards the forest."Where are you going?!" Garnet called after her."Back to Pierre!""You don't know where that is!" Pearl scoffed at her words.'You'll follow me anyway.' She thought to herself as she passed through the treeline. Her eyes burned with tears, and she raised an arm up and hastily wiped them away."Stop feeling like this." She murmured to herself as she clenched at the fabric of her tank top. "You're irrational." She stopped in her tracks and rubbed at her eyes again. Why did it hurt so much watching Garnet interact with someone other than her? She splayed a hand over her heart and cursed at herself."Stupid me. Stupid feelings. Stupid faulty conditioning." She fumed to herself. A Pearl being so attached to someone other than their owner after only being with them for three days? That was grounds for termination back at the hospital. That was what killed so many Pearls before her.“That’s why I was never allowed to stay at one rotation.” The distraught woman crossed her arms and leaned against the base of a tree, head tilted down towards the dirt. “This has happened before and It’s happening again! I need conditioning.” She rubbed at her temples and sniffled."Conditioning?" Pearl yelped at the voice and jumped away, whirling around to meet the curious eyes of Garnet."Why can't you leave me alone?!" Pearl yelled with a rasp, throat already raw from her earlier screaming. Garnet didn't move from her spot."Conditioning?" She repeated. Pearl huffed and stomped away from her."Go away.""Nighttime is dangerous." Her guard began to walk after her. Pearl went faster and lowered her head down to glare at the ground.“I can defend myself.”“Without a weapon?”"I know how to throw a punch." Garnet let out a laugh at her words."Really? You? Not gagging me?" The words were so malicious and her anger had boiled up so much that Pearl didn't even stop to consider her actions before swinging around and nailing Garnet in the cheek with her right fist. The force was enough to send her staggering backwards."Yes I do, you insufferable twat!" She cursed, fist still outstretched towards her. She breathed heavily, glaring darkly at the hunched over woman, teeth bared. Her face fell as awareness washed over her, and she let her arm drop to her side. Slowly, Garnet straightened herself up to look at her, and Pearl swallowed as she realized just how much her guard towered over her, and how much more muscular she was, and how she could most certainly snap her like a twig if she wanted to. It almost reminded her of the punishing onyxes she would be sent to for correction. She stepped back and raised her arms up to shield her face.Garnet raised a hand up to cover her cheek, looking down at Pearl with furrowed eyebrows. She cracked a grin."Alright, my bad. I was being a...twat" She held her hands up in mock surrender, chuckling softly. "Remind me not to doubt you again." She rubbed at her cheek and winced. Tears involuntarily leaked from her left eye as her cheek began to swell. She moved to walk ahead of Pearl, and the smaller woman couldn’t help but flinch away as she brushed past her."C'mon, let's go set up camp, we’ll make for lost time tomorrow-- and no more stops, I promise." She said. Pearl let out a shaky breath and pleaded for her heart to stop beating so erratically. She followed after her on trembling legs. A sudden thought crossed into her mind, and Pearl couldn't help but scowl as she thought to herself:'It was that Bunny Beast that did this to me, wasn't it?!'At least, that explanation was better than coming to terms with her odd feelings for her guard.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Simple Travels

Pearl straightened out the foam mat in front of her, taking the folded blankets at her side and setting it on top of the mat. Taking a seat on the soft material, she let out a small sigh and moved her neck side to side, cracking it. She looked over at Garnet, and felt guilt grip at her heart at the sight of the blooming bruise on her swollen cheek. She unconsciously rubbed at her discolored knuckles.“Jerky?” Garnet held out a bag of the dried meat to Pearl. Her long nose scrunched up. It didn't look particularly appetizing.“No thank you.” Pearl declined. Garnet opened up the bag and took out a piece of jerky and began chewing on it. She fell back onto her own foam mat. Pearl clasped her hands together and let out a small sigh as she looked off into the purple sky.“What kind of soup do you want?” Her guard broke the brief silence.“Anything’s fine.” Pearl murmured. The messenger bag rustled as Garnet fished through it, procuring a tin can from the inside. She chucked it near Pearl. Reaching for it, Pearl pulled the tab back and looked into the can. Chicken again. She set the can aside and lied down on the mat.“Are we skipping Pierre?” Pearl asked. Garnet nodded in affirmation, mouth full with jerky. She swallowed heavily.“Supplies should last until we get to the border. There’s a trader post that we can resupply at.” Garnet said.“No more towns?”“Not in the direction we are going.” Garnet said. Pearl thought to herself for a moment.“Raider camps?” The thought of coming across them sent a shiver down Pearl’s spine.“I know how to avoid them.” Garnet offered her a small, reassuring smile. “If the research I did prior to pickin’ you up pays off, I shouldn't ‘ave to fire a single bullet and you shouldn't ‘ave to fear for your life.” Pearl tried to feel reassured at the news, but there were so many ‘what ifs’ running through her mind that she couldn’t even spare a smile in Garnet’s direction. She seemed to notice this, as she stood up from her mat and walked over to hers. She kneeled in front of her.“Hey,” She placed a hand over hers. Pearl’s face grew hot and, despite every part of her screaming at her to, she did not pull away. “It’ll be okay.” she slowly nodded, the corner of her lips quirking downwards. Garnet fell back onto her rump, reaching for her discarded can of chicken noodle.“You should eat.” She nudged her arm with it. “Don't want to go to bed on an empty stomach.”“Have I been insufferable?” Pearl suddenly said, ignoring the food as she sat up from her bed. Garnet raised an eyebrow. “I feel like I have. Some things get put in perspective when the target of your hatred is being nice to you.” Pearl murmured, covering her hand with her mouth and casting her blue eyes to the ground. Garnet’s cheek twitched, the motion almost unnoticeable to the pale woman.“You weren't exaggerating sayin’ that you hate me, huh?” She fiddled with the can of soup, expression tight, and set it aside on the dirt. “We ‘ave our differences, Pearl. I know I can be insufferable as well.”Pearl's mind flashed back to a certain incident involving her and a pond.“You can.” She agreed. She shook her head. “Seeing you with Jenny made me feel… not good.” She tried to explain. Garnet kept her focus on her, listening. Pearl swallowed and wet her lips with her tongue.“I don't know the feeling-- I wasn't made to feel-- but it’s weird.” She explained further, clasping her hands together.“You weren't made to feel?”“Conditioning.” She sighed out. Pearl lied back down on the mat, stretching her hands above her head. Garnet frowned deeply, eyebrows knitting together. “Mine has become faulty. I shouldn't be acting like this.”“You’ve been acting fine.”“Obey,” Pearl said monotonously, ignoring Garnet. “Follow. Listen. Obey.” She droned on.“No questions. No speaking out of turn. No emotion. Just… follow, listen, and obey.” Pearl clenched at the fabric of her jacket, where the Pink Diamond symbol was stitched into the center of the cloth. “And here I am… rarely following, rarely listening, and rarely obeying.” She let out a chuckle.“What would Pink Diamond think?”“You are your own person, Pearl.” Garnet said, locking eyes with her.“I’m not. It's a nice thought, though.” Pearl let out another chuckle, her smile pained. “There I go again! Pink Diamond will have quite the mess on her hands when I get back.” Concern was etched in Garnet’s face. Pearl pulled her hand away and turned around, pulling the thin coverings up to her chin. “Goodnight, Garnet.”“Pearl…”“I'm not comfortable with talking about this subject anymore.” Was Pearl’s curt response. Garnet bit her lip and looked aside as she thought to herself. She wanted to help. Garnet almost pressed on, but Pearl scooted away from her. She got the hint-- she wouldn’t be getting anything out of her tonight. She moved away from her and towards the fire.“Goodnight, Pearl.”The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon when Pearl awoken. Her recollection of last night made her face burn with embarrassment about what she revealed to Garnet. She couldn't deny the slight relief she felt, however, at admitting what had been on her mind since the night of the attack.Standing up from her bed, Pearl folded her blanket up and set it aside before rolling up her mat. She carried both items towards Garnet’s bag and set them down next to it. Pearl yelped and jumped at the sound of a loud snore coming from beside her. She looked over at her guard, sleeping with one leg crossed over the other and her arms sprawled out. It looked like she was assuming one of those of martial arts positions the Quartz guards were trained in.Rolling her eyes with a slight smile, she crept over to her, gently grabbing ahold of her leg and setting it down. She moved her hands to Garnet’s shoulder and her hip and maneuvered her over to her side; her snoring ceased. It reminded her of Pearl 03.Pearl paused, feeling sadness grip at her heart and wash over her being as she was reminded of her lost friend. She moved away from Garnet and back towards her bag, blinking away the tears that clouded her eyes. She swallowed the lump down her throat as she opened up the flap of the bag and pulled out a bottle of water. Pearl twisted the cap off and shakily raised the bottle to her dry lips.
Roll over on your side, 03, you’re snoring!
A sob escaped from her as the memory flashed before her eyes, of when her and Pearl 03 used to (against strict orders) share a bed together, of how she had that absolutely horrid snoring problem. She covered her hand over her mouth as her shoulder shook rapidly, tears dripping from her eyes and down to the ground and small, pained giggles escaping from her lips. Garnet rolled over onto her other side and stretched her arms above her head, opening her eyes and blinking owlishly.“Wh’ cryn’?” Between her accent and her voice being heavy with sleep, Pearl could barely understand what the hell the darker woman just said, but soon deciphered it.“Nothing, it’s a bad memory.” She assured her.“Mem’ry?” Pearl shook her head, not wanting to elaborate. Garnet mumbled something that sounded a lot like ‘sleep now’ before closing her eyes and going motionless. Pearl couldn’t help but laugh, spirits lifted by the small interaction. Old memories dashed away from her thoughts almost as quickly as they overtook them. She looked back to the bag and reached into it, pulling out a can.“Ravioli?” Pearl muttered after peeling the lid back. She set the can aside and began to dig through the bag for a fork. Her fingers grasped at something metallic, and she pulled it out.“Screwdriver?” She glanced over to the gun next to Garnet's mat. It didn’t look like the right fit. She shrugged and set it aside. She reached into the bag again. Her fingers brushed over something glossy.‘A book?’ She thought to herself, pulling the item out of the bag. It was a thick magazine with the front cover taped over, as well as the back. Curious, she flipped through the pages. A bright red blush spread from her cheeks to her ears as she observed the contents. “Oh my!” She quickly closed the magazine and threw it back into the bag. She spared a glance over at the can of food.‘I'll just eat with my hands.’ Better to eat now before she finds something else that will make her lose her appetite.Though highly unsanitary and disgusting in Pearl’s opinion, she finished her food, using what was left of her water to clean her hands. A sudden thought appeared in her mind as the water cascaded over her nimble fingers; when was the last time she bathed? She whiffed at her underarm and promptly choked. Too long ago, evidently. She looked over at Garnet, still sound asleep.“Garnet?” No response. She scooted closer.“Garnet.” She shuffled a little before opening her reddened eyes.“Wha-?”“You should get up.” Pearl suggested. Garnet grumbled something out, before lifting her head from the ground and sitting upwards. She rubbed at her eye with one hand and wiped drool away with the other.“Bag.” She murmured. Pearl reached for the bag and handed it to her. She took out a bottle of water and gulped it down, stray droplets leaking from the corner of her lips. She reached for jerky next and scarfed it in only a few bites. Garnet set the bag down.“Did you sleep well?” She asked after swallowing. She reached for her bag again and pulled out the plastic bag of sweets. She reached for one of the bright blue balls and popped it in her mouth.“Well enough.” Pearl responded. She moved to sit down next to her. “When will we start traveling?” Garnet hummed, considering her question as she suckled on the candy.“Whenever you’re ready.” She said.“I think we should find someplace to bathe.” Pearl suggested. Garnet lied back down on her mat, crossing one leg over the other.“Should be a lake close by. If the rad detector doesn't go mad, we can bathe in there.” Pearl perked up at the sound of the device.“Rad detector?”“Since Keystone is so close to the Jersey Deadzone, our water is still irritated.” She rolled over onto her side and propped her head up with her hand. “’s why I brought Anti-Rads.” Pearl winced.“Any… side-effects?” She asked.“Don’t worry about it.” Garnet smiled at her. “We’ll be careful.”‘Why is she being so nice?’ Pearl thought to herself. She didn’t think she deserved even an ounce of her kindness, not after she decked her last night and certainly not after she told her about her faulty conditioning. Pearl moved away from her and brought her knees up to her chest. She heard her guard dig through her bag. Pearl glanced back at her, seeing that she had procured a flask and was in the process of screwing the cap off.“You’re drinking? In the morning?” She shuffled around so she could face her. Garnet shrugged as she whiffed at the liquid.“It’s only water.” She allowed some of the liquid to spill, revealing its clear color. “I forgot to get it filled at Pierre.”“But you would have been drinking had you filled it, correct?”“Yep.” Garnet sat up and drank from the flask, only stopping when it was empty. She placed it back in her bag.“Want to get going now?” She asked. Pearl nodded as she rubbed at her sunburnt arm. Garnet stood up and began to pack. Pearl moved over to the fire and kicked dirt over it, as she had observed Garnet doing the other day.They headed out into forest, walking for hours until they passed Pierre (Though Garnet ran inside for a moment, presumably to get her flask filled.) After passing the merc town, they found themselves roaming across acres of farming fields.“If only farming was as easy as it was back then.” Garnet mused to herself as they were walking. “Now it’s jus’ hopin’ that radiation storms don’t pass durin’ the growing period."Pearl recalled the lessons she was given about the outsides weather; particularly, the lessons she was given about radiation storms.‘They melt the skin right off of your body.” Pearl grimaced and worried the cloth of her jacket between her thin hands. She hoped they wouldn't get caught in a radiation storm anytime soon; she rather liked having her skin. Garnet stopped in front of her, mismatched eyes scanning the field they were in. She was murmuring something to herself; Pearl struggled to listen."Right." Garnet said, glancing in the same direction. Pearl followed after her. They passed through the acres of tilled farming fields and were now walking across plain fields of dead grass and sandy dirt. Pearl spotted a glisten in the distance."Is that it?" She asked Garnet."Might be; looks smaller than what I remember." They headed towards the lake and stopped in front of it. Garnet glanced down into it and the rock walls surrounding it; one part of the wall was sun-bleached; the other, deeper part was not."It's evaporating." Garnet muttered. There was a brief flash of worry in her face before it disappeared. She reached into the left front pocket, pulling out the small device. She hovered it over the lake. It began to make an obnoxious high-pitched beeping noise that Garnet seemed unaffected by.'No wonder why she can't hear.' Pearl thought as she scrunched her nose in distaste, covering her ears. ‘Everything she owns makes noise!’"643" Garnet pulled back, eyebrows furrowed. Garnet squatted down, gazing at the water.“Might be safe.” Garnet murmured to herself, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Pearl stared at her back, a slew of thoughts occupying her mind- most of them having to do with Garnet’s ass- but one stood out in particular. A mischievous smile crept onto her face. She took a step towards the blissfully unaware woman. Without further ado, Pearl kicked Garnet square in the back, knocking her off balance and sending her straight into the lake. “That was not funny.” Garnet growled at the still-giggling Pearl, wringing out her shirt. Pearl’s giggling didn't cease, it only seemed to get louder at Garnet’s comment. She pulled off her right boot and dunked out the water in it; Pearl laughed until no sound came out at the sight of her red knee-high sock with a spaceship design on them. Garnet let out a scoff as she stood up and tugged her shirt over her head. Pearl's laughter ceased, a warm blush spreading across her face as she took in the sight of her bare, defined back. She watched with bated breath, cheeks flushing and tongue darting out to wet her lips.Garnet chucked the shirt away from her and pulled off her other boot, revealing a blue polka dot sock. She started to undo her belt. Pearl snapped out of her trance."Stars, not in front of me!" She yelled, covering her eyes. The dark woman looked back at her with a raised eyebrow."I have pants on under this." She undid her belt and unbuttoned her jeans. Pearl turned so her back was to her. She heard a thud as her pants hit the ground. She spared a glance back, face turning redder as she took in the sight of her nearly-naked guard. Her eyes slowly trailed down her body, looking down to her scarred side, muscular thighs, and finally down to her left leg, catching sight of flesh wrinkled and leathery from burn scars and indented from old cuts and slices.‘What could possibly be under that sock?’ Pearl thought to herself as she strained her eyes, attempting to get a view of what little the tight sock revealed. Garnet moved her leg to the side and Pearl spotted an odd bulk to the front of it. A splint, perhaps? She furrowed her eyebrows and brought her eyes to the back of her guard’s head.  Garnet looked back at that moment and caught her eye; she smirked at her."Well, are you gonna get undressed?" She asked."Wh-what?!" Pearl sputtered, looking back in front of her. Garnet turned to fully face her."You wanted to bathe." Garnet said. Pearl crossed her arms across her chest and turned her nose to the air."Not in front of you! I meant privately!" She turned around to look at her, and right at that moment an object hit her in the face. She yelped and reached to pull it off. It was a bra; Garnet's bra."Yeagh!" She dropped it and, without it obstructing her vision, caught an eyeful of Garnet's breasts. "Sweet diamonds have some decency!" She dropped to the floor and feebly crawled away from her, her face resembling the color of a tomato. Garnet was grinning, proud of herself as she slipped off her underwear and dropped it to the side. She turned to the lake and stepped in, pleasantly surprised at how cool the water was considering it was hot enough for it to be evaporating. She sunk in to her neck and splayed her arms across the rock wall."You can join me when you stop being a prude." Garnet said. Pearl weakly moaned in response, curled in the fetal position. Garnet let out a low chuckle and dunked herself under the water. Emerging, she let out a satisfied sigh and flipped her wet curls out of her eyes. She scooped her hand under the water, finding the sandy ground below and gathering it in her palm. She scrubbed her arm over with the sand and repeated the action with the other, before moving down to her collarbones and chest."It's pretty cool in here, if you want to get in" She tempted Pearl. She didn't look up, instead choosing to mutter something that Garnet couldn’t bother to listen in to. She rolled her eyes-- this was borderline childish. She splashed some of the water at the pale woman, hearing her squeak and scoot away. With a smirk, Garnet turned around to face her. She splashed her again.“Stop!” She rolled away from her. Smirk turning into a mischievous grin, Garnet swam closer and swiped her arm over the surface of the water, splashing Pearl with a considerable amount of the cool liquid."~ Stop! ~” She whined out. Garnet’s grin fell and she felt her cheeks warm; it was… cute? Without hesitation she splashed Pearl again, hoping to entice the same reaction from her. Pearl let out an undignified groan as she sat up, unzipping her jacket and shedding it off her thin shoulders. She reached to the back of her head and undid her small ponytail, twisting her torso around to look at her with an irritated expression while bunching her jacket up into a ball."You coming-?" The jacket hit her full-force in the face, cutting her off and Garnet found herself toppling backwards in the water. How heavy was that jacket?! She swam up and broke the surface of the water, gasping for air, her swollen cheek throbbing from the hit. Droplets of water hit her as Pearl jumped in beside her. She too broke the surface, and immediately began to splash back at her."Stop!" Garnet laughed, holding her hands out in front of her in an attempt to block the onslaught of water. Pearl only began to splash back with more force than before, an expression of sheer determination on her face. Garnet started to splash water right back at her in retaliation, emitting small noises of joy as she did so. Pearl’s jacket floated up to the surface and she wasted no time grabbing it and throwing it back at Garnet’s face. Its extreme heaviness was only amplified by its soaked state, and Garnet found herself falling backwards once more. Breaking the surface, she scanned the waters with a giddy expression, trying to find her opponent. She heard splashing, and turned around to see the pale woman pouting as she moved to get out of the water."What was that about?!" Garnet wheezed, still giggling slightly."I said stop." Pearl murmured to herself. She moved her hands back to the top of her red hair and began to put some of it back in her ponytail. Garnet's laughter died off as she caught sight of her neck.“Pearl 34?" She muttered, squinting at she attempted to read the rest of the letters and numbers from afar. Pearl's eyes widened as she slapped a hand over her nape, covering up the rest of her identification mark, she turned to face Garnet, lips in a tight line."That's my number, yes. Please refrain from saying it in its entirety." Pearl warned. Garnet moved her lips, but no sound came out. She pressed her palms down on the rock wall and she lifted herself out of the lake, water dripping from her skin and creating puddles across the ground as she walked towards Pearl. Not once did she break eye contact."Turn around." Pearl obeyed quickly, not wanting to get another eyeful of her naked form and not wanting to disobey a strict order. Garnet stepped forward until she was behind her, and Pearl felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise at the close proximity. She nearly murmured something about personal space until a wet hand gently moved her own hand to the side, and gingerly touched the number. Pearl winced at the slight pain that shot through her neck."My mum ‘as a mark jus’ like this." She murmured, tracing the numbers and letters. "On her palm.""Oh." Was Pearl's response. She cringed away from her touch and rubbed at her neck."I mean, if she came from -"“She did.” Garnet’s tone was cold, and Pearl felt herself tense up. Was she mad?"They brand you…" Garnet seethed. "Like you're cattle." Pearl bit her lip. She was."It is necessary.""Necessary my arse. And you call your regime sophisticated." Garnet growled out. Pearl stiffened, shocked by her sudden hostility. She bit into her lip and squeezed the flesh of her neck."It's order-""It's inhumane." Garnet said, narrowing her eyes at Pearl. She stalked over to her underwear and snatched it off the grass, shaking it out and putting it back on. She went for her bra next. "It's a violation and it's disgusting.""You don't understand-""My mum told me enough" Garnet interrupted. "She ‘ad lived under one of your precious diamonds for 25 years." She grabbed the rest of her clothes and threw them on. She reached for her bag and slung it over her shoulder.“It’s not like I support the branding process!’ Pearl exclaimed, turning to face her and throwing her arms out. “It... it makes things easier for us.” She rubbed at her arm.“It makes you property.” Garnet growled, taking a step forward towards her, fists clenched at her side. Pearl flinched, shrinking away and raising her hands up to cover her face. Garnet tensed up considerably, her expression briefly changing to one of surprise. She stood there for another moment before she backed away, making a point to keep her hands down low and splayed out. Pearl peeked at her through the gaps of her fingers, eyes wide and fearful.Garnet’s face fell into a neutral expression."Start bathing so we can get out of here." She muttered. She walked away from the lake and to a tree, where she leaned against it with her back to Pearl. Pearl straightened up, plucking at the threads of her tank top and chewing on her bottom lip, trying to ignore the sickening feeling in her stomach. With a thick swallow, she began to undress. Pearl struck the match the third time, letting out a huff of frustration as the head refused to spark. She tried again, and the match lit up into a weak flame. Ignoring the twinge of fear in her chest, she dropped it into the pile of grass and twigs and began to blow on it, smoke billowing away from her. Garnet, sitting beside her, nodded in approval."Now feed it." She pointed to the pile of twigs. Pearl reached for the largest one and snapped it in half, placing the twigs in. "Good." Garnet praised her. She moved away from her, grabbing her bag and pulling out her blanket. She covered it over her back and shuffled close to the fire, sighing as it began to dry off the wetness in her shirt."I'm sorry about kicking you in." Pearl murmured, poking at the fire with a stick. "I realize that was dumb of me."" 's fine. It's funny in hindsight." Garnet assured her. Pearl didn't look convinced, biting her lip and keeping her eyes down to the ground. Garnet let out a small breath as she shuffled closer to Pearl. She hated how she tensed and shrunk away, it made her feel worse than she already did."I...I wasn't mad at you, earlier. I’m mad at what they do to you." Garnet started."You sound like my diamond." Pearl murmured. She used to say the exact same thing to her after she was given a visit by the punishing onyxes. Garnet stiffened. It was her turn to look away."I'm sorry, Pearl. I shouldn't ‘ave gotten mad at you like that." She played with her hands. She stilled as memories surfaced in front of her eyes; of the night before, of how after Pearl had hit her, she cowered away like she expected retaliation. And earlier today, where she did the exact same thing after Garnet approached her a bit too brashly. It made her sick. “You shouldn’t fear me like that. I wouldn’t hurt you.”"I still smell." Pearl changed the subject. Her guard frowned. "Don't you have soap?""I… No, jus’ gunpowder." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the .22 caliber bullets. She pulled the top of the casing off and dashed gunpowder out onto her palm, and then smacked it on both sides of her neck and rubbed it in, before reaching under her shirt and doing the same to her underarms. Garnet broke open another casing and dashed a bit more of the gunpowder in her hands. She moved closer to Pearl, reaching her hand out towards her neck. She stiffened and moved away."I can do it myself." She said. She made a 'gimme' motion with her hand. With a deep frown, her guard poured out the rest of the powder onto her hand. Pearl began to rub it into her skin. "Don't touch my neck." She said monotonously. Garnet bit into her lip and her eyebrows sloped. She shrugged the blanket off and stood up, moving to her bag and the rolled up mats. She began to set up their sleeping area."Can you hand me my jacket?” It was near the fire, drying on top of a rock along with Pearl’s. Pearl grabbed it and held it out to Garnet. She took it and shrugged it on. "Thanks.""Yeah."Silence. Tense silence.The pair went to bed, not another word uttered between them.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Basement

It was overcast with black clouds when they awoke the next morning, rain that had threatened to fall the day before finally doing so. The water was clear, not a single speck of ash within the hot rain, and it didn’t have a foul scent like its soot-colored counterpart. Pearl wanted to enjoy it more, but traveling took priority over her wishes. It didn’t stop her from splashing in a few puddles as they passed them, though.The relaxing storm took a turn for the worse by the afternoon.Purple lighting turned green. Black clouds turned yellow streaked with green. Particles of neon-yellow and ash fell from the sky, and the air started to burn Pearl’s exposed skin. Garnet had only shrugged on her own worn leather jacket and walked over to her companion, calmly removing the gas mask from her bag and giving it to the pale woman, not another word said to her despite her confused look.
Cough! Cough!
Pearl started. She looked over to her guard in front of her, who was using her hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes were reddened, her skin had lost some of its color, and the pale woman could have sworn she saw bright red blood fleck onto the skin of her palm before her hand was clenched and moved to her side. Lithe hands moved to the back of her head and began to undo the straps of the gas mask.“Keep that- Cough! - damn thing on!” Garnet’s voice was a weak rasp. Pearl slowly drew her hand away, eyebrows furrowing as green lightning flashed across the sky.“You need it, Garnet” Pearl insisted. Garnet shook her head, coughing again.“Radiation hasn’t killed me yet.” With those words, she reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of pills, twisting the cap off and popping one of the red capsules in her mouth. She placed the cap back on and shoved it into her bag.“Let’s go.”Radiation never seemed less dangerous at her words. Pearl couldn’t help but to stare at Garnet’s angular face with admiration. Even her Diamond is fearful of the legendary radiation storms that blew from Jersey! She unconsciously scratched at her uncovered hand, and was relieved when her skin stayed on. Maybe it was misinformation; she expressed this to Garnet.“Renegades always –Cough! - always bring that up. It’s a lie; that only happens when you go into highly irradiated areas, like the craters. One thing I will –Cough! Cough! Cough! - I will warn you about is that Empire City’s storms will be much-Cough! - much worse.” Garnet explained the first part with a smile, but the second part with a serious expression. Pearl swallowed heavily and breathed in a puff of filtered air from the mask’s ventilator.“We… were never outside of the hospital much. I guess it seems more dangerous when you’ve haven’t seen it with your own eyes.” Pearl said. Garnet nodded in agreement before turning away from her. They continued to walk down the seemingly endless stretch of road, not a single tree or structure in sight, only concrete and sand. Pearl bit her lip; were they even in Keystone anymore? Where were the trees and fields?Her thoughts were cut short when Garnet fell to her knees, hacking twice before puking a vile yellow substance onto the ground along with the dissolved capsules. She let out a pained cry afterwards, holding onto her throat and rasping. Blood freely leaked from the corners of her lips“Garnet!’ Pearl sprinted over, falling and skidding on her knees next to her. She hovered a hand over her back, hesitating to touch her.“I’m…I’m fine.” Garnet tried to stand, but she fell back on her knees again and gagged. Pearl bit her lip, before moving to get behind her. She maneuvered her hands under her armpits and hoisted her up.“We need to find shelter.” The pale woman said. Her guard only groaned in response, head lolling back onto Pearl’s shoulder.“I can handle it…” Garnet grumbled. Pearl bit her lip. It appears she had misinterpreted Garnet’s stubbornness as bravery. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned, making a mental note to learn how to read the dark woman better. She took a step forward, dragging her barely-responsive guard with her.“There has to be something around here.” Pearl murmured. Garnet didn’t answer, still mumbling something about being able to face the storm.The endless stretch of road was fortunately not as endless as it first seemed. Pearl only had to drag Garnet for ten minutes before they met an intersection. Pearl turned left and struggled down the road with the dead weight that was her guard.“Can’t you move with me?” Pearl harshly whispered. No response. She looked down to the other woman. Her eyes were closed and she had gone completely limp.‘Shit’ She thought to herself as she set down the woman. She unclasped the buckles of the mask and pulled it off her face. Scalding and dirty air filled her lungs as she breathed in, burning them and making her cough violently. She brought the pit of her elbow to her mouth as she leaned forward and placed the mask on Garnet’s face. Taking in a deep breath, she moved her hands away from her mouth and used them to buckle the straps, cursing at how hard it was to buckle them with her guard’s afro in the way.Gasping out as she finished, she placed her hand down on the hot pavement and whimpered as her eyes burned and watered. Pearl snaked her arm around Garnet’s waist again.“C’mon” She gasped as she lifted her up. “We need to go.” She began to drag her down the crumpled street once more.It was only when Pearl was beginning to feel herself pass out that she came across a relatively safe-looking house. With a near cry of relief, she pulled herself and her guard towards its front door. Reaching a hand towards the knob, she tried to turn it. It didn't move. Pearl bit her lip and looked down at her arm, occupied with holding Garnet.“Sorry, Garnet.” She dropped her down onto the steps-- there was a loud thud! And a groan--and grasped both hands around the copper knob. Pulling her weight to the side and thrusting herself forward, the door barely budged under her force. Pearl threw her weight into the door again, and it swung open and she found herself falling forward and face planting the vinyl floorboards. With a moan of pain, Pearl held a hand over her throbbing nose, wincing as she felt warm blood trickle out of her nostril. She pushed herself up with shaky arms.“Why the fuck did you drop me?!” She heard a muffled voice say angrily. She whipped her head around to see Garnet sluggishly getting to her feet, a hand on her head.“What, no appreciation for dragging you?” Pearl grumbled out. She stood up and stumbled further into the room, wiping away the blood from her nose. The floorboards creaked behind her and the door shut with a thud. The rustling of Garnet’s bag dashed away the silence of the house.“Thank you.” Garnet said, and a large hand stuck out next to her. Pearl glanced over, spotting two red capsules in the center of her palm. She took them with a small appreciative nod and popped them into her mouth, swallowing with effort. Her guard walked ahead of her, scanning around the dark living room as she removed the gas mask and buckled it to the side of her bag.“Where did you find this place?” Garnet murmured, feeling her hand along the dusty, broken coffee table.“I dragged you for 20 minutes.” Pearl replied monotonously, following after the dark woman. Garnet was examining the tattered, blood-stained sofa. A hand hovered near her revolver.“This looks fresh,” Garnet said “Someone might be in here.” Her words made Pearl's eyes dart from one side of the room to another. Thunder boomed outside.“It’s not like we can go out.”“That’s why we ‘ave to be prepared to fight.” Garnet said. She reached to her hip and unsheathed her knife, holding it out to Pearl. “Jus’ in case.”“I don’t-”“No arguing. Take it.” Pearl swallowed and took the knife as per her guard’s order; she shoved it into her pants, the hilt sticking out near her hand.“C’mon.” Garnet strode towards the stairs in the corner of the room. She drew out her revolver and held it tightly in her hand, pointing it towards the floor. She crept upwards; Pearl followed closely.“Be quiet.” Garnet murmured, sticking her arm out to block Pearl as she reached the top of the staircase. She glanced down both sides of the hallway, before turning left and heading towards the first door to the left. She wrapped a hand around the knob and pressed an ear to the surface of the wood, her face expressionless. Pearl bit her lip and fumbled with the knife hilt.Garnet shouldered the door open and pointed the revolver inside. Nothing except a pile of dirty ceramic and what remained of the shower. Garnet stepped away and moved onto the next door, the one to the right. She shouldered it open again and aimed the revolver inside. Nothing; only the debris of the fallen roof. Pearl coughed as the irradiated air blew into the room- Garnet shut the door. She looked over to the last door and glanced back to the two doors in the right side of the hallway.“Make sure nothing comes out of there.” She moved to the center door, making sure to sidestep the large hole in the flooring. Pearl swallowed and turned around. She heard the telltale bang of Garnet opening the door and breathed out a sigh of relief when she didn’t hear a gunshot afterwards, only a small click as Garnet shut the door.“Don’t go in there.” Garnet said as she passed her. Pearl raised an eyebrow and glanced back towards the door.Garnet headed towards the first door on the right side hallway and slammed it open, halfheartedly swinging the gun around. She left it open as she headed towards the last door. Hitting it open, she pointed the revolver inside.Nothing.Garnet hummed and holstered her gun.“We’re clear upstairs,” She turned to Pearl. “You can hang out in here while I check out the downstairs area.” Pearl nodded and began to head towards the last door Garnet checked; the master bedroom.Some of the floor was missing, but the bed was in good shape and nightstand seemed relatively untouched. She wasted no time speeding towards the bed and throwing herself on it, letting out an exaggerated sigh of comfort as she sank into the foam and cloth. She missed this; sleeping on the ground was not pleasant, even with the mats. The floor creaked loudly in response to the extra weight, but Pearl couldn’t find it in her to care. She rolled over on her stomach and reached into the nightstand, opening up one of the drawers and barely repressing a happy squeal when she spotted a book amongst the contents. It was almost in perfect condition! She flipped through the pages excitedly.A few minutes later, Garnet walked into the room, done with her search.“We’re safe.” Garnet announced. She moved towards the bed and took a seat on it, the mattress sinking down with her weight.“So I presume we are waiting until the storm passes?” Pearl said, sitting up and setting the book down on the nightstand. Garnet gave her a curt nod.“Obviously. ‘ave those pills helped?” Pearl felt at her neck. Her skin still tingled, but her eyes and throat didn’t burn anymore and she didn’t feel like going to sleep and not waking up.“Yes.” She said simply. Garnet nodded and lied back on the bed, her shirt hiking up over her belly button as she stretched, exposing defined abs, a v-line, and a line of curly black hair trailing from her bellybutton into her pants. Pearl’s face warmed, and she found herself looking off to the dusty floorboards, teeth digging into her bottom lip as she tried to calm the rampant thoughts that entered her head. She played with her fingers, before clasping her hands together.“I wonder of your exercise regime.” Pearl said, almost immediately clamping up as she realized she expressed out loud what was supposed to be an inner thought. Garnet raised an angular eyebrow.“Pardon?” Her voice was low, a hint of a smirk on her full lips. Pearl felt her mouth go dry.“Uh… Nothing.” Pearl mentally slapped herself. Garnet sat back up with a grin.“My what?” She tried her. Pearl’s hands began waving about.“Well, I’m wondering how you are so… fit! Yes, that’s it! I mean, when we went swimming the other day I noticed that you are very…. Uh… Very built and that- that interests me because… er, because…” Pearl clamped up, realizing that she had barely made sense with her directionless rambling. Garnet let out a low chuckle.“Well, I’m on the road a lot, and I fight regularly. Kind of hard not to build muscle.” She reached a hand behind her head to scratch at her neck. Pearl thought it was on purpose, as it pulled her shirt sleeve along her arm and defined her biceps under the cloth almost perfectly. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she pressed her legs together at the warmth spreading through her stomach and thighs. Her guard laid back down, her shirt hiking up again. She scratched at her bare belly.“How do you want to pass the time?” Garnet asked, tilting her head towards her. A few stray curls fell over her face, and Pearl barely resisted the urge to brush them away. She moved a hand to the back of her neck, rubbing at her identification mark.“I want to talk about… about the other day.” She squeezed the flesh. Garnet’s face fell.‘I guess she wanted to forget about that.’ Pearl thought to herself, biting her lip. Garnet sat up, attention fully on her. Pearl swallowed“I was curious about your mother. You said she had a mark like mine?” Not exactly what she wanted to talk about, but it would have to do. The other woman nodded.“My mum, Ruby. On this palm.” She pointed to her left palm. “She was with Blue Diamond before she met my other mum.”“Blue Diamond?” Pearl’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s… odd.”“Ruby127 LCBD 5” She traced a finger along her palm as she recited the number. There was a hint of a smirk on her lips. “Blue Diamond is a closed off regime, she ‘ad always told me. Almost no tradin’, no communication outside of the diamonds. One day, Ruby jus’ cracked, couldn’t take it anymore, She escaped on one of the few caravan’s they let in after she paid them a sum.” Pearl listened intently, shifting so she could face her.“She was lost for three weeks in the forest, until she followed a certain bunny-like animal.” Garnet finished. She sat up straighter, smile unwavering.“And?” Pearl urged her on, somewhat interested.“She met my mum, following the exact same Bunny Beast to its den; Sapphire was trying to get back the necklace it snatched from her. They were smitten at first glance, and met each other at the same spot for weeks. Eventually, one of their visits ended up with Ruby travelin’ back to Percy with Sapphire. ‘Adn’t left each other’s side since.“What about you? How’d they create you?” Pearl asked. Garnet laughed.“They didn’t ‘create’ me. They found me; almost 6 years after they met. They said I was wandering near the Keystone-Jersey border with a thousand-yard-stare and cuts and bruises all over my body. They didn’t want to leave without me, so they took me in with the intention of giving me to an orphanage, but they ended up raising me as their daughter instead. They said that I was the Wasteland’s gift to them and that they couldn’t give that away.” She scratched the back of her head. Pearl looked down at her booted-feet, eyebrows knitted together as she repeated the story in her head. How odd for a Ruby to fall in love with an outsider; her conditioning must’ve been faulty. She wanted to tell this to Garnet, but figured it wouldn’t go over too well. She rubbed her neck.“How… Storybook of them.” Pearl instead responded. It was familiar to a few stories she had read about a traveler and a woman in distress, if she recalled the plots currently. Garnet nodded.“Yeah.”Dust and woodchips fell from the rumbling ceiling as lightning crashed outside. With a yelp, Pearl jumped backwards and nearly fell off the bed until Garnet caught her by the arm. She tensed, eyeing her arm and the hand grasping it. Noticing her stare, the dark woman winced and let go.“Sorry. Forgot.” She murmured, drawing her hand back close to her. Pearl placed herself back on the bed, worrying her jacket hem between her fingers.“It’s alright.” Her touch didn’t feel as intrusive as it had the other day, nor did it burn at her skin and create lead in her stomach. It fact, it felt… nice. She cursed her conditioning again, and frantically rubbed at the spot of her arm that had been touched, as if it would rub away the pleasant tingling. Garnet kept quiet, face impassive as she fell back on the bed again.“I think I’m gonna take a nap.” Garnet muttered as she climbed up the bed and rested her head on the worn pillow. Pearl nodded.“Me too.” Instead of crawling beside Garnet, she allowed herself to roll off the bed, landing on the tips of her fingers and the sole of her feet. "Can I have a mat?” Garnet pulled one of the two mats out of the strap of her messenger bag and threw it down at Pearl. She thanked her and unrolled it, lying down on the soft material afterwards.She laid there for nearly an hour, stiff as a board as she stared up at the hole-filled ceiling with wide blue eyes, a thumb in her mouth so she could chew on the nail. Pearl glanced to the bed and the person resting upon it; she needed to figure this out. She couldn’t abhor and desire Garnet at the same time, could she? She needed conditioning, or something to dash away her unnecessary feelings. Had Pink Diamond seen her now, she would consider her a failure. An absolute failure that not even the punishing onyxes could fix. She moved a hand down to the center of her chest and clutched at her emblem. An absolute failure…She looked to the object of her desires again, and a new thought popped into her head: whether she wanted her as much as she did. The simple idea of it was enough to make her press her legs together.Pearl shook her head. She needed to stop thinking like this; it was wrong. Didn’t she hate her a day ago?! Why she couldn’t stay like that was beyond her comprehension. She rolled over onto her side, facing the dirt-stained beige wall and closed her eyes, forcing her mind to clear of its impure thoughts.She fell asleep soon after.__
Pearl…
Pearl’s eyes fluttered under their lids, her face scrunching in confusion.
Pearl… come here…
She opened her eyes, staring up at the dark ceiling. How long was she asleep? Rubbing her head, she sat up from her mat and looked over to the bed. Empty. Garnet must’ve woken up before her. She glanced about her again. Who was calling her name?
Pearl… Basement…
The basement?She stood up and stretched out her stiff back, sighing as the bones popped. Pearl walked to the threshold of the door, taking a moment to stick her head out and glance around the hallway.“Garnet?” No answer. Pearl frowned, stepping past the doorway and into the corridor.
Downstairs…
The voice was… familiar. Almost. It sounded much like a child and she didn’t know any children.Pearl felt her heartrate pick up, and she gripped at the knife hilt sticking free from her pants. She made her slow way down the stairs, each step creaking loudly under her heavy boot; she cursed herself and made a mental note to find lighter shoes. Stepping off the last step, Pearl made her way past the living room and into another hallway.
Almost there… the second door…
Pearl squinted down the hallway. The barred one with a white x over it? Well, that wasn’t suspicious at all. She pulled her knife free of her pants and held it in a white-knuckle grip. Dropping into a crouch, Pearl made her way towards the doors.Two muscular arms wrapped around her stomach and yanked her backwards. Pearl yelped and began slashing behind her with the knife until one of the hands left her stomach and grasped at her wrist.“Pearl, stop, it’s me!” Her guard’s accented voice harshly whispered. Pearl went slack, still breathing heavily and her heart still pounding against her chest.“Garnet,” she whispered back. “What are you-?”“I heard it too,” Garnet interrupted her, looking nervously at the basement door. “I thought… I thought it was you. It sounded… like you.” Garnet stumbled over her words. Pearl raised an eyebrow."You mean you didn't see me lying next to the bed?""I'm not very observant when I'm half asleep Pearl!" Garnet harshly whispered back. She shook her head. "Nevermind that. You heard it too?""I did," Pearl watched the door with interest “Did you check the basement out earlier?” She murmured.“No, didn’t even see it.” Pearl heard a click behind her ear and she glanced back to see that Garnet had drawn her gun. “C’mon, we got to see what it is.” She let Pearl go. She rubbed at her wrist and gripped the knife. Garnet walked ahead of her, shoulders slouched and arms tight, gun held with a firm grip in both hands. She stopped near one side of the door and looked at Pearl before nodding her head towards it. The pale woman tilted her head. Garnet made a noise of exasperation and gestured with a hand towards the bar.“Oh!” She moved forward and unbarred the door.The scent of decay hit them full force the moment the heavy door swung open. At the first inhale, Pearl hunched forward and gagged, nothing coming forth except a bit of spit. Garnet’s face only scrunched in distaste as she moved towards the door. Stepping onto the top platform, her boots made a sticky noise as they met the concrete floor. Her guard glanced down and lifted her boot up, the same sticky noise sounding, before setting it back down. It was too dark to see the substance.Pearl stepped inside after her; the door shut, sending a gust of air towards them. Garnet whipped around.“Why did you shut it?” She seethed quietly. Pearl shook her head, sneering at her-- Or what she presumed to be her; it was impossible to see in their current lighting.“I didn’t do it!” She heard a sigh, before creaking of wooden steps. There were stairs?! Pearl blindly grasped for a railing or a wall, before her fingers found something solid. She used it to maneuver her way around the platform.“Do you see the stairs?” Garnet said.“No, I thought you were on them.” Pearl replied.“That wasn’t me.” Her guard’s voice was calm, but there was a hint of panic in her tone. Pearl swallowed, sweat beading at her forehead. She heard another creak coming from behind her; she whipped around to meet the unknown assailant.“That was me, c’mere.” A hand grasped for her own and yanked her forth. Pearl let out a noise of surprise and held both hands out in front of her, trying to feel for a wall. Her hand met something fleshy. An arm wrapped around her stomach and a hand grasped at her breast.“Wha-!!!” Pearl used her unarmed hand to slap in front of her. “Don’t touch that!” There was nothing said in response, but the arm and hand receded. It unnerved her.“Down here.” Garnet yanked her again, and Pearl stumbled down a step.“Don’t you have a flashlight?!”Silence.She heard a smack of flesh and against flesh and a long string of curses that would make even a quartz blush. There was the sound of a bag rustling (also accompanied by a lot of grumbling), before light flooded her vision. Pearl yelped and covered her eyes. Colorful dots danced around her closed eyes before the light turned away from her face.“Sorry.” Garnet murmured. Pearl removed her hands and blinked a few times. The light was shining down a case of wooden stairs, each step covered with dirt and dried blood and what appeared to be rotten flesh. Pearl’s heartrate picked up, and she felt bile rise to her throat.“It’ll be fine.” She felt her guard clasp a hand over her shoulder. She wished she could see that reassuring smile she was most likely giving her.Each small step was an agonizingly long journey. The light of the flashlight only reached down 6 steps before it bled into darkness again, and Pearl was sure they would never see the floor again until it finally came into view of the light after what felt like hours of walking.“I question old world house designs.” Garnet commented as they descended the last few steps. The flashlight was pointed to the blood-soaked ground, lighting up the area surrounding their feet. Pearl didn’t respond, focused on the substance dripping next to her and landing on her shoulder. She looked up to ceiling; pitch black. More of the substance fell from the abyss of the ceiling and landed heavily on her shoulder with a wet Smack! She looked up again, hands shaking at her side.“Garnet… Point it up…” She had a hunch, and not a good one. The circle of light drew away from the floor to trail up the blood and feces smeared wall, before arriving to the ceiling.They both let out a horrified scream.Hanging from the ceiling was a mass of flesh and body parts; dismembered arms and legs connected to the blob of pink, rotted flesh were grasping at the light with an edge of desperation, each hand coated in thick blood. A head was stuck near a large bulk of the flesh, and there was another rip in the skin where a hand was beginning to protrude out of it. There were places where the flesh had been ripped open, either by bullets or weapons with sharp edges, and organs and feces spilled out of the opened holes. Connected to the center of the flesh were a torso and a head, the torso nearly skeletal and the head missing its lips and cheeks, exposing its jaw and mangled teeth. The body looked at them with hollow eyes, before stretching itself downwards, its spine elongating past what it was humanly-able to.
Pearl… Garnet… Hi…
“Garnet!” Pearl grasped onto the arm of the dark woman, body trembling and the hand holding the knife shaking so badly it nearly fell from her grasp. She looked over to her companion, and felt her heart drop at the sight of the horror etched into her face.“Its… it’s a cl-cluster.” Garnet stuttered.“What?!”“A cluster!” Her hand shakily spun the chamber of her revolver and pulled the hammer back, before aiming down at the head stretching towards them. The hands stopped grasping at the light, instead stretching out towards Garnet’s revolver at a near lightning-fast speed. She seemed to snap out of her fear, as she dived away from the hands, arms wrapping around Pearl and taking her down with her. The pair hit the floor heavily. A bang sounded off, the room flashing with light and the walls vibrating with the noise.Pearl gasped out and held onto her shoulder; liquid fire spread through it and she let out a loud scream of pain that she could barely even hear past the loud ringing in her ears. The scream seemed to ward off the arms, as they quickly retreated away from them, and even the head and torso recoiled a bit. A hand grasped at Pearl’s shoulder, putting agonizing pressure on it. Another hand hoisted her upwards.
Hurt…. You’re hurt… Stop…
Another bang. The room flashed again.A horrid screech shook the walls of the basement, concrete, flesh, fecal matter, and organs falling down to hit the floor with a wet Squelch! Pearl was hoisted up more, and she found herself atop a shoulder soon after.Garnet’s shaky legs sprinted to the staircase as fast as they could while holding the extra weight. An arm stiffened before stretching after them, grabbing onto the straps of Garnet’s bag. Another bang and flash and the hand let go. Garnet sped up the stairs, jostling Pearl up and down and sending shots of pain down her shoulder and arm. A hand grasped for her ankle and Garnet fell forward, barely catching herself in time with her hand. Pearl heard a clink! As something metal hit the wooden stairs. Another hand grasped at her other ankle, and another and then another. The hands began to pull her down.“Gah!” Garnet tried to turn herself to face the hands, before giving up and instead firing off the last three shots into the mass of arms and hands blindly. Only a few of the arms were deterred away from her, and the head and torso that was drawing closer jumped back a bit, a bullet whizzing past them. Pearl looked back at the cluster in fear as it began to draw closer and closer. She gripped the knife in her hand and took a deep breath.Pearl lurched forward, slashing at the first hand on Garnet ankle, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. Her shoulder screamed in protest of the action, and tears beaded at the corner of her eyes from the pain. Fighting through the agony, she wasted no time slashing at the other, severing it from the elbow. Screams and howls echoed through the basement, shaking it so violently that clouds of dust obscured Pearl and Garnet’s already limited vision. The hands began to draw away, freeing the dark woman’s ankle from their desperate hold. Her guard lifted herself and her up and began to rush up the stairs, tripping over herself occasionally as the hands gripped for her. Reaching the top of the platform, Garnet shouldered the door roughly, hyperventilating.
Don’t…. Leave!
The cluster spoke desperately. Hands reached for the pair again.
Please… need…
Garnet hit the door again, it slid forward slightly. Pearl began swiping at the air behind her with the knife, deterring the arms from approaching further.
Need…. You….
The door slammed open and Garnet toppled over to the floor along with Pearl. Scrambling up, Garnet grasped at the door and went to shut it.The head screamed, rushing straight towards the door, mouth stretching open to an impossible degree. With a yell of her own, Pearl threw the knife in her hand.It spun in an arc before it sunk deep into the forehead of the cluster, only a few silvers of the blade sticking out of the skull. Garnet slammed the door shut, not allowing Pearl to spare another glance at the monster. She barred the door almost immediately, and slid down it, gasping for air.Its pained and heartbroken wail afterwards would undoubtedly be repeated in their nightmares for months to come.--“Stay still.” Pearl hissed as Garnet rubbed a strange neon-blue fluid into her shoulder wound. She almost swatted at her hand, but instead clutched at her jacket and took in a deep breath. Garnet leaned forward, her face inches away from her as she reached behind her to grab at the medicine box. Leaning back on the heels of her boots, Garnet fished through the box before grabbing out a roll of bandages.“Level your arm with your shoulder.” Pearl dutifully did as she was told, wincing at the burning pain. Garnet maneuvered the bandage under her arm and began to wrap it around her shoulder and chest.“I’m sorry.” Garnet murmured. Pearl shook her head.“It wasn’t your fault.”“Feels like it was.” The dark woman pulled away from her and put the bandages back in the box before closing it. “Shouldn’t ‘ave led you into the basement and I shouldn’t ‘ave kept my finger on the trigger.”“Thank you for saving me.” Pearl said. She reached a hand forward and placed it down over Garnet’s, who seemed surprised for a moment. She gazed down at her hand, expressionless, before letting a small smile grace her lips.“Hey, you saved my arse too. Very brave of you.” She gently pulled her hand away and stood up from her spot on the pavement. Putting her medicine box back into her bag, she shrugged it over her shoulders.“Come on, we ‘ave no time to waste. The Keystone-Empire City border is a day’s worth of walkin’ away.” She reached a hand out towards her. Pearl examined it for a second, before taking it. She allowed herself to be pulled up.“I guess we are getting you a new knife?” She asked somewhat sheepishly. Garnet laughed and nodded, and Pearl couldn’t help but smile at her reaction.“Yeah.” She turned away and took a step away from Pearl, before abruptly stopping. She clutched at her leg and muttered something Pearl was unable to hear. She straightened herself back up and began to walk away from her companion, her limp slightly more pronounced than Pearl remembered it to be.The smile fell from her face.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Something Else

Pearl’s nose scrunched as something soft tickled against its tip. Swatting at the object with a hand, she grumbled to herself as she rolled over onto her side, bringing her hands under her head. The same object tickled into her ear. She swatted at it again, and cracked a single eye open to look around the area surrounding her.“C’mon, get up.” She heard her guard say. With a groan, she rolled onto her back and blearily looked up at the smiling woman above her.“What?” She forced herself to sit up, biting back a whimper as her shoulder burned and throbbed from the movement.“It’s time for a gun safety lesson.” Garnet said softly, bending down to take Pearl’s hand. She gently pulled her up, and the pale woman let her, not even stopping to rub at her tingling hand.“A gun safe-?”Garnet pressed a finger to her own lips, a silent command. Pearl closed her mouth and the question died on her tongue. Turning away from the other woman, Garnet’s hands snaked around her own sides and to the buckles of her holster. She unlatched it from the strap. Turning back around, she handed the holster to her companion.“Now,” She began. “Take that out of the holster.” Pearl gently took the leather sheath from her hand, wrapping her hand around the grip of the gun and pulling; it didn’t budge. She tried a few more times, tugging at the gun with furrowed eyebrows. Her guard held a hand out silently. Pearl breathed out heavily and placed it back in her hand.“Watch.” She gripped the holster, finger and thumb sliding inside it, and pulled the gun free. She placed it back in and held it out. “Try again.”Taking the holster back, she repeated Garnet’s actions. The gun came free.“Very good.” Garnet took the gun back, pressing a thumb against the latch of the gun and opening the chamber. She pressed two fingers inside and hooked them around the top strap. She held it back to Pearl, who took it with a confused look.“ Hand it to me, the way I did it.” The pale woman nodded, before repeating Garnet’s actions and handing it to her. She took the gun back. She closed the chamber and spun it, before opening it again. She handed it back to her companion, not a word said. Pearl repeated her actions.“After you load a revolver, spin it to make sure none of the bullets are jammed or stuck, and to make it look cool.” Garnet explained as she turned away from her and walked towards the base of a tree, kneeling down to reach for her bag and to set the holster down near it. She dug through the side pocket before procuring a box of the .44 ammo. She strode back towards Pearl, opening the box.“These are .44 caliber bullets, homemade, quite powerful. Not as good as Bismuth’s, but can still kill.” She pulled out two bullets from the box. “Each shot needs to count because that magnum only holds 6 rounds and need to be loaded manually. Now set the gun down and show me where you shoot to kill.” Pearl blinked once.“Pardon?”“Show me how you kill, point it out.” Garnet reiterated. With a raised eyebrow, Pearl moved over to her and jabbed a long finger into her chest. Garnet nodded and that was enough incentive for her to point to her head next. The corner of Garnet's lips pulled down.“Focus more on the torso; headshots are harder to do.” Pearl nodded, and pointed at her stomach. Garnet grinned.“If you want someone to die a painful death, you shoot them in the stomach. If destroying their major organs and severing an artery or two doesn’t kill them, then sepsis will.”Pearl nodded, mentally filing away the information.Garnet bent down to pick up the revolver on the ground, standing back up and opening the chamber again. She showed it to Pearl, allowing her to stare down the 6 holes. Garnet moved a bullet so it fit between her calloused thumb and index finger; she pushed the bullet into the first hole. She handed the gun and the bullet to Pearl, who quickly repeated the action.“Good.” Garnet praised her. She turned her head away from her and lifted an arm up, pointing to a rock. A log was on top of it. “That’s your target. C’mere.” Garnet gestured for her to come closer, and the pale woman slowly complied.“Stand in front of me.” Garnet commanded. Pearl obeyed. Her guard’s strong arms snaked around her waist and arms, before resting her hands over her own. Pearl stiffened.“Relax,” Her guard’s voice was soothing. “Trust me.”Pearl relaxed. Garnet squeezed her hands.“Take aim. Hold your arms straight out and lock them” She murmured into her ear. Pearl forced back a shudder as her cheeks involuntarily warmed at the close contact. She stretched her thin arms out, holding the gun tightly. It trembled in her hands as her arms shook from the strain, shoulder pulsing painfully.“Now pull back the hammer.” A finger pointed to the part of the gun. Pearl did as she was told, using her thumb to complete the action. Garnet nodded in approval and pressed herself closer to her. Both hands were laid over Pearl’s own, guiding her towards the log target.“Line up the shot.”Pearl squeezed one eye shut. Behind her, she could feel her guard lean even closer. With some direction from Garnet, she moved the revolver in her hands to the left, pointing the barrel of the gun directly in front of the rock, rather than the log.  Garnet leaned forward, pressing her chin down on the other woman’s thin shoulder. A blush dusted across both their cheeks.“Fire.”A loud bang echoed through the air. The log launched off its rock perch, bits of wood flying away from the entry hole. Pearl let out a yell of surprise as the revolver recoiled, sending her arms jerking upwards and her stumbling back a few inches into her guard. Wisps of smoke emitted from the long barrel of the gun.A strangled cry of pain escaped from Pearl as she clasped one hand over her burning shoulder and another over her ringing ear. She could barely hear her guard, her accented voice drifting in and out in fragmented words and syllables. Slowly, the burning subsided, and the ringing began to die down her left ear.“Are-- ight?” Pearl squinted and asked her to repeat it-- or at least she thought she asked her; she couldn’t even hear her own voice.“Are--- alright?” Garnet’s voice broke through the ringing. Pearl shouted ‘Can’t hear!' in response. Garnet nodded.‘Need---bad---sides in--days.” Pearl let out a weak groan, moving both hands to cover over her ears as she dropped to her knees and laid down on the grass. Garnet stared down at her, concern on her face. Focusing away from the pale woman, she strode over to the rock and glanced around it, before reaching a strong arm behind it and grabbing the log. She held the chunk up in the air, light from the sun beaming onto Garnet’s face from the small charred hole in the wood.“Nice-- center.” She let the wood fall from her grasp. Pearl shouted back ‘I can see how a bullet passed through my shoulder now.’ and gripped at her bandaged shoulder. Garnet nodded.“Yeah.” She stepped near her. “How’s it feelin’?” Pearl blinked twice as the sentence came in fully to her. Her ears still rung, but she was glad she was able to actually hear what her guard was saying.“Hurts somewhat, but whatever you put on it helped.”“Glowing mushroom cream.” Garnet explained. “Numbs out the wound for days and speeds up recovery. Would ‘ad been completely useless if the bullet pierced bone, though. ” Garnet tsked at the last part.“Glowing mushroom cream?” Pearl repeated, eyebrow raised as she gripped at her shoulder. "That would explain why my shoulder was glowing neon blue last night." Garnet let out a laugh, shaking her head.“Yeah, that would do it. Ready to head out?” Pearl nodded in affirmation. Garnet picked up her holster and bag from its spot on the sand and slung it over her shoulder; she began a calm stride towards a group of trees. Pearl walked with her, taking a moment to make sure their steps were in sync as they walked. She sighed in satisfaction as she played with the gun in her hands.“Here,” She held the gun out to Garnet. “You might want this back.” Garnet didn’t say anything, but took the revolver from her and holstered it before strapping the holster back to her chest. She shot her a quick smile before turning her gaze ahead.The sun was just beginning to set when Pearl and Garnet came across a large wooden sign that read “KS-EC BORDER” with a drawing of an arrow going left below it. Just seeing the sign was enough to make Pearl’s heartrate pick up and a giddy expression to cross her face; she was that much closer to being reunited with her diamond. Garnet didn’t seem as glad as her, though then again her expression never changed much from its usual stoic façade.As they left the sign behind, they soon came across a bridge with yet another sign of an arrow pointing left.“Trader’s post signs to guide travelers.” Garnet began explaining without being prompted from Pearl. “Mostly ineffective because they switch spots and leave the old signs behind all the time.”It was twilight by the time they met a multitude of signs, each guiding in a different direction than the last. Garnet followed them in a specific pattern and Pearl could only hope that she knew where they were going, as they already had to backtrack several times. Though the moon was in its early waning phases as it began to peak out over the horizon, they still stumbled their way through the dark of the night. Eventually, Garnet made a grab for her flashlight in her bag, she halted in her tracks.“Shit,” She dug around a bit more “I left it at the house.”“Shouldn’t we make a torch?” It’d be easier to see.” Pearl suggested. Garnet shook her head.“No, we don’t ‘ave the components and we’re almost there anyway. We’ll camp for the night when we arrive.” Garnet shot down her suggestion. The pale woman raised an eyebrow at the mention of ‘components’ but otherwise shrugged her thin shoulders and walked on with Garnet.Contrary to what her guard said, it was a few hours later until they finally came across the trader post, well lit by the large bonfire in front of the sandbags and concrete counters. Miraculously- In Garnet’s opinion- no one else was at the post, the only people there were the traders themselves; a short, plump woman with blonde hair and a sleeping lanky man with odd holes in his ears. Pearl and Garnet approached the counter; the woman perked up, while the man remained asleep in his chair.“Lars!” She elbowed the man -Lars- in the ribs.“Ow! What was that for?!” He rubbed his side and shot a glare at the short woman, before glancing back towards Pearl and Garnet. He sneered at them, while the woman offered them a smile that turned out to be more of a grimace than anything.“Hi there! I’m Sadie, the proud employee of-“ The woman stopped for a moment to glance down at a piece of paper in her hand, her smile wavering a bit. “Karl’s Border Trading Posts. What can I do to assist you fine gentlemen and/or ladies today?” She leaned down on the counter, not breaking eye contact with either of the pair. Garnet gave her a strange look, before reaching into her back pocket.“Erm, jus’ 6 pack of food and water. Do you ‘ave weapons?” Garnet asked, setting down two queens on the counter. Sadie snapped her fingers at Lars, who scoffed and walked over to one of the many shelves set up behind the counter. She reached for another paper set in front of her.“Here at Karl’s Border Trading Post we have many fine weapons collected throughout the North American Wasteland, all of which sell at reasonable prices. Parentheses, address the weapons shelf with a gesture of a hand, Parentheses.” Sadie furrowed her eyebrows, before a look of realization spread across her face. “Oh!” She waved a hand at the aforementioned shelf. Garnet looked over the shelf, her thick lips pulling down into a frown.“The serrated hunting knife. How much?”“350.” Sadie said. Garnet frowned even deeper, and she grumbled something about inflating prices as she reached into her back pocket. Pulling out three queens and a king, she set it down on the counter along with the other queens. At that moment, Lars returned with the other requested items.“Here.” He set the two six packs on the counter. “Is that all?” Garnet spared a glance towards Pearl, who shifted uncomfortably under her hard gaze. She looked back to the weapons shelf.“How much for the Rapier?”“1,000” Garnet gritted her teeth at the answer. Her eyes darted between Pearl and the weapons shelf. Her shoulders slumped.“The… balisong, then.”“That’ll be 50” Garnet reached into her pocket and pulled out a queen, setting them with the rest of the cards on the counter. Sadie gathered all of them in her hand and placed them in the cash register next to her, and then nodded to Lars.“Get the Serrated Knife and the balisong.” Sadie ordered him. Lars grumbled as he stomped over to the shelf and pulled out a stepping stool, using it to get to the top to grab the knife. While Lars was retrieving the items, Sadie pulled out a king from the register and handed it to Garnet, who promptly handed it back.“5 of the .44 boxes” Garnet asked. Sadie snapped her fingers at Lars, who let out an exaggerated groan as he opened up a drawer and fished out the boxes. Heading back to the counter, he set down the balisong and dumped the boxes and the knife on top of the counter.“Should we get a flashlight and another mat too?” Pearl finally chimed in from her spot beside Garnet. The dark woman snorted.“That was all the money I ‘ad left.” She grabbed the boxes of ammo off the counter and shoved them in the side pocket of her bag. Opening up the main flap of the bag, she grabbed the six packs and stuffed them inside before grabbing the two knives. Sheathing the hunting knife, (and grunting in frustration when the knife didn’t fit all the way in) she turned back to Pearl.“’ere.” She held out the balisong to Pearl. “For you.” Pearl looked at it with wide eyes.“I thought you said I didn’t need a weapon?” Pearl said with a hint of suspicion. Garnet rolled her neck from side to side, expression unchanging.“Well, last night told me otherwise. If we ‘ad some difficulty with a near immobile cluster, we’ll ‘ave even more difficulty in Empire City.” Pearl still stared at the balisong.“So that’s why you taught me to shoot today… but why get me a knife instead?” She said as she took the knife from her and—after making sure it wouldn’t flip open—stuffed it into her pants.“The knife is all I can get at the moment, I’m sorry. I taught you anyway jus’ in case you ever need to use my gun. ” She turned back to Sadie and Lars.“Where are your camp sites?” She asked. Sadie reached for another piece of paper and read it over.“Karl’s Border Trading Posts also offers a multitude of camp sites for traveling- ah, forget the cue cards. It's over there. Have a nice stay.” Sadie jerked a thumb back away from her, towards a small hill. Garnet nodded her thanks and headed towards the hill. Sparing one last longing glance at the rapier, Pearl followed after her. Garnet pulled off her boot, setting it aside as she pulled the other one off. Letting out a small sigh, she kicked her feet up against a rock and leaned against a tree trunk, closing her eyes as her body relaxed. Pearl sat ahead of her, feeding twigs into the growing fire pit in front of them.“So, this is the border?” Garnet cracked open an eye as her companion spoke. She shuffled in her spot.“Yeah, nothin’ special.” She stretched her arms above her head. “But we made it, didn't we?” She smiled at Pearl, who offered back a small half-smile. Reaching her hands back down, Garnet sniffled and reached for her bag. Digging through the front pocket, she let out a small ‘ah’ as she pulled out her flask. Sitting back down, she began to twist the cap.“You’re drinking?” Pearl’s voice had a hint of distaste to it.“Celebrating.” Garnet corrected her with a grin. “ ‘ave to honor accomplishments somehow.” Taking the cap off, she took a large drink, the lukewarm liquid sliding down her throat and warming her stomach. Her lips popped off the neck of the flask and she let out a satisfied sigh. Garnet glanced back to Pearl, who was keeping her eyes trained to the ground.“C’mere.” She invited her over. Pearl perked up, before getting on her hands and knees and crawling over to her. She fell back onto her rump, sitting a few feet away from her. Garnet offered the flask to her.“ ‘S vodka.” She shook the flask a bit. “40%. Homebrewed.” Pearl crinkled her nose.“I've never had anything besides wine.”“Then try somethin’ new. Celebrate with me.” The last part seemed inviting enough, as Pearl had scooted over and reached a hand out to take the flask from her. She sniffed at the contents, scrunching her nose in distaste; Garnet watched her with an amused expression. Finally, with a bit of hesitation, Pearl brought the flask to her lips and began to drink. She pulled it away and coughed into her elbow pit, tears spilling from her eyes from the intensity of the cough.“Careful.” Garnet pressed a warm hand to her thigh. “Don't wanna choke.”“It-Cough!- tastes like that spray that my diamond puts in her hair.” Pearl commented. Garnet laughed and took another sip from the flask.“Never heard that comparison before.” She passed the flask back to Pearl, who gave it one wary look before reaching for it and taking another swig. There was a brief flash of disgust that went across her face before she swallowed heavily and panted out. Garnet let out another low chuckle at the display as she reached for the flask again, taking a drink. Ten minutes went by as the two women passed around the flask, comfortable silence sitting between them.“We should change the bandages soon.” Garnet said after a moment of pause, shooting a pointed look to Pearl’s shoulder. The pale woman pressed a palm against her shoulder, expression flickering.“Soon.” She repeated back, and held her hand out in beckoning. Garnet handed her the flask. She took another drink. Pearl handed the flask back. Garnet took another drink. The flask was half full.“I might not even make a profit taking this job.” Garnet suddenly commented, her expression annoyed. “Too much to pay for.” She took a large drink of the flask before handing it back to Pearl.“That’s unfortunate.” Garnet snorted at the complete lack of sincerity in Pearl’s tone. The pale woman took a drink of the flask, before drawing it away from her thin lips and hiccupping.“Lightweight.” Garnet teased. Pearl grumbled out something, before taking another sip of the flask. A drop of the clear liquid slid down the corner of her mouth, and she let out a small sigh as she wiped it away on the back of her arm.“I… want to apologize, Garnet.” Pearl’s voice was quiet. Garnet raised an arched eyebrow at her. The other woman bit her lip and looked away, clasping her hands together and sitting them in her lap. “I’ve been… horrid to you.”“You’ve been fine.” Garnet said dismissively. Pearl shook her head, red locks of hair whipping her in the face.“No, I mean from when we first met.”“You mean about 6 days ago?” Garnet joked. “You ‘aven’t changed that much Pearl.”“Can you stop making this not a big deal; I’m admitting my faults here!” Pearl snapped. She took in a deep breath through her nose, and let it out through her mouth. “What I’m trying to say is… You aren’t, as an outsider, as bad as we are told.”“Flattering.” Garnet chuckled. She couldn’t deny that her words made warmth bloom in her chest, however. “You aren’t all bad either, for a diamond’s servant.” A full blush covered Pearl’s face and she averted her eyes away from her. Garnet made a grabbing motion for the flask; the pale woman handed it to her. She took a small drink; the flask was a quarter full.“Here,” She handed it to Pearl “Finish.” Pearl grabbed it and finished off the liquid, sighing contently afterwards before letting out a hiccup. She sat there, staring hard at the ground for a full minute until she threw the flask aside and got to her feet, stumbling over to Garnet before falling down heavily next to her.“I-Hic!- feel weird.” Pearl muttered. Garnet frowned as she looked over her companion and then at the empty flask lying on the dirt.“I shouldn’t ‘ave let you finish it. You weigh almost 110 pounds and you ‘aven’t eaten today, ‘ave you?”“Nooo~-HIC!-” Garnet let out a laugh at her response and rolled her mismatched eyes, gently nudging her with an elbow.“I wish I could get drunk as easily as you do; I’ve built quite the tolerance.” Garnet chatted on; ignoring the pale woman’s buzzed state “I can hardly get tipsy anymore.” She barely acknowledged how Pearl’s fingers ghosted over her arm as she talked, only shooting a quick glance over to the source of the sensation before looking back in front of her. The sober woman took in a deep breath before letting it out heavily. Pearl’s hands snaked over to her thigh, giving it a light squeeze and causing her guard to jump up before swiftly scooting away, regarding the smaller woman with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Pearl tilted her head at her reaction, glazed eyes reflecting confusion.“Don’t you-Hic!- feel it?” She murmured. She leaned in close to Garnet, who sat in her spot rigidly.  “I do!” She let out a small giggle that was cut off by another forceful hiccup. Garnet stayed silent, expression tight.“The attraction~!” Pearl slurred, she fell back onto her rump. “I feel it!” Another giggle.“Pearl-”“I like you a lot!” Pearl proclaimed, interrupting her guard. She leaned forward and latched onto her arm, pressing her face to her shoulder and feeling her fingers along the hard muscles. “You make me feel weird!”Garnet’s face remained unchanged.“And…  I want to thank you for-Hiccup!- taking me to Empire city!” She squeezed her bicep and leaned closer. Still her companion stayed stiff in her spot, not so much as twitching.“Pearl.” She nudged her away while keeping her gaze forward. “You’re drunk.”“Do you feel it too?” Pearl asked, leaning towards her again. Garnet’s fingers tapped against the grass, before digging into it, tearing it free from the hard ground.“I… Yes, I do.” Her cheeks burned as she confessed. She gently pushed the drunken woman away from her. “You should lie down.”“No!” Pearl toppled down onto her guard’s lap. “I want-Hic!- to thank you!” She traced a nimble finger up her thigh and to her belt buckle. A hand roughly grasped Pearl’s lithe wrist and yanked it away from her belt. Glazed blue eyes trailed upwards to meet her guard’s stern mismatched ones.“Pearl.” A warning.“~Garnet~” Pearl’s drooped until they became half-lidded.“You’re drunk.”“I know what-Hic!- I’m doing.”“No, you don’t.”“I want to celebrate! Just like you –HICCUP!-said! Now let’s celebrate.” She pulled her hand out of Garnet’s loosened grip, reveling in her surprised expression as she lifted herself up. She placed her hands on her guard’s shoulders and plopped down on her lap, straddling her. Garnet’s warm hands grappled her thighs, fingers digging into the skin. She looked conflicted.“Pearl, you need to sleep.”“With-Hic!-you?”“No, by yourself.” Garnet moved to stand, hips shifting against the smaller woman's unintentionally. Pearl purred at the contact and ground her own hips down in response, a sly smile on her chapped lips. She heard her guard suck in a breath. She became rigid once more, only occasionally squeezing her thighs with her rough hands. Pearl ground down again as an incentive. A groan slipped free from the dark woman.“We’re both going to regret this.” She began to set her down on the sandy ground, the eagerness of her actions betraying the warning in her statement.“I’ll regret-Hic!- nothing.”“I doubt it.” Garnet began to draw away, but Pearl wrapped her arms and legs around her, keeping her still.“We both have mutual attraction to one-hic!- another and we are both consenting.” She placed a sloppy kiss on Garnet’s jawline, squeezing tighter. “I won’t.” Her guard inhaled sharply as the pale woman placed another kiss on her jugular and began to suck lightly on the flesh. She gripped at Pearl’s red hair, before tugging it out of its ponytail.“Al-alright.” She pressed closer. The sun shone down on Pearl’s face, effectively waking her up from her peaceful rest. She shuffled around, intending to move over on her side but instead finding she was trapped against something. Something warm.Pearl blinked as she tried to remember what happened last night, but all it did was worsen her already pounding headache. With a groan, she turned her head back to look at whatever was trapping her. She met the face of her sleeping and very naked guard. She looked down at her own body; just as naked.With a yell, she kicked her way out of Garnet’s grip and scrambled for her clothes, desperate to cover herself.“Ow! Fuck!”Her guard rolled over onto her hand, the other held over her groin.“You kicked me in the-!”“Why are we naked?!” Pearl yelled. Garnet gave her an utterly confused look, before she looked down at her also naked body. Her expression dropped into her usual stoic one.“Ah, I thought… I thought that was a dream.” She stood up, and Pearl was quick to block her view of her with a hand, the other held over her breasts. She heard the rustling of cloth as presumably Garnet began to dress herself.“You can look now.”“Don't look at me!”“I'm not!”Pearl didn't believe her, but she still drew her hands away from her body to make a grab for her clothes. She quickly pulled on her underwear (And cringed, as they were slightly dampened) and then her pants. She reached for her bra and tank top and shrugged them over her torso, before reaching for her jacket and slipping it on. She patted her hands along the ground, looking for her hair tie.“That was quick.”“Practice.” Pearl said curtly. “Where's my hair tie?”“I don't know,” The dark woman looked back at her. Her eyes softened as she took in her appearance. “You look good with your hair down” Garnet complimented softly. Pearl’s cheeks burned and her teeth dug into her bottom lip.“Oh… thank you.” She unconsciously felt a few strands of the dirty, clumped hair, disgust settling into her stomach as the good feelings of the compliment dashed away. An even colder and more putrid feeling washed over her: a realization of what exactly went on between them last night.“We...didn't do anything, did we? We just stripped naked as some sort of stupid drunken decision, right?” One could only hope it was a false memory that surfaced.“We had sex.”“Oh my stars!”  Pearl covered her face with her hands, shoulders slumping. She dragged her hands down her face. “I must apologize, it was very inappropriate of me to engage in intercourse with you.”“You sound like a robot.”“It’s a line I’ve had to repeat.” Never had the pale woman sounded so defeated, eyes casting down to the ground as her shoulders seemed to slump even more.“That’s not right.” Garnet took a hesitant step towards her, and was quite relieved when Pearl didn't back away.“It is part of being a Pearl, nothing to feel bad about.” she waved a hand dismissively.“That’s…. Not right.”“It's-”“Sickening.” Garnet clasped a hand over her uninjured shoulder. “It's not part of being a Pearl; it's fucked up.”“You don't even know what I’m talking about.” Pearl scoffed, shrugging her hand off and stepping away from the dark woman.“I get the implication, Pearl. I'm not an idiot.” Her guard’s expression was severe.She didn't answer.“Look, if it makes you feel better, we were both drunk.” The lie singed Garnet’s tongue. “There was no thought in our decisions, we can forget about it.”“That would be nice,” Pearl said, wrapping her arms around herself and digging her fingers into the flesh of her sides. “I do hope this doesn't change anything between us for the rest of this trip. I believe our relationship is already rocky enough as it is!” Pearl let out an awkward laugh, far too high-pitched and stunted to be natural. Her smile was strained. Garnet offered her own slight smile before she strode away from the pale woman, bending down to grab her bag and her own jacket, shaking it out.“It won't.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Blood on the Pavement
 
‘WELCOME TO EMPIRE CITY’
Population: 2,456,789 DEAD AHEADThe sign stood tall and proud in front of a surprisingly well-kept road leading into the destroyed city. A dark fog surrounded one side of it; the other was clear as day, showing off the destroyed skyscrapers in the distance. Pearl allowed her hand to grace over the rusted beams of the sign, and cringed when her fingers came back slicked with an awful smelling substance. She wiped them on her pants and shot a glance back towards her guard. Garnet was staring off into the city, expression unreadable as she fiddled with her knife. With a sharp intake of breath, she gestured for Pearl to follow as she took the first step past the sign.A sense of dread washed over both of them.The road stretched farther than the eye could see, almost appearing to be never ending as it disappeared into the black fog of the city. It was at that moment the Pearl realized that there was no noise, nor was there any light illuminating their way beside purple flashes of lightning above them. She stepped closer to her guard and hooked an arm around her muscular one; she felt safer. “It’s dark.” She whispers to her guard.“The sun doesn’t shine here.” Garnet responds. “ ‘asnt shined in over 200 years.”A strange howl echoed in the distance, breaking the unnatural silence of the city. Seconds later, a gunshot sounded off; the howl ceased. Pearl molded herself closer to Garnet’s side, shivering involuntarily. “I don’t like this.” She gripped at Garnet’s bicep and looked up at her with wide eyes. She clenched her jaw. “Me neither.” The fact that even her guard was unnerved scared her even more. “What is out there?” She looked off into the desolate city. “Clusters, raiders, a diamond… the crater.” Garnet moved her free hand over to stroke her fingers over Pearl’s arm. “Anything that can kill you, really.” “What are… clusters, exactly?” The question brought a deep frown on Garnet’s face. “Mutated humans. The one we saw at the basement was an abhorrent, an extreme case; they were there for decades and grew into the wall as a result.” “It was calling for us,” Pearl murmured “It wanted help.” “It was a ruse. They lure you close so they can kill you and absorb you into them,” Garnet explained. Pearl tightened her grip. “They want to feel… complete. I don’t think they realize they’re hurting people as a result.”Another howl. Another gunshot. Silence.Pearl swallowed.Something crunched under Garnet’s boot. Pearl looked down to see bone fragments scattered across the ground. She averted her gaze away from the bones, gagging, only to catch sight of a two headed bird pecking away at remains of a man. It lifted its twin heads from the body, looking at her with white eyes. It cocked one of its heads at her, and Pearl could have sworn the other one grinned. It pecked once more at the man, taking out a piece of liver, before taking off into the dark sky.Pearl looked ahead, eyes wide and lips forming a tight line. Lightning flashed above them, illuminating the area around them for a brief moment before going dark again. She tried to convince herself that she didn’t see a dozen figures in the distance staring at them.She pressed herself closer. “Pearl, the only way you can possibly be closer to me is if you cut me open and climb inside.” The joke fell flat, as Garnet’s companion still kept her eyes ahead, face etched with horror. It did nothing to calm her own jumpy nerves. She toyed with her revolver, before pulling it free of its holster and gripping it tightly.A full hour passed before they reached the beginning of the city. Buildings reduced to rock and steel foundation stood in front of them, traffic blockades and sandbags covered the sides of them. Garnet rubbed at her temple with her pointer fingers as she glanced around the destruction, thinking to herself. She strained her eyes to the left, catching sight of a large cluster horde walking towards their direction. Not good. She glanced to the right. Humans and clusters stuck through stakes, and a clear indication of a raider outpost in the distance. Shit. She looked ahead, an endless visage of rubble and collapsed skyscrapers and travelers who succumbed to the dangerous city.It would have to do. “C’mon.” She tugged Pearl along with her as she began to walk, gripping her revolver so tightly her veins bulged out in her hand and forearm. They stepped over a large part of building debris and a steel beam, covered with rust, blood, and char. Behind the debris showed a sloped road, diving into where a skyscraper had collapsed in front of it. Garnet frowned. They would have to pass through it, or go around.Lightning crackled above them, striking down somewhere off in the distance and creating a loud boom! Several howls sounded after the strike—directly behind them. Garnet threw a glance over her shoulder, catching sight of the horde of clusters speeding towards them. “Shit!” “What’s wron-? Oh my stars!” Garnet could barely blink before Pearl went dashing off towards the skyscraper, running much faster than the dark woman expected her to. With a clutch at her left leg and an annoyed grunt, Garnet started a hobbling-run after her. Pearl stopped at the collapsed wall of the skyscraper, whirling around and taking out her balisong from her pants, shooting worried glances towards Garnet as she made her way towards her. “I see you ‘ave no problem leaving me in your dust.” Garnet growled out as she came close to Pearl. “How do we get out of here?!” The pale woman shouted, eyes darting between her guard and the approaching horde. Garnet glanced around the skyscraper, catching sight of what seemed to be a loose metal panel. “They’re getting closer!” A particularly mutated cluster was leading ahead of the group, reaching out to Pearl with its 8 skinless arms and jaw stretching open unnaturally. Garnet gritted her teeth and continued scanning around the skyscraper. Nothing; the building was surprisingly intact. “C’mere!” Garnet yanked Pearl by her forearm as she limped towards the panel, grasping at her left leg and huffing. “Help me lift this.” Pearl gave her a quick nod, and together they pulled at the paneling with as much strength as they could both muster. It came loose after only few seconds, rust and char speckling the air and filling their lungs with its foulness. With a gag, Garnet smacked Pearl on her back, stopping her coughing fit, and pushed her into the revealed space. Moments later, she followed after her, barely missing getting grabbed by one of the arms of the cluster.She crawled away from the opened space of the panel and deeper into the interior of the revealed crawlspace, holding her revolver up and aiming it at the cluster. It was trying to get in, but the mass of its 8 arms kept it from fitting. Garnet gritted her teeth and pulled back the hammer of her gun.
Bang!
The noise vibrated throughout the metal crawlspace they were in, causing Pearl to shout and cover her ears and Garnet to let out a grunt of pain. The bullet ripped through the cluster’s forehead and exited out the back of its cranium in a cloud of blood and rotted brain matter. It toppled over. “C’mon, the others will catch up soon!” Garnet started to scoot backwards across the metal flooring, far too cramped in the small space. “How do we get out of here?” Pearl whisper-shouted back at her guard. Garnet craned her neck behind her, and then to the both sides of her, trying to find a means of escape. “Kick in the paneling; it’s been here for 200 years, it should give.” Pearl nodded and twisted herself around as best as she could in the tight space. She placed her boot against the metal back wall, while Garnet kept her revolver aimed at the entrance. She could hear the howls of the approaching clusters.Pearl slammed her boot against the wall. It creaked in response and the metal dented under her force. Bracing her hands against the side walls, she reeled her leg in close to her and slammed her foot into the wall again. The metal groaned. With a huff, she kicked it again. The paneling fell down. “It’s open.” Pearl informed Garnet. She fell onto her hands and knees and crawled towards the newly-made entrance. Garnet waited a few moments, before shoving her gun in her holster and crawling after the pale woman. She exited the crawlspace, and immediately found herself falling “Oof!” She hit the ground after only a foot, and groaned as she sat up, rubbing her back. “Are you alright?” Pearl knelt down next to her and touched a hand on her leg. Garnet gave her a curt nod. “Fine.” She stood up and observed her surroundings. They were inside of the building, and currently standing in what appeared to be a poker room. “A casino.” Garnet said matter-of-factly, rubbing her chin in thought. She glanced towards where the front desk was; broken in half, with one part of it on the floor-turned-wall and the other part on the side-wall the duo were currently standing on. She made a beeline towards it. “A what?” Pearl moved to follow after her.“Casino, a place where old-world people used to deal cards.” Well, that explained why she seemed so intent on searching through the drawers of the old desk. Pearl rolled her eyes and bit back a comment about outsider greed. “And why would someone go to a 150-foot tall building just to deal cards?”“They used to play games here too.” Garnet pulled out the last drawer of the desk and fished through it. She took out a pack of cards and threw the drawer aside, opening the box and thumbing through the cards. She shoved the pack in her pocket. “Let’s go.”It only took thirty minutes of navigation until Pearl and Garnet were able to find their way out of the collapsed building. They stepped out onto the ruined pavement and both women couldn’t help but feel relieved at the cool black rain pouring from the sky; the inside of the building was akin to an oven. Purple lightning flashed, before thunder rumbled after it. “That could have gone a lot worse, to say the least.” Pearl said, breaking the silence. She wiped at her forehead, smearing soot across it. “It could 'ave.” Garnet agreed. She looked back at the building, before back at the road ahead. Without another word, she walked on, and Pearl noticed her limp was more pronounced than usual. “You’re hurt.” Pearl said as she followed after her. Garnet grunted. “I’ll be fine.” “I used to be a rotating medical assistant for Jade 156, I can take a look at-“ “It’s nothing you can heal Pearl.” Garnet interrupted her snappishly. She grumbled something under her breath and reached down to grip at her leg. “It’ll get dark soon. We need to move.”Pearl clutched at her jacket and took in a deep breath. Her mind flashed back to the day at the lake and the burn and cut scars she saw on her leg. She remembered the odd bulk under the sock as well. Maybe the splint had moved out of place? “We can resplint it, some of these planks lying around should do the-“ “Jus’ leave it, Pearl.” Garnet seethed through gritted teeth. She drew her hand away from her leg. She swung her leg back and forth, before setting it on the ground again and continued to limp her way down the road. Furrowing her eyebrows, Pearl followed after the stubborn woman. The sun was beginning to set, or at least, Pearl thought it was setting. All she knew was that the grey clouds in the sky had drifted into a darker color than before. It made sense that it was beginning to set; they had arrived in the late morning and the cluster attack was a hindrance that took them at least an hour to get back on track from, as Garnet couldn’t go on much longer after escaping the skyscraper and had to sit down. It took them at least another few hours to get to where they were now.They were at an intersection, and while the main plan for their travels was to go straight, there was a massive traffic blockage in the north of the intersection. Which meant either going left or right and hoping the blockade didn’t stretch across multiple streets. “Choose a direction.” Garnet’s voice cut through the silence. Pearl shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not comfortable with-“ “It wasn’t a question.” Pearl flinched as though she had been struck. She didn’t expect the cold response from her guard. With a nervous swallow, she shifted her weight from foot to foot as she glanced in both directions. “Uh, left?” She said uncertainly. Without another word, Garnet turned left and hobbled down the road. Pearl followed after her. “Are you mad at me?” Pearl inquired of her guard. She was answered with a grunt. “Is it because of what we did last night?” “No!” Garnet’s voice cracked oddly as she shouted the response. She cleared her throat. “No, it’s not that. Leave it.” “I don’t want to leave it, Garnet. Something is bothering you.” “Maybe I’m jus’ not ready to talk ‘bout it, ever considered that?” Garnet snapped. Pearl bit her lip and purposely slowed her pace so her guard was ahead of her. “No, I haven’t. I’m sorry.” Garnet only scoffed at the half-hearted apology. “Course you ‘aven’t” “What is your problem?!” Pearl snapped, throwing her arms out. Garnet stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at her, face impassive. “Let’s go Pearl.” “No! Not until you tell me why your acting like a-like a twat!” Pearl shouted. Garnet rolled her eyes. “We don’t have time for this, and stop yelling; you’ll attract attention.” Garnet said. “Stop avoiding the subject!” “Stop yelling.” Her words only served to stoke the fire in Pearl. She let out a frustrated yell as she whirled around and stomped away from her. “Ugh, you are insufferable! Why did I ever like you?! You’re just like the rest of the outsiders!” She shouted as headed towards the remains of a general store. Garnet blinked; that stung a bit. But still she kept her face emotionless as she watched after Pearl, making a mental note of her location before she began to search for somewhere to sit down.The dark grey of the sky bled into black as the sun fully set. Garnet occupied herself by sharpening her knife on her whetstone until it was sharp enough to cut into the bench she was sitting on. She sheathed the knife into its scabbard and waited. ‘She’ll get over it.’ Garnet thought to herself, staring ahead at the store. Still, Pearl hadn’t emerged. She sighed and scratched the back of her neck, before moving her hand along to cup her cheek. She sat her elbow against the arm of the bench and began to bounce her right leg up down. ‘Why the hell did I sleep with her?’ Garnet let out a groan as the thought came to mind. ‘Should have pushed her away. She’s already attached.’ She didn’t want to admit, not even to herself, that she was somewhat attached as well.The door to the general store opened and Pearl stepped out, face neutral. Garnet sat up from her spot on the bench.“Are you ready to go?” “We can’t see.” “Oh well, guess we’ll make up for lost time.” Garnet responded. Though she couldn’t see, she assumed she was glaring at her. “Fine.” Garnet was surprised at how quickly she complied. “Alright, let’s go then.” She began to head towards the west of the intersection. Pearl didn’t respond as she followed her. The silence was… uncomfortable to say the least. She began to guide Pearl around the debris of the road, past the large sandbags and piles of rubble and past the crashed vehicles. When they reached another intersection, they discovered that the traffic blockade stretched across multiple streets. More traveling for them, but by now it was almost impossible to see even an inch in front of them, they needed to stop.Garnet stuck her hands out in front of her and maneuvered her way around the area, trying to find a suitable place for them to settle down for the night. “Pearl, are you with me?” “I’m right next to you.” She felt a hand graze at her side. Garnet wasted no time wrapping her finger’s around the thin woman’s arm. “Stay close.” She murmured. Pearl didn’t respond, but her arm tensed. The only sound in the air was the crunching of gravel under their boots and heavy footsteps. Eventually, the crunching stopped, and their boots sounded as though they were stepping on smooth pavement. Garnet stopped. She then turned roughly to her left and began to walk in a medium-sized circle. When she found no obstruction, she began to tighten the circle, until she found herself at the very center of it. “Here.” She shouldered off her bag and set it down, taking a seat on the cold pavement. “We can camp here.” “Can we light any of your matches?” She heard Pearl say roughly to her left side. “They would burn out. There’s nothing to make a fire here. We’ll have to gather planks in the morning.” Garnet said to the pale woman. Pearl shuffled on her spot, rubbing her numb hands together. “It’s cold.” “Sun doesn’t shine. No heat.” Garnet reminded her. She reached for her bag and pulled out the single remaining foam mat. “Here.” She held it out to where she could see Pearl’s silhouette. The pale woman blindly grasped for the mat before finding it with her hand. She hesitated on taking it. “What about you?” “I can sleep on ground. “But it’s cold.” “I ‘ave a jacket and a blanket.” “Still.” Pearl shuffled close to her, setting the mat down on the ground between them and unrolling it. “Perhaps we can use it as a pillow of a sort.” “You want to share a space with me?” Garnet raised an eyebrow. She heard Pearl sputter; she didn’t need light to know that she was most likely sporting a bright red blush. “Well, I mean- not side by side! You can use one end and I can use the other!” “In a survival aspect, it would be better if we were to sleep side by side with both blankets on us. We can get hypothermia out here.” Garnet said. “In an emotional aspect, I’m not comfortable with that.” Pearl retorted. “You were comfortable enough to shove your face in my vagi-“ “Oh my stars, must you be so lewd?!” Pearl yelled. Her voice echoed, and she clamped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in fear. Garnet stayed very still, heart jumping to her throat as she listened. Nothing. She breathed out. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m s-“ “It’s fine.” Garnet interrupted Pearl’s repetition. “Jus’ try not to do it again; we ‘ave to be quiet out here.” She opened up her bag and pulled out the two sets of blankets and her jacket. She shrugged on the extra article of clothing. “C’mon, we need to rest.” She patted the mat and lied down on it herself. The ground was uncomfortable, but at least the foam mat provided elevation for her head. She felt Pearl lay down next to her. The dark woman reached for the blankets and pulled them up over them one by one. The double layers did little to help protect against the unrelenting cold. Garnet shuffled closer to her companion. “Personal space.” Pearl muttered sleepily. Garnet breathed out. “Face in my-“ “Okay! I get it. Don’t bring it up.” Pearl harshly whispered. She shuffled back towards her guard, until they assumed a spooning position. “Goodnight.” “Goodnight.” Neither of them wanted to admit their enjoyment of being so close to each other. Nor would they admit that last night was one of the best sleeps they had since they started their journey. Pearl sighed as she shuffled back into Garnet, enjoyed her body heat. She had been awake for an hour, but couldn’t find it in her to move away from her position, even though Garnet was snoring obnoxiously loud into her ear. She was surprised she hadn’t attracted any clusters from the sheer volume of it.With another sigh, she untangled herself from Garnet’s vice grip around her abdomen and scooted out of the blankets. The cold wasn’t as bad as it was last night, but it still bit at the skin of her exposed hands and face. She reached for Garnet’s bag and opened it up, pulling out two cans of food and two water bottles. She set one of each in front of the sleeping woman and went about opening her can.Setting aside the empty can of food next to the empty bottle, Pearl was taken by surprised when Garnet’s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She let out a yelp, looking at the dark woman with wide eyes as she tried to pull her hand away. “C’mere.” Garnet murmured, not opening her eyes. With a raise of an eyebrow, Pearl allowed herself to be pulled down by her guard. She wrapped her strong arms around the pale woman. ‘’m sorry ‘bout las’ nigh’.” Her voice was heavy with sleep and her accent was thicker than usual. “Its fine, I understand some things can be difficult to talk about.” “No” Garnet swatted at her shoulder. “’m ‘pologizin’.” She went quiet afterwards, and Pearl thought that she had fallen asleep again before she began to talk once more, sounding more awake than before. “I hurt my leg pretty bad back at the house; running from those clusters jus’ aggravated it. That’s not what I was mad about, though. I was mad about how quick you were to leave me behind. That shouldn’t ‘ave happened and it will not happen again.” “I didn’t mean to-“ “Lemme finish. We need to help each other out here, which means not leavin’ each other behind at the first sight of danger, ‘specially when one of us can’t even walk correctly.” Garnet finished. She let go of Pearl, who bit her lip and crawled away from her. She rubbed her arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize, it was my first instinct, I guess.” Pearl tried to explain. Garnet shook her head. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, jus’ don’t do it again.” She reached out for her food can and water.“We’ll get goin’ after I finish.”They packed up their camp twenty minutes after, making small talk as they did so. With everything secured into place, they set off deeper into the city. The clouds became a light grey color, allowing for some light to guide their way. They eventually found a stop to the traffic blockade, and were able to start heading north again.Decimated buildings lined up both sides of them as they walked, though the road was clear of debris and crashed cars. The only obstructions in the path they came across were dead clusters. In fact, it was almost unsettling the amount of cluster bodies lying in the streets, and how they seemed fresher and fresher the more the duo walked, until eventually they came across a dead cluster that was still leaking blood through the entry hole on its chest.Garnet kicked at the cluster’s head, cringing at the crack of its neck breaking. It was an old one, no doubt—maybe even from before the bombs. She wouldn't have been surprised if it were just laying here when someone came by and executed it. “Someone’s been through here recently.” Garnet remarked as she examined the cluster further. “Do you think it has something to do with those gunshots we heard when we were entering the city?” Pearl asked her, chewing her lip and knitting her eyebrows together and concentration. “Can’t say. These look very recent.” She looked up from the cluster. “We need to move.” She unholstered her gun and held it at her side as she continued her stride down the road. Pearl reluctantly followed after her. They came across a shopping plaza-like area, where the roads were thin and stores surrounded them on all sides. A few feet in front of them they could see the bodies of an armored man and a lab-coat wearing woman, lying in the very center of the plaza, dried blood staining the pavement beside their bodies. An uneasy feeling overcame Pearl as she examined the woman. She squinted her eyes. ‘Wait…’ She stepped closer to the slaughter. Her heart dropped as she took in the woman’s features. “That- That’s Jade 156!” She heard a distinct ‘who?” come from Garnet as she fell to her knees in front of the woman, executed with a bullet between the eyes. She grabbed her hand and brushed away the dirt and dust that had gathered in her palm; Jade 156 UCPD 1.It was almost surreal, gazing into the hollow eyes of someone that had been alive a week ago. Pearl’s arms trembled as she looked over the woman, memories flashing to her mind. She felt Garnet kneel beside her. “Part of Pink’s Diamond’s regime?” She asked. Pearl didn’t answer her, jaw hanging open as she looked over the woman with disbelief and growing sadness. Garnet let out a breath before standing up and heading over to the man. Unlike Jade, his body was practically Swiss cheese with the amount of bullets that went through him; 5 in his chest, 3 in his head, at least 8 in his legs. Garnet glanced between him and the woman, measuring the distance between them. She walked back over to Pearl and the woman and scanned her eyes over the lab coat she was wearing, taking note of where blood had splattered. “He was shielding her.” She concluded. “She was executed.” “By whom?!” Pearl yelled, whipping her head around to look at her. Garnet’s heart dropped at the sight of the tears in her eyes. “And where is her partner, Citrine 45?!” “I-“There was a loud bang, and suddenly a bullet whizzed past Garnet’s ear, whistling loudly as it flew away and embedded itself into a far wall of a store. With a yell of surprise, she dived towards Pearl and took her down. Mismatched eyes darted around their area, until she spotted a car not too far from them. She wrapped her arms around a startled Pearl and lifted her as she rushed towards the cover. A bullet hit right where her head would be moments later. She dove behind the car. “What was that?!” “Sniper!” She gripped her gun and peered over the car, looking for the assailant. She fell back down and tried to force herself to calm, her breath coming out in quick, short puffs and heart threatening to break free from her ribcage. “You could have-!” “Died?! Yeah!” Garnet felt like vomiting; she could still hear the whistling in her head and Pearl’s words weren’t helping her calm down. The pale woman wiped away her tears, shaking enough so that she couldn’t even make a grab for the balisong in her pants.
Clang!
A bullet hit the car, embedding itself deep within the metal. Garnet stuck her arm over the hood of the car and fired a returning shot, praying to the stars that she hit something. Two more bullets flew past the hood in response to her single shot. Garnet jerked her arm back. “What do we do?!” Pearl shouted. Without answering, Garnet ducked under the car. She could see booted feet approaching them. She aimed for the feet and fired.The bullet hit their leg, but instead of sinking in like she hoped, it ricocheted off of plating attached to the boots. Luckily enough, it knocked the attacker back, and Garnet wasted no time jumping up and firing off three shots towards the attacker. Two missed, passing by them, but the third sunk deep into their shoulder and exploded out of the back of it, leaving a remarkable hole in its wake. They let out a cry of pain, muffled by their mask, and slapped a tan hand over the wound. Garnet dropped back down and quickly dug through the side pocket of her bag, procuring an ammo box. She opened up the box and unlocked the chamber of the gun and pressed the extractor rod down, releasing the spent casings. She tried to place a bullet into the awaiting holes, but her hand shook so terribly the bullet fell from her grasp and rolled under the car. She cursed and was about to try again when Pearl yanked the gun and box away from her, speedily loading the gun before handing it back. She shot her a brief look of astonishment, before turning her attention to the gun. She closed the chamber and spun it. “Hands up!” She jumped up and aimed the gun at the assailant, only to find that they were also aiming their own gun, injured arm hanging at their side. They narrowed their bright blue eyes and nodded to the car, roughly to where Pearl was sitting. Garnet glanced down, spotting her companion looking up at her worriedly, hands wrapped around her trembling body. She looked back up to the assailant, who was still pointing. “What do you want with her?” They narrowed their eyes, before turning their hand around and making a beckoning motion. They resumed pointing the gun afterwards. Garnet breathed in. “You’re not getting her.” The statement brought an eyeroll from the assailant, before they cocked their gun and pointed down to Jade and man lying down next to her. They pointed to theirself afterwards and then to Garnet, before making a gesture that implied cutting her throat. “You’re not scary.” She remarked, baring her teeth. Their eyes squinted, almost as if they were smiling, and they pointed to Garnet’s hand. The dark woman looked down at her hands, barely holding the gun steady with how badly they were shaking. She looked back up. The attacker was pointing to where Pearl was again. “What’s going on?!” Pearl reared her head up looking over at Garnet and then the attacker. Her eyes widened. “A Jasper!” The Jasper in question was making a rapid beckoning motion with their hand. “A Jasper?’ Garnet asked. Pearl didn’t respond, glancing between the Jasper and Jade. “They killed her…” She looked back up at the Jasper. Garnet was almost certain that their hand was going to fly off from how fast they were beckoning. Garnet pulled back the hammer of her revolver, but the motion did not go unnoticed by the Jasper, who pulled their gaze back to her and glared.They were at a standstill, no one saying a word or making a move. “Get down Pearl.” Garnet whispered through gritted teeth. Pearl obeyed, dropping down out of sight. Taking in a deep breath, the dark woman forced her hands to steady. “You can either drop your weapon or I-“
Bang!
A bullet missed her arm by an inch. Garnet fired back almost immediately, missing her mark by a few feet. She dropped down to cover right as a bullet whizzed over her head. She swung around the side of the car and fired twice, but the Jasper ducked behind a concrete barricade. They fired a returning shot, and Garnet gritted her teeth in anguish as a bullet grazed over her arm, ripping into the surface of the skin and drawing hot blood.The Jasper sat back up from their cover and aimed for Garnet’s head, but the dark woman was quicker and shot first, hitting the Jasper in the face. Their head snapped back and they fell down, motionless. Garnet wasted no time moving around the car and rushing towards the unmoving attacker, revolver aimed at them. She slowly knelt down and grabbed the gun from their hands, throwing it away, where it skidded across the ground and slipped into a sewer grate.Before she could even get a word out or move away, two hands wrapped around her throat, the grip strong and tight. Garnet gasped, dropping her own gun out of surprise and grabbing the Jasper’s wrists as survivor’s instinct kicked in. The Jasper flipped them both over so they were the one on top. It was then that Garnet noticed the large dent in their mask; she missed their face by mere centimeters. The jasper squeezed harder, eyes narrowed to angry slits. The world was darkening; her lungs burned for air. She could feel herself beginning to slip, her hands fell down from the Jasper’s wrists.The Jasper let out muffled shout as they jerked off of Garnet, who rolled over and gasped, swallowing air by the mouthful. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Pearl on top of her would-be-killer, stabbing away into their back and chest with her knife as they screamed. She coughed and sputtered, hand clasped over her own throat as she tried to regain her breath. She heard a thud beside her, before heavy footsteps. “Are you alright?!” Garnet tried to respond to the question, but her voice came out as a high squeak. She rolled over onto her back, gasping. They both heard a moan from beside them. Pearl glanced over, seeing that the Jasper was already trying to get up despite the dozen knife wounds in their torso. Without hesitation, she picked up Garnet’s gun and fired, hitting them in the head. They dropped back to the ground, dead. Hand shaking, she threw the revolver away from her and looked back at her guard. “Garnet?” “I—make—“ She tried to talk but her sentences came out in fragmented words mixed with rasping. She swallowed as she rubbed at her throat. Pearl bit her lip, rubbing at the dark woman’s back. Garnet lifted an arm up and patted Pearl’s side; she jerked a thumb towards the Jasper. Pearl nodded and stood up, walking over to the dead attacker. “Their uniform is out of regulation.” She observed. “But they are wearing Yellow Diamond standard pants.” Pearl went to rub at her chin, but she couldn’t keep her hand still enough for the action. Garnet got up and stumbled over to her. She could feel her adrenaline coming down, bringing with it fresh waves of pain from her graze wound and bruised throat. “They---wanted you.” She gasped out. “But why?” Pearl whirled around to meet Garnet’s uncertain gaze. Her eyes softened as she took in her condition. “You’re bleeding.” She reached a hand out to her arm and felt the cloth underneath the graze; wet with blood. “Are you okay?” She repeated her question from earlier. Garnet took in a shaky breath before grinning. “I’ll live.” She said breathily before letting out a cough. They both looked down at the Jasper again. Blood was running down the pavement of the plaza square, staining it bright red. Their blue eyes were fading into a pale grey, their blonde hair cascading around the ground beneath them. “Thank you,” Garnet said, interrupting their uneasy silence. “For saving me. Again.” “We have to have each other’s backs out here.” Pearl said. Garnet smiled. She bent down and picked up her gun, checking its condition before sheathing it in its holster. She noticed that her companion was looking down at an item in her hand. “I broke my balisong from stabbing them.” She murmured. “They’re cheap shit.” Garnet said in response, holding her hand out for the item. “They’ll break if you drop them. You can only get quality one’s from weaponsmith’s.” Pearl didn’t hand over the fragments. “Or maybe it’s because I stabbed them twenty times.” Garnet noticed a hollow look in her eyes, as if she were staring through her hand. She took in a deep breath. “You did what you ‘ad to do, Pearl.” She clasped a hand over her shoulder. To her surprise, Pearl dropped the remains of the knife and stepped close to Garnet, wrapping her arms around her and burying her face into her chest. A dark blush dusted across the dark woman’s cheeks as she returned the hug. “I don’t like killing.” She murmured into her chest. “Especially not my own kind.” Garnet glanced down to the jasper, spotting an identification number on her arm.
Jasper 187 LCYD 5
She held on tighter. “Me neither, but you’ll get used to it. Someday.” She said the last part quietly. She pulled Pearl away from her. “We need to move, the gunshots could attract clusters here.” Pearl nodded, eyes still downcast as she trudged forward away from her guard. A frown pulled at Garnet’s thick lips as she followed after her companion, hand pressing into her injury.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Nursing Worries
Pearl grasped for Garnet's bicep, pressing a damp cloth to the graze wound on her arm. A hiss escaped from the dark woman’s lips as the wound was cleaned. Pearl's shaky hands moved down from her wound and to her untouched skin, cleaning off the blood that had leaked down on it. She drew the rag away, looking at her arm with concerned eyes. She focused her gaze down to the medicine box sitting next to her leg, reaching for it to dig through the mess of packets and bottles until she found a packet labeled 'Antiseptic'. Tearing at the packet with her teeth and spitting out the plastic afterwards, she spilled its contents on the cloth. Pearl grabbed ahold of Garnet's arm again."Hol-hold still." She pressed the cloth in. A pained grunt escaped Garnet, and she clenched hard at her balled up shirt with her free hand, breathing in through her nose and letting it out shakily. "Sorry, sorry, sorry-" The repeated apologies were whispered under the pale woman’s breath as she rubbed in the medicine, taking special care to keep her eyes averted away from the semi-naked woman's torso. She pulled the rag away. With a small sigh, she reached for the roll of bandages beside her and began to wrap the dark woman's arm with it, tying the bandaging into a secure knot once the wound was thoroughly wrapped."Better?" Pearl asked. Garnet moved her arm up and down, before giving it an experimental flex, muscles bulging, testing the mobility of the bandaged limb. She let out a sigh of relief, relaxing her arm."Much. Thank you." Pearl quickly nodded."It’s the least I can do... can you please put a shirt on now?' the last comment brought forth a chuckle from Garnet's lips. She grabbed for her shirt and tugged it on over her head, covering her torso. Her head popped through the neck of the shirt and she looked towards her arm, thumbing at the rip in her sleeve with a frown. She moved her hand away from it and leaned back on the wall of the building they had taken refuge in, staring out of a hole in the ceiling. Pearl's leg bobbed up and down rapidly, and the air was filled with rhythmic snapping as she popped each of her knuckles. The duo sat silent as the snapping stopped.The sky rumbled outside."So," Garnet's accented voice broke through the silence. "A jasper." Pearl bit her lip and looked away. A shaky sigh escaped from her chapped lips as she nodded. Garnet didn't utter a word, rubbing at her bandaged arm with a neutral expression."It was an one-person ambush.""Yeah," Was Pearl's quiet agreement. Garnet breathed in, shutting her eyes for a moment before opening them again."You think Yellow Diamond sent her?" She asked. Her companion nodded her head"Jaspers are very order driven; they don't go rogue often. It is... the most accurate possibility.""They wanted you.""But why?" It was barley even a whisper as Pearl brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her long arms around them. "Why need me but not Jade? They are far more valuable." Garnet frowned."Maybe their bodies were already there when the Jasper went into position." She rubbed at her neck, face contorted in concentration."It’s hard to believe." Pearl said."Then what about Yellow Diamond?" Garnet turned her head, looking at her with curious, mismatched eyes. "What could she want from you so much that she'll send a person after us?" Pearl didn't answer, and a full minute went by since the question was posed. Garnet turned her head back towards the ceiling and rubbed at her cheek with the heel of her hand. Pearl pursed her lips as she collected her thoughts."Yellow Diamond operates on an agenda of her own," She paused, eyebrows furrowing. "Or maybe the mission was recalled in a way, and Pink Diamond decided that she didn't want the rest of her subjects going to Greenzone. Maybe she ordered their slaughter, but wanted to keep me." Garnet grimaced at her words."Humans lives aren't something to be thrown away.""It doesn't matter to the diamonds." Pearl shut down the sentiment. Another uncomfortable silence befell them, both women focused on a cluster outside on the street. Its behavior was almost dog like, as the four arms it had sprouted from its chest were being used to walk on the pavement, and its oversized tongue lolled out of its broken jaw."Greenzone is a ruse." The sudden claim startled Pearl, who looked over to her guard with wide confused eyes. Garnet clenched her jaw. "We're walkin' into a death trap, Pearl." She narrowed her eyes."We are still going, Garnet. That is your job as my guard.""But what if the mission was recalled?" Garnet threw out her arms, staring hard at Pearl. "They want you, not me. I'm not disposable like your kind, Pearl. I'm not someone to be killed after my purpose is fulfilled.""It won't be like that!" Pearl's voice cracked as she yelled. She cleared it "S will be there to pay you and they will send you on your way.""But how do you know that?" Garnet questioned. "If a Jasper was willing to kill me jus' to get to you then how can we expect anythin' different at Greenzone?" Pearl grew indignant."Pink Diamond honors her deals!""But do the other diamonds?" The question made Pearl falter in her anger. Her mouth clamped shut as she turned the question over in her head. "Who exactly will we be meeting at Greenzone, Pearl?" She bit her lip."I don't know. My diamond mentioned White Diamond, but she operates away from Empire City.""Then is it going to be Empire City's resident Scarface?" Garnet sneered. Pearl let out a gasp, covering both hands with her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as she moved her hands away from her face."Do not refer to Yellow Diamond like that" She seethed. It drew a scoff and an eyeroll from Garnet."I can insult my potential killer all I want.""Ugh, you are insufferable! Whatever lies you convinced yourself of is not true!" Garnet let out a small chuckle."Insufferable? You used that yesterday. Come up with a better insult.""Then you are selfish." Pearl growled out. Garnet smacked her head into the wall of the building."Selfish?" Really?""Yes, selfish in the sense that you won't take me to Greenzone because you want to save your own skin." Pearl sneered."I don't find valuin' your life very selfish, frankly." Garnet retorted. Pearl scoffed."Yet another lie you convinced yourself of. You’re taking me to Greenzone, end of discussion." Garnet clenched her jaw tightly, grinding her teeth. She stood up from her spot on the buildings wooden floor and headed towards the front of it."We were ambushed by a Jasper and all signs point to us being hunted down and you are insulting me for being worried?" She stopped at the doorway, opening the door. She placed a hand on the threshold, taking in a shaky breath and letting it out through clenched teeth. "Go fuck yourself." She left through the opened door and slammed it shut. The glass rattled in its frame, and the steel of the door groaned before a rusted bar fell down from it. Pearl stared ahead at the door, body frozen as her mind tried to process what happened. She wasn't in the wrong here! Pearl growled as she brought her legs up even closer to her body and rested her head on her knees. She rubbed a hand on her cheek, and was surprised to find that the skin was wet. She was crying."Damn it." She wiped away the tears on the back of her arm.The sky rumbled again, clear rain falling to the ground below. Garnet let out a yell as she stabbed her knife into the four-arm cluster's head, killing it. Letting out a few pants, she yanked her knife free from the clusters skull and stabbed it down several more times, each return of the knife sending an arc of thick blood onto her. The white of her shirt had become a dark red, and the rain made it bleed pink into the other untouched portions. She brushed her wet curls out of her face, looking down at her shirt with disgust. Sheathing the bloodied knife into its scabbard, Garnet pulled her shirt over her head and turned it inside out. She put it back on, grimacing as the blood stuck to her skin. Stepping away from the cluster, she headed north, towards a large sign. A gurgle sounded from a nearby alleyway, and a large cluster lumbered out into the open. It turned and looked at her, blinking its hollow eyes before its mouth stretched open and it let out a loud howl. Its five legs began to move, and soon enough the large cluster was barreling towards her at full speed.In one motion, Garnet's drew her gun, pulled back the hammer, and fired, the bang resounding through the air. The cluster's left eye exploded as the bullet entered it, the cluster itself falling forward and skidding across the wet pavement. One final death rattle escaped its torn lips as life fled from it. Garnet paid it no mind as she stepped over the body and continued on her way. She heard a gurgle from behind her. Garnet whipped around to see that the sound had attracted yet another cluster. With a small frown, she pulled back the hammer on her gun and aimed for its head as it began to crawl towards her.
Hi there!
She jumped, whirling around to meet eyes with another cluster; an abhorrent. Its seven hands scaled it across the wall and dropped it down to the street, all five of its heads grinning at her. Another gurgle. She turned to her side to see another cluster next to the other, moving towards her with her arms stretched out. Without hesitation she fired, killing the cluster in an instant. She pulled back the hammer and whipped around, firing the revolver again. It hit the abhorrent in its center head. It snapped back and crashed to the floor. A hand grasped for her ankle, and with a yell Garnet turned and fired again, the bullet entering the skull of the crawling cluster. Its hand went limp and dropped down from her ankle. Another gurgle. Garnet let out an aggravated yell as she turned towards the noise.The cluster was smaller than the rest, but more mutated. It was practically a blob, only moving by the hundreds of fingers under its mass. Garnet aimed, not blinking as she fired at the abomination. She felt a hand grab at arm, fingers digging into her graze wound. A grunt of pain escaping from her clenched teeth, she slammed the butt of her gun into the assailant. There was a wet smack! as the attacker hit the ground. She turned, facing the cluster on the ground. Lifting up her boot, she crashed her heel down on its head. It let out a weak groan. Narrowing her eyes, she lifted up her boot and slammed it back down on the clusters head. The groan stopped. She stomped again, and again, and again, until the clusters head was an unrecognizable mush of brain, flesh, and bone. Heavy pants escaped from her as she stared down at the still-twitching body of the cluster.A strange calmness washed over her.Her earlier anger had been directed at the clusters, and it was washing away along with the rain cascading down her back. She wiped away blood that had splattered on her brow.'I should apologize.' Maybe she was the one that overreacted. She holstered her gun with shaky hands."Nice show there."In an instant her gun was out of her holster and back in her hands as she swung around and aimed it towards the source of the voice. The assailant pushed off the wall they were leaning on, brushing their wet blonde hair out of their face. Garnet stilled."You're the jasper.""I’m a Jasper. I'm not my companion though, you killed them, remember?" They moved their head from side to side, popping their neck. "Now put the gun away. I'm not here to fight; I'm more of a compromising gem, the other jasper wasn't. They were a bit unhinged, if the mask didn’t give it away.""What's there to compromise?" Garnet slowly holstered her gun, but her right hand still hovered over the grip, ready to draw if needed. The Jasper smirked."I want to buy the Pearl off you.""She isn't for-" Garnet cut herself off as the Jasper opened a portion of their jacket, reaching a scarred hand in and tugging out a large deck of cards. They maneuvered the deck to their elbow pit as they reached in again, pulling out another. They held both decks in their large hands. "These are all queens, the highest value if my research is correct." Garnet eyed the cards. Two full stacks of queen's... certainly enough to pay off old debts and to ensure her and her parents a comfortable living. It was too good though; something was amiss."Why are you content with talking to your twin's killer?" Garnet shot her intense gaze back up the Jasper. They grinned."187 was dumb enough to believe that they could go against direct orders; they had it coming." They said it nonchalantly enough that is was almost sickening."And what of the jade?" The smirk fell from the Jasper's face."187... got to her first." The words were strained and stunted. Garnet narrowed her eyes."You're not a good liar," She backed away "Pearl isn't for sale. Get out of here before I kill you." The jasper rolled their eyes."You're transporting extremely valuable cargo, and the money being paid out won't even get you a single-action .22-- and that’s saying something considering how you outsiders price things.""Pearl isn’t for sale and I can transport her to Greenzone on my own." Garnet said. The jasper let out a loud groan, lolling their head back."Again with this Greenzone shit? It's a sham; a cover-up for Pink Diamond while she escapes to another location." The jasper said. Garnet's eyes widened. So it was true. But the fact that it was coming out of the Jasper's mouth made it hard to believe... extremely hard to believe. The jasper must have noticed her suspicious look, as they sighed loudly."The outsiders haven't smartened up after all these years, huh? Last chance to accept the deal and show me where the Pearl is.""Get the fuck out of here.""Alright then." In a quick motion, they had transported both decks into one hand and was reaching into their pocket with their other. They pulled out a lighter, improvised with old steel and gunpowder. Flicking the lighter on, they hovered the small flame over the cards. It took a moment, but the fire began to lick up the face of the cards and downwards towards the deck. The jasper hovered the flame over a few other portions, setting them alight. Throwing the lighter away, they held both decks in the air."I don't know what her worth is to you," They let the cards go, the breeze taking them away into the air. "You obviously don't care much; you hesitated earlier when I first showed you the deck. Outsiders are all about money, eh?" The cards drifted down towards the muddy sand, embers falling down with them. Garnet stared hard at the ruined cards. Her eyes moved up to look at the jasper, only to find that they were gone.
Pearl
Panic set in. In an instant she had turned on her heel and began to rush down the road, ignoring the discomfort and pain in her left leg. Thunder boomed in the sky, lightning crashing down close enough that Garnet could feel her hairs stand on end and heat hit her back. The building came into sight, old and grey and falling apart from the outside. She sprinted to the glass doors, slamming them open with her shoulder. A startled Pearl let out a yelp, falling off of the counter she was seated on, she looked at Garnet, eyes wide, before they softened."You're back," She whispered, "I'm sorry about-""We need to go now.""What? Why- whoa!" Garnet had stridden over to her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet and dragging her to the front of the building. The pale woman dug her heels into the floor, trying in vain to keep her from dragging her."What's wrong, why do we need to leave?!""People are looking for us; we need to go." She let go of her arm and slammed the doors shut. Thunder boomed again. She turned back to Pearl."We’re being hunted?! What can we do, Garnet?!" Pearl was hyperventilating, her lithe chest repeatedly pushing in and out as she swallowed air and rain. Garnet grimaced."We need to get to Greenzone; faster now." She walked ahead of her, moving her hand into her bag and pulling out her map. Raindrops dotted the old paper. "The route we've been taking is the safe one, but we need to go through the more dangerous ones if we want to save time." She halted in her tracks. Folding the map, she put it away into her bag."I thought you said Greenzone was a ruse?" Her companion’s voice was indignant, and Garnet clenched her jaw."It's our best bet now." She turned around to face the pale woman, mismatched eyes searching her. She raised a shaky hand to her face, brushing it to her cheek."'m sorry about earlier, but right now we need to put this behind us and move." She said, her eyes softening as she took in the pale woman's features. The skin of Pearl's cheek warmed under her palm as they flushed, freckles disappearing under the color. Pearl laid her own petite hand over Garnet's large one."Okay." She said. Garnet nodded, taking her hand away from Pearl's cheek. She turned back around looking ahead at the streets. She chose to go right, and together they headed down the road with urgency. Garnet's bag fell down into a puddle with a wet plop! Its owner grimaced as she bent down and moved it out of the water with a grumble. Behind her, Pearl was cursing as the fire in front of her died out."Garnet, it's not going.""Then try again.""The wood's too wet." Garnet let out an aggravated grunt at her words. A tremble overtook her body as a breeze swept through the air, the cold stabbing through her wet clothes and into her skin."F-fuck." She stuttered out. She pulled her jacket over her body, glad that she left it in her bag so it was at least remotely dry. She zipped it up, but it barely helped against the cold soaking into her bones. She fished through her bag, pulling out several items; the rag, ammo boxes, and the magazine. She spared one longing look at the magazine. Letting out a sigh, she went to work. The ammo boxes were emptied and the bullets were placed back in the side pockets. The magazine was torn into several strips, as was the rag. Bundling it all together, she headed over to Pearl."Move." Pearl did as she was told, and Garnet fell down beside her. She swept away the wet planks and wood chunks they had found, setting the bundle of ruined items down on the wet concrete. She took a match from the box and struck it, the head ignited into a small flame. She hovered it over the rag, which caught fire relatively quickly, and then the magazine, which took longer to ignite. Eventually, the flames began to lick up the bundle. She reached for the wood chunk. Arm muscles strained as she pulled at it, until finally it gave and broke apart under her force. She felt the revealed insides; dry. She began the same process of breaking the wood in half, grunting as the wood splintered and stuck into her skin. It broke apart again. Garnet set the wood into the fire."Light it." She said to her companion as she stood up and walked over to her bag. She reached in and pulled out the deck of cards she had found."You're going to burn the cards?" Pearl asked as Garnet took a seat back beside her."Cards don't mean anythin' if we die of hypothermia" She took out the deck and ripped up the cardboard, feeding pieces to the small flames. She ripped up the cards next and set strips into the fire. Slowly it began to grow, igniting the wood that was set on it. Garnet grabbed another one of the halves, setting it down into the flames. She was reveling at the heat coming off of it, warming her numb hands. She reached for the unbroken half of wood and started on breaking it."You're strong." Pearl commented. She clamped up almost immediately, face flooding with color. She cursed herself inwardly for saying her thoughts out loud."Woods easier to break when it's wet" Garnet grunted as the wood broke apart. She set a half down into the fire. "Hand me another." Pearl complied, handing her a plank."That won't work; it's soaked through." She handed the plank back. "Give me the wood chunks.""That was the only one.""It was?" Garnet gave her a wide eyed look. Pearl nodded. She muttered a curse under her breath, turning back to look at the fire. It wouldn't even last an hour. Blinking twice, she shrugged her shoulders."I guess we're dying.""Don't say that!""I don't have high hopes, Pearl." Garnet let out a sigh as she shrugged off her jacket. She took off her shirt, setting down in front of the fire."You're covered in blood." Pearl said, both averting her gaze from Garnet's body."Yep." Her guard then took off her boots and pants, setting the pants down near the fire. Pearl glanced back to her for a brief moment."Aren't you going to take off your socks?""They're dry." She pulled her jacket back on and Pearl had to repress a laugh; she looked ridiculous. "Take off your stuff." Her companion looked uncomfortable at the order, but she otherwise complied as she took off her jacket. In a minute, she was too stripped down to her undergarments. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Garnet reached for the rolled up mat, unrolling it and setting it down on the ground near the fire. She reached for the blankets next."You're goin' to 'ave to be on top of me." Garnet began. "We'll freeze to the ground if we use this as a pillow. I'll lie on the mat." The pale woman grimaced; she didn't exactly want to be that close to the woman, despite her feelings for her. Garnet lied down on the mat, rolling over onto her back. She patted her abdomen, inviting Pearl over with a sly smile. She blushed as she crawled over, getting on top of her guard. Her skin was cold and the dried blood made it feel crusty. Garnet leaned up, cheek brushing against Pearl's own as she reached for the blankets. She pulled both of them over their bodies. She fell back down against the mat, muscular arms wrapping around Pearl.“Don’t kick me in the crotch when you wake up; it hurt last time.” Garnet murmured into Pearl’s ear. She felt more than heard the pale woman chuckle. Nothing was said afterwards.Slowly their body heats began to combine under the blankets, warming their bodies against the cold. Pearl found herself being lured to sleep by the other woman's strong heartbeat. Her eyes drifted close. Garnet stayed awake, however, eyes staring into the fire, already beginning to ebb away into embers.They wouldn’t last the night.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Halfway Point
 Garnet didn't think she would live to see another day.She was alive. Numb, but alive. Her insides felt hot even though she was cold and the sleeping woman on top of her felt like a human-shaped block of ice. It was enough incentive for her to jump out of the mat and blankets despite her grogginess, Pearl still in her arms as she headed for their clothes. She heard her companion grumble something into her ear, but ignored it as she set her down on the pavement and felt her clothes. Dry. She hastily took off her jacket and pulled on her shirt, before slapping Pearl on her back."Wake up," Garnet went for her jeans next. "Put your clothes on." Pearl muttered something unintelligible before lifting herself up on shaky arms and trembling legs, crawling for her clothes.The pair got dressed, and Garnet wasted no time wrapping her arms around Pearl and pulling her back before throwing the two set of blankets on top of them. She closed the blankets in, reveling at the warmth of their combined body heat. Her body trembled periodically, and she could feel the smaller woman in front of her mimic the motions."I-I l-liked the he-heat better." Pearl stuttered out. Garnet didn't respond, her focus on rubbing the pale woman's arms in an attempt to warm her up.The numbness ebbed away after a few minutes under the blankets, and Garnet felt safe enough to crawl out of them to gather some of the planks on the ground. The broken pieces of board were still somewhat wet, but dryer than the day before; Garnet put them all in the pile of char and ash. Silent prayers spilled from her lips as she drew her gun and unlatched the chamber, pulling a bullet out and opening the casing. She dashed gunpowder on the planks, setting the gun down afterwards and reaching for the discarded matchbox near the fire. She struck the match and dropped it on the powder.There was a small Whoosh! as the gunpowder set alight, burning quickly across the boards and setting the wood on fire in the process. She breathed out a sigh of relief as heat began to give off of the planks. Hovering her hands over the fire, she heard Pearl shuffle behind her."It worked." Relief flooded her voice. Garnet only nodded at the comment. She made a grab for her bag. She pulled out the half-filled bag of jerky, along with water. She set it down on the ground next to her. She reached for a can and another bottle of water, lips pulling into a frown as she looked over the small stash of supplies in her bag.'They'll last' or at least she hoped they would. She handed the can and the water to Pearl, who took them with a grateful smile. Together, they ate their breakfast, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Finishing off the bag of jerky, Garnet crumpled it in her hands and tossed the rubbish away from them. She gulped down the rest of her water, crushing the bottle before throwing that away as well."We need to move." She said. Pearl wiped away a bit of tomato sauce that had gathered on the corner of her lips."Are we taking the dangerous route?" She asked, setting her can aside. Garnet stayed silent. After a moment, she gave her a curt nod."We need to go fast now.""I thought going straight was the fastest way?""It was the fastest way that didn't include running straight through camps and cluster infestations." Garnet said. Pearl gave her a weak nod. She stood and brushed off the sand that had gathered on her pants. Picking up the blankets from the floor, she bundled them into a ball, heading for the mat next. Garnet stood up as well, taking a moment to enjoy more of the fire's warmth before moving away from the flames."You never said who was hunting us." Pearl spoke up as she brought the mat and blankets over to her companion. She felt concern well up at the grimace on her guard's face."It was another Jasper; looked jus' like the one we saw beforehand; tried to buy you off me. I… refused." She admitted. Pearl's blue eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth."Two jaspers?!""I guess that means extra bad news?" Garnet noted her reaction with a raised eyebrow.'Very bad!" She said, missing the sarcasm in her guard's tone completely. She opened the flap of the messenger bag on the ground and stuffed the blankets into it "One Jasper is sent for a job done well, but two?! They are desperate.""Who is 'they’? Yellow Diamond?"  Garnet asked."We can't assume yet."'Sounds like denial.' Garnet didn't say the thought out loud for sake of not causing an argument. There was no way being in the Scarred Diamond’s territory and having two Jasper’s sent after them wasn’t connected in a way. She reached down for her bag and shouldered it, eyebrows furrowed. She nodded to Pearl, who began to follow with a nervous look on her face.The directions they took were random to Pearl. She was almost certain they had seen the same advertisement for 'Soda' several times now. She trusted that her guard knew where she was going now, as she hadn't once stopped to glance at her map. Eventually, the collapsed skyscrapers and crashed cars were left behind for rows of houses and duplexes, until they came across an apartment complex. The buildings were an ugly rust color, and just as broken and sorrowful as everything else in the city.'It looks like it could be a potential base.' She began to map out the base in her mind, mentally installing bridges that would connect the buildings together and imagining the gems that would roam around the place. It at least gave her something more to do than to just stare at her feet all day.A strange howl echoed through the apartments.A cluster pulled itself free from a mountain of rubble, upper body detached from its lower, the only remains of it a yellowed spine that was still stuck in the rubble. It reached out to them with a large hand, the gigantic mutated eye in its mouth focusing on them. Her guard wasted no time drawing her revolver and aiming. She heard the Click of the hammer of the revolver being pulled back. The rubble on top of the mountain split in two as an even larger mass pulled free from the rubble-- attached to the body crawling towards them. Pearl let out a horrified gasp.
Hi guys!
The cluster's gleeful voice sounded in their minds, rattling inside their skulls painfully as the voice was composed of three different voices, each belonging to a different head of the cluster. Garnet aimed for the front head. Something clicked in pearl, and she leapt forward, grabbing her guard's muscular arm and forcing it downwards."What are you doing?!" She yelled, tugging her arm out of Pearl's grip. The pale woman bit her lip."Maybe it's friendly." It sounded friendly. The look of absolute astonishment on her guard’s face was enough to make her cheeks warm in embarrassment.
Listen to your friend! I come in peace!
It dragged its malformed body closer to them, the head and torso on its back flapping the tongue hanging from its jawless mouth. Garnet rolled her eyes, facing away from Pearl as she took aim at the clusters head.Faster than they could react, the cluster stretched an arm out and snatched the revolver right out of Garnet's grasp, throwing it away far into the piles of rubble behind it. A curse spilled from her lips as she grabbed for Pearl's arm, dragging her away right as the cluster made a charge towards them. There was a resounding thud as the cluster hit the wall they were standing behind, burrowing its head deep into the bricks. It pulled itself free from the rubble, shaking its head free of the dust before turning and glaring at them with its mouth-eye.
Stay still, damn you!
It charged again. Pearl was pushed away from Garnet and she watched in horror as her guard drew her knife. Garnet waited until the cluster was only a few feet in front of her before she charged as well, dropping down and sliding under the monster’s underside, sticking her knife into the soft skin and dragging it along with her. She slid out away from them, rolling over onto her hands and knees.The cluster let out a roar of pain as its organs fell out from the slit in its stomach. Pearl shared a triumphant grin with her guard as the cluster fell onto the floor and began to convulse. The grin quickly fell from her chapped lips, however, as arms ripped free from the slit, pressing down on the ground and lifting the cluster back up. It planted its hands and single foot on the ground securely. The arms that had sprouted stretched backwards towards Garnet, catching her by the wrists and squeezing hard enough to make her drop her knife.Pearl snapped out of her shock and acted quickly, rushing towards her guard and dropping to her knees, sliding across the ground. She grabbed the knife before lifting herself up again, thighs burning in protest from the quick movement as she cut through the clusters arms. The cluster roared as its limbs were severed. It turned towards them, glaring at it with two of its heads."Hold it off," Garnet said to her. "I'm gonna get my gun." Pearl nodded, and her guard turned and sped off towards the rubble pile. She dropped her stance a bit, locking her shoulders and holding the knife in both hands. The cluster glared at her with its mouth-eye.
You think I haven't faced your kind before? You are cowards that hide behind the strong!
“Then why am I facing you now?” Pearl’s eyes narrowed. Her feet moved faster than she could think and next thing she knew she was charging at the cluster, knife aimed high. It sunk into the mouth-eye, and the cluster let out a loud horrific screech that stung her ears and made her teeth rattle. It pulled away from her, hand covering its eye as the head and torso on its back leaned towards her. A scream emitted from the head as the torso stretched down faster than Pearl could blink, bringing the head to her injured shoulder. It bit down hard, teeth tearing straight through the thick cloth of her jacket, digging into pale and freckled skin. With a pained yell, she fell back and the cluster stretched down after her, resuming its work on her shoulder. Blood splattered across the ground and sunk into her jacket's leather gorget. She stabbed her knife into the creature's neck and torso, but it didn't give.There was a clattering sound in the distance, and the cluster thankfully pulled away from her shoulder to look for the source. Garnet was on top of the mountain of rubble, looking for her gun. The cluster turned its attention away from Pearl. With a yell, the cluster rushed after Garnet. Pearl shakily rolled over onto a single palm, tears spilling from her eyes as she held on tightly to her bleeding shoulder. She looked to her guard."Garnet, watch out!" Garnet barely managed to turn around before the cluster slammed a fist into her knee, making her fall back down onto the piles of concrete and wood. She let out a loud cry as her back hit a concrete block. Pearl struggled to get up, turning her attention away from the battle for a moment to focus on the ground below. She heard a roar and the sound of rocks falling. She looked up in time to catch her guard rolling away from the cluster, going off the mountain of rubble.She fell down the mountain, sending debris falling down with her. She hit a point where the slope of rubble ended, falling down a few feet before hitting her head on the pavement below with enough force that it rebounded off the concrete."Garnet!" Pearl yelled. Forcing herself to ignore the immense pain in her shoulder, she grabbed for the knife on the ground, getting up and rushing towards her guard. Garnet was obviously dazed, standing up and stumbling back and forth before dropping again. Eyebrows furrowed, Pearl took a detour and instead rushed up the mountain of rubble, towards the cluster descending it. She caught up to the cluster and lunged for the head and body on the butt of it, stabbing her knife into the cluster's head. It let out a screech before succumbing to its injury, the foot and arm attached to it ceasing function, the end slumping down. The head cluster whipped around, meeting her with enraged hollow eyes.
You bitch!
The head with the mouth for an eye occupied her, while the head and torso stretched down towards Garnet. Pearl's eyes widened."Garnet, get up!" Her guard let out a groan, before standing up, and Pearl winced once she spotted the small puddle of blood on the pavement. Garnet stumbled towards another pile of rubble, ignoring the head and torso completely.
I’m really sorry about this!
It was directed towards Garnet by the head and torso, before it rushed towards her and knocked her down again, tearing into her back with its teeth."No!" Pearl made a move towards her, but the cluster in front of her grabbed her by the jacket and chucked her away and she too found herself falling down the pile. She rolled into a ball, covering her head with her arms as she tumbled down the rocks. Pearl hit the pavement hard, stars dancing in her vision and the rubble pile splitting into two wavering figures.
It’s like playing king of the hill!
The cluster sped down towards her in an army crawl. It halted.
Hey… stop pulling!

No, you stop pulling!
The cluster tugged closer to her, but only inched forward a little before it pulled back. Pearl glanced over to her companion, who was crawling away from the head and torso.
She’s getting away, stop pulling!
Realization dawned over Pearl. She began to crawl away as well, watching as the cluster screeched and struggled closer. There was the sound of tearing skin and breaking bones, and she found herself going green as she noticed the gaping wound around its abdomen, stretching further and further apart with each movement.
Snap!
The cluster heading for her went flying over her head, the head and torso reaching for Garnet doing the same. With a yelp, she fell onto her back, instinctively covering her head with her arms. She heard a thud as the cluster landed somewhere away from her. With a shaky breath, Pearl flipped over onto her stomach and got to her feet, reaching for the knife that had fallen on the ground.
Bang!
The head and torso let out a dying screech as a bullet tore through its head and exited out the back of its neck. Garnet, holding the revolver loosely, dropped her arms and turned to Pearl. Her expression was dazed as she tried to take a step towards her, but her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor.
GET BACK HERE!
The cluster hit Pearl in the back full force, knocking her to the ground. It wasted no time turning her around and clamping a hand over her neck, squeezing with all its might. An odd choking noise escaped from Pearl’s lips as she stabbed the knife into the air wildly, missing her mark several times until finally the blade sunk deep into her assailant’s malformed head. With an ugly croak, it slumped down, its weight keeping Pearl from taking in a full breath."Gah!" Pearl wriggled back as much as she could before she finally had the room to shove the cluster off of her. Rolling over and frantically rubbing her arms up and down her body, Pearl let out a panicked whimper. Her breath came out in quick intakes and outtakes, and she was already beginning to feel light-headed from the hyperventilation. She faintly heard the sound of her guard getting to her feet and walking towards her."Peearrl..." Her name was slurred and drawn out, and she could barely react before Garnet wrapped both of her muscular arms around her. She stumbled, falling and taking Pearl down to the ground with her."Garnet?!"No response.She turned around enough to see that her eyes were wide open but her breathing was slow. She had fainted. With another noise of panic, she forced herself out of her guard’s arms and grabbed her by her arms. Looking around, she spotted an opened door. A huff escaped her as she began to drag her guard to the door.It was a receptionist office; Pearl set Garnet down on the ground and yanked her bag from her arm. Opening up the front pocket, she took out the medicine box and dumped its contents out on the floor."Antiseptic, antiseptic, where is the antiseptic?!" She looked over worriedly to her guard. Her back and head wounds were creating a puddle of blood on the ground beneath her. The blood was enough to remind her of her own throbbing and burning shoulder. A grimace spread over her face. She slapped a hand over it and applied pressure to stop the bloodflow, the other hand still searching for the packet.Garnet sat up, eyes wide. Pearl winced as she noticed that one pupil was blown out and the other was normal.'Where's the antiseptic?" Garnet stared at her for what must've been a full minute."Mushroom.""What?"She pointed a finger to a container of the glowing mushroom cream. Garnet's face contorted, as if she wanted to say something else. Instead, she pointed to her back and made a circling motion."Strip." Pearl ordered her. Another full minute went by until the concussed woman registered the command. She pulled off her jacket and clumsily grabbed for the cloth of her shirt, tugging it off. She reached her arms around her back, unclasping her bra; Pearl's cheeks warmed involuntarily at the sight, but she resisted the urge to look away. Garnet rolled over onto her stomach. Pearl let out a relieved sigh as she twisted the container open, scooping out the awful-smelling blue substance. She scooted forward, taking a seat on the dark woman's legs as she moved to press the glob of cream down on her muscular back. She stopped herself at the last minute."It's too bloody." Pearl murmured to herself. She grabbed for her jacket sleeve, tearing from the seam. Shaking it down her arm, she gripped it tightly in her hand before using it to wipe away the blood on Garnet's back. The blood easily soaked into the thick cloth, clearing away the bodily fluid enough to allow Pearl to catch a glimpse of the wounds. Fortunately, it wasn’t as bad as the amount of blood would suggest. She threw the sleeve away and smeared the blue cream over the torn skin.“FUCK!” Garnet howled, startling Pearl away from her as she slammed a fist down on the wooden floorboards and gritted her teeth together. The bleeding began to slow, the cream taking effect. Pearl whispered apologies under her breath as she moved forward and resumed lathering the cream into the wounds. The bite marks thoroughly covered, she reached for the bandaging."Arch your back up." She asked. Her guard took less time to respond this time, muttering as she lifted herself up. Pearl acted quickly, circling the bandaging over her abdomen until it was thoroughly wrapped. The moment she tied the bandaging off, Garnet dropped back down, panting."Your turn." She said, looking over to her."You're concussed; I need to tend to you first." Garnet shook her head, sending droplets of blood from her head onto the walls and the reception desk."I 'ave somethin' for that." Pearl frowned, unconvinced. Her guard stood up, stumbling towards her before pressing both palms on her chest, pushing her down. She took a seat on her lap-- much like Pearl did herself-- and grabbed for the mushroom cream. She scooped an inappropriate amount out of it, staring at Pearl’s shoulder with her irregular pupils. A minute passed, before her guard lifted her hand up and slapped it onto her shoulder, the force enough to send cream and blood splattering across the room."Ow!" The slap made her bite marks burst into metaphorical flames; Pearl had to bite back an insult that threatened to escape from her lips.'She's concussed; her motor skills are most likely damaged, she didn't mean it.' Her point was proven further when Garnet simply moved her hand up and down instead of rubbing it in."Apply pressure." She felt like she was talking to a new recruit, but she was instead talking to her guard. She bit her lip; she hoped that whatever Garnet had was enough to cure the head trauma she inevitably had. Luckily enough for her, Garnet listened and applied pressure, smothering her wounds in the thick blue cream. She let out a sigh as the burning ceased and the open wounds went numb. Garnet drew her hand away, reaching for the bandaging."I-" She grabbed at her guard's hand "I can do that, Garnet." She gave her a slow, stunted nod, scooting off her legs and reaching for a bottle. Pearl began to wrap her shoulder, watching as Garnet ever-so-slowly twisted off the capping of the bottle and turned it over her palm. A small syringe-- perhaps the smallest she had ever seen- with purple liquid in its vial fell out. Garnet threw the bottle away and grabbed the syringe in her too-large palm, thumb on the plunger. She hovered it over her neck."What is that?" She stopped wrapping her shoulder, hand sticking out towards her guard in case she needed to grab the syringe away from her."It's a remedy made from a mutant flower in Mojave wasteland." She said after two minutes of thinking. Garnet's hand wavered back and forth. "Cures injures from bruises to brain damage.""Like biofoam?" It sounded very familiar; she was surprised she hadn't seen it in the labs."Yeah..." Garnet halted, blinking owlishly, " 'cept if you insert it wrong it can make you go insane.""WHAT?!""Or kills you.” Before Pearl could even make a grab for the poison, Garnet shoved it into her neck, the thin needle sticking deep into her jugular. She pressed the plunger, releasing the purple liquid into her bloodstream. Pearl let out a horrified gasp as the veins in her neck turned bright purple before fading back into her rich dark skin tone.Garnet let out a gasp, blinking as her pupils dilated back to normal. She pulled the needle out and let it fall to the floor. A trickle of blood ran from the insert down her neck."Garnet?" Her guard was staring ahead at the wall, face contorting into a variety of expressions. With a swallow, Pearl backed away. Garnet's eyes shot to her.She stared.And stared.And..."Fuck, you're hot.""Excuse me?!"Garnet blinked twice, before shaking her head, blushing deeply."So-sorry! First thing that came to mind. It takes a second for the remedy to heal the damages." A hand rubbed at her neck, already starting to swell and bruise from the syringe. "I'm fine; no insanity." She cleared her throat awkwardly and pushed herself off the floor, taking a step. She let out a hum."Worked on my knee a bit too, it seems." She swung her right leg back and forth. Setting her boot down on the ground, she felt her back with a grimace. "Not my back though." She looked back to Pearl. Concern filled her eyes."Are you alright?""They got ahold of my shoulder," She moved a hand to the body part, "But for the most part, I'm fine." Garnet nodded. She bent down and dressed herself (whilst grumbling at the tears in the back of her shirt.) before she began to pick up the medical supplies, putting them back in the medicine box."That was a bad fall you took." Pearl commented as she bent down to help her guard clean up the mess. She merely grunted. Pearl swallowed."Do you have more of that medicine?""No, my mum only allowed me to buy one. The remedy is incredibly addictive and she doesn't trust me ‘aving more than one on me at all times." Garnet packed the rest of the supplies into the box and stuffed it into the pocket of her bag. She retrieved a few bullets from the side pocket of the bag and used them to load her gun."Ruby, right?""You guessed it." A small smile graced Garnet's lips. "Always lookin' out for my wellbeing. She wanted to come along with us.""And you didn't let her?" Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Rubies are meant for guarding." Garnet let out a laugh."I can handle myself.""You nearly gave yourself permanent brain damage by rolling off a pile of rubble." Her guard's laughter ceased."Well-""And your back is all torn up because you rolled off the rubble.""I-""And your leg- whatever is wrong with it- is obviously getting worse."Garnet didn't answer."Not to mention that you did stick yourself with a substance that could have either driven you insane or killed you without assessing how bad your damages were at first. You could use supervision from a Ruby... though they aren’t much better when it comes to poor decisions.” There was brief moment of silence between the two, Garnet staring at her. Pearl bit her lip; she feared that she had said something wrong.Soft chuckles spilled from her guard’s lips.“Fair point. Maybe I should ‘ave let her come along.” She finished packing and stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “But I’m young and dumb and make shit decisions.” She started toward the door.“C’mon, we’re burnin’ daylight.” She said over her shoulder. Pearl nodded, standing up and following her guard out the door.Cluster after cluster. Each attack more draining until the duo were barely trudging along the ruined roads of the city. Each time they thought they had a break from the attacks, another cluster would appear, either a normal mutated one or an abhorrent.Pearl walked with a drag in her step, leg throbbing from when a sizeable rock was thrown at it by a cluster. She felt almost like her guard, walking with a limp.“For fucks sake.” She heard Garnet growl out as she drew her gun. Pearl wasn't able to identify the threat before a bang sounded, echoing through the still air. She looked at her guard, puzzled.“Where was it?”Garnet said nothing, only pointing up to one of the buildings. Pearl followed her finger. A cluster was stuck on the wall, head reduced to clumps of brain and meat and arms slowly losing their grip on the loose stones they were previously grappling. They could climb on walls?! That was nothing short of terrifying, and as a result Pearl’s blue eyes darted between the buildings, searching for anymore wall crawlers.Garnet only holstered her gun and began walking down the broken pavement, grumbling to herself. Pearl was quick to follow, speeding up enough so she could walk side by side with her guard. With a swallow, she reached for her muscular arm and held onto it.“We’ll be fine.” Garnet said, patting the pale woman’s thin hand. Pearl held on tighter.“It hasn't been getting any calmer.”“Don't get pessimistic on me now; that's my job.” Garnet joked. A roar sounded from behind them. With a guttural groan, Garnet drew her revolver and swung around, nailing the cluster in the head with the butt of her gun. She stepped over to its writhing form.Pearl cringed at the sound of bones breaking and squelching noises as Garnet stomped in the cluster’s head. She covered her hands over her ears, waiting for the disgusting noises to stop. Moments later, Garnet joined her back at her side.“Didn't want to waste a bullet.” She said, holstering her gun. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, exhaustion showing on her face.“We should rest.”Garnet shook her head.“‘S barely evenin’. We can cover more ground.”“Not if we die from clusters because we are too tired to fight them.”"We aren't goin’ to die, I can handle it.” There she was again with her stubbornness. Pearl scoffed. She gripped Garnet's arm and began to drag her away towards a building."We need to rest.""We need to travel."Pearl was reminded of when they first met, and how she wanted to go further while Garnet wanted to rest. It amused her how they switched roles. She continued to drag her guard to the building, the dark woman doing nothing to stop her. She walked in through the large hole in the wall and stepped over the debris. Letting go of Garnet's arm, she sat down on the ceramic floors."Do you still have those, er, 'sweets'?" Pearl asked her. Garnet opened up the flap of her bag and fished through it. The bag of sweets crinkled as she pulled them free from under the blankets. She held them out to Pearl, who gingerly took them."I never had 'sweets' before. Are they good?""They're sweet."Pearl scoffed, "I could have guessed that, Garnet." Her guard said nothing, only grinning as she plopped down on the floor. Pearl opened up the bag, glancing into it. She frowned as she tried to pick out a piece."The long red strings are liquor-rice.""Liquor-what?" Pearl raised an eyebrow. Garnet shrugged."'s what the old-world used to call them. They aren't alcoholic, disappointedly." She said. Pearl plucked the 'liquor-rice' out of the bag, examining it. She brought it under her nose and whiffed it. She brought it to her mouth and took a bite. Tasty... she supposed."So when do you want to get goin’?""Garnet, we just sat down.""And each minute that goes by means less daylight for us." Garnet said bluntly. Pearl chose to ignore her, finishing off the candy. She reached for another piece, a brown bar. As she took a bite of the candy, she tried to ignore her annoyance on how her guard was bouncing her leg up and down restlessly."Patience is a virtue, Garnet.""I am patient." She retorted. She moved her hand down to readjust her pant leg. "Jus' not when we are sittin’ quad-winged ducks in cluster territory.""We are human, Garnet, not ducks." Pearl said, reaching for another candy. Garnet scooted closer, reaching her hand into the bag and taking candy of her own. She brought the colorful sweets into her mouth and chewed. Pearl let out a sigh and ate more of the stale candy.The room was starting to darken before the duo decided to get moving again. Garnet led her out of the building and onto the streets. Side-by-side, they walked down the road."If it makes you feel better," Garnet broke the silence between them. "We are halfway through the city now." Pearl's eyes sparkled at her words."We are?!""Yes, at least three more days of traveling before we get to Pine City. Then one more day until Greenzone." Pearl let out a happy noise at her words. Garnet let out an 'oof'! as she threw her thin arms around her, squeezing her midsection."It does make me feel better!" Pearl said into her side. A small smile appeared on Garnet's lips, the slightest of a blush appearing on her face. She hugged Pearl back with one arm."Good." She glanced ahead, down the roads and towards the black fog of the city. She chewed on her lip, looking back down at her companion. "We'll be alright." She said it more to herself than to Pearl. She looked ahead again.
We’ll be alright.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Trust in Me
Pearl let out a small breath, the released air fogging up into a white cloud. She could hear Garnet a few feet away from her striking a match and moving wood around. She didn't look over, however, her gaze focused on the sky and the stars above; something she hasn't seen since they first entered the city. She took the time to enjoy it, as the dark clouds that covered the sky would undoubtedly be back in the morning. Her lips moved quietly as she murmured the constellations under her breath."Is that one Orion?" Garnet chimed in. Pearl didn't bother to look where she was pointing, as for the past several minutes she had been asking about Orion. She would have sworn Garnet was messing with her if it weren't for the genuine look of curiosity on her face."No, Garnet." She said. She heard the dark woman let out a disappointed hum before she went back to tending the fire. Pearl drew her gaze away the stars, her eyes strained from staring up, and instead focused it on the growing fire her guard was sitting beside. Garnet’s words repeated in her mind and a bout of excitement rushed over her; Greenzone was so close! In only a matter of days would she be reunited with her diamond. She smiled widely, but it soon fell away as her gaze focused away from the fire and on Garnet.What if Greenzone was a ruse?Staring at the woman only reminded her of their argument from a few days back. She bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows knitted together. Her excitement died down even further as she continued to examine Garnet, snapping pieces of wood and throwing them into the growing flames. She would miss... their times together (Her pride refused to let her even entertain the thought of missing the outsider.)The fire seemed to reach its limit, as it stopped growing in response to the wood being thrown into it. Garnet broke one last piece of wood and threw it in before getting to her feet. She turned to Pearl, face as stoic as ever as she headed towards her and climbed into their makeshift bed. Pearl shifted over to accommodate the space for her, but it proved unnecessary once Garnet moved close to her and wrapped her muscular arms around her waist, burying her face into her neck."Night, Pearl." She murmured. A bright red blush spread across Pearl's cheeks. It felt like her heart was trying to break free from her ribcage. A thought crossed her mind, about how familiar this position was. She nudged Garnet gently."Wha-?" She already sounded half-asleep. Pearl swallowed."I haven't forgotten about what happened at the border," She said. Garnet didn't answer at first, so she continued. "I wish I could forget, but I can't.""Some things aren't meant to be forgotten." Garnet murmured into her ear sleepily. Pearl noticed that her grip around her waist had become looser. She chewed on her lip again."I...I enjoyed it.""I did too.""I liked... when we kissed." Pearl went on to say. She felt Garnet shuffle against her back.“Really?” Garnet’s voice sounded sly. Pearl nodded, not picking up on the change in tone.“It felt nice.” A grin spread across Garnet’s lips."Like this?" She planted a kiss on her neck, right below her ear. A squeal escaped Pearl and she jumped forward away from her. Garnet sat up, expression shocked. Once she caught the sound of Pearl giggling a full grin split across her face and she leaned forward, shoving her fingers into her neck."Agh! Garnet your fingers are cold!" Pearl tried to squirm away, but Garnet wrapped her legs around her and pulled her close, resuming the wiggling motion of her fingers. Laughter burst from Pearl's lips and she was desperately trying to get away from her guard. Garnet's hands moved down to her stomach and she resumed her tickling. Pearl was trying to say stop, but between her laughter and her gasps for air the words wouldn't come out. Fortunately for her, Garnet seemed to get the gist of what she was trying to say as she stopped her tickling. Her arms wrapped around her stomach and she pulled her close to her.Garnet pressed a kiss to her neck, a bit lower from where she had initially kissed her before. Before Pearl could even process the action, her guard had placed another on her jugular, and another on her jaw line. She swallowed; face feeling as though it were lit on flames and her heart slamming against her chest. A quiet gasp escaped from her lips as Garnet nipped at her neck and began to suckle lightly on the skin. She stopped, and Pearl felt Garnet's hand move from her waist. She cupped her cheek with her large hand and turned her head so they could make eye contact. Garnet's eyes were half-lidded, while Pearl's were wide.Every part of her screamed to draw closer to the dark woman, but her nerves overcame her instead and she found herself flustering, trying to squirm away from her. With a frown, Garnet withdrew her hand from her cheek and returned it to her waist. Pearl sighed in relief when she felt her pull away from her neck.The duo stayed silent."I'm sorry." Pearl offered."'S fine. I got carried away" She felt the dark woman run her fingers through her hair, undoing the tangles."Are outsiders normally so free to express affection?" It was a genuine question. Garnet had to pause her combing to think."Sort of. In Percy it's quite common to hug and kiss people you know-- within reason, though." She finally said. She resumed her ministrations."It isn't common in Pink Diamond's regime. You rarely touch anyone." Pearl stopped, biting her lip. "On occasion my diamond would ask me to relax her, but that required nothing more than massaging her neck and back.""So that's why you always rub yourself whenever I touch you. I was almost startin’ to feel insulted." There was a light tease in Garnet's voice, but evidently Pearl didn't pick up on it as her face showed panic."I-I didn't mean to offend! It's-""Shush. S' a joke. No harm done." Garnet interrupted the beginning of her tirade. She felt the smaller woman relax against her. She moved her hands away from the woman's straight red hair to her own curly black hair, moving the tresses out of her face.Pearl let out a sigh."It's... strange how I went from hating you to... liking you." She moved a hand to her neck and began rubbing where Garnet had kissed it, enjoying the pleasant tingle."Mhm, I can relate." Garnet murmured in her ear. The pale woman shuffled closer to her."I enjoyed most of our time together." She said. Garnet let out a chuckle."I did too, but the trip isn't over yet. You should save your goodbyes for then." She fell silent. "We need to get to sleep. It'll be mornin' soon. Night Pearl.""Goodnight." Her companion whispered back, but she didn't close her eyes or even make an attempt to sleep. Slowly the thoughts of Greenzone began to return, as well as the thoughts about her guard. Pearl grimaced, rubbing at her neck, where Garnet had kissed it, before she slid her hand down further and felt the brand on her nape.It wasn't until an hour later that Pearl was finally too tired to think anymore. Pearl awoke to the sensation of a cold breeze blowing over her. A violent tremble shook her body and she shoved her numb hands under her armpits. Where was her guard? The blanket wasn't on top of her nor was Garnet near her. She sat up and looked around the campsite. A loud snore drew her attention towards the back of her, and she let out a scoff. Garnet was a few feet away from her, still blissfully asleep and wrapped up in the blankets.Pearl got to her feet and stomped over to the sleeping woman. With a huff, she bent down and grabbed ahold of the blankets, trying but failing to tug them away from her guard."Let go you twat." She murmured to herself. Garnet didn't wake up, and still she had the coverings in a vice grip. Pearl straightened up and backed away, glaring down at her guard. She delivered a swift kick to the small of her back, careful to avoid her wounds."Ow! Shit!" Garnet awoke with a shout of pain, hand slapping down over her back. She looked over her shoulder and glared at Pearl."You're hogging the blankets."Garnet didn't answer, only grumbling as she rubbed at her back. Slowly, she began to unwrap herself from the blanket cocoon. After she was free, she rolled back towards the mat and laid her head down on it. Pearl thought about joining her, but she was already wide awake now--No thanks to her guard. With an aggravated sigh, she rubbed her eyes and headed towards the fire, taking a seat in front of it. She reached for Garnet's bag and pulled out whatever can her fingers felt first. Eating her breakfast, she kept her eyes on the fire, looking for any sign of it dying down. A cold feeling swept over her, but it wasn't from the fierce winds blowing at her back. The environment around her began to morph into brown walls and-Pearl squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth.'Stop thinking about it,' she thought to herself 'It happened weeks ago and you're not there anymore.' Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she scratched at the back of her neck, both sadness and fear welling into her being as she tried to dash her thoughts away."What could they have possibly wanted that made them burn down the base?" Pearl murmured, opening her blue eyes to stare into the fire again. She shakes her head."Nevermind that, 34. It's over and done with, no need to dwell on it anymore." She brought her can to her lips and drank the cold broth out of it. "You'll be at Greenzone soon enough, reunited with your diamond, and everything will go back to normal." She nodded, happy with her little pep talk, and turned her back to the fire to look at her sleeping guard. Her hand brushed over to her neck, tracing the letters and numbers of her brand. Her neck tingled painfully in response, but she didn't cease her motions.Her guard let out a small snore and flipped over she was facing her. Her curls fell into her face, completely covering her eyes, and her cheeks and nose were blushed from the cold."Beautiful." Pearl said without thinking. She clamped up, realizing that she had said the compliment out loud, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Garnet remained motionless, however, still asleep. Pearl relaxed. With a sigh, she reached for Garnet's bag and pulled out a can of soup and water. She stood up and headed for the sleeping woman, setting the items down next to her. She took a seat afterwards, watching her guard.An hour passed before Garnet's eyelids fluttered open and she sat up from the mat, groggy and disorientated. She looked to Pearl with squinted eyes."Wha' time s'it?" She asked, voice heavy with sleep."Morning.""No, I mean wha' hour?"Pearl looked up to the sky and furrowed her brow."Uh... morning?" She heard Garnet let a sigh. Looking back down at the dark woman, she nudged the can and water to her. Garnet reached for the can and tore off the top. Pearl fidgeted as she watched her eat-- she felt the need to make conversation."How-how is your back?" She finally asked with a slight stutter in her voice. Garnet looked up at her, eyebrow raised. She gulped down whatever she had in her mouth."Mushroom cream still 'as it numb, so there isn't much pain. Cold's been helpin'" She said. Pearl nodded."Good, that's good." She said. Garnet nodded as well and went back to eating her food. Garnet seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence that befell them, but still Pearl couldn't help feel as though she needed to fill it. It was too awkward, too quiet. Her guard was beginning to scrape off the excess of her can when Pearl spoke up once more."Thank you for doing this." She said. Garnet chuckled, mismatched eyes focused on her can."You don't 'ave to thank me; I'm jus' doin' my job." She dismissed her gratitude. Pearl swallowed, throat bobbing up and down."How did you even get into this line of work? Most mercenaries I've seen are-""Brawny, stupid, and arrogant?" Garnet finished her sentence for her, looking up from her can with the slightest of smiles on her face. Pearl nodded."It's really not that interesting," Garnet started before going quiet, smile falling from her face. "One day I jus' wanted to make more money, so I took up the occupation and the jobs that came with it.”"What kind of jobs?" It was at her words that Garnet went still, body language screaming discomfort. Pearl thought about retracting the question, but the dark woman began to speak once more."I would get paid to clear out raider camps, escort merchants to different locations, fetch lost items- lost people..." She trailed off, somehow even tenser than she was before. She took in a deep breath before speaking again."Killing specified targets.""You were a hitman?!" Pearl recoiled away as if she had been struck, face contorted into disgust. Garnet grimaced."I 'aven't even told my parents about that." She murmured. "You’re the first person that knows. Don’t know why I trust you enough to know." The last part was said under her breath."About you killing people for money?!" Garnet winced at her tone."I don't do it anymore. I 'ad my wake-up call a long time ago." She continued scraping at the can, trying to get the last remaining residue of the soup out. At this point, it was more of a way to calm her nerves than her being hungry. "Being a hitman, you don't ask questions. Someone wants you to kill; you do it, because the money was good. And no one wanted to elaborate who the person they wanted dead was. Its always the same general description: owes them money, did them wrong, hurt their feelings, whatever." She was stabbing into her can at this point, eyes narrowed and teeth gritted together."Lots of people hired me, because I was the best at what I did. My kills were always clean and could never be traced back to my client." She stopped stabbing into her can, and her eyes softened. "One day, some guy came to see me. He looked me right in the eyes and said 'I want you to kill my wife and my two children.' That's it. No introductions, no beatin' around the bush, no general reason- he wanted me to kill them so he can be with his mistress." Her shoulders slumped and she let the can fall from her hands. Pearl's eyes widened."You killed them?""What?! No!" Garnet shot her gaze towards her, eyes holding offense in them. "Of course not! It jus'... It jus' opened my eyes. I denied him on the spot and told him to find someone else. After that, I began lookin' in to the people I killed in the past... Most 'ad families, some of them 'ad kids, others 'ad nothin' but were completely innocent.   It weighed down on me for a long time; sometimes I still 'ave nightmares bout it.' Her leg bobbed up and down."It's- it's not who I am, Pearl, I swear. I've stopped that line of work a long time ago and I regret every moment of it.""Well, what's the difference between killing targets compared to killing raiders and clusters, huh? Raiders are people too, and they have families like anyone else! And what about clusters? They're mutated humans for star's sakes, Garnet! They can feel pain!" She recalled the heartbroken wails of the basement cluster, and the screams of pain from the one at the complex. A cold shiver ran down Pearl's spine at the recollection. Garnet gritted her teeth."I never claimed to be a good person, Pearl. And I never claimed that my morals were in line, either." She chewed on her bottom lip, falling silent. Pearl kept her glare on the dark woman."Y'know, I wasn't even drunk that night; I lied about being buzzed. You were trying to entice me and I took advantage of the situation when I shouldn't 'ave." She clenched her fists into tight balls. "And I thought -even if it were jus' for a moment- about sellin' you to the Jasper for the money they were offerin'."Pearl was silent, glare melting into a look of surprise.Garnet squirmed in her seat."Look, I'm sorry. I won't defend myself, but I'm sorry." Garnet said quietly. Pearl didn't answer, staring at her with shock and hurt in her eyes. Her hand moved up to her neck-- where Garnet had kissed it the night before-- and began to rub it. It was tingling unpleasantly. Her guard fidgeted, her lips moving but no words coming out. After a moment, she stood up and walked over to her bag, shouldering it."We should go." She murmured.Pearl blinked twice, before getting to her feet. Her legs trembled slightly. She took in a deep breath in a sorrowful attempt to collect herself. Garnet looked up for a brief moment."You're crying." She said. Pearl blinked again. She wiped her eyes on the back of her arm, sniffling."It's fine."  Deathly calm and silence awaited them in the road ahead. Neither cluster nor argument stopped them in their tracks, allowing them to make progress through the war-torn city. Still, a silence thick with discomfort and tension hung in the air; neither of the two wanted to address it.Garnet walked ahead of Pearl, gaze forward and arms stiff at her side. Pearl stayed a ways behind her guard, blue eyes cast down at the cracked road and arms hugging her sides. She almost wished that there could be some distraction for them, something’s g that takes away the quiet and tension for even the slightest moment.'Is Greenzone even worth it at this point?' Pearl thought to herself, face contorting with distress. 'Will we even make it there, and if we do, will it be empty?' She squeezed her sides. She looked up at her guard for a small moment, taking in her rigid posture and pronounced limp. A hand went to the back of her neck, feeling along the brand. The loving feeling that used to fill her whenever she laid eyes on her guard had been replaced with anger and a hint of fear. She squeezed her arms even tighter and scowled, glaring daggers into the back of Garnet.'Maybe one day I'll wake up to her selling me off.' A deep part of her knew that wasn't true and she was being irrational, but she couldn't care less at the moment. Another part of her wished that her conditioning, almost forgotten by her, finally started working again so she couldn't feel this, because it hurt like hell. Despite the inner turmoil, she kept her gaze zeroed in on her guard."Stop." Pearl jumped at the sudden sound of her guard's accented voice. Was she discovered?"Why?!" She snapped. Her question was answered, however, when she tore her eyes from the back of Garnet to what was in front of her.Her stomach twisted.A large pile of bodies touched building to building in front of them. Some of them were clusters, others human, but one thing they shared in common was that they were dead and in various stages of decomposition. The bottom of the pile had corpses nearly skeletal; the very top of it had corpses still in the early stages of death. The worst part of it was the smell; the smell of copper and rot that hung thickly in the air.Pearl bent over and vomited."Body dump. We're in raider territory." Garnet said. Pearl didn't answer at first; she was still heaving out the rest of what she ate. Finally, the heaving stopped and she was quick to shove her hand over her mouth and nose."So, now you're trying to lead us to our deaths?" She said with a muffled voice. She gagged again; she could taste it, too. Garnet stiffened, but relaxed seconds after. She began to walk on ahead, moving past the body pile."Jus' be on the lookout for anyone." She murmured. Pearl scoffed and stalked after her, careful to avoid the loose limbs and bodies on the bottom of the pile.Past the dump led out into the open, where the buildings were obviously blasted away. What was more interesting was what was in front of them; a large park. It reminded her of the trees from Keystone, except the park trees had some soggy blue leaves on the branches. Pearl tried to take a step forward but found herself stopped by something on the ground. She looked down, finding that her boot had sunk deep into the muddy ground. She grabbed her thigh and pulled; her foot came loose. She looked ahead and saw that her guard was in the same predicament.Pearl looked away from her, only to see that in the far distance a cluster was being swallowed by the mud despite its desperate crawling and thrashing."The mud is a trap." She said matter-o-factly."It is, but the only way is to go forward. Try not to stand still for too long." Garnet pulled her foot loose from the mud and began to move forward. Pearl grimaced and began to walk with her.About halfway through the park, they came across a large lake, filled to the brim with bright green and awful smelling water. There were a few park benches surrounding the lake, each one having one to two skeletons on top of it. There was even one in the lake with its hand sticking out, holding a rusted glock. Pearl let out a pant as she took another heavy step. Wading through the mud was taking a toll on her body; each step felt like she had two ton weights strapped to her boots and she was already exerted. The rustling of cloth snapped her attention back to Garnet, who was unstrapping the gasmask from her bag. She turned around and held it out to her. Confusion written on her face, Pearl took the gasmask. Garnet turned back around and began to trudge through the mud once more. Pearl looked down at the mask, and then to the lake. She pulled it on.They finally reached the end of the park after what felt like hours of wading through the mud. By the time Pearl stepped on the concrete of the sidewalk her legs felt like jelly, and they almost gave out from under her. She began to take the mask off."Keep it on," Garnet said. She was near a street lamp, leaning on it as she tried to catch her breath. "Jus' for a bit longer." Pearl nodded, hands leaving the mask. After a few minutes of rest, They headed towards an alley way, passing through the tight space before finding themselves back on the streets. A large sign hung on one of the buildings, reading "JOIN TE FUZON FREDOM FITERS TDAY!" Pearl cringed at the spelling."Who are the 'Fusion Freedom Fighters?’” She asked. Garnet shrugged."I don't know; first I've seen of it." She admitted. Pearl frowned, examining the sign more."C'mon." Garnet said, and she began to walk again. Pearl sighed and followed after her.They passed by the bulk of the city traffic, no doubt where everyone was trying to evacuate. Every road they tried to head down had rows upon rows of cars awaiting them-- some of which Garnet took a bit of time to search through, coming up with nothing in the end. Eventually, the sound of pavement beneath their boots turned into the sound of crunching and clattering. Pearl tried to keep her head up, but eventually she looked down. Bones; she was stepping on bones that covered the entirety of the road."Eugh!" Pearl jumped onto the hood of the car. Her companion shot her a confused look, before turning her gaze back ahead. Swallowing, Pearl lifted herself onto her feet and began to scale along the cars, avoiding the ground."What the hell are you doing?" Pearl looked to Garnet, who was regarding her with a raised eyebrow."The bones are... slowing me down." Pearl explained. Garnet stopped and let out a heavy sigh."Pearl, get the hell down from there. People can see you from a mile away." Pearl shook her head."I don't want to step on the bones.""And I don't want to argue with you. Get down.""No!"“Pearl…” Pearl ignored the warning in her guard’s tone, still walking along the cars. Garnet followed after her with a groan. After a long minute of walking after the stubborn woman, she stopped to examine Pearl with stressed, mismatched eyes. Finally, she lifted out her arms."Would you rather I carry you?" She asked. Pearl scowled, stopping."Of course not; I don't want you touching me." She began to walk along the cars again, nose to the air. Garnet grabbed fistfuls of her curly hair, letting out noises of exasperation. She stomped over to the pale woman and grabbed her by the leg, yanking her down. With a yelp, Pearl tumbled off the hood of the car, only to be caught by Garnet. Shifting her so she was being carried bridal style in her arms; Garnet began to carry her down the streets."Let go of me!" Pearl yelled, slamming her fist against the woman's chest."Knock it off and stop yelling." Garnet growled into her ear. She stepped over the bones and skeletons of the long-dead humans. Pearl continued hitting her fist against Garnet's chest."Aw, how sweet."Garnet froze in her tracks and Pearl stopped mid-hit.Garnet whirled around, nearly dropping Pearl who held onto her shirt tightly. The jasper was smirking, taking a step forward from their spot between two vans. Behind them, two large women-- who looked exactly alike another-- and a lanky man dressed in raider garb fanned out behind them. A grin split across their scarred face as they took in the shocked expressions of both women."I see why you didn't want to sell her; you're infatuated." They quipped. Garnet didn't take her eyes off them as she set Pearl down. The pale woman scrambled to her feet and stood to attention, lips in a tight line and eyes wide with fear. Garnet's hand hovered over her gun. The three people behind the jasper pulled out their own modified AK-47's and pointed them at her. Red dot sights hovered over her forehead."No sudden movements; we wouldn't want the Topazes and the raider firing on you, now would we?" The jasper said smugly, crossing their arms. Garnet gritted her teeth, moving her hand away from the grip of her revolver. The jasper smirked."Good girl. Now hand the Pearl over.”“How did you find us?” Garnet shifted backwards, hand hovering over the small of Pearl’s back, ready to grab her if needed. The pale woman still kept still, shaky gaze on the group of gems in front of them.“Easy. We followed you.” The jasper said. They tilted their head to the side and cracked their neck. “Now hand her over.”"I said no once and I'll say it again." Garnet retorted."You had the choice before, though. This is a demand." They shifted their weight to their left leg, hand on their hip. "You should have taken the money when you had the chance.”"Pearl isn't something to be bought and traded around." Garnet growled out. The jasper snorted before letting out a boisterous laugh, bending over and placing their hands on their knees. Behind them, the two topazes began laughing as well, though the man remained confused."Wow, you really don't know how Pearl's work, huh?" The jasper wiped a tear from their eye, giggles still spilling from their lips. They eventually calmed themselves down."Alright, I'm still a bargaining gem. If you give me the Pearl, I'll let you go without incident. Deal?""No deal. Go." Garnet growled out. She placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder. She could feel her shoulder trembling under her fingertips; Garnet took her gaze off the other group for a quick moment, looking at Pearl with worry. She was quaking in her boots, and occasionally her eyes shot away from the jasper and towards the guns that the Topazes and man wielded. The jasper let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of their nose."Let's try this one more time." They took their hand away from their nose.“Give me the Pearl and leave” The jasper narrowed their eyes at Garnet. The dark woman's face remained impassive, blue and brown eyes staring right into the jasper's irritated eyes. Pearl finally tore her gaze away from the hostile group and glanced up at Garnet, wringing her hands together.“Garnet,” Pearl whispered “What are we going to-“ In lightning fast motions, Garnet’s arm wrapped around her companion's throat and yanked her back against her body, her other hand drawing her revolver from its holster and pressing the cold barrel of the gun to her temple.“Take another step forward and I'll put a bullet in her head.” Garnet threatened, glaring at the surprised attackers. The Topazes flipped the safety off of their guns, aiming them at the dark woman before the jasper raised their hand, stopping them.“Garnet?! What are you-” Garnet roughly covered Pearl’s mouth, still keeping her gaze trained the attackers.“You wouldn't.” Their smug smirk was back on their scarred face as they called Garnet’s bluff. Garnet narrowed her eyes.
Click.
She had pulled back the hammer of the gun and placed her finger on the trigger. The smug smirk fell from their lips, face etched with slight panic instead.There was a tense silence between the two groups, only broken by Pearl’s occasional panicked whimpering. Finally, the jasper let out a sigh, turning back to their guards.“Stand down.” They lowered their weapons. The jasper turned back to face Garnet.“Don’t shoot her.”“Drop your weapons.” Garnet ordered.“Fat chan-“ The jasper stopped mid-sentence, as Garnet tugged Pearl up so her toes were barely touching the ground. She twitched her finger on the trigger, pulling it back by a centimeter. Pearl’s muffled yelp sounded through the air. The jasper paled. They stood still, blue eyes glancing back forth between Garnet and Pearl. With bared teeth, they turned and gestured to the topazes and man, who lowered their weapons to the ground.“Kick them towards me.” Garnet ordered. They obeyed. She began to take small steps away from them. “Stay put.”The jasper regarded her with a scowl, before reaching behind their back abruptly. Garnet reacted first, moving her gun from Pearl’s head to the jasper. They paused, face turning red with anger.“We found you once and we can find you again. Yellow Diamond always gets what she wants, and she wants that –“
BANG!
The jasper gagged and clamped a hand over the hole in their throat. Hot blood poured out of the wound and onto their torso and ground. They staggered before falling to their knees. The other guards jumped back, looking at each other before making a scramble for their guns. Garnet pulled the hammer back and fired again, sending a bullet straight through one of the topaz’s leg. A pained cry emitted from her as she fell to the floor, grabbing at her gushing thigh."Topaz!" The other one cried. She ignored her weapon and instead fell down next to her companion, pressing her hands on the wound. Garnet ceased her chokehold on Pearl. Before the pale woman could even make a run for it Garnet had already grabbed her and hoisted her over her shoulder and began to start a hobbling-run away from the scene. The man snapped out of his shock and dove for his gun on the ground, grabbing it and sprinting after them.Buildings rushed at them in blurred colors as Garnet sped through the road, sometimes vaulting over cars in her way and zipping through different alleys. Still, the man kept at her feet, chasing after her and firing his gun at her feet. Garnet had turned a corner when a bullet connected to her left calf."Gah!" Garnet fell forward, hitting the pavement hard and dropping Pearl in the process. The duo skidded along the ground until they came to a stopping point near a building foundation. With a panicked and pained gasp, Pearl began to lift herself up, looking up at the man closing in on them. She trembled and looked away, searching on the ground for anything that she could use as a weapon. Her hand grabbed for a chunk of cinderblock. She gripped it tightly as she forced herself onto her knees and drew her hand back, taking aim and-The front of the man’s chest exploded, sending bone and blood everywhere as he stumbled backwards with a pained scream. Pearl snapped her head towards her guard, who was pointing her revolver directly at the man's position. Without a word, she holstered it and forced herself up, stumbling forward. Pearl glanced to her leg, where the bullet had gone through it.No blood.She couldn't think of it any longer as Garnet stumbled towards her and grabbed for her hand. She began to limp towards another alley, dragging the shocked woman along the ground.The alley was a tight space that could barely fit them, but it hid their position well from anyone that might be prowling around the streets. Garnet let go of Pearl’s hand and staggered over to the wall, leaning on it and clutching at her left leg. She let out a grunt, but it wasn’t pained.Pearl kept very still. She could hear the sound of her own pulse and blood rushing behind her ears, making hearing anything else almost impossible. A shaking hand moved to her temple. It still felt as if the cold barrel of Garnet's revolver was still there. She threatened to shoot her. And had her finger twitched more than an inch on the gun, she could have made due on that promise.It sickened her."Are you alright?" Garnet rasped out at last, trying to catch her breath. Pearl didn’t hear her until the fourth repetition, and even then when she tried to speak her lips only moved soundlessly, wide eyes unblinking. Garnet turned around at her lack of an answer, taking in her state."Shit." She forced herself away from the wall and stumbled over to her. "I-I'm sorry Pearl. I... I panicked. It was the first thing-" She stopped, as when she tried to reach out to her companion she jolted away from her.“Don’t!” Her voice was two pitches higher than normal. She cleared her throat. “Don’t.” Garnet grimaced, drawing her hand away from the distressed woman.“I’m sorry.” She repeated. Pearl shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face into them afterwards. Her guard stood still, favoring one leg over the other. Regret was clear in her mismatched eyes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Artificial

Old floorboards creaked underneath Pearl and Garnet's boots as they neared the apartment stairwell. Garnet grabbed ahold of the loose railing, using it to steady herself as she eased up the rickety stairs. Pearl scooted past her, speeding up the case until she came across steps that had long since rotted away into splinters and foundation. She took the time to ease herself upwards along the wall in order to avoid those set of stairs. Garnet neared the set as well, frowning as she looked over the missing steps; she looked up at Pearl for help. The pale woman didn't even glance back at her as she continued forward.A grimace spread across Garnet's face as she prodded her foot at the foundation, testing its stability. Once deemed safe enough she took gentle steps upwards, sucking in a breath when it gave right after her foot left it. Up ahead Pearl had already reached the second set of stairs and was crossing up that one, eyes forward as she ignored her guard. Garnet cursed under her breath as she began to pick up her speed as best as she could with her injured leg.When she reached the fourth and final set of stairs, Pearl was already up there leaning against the wall and waiting for her. Garnet let out a breath as she looked to the steps; the middle was missing."I can't get up there." Garnet finally broke the silence, blushing as she admitted her inability to do something as simple as crossing a hole in a set of stairs. Pearl didn't even look at her as she responded."I don't believe that is my problem." Garnet furrowed her brow."Pearl.""Garnet." She turned and walked out of her guard's view. "Figure it out." She added as an afterthought. Garnet growled, mismatched eyes narrowing at the spot the pale woman was just standing in. She drew her gaze away and looked back towards the railing. She tested it, noting how it was sturdier than the railing downstairs. With a huff, she grabbed onto it and allowed her feet to leave the stair, using pure upper body strength to scale across the railing and the massive hole in the stairwell. By the time her feet touched a solid surface again, she was panting with exertion and her arms ached terribly. With a grunt, she shook out her arms and trudged the rest of her way up.Pearl was hanging out by a door labelled "5" in the corridor. Garnet caught up to her and her companion turned around and headed into the room, closing the door right behind her."Really?" Garnet said. An aggravated groan slipped past her lips as she twisted the knob and shoved the door open.The apartment was as messy as to be expected. A cold breeze drifted in through the large hole where the ceiling had collapsed into the room, and Garnet could see the apartment below them through the massive hole in the center of the floor."S’ in good shape." As good in shape as it could get. She limped towards a couch broken in half and took a seat on the stiff cushioning. Pearl was examining the kitchen. Her hands reached for a picture frame lying down on the counter, thumb brushing over the dusty cracked glass as she examined it."What would people's lives be like back then?" She murmured to herself. The picture was of a female and her dog, the former smiling broadly and the latter panting."Safe, but boring." Garnet responded. Pearl hummed in agreement. She swept the rest of the dust off the frame and set it upright on the counter. With a final look at the picture, she turned away from it and strode into the master bedroom.The bedroom had a queen-sized bed long since dismantled and two nightstands stacked on top of one another. Pearl headed towards the nightstands, opening up the drawers and looking through them. Nothing. She shut the drawers and moved to one of the two doors in the room. The first one led into the bathroom, she discovered as she opened it up and looked inside. The ceramic of the toilet and sink was painted brown with grime, emitting an awful smell that made Pearl's nose crinkle as she drew towards the counter. She opened up the medicine cabinet underneath the mirror and searched through there.Medicine over one hundred years expired is what was mostly found in the top cabinet; the bottom held bandages and-"Nic-o-teen?" Pearl tested out the unfamiliar word as she looked over the box of patches. She turned it over in her petite hand, reading the faded instructions on the back. She reached for the bandages in the cabinet and tucked them under her armpit, walking out of the bathroom and to the next door; a closet. Nothing in there except clothing that had been eaten away and rotted into unusable strips. She shut the closet door and headed out of the bedroom and into the main room.Garnet was sitting on the couch, left boot off and set onto the coffee table in front of her as she toyed with her leg with a screwdriver. Pearl raised an eyebrow as she drew forth, struggling to get a glimpse of her leg from behind her body and the couch. The moment Garnet heard her, the screwdriver was thrown onto the cushioning and her pant leg was hastily shoved down."What are you doing?" Pearl narrowed her eyes as she stepped behind the couch and dropped the supplies in the messenger bag sitting on the arm of it."What did you find in the bedroom?" Garnet changed the subject with ease. Pearl gritted her teeth."What were you doing and why did you hide it when I walked in?" She noticed how her guard sat up straighter, shoulders tense."I wasn't doing anythin' that you should concern yourself with, Pearl.""What else are you hiding?" Pearl pressed on."Leave it." Garnet growled out in response, hunching forward away from her and tilting her head enough so that she could peer at her with one dark brown eye. "Go check out the rest of the house." She ordered her. The order sparked something within Pearl; she was quick to move away from the couch and into the left hallway. At the end of it was a door; Pearl opened it and examined the guest bedroom. A twin-sized bed lay perfectly intact in the corner of the room, as well as a nightstand that Pearl strode over to check out. The top drawer held nothing, but the bottom had an assortment of books inside it. The pale woman's eyes glinted with excitement as she pulled them out and began to inspect the covers; she hadn't seen any of them before, neither in the upper and lower caste libraries nor in Pink-Diamond's personal library. She set the books back down in the drawer, carefully closing it. She then turned to the bed and took a seat on it. It was quite stiff-- a result of being over hundreds of years old, Pearl supposed-- but it still felt better than sleeping on the ground. Pearl laid back on it and allowed her body to relax, closing her eyes and enjoying the comfort.After a few minutes, Pearl sat back up and strode towards the doorway. She walked out and headed to a door beside the one she came out of. It was a second bathroom, only this one had nothing that could be searched through. She closed the door and headed back to the main room. She didn't get to have a glimpse of Garnet's leg before her pant leg was pulled down. The dark woman looked up at her with mismatched eyes."Find anythin'?" She asked. Pearl nodded as she began to approach her with small steps."I found books in a nightstand," She continued to draw closer “and there is a twin-sized bed in the room that is good for sleeping on." By the time she had finished her sentence, she was only inches away from Garnet. Her guard must've figured out what she was going to do, as she started to shrink away. Pearl acted fast, lunging onto her and grabbing her leg with both hands."Stop! Get off!" Garnet shouted, pushing on the pale woman’s chest with both hands. Pearl kept a vice grip on her leg, trying to pull the cloth up. Garnet slapped one hand on top of it and used the other to try and push her."I need to know!""No you fuckin' don't! Let go!" Pearl grunted when the aggravated woman kicked her none-too-gently in her chest, but still she held on despite her thrashing.The sound of skin hitting skin sounded through the room as Garnet slapped her full-force across the face. The shock was enough to make Pearl let go and fall back, hand caressing her stinging cheek. Wide blue eyes looked up to meet her guard's mismatched ones before they narrowed into slits."Did you just hit me?"Garnet snorted."Obviously.""You really haven't been holding back on showing me how awful you are, have you?" She forced herself to stand on legs that were wobbling, and she hated how she could feel the beginnings of tears behind her eyes. "What's so big of a secret that you hide your injuries from me?!" Her voice cracked and the tears began to fall."What happened to ignoring me? Can't you go back to that?" Garnet said, concern flashing in her eyes for a brief moment once she spotted the tears trailing down Pearl's cheeks. Her face quickly returned to an emotionless mask."As mad as I am, I can't ignore you forever and especially not while you are injured!" Pearl retorted. She wiped her eyes on the back of her arm. Garnet sneered."Fuck off."Pearl stopped her motion. Her eyes narrowed."Excuse me?""You heard me. Fuck off."Something in Pearl snapped."Oh fuck you and fuck your bullshit Garnet! You're horrid and awful and such a childish piece of-""When ‘ave I been childish?!" Garnet interrupted, shooting up from the couch to her feet. Her mismatched eyes were wild with anger and her teeth ground together. Pearl could see a vein popping up against the skin of her neck."You're joking, right? Or are you too stupid to realize that what just happened was childish?" Pearl scowled at her guard as she spat out the words."I would argue that you yellin’ at me right now is childish!" Garnet countered. Pearl tangled her hands in her hair and pulled at the thin, clumped strands.“You slapped me you twat!”“Maybe you deserved it.” Garnet crossed her muscular arms over her chest, straightening her posture to rise to her full height.“Really? You think I deserve it?” Pearl challenged. Her face began to turn red “I have done nothing to you but show concern for your wellbeing—even after you betrayed my trust- and you think I deserved it?!”Garnet began to open her mouth, but Pearl continued on."I hate you and I can see why someone would leave you for dead in the wasteland! At least whoever left you when you were a child had the foresight to see what an awful person you are!" She snapped. Garnet scoffed."What, are you trying hurt me?  It's not working.""And how selfish can an outsider be?!" She continued on without stop “You threatened me at gunpoint so you can save your own skin? You’re a coward!" She didn't take notice to how her guard’s cheek twitched in response to her words. “A lousy coward only cares about herself and no one else!”“I care about you.” Garnet tried to counter.“Really? Do you? You call taking advantage of me caring? You call almost selling me off to a jasper caring? You call putting a gun to my head caring? You outsiders have such a way of showing how you care.” Pearl seethed. Her fists clenched into tight balls at her side. Her face was as red as her hair."You should have given me up to the jasper so I wouldn't have to deal with you anymore!" She took a moment to breathe, the air burning her raw throat. She narrowed her eyes at Garnet, who was staring at her emotionlessly."What?" She sneered "Have nothing to say? Or is it because you know it's all true?" At her words, Garnet's calm facade melted into a look of dejectedness. She took a seat back down on the couch and kept her mouth shut. Pearl scoffed."You’re pathetic. You really are pathetic. You deserve whatever happened to your leg.” It was rubbing salt in the wounds at this point, but Pearl couldn't help but go on.“I get it, Pearl.” Garnet murmured, not looking up at the pale woman. Pearl let out a huff.“I’m going to go check out the other apartments." She moved around the couch and stomped to the front door. Her guard said nothing.Pearl slammed the door shut behind her and headed towards the door in front of the one she was standing near. She flipped around and slid down it, angry scowl falling into a look of guilt as she mulled over her words."I didn't mean that." She whispered to herself. She let out a soft sigh as she rubbed her eye. She just wanted her to feel the hurt that she felt.'But I shouldn't have used that stuff against her.' Her logical mind said to her. 'She doesn't deserve hearing that.''But she betrayed your trust!' Her face contorted as the next voice appeared. 'She used you!' Her mind was a storm of thoughts. Pearl let out a groan as she pressed her hands to her temples."It was still wrong." She whispered to herself. "You need to apologize."‘She should be the one apologizing to you!’‘We both need to apologize. I should be the one to do it first.’ The other side of her wanted to protest again, but she pushed it down and forced herself to her feet and trudged to the door. She took in a deep breath, eyes drifting closed as she collected herself and pushed down the remnants of her anger. Letting out the breath, she opened the door and walked in.Garnet was still sitting on the couch, motionless. Pearl couldn't see her expression due to her looking forward."Garnet." She called her. Her guard didn't react."I shouldn't 'ave hit you." She sounded monotonous, but apologetic. Pearl stepped forward towards the couch and moved around it to take a seat on the opposite half."No, you shouldn't have." She agreed.Silence filled the air between them.Pearl swallowed, leg bobbing up and down."You were shot, but you're not bleeding." She said. Garnet let out a groan."I thought you were going to leave me alone.""I saw the scars back at the lake." Pearl continued as if the dark woman never interjected. She spared a glance over to her. Annoyance and discomfort was written on her face, but she showed no sign of interrupting."Are you ashamed of it?" She moved her gaze down to Garnet's leg. Her guard scoffed."Why do you care? You insulted me about it a minute ago.""I don't know."More silence.Garnet thumbed at her pant leg, feeling the material of the dirty cloth. Pearl thought about the trust she used to have in Garnet, and about the trust Garnet had in her. She didn't know the extent of it, but she knew it was enough for the darker woman to share her past with her."Do you not trust me enough to know?" She tried. Her guard let out a small, humorless laugh."We’ve met almost a fortnight ago, Pearl." She sat up a bit straighter. "We ‘ave no reason to trust each other. The only reason we were even civil before this mornin’ was because we ‘ad sex. And that temporary-trust is now gone after what I admitted." She added on the last part with bitterness. Pearl's eyebrows sloped and she looked down at her lap."Yeah..." She agreed quietly. Garnet gritted her teeth."Once I get you to Greenzone, we'll never see each other again, you realize that?" She growled out.Pearl's stomach twisted.As much as she wanted to hate the dark woman, hearing those words made lead form into her belly and her neck tingle unpleasantly. She swallowed, throat bobbing up and down."You... you could put in a request for visitation. Pink Diamond isn't as strict as-" Garnet's cruel laughter stopped her. She looked over to her, eyes shining with mirth."You really expect me to make the trip through Empire City to see you?"Pearl flushed."The base won't be in Empire City; the Diamond's do not share territory.""That's not the point," Garnet sighed. "I can barely get through Keystone half the time without getting hurt or nearly killed. Any place outside of that? I'm done for." She finished off with a frown.  Pearl shook her head, eyes not leaving Garnet's face."No, that's not true. You are as experienced as-""As someone who never stepped outside of Percy until 7 months ago. I know nothin’ when it comes to survival." The dark woman interrupted. Pearl's heart clenched at the look of sadness on her face."That's not true." She weakly countered. Garnet scoffed and shook her head."How many times 'ave I nearly died, Pearl? In fact, how many times 'ave you 'ad to save my arse?"Pearl went quiet, sucking in a sharp breath. Garnet frowned and looked back down at her lap."I'm not as strong as you like to think Pearl. Sometimes I think you are stronger by a far margin." Her gaze was almost entirely on her left leg as she spoke. "I've 'ad my moments of weakness too." She clutched at her left thigh, before moving her hand down to her left boot. The sound of a zipper filled the air. Garnet tugged off her boot and yanked her pant leg up to her knee. She reached for her sock, but halted. Her hand wavered; her face showed inner conflict. As if snapping out of a trace, she shook her head and yanked the sock off.Pearl's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips.Garnet blushed at her reaction, turning her gaze away from her prosthetic leg and to the wall left of her. She placed her elbow down on the arm of the couch and rested her head in her palm. Pearl’s eyes repeatedly scanned over the prosthetic, taking it in but still not believing that it was actually there in front of her. She reached a hesitant hand out to it, feeling over the broken metal shin guard attached to the front of it; it was cold and very, very real."Garnet..." Pearl finally got out. Her guard stiffened at the sound of her name. "How?" Garnet let out a shaky breath."Because I am selfish, a coward, and pathetic." She said through clenched teeth. Pearl's heart dropped."I didn't mean that, Garnet. I am just.... I was just angry with you.""Don't bullshit me," Garnet growled out. "You meant all of it. Every last word." Her free hand clutched at the cushioning of the couch."And I deserved to hear it all." She finished off quietly. Pearl's mouth moved, but what to say escaped her. She moved her hand away from the dark woman's leg and to her thigh, squeezing it. The muscles tensed up from the contact. Her mind was a storm of thoughts; she took a moment to collect them."Do you need me to tend to it?" She asked at last. Garnet perked up, eyes widened in surprise. The mismatched eyes seemed to search her face, as if trying to determine whether or not she was joking. After a while, Garnet brought her leg close to her body, resting the mechanical foot on the cushion."... I lost a screw back at the house, in the basement-" Pearl recalled the "clink' she heard when her guard fell on the stairs "It's been rickety ever since. I'm pretty sure the bullet might ‘ave broke something, but I don't know what." Garnet poked at her leg as she spoke.“Then will you let me help you?” Pearl asked. Garnet tensed up. After a long while, she nodded once. Pearl nodded in return. Lifting herself off the couch, she moved to Garnet's spot and knelt on the floor in front of her. She reached her thin fingers towards the top, near the socket, and brushed them over the screw hole on the hinge under it."How does it work?" She asked her guard. She looked around it, searching for the bullet hole."Hell if I know," Garnet shifted her leg to the side, allowing Pearl to see the back of it, "Bismuth is the one who designed it. All I know is that it’s light enough for it to work on hinges, but stable enough for me to walk and stand on it." Pearl's eyebrow rose up as she mulled over the name. A sudden gasp left her as she remembered the blacksmith back at Percy."The one that thought I was a bird?" She looked up to her for confirmation. A chuckle spilled free from Garnet's lips."It was a term of endearment Pearl. She didn't actually think you were a bird." The pale woman kneeling before her didn't answer, all focus on the bullet hole and the bullet stuck inside it. She reached her index in, touching the butt of it and wiggling it. It was loose."Does it hurt?" She asked. Another chuckle escaped from the dark woman."Course not; can't feel anythin’ below my knee.""Okay, I was just making sure." With that, she began to wiggle the bullet with more fervor, until it loosened up. "Lift your leg." Garnet did as told. The bullet fell from the hole and hit the floor, rolling under the couch. She set her leg back down near Pearl, who peered into the now-empty hole."It looks like it might've exited and hit the shin guard; I can't see that well." An irritated hum escaped Garnet's lips."There's nothing I can do about that. I'll 'ave to ask Bismuth to fix it when I get back to Percy. She gently pushed Pearl away from her as she reached down for her discarded sock, pulling it back on as well as her boot. She shoved her pant leg back down."Thank you, Pearl." She offered the pale woman a half-hearted smile, one that showed no happiness in it. Pearl bit her lip and scratched the back of her neck."It was... the least I could do."Garnet frowned."I deserved to hear it, Pearl.""No, you didn't." Her companion sighed, thin shoulders slumping. "I could have found a better way to express my anger rather than using your past and injuries against you. It was wrong."Garnet said nothing. She was back to fiddling with the cloth of her pants. Her eyebrows sloped and a frown made its way onto her face.“It was true though.”“Garnet…”"It... happened a few years ago." She said, so quietly that Pearl didn't even hear her at first. She had to strain to listen."In Percy, the moment you turn 14 you are drafted into the town militia. It's their way of teachin’ you survival skills and how to fight while also keepin’ Percy protected. It lasts for a couple months, but I liked it so much that I stayed in there. I made a couple of friends that were a part of my squadron." She started to pick at loose threads, pulling them until they snapped."It was easy; most of the time you were on patrol routes or stationed at the gates. No raider wanted to attack Percy because we attracted merchants that gave them a lot more loot for a lot less trouble. I never saw action outside of whatever I spotted in the distance from the guard tower. I was 15 when we had our first attack.""The one that killed most of the people?" Pearl interjected. Garnet seemed somewhat startled at her words."You remember that?""I tend to remember most of what you tell me." Pearl said with a shrug of her shoulders and small blush on her cheeks. Garnet smiled and averted her gaze back to the floor. The smile disappeared."They surrounded us so quickly, overwhelmed our forces and took hostages; killed anyone that resisted. I left with my squadron to help defend. We were confident that we would kill all the raiders because of our trainin’ and how well we did together as a team." She let out a small laugh. "It was the adrenaline and overconfidence talkin’, but surprisingly enough, we did well against them. Killed about half of the group and sent the remaining ones runnin’ for the hills." She leaned back against the couch, looking up at the ceiling."I thought we won; didn't see the guy behind us. Didn't see the grenade he threw until my squadron was shouting at me to throw it back. I… I froze up." Her voice became watery. Pearl's heart clenched and she reached for Garnet's hand, only for her to jerk it away before she could touch it. "We were trapped between three walls with no cover. It was going to kill us unless I threw it back. I could ‘ave saved them… but I ran. Right past the grenade." She allowed her head to drop down, turning her gaze back to her lap. She didn't say anything for a long time, only taking in shaky breaths."I didn't want to die." She repeated. "So I let them die instead. It killed them all, everyone one of them: Dom, Sharky, Rudy, Al-"Garnet stopped to hold a hand over her mouth, shoulders jumping rapidly. Her eyes were reddened, but dry."I let them die, Pearl.""Garn-""Because I wanted to live. I... I let them-" She kept on talking but no sound came forth. She took her hand away from her mouth and slammed it on her thigh. Her teeth were gritted together."Everyone at Percy called me their 'wounded hero'; no one knows that I came out the wounded hero because I abandoned my friends." She gripped at her calf. "The shrapnel shredded my leg, my back, and my sides. The worst of the damage was below my left knee. Doctor Maheswaran told me that I probably was never gonna walk again. To add insult to injury, I developed such a bad infection that it needed to be amputated at my calf midway. Turned that ‘probably’ to a definitely." She pulled up her pant leg and took off her boot and sock again. She looked down at the prosthetic leg with resentment."I stayed in bed for a year, shuttin’ everyone and everythin’ out. barely ate, barely slept, jus' sat there all day wishing that I ‘ad died with them, or at least threw the fuckin’ grenade away instead being the coward I am. One day, Bismuth came to visit me. She presented me with this out-of-the-world contraception and told me she made it for me "In return for my services to the people of Percy." Garnet spat out the last part with venom. "I told her to leave me alone and take the leg with her because I didn't deserve it. She jus' shook her head and left it by my bed and told me that I couldn't let myself be miserable forever, and that my squadron- my friends would want me to wear it. I told her she didn't know jack shit.""Still, she left it there. And it stayed there for a month until one day I came to the realization that I ‘adn't ’ad anyone visit me since Bismuth, and I ‘adn't seen the sun in a year. I don't know exactly what did it, but I know those two things led up to me trying the leg on." Garnet paused as she felt the cold metal of the shin guard with one hand. Pearl leaned forward, invested."And?""I fell. I tried taking a step and I fell. Turns out usin’ a prosthetic leg as a substitute for a real one and not walkin’ for a year makes you unlearn how to do it. Naturally, I got frustrated so I jus' threw it off. I lasted an hour before I put it back on and walked outside to see the sun for the first time since the amputation. It sparked somethin’ in me, and after that day, I worked with Doctor Maheswaran and Bismuth to learn how to use it. It took a year, but I relearned how to walk and even run with it." Garnet seemed to finish, as she said no more. Pearl shifted in her seat."Was there a happy ending in there?" She asked cautiously. Garnet snorted."I wish. When I was finally ready to explore again, I went straight to the bar and drank the rest of my depression and memories of the incident away. And whenever I was at least remotely sober, I would go off and kill people for money to pay off my medical bills and pay back my parents for all they did for me. I 'adn't changed much; still the piece of shit I've always been.""That's not true." Pearl said with a frown."You said it yourself earlier. I bet you weren't expectin’ to hit the nail on the head, were you?" Garnet said bitterly."We don't have nails and even if we did, I wouldn't be hitting them on anyone's head!" Pearl shouted. Garnet let out a small laugh."It's an expression.""Well it's not a very good one." Pearl said with a frown. She scooted closer to her guard, to the point where their thighs were touching. She opened her mouth but closed it quickly. She took a second to gather her thoughts."You… You remind me of Pearl 03; she didn't think very highly of herself either." Pearl said after a moment. Garnet hummed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking ahead."We used to be friends- well, more than that. She was a part of the lower caste while I was Pink Diamond's personal Pearl. The only time we saw each other was in our barracks or in passing. The relationship we had, to say the least, was inappropriate in the eyes of the diamonds." She bit her lip as memories of the woman resurfaced; she could already feel sadness ebb in her. "She... died in the attack. I can only hope it was quick.""I'm sorry for your loss." Garnet offered. Pearl shook her head, eyes closing."Sometimes I have dreams about that night, sometimes I sit awake and wonder if I could have saved her or anyone else had I woken up from the explosion earlier. But I-""But you couldn't, so now you 'ave to live with it." Garnet finished for her, turning her gaze away from the wall and to the smaller woman. Pearl nodded. Garnet turned her gaze back ahead."I guess that's somethin’ we 'ave in common," She said with a cruel smile " 'aving people we care about die because of our inaction. Least you 'ad an excuse though.""You can't beat yourself up over it, Garnet. How long has it been?" Pearl tried. She touched a hand to her thigh, grateful to find that the woman didn’t tense up or draw away again. The dark woman took in a deep breath through her nose."Almost 4 years." She responded."You need to let go.""Don't you think I’ve tried?" Garnet growled, eyeing her angrily. "It's not as easy as you think. I can still hear them callin’ my name at night."Pearl didn't press on. She had nothing to say, really. Instead, she drew away from her guard and scooted back to the other broken side of the couch. Garnet leaned her head on her palm and placed her elbow on the arm of the couch, not saying anything else. Pearl looked back at her with a frown; she couldn't leave it at that.
Say you’re sorry.
"Thank you... for trusting me enough to tell me."Garnet looked back at her with surprise. She shuffled in her spot."Thank you for listenin’."The sun set outside.  The sound of rain hitting the window filled the guest bedroom as Pearl rolled around in the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. She found it amusing how sleeping on the ground almost seemed preferable. She looked down at Garnet, who was lying down on the sleeping mat below the bed, knocked out and snoring. Her teeth dug into her lip as her eyes trailed down her body and to her leg. Out of all the things she expected to be wrong with it, she didn't expect it to be prosthetic. It did make a lot of sense, though, reflecting back on certain incidents.Lightning struck outside, briefly lighting up the room with bright blue before thunder roared. Pearl let out a yelp, jumping back and hitting her back against the wall. Garnet's snoring ceased."Wha-s'it?" She murmured, head poking up over the bed. Pearl could barely see her face."Wha's wron'?"Nothing, the lightning scared me." Pearl assured her. She thought to herself for a moment, before speaking again."Do you want to switch spots? I can't sleep on this bed." She heard Garnet mumble something. "Speak up, I can't hear you.""You can't sleep 'cause 'm not wit' you." Her voice was heavily slurred. She fell back onto her mat and snuggled into it, letting out a deep breath through her nose. Pearl's cheeks warmed."That's not true!" She defended. "I can do fine sleeping without you!" The dark woman didn't respond, already snoring again. Pearl let out a huff and flipped to her other side. She didn't need her with her; she still wasn’t sure if she was comfortable enough with having her near.'That's not what you were saying earlier, touching her thigh and leg and getting all cuddly while she was revealing her tragic past to you.' Her mind argued back.'It was necessary!' She internally shouted a retort. 'She needed to be comforted and reassured. She would have done the same for me.' Pearl pulled the covers up to her nose and shut her eyes, attempting to sleep.After an hour, she gave up with a groan and reached down to shake Garnet's shoulder. The dark woman jumped and grabbed her wrist, looking up at her with wide, glassy eyes."Wha'?""Come up here." Pearl tugged at her wrist, forcing the dark woman up. Garnet let out a whine of protest, pulling her wrist from her grip and falling back on the mat."Lemme sleep.""I need you up here so I can sleep, now get up here!""It was a joke" Her guard murmured. "You can sleep fine.""Do you want to start making things up to me?" Pearl pressed on. A single blue eye opened and looked up at Pearl with interest. The pale woman took in a deep breath."Then come up here and sleep with me." With a little more grumbling, Garnet forced herself up and onto the bed. Her muscular arms reached out to Pearl with intent to pull her close. She shrunk away at first; Garnet's hands groped at the air as she tried to find her body.
Do I really want her touching me again?
Before Pearl could even think of the answer, Garnet had already rolled over on her side. She let out a soft sigh.
No, I don't. What we discussed and what I learned doesn't change what she did to me.
She rolled over so she was facing the wall.
At least it helped me understand her more.
She craned her head back, peering at her guard over her shoulder. A small smile found its way onto her face before quickly disappearing. She faced the wall again and snuggled into the sheets, letting out a sigh as exhaustion began to set in.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

On All Sides
 No words were spoken between the two women the morning they woke up, nor were any spoken in the mid-day as they trudged along the crumbled and debris riddled roads of Empire City. Trouble didn't cross them; in fact, it almost seemed to avoid them, as the few clusters they spotted were always going in the opposite direction. It felt relieving to not be threatened by danger.Pearl kicked a rock aside; it skid across the pavement and slammed into a car. She mused about the familiarity of the action; something she had done the first time her and Garnet met. She looked towards her guard, leading the way down the road, head held up high and shoulders squared. She frowned; she didn't mind the quiet, but the standoffish attitude the dark woman had was concerning. She wasn't exactly sure what brought in the behavior-- though her mind pointed out the talk they had yesterday, it didn't seem fitting for her to act this way because of it."How is your leg?" Pearl broke the silence. Garnet let out a grunt, shrugging. Pearl frowned."You could articulate yourself." She suggested. The dark woman said nothing in response. A scoff left her thin lips, but Pearl didn't press.Maybe it had something to do with how they woke up this morning, tangled in each other's arms and legs in a sloppy embrace. Pearl had immediately began to pull away when she awoken, waking Garnet up in the process who also began to pull away. No words of outrage were exchanged; only apologetic glances and slight blushes. Pearl thought that maybe Garnet felt like a line was crossed and didn't want to make things any worse."I thought the way we woke up was funny." Pearl commented out of the blue. "At least it didn't end up with me kicking you between the legs." A forceful laugh escaped her as she tried to clear the awkward air. Garnet still said nothing. A sigh escaped her and she deflated, shoulders slumping and head turning downwards.It irritated her to no end how she was still getting hung up over the behavior of a woman who did her wrong.Garnet stopped in her tracks, large hands grasping for her bag and pulling out the map from the main compartment. She unfolded it and looked it over."City border is 15 miles away."It irritated her to no end how saddened she was that the first words her guard said to her all day were of her informing her how close they were to never seeing each other again."We'll reach it in the evening.""I thought we had another day of travelling?""I'm not good at measuring distances." Garnet said in response. She folded the map and stuffed it back in her bag."Pine city is livelier than Empire City and Keystone; we should actually see civilization there."  She added."How would you know?" It wasn’t malicious-- only genuine."I asked travellin’ merchants; lots of them come from Pine City." Garnet answered. She reached down to brush away dirt on her pants before continuing on. Pearl strode after her, a frown etched on her face.“You're being distant.”“I don't ‘ave much to say.” Garnet defended simply. Pearl sped up so she could walk by her side; she noticed how Garnet stiffened in response.“Well, I don't have much to say either, but I'm still making conversation.” The dark woman stopped again and a heavy, burdened sigh left her lips.“Pearl,” Her voice was exasperated, “Last night opened wounds that ‘adn’t even healed properly yet; I apologize, but I’m not in a talkative mood today.” She didn't wait for a response or a reaction from her companion before she began walking again. Pearl felt a small hint of regret pang through her; she hadn't even considered that she would still be hurting.‘Right, no more talking. We can find a different way to reconcile before Greenzone.’ Pearl thought to herself. She waited until her guard was a few feet ahead of her before she began her stride again.Eventually, the sky darkened considerably as black rain clouds replaced the overcast grey. Small droplets of soot-colored rain fell from the sky and plopped onto the exposed skin of Pearl’s arm and face. She grimaced, cursing herself- not for the first time- for ripping her sleeve off days earlier. Garnet tugged her own brown jacket closer to her body, zipping it up. The rain was annoying, but manageable, thought Pearl.The thought didn't linger long, as only minutes later a wild wind began to whip against them, slowing them down and throwing the majority of rain at their bodies.“We should take cover!” Pearl yelled through the howl of the wind, squinting as she tried to see past the rain stinging at her eyes. Garnet shook her head.“It’s fine!” She called back, lifting an arm to shield her eyes from the rain. Pearl ground her teeth together.“Don't be stubborn!” At her words Garnet’s shoulders rose up and fell, as if she were heaving a sigh. She walked on for a bit longer before she changed direction, going left towards a car. Pearl followed after her, watching as her guard threw open the driver's door and took a seat inside, shutting it afterwards. She stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do until her guard beckoned her with a hand. The pale woman circled around the car, opening the passenger door and slipping inside it. Shutting the door rendered the deafening howl of the wind into a low rumble. The car shook lightly from the force of it. She relaxed back in the seat.“Check the pockets.” The order made Pearl snap to attention, hands moving on their own accord to the side pockets of the car. She found nothing, so she sat back. Her face twisted into a grimace.“Can you… could you please not do that?” Garnet looked over at her, stoic.“Do what?”“Order me… It has a profound effect, if you couldn't tell.” A black eyebrow arched up in response to her explanation.“Your conditioning?” Garnet asked. Pearl nodded. The dark woman tsked and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.“So, is it something they beat into you?” Pearl bit her lip.“No. Conditioning with violence is counterproductive according to Pink Diamond; punishments are rarely handed out. In fact, a lot of gems believe Onyxes have the easiest jobs because of that. Though, personally… I've had to visit them numerous times.” Pearl traced a finger on her stomach as she spoke, wincing as memories surfaced. Garnet eyed the motion.“Then did they keep a radio by your crib that played subliminal messages while you slept?” Garnet said. Pearl shook her head.“We don't have cribs.”“No?”“We don't need them.” Pearl added. Garnet let out a small hum."Then how do they do it?""It's just how we are made." Pearl answered simply. She clasped her hands together and laid them on her stomach, staring at the droplets running down the front window of the car. Garnet leaned forward towards her, outstretching an arm towards the glove box. Pearl shrunk back in an effort to not brush against her guard. Garnet snapped the glove box open and it dropped down, revealing nothing inside. She leaned back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest again, left leg bobbing up and down."How long do you think until the storm passes?" Pearl asked. Garnet shrugged. Thunder rumbled outside. "It's seems like it’s getting worse.""It always gets worse before it gets better." Garnet said. Her head tilted over to her shoulder and she looked out the window. "Looks like we'll be waitin' awhile. Get comfortable." Pearl let out a small 'oh'. An awkward air filled the car, felt by both women. An hour later the storm was beginning to calm down, but strikes of lightning in the distance kept the two women from leaving the car. Nothing more was said between them since their last words; Pearl felt as though the silence was maddening; the sound of rain hitting the window and wind blowing against the car turned from ambient to annoying faster than she anticipated. She shifted around in her seat, biting her lip and moving a hand to her nape so she could trace her index finger over her brand. A soft snore sounded through the car. Pearl looked over to see that Garnet was fast asleep.'That can't be comfortable.' Her head was laying on the car door at a near 90 degree angle. No doubt she would be waking up with neck pain. With a swallow and a pang of nervousness, she leaned over towards the dark woman and gently maneuvered her hand under her head, lifting it so it instead rested on the headrest of the car seat. She drew away from her, shaking out her tingling hand.
Why do you care so much?
She rested against her own seat, furrowing her brow as she stared out the window, watching the rain and lightning. She didn't answer the internal question, because she didn't know how to. A snore turned her attention back to Garnet for a brief moment. She observed her face, trying to ignore the warmth that spread through her in favor for focusing on her anger towards her.Pearl gritted her teeth. She tried to convince herself that maybe it wasn't her guard she would miss, but the ability to be free, and that’s why her stomach twisted every time the thought of leaving her came to mind. She had begun to associate freedom with Garnet, and thought of returning back to the life of order was... suffocating.
Do I even want to go to Greenzone anymore?
She was beginning to understand why strict rules against freedom were set in place in the regime.'I could ask her to take me back to Percy... she would comply, right?' The thought entered her mind suddenly. A cold feeling washed over her. Why was she thinking like this?! There was nothing wrong with her life by Pink Diamond's side! She was starting to curse herself when Garnet stirred in her sleep, mumbling something out before falling over to rest her head on Pearl's lap. Her body tensed up, arms kept sealed to her side and eyes growing large. The curly-haired woman showed no sign of waking up, and Pearl found herself cursing the fact that her guard was a heavy sleeper.'Well, I can't just wake her!' Her thighs were beginning to tingle in response to Garnet resting on them, a sure sign that she still wasn't okay with the act of touching her. As if it couldn't get any worse, the weather began to pick up, the rain falling harder than before and the wind howling again. Lightning struck, thunder booming after it. She could have sworn she felt the car shake.Swallowing back her hesitation, she rested a hand on Garnet's muscular shoulder and began to shake her."Garnet," she said. "Garnet, wake up."Her guard snorted. She began to rise up from her lap, leaning back into her seat and wiping drool away from the corner of her mouth. Pearl noticed the action, and looked down to notice with distaste that some of it had gotten on her pants.'Whadda I miss? Garnet slurred, eyes slowly blinking as she tried not to fall back asleep."The storm is picking up again." Pearl responded as she wiped the spit away with her sleeve."'s prolly gettin' closer" She murmured, resting her head against the car window."Shouldn't we leave the car then? Metal is a conductor of electricity and-" Pearl faltered, noticing that her guard's eyes had closed. "Garnet!"Her eyes opened again and she looked at her with irritation."Isn't it dangerous to be in here?" She asked again. A yawn slipped free from Garnet's lips."No more dangerous than bein' out there." She shuffled along the car door, looking out the glass. "Storm might last all night from the looks of it. We can't travel in the rain, that is, unless we want a repeat of the other day." Garnet continued. Pearl grimaced. She certainly didn't want that."So we are stuck in here?" She felt... relieved?"Yeah." Garnet answered simply. She shut her eyes again and lay against the car door, going prone and a soft sigh escaping from her as she began to relax. Pearl bit her lip, looking out her own car window. She took in a deep breath.“Garnet?”A soft whine escaped from the other woman, an indication of her irritation from being risen from her sleep again.“What will you do when you take me to Greenzone?” Pearl continued on. She heard nothing from her guard; she resisted the urge to look at her.“Go home.” Garnet finally answered. The pale woman let out a scoff at the predictable answer.“Well, that one is obvious.” She crossed her arms over her chest.“I'm not sure what answer you wanted me to give.” Her guard replied. Pearl let out a groan.“So, you're just going to go back to normal after all this? Like it never even happened?” Pearl’s voice rose, but she quickly returned to a normal volume.“What else can I do?” Pearl gritted her teeth at the question.“Does this mean nothing to you?!” She suddenly snapped, whipping her head around so she could glare at the dark woman. A look of surprise was on her face, before it fell into stoicism.“What did I do wrong now?”“You… this! This is what’s wrong. We are supposed to return to normalcy after all this? You're supposed to return to Percy and do whatever you do and I'm supposed to go back to my diamond and serve her like I never experienced this!” Pearl ranted, throwing her hands about as she spoke. A deep frown etched onto Garnet’s face as she listened.“I don't get it! It feels wrong! I've done more in the past two weeks than I have in twenty three years, Garnet! And I'm supposed to return to mundane life after this?!”“You don't want to go back.” Garnet summarized for her. Pearl faltered, the rest of her words dying on her tongue as she mulled over the response. She slumped in her seat.“I don't know. I mean… what have I done? I've killed clusters, I’ve saved someone's life, I’ve killed my own people, I’ve had… intercourse… and then what will I return to doing afterwards? Fetching papers? Rubbing my Diamonds shoulders when she gets tense?” Pearl's tone became increasingly more hopeless as she spoke. She hugged herself, fingers digging into her arms.“What…was the point of it all?”  She whispered to herself. Garnet looked on with sloped eyebrows. A warm hand reached out to her shoulder, before hesitating. Pearl’s blue eyes glanced towards the hand.“It’s alright.” She murmured. Garnet nodded before setting her hand down on her thin shoulder. She seemed as though she wanted to say something, but ultimately decided to remain silent. Pearl took in a breath.“What was the point of meeting you if I’ll never see you again?”“You can always be happy with memories.” Garnet offered. Pearl shook her head.“I'm not happy with it being a memory, Garnet. I want it to be my reality, not whatever awaits me at the new base.” She said. She felt the dark woman's hand squeeze her shoulder.“You… You want to stay with me?”Garnet’s words shocked her.Was that what she was trying to imply? Even she barely knew what she meant with her words. She swallowed.“I… you’ve done so much for me, but at the same time you've done so much to me. I… I want to hate you, Garnet, but I can't get over my fondness of you. I never felt this way, not even with Pearl 03. I'm not even supposed to feel like this.” She let out a shuddering breath. The hand withdrew from her shoulder.“I'm not sure what to say.” Garnet admitted. Pearl swallowed again. She felt tears brimming. She rolled over onto her side so Garnet couldn't see them fall. She felt a hand touch the small of her back. It was soothing. They returned to their travels the next day, having to spend the night in the car as Garnet had rightly predicted that the storm would last through the night. Neither woman said anything to each other, but Pearl found herself clinging closer to her guard despite herself. Garnet didn't seem to mind much, though she did raise an eyebrow and tense at first. The wind was still up, but not as strong as yesterday. It blew debris, leaves, and the occasional newspaper at them. Eventually, the large skyscrapers and multiple story buildings were left behind for smaller structures and houses. They were nearing the border.Pearl felt as though she would throw up.Her knees were beginning to knock together, legs so shaky she could barely walk. A cold sweat beaded on her skin and her heart slammed against her chest. Her stomach twisted at random and finally she had to stop to calm herself. Garnet stopped as well, concerned gaze focused on her.“I’m- I’m fine, I swear.” Pearl dismissed whatever concern her guard was about to express. Taking in a shaky breath, she forced herself to begin walking again; hating how every step sent jolts of nausea through her and made her even more nervous than she already was.Eventually, buildings were left behind for wide expanses of sand and dead grass. Only one road lied ahead of them-- the home stretch, as the old world called it.-- Garnet’s mismatched eyes searched the ground beneath their feet, looking for a threat or item only she knew about. Pearl couldn't calm herself down enough to ask about it.‘I don't want to go home.’ The thought hit her like a charging cluster. A sob escaped from her lips before she could hold it back. The noise drew her guard’s attention back to her.“Pearl.” She turned so she could face her, face impassive but eyes revealing her concern and worry. “Pearl, it's okay.”“I-I don't want to go back Garnet!” Pearl choked out. A hand slapped over her mouth, as if she shouted something vulgar. Garnet gritted her teeth, eyebrows sloping as she tried to think of what to say. Pearl was shaking her head; her hands left her mouth.“They'll change me, they'll- they'll fix me! They'll make it so I won't remember you, or my feelings, or any of this!” Pearl admitted. Her hand dropped down to her side, clenching tightly into a fist.“They'll take one look at me and realize that I'm wrong and they'll condition it out of me!”“Pearl-” Garnet tried to reach out towards her, but she jerked away.“I can't be happy with it being a memory because it won't even be a memory!” Pearl yelled. She hugged herself and let another sob escape from her lips. Tears streamed from her cheeks and hit the ground. Why was it getting so hard to breathe? She inhaled and exhaled quickly, trying to catch her breath.“Pearl.” Garnet’s voice was firm. Pearl dared to look up at her.“I need you calm down.”The pale woman hiccupped, looking away again. She let out another sob despite her best attempts to repress it.“You're going to make yourself sick.”“I-I don't want to go back, b-but I have to.” She ignored Garnet’s words.“Pearl, where did all of this even come from? You were excited about returnin’ days ago.”“Because it hasn't even occurred to me that I won't be like this when I return! Everything I’ve done, everything felt or experienced... It’ll be taken away from me.” The sound of footsteps echoed behind them“Why am I not surprised to hear this?”The new voice startled both women. Immediately Garnet reached for her revolver, drawing it and taking aim at the source of the voice. The woman took a step forward, her green eyes narrowed.“A Pearl falling out of her conditioning. How typical of them.” The woman crossed her lanky arms over each other. Pearl took a step back, chest rising and falling even more quickly now that the woman made her appearance. Garnet pulled back the hammer of her gun.“Stand-”“Drop the fucking gun.” Before Garnet could even react, a cold barrel jutted into the small of her back. Mismatched eyes widened. The woman in front of them smirked.“You think I would come alone? I’d listen to Topaz if I were you; she has quite grudge as far as I know.”The sound of clattering sounded through the air as Garnet dropped her gun.Pearl swallowed, she began to slowly step away from her guard and the large woman aiming an AK-47 at her back. She hit something in her retreat. Two meaty arms wrapped around her and tugged her up, involuntarily warranting a cry out of her.“Not too aware of your surroundings, eh?” The green-eyed woman taunted. She flipped her hair out of her eyes and looked over to the burly woman holding Pearl. “And you said the ambush would be obvious.” The burly woman grinned, showing off teeth filed into sharpened points. The green-eyed woman cleared her throat.“Look, we gave you every chance we could for you to come quietly,” She shot a pointed look at Pearl, “And for you to fuck off.” She looked at Garnet, who had panic etched into her face. She rolled her head, cracking her neck.“Now, two of our best Jasper's are dead, and Yellow Diamond is pissed. We’re taking you both back to her.”“Both?” Topaz interjected, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. “Yellow Diamond mentioned nothing about this one.” She jabbed her gun into Garnet’s back again. The dark woman sucked in a deep breath, eyes searching for an escape.“Please, Yellow Diamond would be interested in exactly who’s been killing her people and impeding her progress. She’ll want to see her.” The woman responded to Topaz, who frowned. She made a point of clicking her gun and jabbing it into Garnet’s back again. A grunt escaped from her as she tried to remain calm.Pearl began to struggle in the arms holding her, until finally she swung her head back and cracked the back of it into the other person. She heard a sickening ‘crunch’ as their nose broke. They dropped her with a cry of pain, and Pearl landed on her hands and knees. The assailant that had been holding her looked at her with a glint in her eye, holding both hands over her bleeding nose.“Feisty!”At the sight of her companion escaping, Garnet took her chances and swung around, grabbing the barrel of the gun and aiming it away from her before Topaz could fire. With a growl, Topaz let go of her gun and drew back her fist, punching Garnet full force across the cheek. Garnet saw stars. She stumbled back from Topaz, wavering as she tried to keep her balance. She barely managed to sidestep a kick at her abdomen. She blinked away the stars and drew her knife, lunging for the large woman.“Stay away from Topaz!”Something hard smashed into the back of her head. She dropped to the floor with a cry of pain, both hands holding onto the afflicted area. The object came crashing down on her temple next, busting open the skin and turning her vision into doubles.“Stop!” Pearl snapped out of her momentary shock to cry out the plea. The other Topaz-- who had seemingly come from nowhere-- grinned at her before bringing the pipe back down on Garnet’s head, the part uncovered by her hands. Her hands fell away from the back of her head, instead resting on the ground. Pearl felt the woman move to grab her again. She immediately reacted by elbowing behind her, the hard bone connecting with her assailant’s stomach. She stumbled away from her with a grunt, before grinning and recovering within moments. The green-eyed woman, who had been watching the whole ordeal, rolled her eyes.“Citrine 012, hold the Pearl back.” She drew a knife from her boot and stepped close. Large hands grabbed at Pearl’s arms again, the Citrine holding her tightly and far away from her enough so that she couldn’t reach her with her feet or head. The green-eyed woman stood close, winking at Pearl and then jabbing her knife forward.  A pained cry slipped from Pearl’s lips as the knife slid in between her ribs, cutting through flesh and muscle with ease. She pulled the knife out and, without anything to plug it, blood began to run from the wound and stain into her jacket.“Hey!” A voice called out. The woman looked behind her. The second Topaz had stopped her assault on Garnet for a moment to give the woman with the knife a wide eyed look. “We’re supposed to bring her in unharmed!”“We have biofoam at the meeting location. We’ll heal her up back there. Topaz 09, get the truck started and bring it here.” Topaz-- the one holding the AK-47-- nodded as she began to walk off towards the sandy expanse. The other Topaz grinned as she looked back at Garnet, feebly trying to crawl away from her. She sent the pipe crashing down on her left calf.“How do you like it?!” She sneered. She was taken off guard, however, by the woman’s lack of reaction. With a scoff, she flipped the pipe around to a sharpened end. She struck down, stabbing the metal into the back of Garnet’s thigh.“Gah!” A dark hand slapped over the afflicted area, its owner letting out gasps of pain as blood flowed free from the dully-throbbing wound. The second Topaz grinned, lifting the pipe over her head again to aim for her midsection.“Alright, that’s enough, Topaz 010. I understand she shot Topaz 09, but we need her alive.” The green-eyed woman emphasized the last word. Topaz 010 tsked, lowering the pipe. The green-eyed woman looked back to Pearl, who was gasping with pain and desperately trying to wriggle away.“Yeah, it doesn't feel so good when you’re the one getting hurt, does it?” She taunted. The sound of distant rumbling brought everyone's attention to the left of the road. A large truck, covered in sharpened rebar and rusted steel armored plating, came zipping towards them, its back wheels creating a cloud of sand behind it. The green-eyed woman grinned.“Our ride’s here.” She placed her hands on her hips and flipped her brown hair out of her eyes. She regarded Pearl with a side-eyed glance.“You ready to go back, 34?”  Pearl couldn't answer; she was too busy trying to regulate her breathing.The truck ground to a halt at the side of the road. The sound of shifting metal echoed through the air as the doors attached to the container opened up.“Throw ‘em in.” Her eyes shot between Topaz 010 and Citrine 012 as she spoke. The two women nodded, Citrine pulling Pearl towards the vehicle and Topaz striking one last blow across Garnet’s back with the blunt side of the pipe. Her cry was weak, drawing a chuckle from Topaz as she reached down to hook her hand around her shirt. She began to drag her towards the truck. The green eyed woman smirked as she followed after them, stopping only for a moment to grab the discarded revolver off the floor and shove it in her pants. She sped up to the Topaz, walking towards Garnet’s prone form.“~You won't be needing these anymore.” She sang as she swiped the knife from Garnet’s hand and used it to cut the strap of her bag from her shoulder. Without the strap securing it, the foam mat fell away onto the sandy ground, as well as the messenger bag. The green-eyed woman bent down to snatch the bag up and examine the insides, before scoffing and throwing it away from her.Pearl was first to be thrown into the truck, her cry piercing through the air as she landed right on her side.  Garnet was next to follow, and she made no noise as she slammed down on her back. Their blood began to pool around them on the cold metal floor. Topaz and Citrine stepped away from the truck, but the green-eyed woman walked forward, holding both door handles in her hand.“I would find something to hold onto; it's going to be a bumpy ride.” A cruel grin split across her face as she slammed both doors shut, shrouding the two injured women in darkness. Pearl let out a gasp as she pressed a hand against her ribs, trying to add pressure to stop the intense bleeding. Her hand shook far too much for it to work, however.She heard the sound of rumbling as the vehicle started, and her body, along with Garnet’s, slid across the floor as the truck jerked forward and began to move. With difficulty, Pearl forced herself to roll over onto her back, wrapping her arm around her body.“Garnet?” She heard no response from her guard. She tried to speak again but she found herself losing her voice. Her vision faded in and out as the only thing she could focus on was the immense pain in her side.She tried to edge closer, failing as her muscles went lax, refusing to work any longer. Her vision became tunneled.‘Stay… awake.’ Her eyes rolled back into her head as she slipped into unconsciousness.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Separate
Vision returned to Pearl in colored smears and bright lights.She was only barely aware of being jostled about a metal floor, until she slammed into a wall with a clang, the sound of screeching rubber piercing her ears. A cry of pain tore from her lips as the wound on her side throbbed from the hard hit.The jostling stopped for a moment. She tried to force herself to move, but her body refused to work with her, instead only allowing her the bare minimum of motion in her neck. Pearl turned it, wincing as it cracked, her cheek resting into a puddle of lukewarm fluid.Pearl blinked in an attempt to clear her vision. The sight of her guard lying prone on the other side of the truck came into focus, as well as the puddle of their own combined blood she was lying in. Was Garnet breathing? Panic rose in her and she tried to choke out a cry for her name, but only managed a pitiful squeak. Another screech of rubber and she found herself rolling aside into Garnet. Her weak groan brought relief to the injured woman.Her pale hand-- paler than usual, she noticed-- reached out to Garnet’s shoulder with tremendous effort. The dark woman in front of her gritted her teeth at the feeling of her fingers grazing over her skin. “Pearl…” It was a pained moan, barely audible over the rumbling of the truck. Pearl took in a deep breath, forcing her muddled mind to clear as she tried to find the ability to speak. “I'm... here.” She managed. Garnet shifted around on the metal floor, taking in rasping breaths. “Where… are they takin’ us?” She tried to move, but grunted when her back screamed in protest. Pearl didn't respond. She focused her energy on crawling closer to her guard so she could lay her head on her chest. Garnet lifted a weak hand and pressed it into the pale woman’s side, attempting to add pressure to the wound. “You're gonna bleed out.” She rasped. She tried to press harder, but she felt far too fatigued. “So are you.” Pearl responded. Cold fingers reached for Garnet’s thigh. The truck jumped, jerking their bodies upwards. Another screech sounded as the vehicle braked. The rough stop was enough to send them sliding back down into the wall furthest from the door. Pearl reacted fast enough to throw both of her arms above her head in order to keep it from getting hit. Garnet grunted as she slammed into the wall with her, luckily missing any sensitive spots but still reeling from the impact.The sound of muffled arguing flew in and out of Pearl’s ears. The truck began to move again, and she found her eyelids falling closed. “What is this thing?” The question brought Pearl’s attention back to her guard. She was feeling the floor beneath her with her fingers whilst also moving to prop herself up against the wall. “It’s…” Pearl stopped. She couldn’t think, and darkness was creeping up in her vision again. She heard the sound of ripping, bringing her back to reality for a moment. Garnet had torn her sleeve off from the shoulder, exposing the hardened muscles of her arm. A pained hiss escaped her guard’s lips as she forced her leg to bend up. She began to tie the sleeve around her thigh. Pearl swallowed. “It's… an automobile.” She explained. Garnet finished tying off the sleeve. She scooted herself around so she could face her. Her large hands grasped for Pearl’s thin shoulders and propped her against the wall; she didn’t fight against the action, despite how much it hurt to sit up. Pained whimpers escaped her.
Riiiip!
Garnet tore the other sleeve off, revealing the old bandaging around the graze wound on her arm. She grabbed the end of the sleeve with her other hand and reached both out. They were shaking, barely stable enough to maneuver the sleeve around her body. “Keep talkin’- stay awake.” Garnet said as she began to tie the sleeve around the pale woman’s abdomen. “We’re going to die.” Pearl said without skipping a beat. She noticed the slightest of smiles on her guard's face before it disappeared. Garnet tied the sleeve off at the front, falling onto her back afterwards with an exerted groan. Pearl allowed herself to fall on her side, unable to stay up any longer. “It should slow the bleedin’.” Garnet murmured. She sounded tired. “Can we go to sleep now?” Pearl asked. “No,” Her guard responded.Another screech of tires. They were thrown over to the side like ragdolls. “Damn these fucking mutants!” The voice was loud enough to drift in through the thick metal of the container. A gunshot boomed twice outside. The rest was too muffled to make out. “Clusters.” Garnet said. “The clusters are impeding them.” She said, sounding thoughtful. Pearl let out a weak cough as she shook her head. “It won't... work in our favor… the more stops they make the less likely... we are to survive.” Pearl said between shaky breaths. The truck began to move again, dragging their bodies down against each other. Garnet wrapped a strong arm around her, and Pearl couldn't find it in her to care that the touch made her flesh tingle. She looked up at the ceiling of the compartment with blurry eyes, a pale hand inching up to wrap around Garnet’s bicep. “Are we going to die?” She asked the question that had been burning in her mind since the ambush in a voice so small it was a miracle her guard even heard her. “I don't know.”Garnet was uncertain, and that fact made Pearl’s stomach clench and her heart pick up from its slower-than-normal speed.Something slammed onto the ceiling of the truck, denting the metal outwards towards them. A loud roar sounded outside as well as the panicked noises of their kidnappers. Garnet found a small smile making its way onto her face. “The abhorrents found them.” She murmured. Gunshots rang out, barely audible over roars and screeches. A sudden tilt in the truck sent both women sliding down and prompted yelps from them. The truck stayed tilted, before it was rammed back down on its side and began to shake back and forth, the screeches louder than before. “What’s happening?!” Pearl tugged at Garnet’s arm. “Pearl, I ‘ave as much visibility as you do. I don't know.”Gunshots began to combat the screeching and roars of the abhorrent above them. When the shrieking died down the truck immediately began to move again, speeding faster than normal. Pearl found herself getting sick from the motion. Still, the screeching followed them, but Pearl couldn't dwell on it any longer as the blood loss and motion sickness began to catch up with her again. Her blurred vision became spotty, until finally it cut out completely. The last thing she felt was Garnet stroking her hair back from her face. It seemed like hours before the truck halted and stopped rumbling, an induction of it being turned off. During the duration of the travel Pearl found herself drifting in and out of consciousness, but she always woke up to Garnet performing some comforting gesture, comforting enough that she found herself feeling safe enough to faint again despite the circumstances. The door creaked loudly as it opened, light from the outside nearly blinding Pearl and Garnet. “Get them out of there quickly. Topaz 010, circle around and start drawing the mutant horde away from the base.” The green-eyed woman’s voice was urgent, and even had the slight traces of panic in it. Topaz 010, standing by Topaz 09’s side, nodded and headed out of Pearl’s vision. Citrine and Topaz 09 reached for them. Citrine cracked a grin, showing off her sharpened teeth. “Would you look at that? They bandaged themselves.” Her teeth clicked together as she spoke. Citrine grabbed for Pearl’s leg and dragged her towards her. The pale woman let out a yelp and tried kicking at the gem, only to have her foot caught by the burly woman’s other hand. Topaz 09 reached for Garnet, wrapping a large hand around her ankle and tugging her out of the car. Pearl winced at the sickening ‘crack!’ as her head hit the concrete ground below the truck. Garnet let out a cry and Topaz briefly looked down at her with an unreadable expression. “Bring them inside. I'll be there in a moment.” The green-eyed woman ordered. “Yes Emerald.” Citrine pulled Pearl close, wrapping her arms around her body and holding her in a bear hug as she began to follow after Topaz, who was dragging Garnet behind her. Pearl forced her bleary eyes to look up. Rusted grey walls stood tall and proud in the form of several square buildings, almost looking as though they were stacked on top of each other in the order of largest to smallest. Protruding from the top of the buildings were large pipe-like structures, and surrounding the building were barbed wire fences that looked as though they have been hastily put up. Pearl recognized the building as a factory.They were brought to the steel doors of the main building. Topaz shoved the door open and dragged Garnet inside with her. Citrine followed after her, and Pearl grunted as an even harsher brightness filled her vision. Two floodlights stood at the entrance, pointing at the door. The rest of the building, however, was very much unlit. Citrine carried her past the floodlights and set her down on a conveyor belt a few yards away from the entrance. With one swift motion she ripped the sleeve away from her abdomen, revealing her bloodied side.“Where’s the biofoam?!” She called out into the factory, her deep voice echoing throughout the building. Only seconds later did another voice respond."What?!""The biofoam! Where is it?!" Citrine called back. Pearl began to struggle against the hand holding her down, but that only made the burly woman press down even harder. With a gasping breath, Pearl leaned her head to the side, catching sight of Topaz tying Garnet up. Her guard turned her head and caught her gaze for a moment- long enough for Pearl to see the terror in her eyes before it flitted away into an unreadable expression.The pale woman looked away, eyes wide and lips in a tight line. Citrine was still hanging above her, looking off at another section of the factory. She could hear footsteps at her right side, but couldn't be bothered to turn her head again. A dark arm reached out towards Citrine, the body it belonged to outside of Pearl's peripheral vision. They were handing off a metal canister to her. Citrine grabbed it and undid the top, sticking three large fingers inside afterwards and scooping out green foam. The hand holding her down moved to unzip her jacket and pull it off. She went for her tank top next. Pearl's hands shot out to grab her arm."Don't!" She cried out. Citrine rolled her eyes."Relax, I'm not going to touch you." She pulled her arm away and shoved Pearl's tank top up to her neck, drawing a squeal from Pearl. A hand slathered the cold foam on the stab wound. Citrine moved her hand away and pulled the tank top back down."There, see; was that so hard? Stupid Pearl." The last part was muttered under her breath as she stepped away from the conveyor belt. She looked over at Topaz, idling by Garnet. "Hey, get me some rope so I can tie her up!"Pearl forced herself up on her elbows, panting as she fought through her fatigue. Glaring at Citrine, she swung her legs over the conveyor belt and began to stand.She crumpled to the ground as her legs gave out, hitting her face on the metal flooring with a dull thud. Citrine craned her neck back at the noise, looking at her with a confused expression before it became amused. She looked back to Topaz, who was approaching her with ropes in her hands. She took them from her and headed back towards Pearl. The pale woman grunted as Citrine tugged her hands to her back and tied them together.The sound of the factory doors opening echoed through the building as the green-eyed woman-Emerald- entered. She let out a displeased grunt and shielded her eyes at the floodlights."Stars, who the fuck put these here?! Remove them." She commanded. Both Topaz and Citrine headed for the floodlights. Emerald stepped past the two objects, heading towards Garnet with a smirk. She bent down in front of her."You don't look so tough tied up like this, outsider." Garnet narrowed her eyes at her. Emerald chuckled and patted her shoulder none-too-gently before standing back up and heading towards Pearl. Pearl looked up at her with wide, fearful eyes."Ready to meet Yellow Diamond?" Green eyes shone with mirth as Emerald squatted down in front of her prisoner, a grin on her lips. Pearl refused to say anything, far too frightened to speak now that she was tied up and vulnerable. Emerald scoffed and stood back up, walking off."Bring her to the reception; keep her there until Yellow Diamond arrives!" She ordered to no one in particular."What about this one?" Citrine pointed to Garnet. The green-eyed woman tilted her head to look at her with disinterest."The outsider..." She rubbed her chin with a hand. "Bring her to Jasper 049; she's been waiting to see her." With that, she strode off towards a set of stairs near the entrance wall, walking up to an overhead-office and disappearing behind the doorway."Wh-what are you going to do to her?" Pearl stuttered as Citrine moved towards her. She wrapped her burly arms around her waist and threw her over her shoulder, allowing her the view of Topaz grabbing Garnet by the leg and dragging her towards a hallway on the east wall."Don't hurt her!" Pearl shouted as she was taken away. Topaz looked back at her for a moment; a frown crossed over her face before she turned forward again and continued dragging Garnet along the floor. Her guard looked up at her. Before Pearl was led behind a door she could see her mouth "I'll be okay." Down the corridor Garnet was dragged, her head still swimming from the hard hits delivered from the pipes and concrete. She could barely begin to think about what her fate would be, but it still didn't stop her from being terrified at being left at the hands of members of the diamond regime. The only thing her mind brought up in her search for courage were the bedtime stories Ruby and Sapphire used to tell her about the gems, and what they do to outsiders once they got ahold of them.She wasn’t able to dwell on it any longer when Topaz stopped dragging her and flipped her over onto her back, allowing her to see the storage closet they took refuge in. It was empty, save for a pile of trash in the corner. Topaz stared down at her with the same frown she had shown Pearl. After a long moment, she stepped out of the closet and slammed the door. Garnet heard the sound of a lock click. She forced herself up into a sitting position, biting back a groan at the pain in her thigh. Her mind wandered to Pearl. Would she be alright?Her hands strained against her bindings, but they were tightly secured in the rope binding. Gritting her teeth, her eyes searched for something sharp in the room to cut the rope. Nothing.Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the door. The door slammed open, and Garnet was barely able to react before a heavy boot smashed into her stomach, knocking the wind right out of her and toppling her down on her back. A pained cry escaped her as the boot ground down onto her injured thigh. She looked up to meet amber eyes staring viciously down at her."So, you're the one that killed 187 and 188?" Her voice was gruff. She began to twist her foot about, grinding it down on her thigh before she lifted it and kicked it back down on Garnet's aching stomach. A wheezing cry escaped her. Topaz, who was beside the large, buff woman, crossed her arms at the display and frowned even deeper."We're supposed to keep her alive, Jasper. Emerald-""Emerald can eat my ass. Get me a pair of pliers and a hot rod with lettering. I'll make work of this one." She interrupted her comrade. Topaz, for the first time since the ambush, looked uncomfortable."The pliers?”"Did I stutter?!" Jasper whipped her head around to glare at Topaz, who shrunk away as though she were expecting a blow. "You're forgetting who's actually in charge here. Get me the fucking pliers and the hot rod!" She shouted loud enough that her voice echoed through the storage room and corridor outside it. Garnet wouldn’t have been surprised if it carried to the main room as well. Topaz, eyes widened with fear, nodded and moved to leave.Garnet grunted and began to struggle under the boot holding her down, bringing Jasper's attention back to her. She grinned, and Garnet noticed that she had large canines, filed into a sharpened point much like Citrine's. Her large hand shot down towards the dark woman's shirt and grabbed it, yanking her up only to throw a punch at her face. It connected with a crack and Garnet fell back down with a cry, nostrils starting to leak blood as a burning pain spread through her nose and eye sockets. Before she could recover another kick was delivered to her bruised stomach."You piece of shit." Jasper snarled. "You really thought you could get away with killing two of my subordinates?" Garnet coughed, trying to catch her breath. Jasper stepped away from her for a moment."I'll make you pay." As if on cue, Topaz returned with the requested items, which Jasper snatched from her. The hot rod and box of lettering was thrown alongside the pile of trash. She snapped the pliers twice."Hold her head back and keep her from squirming." Jasper ordered. The large woman swallowed as she moved behind Garnet and lifted her up by her head, keeping it still."Jasper, I don't think this is-""Didn't she shoot you? Don't you want revenge?" Jasper shot a cold look at Topaz, whose eyes widened."I-I do, it's just that-""Shut up." She dismissed Topaz before she could finish her sentence. One large hand grabbed at Garnet's jaw. The dark woman grunted and began to struggle against it, but the three firm hands kept her from moving. Jasper raised the pliers up, amber eyes searching her mouth. Without further ado she reached the pliers in and clamped it around her back molar. Panicked noises emitted from Garnet and her breathing became heavier, heart slamming against her chest. Jasper scoffed."Take it like a gem." She began to pull. Blinding pain shot down Garnet's jaw and gums, accompanied by an agonizing pressure in her jawbone as Jasper tugged and tugged, loosening the tooth. She could feel the hands holding her head shaking, but only barely as she was far too focused on the agonizing pain in her mouth. Involuntary tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face as she let out gags and gargled cries of pain, desperately trying to move away from the buff woman in front of her.
Craaaaaack!
The tooth came loose and blood began to fill Garnet's mouth and overflow out of her lips."There we are. See, was that so hard?" Jasper taunted with a toothy grin. She examined the tooth for a moment before dropping it to the floor."You-you didn't have to do that." Topaz stuttered. Jasper shot her an incredulous look."Excuse me? Are you sympathizing with this outsider?" They both looked to Garnet, who had her eyes closed as she took in shuddering breaths, blood dripping from her mouth onto the floor. "Don't be pathetic.""Look, we could just execute her when Yellow Diamond is done. This is uncalled for-""It's revenge, nothing wrong with that, right outsider?" Jasper smirked as Garnet tilted her head towards her, glaring at her with one blue eye. She spat a wad of blood to the floor and looked away. Jasper dropped the pliers down and headed towards the hot rod left in the corner or the room alongside the pile of trash. Bending down next to it, she swiped the long metal stick off the ground with one hand and reached a hand into the pocket of her standard-issued pants with another. She pulled out a lighter and flicked it on, hovering it over the pile of trash until some of the papers caught fire. She opened up the box of lettering."What should we burn into her?""How 'bout "Go fuck yourself"? Garnet chimed in, voice heavily slurred. She spat out more blood. Jasper looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "How 'bout you keep pullin' teeth; I could use the free dental work." With a huff, Jasper sat up and strode over to Garnet. She drew her foot back and slammed it into her chest, knocking her over onto Topaz's lap, who startled away and let her fall to the floor afterwards. A mere gasp escaped Garnet as she once again tried to catch her stolen breath and tried to ignore the blazing pain of her newly-cracked sternum."You are in no position to be ordering me around; you're my prisoner." She snarled. Garnet stopped mid breath. A grin stretched across her face, showing off her bloodied mouth."The other jaspers didn't scare me and you don't scare me either." She turned her head and spat again, before looking back to meet Jasper's amber eyes with her own mismatched ones. "If you miss them so much, I’ll make sure to send you back to them."Jasper barked out a laugh at the threat. She bent down in front of Garnet and leaned in close."And how are you going to do-"Before she could even finish her sentence, Garnet had jolted up and cracked her head against Jasper's face. With a yell, she stumbled back and held both hands over her nose. Garnet fell back with a pained laugh. Her sternum and back sent dull throbs of pain down her torso, but the hit was worth it. Jasper looked up at Garnet with rage filled eyes."You bitch!" She leaped towards the hot rod and grabbed it. Though it wasn't heated enough to burn her, she smacked it onto her leg with as much force as she could muster.
Clang!
The noise was enough to stop her from initiating her second strike, one that would've hit Garnet straight on the head judging by where Jasper held the rod. She lowered it, confusion now written on her face."The fuck?" She slammed the rod back down, this time closer to her foot, but was only greeted with the sound of it hitting the worn leather of her boot. With a grunt, she bent down and ripped the boot off and shoved her pant leg up to her knee. She pulled the sock off next. Almost immediately she let loose a loud laugh."Topaz, come look at this!" Topaz, who had been standing off to the side of the room for the time being, cautiously approached, examining what Jasper was looking at. Her eyes widened."Woah..." She murmured."She's a freak!" Jasper laughed.The words ignited a fire in Garnet's belly, and she let out a growl as she made to kick at Jasper. Her foot was caught by her hand, and Jasper continued to laugh."Oh man, I thought you were hiding a weapon! I didn't know you were an abomination." She continued to laugh. Garnet tried kicking again, but to no avail. “Look at this thing! What trash did you throw together to make this?” The words were beginning to have an effect on Garnet, as she began to thrash around in an attempt to hurt the buff woman, strings of curses leaving her lips and rage burning in her eyes. “Aw, look how sensitive she is about it! How-” She was cut off by the prosthetic breaking free from her hold and kicking her square in the jaw. She fell back and Topaz quickly backed away in shock. Garnet, not wasting a moment, started to stand, pushing herself off the ground as best as she could with her bound hands and gaining her footing. Once standing, she kicked at a still-recovering-Jasper’s stomach with her right leg, forcing her to hunch over, before delivering an axe kick straight to the back of her head, sending her crashing down to the ground. Topaz made a move towards her, but Garnet danced away before she could grab her. The large woman made to approach again, but Garnet’s metal foot connected to her knee and sent her falling to the ground with a cry of pain.A hand shot out and seized her leg, tripping her and sending her back to the ground. An enraged Jasper stood up, hand over the back of her head. Her head whipped towards Topaz, who flinched. “Hold her head back.” Topaz nodded quickly as she got up and limped over to Garnet, who was already trying to get up again. She grabbed for her head and held it still as she side-stepped behind her. Jasper scoffed as she grabbed the hot rod and stood up. “You know, if you fought like that before, maybe you wouldn't have lost a tooth. Too bad your cowardice only goes away when someone insults you about this deformity.” She jabbed the rod at her leg as she stepped forwards. She flipped the rod around so she was grabbing it by the end without the prongs, inches of the end sticking out from her closed fist. “If you lost a body part before, then you won't miss another.” No grin accompanied her words, only a blank look. “Which eye Topaz, blue or brown?” She asked her accomplice. Topaz tensed up and Garnet’s angry features melted into pure terror. Topaz let out a small gasp. “Wha-what? Jasper this-this is unethical!” Topaz stuttered. Jasper snorted as her eyes turned up to glare at her. “You’re too soft! I should’ve had Topaz 010 do this with me. She would’ve been more willing.” Jasper growled as she grabbed Garnet’s cheek. She tilted her head to the side and aimed the rod to her eye. “I want the blue one; it reminds me of them.” Her arm drew back, ready to stab the rod in. Garnet began to take on quick intakes of air as Jasper steadied her aim. “Hey.” The voice was her saving grace, as Jasper lowered the rod to look back at the person in the doorway. It was Emerald. “Yellow Diamond’s convoy arrived. Bring her to the main room.” Without waiting for a response, Emerald turned and left. Jasper gritted her teeth as she looked back at Garnet with narrowed eyes. “Wow, great fucking timing.” She sneered as she threw the rod aside. “If I’m lucky enough; I’ll be the one to execute you, outsider.” She stood up and motioned for Topaz to lift Garnet. She complied. Garnet looked at her with eyes that showed her fleeting terror and relief. Jasper scoffed, rolling her amber eyes. “One more.” She drew her leg back and kicked her right between the legs. A cry slipped from Garnet’s lips as they clamped shut and she hunched over, sucking in shaky breaths. Jasper crossed her arms and nodded to Topaz. “Let’s go.”Both captured women were led down the long hallways back into the main room of the factory. Pearl and Citrine were first to arrive, and the burly woman made quick work on forcing her captive down onto her knees in front of the conveyor belt. Without a word or insult, she stepped off to the side and clasped her hands behind her back, posture straight as she looked ahead. Jasper and Topaz were next to arrive, practically dragging Garnet along as they headed for the conveyor belt. Pearl's eyes widened as she saw the state of her guard. “What did you do to her?!” Was her uncontrolled cry as a bloodied Garnet was forced into a kneeling position beside her. Jasper scoffed as she stepped towards Pearl and checked her bindings. “Not enough.” She murmured. She tugged the rope tighter, almost to the point of cutting off circulation to the pale woman's hands. Pearl whipped her head around to glare at her, and that's when she noticed the large bruise on her jaw and nose. She couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face- at least Garnet put up a fight."What the hell are you looking at, defect?" Jasper snarled when her gaze lingered too long. Pearl said nothing as she turned to look ahead again. Jasper sneered as she stepped in front of them; hands clasped behind her back much like Citrine as she examined the two captives in front of her."Outsider, defect, show respect to Yellow Diamond, lest you want to make this more difficult than-""Shut the fuck up already." Garnet slurred, raising her head enough so she could look at her with one furious brown eye. Jasper glared at her, before letting out a grumble and moving to stand behind the captives.For a while, there was nothing. No noise, no movement, and even the mildew smell of the factory seemed to be gone. Each passing moment of the nothingness worked up both Pearl and Garnet's nerves to a steady degree, until they were fried. The anticipation was too much, as they were waiting for the villain that had been hunting them since their arrival in Empire City without knowing what their fates would be. Known as Yellow Diamond to Pearl. Known as the Scarred Diamond to Garnet. Each name carried the same amount of weight with it, as well as struck the same amount of fear.The entrance doors opened.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Scarred Diamond

It felt as though there was a rock in Pearl’s throat, keeping her from breathing properly as her blue eyes trained in on the open doors. The light spilling into the room from the outside was near-blinding, its rays revealing the dirt and specs of rust drifting across the main room of the factory. The first person to walk in was a large quartz, similar looking to Jasper, but not quite as filled out. She stood off to the side of the door, and another quartz that was following behind her moved in and stood to the other side. Pearl expected Yellow Diamond to make her appearance then, but instead more gems came out and occupied different parts of the room. Topazes, citrines, jaspers, the occasional carnelian; all looking eerily similar to each other’s respective classes. When the last of the gems finally entered the room only did Yellow Diamond make her grand entrance.Pearl felt lightheaded.The mutant strode in with purpose, yellow eyes with diamond shaped pupils scanning the room until they fell on her. Her lip quirked upwards into a small smirk and she gave her a nod. Pearl forced herself to look away from her face that was marred with diamond shaped scars, instead looking down at her bloodied yellow dress shirt with a knife strapped to the left side of it.Emerald began to descend down the stairs leading up to the office, a nervous smile on her lips as she regarded Yellow Diamond with a quick salute."My diamond," She started as she stepped off the last stair. She strode over to stand in front of the taller woman. "It's an honor to be in your presence." She bowed down. Yellow Diamond's eyes searched her for a moment, before lazily drifting back over to Pearl and Garnet. Pearl bit her lip and straightened up, while Garnet glared back at her through her fringe."Are these the captives?""Yes, the pearl and the outsider." She gestured a hand out towards them. "The pearl was brought unharmed, as you requested. I took the initiative to bring the outsider as well; I'd thought you liked to meet her personally." Emerald's tone was shaky, and she shrunk back when Yellow Diamond looked back towards her at the mention of Garnet. Her yellow-tinted hand moved up towards her angular jaw, scratching an itch as she continued to examine Emerald."I see you've taken another initiative with her." Yellow Diamond commented, referring to Garnet's ragged and wounded state."She put up a fight," Emerald said. Pearl heard Garnet mutter something beside her. She didn't hear all of it, but she supposed it had something to do with the comment."And the pearl didn't?" At Yellow Diamond's words, Emerald tensed, teeth digging into her lip and green-eyes darting around the room as she avoided eye contact."She attempted to. She was subdued quickly." It was better not to tell a lie, as Emerald noticed that Yellow Diamond was staring hard at Pearl's bloodied side. Lying that she didn't fight would make her think that they stabbed her for the hell of it, and she didn't want the scarred woman to think that. Yellow Diamond took a step forward and Emerald jumped to the side to allow her to move on. The scarred woman strode over so that she was standing right in front of Pearl and Garnet.Yellow Diamond clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head to the side, glancing over at Garnet, whose mismatched eyes ran up and down her body as she took in the sight before her. She then looked at Pearl, who tensed and straightened herself up out of instinct. For a moment that seemed to last an hour, Yellow Diamond glanced between the two captives until her eyes landed on Pearl again and stayed there. Without a word, she moved around Pearl and Citrine, still standing beside her, so she could be at her back. Goosebumps raised over the pale woman's skin as Yellow Diamond brushed aside her hair to look at her neck."Upper caste. You are Pink Diamond's personal pearl, aren't you?" Yellow Diamond asked. Pearl swallowed, a tremble racking through her body as a finger traced over her brand."Yes.""Yes what?" The finger dug its nail into one of the numbers on Pearl's neck. A hiss escaped her lips at the pain that shot through it."You are not my diamond." She blurted out before she could mull over the words. Her eyes widened; did she really say that? Garnet seemed shocked too, but Pearl could see out of the corner of her eye a small smile on her face."Excuse me?" Yellow Diamond removed her finger only to clasp her hand around the pale woman's nape."You..." Pearl hesitated. She took in a deep breath through her nose and gritted her teeth. "You are not my diamond. I owe you no respect.""Told you she was a defect." Jasper commented from her spot behind the captured women. Yellow Diamond looked back at her for a moment, before turning her gaze to Pearl. She strode back to her original position in front of them, eyes not leaving the pale woman for a moment. Pearl could feel her heart pounding, but she dared to make eye contact with the scarred woman.Her yellow eyes held mirth in them."Looks like even Pink Diamond kept imperfection with her.""Where is she?" Pearl said, leaning forward. "Where is my diamond?""Does it matter?" She leaned forward along with Pearl. "You won't be seeing her after I'm done with you."Pearl felt anger well up in her. Her face turned red from it."Leave her alone." Garnet interjected. Yellow Diamond seemed surprised for a moment. She had forgotten she was there. She tilted her head towards her.“Garnet Swaray of Percy. The thorn in my side.” Her eyes narrowed as she said it. Garnet’s mouth clamped shut."How’d you know my name?" Her voice was still slurred, her swollen cheek twitching as she spoke. Yellow Diamond smirked.“I know.” Yellow Diamond’s voice was low, her smirk disappearing as she glared down at Garnet. “I know about your record in the Percy Militia, I know about your experience as a cutthroat, I know about your debts, I know that you're the illegitimate daughter of a Blue Diamond renegade and the whore she ran off with. To put it simply, I know.” The words made Garnet’s pupils dilate. She let out a grunt as she tried to get up and move forward, but Topaz 09 was quick to grab her shoulders and keep her down. Yellow Diamond watched her struggle with boredom.“Sensitive.” She remarked. “And you were the one Pink hired to protect her precious pearl.” She looked back towards the pale woman. Pearl held her gaze with her. Yellow Diamond’s eyes narrowed into slits.“You’ve failed that job.”“I’ve failed no one.” Garnet spat. Yellow Diamond let out a small, mocking laugh."Your 'portfolio' says otherwise." She leaned down towards Pearl again, but she kept her gaze on Garnet. "You couldn't fight the lowliest of raiders, yet you expect to be able to move a pearl across Empire City without-." Pearl spat at her, the glob of saliva landing on the mutant’s cheek. Yellow Diamond clamped her mouth shut and stood back up, calmly wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. There was a moment of silence in the room as the mutant said nothing.“The way you act… it’s perverse. How could Pink’s own Pearl fall so far?” She murmured to herself at last. She took a step back. "Maybe it has something to do with being around that filth." She gestured a hand towards Garnet. "It rubbed off on you; ruined your conditioning.""I am my own person." Pearl growled out, a fiery look in her blue eyes."No you are not." Yellow Diamond said. "You and I both know that you are not.""Pink Diamond encouraged individuality with us!""Pink Diamond is dead."And just like that, the anger dissipated, as did the satisfaction of rebelling against one of the most powerful mutants in the wasteland, and Pearl felt her world come crashing down on her. A lump in her throat kept her from breathing, and tears burned at her eyes as the fire left them."W-what?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. For the first time since she arrived, Yellow Diamond's hardened expression seemed to fall into sadness, before it reformed back into stoicism."Murdered. Witnesses say it was a Rose Quartz, but for all I know It could have been one of those filthy outsiders.""Yeah right; you did it." Garnet scoffed. "Probably ordered the jade and the citrine to be murdered, too."I didn't order her death!" The way that Yellow Diamond became so defensive confirmed Garnet's suspicions, but Pearl knew more about the scarred woman than Garnet did. She believed Yellow Diamond's words to be genuine.Yellow Diamond seemed to remember herself, as she became composed again. "I wanted her subjects dead, not her." A hand moved up to her sternum, towards the diamond shaped scar on her chest. She traced it with a finger. “I have died for my fellow Diamond before and I would do it again. What happened to Pink was an unfortunate conseque- tragedy not even I could have foreseen.” She looked conflicted, as if she couldn't believe the words herself. Yellow Diamond shook her head."Consequence?" Garnet pressed, noticing her slip. Yellow Diamond ignored her.“Everything she’s created… everything she had ever worked for.”She turned to face Pearl, expression hardened once more.“It’ll die with you, 34. The last of her regime.”“Why did you kill them?!” Pearl choked out, tears spilling from her eyes and mixing in with the blood on her cheeks. A small hiccup escaped from her lips, before a loud sob.“Pink kept around and gave us imperfect models when she had something much greater at her disposal” She leaned down to Pearl, a hand sweeping across her cheek, wiping away the mix of tears and blood. “I have no use for imperfection in my army. I want the seventh generation, not the sixth, not the fifth, and not the other trash she had been giving me.”“Seventh generation?” Garnet chimed in again. Yellow Diamond threw a glare back her way, fed up with the constant pressing from her. Two cold hands planted themselves on the side of Pearl’s head, before roughly turning her gaze towards her guard.“Take a good look at it, outsider. Absorb as much as you can into that savage head of yours.” A grin split across her face, scars across her lips stretching out with them. “You’re looking at a perfect clone.”Garnet blinked twice, eyes turning to Pearl, who sat there with gritted teeth and puffy eyes.“A what?" Her expression had confusion and surprise written all over it. The scarred woman scoffed.“You think I would waste soldiers on chasing any normal pearl down? Pink Diamond was smart, very smart. She utilized old world technology and improved on it. Discovering how to clone functional human beings was one of her greatest accomplishments. The seventh generation are built to be perfect humans; there's not a single imperfection to be found in them. Immune to disease, high radiation tolerance, emotionally repressed.” Yellow Diamond looked down at Pearl, diamond-shaped pupils dilating. “And so much more to admire.” Pearl struggled to pull her head away, but Yellow Diamond kept a firm grip on her."When I heard of the hospital and the attack, I thought that it was my chance to finally convince Pink Diamond to use the seventh generation as warriors to keep it from happening to her again. Someone got to her first, so I have to settle for you instead.""You called her a defect. She won't be perfect." Garnet retorted. Yellow Diamond shrugged."I take what I can get."Garnet grunted, moving forward by an inch before Topaz caught on to what she was about to do and lunged forward to push her down. She planted a knee on the small of her back, drawing another grunt from the dark woman as she wriggled against the force keeping her down."I just need to sample her blood, hair, skin; anything that could possibly hold the DNA I need to recreate it. After that, you can hold each other when I have you executed." Yellow Diamond threw Pearl down to the ground. She cracked her knuckles and shot a look to nearby quartz."Get the kits.""It will be useless without the lab; the hospital burnt to the ground. You won't be able to do anything with it." Pearl said as she rolled over to look up at the mutant, who smirked."Pink Diamond kept back-ups. We'll find them." With that, she stepped over to Garnet. The dark woman stopped her struggle under Topaz's boot only for a moment so that she could look up at Yellow Diamond with pure hatred in her eyes."By all technicalities, you belong to Blue Diamond; anything that her subjects owned was hers by default." The scarred woman said. She reached up to her shoulder, brushing off nonexistent dirt. "I'll send you back to her. She's been bothering me about needing new skins for her robe." Garnet’s eyes widened. Yellow Diamond looked towards Topaz."Take her to the backroom. Cut her throat and let the blood drain. After that, gut her and skin her." Topaz froze up, eyes wide. Jasper smirked as she took a step over to Garnet."I can handle that for you, Yellow Diamond." She bent down to grab at Garnet's ankles. Yellow Diamond turned around back to Pearl."I don't care who does it, just get it done."A grin split across Jasper's face."With pleasure." She began to drag Garnet away towards the back; Topaz swallowed as she began to follow after her, clasping her hands together in front of her stomach. The dark woman let out a yell as she began to thrash, attempting to kick away the hands holding her."Wait."The voice of the mutant made Jasper and Topaz stop in their tracks. Yellow Diamond strode over to them. She knelt down in front of Garnet and fetched a strip of cloth from her pocket. Another hand found its way under her chin and forced her to look up."Look me in the eyes, Garnet. I want to be the last thing you see." She held up the strip and waited. At first, Garnet did not look at her, instead keeping her eyes to the ground. The temptation became too much, however, and she looked up at Yellow Diamond. The corner of her lip quirked up as she moved the cloth to cover her mismatched eyes.Before the cloth concealed them, her blue and brown eyes shot towards Pearl, sparing one last look at her.Garnet had a sense of deja vu as she was dragged down a hallway, only this time she couldn’t see anything, and knew she was going to die. Jasper and Topaz took her to a room filled with rotten cardboard boxes and wooden crates, along with rows upon rows of metal racks. They set her down on the ground and Jasper fetched a knife from her boot. A large hand grabbed a fistful of her curly hair and yanked her up by it, drawing a cry from her lips."I'm not bailing you out again after this, Topaz. You’re going need to learn how to kill." Jasper pressed the knife to Garnet's throat, the blade already beginning to cut through the dark skin. A trickle of blood ran down from the small cut."She doesn't deserve this." Topaz said, biting her lip as she looked away from the scene in front of her. "We can make it painless.""She doesn't deserve it?" Jasper spat. "She killed two of our people! She's a murderer; she deserves to feel the pain they felt. How did you kill 188 again?" Jasper asked Garnet, tugging her head up slightly. Garnet grunted at the force."I-""You shot her through the throat. Doesn't it seem fitting that we kill her the same way?" Jasper interrupted Garnet. Topaz shook her head."It's not-""Guys!" The doors to the outside were thrown open, Topaz 010 running inside. Her naturally tan skin tone looked as though it had lost some of its color, and her eyes were the size of dinner plates. She leaned on the support of the door and huffed, trying to catch her breath."Oh, for the love of the stars with this interrupting bullshit! What is it now?!" Jasper shouted at the large woman. Topaz 010 held up a finger, while Topaz 09 rushed towards her, worry on her features as she rested a hand on her shoulder. Jasper scoffed and threw Garnet down to the ground. Her attempt to crawl away from her was thwarted by Jasper stomping a boot onto her back."What?!""The horde... I couldn't get them away... They're... in the base." Topaz 010 said between gasps for air. Topaz 09's face paled. Jasper's cheek twitched.“You’re fucking kidding me, right? You had one job!” Jasper shouted, her voice carrying through the room. Both Topazes shrunk away; a whimper even escaped 09. She ground her teeth together, as well as her boot down on Garnet’s back. She looked at the knife in her hand and back at her captive repeatedly, gears turning in her head. At last, she moved her boot off of Garnet's back and stepped aside, dropping the knife. She looked to the twin Topazes."Take the outsider and tie her to the flagpole outside; she'll distract them long enough for Yellow Diamond to finish and the base to evacuate." Jasper ordered. Topaz 010 nodded quickly, pushing herself off the support and stumbling over to Garnet. Topaz 09 bit at her fingernails as she watched her. The buff woman looked at her; Topaz 09 shrunk away even more at her intense gaze."Topaz 09, go get ropes from the crates. Now." With that, Jasper turned and sped off down the hallway. Topaz 09 swallowed as she headed for one of the many crates in the room. Garnet rolled over on her back, letting out a small pant as she tried to push herself up. She barely managed to get off the ground before Topaz 010 wrapped her arms around her and threw her over her shoulder."I should ‘ave killed you. It was a mistake to leave you alive." Garnet growled into Topaz 010's ear. The large woman smirked."Oh well." She strode over to the doors, pausing to look back at her twin."Ready Topaz?" Topaz 09 poked her head out from its place in a crate. Her throat bobbed up and down as she pulled out a thick mountaineering rope."Ye-yes, let's go."Garnet couldn't see anything, but she could hear the distant roars of enraged clusters, feel herself bounce up and down as Topaz 010 carried her away from the backroom, and smell the stench of rancid black rain. She was dropped down onto wet concrete flooring. Topaz 010 held a hand over her eyes, shielding them from the rain as she looked out to the hundreds of clusters in the distance. Some were running, others were walking. All of them were heading towards the Topazes and the factory."Fuck, we have to do this quickly." Topaz 010 grabbed Garnet by the shoulders and lifted her up as high as she could, before allowing her hands to drop down to her sides so she could lift her higher. The muscles in her arm bulged from the strain. Garnet made a panicked noise as she kicked her legs, trying to find the ground beneath her feet. Topaz 09 pulled a nearby crate over, setting it near the flagpole and stepping up on it. Topaz allowed her hands to drop down to Garnets hips, lifting her until she was three feet off the ground. The dark woman kicked at her chest, but she held no reaction."It's not enough." Topaz 010 commented. "They'll kill her in seconds. She needs to be higher.""Do we have time?" Topaz 09 said, nervously glancing back at the approaching horde."Yeah, we will. Get on my shoulders." Her companion assured her. Topaz 09 nodded, wrapping a hand on the flagpole and swinging herself over so she could wrap her legs around Topaz 010's chest. Her legs buckled under the weight, and she let out a grunt as her twin began to climb up to her shoulders. On her shoulders, Topaz 09 was eye level with Garnet. She grasped her at her hips and began to move her up. Garnet stopped kicking, hanging limply instead."All this touchin’ is gettin' me worked up. How ‘bout some action before you go?" Garnet taunted, grinning, but even the blindest-eye could see how she trembled, how the grin only served to mask the fear on her face. Topaz 09 said nothing as she continued to move her up, until her arms couldn't stretch anymore."Alight, I'm going to stand up on your shoulders now." Topaz 09 warned her twin. Topaz 010 grunted and nodded as she looked back at the horde."Hurry up." She urged. Topaz 09 began to stand. Topaz 010's legs buckled more. Topaz 09 lifted up Garnet so she was eye level again, then a little bit further so that she was staring at her chest, before she moved one hand away to throw the rope around her. It slapped Garnet in the torso. Topaz 09 quickly returned her hand, only to move the other one away to grab the rope. Garnet began to slip down and, without thinking, the large woman jammed a knee on her stomach to keep her in place. The act threw both gems off balance and drew a pained cough from Garnet. Topaz 010 was only barely quick enough to grab onto the pole to keep herself from toppling over, and Topaz 09 was wavering back and forth. She began to circle the rope around Garnet’s torso and thighs as fast as she could, before tying it off securely in the front. Cautiously, she moved her knee away and set her foot back down on her partner's shoulder.Garnet stayed still.Topaz 09 breathed out."Okay, we're done. Let's go!"  Topaz squatted down, letting out a pained grunt as she did so. Topaz 09 climbed off of her. Hand-in-hand they ran off towards the back entrance, leaving a bound and struggling Garnet at the near top of the flagpole. The scalpel slid underneath the surface of the skin of Pearl's arm, before coming out the other side. It carefully cut the down the flanks, before slipping under the incision and pulling the skin away. The action drew a pained cry from Pearl's lips, and she struggled against the hands holding her down. Yellow Diamond had no reaction as she dropped the skin sample into a bag. She sealed it and set the bag down next to vial of blood, a single strand of hair in another bag, and a fragment of a tooth. Yellow Diamond threw her scalpel aside and closed the briefcase that contained the samples. She clicked the locks into place."All done. Was that so bad?" Yellow Diamond said, patting Pearl's cheek as she moved off her straddling position. The sound of heavy footsteps sounded through the room as Jasper ran in."My diamond-!""Not now." Yellow Diamond interrupted. She tilted her head to the side, popping her neck. She grabbed the briefcase off the conveyor belt as she began to head for the entrance doors."It was pleasure to finally meet you, 34. It is regretful that our meeting was so short." Yellow Diamond stopped at the door, looking back at Pearl with a smile. "Very regretful; execute her." Was her last order before she pushed open the entrance door.She couldn’t even move an inch before a cluster with a giant eye for a head lunged at her, knocking her to the ground as its three arms grasped for her chest, trying to rip through the clothing and skin. Yellow Diamond barely managed to defend herself before a jasper shot at the cluster's eye, exploding it over the floor and Yellow Diamond. Yellow Diamond, thoroughly surprised, began to scoot away, before getting to her feet. She pulled out her knife before the next cluster ran in. It, much like the other one, lunged for her, but the scarred woman stabbed her knife into its malformed head, killing it. It fell to the ground near her feet. The quartz at the side of the door slammed it shut with their shoulder and held it down, the one on the other side doing the same. Banging sounded through the room as the clusters tried to get in, their muffled roars chilling everyone down to the bone."What is this?!" Yellow Diamond demanded, whirling around to glare at the gems in the room, all of which shrunk away except for Jasper, who stepped forward."Mutants. There's an entire horde. It followed Emerald's convoy to the base." Almost immediately all eyes were on Emerald, including the yellow eyes of the Scarred Diamond. She shrunk away."I- I sent Topaz 010 to lead them away; they weren't supposed to-" Yellow Diamond held up a hand, stopping her incoming ramble.  She took in a deep breath through her nose, before letting it out her mouth. She sheathed her knife into its scabbard and wiped her face of the blood splattered on it. Every gem felt thick tension in the room as they waited for their master to finally speak. Some gems shuffled around on their feet, some stayed as still as their bodies allowed them to be. Pearl only felt grateful for her prolonged life."Start defending the base. We'll leave when all of them are dead." With that, Yellow Diamond headed for the stairs that led up to the overhead office, disappearing into the room when she got to the top. Jasper cleared her throat and forced her nerves to calm."Alright, you heard her! GET TO IT!" Jasper hollered, snapping the gems out of their stupor. They began to scramble, some heading for the second floor, while others headed for the unguarded exits and windows in the main room. Jasper stepped by the conveyor belt, ignoring Pearl as she headed to join one of the gems at an entrance. Pearl breathed out as she rolled off the conveyor belt and hit the floor, grunting in pain as her head bounced off the concrete floor. Dazed and in pain, she began to scoot across the ground, towards the scalpel laying only a few feet away from her.She wasn't going to die here.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Burning
 Travelling on its four legs, the cluster barreled towards Garnet's position on the flagpole, leaping over its brethren’s heads and grasping for the metal pole with its skeletal hands. It climbed up with ease despite its scrawny arms, reaching Garnet’s position and holding a hand out towards the boot that was dangling out of its reach.With a grunt, Garnet slammed her metal foot down on the cluster's face, caving in part of its head and crushing the skull and brain. A death rattle escaped the clusters lips as it fell back towards the ground, quickly disappearing underneath the sea of clusters surrounding the base of the pole. Garnet’s teeth clenched together as she kicked off the next cluster that dared to climb towards her. She was tiring quickly, but the clusters didn't. Their behavior was almost zombie-like; they didn't care if they fell towards the ground, breaking their brittle, irradiated bones. They didn't care if other clusters trampled them in order to get to her, breaking whatever hadn't broken in the fall. All they cared about was reaching their target. Unlike zombies, however, they weren't interested in eating her. All they wanted were her limbs and flesh, so they could add them to their own malformed bodies-- so they could 'complete' themselves.Another cluster managed to jump to her, and it wasted no time in latching its stubby fingers onto her metal foot, tugging her down an inch with its heavy body weight. A strangled cry escaped Garnet's lips as she stamped her booted foot down, desperately trying to get the cluster to let go. The world was as dark as a moonless night with her blindfold on. The only senses that served to aid her were her hearing and touch. But hearing the sounds of the clusters roaring and screaming were getting to her, as well as only knowing they were close when one grabbed onto her. The clusters shaking around the flagpole in their attempt to dislodge it didn't help either. If she managed to get out of there alive, Garnet wouldn't be surprised if some of her sanity would be gone as a result.She finally managed to kick off the cluster, sending it to the ground where another took its place on the pole. Unlike the others, this cluster crawled past her leg to get up to her torso. With a snarl, it reached for Garnet's blindfold and tore it off from her face. Light flooded Garnet's vision, momentarily blinding her and causing her to squeeze her eyes shut with a pained whimper. She couldn't keep them closed for long, as the cluster forced open her left eye with its middle finger and thumb, its index finger hooked and ready to scoop out the blue eye that stared at it in horror.Garnet knew what it wanted. It was missing both of its eyes and it wanted hers to replace them. It didn't get the chance to begin digging, however, as she began to kick with all her might at its torso. The sudden hits forced its body to recoil back, making its index finger miss its mark every time and instead scratch at her eyelid and temple."Get off!" Garnet delivered a hard kick to its abdomen, sending it sailing off her and into the masses of clusters below. Her legs dangled down despite her best attempts to bring them close to her body. Garnet set her head back on the pole, taking in a deep breath. A grunt escaped her at the pain that shot through her chest. Her injuries were beginning to catch up to her. Each pant sent a horrible pressure through her chest, her bruised and swollen stomach ached and could barely stretch far enough to take in a good amount of air, her pubic bone was bruised enough to keep her legs from moving too close to her body, her head swam from the various hits it received, and to make everything worse her thigh wound reopened from the constant movement. The only reason she hasn't passed out at this point was the adrenaline pumping through her blood and her sheer will to continue on.Garnet's head lolled onto her shoulder as she looked out into the distance.  Hundreds. Thousands, maybe. The black rain created a grey fog that hid the rest of the clusters numbers. Garnet's heart stopped in her chest as a loud roar echoed through the air. Through the grey fog, an Abhorrent made its way towards her, running on all fours. It was nothing like she had seen before. There were no extra limbs or skin, only muscles ten-times the size of whatever the strongest human could achieve. Its body was a crimson red that stood out well against the crowd of clusters. Its appearance didn't even seem to deter them from her, they still moved on as if the Abhorrent wasn't barreling into them and throwing them aside.Each bloodcurdling cry it emitted sent jolts of fear through Garnet's body. She began to struggle against the ropes; she needed to escape. The clusters began to 'help', as her legs dangled low enough for one to grab onto her ankle and another to latch on as well until they had a firm enough grip to pull her down. She kicked them off her booted foot, but she allowed them to hang onto her metal one to save her energy, because at least they couldn't rip the skin or tear off the limb. She hiked her right leg up as far as it could go, whimpering as she did so. She looked up to the Abhorrent. It was drawing closer.Her thoughts were cut short when a cluster decided to climb onto her. It let out a growl as it reached for something to grab onto, groping the air until it found the knot of the rope. It seized it in its hands and used it to pull itself up.The knot came loose.The world fell into slow motion as the rope unraveled and Garnet began to fall towards the crowd. She twisted her body enough for her to look down at the clusters awaiting her with outstretched arms, each and every one eager to get ahold of her. With a swallow, she turned her head to the Abhorrent, still bashing its way through the crowd.The world picked up its speed again. Garnet fell into the horde.A handful of clusters broke her fall, but it was only seconds until the others were on her, ripping at her clothing and desperately trying to find skin. Garnet could only let out shouts of fear as she covered her face with her forearms. She couldn't die. She didn't want to die, and she prayed to the stars that she wouldn't.Her prayers were answered, but not by the stars, only by the Abhorrent as it threw aside the clusters surrounding her and yanked her straight up from the ground. A triumphant roar boomed from it as it held Garnet up in the air by a single arm. Blood dripped down from her various lacerations to the ground below, mixing with the black puddles that had already made their place there.“Please.” Garnet’s voice cracked. She knew it was fruitless. The Abhorrent seized her other arm and yanked it to its stretching limit. A cracking noise filled the air as its mouth began to stretch, farther and farther, exposing the rows upon rows of jagged teeth. It brought a screaming Garnet to its maw, placing her head into its mouth when its head snapped back, a cloud of blood exploding around it.It stumbled.It wavered.It fell.Forward and right on top of Garnet, inadvertently shielding her from the clusters and trapping her under its mass. A choked cry escaped from Garnet, the hard fall knocked all the air out of her, and the Abhorrent on top of her kept her from breathing in. Her hands clawed at the ground as she tried to get out from under the torso encasing her, but her legs were trapped under its own.Suffocating. She was suffocating.Her chest ached and her lungs screamed for air. A wheezing sob escaped her lips as Garnet tried to pull herself free. This was how she was going die. Suffocation. It was a death that hardly suited her.Her world began to darken. Her muscles began to weaken. Garnet began to lose hope. She stopped her struggle and tried once more to breathe. A little air filled her lungs, giving her enough to go for a bit longer, but at this point it was only prolonging the inevitable. She used what little strength she had to move her head aside, catching a glimpse of an opening where the Abhorrent’s arm lay.Her eyes widened in a sudden realization.She began trying to roll to her side. The attempt had more luck than her trying to crawl, as she had moved an inch away. She tried again. Another inch. Again. One more. Her head popped out from the Abhorrent’s arm and she let out a gasp. Garnet shoved her hands onto the thick muscles of the arm and she began to push while simultaneously kicking her legs, in a span of several minutes freeing herself until only her foot was trapped under the Abhorrent. At that point, Garnet was beyond exhausted. She fell back to the concrete and swallowed the air and rain. The rain choked her, but she couldn’t care less. She could breathe again. Garnet almost wanted to cry, but she settled for moving her head to the side, watching the clusters as they made their way towards the factory and, most importantly, ignored her. She looked to the other side. Empty. A bitter laugh escaped her thick lips. Looks like there was nothing beyond the fog after all.She pressed her sweaty and bloody palms onto the ground and began to push herself up, dislodging her foot out from under the Abhorrent. Garnet grimaced as she caught sight of her metal foot; it was dented, not terribly, but enough so that it would affect her walking. She let out a grunt as she forced herself to her feet, standing in a hunched position as she wrapped an arm around her stomach. Garnet tried to take a step. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees with a muffled cry. It was enough to discourage her from attempting again. A string of curses left her lips.‘You can't even walk. How pathetic.” An inner voice taunted her, a voice she hadn't heard since she had been bed-ridden. Garnet shook her head, sucking in air through her teeth. She tried to stand again, but her leg refused to move this time around.‘You’ve prolonged your life at the extent of your friends just so you can die here? What a waste.” The voice continued with words that had less bite behind them. Garnet tried pushing herself up again, but to no avail.‘Alright, think of Pearl. You need to protect Pearl. You’ve already failed her once and you are going to do it again?’ The bite was completely gone; the inner voice instead sounded encouraging. Garnet panted as she began to push at the ground. Slowly, she lifted herself up until she could maneuver her knee under her and use that to lift herself onto her feet. She was wavering, but standing. Raising her right leg, she set it down and dragged the other behind her. A quick survey of her surroundings told her where she needed to go. The truck that they were thrown in was parked by a concrete barrier, calling out to her with the frame lined with sharpened steel rebar that could be used as a weapon. She forced herself to move towards it, each movement drawing whimpers and grunts from her.It took her what seemed like hours to reach the truck. Her hand stretched for the rebar, grasping it tightly as she began to pull. Muscles strained and bulged, and veins began to pop out against the skin as she tugged with all her might.“C’mon you bastard.” Garnet hissed to herself. The rebar came loose, and she found herself stumbling back and falling onto her ass. It hurt, but it did nothing to dampen the relief that flooded her being. A near-crazed grin spread over her lips as she clutched the rebar close to her and used it to prop herself up.“There you go, Garnet! You’ve got this, you’ve got this, you’ve got this, you’ve-”She fell into repetition as she headed for the factory. The blade of the scalpel slid up and down as Pearl sawed her way through her bindings. She gritted her teeth and shifted her weight to her other side as she tried to get a better angle. Around her, chaos had taken over. Gems being ripped apart, gems being pulled straight through the windows and into the hordes waiting outside, clusters being shot left and right as they made their way past the defense. The combined sounds of the roaring clusters, screaming gems, and gunshots had rendered her ears a ringing mess. But despite all of that, it was her luck that she remained forgotten by the conveyor belt. A sharp hiss slipped past her lips as she cut through her bindings and skin-deep into her finger.Pearl reached her hands around her and nearly cried out in relief as circulation returned to them. She began to shake out the tingling sensation in her fingertips and forced herself to her feet with a groan, making sure to grab the discarded scalpel off the ground.She needed to find Garnet.Pearl glanced about her until her eyes zeroed in on the hallway her guard was taken down. Not wasting a moment, she took off running towards the corridor, huffing as she pulled up her tank top and ripped off the green skin stuck to her side, revealing the intact pale flesh. She made a mental note to look around for more biofoam; there's no doubt Garnet will need it.She skidded to a halt as she entered the backroom, quickly ducking behind a crate before the two large women could spot her. The topazes were focused on the windows, shooting away at the clusters while shouting things to each other that Pearl couldn't hear. Pearl's eyes darted around the room. Where was she? She gripped the cloth of her pants as panic rose in her. Did they already take her out?She looked to one of the Topazes; Topaz 09, if she was correct. Pearl's eyes narrowed down on her back and she squeezed the scalpel tightly.'What did you do to her?' She thought to herself as she began to crawl towards the large woman. She stayed as low to the ground as possible, limiting any possibility of them spotting her. Topaz 09 suspected nothing as Pearl crept up on her, nor did she even notice when the pale woman began to stand with the scalpel raised high in the air.The only thing that saved her was Pearl spotting Garnet through the window.Past the hundreds of clusters surrounding the factory, she saw Garnet out in the rain, knocking a cluster onto its back with a piece of metal and then stabbing it down into its head. She almost dropped the scalpel in her shock.'She's alive.' Tears sprung to her eyes. She needed to get out; she needed to help her. A gasp escaped her lips, and she could barely suppress a shout of warning as a cluster came running up behind Garnet. The dark woman didn't notice the threat, as she kept walking on to the factory. The cluster was nearly upon her, but it snapped back as a bullet entered through its head.It was enough to make Pearl look over to Topaz 09, who pulled back the bolt of her rifle, releasing the spent cartridge."Damn it, Topaz! You missed her again!" Pearl ducked in time to avoid being spotted by Topaz 09 as she looked over to her partner."I didn't miss! I'm not trying to kill her!" She shouted. At her words, Topaz 010 whipped around."Why the hell not?! She's-" Topaz 010 clamped her mouth shut, eyes growing wide as they zeroed in on Pearl, who was staring back at her with an equal-amount of shock. Topaz 010 raised her own rifle. "Get away from her!""Topaz, watch your window!"Topaz 010 didn't react fast enough before a cluster grabbed at her back, pulling her to the window where others wasted no time grabbing at her as well. Teeth dug into her skin, hands pulled and ripped her clothing off as they searched for flesh to tear. A scream tore through Topaz 010’s lips."No! Let her go!" Topaz 09 ran towards her, leaving her window unguarded. Pearl turned away from the horrifying sight of the large woman practically being pulled apart, sucking in a breath as she braced herself and calmed her churning stomach. The other clusters at Topaz 09’s window were moving away in favor for where Topaz 010 was being held.'Looks like they don't want to take the easy way.' Pearl thought bitterly as she began to back up. A deep breath was taken in through her nose before she began to run, launching herself out the window at the last moment and landing on her feet on the ground outside. Her knees buckled at the landing, pain shooting through them. A gasp escaped Pearl's lips as she pushed herself up. She needed to move fast; no doubt she had caught some of the clusters attention."Garnet!" That didn't help her case, but at least the dark woman heard her. Her mismatched eyes widened as she turned and began to limp to her. Pearl winced as she noticed that Garnet was dragging her left leg behind her."Pearl!" Garnet responded. Pearl shook her head, pushing through the pain in her knees as she sped towards her, meeting her halfway. She didn't hesitate a moment before throwing herself into her guard's arms, hugging her tightly. A grunt escaped from Garnet, and she sucked in a breath."Oh, I'm sorry!" Pearl snapped back from her guard with a look of remorse on her features. "I forget, I didn’t-""Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Garnet lifted her hands and placed them on Pearl's shoulders, eyes glancing between her and over her shoulder as she kept an eye on the clusters. They were still distracted. She looked back to Pearl, and it was then that she noticed her arm was slicked with blood that ran down to her hand and spilled to the floor beneath their feet. She looked past the blood and saw the wound that was deliberately cut into a square. Her heart clenched and her blood boiled."Who did it?" She seethed through clenched teeth. Pearl looked to her wound and her eyes widened. How did she forget about it? She raised her shaking arm up to her face, biting her lip at the sight of what was typically covered by flesh."Yellow Diamond did it. She wanted it for her-" She paused, as Garnet began to shake and there was a look in her eye that Pearl had never seen before; an intent to kill. For a moment she squeezed her shoulders tighter, almost as if she were looking to break them, before letting go and bending down to grab the rebar that she had dropped. She slammed the sharpened end down onto the ground and began to walk."Garnet, you're hurt, you can't-""I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She interrupted."We need to go while they are still distracted!""Can't; they're comin' in hordes through the back." Pearl glanced behind her, and through the grey fog from the black rain she spotted the hundreds of more clusters appearing through it, effectively blocking the exit. "We'll have to go through the front."She was right, unfortunately. Pearl bit into her lip and began to follow the dark woman, clutching her scalpel in a white-knuckled grip.They climbed through the window with little incident; the clusters were still distracted by the other window. There was no sign of the topazes, and Pearl breathed an internal sigh of relief as she helped Garnet get her other foot inside."I think 09 shot the Abhorrent that was holding me." Garnet said as she hobbled her way towards the corridor. Pearl gritted her teeth."They put you outside, didn't they?""Tied me to the flagpole. Used me as bait." Garnet confirmed. Pearl hissed, narrowing her eyes. They deserved whatever happened to them.  "I need a gun." Garnet said, pulling Pearl out of her head."A gun?” She gave it a moment of thought, eyebrows furrowing “There are other gems that dropped theirs in the main room. You can grab one of them.""That is if they don't shoot at us first." Garnet said. They were passing down the corridor now, the sound of gunshots and screams growing louder. Pearl winced as the ringing in her ears came back with a vengeance. They stopped at the very end, and Garnet held her arm out, stopping Pearl from moving any further as she poked her head around the corner. Pearl could see her frown."Stay low." She whispered. Pearl nodded and crouched down. The dark woman only hunched over as she began to walk again. She rounded the corner and stuck close to the wall, away from the distracted gems. Pearl glanced ahead."Garnet, look." She whispered to her companion, nudging her shoulder. Garnet looked ahead, spotting the control room that Pearl had seen. She nodded and they began to make their way over to it, keeping low and out of sight.They relaxed when they entered the room. Garnet moved towards the file cabinets and began to ransack them, looking for anything they could use. Pearl did much of the same, glancing under the various control panels and items of furniture."We need biofoam." Pearl said to her companion. "You can't go on like this for much longer.""Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. And watch the door!” Garnet snapped the order. Old instincts kicked in and Pearl immediately headed for the doorway, looking out for any gems that might approach them. She could hear --barely-- Garnet shuffle through the rest of the cabinets.“Nothing. Fucking nothing.”“We have this scalpel and that rebar.” Pearl tried to reassure her.“Never bring a melee weapon to a gunfight. You’ll lose.” Garnet shut down the reassurance. She slammed the cabinet shut and limped over to Pearl.“Do you see any guns lyin’ around, ones that aren't near any of those gems?” Garnet murmured into her ear. Pearl shook her head, drawing a frustrated growl out of her guard. She pushed past Pearl and scanned the main room. Her head stayed in a fixed direction after a minute of looking around.“There.” Without waiting for the pale woman, she dropped the rebar and took off in a hobbling-run towards whatever she had seen.“Garnet!” Pearl made to go after her, but her logical side told her that if she were to follow, they would increase their chances of being seen. With reluctance, she sat back and watched worriedly as Garnet weaved around conveyor belts and machines and snuck past distracted gems. For a moment, she disappeared under a conveyor belt, before popping back up and making her way towards Pearl hurriedly. In her hands was an improvised rifle, one made with piping and scrap metal. Pearl backed away to allow Garnet in, and the dark woman grunted as she pulled back the bolt of the rifle and peered into the compartment.“12.” She noted to herself. She nodded to Pearl. “Move with me.”“Will it be enough?”“No, we wait for the fight to calm down. Then we pick off the rest.” She pulled the bolt back, closing the compartment with an audible ‘click’. Rifle held in her hands, Garnet headed out of the room. Pearl followed.They took refuge behind a conveyor belt near the south wall, crouched down low as they watched the fight. Contrast to the carnage Pearl saw earlier, the gems were beginning to win. Less were being pulled out or attacked through the windows and more were able to drop the clusters before they got too close. Up ahead in the overhead office, Yellow Diamond was sitting in a worn leather chair, pointer fingers pressed against her temple as she watched the fight with a bored expression. Garnet ground her teeth together and clutched the rifle close to her body. Before she even realized what she was doing, she had raised the rifle up high and was aiming for Yellow Diamond’s head“Garnet!” Pearl grasped her guard’s tense bicep. She didn't glance back at the pale woman. “Don't, you'll give us away.”“I can hit her from here; I was the best markswoman in my class when it came to rifles.” Garnet justified, shrugging her hand off.“No you can't! Garnet, please, you’re going to get us spotted. We need to wait it out like you said.” Garnet bared her teeth and her mismatched eyes narrowed to slits at she continued to stare at the mutant in the overhead office.“She hurt you.” Garnet said.“We need to stick to the plan.” Pearl tried again, glancing between Garnet and the office.
Please don't let her shoot.
The dark woman aimed down her sights. At that moment, Yellow Diamond looked over to them, catching Garnet’s eye through the scope of the rifle. She stared down, face expressionless. A smirk drew across her lips, and she mouthed something to them.
I’d like to see you try.
The mouthed words infuriated Garnet. She let out a growl as she placed her finger on the trigger.“Garnet-”Yellow Diamond reached for something under her. She sat up a moment later with a mic in her hands. She clicked a button on the side of it. Speakers, unused for centuries, crackled and whined, bringing the attention of every gem in the room.“Take care of the pearl and the outsider at the south side wall behind conveyor belt F.”  Yellow Diamond’s voice rang out through the room. All eyes were on their position the moment the speakers died down.“Shit.” Garnet murmured. Her hand shot out and grabbed the crown of Pearl’s head, shoving her down and out of sight just as a shot rang out, a bullet hitting a few feet away from them. Garnet fired back, striking a gem in their chest and sending them down to the ground. The causality brought an uproar from the gems, and many of them ducked into cover while the others stood their ground, shooting at Garnet, the clusters forgotten even as they began to pour in through the windows and doors.Garnet ducked down below the conveyor belt, pulling back the bolt of her rifle and releasing the cartridge.“11.” She waited for the shots to die down, before she sat up quickly and fired a return. A gem’s head exploded as the round entered it. They stood standing before crumbling to the floor. Garnet sat back down.“10.” Pearl bit her lip and spared a glance up to the overhead office. Yellow Diamond was out of her seat and at the window, watching with interest. Before she could move her gaze away Garnet had sprung up from her spot and fired again, killing a citrine. Pearl gritted her teeth as she watched them fall to the ground. She was positive that was 012.Garnet didn't even duck to cover as she unloaded the cartridge and fired again, striking a jasper and sending them down. Pearl could have sworn she saw a smile on her face as she unloaded another cartridge.“Garnet, there aren't enough bullets!” Pearl shouted over the gunshots as her guard crouched down again. Garnet hummed.“I know.”She sat up again and fired, then fired a second round, and then fired a subsequent third. All three hit their marks. Garnet dropped down again and pulled the bolt back. Pearl looked up at the glass. Yellow Diamond had her arms crossed as she looked over them. There was no trace of irritation or worry on her face.And that’s what scared Pearl.At this point, the gems attention were divided between Garnet and the clusters in the room with them. Half of them took care of the clusters while the rest kept shooting at them. Garnet lifted herself up again and fired the rifle, hitting a carnelian in the face. A bullet whizzed by her, barely missing her head. Garnet didn't even seem phased.Pearl tugged at the dark woman’s torn pant leg, enticing her to drop down again. Her guard complied.“What’s wrong?”“That could have killed you!” Pearl said. Garnet rolled her eyes at her.“Pearl, I nearly died three times today. I’m past the point of carin’ now.”“How many bullets?”“4”“There's not enough!” The words drew forth a chuckle from Garnet’s lips.“There wasn't enough at Percy either.” She sat back up and fired all four rounds in quick succession, taking down four gems: two jaspers, a topaz, and a citrine. She fell down and released the last cartridge.“What now?” Pearl whispered to her, wincing as a bullet flew over her head. She crouched lower.“We wait. You still ‘ave the scalpel?” Garnet asked. Pearl nodded. Her guard returned the gesture. “Hold on tight to it. Be prepared.”They waited.One of the jaspers took the bait.They approached the conveyor belt with their rifle raised. Each step was taken cautiously as they drew closer. The barrel of the rifle poked over the belt when Garnet shot her hand out, grabbing it and forcing the rifle up and away from their heads.“Now!” She shouted as the jasper began to attempt to pull the barrel free. Pearl jolted up and stabbed and dragged the knife across the arm holding the base of the rifle, causing the jasper to cry out as they let go. She dropped down as the bullets began to fly towards her. Garnet seized control of the weapon and flipped it around so she was aiming at the jasper. She fired, hitting them in the stomach and sending them to the ground. She fell down next to Pearl and pulled back the bolt, looking in after the cartridge flew out.“5.” She snapped the bolt forward again and took aim over the conveyor belt. It was at that point that Pearl noticed how much she was shaking, how her skin had lost some of its color, how her blood pooled around her. She was wearing out. And one quick look at her chest told Pearl that she wasn’t breathing properly. Garnet fired a shot and sat back down. Pearl strained her ringing ears hard, listening to the sound of her labored breathing. How long had she been breathing like that? How long hadn't she noticed? She grabbed at the dark woman and kept her from poking her head back up.“Stop, you’re hurt.” She said.“I’ll-”“No, you won't be fine, not if you keep going at this rate!” Pearl interrupted her. Garnet growled.“I can't afford to sit and rest. We need to get out of here. I can worry ‘bout myself then” She released the cartridge and made to move back up. She fired several rounds, hitting the last of the gems that had been shooting at her instead of the clusters. She fell back with a victorious grin, resting the rifle in her lap.“There, see? All better.” She said.Pearl waited for fate to come and throw something at them to make Garnet mark her words. Surprisingly enough, it didn't happen. Pearl looked up at the overhead office again.Yellow Diamond was gone.Her blood ran cold, and her heart sped up as she sat up and began to look around over the conveyor belt. Where was she? She saw gems fighting clusters, clusters dropping left and right, and she even managed to spot Jasper beating in a cluster’s skull with the butt of her AK-47, but no sign of Yellow Diamond.“She’s not here.” Pearl murmured, almost sounding as though she were in a trance.“What?” Garnet asked.“Yellow Diamond, you twat! She’s gone!” She twisted around and grabbed Garnet’s shoulders, shaking her as her blue eyes stared into her guard’s mismatched ones.“Pearl!” The dark woman grabbed onto Pearl’s forearms and stopped her shaking. “Did you see her walk out?” She sounded panicked herself.“No!”Garnet swore under her breath as she cast her eyes aside, gritting her teeth. She was thinking to herself. The pale woman pulled away and continued to look around, searching for the mutant.“Where could she-”She didn’t get to finish her sentence before an explosion rang out through the main room, rattling the walls and shaking the floors and blinding everyone with a bright light. She was barely aware of Garnet tackling and shielding her, all senses overwhelmed from the explosion. The building continued to rattle and stray pieces of foundation fell around them or onto Garnet’s back, each hit drawing a pained cry from her as she tried her best to protect her head whilst also protecting the pale woman beneath her.The smell of smoke drifted through the air.It took all of Garnet’s strength for her to look up, for her to catch sight of the flames at the east wall spreading towards them. Her eyes widened.“Shit.” She looked down at Pearl, who had her eyes squeezed shut and hands held over her ears. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” She sat up despite how much her body protested. Her adrenaline kicked into full-force again, and every instinct in her was screaming to run. She grabbed at Pearl’s arms and yanked her up. The movement made Pearl snap to, and she looked around in confusion, eyes widening as she saw the fire.Images of the hospital flashed before her.She wasn't able to dwell on them before Garnet began to drag her away towards the entrance. No gem paid attention to them, all too wrapped up in trying to escape or keep themselves alive. Pearl looked around for where she last saw Jasper; no sign of her either.Garnet took her to the front of the room when Pearl's feet dug into the concrete. The dark woman glanced back at her. Pearl was shaking her head.“The clusters are surrounding the front; we need to find a different way.”“No they’re not; they’re comin’ in through the windows!”“That's because they can't use the doors!” She pointed to the entrance doors. There were dents from where the clusters punched it in an attempt to get in, but it was unopened. Garnet gritted her teeth.“Okay, we’ll find a different way. We’ll find a-” Garnet stopped, grimacing. She looked to the ground. Her fingers were flexing and closing into fists repeatedly.“We’ll find a different way.” She muttered to herself in a repetition.“Garnet?”“Fuck, I’m panickin’!” Garnet shouted out as she seized Pearl’s wrist and began to hobble towards the west wall.Smoke was beginning to choke the room; the fires had spread from the east wall to the middle of the room, consuming anything in its way for more fuel. Pearl found herself faltering as she looked at the flames, her vision flickering between reality and the hospital.“I can't do this again.” She found herself murmuring. She stopped in her tracks, halting Garnet as well. “I-I can't do this again.”It was all too familiar. The gunshots. The screaming. The suffocating smoke. The flames and the collapsing foundation. She shook in her boots, gritting her teeth.
Pull it together.
She noticed that Garnet wasn't making any attempt to comfort her, and she looked up to see that the dark woman was as distressed as she was. Her eyes darted back and forth between the walls, and her teeth ground together. Once she caught sight of Pearl looking at her, her face reverted into a mask of stoicism and false confidence.“We’ll be fine. Come with me.” Her voice trembled, doing nothing but pulling more fear out of Pearl. She shook her head side to side.“I-I can’t! This is just like the hospital. I-I could-couldn't even make it out on my own then, what’s the difference now?! What if there is no other exit? What if-?!”A warm hand found itself on Pearl’s cheek, stopping her tirade. Garnet looked her in the eyes, a frown on her face. Pearl trembled at first, but soon she relented and placed her own hand over her guard’s, looking away at the ground.“Look at me.” Garnet murmured; the pale woman’s eyes drifted upwards. Her guard moved Pearl’s head so she was facing her.“It’s going to be alright.” Garnet reassured her. Tears fell from her companion's eyes as she looked down at the floor again. The same feelings of hopelessness and dread that consumed her at the hospital filled her now despite her guard's attempts at reassurance. Pearl let out a broken sob and threw herself into Garnet, arms wrapping around her sides and squeezing.“I can't do this again!” Pearl shouted in Garnet’s shoulder. Garnet rubbed her back.“I know. I’m scared too. I’m hardly keepin’ it together now, but we need to move.” Garnet reasoned with the distressed woman. Pearl only sobbed harder, clenching the fabric of her guard’s shirt in her hands and staining the already-ruined cloth with her tears. Garnet pushed Pearl away, placing her hands on her shoulders.“It’s going to be-”
BANG!
The front of Pearl’s shirt spattered with blood.Pearl didn't process what happened at first. All she knew that she was covered in hot blood and her guard had gone silent. It wasn't until the shock wore off that she realized what happened. She looked down at the exit wound leaking blood from Garnet’s stomach, and then looked up to her shocked face, dilated pupils staring straight into Pearl’s eyes.Pearl couldn’t make out what word she screamed, nor if it even was a word at all as her guard slumped down into her arms. She couldn’t stop herself from holding her guard close to her and crying out her name again as she tried to look at her face, to see if the light was fading from her eyes. She forced her own eyes up, at the person who shot her.“Well, that's out of the way now.” Yellow Diamond said nonchalantly. She flipped open and checked the chamber of Garnet’s revolver. A frown spread over her face as she dropped it down. “I was expecting it to do more damage, but guess that will do.” She brushed her hands off and looked at Pearl with a smirk.“You-you-”“I would start running if I were you.”Pearl stayed still, holding Garnet in her arms as if letting her go would kill her. Yellow Diamond took a step forward. Pearl held her ground.“This has been very, very fun. The most fun I’ve had in a decade. But our time must come to an end, 34.” Yellow Diamond said. She cracked her knuckles. Pearl swallowed as she kneeled and let Garnet lay on the ground. The dark woman tried to reach for the pale woman as she straightened back up, but her arm could barely lift from her side.“34.” Yellow Diamond took a step forward, yellow eyes narrowing into slits. “Start running.”Pearl took a step back. Yellow Diamond continued her approach. Pearl backed away, glancing over her shoulder. She spotted something near a machine.“How long did you think you could keep the charade of being a free pearl up? All it takes is a hard reset and you’ll be back to what Pink Diamond molded you to be.” Yellow Diamond continued her advance. Pearl backed away further to the potential weapon. Her hand flexed. She needed to be a little closer.“How did you think you were free in the first place, when you were still traveling to Greenzone at your diamond’s wishes?” Yellow Diamond sneered. “How did you think you could escape me and cheat death a second time?”Pearl let out a shout as she lunged for the item: a handgun. She aimed it towards Yellow Diamond and fired three times.One hit the wall beside her head.The second hit her chest.The third struck her shoulder.She jolted back at the shoulder shot, but no cry of pain escaped her. She stood there for what seemed like an eternity, body twisted. Slowly, she drew back so she was fully facing Pearl again, a smirk on her face. A hand reached up to her shoulder. Her index finger and thumb dug into the wound, pinching the bullet.“Did you really forget one of the most defining parts of our mutations?” She yanked the bullet out and let it fall to the ground, blood leaking from the hole and down her arm. “That doesn't work, 34. It’s never worked.”Pearl’s eyes widened as she let the gun fall from her shaking hands. Yellow Diamond’s smirk stretched into a grin.“Time for me to tie the last loose end.” She lunged for the machine Pearl sat behind, grabbing onto a lead pipe on the side. Her muscles strained as she pulled, but the pipe came free. Gripping it tightly, the scarred woman looked down at Pearl and narrowed her eyes.“I’ll repeat myself one more time, 34.” She slapped the pipe onto her open palm. “Start running.”It didn't take any more incentive for Pearl to whip around and run away from the scarred woman. Yellow Diamond did not run after her, no, she only started a calm stride. The way she walked, unurgent and unhurried, contrasted against the chaos around her, and reminded Pearl far too much of Pink Diamond at the night of the attack.Pearl tripped over her own feet as she reached a dead end. With a gasping breath, she turned around and rushed to a different section of the factory, one that wasn’t burning away into nothing. The heat singed the hair off her skin, the smoke filled her lungs and eyes and burned them, and the panic and grief in her mind kept her from thinking.
You abandoned Garnet!
Tears dripped off her chin and fell to the floor, evaporating away on the hot concrete. She skidded as she stopped and turned a sharp corner.“Does this all feel familiar to you?” Yellow Diamond taunted Pearl as she followed her around the corner. “Does it, 34?” Pearl didn't dare to answer as she cut another corner. Yellow Diamond smirked, striding towards the fleeing woman.“I did it, 34. The raiders were my gems, the explosion my doing. It was a scare tactic to Pink Diamond. My way of convincing her to share the cloning process.”The words brought Pearl to a halt. Her blue eyes widened. Yellow Diamond continued to walk towards her.“You did kill her.” She whispered.“Inadvertently. It’ll be a regret I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.” Yellow Diamond said, smirk falling into a frown. She clutched the pipe in her hands. “I'll take comfort in killing you.”Pearl jumped away just as Yellow Diamond swung the pipe at her legs, the metal making a ‘whoosh’ as it cut through the air. The pale woman tripped over her own feet, falling to the ground with a yelp.Pearl barely managed to roll out of the way before the lead pipe came crashing down, sending bits of concrete flying outwards towards the Scarred Diamond’s arms and face. Pearl forced herself onto her palms, gasping for air as she pushed herself up, catching a glimpse of the concrete through the grey haze of smoke. A sizable crater was left where Yellow Diamond had struck down. Bile rose up in her throat as she whipped around and ran; had she not reacted as fast as she did, that strike would have reduced her head to meat and bone.Her muscles screamed at her to stop and rest, but panic and adrenaline had set in full force, and all she could think about was fleeing. Behind her, Yellow Diamond sauntered her way, the lead pipe resting on her shoulder as she calmly followed the pale woman. A spark of ember fell from the ceiling and landed on her shoulder, igniting the cloth. Yellow Diamond brushed it off as if it were a piece of dirt.A burning piece of rafter fell in front of Pearl, startling her away and pulling a cry out from her throat as red-hot embers jumped at her skin and singed the flesh. Eyes blurred with fresh tears, she whipped around, searching for another way out through the tall flames.Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.Realization hit her hard.Yellow Diamond had been biding her time. She walked her straight into a corner.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Closer and closer, the scarred woman’s footsteps sounded like deafening claps of thunder to Pearl. A smirk began to pull at Yellow Diamond’s lips as she transitioned the pipe from her shoulder to her hand.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
She was an arms-reach away. Pearl backed away until her back hit a metal support beam. Yellow eyes glared down at her, and for a moment they seemed to switch into blue as Pearl recalled the raider with the shotgun, the one that could have so easily taken her life had Pink Diamond not been there to save her.But Pink Diamond was not here this time. Garnet wasn’t either. She was alone.Reflexes kicked into overdrive, allowing Pearl to duck just as the pipe swung towards her, creating a sizeable dent in the beam and bending the pipe in half. There was nothing but raw power in the mutant’s swing, and the stories of her being able to rip a man in half with her bare hands were starting to seem believable to the pale woman. Before Pearl could even think to scoot away, a heavy boot slammed into her chest, ripping the air from her lungs and keeping her still. She let out a wheezing cough as the tears that had been burning at her eyes began to spill, mixing with the blood and soot on her face.“Pl-please don't.” The beg was a mere stuttering whisper. Yellow Diamond narrowed her eyes as she began to bend the pipe back into a straight line, showing off more of her mutant strength. Pearl swallowed and let out a sob.“Plea-“ The pipe crashed against her cheek, snapping her head to the side and wrenching her chipped tooth out of her gum line to the concrete floor.“Face your death like a woman.” Yellow Diamond sneered. She was trembling with adrenaline, a wild look in her eyes as she stared down at Pearl. A grin split across her face as she lifted the pipe over her head.“Send my regards to Pink Diamond, 34.”Seconds ago, a creak from above was masked by the sound of the flames. Neither of the women suspected anything was amiss until the rest of the rafter dislodged and came crashing down right on top of them. Through her blurry eyes, Pearl could see smears of orange and grey.Everything hurt, but at least the pain let her know that she was still alive. A soft groan slipped past her lips as she lifted herself up on her palms and knees, bits and pieces of rafter falling from her back and to the ground with a clatter. She left a puddle of sweat mixed with blood where she had lain. She glanced around, dazed and disorientated. Her legs could barely support her weight as she forced herself up onto her feet, wobbling and buckling as she tried to take a step forward. She looked around sluggishly; no sign of gems, no sign of clusters, no sign of Yellow Diamond.Pearl stumbled forward towards the dying flames, moving past them without a concern as she headed for her objective. Her mouth hung open and her eyes stared forward and nowhere else, not even moving to follow the dark and colorful spots that danced in her vision. Her legs moved as if she took the route a thousand times before as she weaved around flames and debris. She spotted a discarded canister on the floor in front of a ruined conveyor belt. Something in the back of her mind told her to hurry to it, so she did. Picking up and unscrewing the top, she looked inside. There was mucky black goo stuck inside. On another instinct, she stuck her hand in, scooped it out, and slapped into onto her cut arm, slathering it on. Pearl waited a minute before she realized that it wasn't working, and that the goo was unusable. She dropped the canister to the floor and continued on.Eventually, she headed for a room and towards the woman lying in the middle of it in a pool of her own blood. She walked past her at first, moving towards something else. Pearl could barely keep herself from falling over as she reached for the revolver on the ground, lifting it and tucking it into her pants. She turned to the woman lying on the floor.
Garnet
She bent down and picked up a fallen rod, one side of it warm, the other side of it red hot from being inside a now-dying flame. She walked to her guard and fell to her knees. Her eyes were still blank as she lifted the rod up and hovered it over the bleeding wound."Forgive me." The words were heavily slurred. Her hand shot out to the dark woman's shirt and yanked it up. She slapped the hot metal rod on top of the bloody hole in her stomach.Even as the skin sizzled and hissed, Garnet showed no signs of rousing from her unconsciousness. Pearl had to glance to her chest just to be assured that she was still breathing (Her ears rang so loudly she couldn’t hear if she was even if she strained them.) She lifted the rod off after a few moments, looking at the cauterized wound. Her hand went to the dark woman’s belt buckle next and she undid it and the button on her pants, pulling the article of clothing down afterwards. Using that same hand, she shoved her arm underneath Garnet's back and used whatever strength she had left to flip her onto her stomach.She descended the rod on the back of her thigh, sealing the stab, and then to her back, sealing the small entry hole. A nagging voice entered the back of her mind.
It won’t be enough.
She threw the rod aside and stood. She bent over and wrapped her arms around Garnet's stomach, lifting up her guard with a huff. Pearl maneuvered Garnet around her so that her muscular arm was around her neck. She began to move, struggling with the deadweight.It took her at least twenty minutes to move to the entrance doors and an extra minute for her to throw them open. They fell off the hinges almost immediately, letting out a loud echoing bang. The few clusters that were scattered around the yard didn't seem to notice the noise, giving Pearl the opportunity to drag her guard out of the burning building undetected.She crossed the yard, shoulder screaming from the strain, legs threatening to give out on her, mind becoming even more muddled than before. She continued on. Something told her to look over her shoulder, to look back at the factory, to look at the pair of eyes she felt burning into her. She didn't listen to it. She couldn't care enough to.The sky darkened as she trekked through the broken city. The towering skyscrapers were her landmarks, and right now they were telling her that they were close to the apartment they had taken refuge in days ago. She headed there, because at least it was familiar. Pearl, for a moment, thought her guard shuffled on her arm. She looked back. She hadn't moved; she only opened her mouth to allow some of the blood to come spilling out. Pearl slowly turned her head to look back forward, eyes glossed over and mouth still hanging open.They arrived at the apartment building and Pearl had difficulty hefting Garnet over the stairs. She had to resolve for grabbing her under her armpits and dragging her up each flight until they reached the top. She headed to room five, opened it, and skirted around the giant hole in the middle of the floor as she headed for the bedroom. It took her a few minutes to get Garnet on the bed. When she completed the task, she promptly collapsed. Pearl awoke to a pitch black room and the sound of her own labored breathing.It was night time, she deduced, and where she was she did not know. Everything after Yellow Diamond moving in for the killing blow was a blur that she couldn't recall. She forced herself up and let out a groan, rubbing her head and wincing as her arm protested the action. With a grunt, she shook out her arm in an attempt to return the lost-feeling in her fingertips. Pearl stood, wavering before she managed to balance herself. She glanced around, squinting her eyes in an attempt to see past the darkness in the room.Her vision focused, allowing her to see Garnet on the twin-sized bed.She let a shout for her as she rushed over despite how much her legs protested. She fell down in front of the bed and reached for her, one hand resting on her chest and the other resting on her sweat-slicked forehead.She felt hot.Very hot.Almost as if she had a-No.No.
No.
She yanked her hand back close to her body as if she had been burned, blue eyes going wide and heart feeling as though it stopped in her chest."No, no, no-" She sat up and pressed her fingers to the side of Garnet's neck. Her pulse was irregular despite her state of unconsciousness. She pulled up the remains of the dark woman's shirt and looked at the wound on her stomach. Red skin around the area of cauterization that was filmed over with blood and a clear fluid. She shoved the cloth back down in its place and let out a heavy sob."No, no, no, no. F-fuck, fuck!” She shouted the curse unintentionally, but it didn't even rouse the dark woman lying on the bed. All that was running through Pearl's mind were her thoughts of her failure to Garnet. If she hadn't stopped like she did, maybe Garnet wouldn't have gotten shot. Maybe if she hadn't broken down at the border, they would have seen the ambush coming.The realization hit her hard."It-it's my fault." She whispered. She grasped for Garnet's hand and squeezed it between her own, shoulders shaking. "It's my fault. I'm-I'm sorry. I… I-I'm so sorry." She felt a pang through her heart and compression on her lungs as she struggled to breathe through her sobs.The room was filled with the sound of Pearl’s cries and curses. Her shoulders jumped up and down repeatedly as she whispered multiple apologies to her guard. She only stopped to take in a breath that did nothing to fill her lungs as she began her next round of apologies. It wasn't enough, and Pearl had a sneaking suspicion that it would never be enough."Fuck! It was my fault! I did this!" She shouted, guilt consuming her. She caused this, she caused all of it. She was the reason her guard was lying in bed suffering from wounds and an infection she had no hope of surviving. Pearl squeezed her guard’s hands tighter, a part of her hoping Garnet would wake up and respond by squeezing back and telling her it will be alright.She didn't wake up.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

No Hope
 
One week later...
 Pearl sifted through the pile of the trash lying on the ground of the pharmacy, frowning when nothing of interest caught her eye. This was getting harder, trying to find things she needed to take care of both her and Garnet. Every day she went through dozens of stores and houses and still she found little to nothing. Standing back up, she glanced around the pharmacy. Collapsed racks, broken cabinets, rotting wooden floorboards, the tang of death in the air. She grimaced as she brought her tank top to her nose, trying to shield it from the stink.She stumbled over the rubble and trash, using her boot to kick aside piles in her attempt of uncovering anything useful. When nothing came up, Pearl headed for the fallen cabinets. She threw open the glass doors and bent down into the cabinet, searching. Nothing. Her teeth dug into her lip hard enough to draw blood as she stood back up. She sifted through more trash on the ground. Nothing. She looked under the fallen racks. Nothing. She searched behind the checkout counter. Nothing. She didn't bother to get off her hands and knees; she only rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling of the pharmacy.Hopeless.That word ran through her mind on a repeat. Hopeless.Her hand clutched at her chest, squeezing until it hurt. How much farther did she have to travel through the city to find medicine? How long would it be until the food and water she found at the other apartments would run out? How long could Garnet hold on without treatment?Pearl shut her eyes, trying to fight back tears as she sat up. Hopeless. Utterly hopeless. She forced herself to her feet despite how much she wanted to lie down and not get up again. She kicked through the trash littering the ground as she headed for a toppled over bin. Lifting it back up, Pearl went through the garbage. Her hand grasped something smooth and cylindrical in shape. She pulled it out and squinted her eyes at the label."I...pro...fen?" The label had long since deteriorated. She twisted the cap off and looked inside. Red tablets. Only two. Centuries expired. Whether or not it would be effective was unknown.It would have to do.Pearl quickly closed the cap back on and shrugged the makeshift backpack, crafted from blankets and Garnet's gun harness, off her shoulder. Unfolding part of the blanket, she threw the bottle of pills in and stuffed the cloth back into place and flipped the backpack back on. Standing up, she headed for the door.The sky was greying by the time Pearl found her way back to the apartment. She headed up the flights of stairs and entered room five, skirted around the hole in the floor and headed for the bedroom. Inside, Garnet was just as asleep as she had been since Pearl left. Pearl gritted her teeth as she dropped the backpack. Garnet would only wake long enough to eat or drink or complain about the pain. But even she wouldn’t complain much; she rarely said anything. Fetching the bottle from the blankets, Pearl strode over to Garnet's bed side.The curls of her hair were plastered to her forehead with sweat, her skin covered in a sheen of it, her face flushed, and her body periodically trembling with chills. Pearl placed a lithe hand over her head. Hot, hotter than before. Her fever was going up. She clenched her teeth hard enough that it hurt her gums and made the area where her tooth was knocked out throb."Garnet," She whispered. "Garnet, wake up." She moved a hand down and shook her shoulder, rousing the dark woman from her rest. Garnet cracked open a glossed-over eye and looked at her, and her lips pulled into a frown. Pearl unscrewed the cap and shook out a pill."Here." She held the pill out, waiting for Garnet to open her mouth. It took Garnet a full thirty seconds before she complied, and Pearl allowed the pill to fall in. Screwing the cap back on, she set the bottle of pills on the bedside table."Can you swallow?" Garnet nodded, throat bobbing up and down as she swallowed the tablet. Her eyes closed afterwards as she tried to go back to sleep. Pearl swallowed as she gently moved the covers down and lifted her shirt, looking at the makeshift bandaging around her stomach. It needed to be changed. She reached for the sewing scissors left on the nightstand and used them to cut through the dressing, afterwards unwrapping the bandaging and letting them fall to the floor. She undid the dark woman's belt buckle and pulled her pants down to her knees. Above her, Garnet watched with a single eye."Let me see your thigh." Pearl said. Garnet shuffled her leg upwards. Pearl breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw the bandaging for her thigh was clean.Checking over the rest of her body, Pearl was relieved to find that nothing else needed changing. She headed out the door and to the kitchen, striding towards a counter where a half-full bottle of whiskey rested. She found it in one of the first floor apartments. It made for good disinfectant, Pearl found. She grabbed the bottle by the neck and moved back into the bedroom. Garnet was lying as still as a board, looking up at the ceiling with her glossy, mismatched eyes. Pearl set the bottle on the nightstand. Garnet reached a shaky hand towards it."It's not for you," Pearl said softly, intercepting Garnet's reach by grabbing her wrist. The dark woman eyed her warily as she grabbed the bottle and unscrewed the cap and poured some of the liquor into it. She leaned over and dashed it on the dark woman's stomach wound. Trickles ran down her ab line. Pearl grimaced.'Too much,' Halfheartedly she rubbed the alcohol along her stomach, covering some of the scabbed-over scratches. Garnet watched her, and her face seemed slightly darker than it already was. After covering both her stomach and back, Pearl moved her hand away and grabbed for a sheet under the bed, ripping strips from it and using them to wrap Garnet’s torso. She tied the strips into a secured knot, taking a moment to brush her hand along Garnet’s stomach before she stood up and made to leave."Go to Greenzone." Her voice was so quiet that Pearl wasn't even sure if Garnet spoke at first. Only when she repeated it was she certain."Greenzone?""Go."  Garnet could barely enunciate her words; her voice was croaky. "They'll take care of you." Pearl clenched her fists at her side. She turned around to look at the dark woman."I'm not leaving you.""You need to.""I won't""I'm dying.""There's a chance-""No.""Garnet.""Pearl."Garnet shuffled on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows. Pained hisses and whimpers escaped her as she did so, and Pearl made a move to push her back down."You'll be safe.""I don't want to be safe; I want to be with you." Tears were coming to Pearl's eyes. Garnet was indifferent."You're watching me die.""I know.""You don't care.""I do.""Then why watch?"Pearl gritted her teeth and looked away. Garnet still stared at her, no expression. Tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped off her chin and hit the floorboards below, wetting them."You're the only one I have left."Garnet didn't say anything, but she swallowed.A clammy hand reached out for Pearl's pale one and grasped it. Slow and weak, she began to pull. Pearl allowed her arm to be stretched as she stayed rooted to her spot, refusing to move, refusing to look the dark woman in the eye. A frown spread over Garnets lips and she let out a short cough that racked her entire body and shot stinging pain through her stomach and chest and caused her to whimper with pain afterwards. It was only then that Pearl looked over, blue eyes wide with concern.“C’mere” She began to pull again, and this time Pearl moved until she was at the side of the bed.  With one final tug, the pale woman was hunching over her and Garnet wrapped her muscular arms around her torso and held her.Pearl stayed still, body tense and hands curled into balls staying stubbornly at her side. It only made Garnet hold on tighter and she let out a grunt as her injuries were aggravated by their odd position. She refused to break the hug, though. A shaky breath was let out of Pearl’s lips as she allowed herself to fall to her knees and hug her guard back, petite hands resting on Garnet’s upper back.  They stayed there for a while, neither woman moving, the only sound in the room occasional coughs from Garnet and Pearl’s sniffling."I'm sorry." Pearl murmured in her guard's ear. She shifted so her face was in the crook of Garnet’s neck."I know.""You blame me.""I don't." Garnet pulled away and looked at Pearl. A hand, trembling and clammy, moved up to wipe away a tear from her cheek. "You're not the one who shot me.""I distracted you from seeing the ambush, I-I distracted you from seeing Yellow Diamond. I-I'm responsible for-" Pearl fell silent for a long time. Garnet didn't do anything to prompt her to continue; she only continued to wipe away the tears."It was all me." Pearl finished in a whisper.Garnet still said nothing.A breath was sucked in through clenched teeth. Pearl pulled herself out of her guard's strong arms and stepped back up to grab the whiskey, pouring some of the amber liquid into the cap. Against her better judgement, she threw it down, wincing at the fire that spread through her throat and letting out a short cough that shook her entire body.Pouring another capful, she turned and offered it to Garnet. It rained the next day, keeping Pearl from going outside no matter how much she needed to. She finished off her can of peaches, looking at the food stash with her forehead creased into stressed lines. 5 cans, one six pack of water. Not enough. She needed to find more.She mentally went through her supply list, adding and removing things as she needed to. She could take a night trip. She had Garnet's revolver.'Only 3 bullets. And you barely know how to shoot.' Her inner voice knocked the idea away. Pearl's shoulders slumped with stress and she played with a tangled, dirty, strand of hair. She set the can down in front of her, staring at the peeling and faded label."It’s not enough." Garnet said behind her, voicing what the pale woman had thought earlier. Pearl didn't look back."I'll find more.""Where?""Somewhere.""And if you don't find anything?""Then you can have it all and I will find something for myself.""You can't do that.""I can."Pearl shook her head as she stood up, looking back at Garnet who stared at her blankly."You'll need it more than me." Garnet looked as though she wanted to protest but she stopped herself and instead turned her gaze back up to the ceiling. The pale woman walked forth and took a seat on the floor in front of the bed, pulling out the drawer of the nightstand and fetching a book from it. She opened up the book and looked at the first page."Are clones able to go longer without food and water?" Garnet asked out of the blue. The question made Pearl cringe. She was hoping Garnet wouldn't bring that subject up."No, we aren't. We still require everything that..." She swallowed. "That... unique humans need.""Unique?""For lack of a better word." Pearl quickly reassured her. She swallowed again as she read through the first page of the book and flipped to the second. "Humans like you have genetic differences that we lack. Therefore, you are unique.""How are you made?" Garnet asked, eyebrows furrowed at the ceiling. Another swallow. Pearl shifted around on the floor and rubbed her hand across her nape. Unpleasant memories flickered across her eyes as she remembered the place of her ‘birth’. It was something she hadn’t thought about in years. "In vats.""How?""I don't know. We were never told the process. Only Pink Diamond and her team of scientists know." Her mind tagged on the words 'used to know', but Pearl refused to say it."Is that why you don't 'ave cribs? You come out as adults?""Yes. We are considered 'finished' when at physical maturity.""'ave you seen children before?""I have. They look weird." Pearl said it with a little laugh that was dry and humorless. Garnet frowned as she moved over to lie on her side. A short cough left her before she began to speak."I miss being a kid. No worries. No fighting to survive. No deaths on your conscious. No complicated feelings..." Garnet trailed off at the last one. It invited Pearl to draw her own conclusions about what she meant, all of which made her blush."Do you ever wonder...?” Pearl paused. Was it really appropriate to say? She feared it would be insensitive. Biting her lip, she continued despite herself. "Who your real parents are... were?" To her surprise, Garnet didn't skip a beat in answering the question."All the time. I wonder if they loved me and losing me was jus’ an accident they couldn’t prevent, or if they chose to abandon me because they didn’t like me. Sometimes I wonder if they are still alive and looking for me…” Garnet sounded sad, it made Pearl regret asking her. She didn't want Garnet to be sad, not when she already has so much to be sad about."I'd like to think they loved me." Garnet finished off quietly. Her hand clenched at the blankets and brought them close to her, and she refused to meet Pearl’s gaze."I'm sure they did." It was the most comforting thing she could think to say. Pearl kicked herself when Garnet shook her head and turned over on her side."Maybe."Pearl swallowed again despite her dry throat as she flipped to another page, before pausing. She flipped back to the first one and stood up and took a seat on the nightstand, making sure to set the scissors aside so they wouldn’t jab into her thigh. Garnet looked back at the noise, watching her with tired and curious eyes. Pearl cleared her throat.“The city of Philadelphia is perhaps one of the wonders of the world. Lord Adam Gordan. Journal Entry 1765. I woke to the sound of a mosquito whining in my left ear and my mother screeching in the right-”“What’s a mosquito?” Garnet interrupted. Annoyance welled up in Pearl before she squashed it down. She shook her head.“I don't know.” She shuffled in her spot and continued to read to Garnet, who listened with a mask of interest on her face.It was easy to read; her mind defaulted to her assistant teacher conditioning as she went on and it almost became automatic for her. The only times she was snapped out of the semi-trance was when she came across a word she did not know or when Garnet asked questions about the contents of the book. The dark woman seemed to like it; she turned back over on her side and her glossy eyes never left her face and her lips sometimes moved along with her whenever she could predict the next line. It made Pearl feel warm that she could take Garnet’s mind off of their situation, even if for a short time.The rain was beginning to clear away when Pearl decided to stop on the fourth chapter. She closed the book and set it down on the table, looking over to Garnet and seeing that she was halfway asleep. With the back of her hand, she checked her temperature. No change.“I never ‘ad someone read to me.” Garnet mumbled sleepily. A slight smile spread over Pearl’s lips as she stroked back her curly locks from her eyes.“Then I’ll do it every day.” One can. Two waters. No medicine.Pearl shrugged on her backpack and grasped for the handle of the door, sparing a quick glance back at Garnet, who was watching her with a stoic expression, before she opened the door and headed out. Pearl moved to the front door, out into the hallway, down the stairs, and out into the city. There was a haze of green hanging in the dirty air. A radiation storm. Pearl had no choice but to move her tank top up over her mouth and nose and trek out north, passing crashed cars and broken street lamps and the desolate remains of a once bustling city. The specs of ash and green falling from the air burned at her skin and eyes. Breathing in the air, even through the filter of her tank top, hurt her throat and made her nauseous. Still, she moved on. She couldn’t afford to stop.She found a promising store within twenty minutes of travel, and she wasted no time rushing in and shutting the door. Pearl pulled down the cover of her tank top and let out a racking cough that hurt her chest. Flecks of blood hit her hand, and she wiped it down on her dirty pants. Turning around, she looked at what she recognized to be an old-world bread shop. Getting on her hands and knees, Pearl rifled through the debris and trash littering the ground, looking for anything. She moved from the back of the store to the counters, looking through trash until there was no more to look through. It was only then that she checked behind the counters and inside the two registers sitting on top of them. Nothing. She spared a quick look back at the dining room of the store before she turned and headed into the kitchen.The kitchen floor was barren, allowing Pearl to keep all her focus on the cabinets and appliances. Each cabinet she checked that was empty brought her spirits down more and more until finally she had to lay down on the ground and try to keep herself from crying. For the longest time the only sounds in the store were crackling lightning and Pearl's muffled sobs, until finally she forced herself to get up and search through the rest of the shop, coming up with nothing.Her next stop was a corner store that yielded nothing, then a supermarket that gave her a roll of bandages soaked with what she hoped was water. She deposited it into her backpack and continued on to another five stores that gave her nothing. By the time she decided to head back to the apartments, she realized why Garnet never bothered with searching through stores while they traveled. Pearl stopped in her tracks as she thought more on Garnet, eyes widening as she realized what she had been ignoring. Turning on her heel, she trekked to the nearest car and went through it, and then the one next to it, and the next one next to that. She searched and searched through the cars until the radiation storm passed and the sky was starting to bleed into darkness.Out of all of them, she found a moldy granola bar.She tried to be optimistic about it, At least it's better than nothing, right? It didn't stop the second round of tears as she put it into the backpack and made her way to the apartment.When she entered the bedroom, she noticed that the water and the food stayed untouched, and Garnet was rolled onto her side asleep. Pearl swallowed heavily as she walked over to the corner, picked up the last can, and opened it. She headed for the bed and shook her guard's shoulder. At first her guard didn’t respond. Another shake and Garnet looked back at her with tired, red eyes."Here." She held the can out to her. Garnet eyed it."No.""Garnet, please'" Pearl's hand trembled and her eyes squinted as she tried to fight tears that threatened to come back."You eat.""You need it more." Pearl pressed, but she knew it was hopeless once Garnet turned around and refused to face her again despite her prompting. With a thick swallow, she set the can on the bedside table and left the room with her head down, not even coming back in to read to her like she promised.The next day's search was better. This time she went west. She was only fueled by a small amount of water and the granola bar, which made her more weak than refreshed as she looked through the next round of stores and cars. She found another roll of bandages and a case of suturing needles and silk thread in a car, three cans of tomato soup in a convenience store, and a bucket filled with old rags outside of the same store.There was a lighter air around her as she returned to room five and headed into the bedroom, one that Garnet sensed as she unpacked the newly found supplies."'ad a haul?" She said. Pearl stopped her unpacking for a moment to look back at her with a raised eyebrow."Pardon?" Garnet pointed to the backpack and the cans she set down beside it."You found a lot?""Oh! Yes, well, not a lot." She reached in and took out the kit of suturing needles and thread. "But it's something." She set the kit down and reached for the bucket of rags."You can use that to collect water. Put a rag on top of it to strain out the ash in the rain. Make a fire and boil it." Garnet said. Pearl nodded as she poured out the rags and, by an old habit coming forth, sorted them by color and size. The dark woman watched her."You should eat.""We need to save them." Pearl dismissed her."Eat." It was a command that made Pearl stop what she was doing and reach for the can of tomato and pull back the tab and start eating the contents, her stomach rumbling as she did so. It was only when she finished that the pale woman snapped out of her stupor and glared at Garnet."I told you to stop doing that.""I know, but I'm not gonna let you starve yourself." Garnet shuffled over onto her side and winced at the pain that went through her chest and stomach. "Even if it means exploitin’ your conditioning.""I appreciate that you care, but it is uncomfortable." Pearl sighed as she set the empty can down. She stood up with the roll of bandages in her hand and walked over to Garnet, gently pushing her down onto her back as she lifted up her shirt and checked the bandaging. It was clean. She pulled her shirt back down and checked the dark woman's forehead, smiling slightly when Garnet's eyes drifted closed at the action. She was still hot, but not as bad as days before. Whether or not it was good sign, Pearl did not know. She moved her hand away and went to grab the bucket and a rag and bring it outside.It rained the next day, but Pearl tried not to worry about it because at least they were getting water. Every hour or so she would head down outside of the apartment and grab the full bucket, bring it upstairs, and boil it with the fire pit she made in the old stove in the kitchen. She would then fill up the old cans and waters bottles and bring the bucket outside again to sit in the rain. On her fourth trip up the stairs, a pain like a bolt of electricity shot down her left arm, making her drop the bucket. She hissed as her fingers began tingling and her arm went numb and fell to her side.It had been happening ever since they escaped from the factory, and Pearl feared that she hadn't come out as unscathed as she had thought. Wincing through the pain, she picked up the bucket with her working arm and trudged through the front door. Inside, she could hear Garnet coughing and hacking. Worry welled in her as she set the bucket down and headed to the room."Garnet?"Garnet tried her best to muffle her coughs once she heard the pale woman call her name. Her hand covered over her mouth and her shoulders shook up and down as the fit continued."Take a drink of water." Pearl headed over to one of the filled cans and picked it up, offering it to Garnet. The dark woman took it and brought it up to her lips shakily, sipping it. She brought the can away from her mouth and coughed twice more, before calming down."Th-thank you." Her voice was hoarse. Pearl took the can from her and set it aside."How are you feeling?""Like shit."Pearl smiled sadly. Her hand rested on Garnet's forehead and she stroked back some of her curls."Are you at least feeling better?""Sort of. I 'ad an odd dream last night.""What of?""I was back at Percy, with my mums. I was a... I think I was five again. I was out with my mum Ruby and we were lookin' through cars like we used to do. She let me sit in the wheel seat and pretend to drive, like we used to do." Garnet said, her eyebrows sloping as she stared off at a wall. Pearl let out a small chuckle as she stroked back more of Garnet's hair."That sounds like a good dream.""I think it was a death dream." Garnet said. Pearl stopped her movement and her body tensed."What?" Garnet bit her lip and her glazed over eyes met hers."My mum Sapphire told me that when you are startin’ to die you dream of old memories as a way for you to cope with it.""Garnet, that's just a superstition.""I hope, I don't think I'm ready to die." The way she said it made Pearl's heart break in two pieces. She bit her lip and put her hand on Garnet's cheek and swept her thumb up and down it."You were fine with it the other day." She cringed as the words left her mouth. Maybe not the best thing for her to say. Comforting people didn’t come natural to her."I thought I was too. But the dream made me realize-" She placed a large hand over Pearl's own and her eyes drifted to the covers on top of her. "I can't say goodbye, and they will never know what happened to me." She sounded… choked. Garnet quickly looked away from Pearl and rolled over onto her other side, despite how much it hurt to do so. Pearl wasted no time resting a hand on her back and rubbing it.“You’re not going to die. Not if I can help it.” Pearl tried to reassure her. Garnet didn't answer. Biting into her bruised bottom lip, the pale woman drew her hand away and instead reached for the book on the nightstand, which had been untouched since the first day she picked it up. She opened up to their book mark and took a seat right on the bed with Garnet. A hand tangled into her curls, while the other one held the book open as she began to read in a soft voice. She felt Garnet shake a little, and she resisted the urge to look over at her, because there was a reason that Garnet faced away from her, and if the dark woman didn't want to be seen crying, then Pearl would respect that wish no matter how much it pained her to do so. On a particularly hot day, Pearl trudged through the streets when a piece of paper slapped onto her face. Agitated, she ripped it off and glared at the assaulting object, but her glare fell into a look of wonder as her eyes took in the sight.It was a map, one similar to Garnet’s, but it was a map specifically of Empire City. Many things were marked down; raider camps, cluster infestations, supply caches, and finally the large blacked out circle that marked the location of the crater. Her hands shook slightly as she folded the tattered paper into a square and tucked it into a pocket, keeping in mind the direction of a supply cache.She headed towards it, through collapsed buildings and broken streets, until she arrived at the labeled cache. It was a house with walls charred and doors unhinged, but despite the bad feeling it gave her she stepped inside and looked around. Bare living room, bare dining room, crowded kitchen. Pearl went into the kitchen and checked all the cabinets, finding assortments of cans and bottles, all of which she packed into her bag. She headed for the singular bedroom next, finding a jar filled with brown and black shavings and next to it a box of small papers. Curious, she twisted off the cap of the jar and grabbed a tuft of the shavings, putting them into her mouth. She spat it out immediately. It tasted awful. Her face scrunched up as she turned the jar around and checked the label.“Toba-co.” She said, saying the ‘ba’ as if she were one of those wooly creatures she saw in a children's farm book. She wondered if it was a medicine, and the thought was enough for her to grab the jar and papers and put them into her bag. There was a voice that nagged in the back of her mind: ‘What if someone lives here?’ But Pearl tried to convince herself that if someone lived here, there would be fresh footprints in the dust that covered the floors and a mattress in the room. She headed for the bathroom next and looked inside, pulling out the drawers and cabinets and looking in. Inside, she found a glass bottle of green fluid that had a reed of an instrument attached to it, lying next to an assortment of empty glass bottles and vials. Upon closer inspection, she noted that there were burn marks under the bottle. Curious, she took the strange thing and packed it into her overfilled bag.She reached the apartment around midafternoon, making sure to take the half-filled bucket on the way up to room five. Once she was inside, she set the bucket down in the stove and headed over to the room. To Pearl’s surprise, Garnet had one of the books, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, in her hands and her glassy eyes were scanning over the papers.“You can read?” It was only after she said it that Pearl realized how insensitive it must have sounded. She cringed and was about to apologize when Garnet let out a short laugh, a laugh she hadn’t heard in a while.“A little-cough!- little bit, Ruby and Sapphire taught me what they knew when I was a kid, but you can't really hone the skill when books aren’t around anymore.” She closed the book, not bothering to mark the page, and set it on the nightstand on top of the one Pearl had been reading to her. She settled back into the bed and let out a cough.“What’d you find?”“Lots.” Pearl pulled the map out of her pants and dropped it to the floor. She unpacked her bag afterwards and set everything down, internally counting the cans and bottles. Twelve cans of various foods, twenty empty and partially filled bottles, all of which could be used to carry water. Garnet let out a whistle that immediately turned into another cough.“Nice-cough!- haul.”Pearl blushed.Tugging out the jar and papers, she held it up to Garnet in a silent question. The dark woman only offered her a shrug, so she set it aside and grabbed for the bottle of green fluid.She held it up. Garnet’s eyes widened.“Get rid of that.” She said, voice stern as it was hoarse.“Why?” Pearl raised an eyebrow as she looked over at the fluid. It seemed harmless enough.“It’s a drug people use in underground fighting rings. They smoke it before a fight and it makes them fly into a murderous rage. Get rid of it.” Pearl nodded as she placed it back in the backpack. She would throw it out later. Gathering the cans in her arms, Pearl moved them to the corner of the room. She headed for the bottles next and set those in the corner as well. As for the jar and the papers, she left them there as she went up to Garnet and checked her bandages. The one on her waist and thigh needed to be changed, so she cut through them and laid them aside and went to fetch the bottle of whiskey (she moved it back to the kitchen as she caught Garnet trying more than once to drink from it). Bringing it back to the room, she poured some of the contents into the palm of her hand and went about rubbing the alcohol into the wounds. Garnet’s abs flexed and tensed under her hand as she did so, and the dark woman refused to meet her gaze. Pearl lowered her hand down to get some of the scratches covered as well, before she pulled both hands away.“Turn over.” She ordered. Garnet did so, and the pale woman poured more alcohol in her hands and covered up the wound on her back, before moving to her thigh. As she rubbed up and down her thigh, Garnet shifted so she was propped on her elbow and one hand was running through her hair. A brown eye watched Pearl work, occasionally glancing off to look away at a body part other than her pale hands.“I should not be aroused by this.”It was a mumble, obviously not meant to be heard. The way she said it, though, so blunt and so clear despite how hoarse her voice had been before, made Pearl burst into laughter. She had to momentarily stop her tending so she could pull herself together, giggles still spilling free from her lips. Garnet was blushing and awkwardly grinning. Pearl returned her hands to her thighs and continued to rub in the alcohol.“As long as you feel that instead of worse, then it's fine.” She patted her thigh as she finished and reached for the roll of bandages to wrap it in. She wrapped her stomach up next, and Garnet turned back over onto her back, her face flushed both with embarrassment and fever. Pearl reached a hand up and felt her head. No change from the other day.“Have you been staying hydrated?” Garnet nodded.“Eating?”“Sort of.”Pearl looked over to an open can on the nightstand, half filled with tomato.“Do you feel any better?”“I don't know.”Pearl frowned. Her hand brushed up to her curls and her fingers tangled in them. Garnet brought her hand up and gripped at her wrist.“Did you stop having the dreams?”“I didn't dream of anythin’ last night.”“That’s good, I suppose.”“Yeah.”Pearl continued to stroke the dark woman’s hair. Garnet shut her eyes, contented, letting a deep breath out as she visibly relaxed.“Do you want me to read to you?” Pearl asked, voice quiet as to not disturb the dark woman. Garnet nodded, not opening her eyes. So Pearl picked up the book under Pride and Prejudice and started where they left off.That night, Garnet’s fever went up. She shivered even though she claimed she was too hot, and her voice was slurred with fever and hoarse with coughs that sometimes drew blood from her throat. Pearl kept a damp cloth on her forehead and replaced the comforter on her with the thin sheet her backpack was made out of, but still she complained of heat. Pearl felt helpless as she watched the dark woman suffer, tossing and turning and putting herself out of the blankets before wrapping them around her again to stop the chills.She fetched several cans of water and helped her drink, and then she tried feeding her but the moment Garnet saw the tomato soup, she went green and Pearl had to guide her to the window.Settling her back down on the bed, Pearl touched a gentle hand to her prosthetic leg as she started to move it into a comfortable position.“Take it off.” Garnet moaned out before breaking into a fit of coughs that wracked her entire body. Pearl raised an eyebrow. Garnet sucked in a breath that hurt her sore throat. “Please.” The pale woman looked at the metal leg and tilted her head. “The clasp,” Garnet gasped out “Use the clasp.” There was a metal clasp near the leather sleeve of it. Pearl wrapped her nimble fingers around it and began to pull. The clasp undid into two parts, and Pearl slowly took off the leg. Garnet let out a groan of relief.“Thank you.” She murmured. Pearl nodded, not paying attention as she examined the leg from the inside. Leather and cloth padded it, but the very bottom was a metal bowl. With a scrunched nose Pearl turned it over and allowed the sweat to drip out of it. She set the heavy leg to the floor and went to look at Garnet’s stump. It was wrapped in bandaging at the very end, but she could see above that the flesh was misshapen with scar tissue and burn scars. She cringed, and could only hope that Garnet didn't feel pain from it.A clammy hand grasped for hers and brought her attention back to the dark woman suffering on the bed.“What do you need?” Pearl moved closer and set a hand down on Garnet’s sweat soaked cheek. The dark woman took in shuddering, uneven breaths.“Stay. Please. I don't want to be alone.” There was something implied that hung in the air: I don't want to be alone if I die. Pearl wanted to deny it, to sweep away the worries and tell her that she won't die, that what she was experiencing now was just fever spike that would go away by the morning, but she was unsure if that would be the truth.So she pulled back the coverings and laid there with her, despite how gross it felt to lying in sheets soaked with sweat next to an equally-as-soaked body. Pearl maneuvered her arms around Garnet’s waist and held her tight against her. In her ear, she whispered soft reassuring words that she would be there with her all night and that she’ll see her in the morning.She felt Garnet grab for her hand, bringing it close to her chest and squeezing, allowing Pearl to feel her irregular heartbeat.“You’ll be fine.” Pearl whispered one last time.She hoped.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Planning a Trip

That morning, when Pearl tried to wake Garnet up, she didn't respond.Her heart still beats, her breath coming out in quick drags and slow exhales, but no reaction to Pearl shaking her or saying her name.Worry consumed the pale woman; she shook harder and called louder until finally Garnet cracked an eye open and looked at her with it. There was nothing in the eye, nothing that signaled that Garnet was still in there; the blue eye stared right through Pearl and it was obvious her body was reacting to stimuli. It closed afterwards and Garnet presumably went back to sleep.Pearl had an idea of what it was, but she didn't want it to be true.She lifted Garnet’s shirt and looked at the wound on her back. The redness around it had spread in thin threads underneath the skin. And where the bandaging was, the skin was lighter than the normal sepia.Blood poisoning. Sepsis.Where she had been shot was a close graze from hitting her large intestine and any major arteries, but it was obvious that damage had been done for blood poisoning to occur. Damage that she couldn't hope to cure.  She knew enough about the disease to know that the unconscious state would be temporary (she hoped), and that Garnet would awaken disoriented, delirious, and not all there. Her experience as a medical assistant working with  injured gems before the invention of biofoam gave her that much knowledge, and she was more than grateful for it as she pulled down Garnet's shirt, brushed her hair aside, and gave her a kiss on the forehead that was more to comfort herself than to be sweet.She felt the tears come on, but she blinked them away. She couldn’t cry; she had an idea that could work.Pearl slid off the bed and planted her feet on the ground, moving to the folded map on the floor. She bent down, grabbed the map, and unfolded it, blue eyes focusing on the large blacked out circle.The crater. In other words-- and what she was really interested in- the growing zone of the mutated flora they used to make biofoam."It could work." Pearl said to herself under her breath as she traced a finger along the route she would need to take. Biofoam, as all curing and magical as it is, is stupidly easy to make. It required the plant and any mix of chemical to activate what it used to heal; even salt would suffice.But then there were the drawbacks:Garnet isn't radiation resistant like she is and biofoam contains a shit ton of it.The fastest route to the crater is 60 miles.Pearl knew nothing about the crater or its dangers, and Garnet sure as hell wouldn't let her go if she knew what she was planning."Fuck." Pearl let the curse slip out as she checked the map over and over again, before folding it and stuffing it in her pocket. She turned back to Garnet. It could be dwelled on later; she needed to tend to her. Moving forward, she stripped the bandaging off the dark woman’s muscular back and bunched it into a ball, dropping it to the floor afterwards and heading into the kitchen to grab the whiskey. When she returned, Pearl cleaned out the wounds on her back and stomach and applied the last of the roll of bandaging. She poured some more liquor into the cap and used it to drench the cloth afterwards to keep them sterile.“There,” She set the whiskey down on the table and sat next to Garnet, tangling her fingers into her unkempt curly hair. “All better.” Pearl bit her lip. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”She stayed on the bed with her, unmoving, until the room started to darken and Garnet opened her eyes, looking around blearily. Her eyes tracked the room for a minute or so, until they moved up and landed on Pearl.“Mum?” She murmured, voice slurred with sleep and fever. Her hand groped out towards her, before falling back to the bed with a dull ‘thump’. Pearl’s nose scrunched.“No, it’s Pearl.”“Oh. You looked like Sapphire.”“I’m not her.”“I know.”Pearl traced a finger over the dark woman’s cheek, brushing away stray hairs. Garnet turned her head away and coughed twice, letting out raspy breaths afterwards.“It’s sepsis, isn’t it?” She gasped out. Pearl grimaced, and she looked away to the door. So she knew.“Yes.” The chuckle that came from Garnet surprised the pale woman into drawing her gaze back to her. She didn’t look amused as the laugh suggested.“Funny. Jus’ weeks ago I was telling you how gettin’ shot in the stomach was the cruelest way to kill someone because they get sepsis.”“Just weeks ago you dropped me into a pond.” Pearl said. She was trying to lighten up the somber air. Garnet let out a laugh a little louder than the one she made before. It turned into a coughing fit that racked her entire body. Letting out a few rasps, she sunk back on the bed while Pearl watched on with a frown and sloped eyebrows. Deep breaths were taken in before Garnet spoke again.“Yeah, I ‘member that. How ‘bout when you kicked me into a lake?” It was Pearl’s turn to laugh.“And then we started throwing water at each other.”Both women shared another laugh.“So childish.” Pearl added on, a smile on her previously-frowning face.“I’m 19, I ‘ave an excuse. How ‘bout you?” At her words, the pale woman quieted down. She stared at her guard’s amused face. She had done the math a little while ago when Garnet told her the story of how she lost her leg, but hearing it aloud made Pearl really realize how young the dark woman is.
Too young to die.
Her heart clenched. Her resolve to visiting the crater strengthened. She wouldn’t let her.“No excuse for me.” Pearl smiled through the pain in her heart. Her hands were raised in a way of mock surrender. The dark woman shuffled so she was on her back. Her hand moved up to rest on Pearl’s cheek. The gesture was enough to make it warm under her palm.“We hated each other.” She said, voice lowering.“That didn’t last long.” Pearl replied.“It didn’t.” Garnet pursed her lips. Her face twisted into distress and her hand drew away. The pale woman missed the contact the moment it was gone.“’m sorry for what I did to you.” Pearl was confused for a brief moment until she remembered the incident with the Jasper and the night they shared together. It was funny; so much has gone on since then that she had almost forgotten about it. And now that she had remembered, it seemed so insignificant.“That doesn’t matter anymore.” She told her guard.“It should.”“I’ve chosen to forget.”“You shouldn’t.” Garnet whispered, her eyes downcast.  There was sadness in them more immense than Pearl had seen before. It hurt her heart. “You shouldn’t forget jus’ because I’m dying.”“I didn’t forget because you are dying.” The dark woman noticed, with unease, that Pearl didn’t deny her saying that she is dying. So it was true. “I forgot because I forgave you.”“Why?”“You saved me.”“Bullshit.” Garnet seethed. Her eyes had narrowed. “I didn’t save you. You were saving my arse most of the time.”“Saving each other should always be a team effort.” Pearl justified. Garnet gritted her teeth and refused to say anything else. It was evident that the words did not help. With a long sigh, Pearl stood up and grabbed a can of water from the corner of the room, bringing it back to Garnet.“You need to drink.” She handed the can off to Garnet and she downed it in two gulps. Garnet set the can on the bed and eyed the bottle of whiskey.“No.” The neck of the bottle was grabbed and set out of arm's reach. Garnet frowned and flipped over onto her other side, facing the wall. A short cough escaped her as she brought the sheets up to her chin and curled into the form of a question mark.
A common position people die in.
Pearl’s pessimistic mind decided to tell her. The pale woman grimaced and slapped the thought away, replacing it with an optimistic-
It’s a comfortable position to sleep in.
Her hands reached for the book lying on the bed side table and she flipped to their bookmark.“Want me to read to you?” Pearl asked. Garnet didn’t verbally answer, but she nodded. Pearl was about to pick up on the first line when she stopped. Looking over at the dark woman, she smiled as an idea came to her. She lowered herself down onto the bed so she was lying with Garnet. She moved to her side and cuddled close, maneuvering her arms and the book so it was directly in front of their faces.“Is this okay?” She murmured into the dark woman’s ear. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the flush on her cheeks. Garnet gave a quick nod.“Read along with me; it’ll help you learn.” Another nod. Pearl cleared her throat as she began to read. Later that night, Garnet had gone to sleep and slipped back into unresponsiveness. Pearl tried not to worry as she studied the map and the route she would have to take. Her finger trailed over the tattered paper, her mind working to commit the path to memory.
What if it isn't there?
Pearl bit the inside of her cheek.
What if you die along the way?
She shut out the worries.Folding the map back into a neat square, she set it down on the floor and stood to head to the living room so she could sleep.The next morning Garnet was awake but delirious; believing that she was back at Percy and her parents were calling for her. It broke Pearl’s heart that her guard was hallucinating being with her mothers. She wished she had the power to bring her back to them.Her pale hand rested into the dark woman’s hair. Garnet tried to squirm out of her coverings but Pearl had her knee resting on her guard’s pelvis, keeping the woman from moving.“I need to see them…” Garnet moaned. Her voice was slurred with fever, worse than the other day. It was hard to understand her.“They’re not here.”“Where are they?”“Far.”Garnet tried to move again. Pearl kept her down.“I’m sorry.” She murmured. The dark woman didn't answer, still trying to move away off the bed. It was evident that Pearl wouldn't be able to leave her on her own today. Gathering more supplies and water would have to wait, even if waiting was starting to disappear as an option.Eventually, the dark woman gave up and instead kept her glazed eyes on Pearl, staring at her but staring right through her at the same time. The pale woman shuffled uncomfortably at the unwavering gaze of her guard. What prompted her to stare at her, she did not know. She supposed it has something to do with the delirium.“‘M hungry.” Garnet said at last, eyes still on Pearl.“Are you going to stay in bed?”“‘m hungry.” The dark woman repeated. Pearl let out a sigh as she stood and quickly crossed the room to the cans. She grabbed a can of peas and headed back, happy to see that Garnet stayed in bed.“Sit up.”Garnet did so, still not taking her eyes off Pearl. Peeling back the lid of the can, she handed it off to Garnet, who finally looked away to eat.It took her ten minutes to eat; she insisted on eating one pea at a time and she would often pause so she could stare at Pearl for a little longer. The pale woman tried her best not to feel annoyed, but she was failing at that.“Stop.” She ordered. Her guard blinked but didn't stop. Pearl gritted her teeth and hung her head down.“Why are you staring at me?”“I want to.”“It's bothering me.”“Oh?”She didn't sound concerned or apologetic. The pale woman sighed.“Go to sleep Garnet, maybe it will help you back into your right mind.”“I am in my right mind.”Pearl shook her head as she stood and left, making sure to grab the prosthetic leg and set it away from the bed just in case the dark woman decided to try and get up again.About an hour later she heard the dark woman rifling through the drawers. Even though Pearl wasn’t concerned at the noise, she still went in to check on her. She spotted Garnet leaning halfway off the bed, elbow deep in the bottom drawer.“What are you doing?” She crossed the room and caught Garnet’s wrist, drawing it back up and pushing her to the center of the bed.“The ring.” Garnet said as though she expected Pearl to understand. She didn’t, so she raised an eyebrow. “The ring.” Garnet repeated unhelpfully.“What ring?”“The one in the car.” The pale woman pressed a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes.“Which car?” Her patience was running thin with the delirious woman. Garnet shuffled along the bed, scooting away so she was closer to the wall. A short cough escaped her.“It’s the diamond ring.” For the love of the stars, Pearl wanted to cry out in frustration.“Wherever it is, it isn’t here. We lost the bag and we came back to this place with nothing on us. There is no ring. Go to sleep, Garnet.” Pearl snapped. She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room. Behind her, she heard cloth rustling as Garnet sat up on the bed.“But I want to give it to you!” The delirious woman called out.Garnet was somewhat back to her old self the next day. She was embarrassed at Pearl’s recount of the day before and apologized, but Pearl told her it was alright and went to change her bandaging without another word. The entire day was filled with Pearl helping Garnet to and from the window, as she wasn’t able to keep even water down.Before the sky darkened, the pale woman set off outside to drop the bucket off and visit another supply cache. Unlike the other one, the supply cache- located in a ditch- was ransacked and had nothing to offer except a strip of old rotten cloth. Pearl packed it into her backpack anyway as she set back to the apartment.On her way there, she looked down the roads and road signs, committing them to memory.“Left on Sebastian.” She murmured softly. “Then a right.” The idea is still being turned over in her head, still being strengthened and shot down by opposing forces of her mind. The night before she told herself that if Garnet becomes worse than she’ll go. The pessimist in her told her that when Garnet becomes worse it’ll be too late to go anyway.Her thoughts were cut short by the sudden pins-and-needles sensation down her arm. A groan left her lips as she slapped a hand on the now spasming appendage. She tried to flex her fingers, but they had gone numb and she couldn’t feel anything other than the static sensation. A number of curses left her mouth as she stumbled up the stairwell of the apartment, alternating between shaking her arm out and clutching it.She used her foot to kick the door open as she stepped inside. To her immense surprise, Garnet was on the couch with her leg on, staring at the wall before she turned her gaze to Pearl upon her arrival. Her mismatched eyes darted to Pearl’s arm, still being clutched by the other hand.“Wh-what are you doing out of bed?!” Pearl ignored her arm in favor for rushing over to the dark woman and grabbing at her strong bicep, attempting to pull her from her seat.“I ‘ad to take a shit and you were taking too long.” Garnet said, staying stubbornly still.“How did you even get the leg?” The pale woman still tried pulling at her guard, who was watching her struggle with amusement. “I put it near the door!”“I can hop, Pearl.” There was a laugh in her voice as she finally stood. Pearl began to tug her to the room. “What’s wrong with your arm?” A finger poked into it, sending jolts of electricity down to her fingertips. Pearl barely suppressed a yelp.“Nothing! Don’t worry about me!” Pearl cracked an unconvincing grin as she brought Garnet to the bed and sat her down. The dark woman propped herself up against the wall and raised an eyebrow.“You-“ Garnet started into a coughing fit that cut her off. At the end of it, she resumed what she was saying with a new rasp in her voice. “You aren’t very-cough!- very convincin’.”“I don’t need to be convincing. I need to take care of you.” Pearl went about removing the prosthetic. It was far too heavy in her hands and the extra weight on her numb arm made her want to scream.“You don’t need to do anythin’. You could ‘ave left me a long time ago.”“But I didn’t.” Her teeth were gritted together as she fumbled with the clasp of the prosthetic.“Why?”“I told you already, Garnet.”“Because I’m the only you ‘ave?”“Yes.”Garnet shuffled on the bed and crossed her arms over each other, taking in a deep, rasping breath. The pale woman removed the metal leg at last and took a seat at the foot of the bed, not saying anything as she fiddled with it.“C’mere.” Garnet nudged the pale woman’s back with her remaining foot. Pearl looked back.“Are you going to give me another hug?”“If you want me to, sure.” Pearl said nothing but she set the leg down and crawled up the bed so she was at Garnet’s side. She too propped herself against the wall. With a moment of hesitance, she leaned her head on her shoulder.“Are you feeling better?” She had avoided asking the question for days; she didn’t want to face the truth until now.“No.”“Worse?”“Yes.”Garnet frowned, a hand moving up to rub at her blue eye, glassy and red. She set her hand back down and Pearl decided to take it in her own, a thumb sweeping over her knuckles. Her guard looked down at their interlocked hands, eyebrows furrowed and lips in a tight line. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but Pearl spoke first.“I always found it strange how small my hand is compared to yours.” Pearl pulled her hand away so she could splay it out; she rested it on Garnet’s and compared their palms.“’s a natural difference.”“I know.” Pearl entwined her fingers with hers again. The action, as small and simple as it was, brought a burning question on Garnet’s tongue.‘If I’m going to die,’ She thought ‘I might as well get to know.’“How do you feel about me?” Garnet whispered the question. A deep breath was let through Pearl’s parted lips, and whether it was of exasperation or surprise, the dark woman did not know. Pearl buried her head into the crook of the dark woman’s hot and sweaty neck and took a long time to answer. She could hear Garnet’s already-irregular heart beat pick up through her neck.“Is it even appropriate,” Pearl started, but paused. Her eyes were downcast and her working hand balled into a fist. “For me to say I love you, when we’ve only known each other for so long?” Her guard didn’t answer. Her eyes had gone wide at the confession. The pale woman’s teeth dug into her bottom lip, and her tongue toyed with the hole left in her gum line, despite the pain it brought.“I… I don’t… I don’t know.” Garnet didn’t meet her gaze, choosing to stare at the wall instead. “I don’t know.”“I shouldn’t have said that.” Pearl muttered. She began to draw away but Garnet wrapped a muscular arm around her and pulled her close to her side. There was a part of her that wanted to struggle away, but Pearl kept still.“Jus’ say what you feel.”“I love you… I think.” Pearl said. Her guard’s strong hand squeezed at her side.“I think so too.” They both looked to each other. Something in both of them told them to draw close and kiss the other, but they sat there staring, unmoving. Was it even right when they both were unsure?They didn’t move further, but the reassuring squeezes they gave each other’s hands told everything a kiss would have. 3 cans, 3 bottles, the map, and the revolver were packed into the makeshift backpack. Garnet was sound asleep in the room, so Pearl didn’t worry about the woman seeing her. Internally she counted the rest of the supplies in the corner of the room, satisfied when she found that there was enough for Garnet to have while she was away. Pearl stood and began to walk to set the bag in the living room for tomorrow; her foot hit something and sent it clattering to the wall.It didn’t wake the woman, as she feared it would, but it did confuse Pearl due to her not being able to see what she kicked. She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled along the floor, blindly groping around for the item. Her hands touched something cold and she seized it and brought it close to her face. It was the bottle of green fluid.She wanted to set it back down and continue on to the living room, but instead she shrugged off the bag and pulled out the flap of cloth that kept everything closed in and put the bottle in there.
It makes them fly into a murderous rage.
It could come in handy.She stood back up and headed to the door, the floor creaking traitorously with every step.”You are leaving.” Pearl stopped in her tracks, gritting her teeth. She looked over her shoulder to see that Garnet was sitting up, staring at her stoically.“I’m not.” She turned so she faced her fully, face kept as neutral as it could with the surprise of being caught.“Why’s the bag packed?” The dark woman questioned.“It’s supplies.”“For what?"“I’m going to the crater, to find the mutated flora for-“ Garnet cut her off.“No, you’re not.” She began to stand on her one unsteady leg. “Not without me.”“It will cure your sepsis. I’m going to save you.” Tension filled the air as her guard stayed silent. Garnet had stood, guided herself to the foot of the bed, and grabbed her leg, putting it on in seconds.“Get back in bed.” Pearl ordered. The light from the moon- for once not covered by clouds- shone on the side of Garnet’s face, allowing Pearl to see the worry in her brown eye and the tight line her lips were in.“No.”“You’re not going with me.”“You’re gonna die out there. You know what happens to people who step within a mile of the crater?”“You heard Yellow Diamond!” Pearl threw her arms out and the bag hung off her shoulder slightly. “I have a resistance to radiation! I dragged you through a storm Garnet; I was outside only days ago the entire time there was a storm and I was fine!”“A radiation storm isn’t the crater.” Garnet took a step forward, the metallic clang of her foot ringing out through the room. “There’s a reason why Empire city has no towns, a reason why three quarters of it, including the islands, is uninhabitable.”“Then what’s the difference if you go with me? You’ll die too!” Garnet said nothing. Pearl ground her teeth and her eyes narrowed. “I need to try. I can’t sit here and watch you suffer.” Garnet’s eyes bore holes into the bag hanging off her shoulder, fingers flexing at her side.“Where’s my revolver?”“In my bag.”“Give it to me.”Pearl automatically reached for the gun in her bag, but her hand stopped at the last second. Her eyes squeezed shut as she fought against the conditioning that told her to grab the gun and hand it over. Her hand clenched and she dropped it to her side.“No.”  “Pearl, give it to me.”Pearl’s jaw tightened, her head rolling to her shoulder. Her fingers were flexing and it was near painful to ignore the voice screaming at her to obey. She took a step back and yanked the bag from her shoulder, throwing it down.“No. I’m not giving it to you.”“Then you aren't helpin’ me.”“I am trying to help you!”“Pearl, you are travellin’ to a place where a fifty-megaton bomb hit and killed everythin’ within 321 square miles- in other words, the entire state. Even two hundred years later, being within a mile of the crater can kill you. You are not gonna help me; you are gonna kill yourself.” Garnet growled out. Pearl stood with her head held high, refusing to look anywhere else but Garnet’s eyes.“If I die, then I’ll be dying for you.” Pearl bent down and picked up the bag, intending to walk out and leave then and there.“Pearl!” Garnet lurched forward and seized her arm. Pain shot through her thigh, stomach, and back, pain that made her face scrunch and her eyes dot with black. She forced herself to stay conscious as she kept her hand on Pearl.“You can’t go. You can’t leave me jus’ because you think you can find a magical plant on the other side of town.” She growled out. The pale woman’s eyes nearly rolled back into her skull. She let out a scoff and pulled her hand out of the dark woman’s- weak from sickness and fatigue- grip.“I don’t think-““You got that right.”Pearl shot a glare at her guard, who regarded her with her own expression of disdain. Bitterly, Pearl continued.“I don’t think I can find it. I know I can. Yellow Diamond gets the flora from the crater.”“Then how do you know that Yellow Diamond didn't harvest-““For the love of the stars, shut up!” The scream from the pale woman made Garnet clamp up, surprised by the sudden outburst. Heavy breaths were drawn in and out, her shoulders rising and falling with her breaths, her eyes shining with anger and, less noticeably, fear. Garnet didn’t think she'd ever seen the woman look that pissed off.“Just let me do this for you!” Her voice cracked and tears sprung to her eyes and began to slip down her cheeks. Garnet tried to stay stoic, but the sight of the tears made her resolve melt away and she reached forward to pull the pale woman into a hug. To her immense surprise, Pearl snapped away from her. “I want to help you and you won't let me!”“It's not that-”“I don't get it! Is it that you want to die?!”“Of course not-”Pearl didn't want to hear what she had to say. She shrugged the bag off her shoulders and into her hand and made for the door.“Pearl-”“I'm going and you can't stop me.”The door was thrown open and Pearl stepped past the threshold.“Pearl.” Garnet followed Pearl out into the hallway and to the living room. The pale woman ignored her in favor for setting the bag near the front door.“I'm leaving tomorrow at sunrise.” The dark woman bit her lip. Her hands clenched into fists and relaxed over and over. Resignation that she wouldn’t be able to change the other woman’s mind showed on her face.“I don't want to be alone.” She murmured. A last effort. Pearl shook her head.“I don't want to be either.” She faced Garnet and looked her up and down, expression unreadable, body tense. “I’m going to save you, even if you don’t think I can. That’s what I owe you.”“You don’t owe me anything.” Garnet’s tone was not stiff or angry as it had been before, it was meek, and her eyes were focused on the floor. The same expression of sadness that she had worn earlier was on her face.“I’m the one that kept you from seeing the ambush. I’m the one that got you shot. And ultimately, I’ll be the one responsible for your death, Yellow Diamond pulling the trigger or not. I owe you.” Pearl said. No objection came from her guard, and Pearl realized something that she hadn’t before; Garnet never accepted the apologies she gave for what she had done. They were always met with an ‘I know’ or silence. It spread a cold feeling over her entire body and made the back of her neck tingle and burn. She knew now how Garnet felt when she didn’t forgive her so easily. “Maybe it’ll bring your forgiveness.”Garnet’s head moved down and she still refused to meet her eyes, but what hurt Pearl was that she didn’t deny that she hadn’t forgiven her. She turned away so she couldn’t see how her face distorted into a mix of anger and sorrow.“Go back to bed and rest, you’ll overexert yourself. I’m leaving in the morning and I’ll be back within two days, maybe less time.” Garnet listened and turned on her heel. When she reached the hallway, she pressed a palm on the corner and tilted her head back towards the pale woman still standing by the front door.“Say goodbye before you go. Make it meaningful; it’ll be the last thing you get to say to me.” She spat. The dark woman disappeared down the hallway. Hurt spread over Pearl but she forced herself to shake it off. Garnet wasn’t going to die; she was going to save her. She was going to save her.She took a seat on the broken couch and slipped out of her boots, kicking her feet up on the arm of the chair. Her blue eyes stared up at the ceiling, before they closed and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Journey to the Crater

When Pearl awoke the room was cast in a dark blue light and she could hear the sound of rain outside, hitting the side of the building and coming in through the holes in the roof to splatter on the old wooden floorboards. She lied there for a time, staring up at the ceiling and trying to blink away sleep whilst also thinking about her trip. Her confidence wasn't sapped one bit, but Garnet's words had her thinking: What if I'm not back in time? What if I die? Her mind entertained her with elaborate imaginings of these scenarios, and it sent a shudder throughout her entire body and pricked her neck with needles of fear. She bit her lip and covered her lithe hand over her forehead and eyes; she couldn't think about the negative.Getting to her feet she left into the hallway and entered the bedroom, finding Garnet asleep with a book resting over her face. How she read in the dark, Pearl did not know. She stepped over and gently lifted the book from her face and set it on the table. Her hands reached to tangle in her hair, as she had done for days now, but she hesitated. Instead, she rested it on the dark woman's forehead. Hot. Very hot.Pearl raised the dark woman’s shirt, examining the bandaging under it. She let out a relieved sigh, as the bandaging was still clean. Pulling the shirt back down, Pearl stepped away and turned back towards the door, intending to hang out in the living room until Garnet woke up and they could say their goodbyes.“Pearl.” Garnet’s voice was slurred with sleep and fever, and its suddenness made Pearl jump. She turned back to the dark woman lying on the bed.“Yes, Garnet?” Pearl strode over to her bedside. The other woman weakly held her out hand for her to take, and Pearl complied, cringing at how hot and clammy it was.“Can I...Can I tell you something?” Garnet murmured. Her eyes were glassy and seemed to be staring right through Pearl. Pearl raised an eyebrow.“Yes?” Her tone was uncertain; what did she have to say that wasn't said before? The other woman squeezed her hand, rubbing a calloused thumb over Pearl’s knuckles.“I love you.” Her voice was clear and certain. Pearl froze, eyes wide and heartbeat quickened. She wet her lips with her tongue and offered a smile.“I know, you said it yesterday." Well, sort of. It was uncertain before but the dark woman seemed genuine in her feelings. Pearl didn't know if she could return them, yet.“I love you!” Garnet repeated, and this time she cracked a wide, goofy grin to go along with it, and the confession made sense and Pearl’s heart clenched; she was delirious. Smiling sadly, Pearl pulled her hand out of Garnet’s grip.“Get some rest, Garnet.”  Pearl whispered, pulling up the thin coverings to her guard's chin. She turned and clasped her hands together, shuffling out towards the door.“Peeaarrrl.” Her name was long and drawn out, and Pearl could hear the rustling of the sheets as Garnet squirmed out of the covers. “Pearl, come back. Sleep with me.” Garnet begged. Pearl chose to ignore her, until she heard the creaking of the bed. Her eyes shot to the foot of the bed--resting against it, the prosthetic leg-- and she whipped around.“Garnet, Don't get out of bed! You don't have your leg on!” Pearl rushed over to the dark woman's side and pushed her back down by the shoulders. Garnet grinned at her and grabbed her by the forearms, yanking her down on top of her with surprising strength considering her weakened state. She wasted no time wrapping strong arms around Pearl’s waist, keeping her trapped against her hot body. Pearl struggled as much as she could without accidentally hurting or aggravating her injuries.“Garnet! Let go!” Pearl demanded. Garnet hummed, still smiling at Pearl as she brushed locks of dirty red hair out of her face.  Her trapped companion eventually gave up, slumping against her with a sigh. Her hands kept at her side, but she played her fingers against each other, a nervous jitter. Lifting her head up, she rested her chin on Garnet's chest and stared directly at her."Is this your plan to keep me here? Trapping me in a bear hug?" She asked the delirious woman. She didn't answer, still playing with her hair. Pearl turned her head so she was resting her cheek on her chest and puffed out a sigh, aggravated.“You're gorgeous.” Garnet complimented with a grin. Suddenly, she leaned forward and placed a hot and sloppy kiss on Pearl’s cheek, pulling back with a dark blush on her cheeks and a nervous grin on her lips. Pearl’s face colored with red and she sucked in a breath, feeling the tingling linger on her cheek.The kiss, one that she had anticipated and had been wanting, felt.... wrong. Thin hands moved up and pressed on Garnet’s chest, and Pearl gently pushed herself away from the other. Garnet still held on, albeit with none of the strength she had earlier.“Garnet… let go of me.”  Her guard seemed somewhat panicked as she released Pearl from her grasp. The pale woman immediately stood up and stepped out of Garnet’s reach. She wrung her hands together.“Garnet, please get some sleep. Your fever is worse than before.” Pearl turned on her heel, hurrying out of the room.“Wait, Pearl-” Pearl shut the door behind her, biting her lip as she heard Garnet’s muffled apology through the wood. Tears filled her eyes.‘Stop it.’ She chided herself internally. ‘She’s sick and she doesn't know what she is doing.’ Her hand rubbed at her cheek, where she was kissed. She had thought she would enjoy it-- She was attracted to her after all and she hadn't had a problem with all the other times she kissed her-- but it brought confliction in her this time, brought sadness and doubt in her heart and mind.
She can't love me. How could she love me after knowing what I am?
She gritted her teeth and her palm smacked her head a few times as if it were a way to punish herself for feeling the way she did.
She's not in love with you; she's in love with the original Pearl. Not you. You're stolen genetics and DNA.
It hurt. It hurt so much to realize. She was the 34th version of the original Pearl and if Garnet was in love with the 34th version then she was in love with the wrong person. Because her conditioning made her who she was and without it, she was walking around in a stolen body.Behind her, Pearl could hear Garnet moving around, possibly getting up and putting her leg on so she could go see her. Pearl shook her head and headed back into the main room, taking a seat on the couch and resting her head in her hands. It was wrong and it wasn't fair to the dark woman. What she admitted was wrong. Everything was wrong.She had half a mind to pack up and go to the crater now in an attempt to escape the self-doubt, but she would wait until Garnet was in her right mind and actually understood that she was leaving. She heard the door open and Garnet stumble down the hallway."Pearl?" Her voice was small, and she peeked her head around the corner. The pale woman didn't look at her. “What did I do?" She asked, hand gripping at the wall. "I thought you wanted-""I thought so too." She cut her off before she could finish. Her teeth ground down together and she rubbed at her arm but after a moment her hand moved to her neck. A deep breath was taken in through her nose and she forced her eyes to meet Garnet's mismatched ones. "I'm sorry." Garnet stumbled over the rest of the way and sat down heavily beside her, the broken half of the couch bobbing up and down with her weight. Reaching over with muscular arms, she pulled the smaller woman onto her chest and wrapped her arms around her."I really don't want you to leave." She slurred. Pearl let out a sigh."I have to.""Stay with me.""No." Pearl bit her lip, retracing back to her earlier thoughts. She might as well say it now."Are sure you are in love with me- for me?" She murmured."What?""I'm a clone.""I know.""And you don't care that I'm not the original person?""Why would I? I’ve never met her." Garnet seemed genuinely confused and for a moment, embarrassment flooded Pearl. Had she overreacted? She cuddled up closer and returned the hug that Garnet had been giving her, burying her head under her chin and letting out a soft sigh."But I'm like her.""You're you, Pearl." She felt a hand move a tendril of tangled red hair out of her face and behind her ear, the hand grazing along her cheek afterwards before cupping it. "You can copy her looks but you can't copy her personality.""But looks are part of attraction.""You're trying too hard to justify why I shouldn't love you." And it was true, Pearl realized. It still didn't feel right, but it was true. She nodded her head and let out another deep sigh."I have to go soon.""Stay with me for a little longer."She stayed. When the sun was higher in the sky and Garnet was asleep in bed, Pearl packed up and headed out, thoughts clearer and less muddled than before. The soot-colored rain stained her skin and clothing with black as she walked out into the city, taking the left on Sebastian and heading down the debris riddled street. No traffic stopped her so she was able to cross relatively quickly, aside from the piles of concrete and wood she had to step over. By mid-day she was far from the apartment, and it felt as though her heart was in her throat and lead was in her stomach.
Is she okay?
Sliding along the hood of the car, she planted her feet back on the ground and began her brisk pace again, passing through an office building with a large hole in the center from when a car plowed through it.
Will I be back in time?
Doubt, doubt, doubt. In her head and filling her stomach. Doubt. Fear. Worry. This wasn't a good idea. She should turn back. She needed to be with Garnet. She needed to be by her side. She won’t be able to do this. She will fail. Doubt.Pearl stood and heaved, the doubt flooding her throat and spilling out of her mouth as she vomited what she hadn't digested from the day before. She was sick with worry. Her body trembled and her hands planted themselves at her knees. She was racking her mind now, trying to remember if she said goodbye (She did, five times until Garnet fell asleep, and then seven more times while she slept.) She should turn back and say it to her just in case. Pearl spun on her heel and began a march back until her eyes spotted a horde of clusters passing along the street, all shuffling together, some scratching at the back of their heads or stretching their arms as they walked.Strangely human.But the clusters meant that Pearl couldn't walk back. 3 bullets wouldn't kill a couple dozen clusters and she had no knife, not to mention Garnet backing her up. It was a mistake to think about that last part because now her thoughts were back on Garnet and the fact that she probably didn't say goodbye to her. Hot tears spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks and she turned again and strode through the office building, passing desks and cubicles and meeting rooms with upturned tables and chairs before she let herself out a window and continued down a traffic-blocked street. Grey mist shrouded the distance as the black rain fell harder, flooding the streets and the potholes littering them and soaking Pearl to the bone. The chill in the air didn't help either; it made her shiver violently and her fingers numb.It took another hour before she cracked and took refuge inside a station wagon, leaning back into the cushions of old seats and biting her lip as doubt came back and ate away at her. With shaking, numb hands she pulled the map free from her makeshift backpack and opened it, taking a moment to check the few intact street signs before glancing back at the tattered paper.Something resembling relief mixed with dread filled her as she realized there was another two hours of walking before she would make it to the labeled 'Dead zone' on the map. Flexing her fingers she folded the map back up and stashed it in her bag, taking out a bottle of water afterwards and drinking from it as she watched the rain outside.Pearl didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke up it was pitch black outside; dark enough that she couldn't see her hands in front of her. The silence in the air was eerie. So quiet she could faintly hear the blood rushing through her ears. But that did nothing to distract her from the anger she felt at herself for falling asleep and lengthening the journey because now she couldn't travel outside.
It's like you want Garnet to die!
Her mind screamed at her. She smacked her palm against her head."Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!” Each word was followed by a smack until there was a red mark on her head and the heel of her palm ached. She dropped her hand to her lap and smacked the back of her head on the headrest.
What? You really thought you could save Garnet? You, a pearl?
Tears burned, and Pearl was so tired of crying but she couldn't help as they spilled and her body racked with sobs. The back of her hand pressed up to her left eye as she tried to stop the flow of salty tears. She had barely tried and she was already failing. She managed to fall asleep sometime in the pitch black night, and when Pearl awoke it was light out. She left the car and started down the damaged roads, using her map as a guide to the crater. The two hours she needed to get to the Dead Zone passed in the blink of an eye, and soon she found herself at a place where the sand and dead grass was grey, the buildings were skeletal foundations, the sky black, and a thick, grey, fog in front of her. Breathing in the air made her throat hurt and nose burn. She was at the Dead Zone.Her stomach lurched with every step as she approached into the vast fog, threatening to make her spill the contents of the small breakfast she had this morning. The fog burned at her eyes, reddening them and drying out the wet.'That gas mask would have really come in handy.' Pearl thought to herself as she blinked rapidly in an attempt to moisten her eyes. Her thoughts were cut short by a groan in the distance, and she stilled as she listened. Far off into the left-side of the fog, she heard footsteps, the dragging of feet on pavement and gravel. Her hand flew to her pack and she pulled the gun out, cursing when a can fell to the floor and clattered.A roar.The fog parted away as a cluster came rushing full-speed at her, its pink skin stained with grey, its eyes crisscrossed with small scratches and cuts from not being able to blink away the dust and ash that got in them. Pearl managed to pull back the hammer of the revolver when the cluster hit her stomach, stealing the breath from her and sending her down to the floor where her head whacked off the hard pavement. Stars danced in her eyes and the hand holding the gun wavered back and forth as the cluster thrust its hands on her stomach, scratching away the thin cloth of her tank top and grazing her pale skin."Agh!" The graze reopened old scars from where glass of the window cut her, and from wounds that weren’t allowed to be healed from biofoam. The hand holding the gun pressed it to the temple of the cluster and she fired, the close proximity of the bullet rendering the clusters head mashed meat and Pearl's ears a ringing mess.A pained whimper escaped her. She slapped a pale hand over a ringing ear. She thrusted the cluster off her with her hips and sat up, looking for the can. Pearl spotted it near a fallen lamppost. Heading towards it, she snatched it and put it back into her bag. The damn can almost got her killed.With a huff she tucked the gun into her pants, ensuring that an incident like that won't happen again. Her burning and bleeding stomach told Pearl that she didn't want it happening again. She trotted down the road with renewal, adrenaline making her even more alert.It became easy to spot clusters in the dark of the fog. Even when they were silent, their dark silhouettes stood out against the grey and allowed Pearl to sneak on by them without much effort. Only once did she nearly get caught, and she was sneaking away from the situation now, the cluster left behind to stumble in the fog. One thing the fog kept her from doing was looking at the map and seeing where she was. Was she still headed toward the crater? Or had she been turned around from sneaking away from the clusters? Doubt. Doubt. Doubt. Filling her again.A hand grabbed at her shoulder and she couldn't manage to repress the yelp and she spun around and looked at the cluster, its lower jaw missing and grey skin peeling. Her hand flew to the gun but she hesitated. The noise would draw more. The cluster went to grab for her and Pearl danced away, darted around the cluster, and slapped both hands over its cheeks and twisted.She didn't have enough strength to break a neck, but luckily the cluster's bones were fragile and she barely twisted its head 90 degrees before an audible snap sounded. It fell to the floor and wriggled, still trying to move towards her but failing, a gurgle escaping from it. With a self-satisfied smirk, Pearl stepped over its body and continued down the grey fog. Her throat burned and bled, her eyes dried out, her stomach flipping, and she had made her way out of the fog.The view was something out of a nightmare. There was nothing but cracked, grey sandstone for miles. The clouds were yellow and crackling with green lightning that struck in the distance frequently, the air burned at her skin. One thing that stood out to her were the lack of plants in sight; just sandstone.'It's here, it has to be here." She moved on, nervously glancing this way and that, feeling unsafe without the fog shrouding her. She could be seen from miles away, even if the fog coated her skin and clothes and hair in grey, streaking the black already on her skin from the rain the night before.Her teeth gritted as she pressed on, eyes scanning her surroundings for the sight of a plant. No plants. No life‘I have to go further.” The thought was obvious, but she wasn't sure how much further she could go. It hurt so much to breathe and blink, her skin feeling as though it would melt off the bone. She wanted to turn back and leave the grey sandstone expanse behind.
Do it for her.
The voice cut through the thoughts of leaving and left them in tatters. Pearl took a step, footstep echoing, and then another, and then another until she was walking on through the expanse without hesitation. Sternness reflecting on her face. An aura of confidence surrounding her, warning danger to steer clear of her. Nothing would get in her way.Minutes dragged on like hours, and Pearl felt herself growing weaker and sicker the more she moved on, feet dragging instead of lifting, back slouching, and mouth hanging open. The radiation was taking its full effect."You need to do it for her." She muttered to herself. "Do it for her, damn it!" She tried to move faster but her legs felt so weak, and she wanted to sit down and maybe even fall asleep. But falling asleep meant death, so she kept on.She was joined on her journey by ghosts, hallucinations of people long dead and rotten. Pearl 03 was walking along with her, not saying anything because she was focusing on the paperwork given to her by Hessonite 05. Pearl tried to reach out to the ghost, but she disappeared through her fingers and Pearl was groping at ashy air and staring at grey sandstone.Green lakes. Bright green, rancid-smelling, boiling, lakes. Standing close to it nearly made her pass out. She chose to step back and follow the ghost of Pink Diamond down away from the lake, apologizing when she had to bend over at one point and vomit soup and blood. Pink Diamond only rolled her eyes and said."Just keep up."She tried her best; her legs were still so weak and her head swam, feeling as though it were filled with cotton. Pink Diamond led her away from the lakes and promptly disappeared and Pearl found herself walking towards silhouettes, believing they were more ghosts.As she stepped close, her boot kicked aside a rock and the clattering made several heads turn. Thirteen. Grey-skinned, mutilated heads with hollow and scratched eyes. Clusters. The cry that left her lips was strangled with coughs as she reached for the revolver, aimed, and fired and missed a cluster's head by inches, leaving her with one bullet and 13 standing clusters. They rushed her with loud screeches. Two barreled into her and she was pinned in an instant; hands tearing at her skin and clothes. The pain rippled through her and all she could do was scream as she punched and kicked. The revolver still in her hand aimed and shot the first cluster, killing it and she managed to flip the other one off her and bash its head in with the butt of her gun. But that left the other eleven, all making their shambling way towards her.She backed away, and the clusters began to speed up after her, outstretching arms and other limbs growing out of them, all wanting a piece of her.Pearl wished Garnet was with her, not for the first time and definitely not for the last.The first cluster that lunged towards her had its head bashed in with the side of her gun; the second had its fragile neck snapped and body tossed aside. The others were smarter, they didn't come one-by-one but instead in pairs. A yelp escaped Pearl and she turned on her heel and tried to run, but she was so weak and her legs wavered so much that she found herself falling face first, her nose crunching as it hit hard rock. A cluster lunged at her back and began to tear."Get off!" She slapped her foot back but it did nothing, and the other clusters began to approach her. The hands tearing at her back tore at her makeshift backpack too, and the supplies came spilling out. The cans, the water, the bottle of green fluid.Her eyes zeroed in on it.A shaking hand reached for it while the other shot back and shoved the cluster off. Her hand came to the instrument reed and she pulled and pulled until it popped off. Several hands grabbed onto her shoulder right as she brought the liquid to her mouth and drank.And drank.And drank.And red colored her vision.Pearl was aware of what rage was, but this was nothing like it. The liquid acted fast, very fast. Her actions and thoughts weren’t her own and she let out an animalistic screech as she twisted and lunged at the first cluster. Her hands flew to its belly, a second pair of legs protruding from it, and tore at it just like the clusters that tore at her stomach and back. Her fingers struck through flesh like it was nothing and she was ripping and shredding. The cluster tried to lunge up to bite, and her hands came to its jaw and ripped it clean off. A cluster grabbed at her hand, inadvertently becoming her next target. Another roar escaped Pearl as she leapt off the cluster and attacked the next, and then the next, and then the next, until there was only one left and she was covered in blood and meat and still angry.The cluster was burned, the flesh on the left side of its body scorched and melted into scar tissue that reminded Pearl, somewhere deep inside the monster brought out by the green fluid, of Garnet's leg. She lunged towards it, and it tried fruitlessly to stop her with its fingerless palms and the twig-like legs sticking from its shoulders. The legs came off first. They joined the pile of limbs and chunks of flesh behind her. The head came next. Pearl bashed her fists into it, the first punch breaking straight through its skull and hitting grey matter. The others reduced the head to flesh, blood, and bone fragments. It isn't enough. She keeps tearing and attacking at the twitching body, destroying the torso and then moving on to the arms. Eventually, Pearl stood, and with blue eyes stained with green she looked around for her next victim, lips pulled back to bare her teeth. She was soaked in blood, dripping from her ripped knuckles and off her face and broken nose, soaking the grey of her tank top that wasn't already soiled by her own blood. She hunched over as she walked, breathing in and out heavily as she stalked the grey sandstone; Garnet and mutated flora long forgotten.She was joined again by ghosts, but anytime she caught sight of them she would scream and lunge, only to fall through them and hit the grey sandstone and try to attack that instead. Sometimes Pearl 03, with her blue eyes and lips slightly-fuller than Pearl's, would look down at her and frown, before going back to her papers. Other times, Pink Diamond would tell her to follow and get angry when Pearl would rather try to kill her.Eventually she found her next victim, a cluster sitting by a small rock face, one knee up with an arm resting on it and head held down. The scream that left Pearl was inhuman as she rushed towards the cluster, and it barely got to its feet when she launched herself and tackled it straight into a ditch that was hiding around the rock face. Before they even hit the ground she was tearing and ripping until there was nothing recognizable, but this time instead of looking for another thing to attack, Pearl laid down on the cluster's remains and growled, green spittle leaking from the corner of her lips before her stomach lurched and she found herself vomiting bright green all over the cluster, mixing with the red of its blood.And then she was calm.Complete equanimity. Pearl crawled past the cluster and fell down on grey sandstone, panting and sputtering out more green fluid. Her fingers dug into it and her nails lifted ash off the sandstone. Lightning crackled above her and struck down a mile off east, the area glowing with green before it faded. Stains of green seeped out of her eyes like tears, streaking her cheeks. With a cough, Pearl rolled over onto her back.Above her, the transparent form of the blue-eyed raider was staring and smirking, shotgun pointed down at her."Hello, beautiful," She purred. "Where's your diamond?""Gone." Pearl said, voice not wavering. She blinked at the blue-eyed raider, face impassive. "I don't need her." The raider frowned. She cocked her shotgun."You failed.""I know."The shotgun fired and Pearl saw darkness. Somehow, she is still alive.The ghost was gone. The sky was yellow and flashing with green lightning, the air choked with ash, the sandstone on her back cold, wounds on her stomach and back aching, her nose throbbing.Yet she is alive.Pearl tried to lift herself up, but she is weak. Her arms moved a fraction before giving up and her legs felt like they were stuffed with feathers. She gave up and stared at the sky. Lightning flashed.
Pearl carrying Garnet down the street, towards the house where the basement cluster resided.
She blinked, surprised at the memory that surfaced. Lightning flashed again.
Pearl crying. Garnet comforting her, not noticing the approaching Emerald and Topazes and the Citrine.
Her teeth ground together, and she faintly tasted blood that had gotten into her mouth when she was unconscious.
Pearl crying again, Garnet comforting her, not seeing Yellow Diamond behind her taking aim with the revolver
Tears beaded at her eyes. Lightning flashed, thunder booming. The ashes fell along with green specks.
Pearl dragging Garnet from the base, back to the apartment.

Pearl taking care of Garnet.

Pearl leaving Garnet to die.
'Of all the times you could have failed her, you do it now?' Her mind mocked her. The tears streamed out steadily, pushing away more green along with it. Her fingers, the only parts of her body that could move, dug into the grey sandstone, her lips quivering, her throat tightening.Pearl turned her head to the side, taking in a shaking breath. In front of her, within arm’s reach, was a bright green plant. Its leaves glistening despite the lack of sunlight, webbing of grey hanging down from the thorns of the stems. Mutated flora. Biofoam.She tried to reach for it, but she couldn't, she couldn't move. Her arms and legs refused to listen to her, and her fingers started to disobey her as well.Pearl was forced to stay there, to look at the one thing that will save Garnet, unable to do anything.Above her flickered the image of another ghost, and Pearl looked up with only her eyes. Yellow Diamond looked down at her with piercing yellow eyes, reminding Pearl of the terrible clouds circling above them. From the left side of her neck to the bottom part of her jaw was a burn still red and wrinkled, her left sleeve torn off at the elbow, revealing an arm covered in a burn the same as the one on her neck and jaw. Pearl suspected there were more, underneath the clothes fluttering in the wind.The yellow eyes narrowed."You're not real." Pearl rasped, so quiet she could barely hear it. Yellow Diamond said nothing. She stepped forward and her booted feet planted on the slope of the ditch, and she slid down towards Pearl, ashes and pieces of sandstone surging down the cliff with her. She landed in front of the plant.A hand, marred with a diamond-shaped scar on the back of it, reached down and grabbed the plant by its stems, tugging it free, roots and all. She brought it towards her face and looked it over, face never changing from its stern look. She looked back down at Pearl."I won.""You're not real."The corner of her lips upturned, drawing into a smirk that pulled the lines of her scars from diagonal to straight. She turned and climbed up the cliff."You're not real!" Pearl cried after her. Yellow Diamond didn't look back, walking away from the ditch, figure disappearing with every step."Bring it back!" She screamed, voice far too hoarse. The scarred woman disappeared from sight. Lightning flashed again; more green specks fell from the sky, more plentiful than the ash. Filling her nose and mouth, entering her lungs, choking her, making her stomach ache, darkening her vision.Killing her.Pearl tried to move once more. She couldn't. She was immobile. Everything became a smear of grey as tears flooded her eyes and blurred them, stealing her ability to see, only allowing her to listen to the thunder, smell the rancid air, feel the cold ground beneath her, and taste the ash.Even with the blur, she kept her eyes trained on the spot where the plant was; stolen by someone she didn't even know was real. Stolen by the person who shot Garnet. Stolen by the person who killed everyone she had ever known. Stolen. Gone. Along with her chances to save the dark woman.Pearl closed her eyes.She opened them.Bright green plant. Glistening. Thorns webbed with grey. Her own hand clutched around the stems.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Perfect Pearl

Her fingers dug into the sandstone, nails scraped to the quick, and flesh stained as grey as the rest of the landscape. Pearl pulled, muscles straining, body screaming in protest. She dragged herself across the sandstone until her arm was bending again, to which she stuck it straight out again and grabbed ahold of the ground, pulling herself along. Tightly clutched in her left hand is the mutated flora, the leaves glistening and the grey strings dragging behind her. Holding the plant hurt; it stung her skin and made numbness shoot up her arm, as if it aggravated what had already been injured.Above her were the ghosts, all walking and ignoring her. Pearl ignored them too; they weren't real after all and she needed to focus on getting away.‘If you even can’How stupid was she to think she could walk to the crater and still be able to walk back.Her legs didn't move. Refused to. She dragged herself with the little strength she had out of the ditch and a couple dozen yards away from it, but she wasn't even close to the Dead Zone. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Who was she to think that she was strong enough?If there was one thing Pearl didn't beat herself over the head over, it was that she thought she was radiation resistant to an extent. She is. The amount of radiation she had absorbed would have killed a regular human ten times over.  But now it was taking its toll.She could barely drag herself two feet before she had to stop and vomit, the nausea the worst bout she had ever experienced. Pearl is doing it again now, craning her neck away as far as she could while she coughed and sputtered out whatever substance she still had in her, be it food or blood or the rest of the green fluid.The green fluid still had an effect on her, Pearl noticed as well. There is still a screaming anger in the back of her mind as she dragged herself along, fading more and more each time she vomited. She resolved that, if she were to survive, she wouldn’t drink it ever again, much less look at it.Lightning crackled across the yellow sky, striking down somewhere off in the distance and sending off a fresh wave of radiation. Pearl stopped dragging herself, choosing to lay on the grey floor instead, taking in rasping breaths.For the first time since yesterday, she wondered if she said goodbye.Her mind brought up an image of Garnet, lying in bed weak with fever, staring up at the ceiling and letting out that horrid cough she had and wondering whether or not she would come back. An image of Garnet maybe even shedding tears that Pearl had never seen before as she realized that the pale woman wouldn’t come back.It gave Pearl enough strength to continue.She began pulling herself along the ground again, stopping less and less to vomit as the sick feeling left her and was replaced with a coldness she couldn’t describe. Lightning kept crackling, illuminating her form as she moved along the grey sandstone. In the distance, clusters either stood or walked around, not noticing her. Pearl spotted a monster of an Abhorrent among them; almost as tall as one of those street lamps that adorned the roads of Empire City, with eight heads that lined themselves around its shoulders. Pearl didn’t let her gaze linger on it any longer as she resumed her dragging.‘Maybe if I don’t look at it, it won’t see me.’ It was wishful thinking, but it comforted her. She noticed, just then, that the ghosts in front of her had disappeared, and that she was alone. Her teeth ground together and she brought her other elbow up. Instead of grabbing and pulling, she crawled along the ground using both of her elbows, clutching the flora in a white knuckled grip.Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of yellow. She tilted her head to the side, seeing the form of Yellow Diamond staring down at her.“You’re not real.” She seethed. Pearl brought the flora close to her chest and clutched the stems even tighter. The mutant raised an arched eyebrow.“I’m not real?” There was a mix of a laugh and a scoff in her voice. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood high. Pearl growled and continued to crawl.“You didn’t win.”“I never said I did.” She walked along with Pearl, seeming more amused than anything. Her boots kicked up ash into the air, the particles stinging Pearl’s nostrils and mouth.“I must admit; I was pleasantly surprised when my snipers reported you entering the Dead Zone.”“You’re not real.” Pearl growled out again. She tried to crawl faster but she couldn’t; fatigue was setting in again. Another laugh from the scarred woman.“I’m not real?” She repeated again, and a horrid grin spread across her lips. “34,” A gasp escaped Pearl, her breath taken away by the boot that drove into the small of her back. The pain spread throughout her spine. Far too real. “I’m not real?”The coldness that had been filling Pearl before amplified. Slowly, her head turned, and she looked up at the grinning mutant with terrified blue eyes.“You-”“Why are you in my territory?” Yellow Diamond asked, face falling. She bent down low. “And why are you stealing from me?” She made a reach for the flower but Pearl jerked her hand away, leading Yellow Diamond to get a fistful of ash and sand instead. The pale woman tried crawling faster, fear overriding the fatigue as she sped along the ground. The mutant rolled her eyes and continued following Pearl without speeding up from her calm stride. She followed her like it was a game, staying just behind her so Pearl was motivated to put more distance between them.Pearl could tell exactly when the mutant got bored, because she sped up and pressed her boot down on her aching back.“Answer my questions, 34.” The urge to answer overcame Pearl but she suppressed it quickly. She was no longer taking orders. Not anymore.“No!” One hand clawed at the ground while the other tucked itself under her chest, protecting the flora. “I don't answer to you!” Flecks of spit flew from her mouth as she snapped. If Yellow Diamond was taken aback, then she sure as hell didn't show it.A hand shot down and seized the back of her tank top, and Pearl found herself being lifted effortlessly in the air. It took all her strength to keep her arm tucked to her body; the rest of her limbs hanged down. She found herself being twisted around until the mutant's hand was at her collar and she was looking into yellow eyes. It almost froze her, the sight of something dark and maddening behind them. The same look she saw when Yellow Diamond went in for the killing blow.A scarred hand moved up to cradle her cheek, a thumb sweeping over it, drawing out the same tingling sensation that Pearl felt when she didn't trust Garnet all the way.“Staring at perfection,” Yellow Diamond murmured. “That’s what I’m doing. Staring at the perfect pearl.” The hand trailed down lower and wrapped around her neck, and Pearl stiffened because she knew one jerk was all it would take for the scarred woman to snap it.“The experiments have been going along nicely. We found one of Pink Diamond’s labs in a mountain- she was never good at hiding things.” Yellow Diamond continued in her low voice. Unsettling. The only word to describe how the scarred woman looked at her. “You have been a great help to me, 34.”“If you are going to kill me,” Pearl wheezed, voice pitched higher from the hand on her neck “then do it, you scarred bitch.” Insults wouldn't help her, but it felt good. Yellow Diamond smirked.“If I wanted you dead,” she abruptly let go of her and the pale woman let out a cry as she hit the hard ground. “Then I would have done it when I saw you limping away from the factory.” Her boot collided with the pale woman’s chest, sending her skidding across the grey sandstone, ash puffing up in a cloud around her. The scream of pain Pearl emitted made the corner of Yellow Diamond’s lips quirk up. She strode to the prone form on the ground.“It turns out that you are still useful to me.” The words made Pearl look up, terrified, confused, body shaking and eyes wide. The scarred woman clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. The wind whipped her blonde hair to the side, clothes fluttering with it as well.“Wh-what?”“You are still useful. Which is why I haven't killed you yet.”“How?” Yellow Diamond let out a scoff at the question.“You don't need to know that information.” She bent down to Pearl’s level, eyes not leaving hers. Her face returned to impassiveness, though the glint was still in her eye. Pearl took in the mutant’s face for the first time since she arrived, and her stomach dropped when she saw the burns in the exact location as the hallucination.Something tugged at the back of her mind.Blue eyes narrowed down into slits and teeth ground down together once more. With a yell, Pearl shot forward with all her strength and swept her hand out.Hitting air.The form of Yellow Diamond disappeared in the wind, and Pearl found herself lying back down on the sandstone, still staring at the Abhorrent, not having moved an inch since then. She couldn't tell if she felt relieved or angry.‘It felt so real’ She shook off her shock and surprise and began to crawl along the ground again, panting and huffing. ‘The pain was real!’ Her back still ached as though it had really been kicked. She is losing her sanity, Pearl concluded. The radiation was affecting not only her body but her mind. She needed to get out; lingering any longer meant either insanity or death.Pearl jabbed her elbow into the sandstone and pulled her weak body along, using the adrenaline still coursing through her blood as her aide and in the back of her mind telling herself that it’ll only be a little further.Lying to herself seemed to work. By the time she reached the grey fog of the Dead Zone, the adrenaline wore off and Pearl couldn’t move anymore. She rolled over onto her side, staring up at the yellow sky with the plant loosely clutched in the hand atop her chest. It rose and fell as she took in shaky breaths. Out of the corner of her mouth blood leaked in a steady stream down her cheek and pooled to the sandstone beneath her head. It hurt. Everything hurt. She wanted to go to sleep.‘I am giving up.” Pearl acknowledged with a wave of coldness down her spine and neck. If she had the strength to, she would have hit herself in the head again. “I am giving up.” She inhaled a lungful of ash and radiation, before exhaling it in stunted breaths. Her eyes drifted down to her body. Her arms and chest were covered in scrapes and burns from the radiation in the air, the burns pink and filmed over with blood. The burns were beginning to show up on her face as well, the air stinging the wounds.The hand holding the plant lifted up an inch in the air, allowing Pearl to look at it. Her hand was red from clutching the plant as hard as she had been doing, and the grey strings had wrapped around her forearm and seemed to be pressing into her skin. Weakly, she raised her other hand and pinched her index finger and thumb on one of the grey strings, pulling. It straightened out, but the head was still attached to her forearm, stuck inside firmly. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. She began to pulled at the thread.Stinging pain coursed up and down her arm as she tugged, the skin lifting along with it until an audible ‘pop!’ sounded and the grey thread came loose. Blood steadily leaked from the circular wound and Pearl let out a whimper from the throbbing pain. There were still several more to pull, but she decided to ignore them. There was no point to it anyway.Her arm fell back to ground and her blue eyes turned up to the sky once more.
Do it for her.
“I can't.”
Weak.
“I know.”
Failure.
“I know.”The stinging of her arm brought her attention. The grey thread she had pulled out burrowed itself back into her arm, plugging the hole it created earlier. Tingling pain ran up and down the appendage, caused by the grey threads. With a groan, Pearl turned over onto her stomach and looked up at the grey fog of the Dead Zone, so close.
Weak.
The word rung in her mind repeatedly. She lifted a hand and dug her fingers into the ashy ground and tried to pull but failed.
Failure.
She would have started crying if she had anything else to cry out. Her hand fell flat on the ground out of its clawed position from before. A flicker of yellow.“I won, 34.”“Let me die in peace.”“You are asking too much of me.”Yellow Diamond stood above her, fake but so real. Her scarred arms were crossed over each other and she stood to her full height.“You’re not real.” Pearl spat out, and she regretted the way she said it because it sapped even more of her depleting strength. It meant nothing to the scarred woman anyway, she simply stood there and watched Pearl as she began to slip.“Look me in the eyes, 34.”Pearl didn’t dare to look.“I want to be the last thing you see.”Pearl still didn’t look, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to summon thoughts of someone other than the mutant. Closing her eyes was a mistake because now she couldn't open them either. Vaguely, she was aware of her heart slowing. Her hearing faded, as did her tactile sense. She was aware, but of nothing.Her mind slipped away. When Pearl awoke, she was not in the grey sandstone expanse, but in the Diamond room of the hospital. Bookcases stretching to the ceiling lined the south wall of the circular room, the personal library of Pink Diamond herself. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, hooked with wires and metal grates that ran down to a humming generator near the large, cracked, windows on the west wall. Near the north wall, and where Pearl was kneeling, was the office desk of Pink Diamond, and sitting on the chair was the mutant herself.“My… My Diamond?” The tall woman leaned back in her chair, diamond-shaped pupils searching Pearl’s face as it creaked with the weight. Her hand, gloved, tapped its fingers rhythmically on the old, rotted wood of the desk.“Have the onyxes taught you nothing, my pearl?” Came her harsh voice, and Pearl flinched at the sound of it, stiffening. Without mulling them over, words came spilling out of her mouth.“I- I just wanted to share them with her; she- she asked so much about them and she was so curious-”“You disobeyed me, again.”Pearl realized very quickly what this conversation was, and what was to take place in the middle of it.“I’ve given you my kindness, Pearl. I allowed you to keep the book that you stole and this is how you repay me? By stealing again? Like you're one of those mongrel outsiders?” Pearl gritted her teeth as she heard Pink Diamond rise from her chair. She stepped around it and stood in front of the pale woman.“You know I hate doing this.”Lies! All lies!A gloved hand reached for the radio on the desk and to the microphone attached to it. The other hand switched the dials as she brought the microphone up to her full lips.“Onyx 01, come get Pearl. Roll 29.” Each word made Pearl wince, but she kept her attention off of the tall woman and to the window overlooking the green ocean. Any minute now.Pink Diamond turned back to her and scrutinized her with those Diamond-shaped pupils, her mouth twisted up into a sneer.“My own personal Pearl,” she mused. “So disobedient. And to think it was charming at one point.”There it was! The grenade fell in and rolled along the ground towards the middle of the room. Pearl tried to warn Pink Diamond, but her lips didn't move and she couldn't get out of her kneeling position.‘My Diamond!’ Her mind screamed ‘Watch out!’As if she read her thoughts, Pink Diamond looked over and spotted the grenade with wide eyes, but before she could even utter a sound, it went off, shrouding the room in a blinding red and white light and throwing Pearl away from the desk. The pain awoke her.Up and down her arm, no longer a tingling pain but instead a white hot one. The threads of the flora had burrowed deeper under pale and burned skin, touching into muscle and finding the beginnings of bone. The scream that left her lips was nothing short of agonized as she slapped a hand over her arm and where the threads had stuck in. The plant was resting by her side, taunting her with its presence as the source of her pain and the medicine that would cure Garnet.Her body jerked and convulsed from the pain, and she could see the threads sink in deeper. Deeper and deeper until the plant was resting on her forearm and her arm was bulging under the skin with the grey strings.And then the pain ceased.The grey strings were up to her shoulder but they stopped moving and rested there, but what mattered most was that the pain was gone. Pearl blinked as looked at her arm, breaths coming out heavily as she watched it. With no small amount of effort, she lifted herself onto her elbow so she could better look at her arm.The grey threads were retreating without a lick of pain following them. She watched as they trailed down to her forearms until finally they pulled out of her skin. The heads of grey strings lingered for a moment, before they moved away and went limp to the ground. The skin on her arm is smooth, not an entry hole to be seen. With lips parted in surprise, she flexed her fingers. No pain. No tingling. Her blue eyes looked down at the threads, which still remained prone on the grey sandstone.Had they healed her?Pearl had never seen the grey threads before today; the samples they worked with were always the green of the plant and nothing else. Her hand, a radiation burn on the web between her index finger and thumb, reached out to the grey threads and touched them. They felt slimy, but fuzzy at the same time.Another realization washed over her; she didn’t feel as weak as before. She was still weak enough as to not be able to lift her legs, but she didn’t feel like lying down and giving up. With this realization in mind, Pearl wasted no time turning back over onto her stomach and crawling towards the grey fog of the Dead Zone, a renewal of hope blooming in her chest.When she entered fog, she felt relief. Despite all the pain, weakness, and sadness; she felt relief. She crawled along the ground, keeping away from suspicious silhouettes and taking in slow breaths every thirty seconds in order to keep the radiation from poisoning her lungs any further. Her elbows, scraped and cut beyond recognition, dug into the mix of concrete and sandstone as she pulled her body along, every few minutes or so kicking her legs in order to test whether or not they could move.The grey threads dragged behind the flower clutched in her hand, not appearing to want to dig into her flesh and do whatever it is they did before. Her eyebrows furrowed as she examined them; when she got back to the apartment (a part of Pearl acknowledged that she didn’t say ‘if’) she’ll investigate the grey threads further, because whatever they did potentially saved her. The day fell away into the night as Pearl stumbled out of the fog, coated in ash and blood and green specks. She fell towards a lamppost and slapped both hands on it, using it to anchor herself as she dry-heaved, her stomach empty enough as to not allow her to vomit. The noise would attract clusters, so the moment the heaving stopped being so frequent Pearl trudged away from the lamppost and in between two buildings.Her lips smacked together; she was parched. Pearl made a grab for the bag, but only found air.“Damn it.” She whispered, slapping her hand back onto a wall. She had lost everything, all except for the gun tucked into her pants. Pearl couldn’t remember when she stuffed the gun in there, but then again she couldn’t remember much of anything that happened so she didn’t dwell on it and she began to walk off to find a shelter.There was a sense a familiarity as Pearl took refuge in a car, she leaned back on the seat and her lips parted to let out small coughs as she did so. Her eyelids fluttered closed, but she quickly opened them because it hurt to have them closed. Everything hurt. Her bones, her muscles, the burns that were steadily throbbing and stinging in protest of the cold air hitting them. A whimper escaped her.But she was alive.With a shaking arm, Pearl lifted the plant into view, staring at the grey threads dangling from the leaves, examining the glistening skin on them. She thumbed at the grey thread before pinching it and looking it over. Curiosity was beaming through her, almost making her want to take apart the grey threads now instead of waiting for the apartment. A hand popped open the glove box of the car and Pearl rummaged through it, shuffling aside old papers as she searched for something useful. Her fingers brushed against cold metal.‘There’ Pearl pulled the metal out, looking it over. It was simple rectangle shape, but there was a groove on the side of it, and if she looked closely enough she could see that another piece of metal was wedged in. Even more curious now, she flicked a small switch she found on the side of it.
Shlink!
The pale woman couldn’t help but recoil back as the metal sprung loose, revealing the blade of a knife. She marveled at it, turning it over it her hands and examining it with wide blue eyes. She had never seen anything like it. Internally, Pearl wondered if Garnet had ever seen anything like it either.
Garnet.
For once, the name didn’t bring dread in her. It brought hope, because Pearl had survived and she had the plant that would save her companion in her hands. A smile, slight and small, spread over her chapped lips as she stroked the dull blade of the knife. She would save her. When morning arrived, Pearl left the car and trekked down the streets of Empire City. Her legs screamed in protest of every movement, and even holding something as light as the mutated flora made her arms ache with exertion. But Pearl moved on in spite of all of this because she was tired of giving up and she was tired of feeling useless.By the afternoon, she was back at the apartments.She would have run up the stairs if she were physically capable to at the moment, but instead she settled for making a slow way up them. With thinly-veiled excitement, Pearl crashed through the front door.The living room is empty, and the first thing that Pearl noticed is that the bottle of whiskey that she left on the counter was missing. Annoyance flooded her; she knew she should have hidden it. The pale woman hobbled over to the hallway and towards the bedroom.“Garnet?” She called as she walked. No answer. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she reached the bedroom door. Fear prickled on her neck; what would be behind the door? Was Garnet still alive? She cut the questions short in favor for entering the room and finding out first-hand.The dark woman lied prone on the bed, curled up underneath the thin sheets and lightly snoring. Pearl’s heart clenched and she nearly let out a cry of relief, for once not annoyed by her guard’s snoring. She rushed over to Garnet and fell to her knees, hands falling on her muscular shoulder and wide hip.“Okay, okay, you’re okay. I’m here” Pearl whispered. She bit her lip again as she rolled Garnet over on her back. Her hands pulled her tattered shirt up over her head. It looked worse than before; the red strings of blood poisoning had spread further down her stomach and the paleness covered more of her skin.‘But no matter,’ Pearl thought to herself, ‘I have the means to save her now. Everything will be okay.’Hurriedly she left the room, intending to work on fixing up the biofoam. When Pearl arrived at the kitchen, she set the plant down on the counter and went to work. First things first, she needed to know how the grey threads saved her. She needed to satisfy that curiosity. She unsheathed the pocket knife from her pants and flicked it open, still jumping when the blade sprung out. Taking in a deep breath, Pearl cut the head off of one of the grey threads.Immediately, a mix of green and red began to leak out from the string, pooling on the counter. Pearl noticed the foul smell of it; a vaguely familiar one that she couldn’t recall at the moment. Waiting until the thread bled out, she picked up the string and looked at it.It was hollow, and green filled it as well as the red. She set the plant away and Pearl realized two things: One, the glistening seemed to lessen on the plant after the thread drained, two, the red was her blood. Her lips parted in surprise as she looked it over, both the thread and the puddle.Another realization overcame her.The green was radiation. The grey threads sucked it out of her.“What in the-?” She'd never seen anything like it. None of the plants they received at the lab had the grey webbing like this plant did. Pearl wondered if the threads were stripped before they were shipped off to Pink Diamond’s base. Her hands searched over the leaves, and the lack of glistening brought the idea that the grey threads sucked the radiation out of her to feed the plant.“Like roots,” The pale woman murmured aloud. “They are like roots.”It wasn’t good to dwell on it any longer. Though she was home and at Garnet’s side again, she was still on a time crunch and that meant no more poking around to satisfy her curiosity. The oven door, right under her legs, was pulled out and pale hands gathered the ash from the fires started in there. Pearl spread it out on the counter and rolled the plant in it. It should work as an activator; they had used similar substances in the lab.The pale woman rolled the leaves around in the ash while simultaneously crushing them with her palms. It began to work, as green fluid began to seep out of the leaves, so she worked even harder despite her tired and aching arms. The green fluid that seeped out of the leaves stuck to the burns on her palm and began healing them, helping Pearl work faster.After an hour of work, green foam lied in a small pile on the counter. It would have to do. It was all she had. Pearl used the green foam remaining on her hands to rub over her arms, coating the burns and healing them. Taking in a quick intake of breath that turned into a short cough, Pearl took a cutting board off a rack and set it on the side of the counter, using her arm to scoop the foam onto it.Pearl padded down the hallway and into the room. She swept the books and the empty whiskey bottle off of the nightstand and set the cutting board on it.“Okay, here we go, 34.” Her thin hands brushed away stray curls from Garnet’s face and her thumbs ran over her flushed cheeks. The dark woman didn’t respond to the touch. Still asleep.‘Or in a coma.’ Her pessimist mind decided to return to her. Pearl ignored it in favor of focusing on the task at hand. She used the pocket knife to cut away the bandaging, revealing the extent of the wound. Without a lick of hesitation, Pearl scooped a palmful of biofoam and slathered it on the wounds, coating it in a green skin that quickly dried. With bated breath, Pearl watched as it healed.Blood and pus sank away, skin closed over and knitted together, the red threads of blood poisoning not receding, nor the paleness of the surrounding skin.And Pearl came to her final realization of that day.Healing the exterior wouldn’t be enough. There was still damage on the inside. Damage that the biofoam wouldn’t reach without her having to cut inside and apply it directly.It made her pale.One wrong move, too much time taken, not enough biofoam, Garnet awakening during the middle of it and freaking out; each scenario could lead to the dark woman’s death. Pearl ground her teeth down and barely acknowledged when one of them chipped due to the excessive grinding. She would have to do it. There was no choice, and she couldn’t wait any longer and risk further damage from sepsis.With a pounding heart and shaking hands, Pearl peeled the green skin off the toned stomach and pressed the knife into her skin.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Under the Knife

Pearl wasn’t expecting the amount of blood the first cut produced.The room filled with the smell of copper as the fluid came pouring out of the cut, the dark red streaked with an even lighter red that told of the poisoning running through it. Pearl swallowed back the bile that flooded her throat and shuddered as she withdrew the knife from where she had first cut. She peered down into the incision, trying her best to stay conscious at the grotesque sight of split flesh.She had cut straight through the skin and deep into the muscle, but not far enough to reach the organs. That was going to be the tricky part, Pearl thought. Having to cut deep enough to reach the organs whist also avoiding puncturing said organs. Her hand gripped the knife in a white knuckled grip as she dropped it back down into the dark woman’s stomach, slicing away until she saw pink coils of intestine.The sight and smell made Pearl jerk away from the woman and gag, trying to vomit but unable to due to the emptiness of her stomach. Tears stung at her eyes as her body continued to convulse with her heaves.
Stop it!
Pearl placed a petite hand over her mouth and nose in an attempt to cover the permeating smell. Her chest still jumped with the gags.
You’re wasting time!
Another gag and Pearl found herself regurgitating mostly saliva. She pulled away and went back to the stomach before the heaves could start again, wincing when she saw that the blood ran all down Garnet’s body and began to pool on the bed, staining the white cloth. The knife in her hand was gripped tighter before she set it down on the night stand and scooped biofoam up from the cutting board, blue eyes searching for the damage in the intestine that caused sepsis.There was too much blood. She couldn’t see past it. Thin hands grabbed the blanket lying on the side of the bed and used them to wipe off the gaping wound. More blood quickly replaced the amount wiped away. Far too much blood.
You severed an artery, you stupid twat!
A noise of panic escaped Pearl’s throat as she brought the blanket down again and cleaned the blood. No time, no more time. She needed to act now.Most of the biofoam on her hands had been unintentionally wiped away by blankets, but she used what was left on her palms and placed it on the exposed intestine. The feel of it shot tingles through Pearl’s arms and made her cringe. It was hot, rubbery, and slimy with blood and fluid. The biofoam coated the organ and Pearl continued down until all that was on her hand was blood. She went for another scoop, and instead of rubbing it in she flicked it into the open wound. Through sheer luck some of it hit the severed artery, and the bleeding began to slow as the biofoam closed it over in a thin green skin.‘Alright, there.’ Pearl encouraged herself mentally as she scooped more biofoam. Only half of it was left. With careful precision, the pale woman began to coat the sliced muscles with the green foam. She scraped what was left on her palms back on the cutting board in an attempt to save it.When the green skin finally settled in, Pearl used the biofoam she scraped onto the cutting board to close the skin. She watched as the green skin hardened over the wound, and with morbid fascination she observed the skin underneath the transparent foam start to knit itself back together. It flipped her stomach and the pale woman had to back away and cover her blood-soaked hand over her mouth as she tried to keep from heaving again.‘I shouldn’t have left it in’ Hindsight brought regret. The biofoam was chock-full of radiation and she smeared it onto an organ meant for absorbing things. Pearl took her mind off it, however. She needed to focus on one thing now and the other one later.Two pale arms jammed underneath the dark woman’s back, and Pearl grunted as she strained to lift the dead weight. Garnet didn’t budge, and Pearl wondered if she was still weak from radiation poisoning or her companion was just that heavy. Her boots slid down the floor as she tried to lift, and after a minute she managed to turn Garnet onto her side and then lay her on her stomach.‘It’s a side effect of nearly dying.’ Pearl wondered how long it would take for her strength to return to her in full. She looked at the dark woman’s back and winced; she would need to cut her open there too. She needed to be sure that the infection was dealt with. Shaking hands reached for the pocket knife on the bed again, and with a deep breath the pale woman brought it up and hovered it over the skin.“I’m sorry, Garnet.” Her knife sunk into the dark flesh and pulled away towards Pearl. She cut deep enough to penetrate muscle but not the organs, and when she brought the knife away she saw that it had been a clean cut, unlike the stomach. A gag escaped Pearl’s lips as she saw the white of bone underneath blood and muscle.Pearl tried to keep her mind off of it as she set the knife down and scooped biofoam into her hands. Unlike her stomach, Pearl could see where the damage had been done. Torn muscles, shredded outer layers of organs, bone fragment wretched into some of them. How Garnet even managed to survive this long with internal injuries like this was beyond Pearl’s comprehension at the moment. The biofoam was slathered against organs and muscles, and bone fragments were picked out with nimble fingers. She waited until the green skin hardened over them before Pearl brought her hands away and scooped up more biofoam. She sealed the open wound with the foam.“Okay, the hard parts are done. You are doing great, 34” Pearl murmured soft encouragements to herself as she pulled down Garnet’s pants. She used the biofoam on her thigh, watching as it sealed under the green skin. Only when the healing stopped did Pearl grab at Garnet’s shoulder and hip and move her so she was lying on her back again. Pearl winced at the coloration of her face; a pale brown.“She lost so much blood.’ Pearl looked down at her soaked hands and the soaked sheets. Was she breathing? Worry shot through the pale woman and she pressed a palm over the dark woman’s chest, waiting for the rise and fall. Yes, but barely. Her hand moved from her chest and her fingertips grazed over Garnet’s cheek, over a cut that had sealed and begun to heal on her temple. A small smile appeared on her face as she pressed her pointer fingers to her own temple, finding a cut there that almost mirrored the one Garnet had.‘They both will scar.’ The pale woman thought. Blue eyes glanced to the cutting board. Almost no biofoam remained.‘I’ll save it.’ No use in using it to heal small cuts, and any of the major injuries she sustained had already healed partially. Pearl was reminded of her shoulder, and the bullet that went through it so long ago. Her fingers pressed into the scar tissue and the sunken hole there. Touching it sent tingles up and down her arm and numbed her fingers. She pulled them away and drew away from the dark woman, heading to the kitchen.On the counter lied smears of the green foam and parts of the grey thread that weren’t mashed in with the foam. Pearl bit her lip as she took the longest strand in her hand, looking it over. Quickly she headed back to the room, towards Garnet’s unconscious form on the bed and sat the grey thread next to her arm. Hopefully it would burrow in without the plant to guide it.A pale hand caressed the dark woman’s cheek.“You’ll be okay.” Pearl whispered. “I promise.” Night fell and Pearl didn’t leave Garnet’s side. The grey thread had made its slow way into Garnet’s skin, and blood and green fluid was dripping out from the other end of it to the wooden floorboards beneath the bed. Pearl cuddled close to Garnet, not caring about the crustiness of the dried blood on the sheets, one arm resting over her chest while the other played with her guard’s curly hair. She pulled one of the curls out until they straightened into a long strand, before letting it go and watching as it bounced back into shape. Pearl wondered what Garnet would look like with straight hair, and for a moment she thought about her own hair.It had been a few months since she cut it; cutting your hair was optional at the hospital and Pearl never found time to sit down with a Turquoise to have it done. Her hair almost reached to her shoulder blades now, a length that the pale woman found uncomfortable.  Many of the pearls kept short hair, with only a few keeping it past their shoulders. Pearl 03 kept her head shaved and Pearl had always fancied the look. She brought the hand playing with Garnet’s hair up to her head and removed the hair tie that contained some of the red locks in a ponytail. She ran her fingers through the dirty, matted mess of her hair.“Do you like it like this?” Pearl asked the unconscious woman. She is aware that it isn’t very sane of her to be talking to someone that couldn’t listen, but she isn’t sure how sane she is after returning from the crater. “I don’t. I want to cut it.” Vaguely she remembered Garnet commenting on her hair, after she dressed when she woke up naked with the dark woman.The memory sent a shudder through her. Even after almost two weeks of its occurrence, she still couldn’t remember the event at all. She wasn’t sure if she even wanted to remember it. Her hand found its way back into her guard’s hair.“Are we even? You took advantage of me and I almost got you killed?” Pearl hated how casually she said it, like they were two simple things instead of complicated and horrid ones. Garnet didn’t answer, but Pearl didn’t expect an answer anyway. The hand on her chest went to the dark woman’s shirt and she lifted it up. The tendrils of blood poisoning were gone; perhaps the radiation absorbed by the intestine helped clear it out. Or maybe even the grey thread was drawing it away.The grey thread had burrowed halfway into Garnet’s forearm, visible by the way it bulged through the skin. It made Pearl wince, but at least it meant that it was working. Hopefully by tomorrow the dark woman would be awake.Taking in a deep breath, Pearl burrowed her face into her guard’s neck and allowed her eyes to drift closed. She needed the rest.In the morning Garnet was still unconscious and Pearl was starving. She left the comfort of the bed in order to grab one of the few cans left in the corner and start eating. She finished the can within minutes, as she couldn’t help herself from scarfing it down, and she washed down the slightly metallic taste of the food with a can of water.Garnet needed water too, Pearl figured. She had no idea how long Garnet was asleep before she came back. She couldn’t give it to her though. It was far too risky to try and get her to drink while she was unconscious. The pale woman headed back to the bed and lied down next to her guard, hands returning to their previous spots on her chest and head. The hand on top of the dark woman’s head moved down to her forehead for a brief moment, and warmth welled in Pearl, as her forehead had returned to a normal temperature.
The fever broke.
All there is to do now is to wait for the dark woman to wake up. Pearl knew it would take some time, but she resolved to not leave her side until she awoken anyway. The food and water would last a few more days if she rationed the cans.Blue eyes looked to the grey thread in the dark woman’s arm. It was up to her shoulder now and prone, sucking blood and radiation from her. A part of Pearl is worried; the grey thread taking blood would not aide in her recovery, and it was dangerous because Garnet lost so much of it already. But it was even more dangerous to try and take it out. She resolved to keep it there until the grey thread moved itself away.Within a few hours, the grey strand began to back out of Garnet’s arm. It went faster coming out than it did going in, sliding down to her forearm in a minute and exiting. The head of the grey thread lingered for a moment, before it pulled away and fell on the bed. There was not a blemish on the skin of her guard’s forearm; the thread came out as clean as it did with Pearl.“Okay, there we are.” Pearl rubbed her hands up and down Garnet’s forearm, relieved to feel heat which told her that circulation was still there. Her pointer fingers pressed down on the dark woman’s wrist. Her pulse was slow.‘But it’s still there’ Pearl reassured herself.There was still nothing to do but wait. Pearl wished she would wake up. Once again she cuddled up against Garnet and kept her eyes to the woman’s face. Her fingers ghosted over Garnet’s jawline.“Wake up,” She murmured under her breath. She bit her lip when Garnet, predictably, didn’t comply.“Please?” The day crawled on into the night and the night drifted back into the day. This dance continued twice, but Pearl didn’t leave Garnet’s side, not even to eat or drink despite her growling stomach and dry throat. She knew she should try to get Garnet to drink soon, and she considered whether or not the grey thread would aide her in that. She left the bed only to experiment with it; she placed the head of the grey strand in a bottle of water and pressed the hollow end to Garnet’s forearm. It didn’t take.The grey strand was pulled out from the bottle and Pearl snaked a forearm under Garnet’s back. Her muscles strained as she attempted to pull the dark woman forward, breaths coming out unevenly and her lips sucking into her mouth. After a few moments of effort, she lifted the woman and Garnet’s head fell forward.“Stay.” As if she could listen. Pearl tilted her so her head fell back into her awaiting palm, and she brought the bottle to her guard’s lips.Before she could begin to tip the bottle, her guard’s hand shot out and seized her wrist in a vice grip. The sudden motion combined with the pain of having her wrist gripped so tightly brought a surprised yelp from Pearl’s lips, and she tried to pull away.Her guard was staring at her with wide, mismatched eyes, and she seemed just as surprised as Pearl was. The grip on the pale woman’s wrist went lax, but the dark hand didn’t retreat from the appendage.“Pearl?” Her tone is uncertain, and her voice is hoarse. Pearl couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips, and she pulled her hand free and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her guard and squeezing. A mixture of sorrow and relief filled Pearl, making her eyes burn and her heart soar. She couldn’t help the tears that spilled from her eyes and dripped down her cheeks, nor could she help the small shuddering sob that escaped her lips.“Garnet…” The way she said it was so small, it reminded Garnet of a child. The dark woman hugged the pale woman back, her hands resting on her shoulder blades, confusion written on her face.“Are-are you real?”A shaking laugh escaped Pearl.“Yes, I am. I’m here. You’re safe... I-I healed you.”“You… healed me?”A sniffle escaped the pale woman, before she pulled away and shoved the tatters of the dark woman’s shirt up, showing off the clean state of her abdomen. Garnet stared down at it, mouth agape and eyes wider than before. Her gaze drifted from her stomach, to Pearl, and back several times.“You… healed me.” It was a statement this time, and there was a slight shakiness to it.A hand caressed over the dark woman’s cheek.“I told you I would.” The other hand met the woman’s opposite cheek. Garnet made no move to lift her own hands up, they kept at her side, and Pearl realized for the first time that her guard was very rigid.“Garnet?”“I-I’m alive. You- you healed… me.” Garnet repeated. Pearl nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.“I did.” She said again. Garnet’s lips parted, as if she wanted to say more, but her face flashed with an emotion Pearl did not know and she jerked her head away, pulling it from Pearl’s hands. Her teeth gritted together but her eyes remained hidden to the pale woman. Pearl drew her hands back close to her, hurt pulsing through her chest, and fell away from her guard, dumbfounded. What had she done wrong?  A pale hand reached for the woman, before snapping back to its original position in front of Pearl’s stomach.“Garnet?”Her guard’s head lifted at the mention of her name, but she made no move to look at her. If Pearl strained her ears hard enough, she could hear the beginning of a shaky breath.Suddenly, she understood.The hurt melted away and Pearl made another move towards Garnet, though this time instead of reaching out for her she crawled over and laid close to the dark woman, arms wrapping around her as she rested her cheek on Garnet’s shoulder. A strong arm draped over her back, the grip loose, but her fingers dug into Pearl’s shoulder.“You don’t have to be embarrassed.” The words were all it took for Garnet to start shaking, her fingers digging in more. “You can cry in front of me-” Pearl paused for a moment. “I don’t mind.”A sharp inhale. Her guard shook more and her fingers almost felt like they would push in through the skin. Pearl didn’t move, even with the pain and electricity sparking down her arm.“’m sorry for what I said to you.” Her voice was watery, filled with an undertone of regret. Pearl’s heart clenched as she hugged her guard tighter.“That doesn’t matter.”“I-I thought you- you wouldn’t come back.”“I didn’t think I would either.”“I think I died.”“But you’re alive now.”Garnet looked at her. Her eyes were red and tears had streaked down her cheeks. A wobbling smile appeared on her lips.“I am, aren’t I?” A dark hand moved to Pearl’s cheek and rested on it, a thumb swiping away a tear. Pearl leaned into the warm hand, sniffling as a few more tears leaked from her eyes, turning Garnet’s smile into a frown.“Don’t cry, Pearl.” The words drew a laugh from the pale woman.“I’m crying-“ A sniffle “-because I’m happy.”The two women shifted positions so Pearl was in Garnet’s lap and Garnet was leaning back on the wall, both muscular arms wrapped around the pale woman’s thin frame. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, neither moving nor attempting to make conversation, both content with staring at each other and wiping away the occasional tear that slipped out from a pair of blue or mismatched eyes.A large hand pulled off of its spot on Pearl’s shoulder and found its way to her temple, pointer fingers trailing along it. A smile spread over Garnet’s lips.“Hey,” Her voice was a quiet whisper, “we match.”She was referring to the scabbed cut on Pearl’s temple, the one that she had noticed earlier when examining the dark woman. The pale woman couldn’t help but crack a smile.“We do, don’t we?” She leaned forward into her guard’s embrace and Garnet wrapped both arms around her again, squeezing tightly as though letting go would kill her. Pearl lied there, content with hearing a heartbeat that wasn’t irregular or slow, but strong.  She could feel movement above her. Garnet had craned her head down, and she planted a kiss on the crown of the pale woman’s head.“Thank you.” It was whispered into her hair.Pearl’s heart quickened. She looked up at her guard, at the mismatched eyes staring so affectionately down at her. Eyes that spoke of the extent of her gratitude and relief. It sent pangs of joy through her that started a fresh new burning in her eyes, but she blinked the oncoming tears back in favor for something else.  Pearl’s hands pressed over Garnet’s cheeks and she shuffled around until she was sitting up straight rather than leaning on the dark woman. Her thumbs swept back and forth over the woman’s cheek bones as she moved her head closer.“Garnet,” She murmured, eyes not leaving her guard’s. Garnet’s cheeks had flushed; Pearl could feel the warmth beneath her hands. In the back of her mind, she was aware that she looked just as flustered. The burning in her face and neck told her that much.“Ye-yeah?” The dark woman stuttered. A new emotion glinted in the blue and brown eyes of her guard; anticipation. Pearl could play dumb and try to pretend she didn’t know what she was anticipating, but she knew exactly what it was.It was something she anticipated as well.She had leaned even closer; their lips were inches away from each other. For once, there wasn’t a voice in Pearl’s head screaming that this was wrong. There weren’t remains of her conditioning telling her to pull away and go back to acting right. No, the only voice in her head was her own…and it was encouraging her. For once, Pearl is content with what she is about to do.“You’re welcome.”And she didn’t hesitate before pressing her lips against Garnet’s, tilting her head to the left because their noses got in the way. She felt a hand press into the back of her head, fingers tangling into her hair as the pair of lips against her own responded. It did not feel like when Garnet kissed her neck or the top of her head, nor did it feel anything like when she kissed Garnet’s cheek. It felt far more intimate.Pearl pulled away for a moment, lips tingling with sensation, and a part of her regretted it because she wanted to stay close with the dark woman. But the other part of her wanted to see how Garnet reacted. Her eyes were wide, and Pearl could even see the beginnings of dilation in her pupils, which were restlessly searching her face. The hand in her hair tugged at the strands, before the palm began to push Pearl close again, and she let it because she wanted to continue the kiss as much as Garnet did.And when they returned it felt just as good and awkward as the first time. They moved together out-of-rhythm and messy but in Pearl’s opinion it added to the experience. But slowly they fell into something that both women could follow and they didn’t pull away until air became essential.Their breaths came out in quick, short bursts as they stared at each other, both of the women’s faces flushed red.“I- “ Garnet started but clamped her mouth shut. Her fingers traced circles on Pearl’s head and for a moment she looked conflicted on what she was going to say. “I…enjoyed that.”  “Yeah…” Pearl laid her head on her guard’s chest. They said nothing for a while, laying there with each other. Garnet’s hand stroked the back of Pearl’s head soothingly and Pearl traced a finger along her chest, random shapes such as the infinity symbol or even her own identification number.“You really went all that way for me.” Garnet murmured at last. Pearl nodded.“Yes.”“Almost a month ago you couldn’t stand holdin’ a conversation with me.”“Things change.”“Pearl?” A large hand found its way under the pale woman’s chin, and she lifted it with care so Pearl could look Garnet in the eyes. “What are we?”“We’re human.” Pearl’s eyebrows furrowed as her guard shook her head.“No, I mean, what are we?” It was said with more emphasis, but the meaning was still lost on Pearl as she tilted her head in confusion. “Our relationship.” Garnet elaborated. Pearl’s eyes widened as the meaning washed over her and she understood what the dark woman was talking about.She didn’t have an answer, though.“I don’t know.”Silence again. A minute passes.“I don’t know either.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

One Last Need

A week later…
Smoke filled Pearl’s lungs, and for a brief moment a flicker of a memory passed by her eyes before diminishing into the air, allowing her to look out the windshield of the car again. She took in another drag of the wrapped tobacco and puffed out the grey smoke, one long finger tapping against the rolled paper.“I don’t get the appeal.” Garnet commented from the driver’s seat, taking a drag of her own wrap and puffing it out. Her shoulders jumped with silent coughs, a fist pressing against her lips in an attempt to contain them.“It feels like my lungs are on fire.” Pearl agreed, though even with her words, she continued to inhale the smoke and blow it out, intending to finish the tobacco to the end. Garnet didn’t follow her in that; she simply flicked the lit wrapped tobacco out the broken window of the car. The dark woman grabbed the jar of the brown and black shavings, turning it over as she examined the dirty glass with a concentrated frown.“Imagine smoking a jar of this.”“Sounds horrible.” Pearl took another drag, inhaling until the paper almost burned down to her knuckle before exhaling. She flicked the rest of the paper out of her own car window. A short cough escaped her lips as she took the box of rolling papers off the dashboard and packed them into a blanket bag, made from the bloodied sheets on the twin bed. Garnet leaned over the seats and placed the jar in there as well, right next to the cans and bottles of water and a matchbook.“Ready to go?” Garnet’s hand was already at the door handle when she asked the question to the pale woman. Her companion nodded and together they left the car and headed down the ruined roads.They had no place in mind, no destination, no point to the wandering. They had abandoned the apartment some time ago and had been out in the city ever since, searching through buildings and trekking through the streets at day and taking shelter at night. Only two days ago had grey specks begun to fall from the sky and dust the ground; the beginning of snow, Garnet explained to Pearl. It had grown colder within the week, until both women found themselves shaking violently anytime a breeze passed over them; Pearl’s tank top and ripped pants not doing much to protect her and Garnet’s tatters of clothing leaving her completely exposed to the harsh cold.A retraction of an earlier statement; they did have a place in mind. Particularly a place with warm clothes and more supplies.“Where to?” Pearl asked her guard, kicking aside rocks and bits of concrete as she walked on, one hand in her guard’s hand. Their palms were warm but their fingers were ice cold.“The big building.” Pearl had to glance up to see what her guard was referring to. Up ahead there indeed is a very big building, rectangular in shape with the middle arching up. If Pearl squinted she could see the remains of signs on the building, but she couldn’t read any of them from this distance.“Alright.” They pressed on towards the building.The grey snow began to fall again and dust over their skin and tattered clothing when they met the entrance of the structure. The glass sliding door opened without much effort; simply pushing at it dropped the glass from its frame and sent it crashing to the floor into a million of pieces. The duo headed on through the second pair of sliding doors and they found themselves in a large open space with multiple entrances leading into different spaces, mostly obscured by the mountains of debris that covered the floors.Pearl took the first step forward in the open area, before stopping and glancing around in astonishment. She looked to one of the entrances and she saw, behind broken and stained glass, large white humanoid figures lining the area, either standing up or fallen on the wooden table they were propped up on. Pieces of the figures lie on the floor and the table.Pearl didn’t notice she was drawing closer until her nose hit the glass, and she let out a surprised yelp and jumped back. She held a hand over her nose, stinging with slight pain. Behind her, she heard the chuckle of her guard.“Mesmerizing, isn’t it?” Her guard’s strong arms wrapped around her thin stomach and pulled her flush against her. A red blush crawled over Pearl’s cheeks as she leaned back into Garnet.“How do you think they made them so… real?”“Dunno.” The dark woman’s chin rested on Pearl’s shoulder. “Maybe they are humans frozen in time.”“Doubtful.” Pearl waved the suggestion off.With reluctance, she pulled herself out of her guard’s arms and walked towards the entrance with the human displays, heading inside and glancing around at the disarray. Racks lie in broken, rusted heaps, tables were splintered and covered in mold spores, the glass counters lining the back of the store broken into, and the floor covered with clothes rotted away into bare threads. Garnet pushed past her and she dropped to her knees, sifting through the piles.Reaching to pull away a tattered shirt, she uncovered a skull with leathery skin still attached to it. The dark woman didn’t even blink as she pushed it aside and continued fishing through the clothes.“How can you be so callous to that?” Pearl inquired. The sight of the body part being uncovered made her jump, even though she was a few feet away, and brought a gross feeling in her stomach.“You get used to it.” Garnet said with a shrug of her shoulders. She pulled something else from the piles of rotted clothes; a dark blue pair of pants that looked decent compared to what she had been fishing out before. A small, concentrated frown on her lips, Garnet stood up and threw the pants over her shoulder. Her hands went to her belt buckle and she undid it, before pulling the belt free from the loops containing it. She undid her zipper next.With a blush, Pearl turned so her back was to the dark woman, trying to fight the urge welling in her to sneak a glance at her guard. The sound of rustling fabric stopped, and Pearl took that as her cue to turn again. Garnet was bunching her tattered pants into a ball, the new ones hanging low off her hips with the belt undone. The tatters of her shirt did nothing to cover her lower abdominals.“They fit?” Pearl inquired, struggling not to let her eyes linger. Garnet let out a grunt as she tossed the tattered pants into the pile of rotted cloth.“Tight on my thighs, but they’ll do.” She responded. Without Pearl wanting them to, her eyes flickered down to the mentioned body part, seeing that the pants were indeed tight around the area. Her face flushed and her heart sped up, and her eyes snapped back up to her guard, who was regarding her with a smirk.“Be-better than what you had before.” The pale woman cleared her throat and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Garnet didn’t say anything, but the smirk stayed on her face as she dropped to her knees again and began to search.“Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll find a matchin’ boot. It’s gettin’ hard tryin’ walk on this dented piece of shit.” Garnet conversed. Her hands brushed aside more of the cloth. Pearl glanced down to the prosthetic leg, and to the dent near the heel. A hum escaped from her throat.“I could use new boots too.”“I’ll look for some.” Garnet responded without looking back. She pulled out a shirt, a black one with long sleeves, almost the same design as her white shirt, but the neck came down into a ‘v’. Without a word of warning to Pearl, the dark woman set the shirt down and pulled her own over her head.“Urk!” Pearl quickly shot her arm over her eyes, covering her view as Garnet dressed. Even with the brief glimpse of her guard’s naked torso, her mouth already dried out and her heart went wild.“How’s it look?”Pearl drew her arm away, peering at the dark woman with a little caution. The shirt fit somewhat loosely around her stomach, but it was tight in the chest and arms. Tight enough that it showed off the beginnings of her muscle definition and curves.“It doesn’t fit you.” Pearl took a step forward and pinched the fabric of the sleeve, frowning when she could barely get a grip on the cloth.“No one’s clothes fit them. And besides, I like it like this.” Pearl raised an eyebrow.“You do?” Her eyes flickered up to her guard’s face.“Yeah, I can show off this.” With a grin, Garnet flexed both her arms, and with the thin material of the shirt coupled with the fact that it didn't quite fit her, her muscles showed through almost perfectly. Though it brought a blush to Pearl’s cheeks, she still rolled her eyes.“Vanity isn’t attractive, Garnet.” She scolded.“It’s called ‘loving yourself.’” Her guard countered, the grin still playing on her face. She relaxed her arms and stepped away from Pearl, hanging her head down as she kicked through the piles of cloth, searching for more usable material. “We’ll find something for you next.”It took about thirty minutes for the pair to finish their search, coming up with nothing except for a spare pair of pants that fit Garnet. They left the store and headed down the east side of the large building. Various kiosks surrounded the center of the walkway they were taking, most collapsed or having the appearance of already being ransacked. Stores surrounded them on all sides, but the majority had an iron gate blocking the entrance. Trash littered the floors; each step the two women took made rustling paper echo through the silent building.They stopped in front of a store where the gate was closed diagonally, allowing them a space to crawl through. A car was embedded through the wall of the store, damaged and rusted. Pearl wondered where it came from; there were no other car sized holes around the store that implied its entry.“Wanna wait out here while I take a look?” Garnet asked her companion, bringing her out of her thoughts. Pearl glanced between the store and Garnet, frowning. She shrugged her shoulders.“I suppose.” She turned and hopped onto the trunk of the car, taking a seat on the cold metal. Her guard nodded and dropped to a crouch, heading under the gate.Pearl could hear the sound of Garnet going through junk, but she tuned it out in favor for losing herself in her thoughts. She thought of mundane things, how her stomach growls, her shoes were uncomfortable, and that the back of her neck is tingling from the cold. Then the mundane melted into more exciting thoughts, that after all that happened she was alive and well and so was her guard, and that her and Garnet had kissed and it didn’t feel weird, meaning that she was beginning to break out of the last of her conditioning.Then the exciting melted into terrible reflection.Her diamond is dead, Yellow Diamond will want her dead once she realizes that she is alive (Pearl refused to remember the realistic hallucination of the nightmarish woman that told her she already knew she was alive), she has nowhere to go-She has nowhere to go.It was a cold realization that she didn’t have until now. There was no base to go back to, no home for her, no place to feel safe and right. The only home she had is now a pile of ashes and bits of foundation. Pearl’s hands left the rusted trunk in favor for gripping at her dirty and tattered pants, gritting her teeth as her eyes zeroed down at the pink diamond insignia on the knees of the pants, beginning to show through the mud smeared on them so long ago.“Hey,” The quiet voice and the nudge on her shoulder jolted Pearl from her thoughts. Her head snapped up, and the pale woman looked at Garnet with wide blue eyes. She was regarding her with a soft expression.“Y-yes?” Pearl stuttered.“Here,” Garnet held her hand out and Pearl glanced down at the object being offered. A white, shiny oval. A frown pulled at her lips as she took it in her lithe hand and turned it over, examining the strange object. On the back of it was a piece of paper that read ‘1.99’.“What is it?”“I’m not sure. I thought you would like it.” Garnet said. Pearl frowned as she set the item down on her lap, clasping her hands together and letting out a deep sigh. A flicker of worry appeared on the dark woman’s face.“Do you not like it?”“Where am I supposed to go?” The question took both women aback; Pearl didn’t mean to blurt it out and Garnet wasn’t expecting it. Pale fingers tapped against the knuckles of the other hand and another deep breath was taken in.“What do you-?”“I don’t know where to go.” Pearl didn’t let Garnet finish.“We’re not goin’ anywhere.”“We can’t wander Empire City forever.”“I know.” A dark hand snaked over to Pearl’s pale ones. She set it on top of Pearl’s. “We ‘ave to leave sometime.”“Where should I go?”At that, Garnet didn’t answer, and her lips quirked down and her eyes looked sad. The hand on top of Pearl’s squeezed and a thumb ran over one of her knuckles.“It has to be Greenzone.” Pearl answered her question for herself. The words made Garnet’s eyes widen.“But you-““I don’t belong in the wasteland. An ex-member of Pink Diamond doesn’t belong.”“Percy accepts-““Percy is a small fraction of a wasteland that hates us and fears us.” Pearl cut her off again. She drew one of her hands away so she could properly hold Garnet’s. Their fingers laced together and Pearl couldn’t help but acknowledge how the dark woman’s hand was warm even with the cold stinging the air. “I don’t belong.”“You don’t need to belong.” A hand pressed on Pearl’s cheek. The pale woman flushed at the contact. Her blue eyes locked with Garnet’s mismatched ones.“Then what do I need?”“That’s for you to figure out.”Silence. Pearl really wondered if she needed to belong or if she was disguising something else underneath the thoughts of not having a home. She needed to think on it. That’s what she needed.“I need to stop talking about this for now.”“Okay.”They stopped at another store that wasn’t blocked off; a toy store. Pearl took a seat on an old bench while Garnet sifted through the rubbish covering the store. Occasionally, she would bring an item to Pearl for her to look at, and they would spend a minute marveling over the item until Garnet left to search the store again. The most interesting object in the pale woman’s opinion was an egg-shaped toy with three fins on its side. The bottom of it had a label: ‘Rocket Red’.Pearl kicked her feet, swiveling her head side to side as she examined the building surrounding her. Garnet was hunched over a large pile of cardboard and trash, throwing random items over her shoulder as she searched. Eventually the dark woman stopped throwing things, a sign that she found something interesting. Pearl looked over just as her guard stood and headed over to her.“Look,” It was a book, labelled “Math 4 Fun!”. Pearl frowned as she took it from her guard and flipped through the pages. Garnet leaned over her, staring down at the book with curiosity.“What’s it for?”“I’m not sure.”The odd symbols coupled with numbers did nothing but confuse the two women. It looked like another language entirely.“And kids were supposed to learn this on their own,” Garnet mused, tracing a finger along the odd pages with a furrowed brow “How?”“It was a different time.” Pearl said. She shut the book; no point in reading what she couldn’t understand. A frown pulled at her guard’s lips, she drew her gaze up to Pearl.“What do you think it was like?” Garnet shifted so she was down on her knees and her arms were crossed over each other on Pearl’s lap. She sat her chin down on her arms.“Utopia.” The word came to mind first, though Pearl wasn’t sure if she believed it. If it really was a utopia, then there wouldn’t have been a war that destroyed the world.“Killin’ wouldn’t be a normal part of your day.” Garnet murmured.“Food would be everywhere.” Pearl added.“Mm, food.” Garnet’s eyes drifted closed and she snuggled further into her arms and Pearl’s lap. “’m hungry.”“Do you think they had jerky or liquor-rice?”“I think they ate out of cans.” Garnet replied to the inquiry. “But they wouldn’t eat jus’ one. They probably made a meal out of five of them.”“Because food wasn’t so scarce back then.” Pearl added. Garnet nodded in agreement. A pale hand tangled into the dark woman’s curly hair and Garnet let out a content sigh. “Do you want to look around elsewhere?” She asked softly.“In a minute,” Her guard murmured, and Pearl smiled as she stroked her guard’s head.They stayed in that position for longer than a minute, simply enjoying each other’s company as they relaxed after a week of travel. The two women headed for another store filled with clothing afterwards, and this time Pearl searched with Garnet through the cloth littering the floors of the store. They rifled halfway through the store until finally something that looked around Pearl’s size was pulled free.“Look.”Pearl looked at her guard, and in her hands was a blue, sleeveless t-shirt with a small star in the center.“It doesn’t look very warm.” Pearl’s eyebrows furrowed as she lifted a hand to thumb at the material. Thin.“It’ll be better than the rags you're wearin’ now.” Garnet held the shirt out to her, intending for Pearl to take it.“Close your eyes.”“Hm, why?” Garnet raised an arched eyebrow, lowering the shirt down.“I’m going to take my clothes off and try it on.” Pearl said. Garnet shrugged.“Al’ight” Pearl smiled at the way she pronounced the word. She waited until Garnet closed her eyes, before she took off her tank top, dropping it to the floor. Even though Garnet wasn’t looking, it still felt wrong being without her tank top. Her teeth dug into her lip as one of her hands moved up and the other stuck out, blindly groping for the shirt while the other covered her eyes as if she were the one seeing a nude body.“Garnet, the shirt.” Pearl asked, hand still groping at air. What’s taking her so long? With a small amount of hesitation, she drew her arm away and looked back at the dark woman. Her eyes were open and slightly widened, and they were zeroed in on her breasts.“Garnet!” Her hand shot across her chest and covered them from view, and Garnet seemed to snap out of it.“What?” She tried to feign innocence, but there was a grin playing on her thick lips. Pearl ‘s face reddened, a burn starting on her cheeks and spreading to her ears from embarrassment.“You were staring at me!”“Not starin’, admirin’” Garnet corrected her with the grin stretching wider. Pearl huffed and snatched the shirt from her hands, pulling it over her torso.“You were staring like a pervert!”“Sorry.” No remorse lied in the dark woman’s voice. Pearl didn’t answer as she pulled the shirt down to her hips. It fit quite well. She brushed a palm over the shirt, taking away dust and dirt that had gathered on it. As her hands drew away, she found herself staring down at her knees and the pink diamond insignia. A small frown appeared on her face as she thought back to their earlier conversation and Garnet telling her to find what she needed.
It has to do with my diamond.
She knew that much, but what exactly she needed was still a muddled mess in her mind. She needed more time“Good?” Garnet asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. Pearl nodded and offered a smile, forgetting her prior annoyance.“Good.”The rest of the store offered nothing, so they headed out and left for a promising kiosk, one filled with trinkets that shone in the limited lighting provided by the skylight above them. Garnet propped open a sheet of glass covering the trinkets, one hand holding it above her head while the other examined the items. Pearl kept at her side, looking through the items as well. She recognized most of them as rings, like the one Garnet scavenged out of one of the cars, but the long chains with stones on them were confusing and odd. Pearl held one of the items up to her face, squinting her eyes.
Curious.
She dropped it back into the casing and left Garnet’s side, going around the other side of the kiosk. As she turned the corner, she came face to face with a white face.“Argh!” Pearl jumped back, falling down on her ass before she scooted away as fast as she could, staring at the object with fear before she realized what it was.“What?!” Garnet backed away from the casings, the glass sheet she was holding up falling down on the casing and creating a loud clang! Garnet drew her revolver and kept it in a tight grip, worried and panicked eyes searching Pearl and the area around them.Pearl stayed on the ground, breathing heavily, before a soft laugh escaped from her. The white face belonged to a mannequin, standing in a fixed pose, but what made her laugh was a particular sight on it. An even heartier laugh escaped her the more she stared at it, and her laughing not only made Garnet relax, but also made an expression of confusion appear on her face.“What? What’s so funny?”Pearl couldn’t answer. Her arms wrapped around her stomach as she doubled over herself, trying but failing to calm herself down. The high-pitched sounds echoed off the walls of the building and filled the air. Pearl only looked up to behold the mannequin again, and she managed to point a shaky finger to it.“Garnet!” Another laugh that shook her entire body with it “It’s you!”The words only made Garnet more confused. Her lips pulled into a tight line as she stepped around the kiosk and viewed the mannequin. Immediately, her confused expression melted into irritation, her lips pulled into a frown and her eyebrows furrowed.“Oh wow, that’s funny…. That’s real fuckin’ funny, Pearl.”The mannequin was missing a part of its left leg below the knee, and a long metal wire with a post at the bottom of it kept it standing. Pearl laughed even harder, to the point where Garnet couldn’t resist a smile from appearing despite the irritation. With a roll of her mismatched eyes, the dark woman turned and stepped over to the pale woman, plopping down into a cross legged position and leaning forward so she could pull Pearl into a hug. The pale woman continued to giggle, hugging her guard’s knee with her hands and pressing her face into her thigh.“You’re an arse.” Garnet’s voice was playful and she lightly slapped the top of her head. Another string of giggles from Pearl.“I know~” She snuggled into her thigh and a blush burned over Garnet’s face. Her hand came to her head and she played with the red locks, a faint smile on her lips.“Garnet?” Pearl’s voice was muffled.  “Yeah?”“I adore you.” The confession made the dark woman’s heart soar and her face turn red. It didn’t matter if she didn’t use the word that Garnet wanted to hear the most; it felt all the same to her.“I adore you as well.” She replied, and Pearl let out a giggle. The clouds dispersed sometime later, revealing the state of the sun as they unblocked it. From what Pearl could tell, it was late afternoon. She drew her attention back down to her task; searching through another kiosk. Garnet was busy in another store, one that wouldn’t require Pearl helping her, so she kept busy with searching for her own things.Her hand touched something that felt like glass, a contrast against the papers and plastics she was shuffling aside earlier. Lips quirking downwards, she pulled the item out of the pile of trash. It was an odd object; it had two plastic stems connecting to glass, one side blue, the other pink. The glass was shaped like a rectangle, with two triangles at the bottom of it. The glass, Pearl noticed, had hairline fractures and small stains on it.A concentrated frown on her lips, Pearl turned the item around and tried them on her head. The stems hooked around her ears and the glass blocked out the light coming in from the skylines, making the building look like how it did before when the sun was covered by clouds. The object didn’t quite fit her, so Pearl took them off.“Hey.” She jumped slightly at the sound of her guard’s voice. She didn’t even hear her come close.“Hey.” She fidgeted with the object, Garnet glanced down at them with pursed lips.“Sunglasses.” She said. Pearl nodded, still playing with the now-named object. She paused in her fidgeting for a moment, remembering what Garnet gave to her earlier, the white oval that now rested in her left pocket.“Here,” She handed the glasses off to Garnet. “For you.”A small smile spread over the dark woman’s face as she took the glasses and tried them on. Unlike Pearl, they fit her well, though the upper half of her face was completely covered, leaving only her nose, part of her cheeks, and mouth to be seen.“They fit you.”“I like them.” Garnet readjusted them, and the sun glinted off of one side of the shades. “Helps my eyes.”“Your eyes?”“I always ‘ad a bit of a sensitivity to light; I jus’ learned to deal with the constant strain over the years. This will help.” She adjusted them again and gave Pearl a grin. “How they make me look?” Pearl chuckled and raised her head up to the ceiling, tapping her chin in mock thought.“Intimidating.” She said after a moment. Garnet hummed.“Really?”“I can’t see your eyes.”“Could be useful.” She said, smiling. “Maybe I can intimidate people into leaving us alone.”“Doubtful.” Pearl laughed. The dark woman shrugged her shoulders.“Worth a try.” She bent down next to her companion, planting a kiss on her cheek, smiling when she felt it warm underneath her lips. She pulled away and headed off for the store again.“I’ll be finished in a couple of minutes.”Pearl said nothing, pressing two fingers to her cheek and smiling as she watched the object of her attraction walk away. Alone again, she took time to escape into her thoughts while she uncovered the trash.
I know what I need.
It was so obvious. It wasn’t a need to belong; that was, as she suspected before, just a cover of what she truly wanted to do.
I need to be with Garnet.
She knew it for certain, and nothing in her mind argued against it.
But I need to do something else first.
It was another thing covered by the false need to belong.
I need to avenge my diamond.
 Two hours later and Pearl was ready to talk again.Her stomach twisted into knots as she considered the subject and flipped her and Garnet’s conversation on it in her mind over and over again. Biting into her lip, she shuddered as she thought about what she would have to talk about and what she would have to convince Garnet to do. Hopefully, she would listen.She waited outside of the building for Garnet, who was doing a last minute sweep of a store. Mentally, she practiced the conversation and the expected responses from Garnet over and over again, so focused on it she didn’t even hear Garnet step through the sliding door until she spoke.“All finished.”Pearl jumped up with a yelp, startled. Though her heart pounded from fright and nervousness, she calmed herself down and swallowed a lump in her throat, turning to face her guard. Her fingers laced together and pressed in front of her stomach, and she rocked back and forth on her heels. Noticing the nervous behavior, her guard eyed her suspiciously.
Tell her.
Pearl took in a deep breath.“I’ve figured it out.” She started.Garnet watched her, face stoic.“I want you to take me to Greenzone.”The crestfallen look on her guard’s face, apparent even with the shades, was enough for her reasoning to dissipate on her tongue and for her heart to drop. She sucked in a breath.“Wh-what?” Stars, she even sounded heartbroken. Guilt swirled in the pale woman’s stomach and spread out through her in a cold rush.“It’s not for what you think.”“You still want to go, after all that’s happened?” The heartbrokenness melted into an accusatory tone, and Pearl winced as it cut through her. She fidgeted and took in another deep breath to steel herself.“We need to let them know what Yellow Diamond has done.”“What?” Genuine confusion replaced the crestfallenness on her guard’s face. Pearl ran her tongue over her lips.“I don’t want to go back to Greenzone to find a place to belong. I want to go back there so we can let White Diamond know what Yellow Diamond did to my diamond.” Garnet said nothing for a while, doing nothing but increasing Pearl’s nervousness and scaring her that she wouldn’t cooperate.“We?” Garnet straightened up, and tilted her head so she was looking down at Pearl. It made her feel small, and she shrunk back and bit her lip, trying fight back the images of the onyxes that her mind brought up in an attempt to make the dark woman look even more frightening than she already did.
Those sunglasses are too effective.
“What makes you think they will believe you? A pearl?” It hurt more that it should have and more than Garnet probably intended it to.“They need to know. We need to try.”“There’s no ‘we’ in this, Pearl. I’m not going to Greenzone.” Garnet sounded set in her decision.“Garnet, please!” Pearl felt like she was ready to cry; she could already feel the tears burning at her eyes.“We’re not goin’ to a potential deathtrap jus’ because you think we ‘ave the slightest chance of convincin’ brainwashed clones that Yellow Diamond did somethin’ wrong.”“But it’s what I need! You told me to find what I need and I found it!” It was becoming a desperate plea at this point. Why couldn’t Garnet just listen to her? “I need to do it, Garnet! Pink Diamond would want me to, and I can’t let her death be covered up. She was important to me, no matter how much I detested having to go back! It’ll be my final order to fulfill to her. I need to avenge her somehow!”“You don’t take orders anymore. You are your own person.” A dark hand reached out to Pearl’s shoulder, but it jerked away and fell back at Garnet’s side before she could make contact. The pale woman shook her head, taking in a deep breath through her mouth, gathering her thoughts before she continued.“I need to do it. For her. One last order and then we can go and we can figure something out; we can find where I belong outside of the regime.” Pearl hoped to the stars above that it sounded enticing enough for Garnet to stop her arguing and take her to Greenzone.“What will happen when we tell them, huh? You think they’ll jus’ let us go with a pat on the back and a ‘Thanks for lettin’ us know one of our leaders betrayed the diamond authority?’. It’s stupid, Pearl.”“We need to try!”Garnet’s lip curled up.“There’s. No. We” Garnet snarled.The cold of guilt dashed away with the heat of anger.“There’s no we?!” She seethed, her hands ripping out of each other and instead closing into fists at her side. “After all I did for you and there is no ‘we’?”“Don’t use that against me!” An accusatory finger jabbed in Pearl’s direction, “You and I both know this is a dumb fuckin’ idea that’ll get us both killed!”“And what are we supposed to do instead, frolic through some old shopping building while Yellow Diamond is still out there and wants us both dead!? At least it will be doing something other run like you always do!”She didn’t mean it. Stars, she didn’t mean it. But it felt so good to watch her words make Garnet flinch back. She could feel guilty later.“Coward.” Pearl spat with a sneer. “You’re a fucking coward.”Garnet tensed and didn’t say anything, jaw tightened and lips forming a line. The sunglasses betrayed nothing to Pearl.“You know what,” She started out evenly. “I am a coward, use it against me all you want. I know what I am.” She stopped, saying nothing for a few seconds. Rolling her eyes, Pearl opened her mouth to argue back. Garnet cut her off.“But I could have run back at the factory, I could have turned and left you when it got bad. I could have run when I had the opportunity to before the clusters closed in around the back of the building and I could have run instead of staying there and comforting you while you cried about not being able to find a way out.” It was Pearl’s turn to flinch back. “I had several opportunities to but I didn’t.”“What’s your point?” Pearl forced out through gritted teeth.“I didn’t run for once in my life and it ended up with me getting shot in the stomach and lying on my death bed until by some miracle you happened to save me with a magic plant.”Pearl flinched.“Cowards live Pearl. Every hero I know is dead.”“You’re not dead.”“I’m not a fuckin’ hero, Pearl.”“You are to me.”A cruel laugh.“You’re serious? You’re really saying that not even a minute after you called me a coward and tried to use my past against me?” Garnet’s forced smile from the laugh fell into a sneer. “Fuck off.”“I’m sorry.”“No, you’re not. Let’s go.” Without waiting for a reaction, Garnet shoved Pearl aside and headed off in the direction of an open plaza, Pearl whirled around, looking back at her.“Where are you going?”“’We’ are goin’ to Greenzone.”“I thought you said-““If you really want to sit there and try to convince your people that Yellow Diamond killed Pink Diamond, then don’t let my cowardliness stop you.” Garnet growled out, still moving ahead and not looking back at Pearl, forcing her to move with her if she wanted to continue the conversation. Anger flared up again in the pale woman again.“Fine! I won’t.” She stomped off after her guard. “Maybe I’ll just stay there with them as well since I’ll probably almost get you killed again.”“Shut the fuck up before you say somethin’ that’ll really piss me off.” Garnet snapped, and Pearl clamped her mouth shut because she had already exhausted everything she wanted to say, fuming silently to herself.
This is what you need; tie this one loose-end, make your last contribution to the regime, fulfill this last order and you can apologize to her later. This is what matters. You can relax once it’s done.
Done with her pep-talk, Pearl nodded to herself with an affirmative grunt, relaxing from her angered state as she defaulted into a neutral one.
Greenzone, and then it’ll be Garnet and I. Only us. No more worrying about the diamonds.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Scapegoats

Anger and tension followed Garnet and Pearl wherever they walked, both women refusing to say a word to the other. The only interaction they regularly shared was a subtle glare thrown over a shoulder whenever one of the duo overtook the other in walking. The tension and anger carried over the two days of walking and resting, carried over as they reached the sandy expanse of open road that marked the border, and even carried over as they passed the large green “Now Leaving: Empire City” sign that stood tall and proud in all its rusted and eroded glory.A sick twist in Pearl’s stomach kept her from walking correctly. Her arms wrapped tight around her thin stomach and she kept her head hanging down to the ground. If she looked up at the right time, Pearl would spot Garnet giving her a concerned look before her head snapped back to face forward. In a way, it made her feel safe, that even if Garnet was pissed she still would look out for her well-being. In another way, it angered her more, because she didn’t need to be looked after.A short sweep of the buildings surrounding the border gave them two more cans of cranberry sauce and a few .50 Caliber bullets, two of which they used to ‘bathe’ with. The bullets served as another weight in her pocket aside from the pocket knife and the white oval Garnet gifted to her.Pearl looked up from the sandy, cracked pavement and up to her guard, catching her covered eyes before the dark woman looked away again. A frown pulled at the pale woman’s lips, an insult or warning burning on her tongue that she couldn’t bring herself to say. Instead, she clenched her fists at her side and ducked her head down again.
I don’t need her concern.
Even if it made her feel warm and glowing.A couple of hours of walking and a windstorm started up, blowing around cold sand that scraped at their skin and blinded their view. Well, Pearl’s view; Garnet’s glasses kept her eyes well protected from the sand. With reluctance, Pearl sped up so she was closer to the dark woman, using her as a cover from the sand blowing through the air.“We should take cover.” Pearl blinked in shock. It was the most Garnet had said to her in days. Her mind told her to be petty and not respond to the dark woman’s suggestion. The part of her getting its eyes and skin scratched from the sand said otherwise.“Where?” She replied.“Somewhere.”“How far until Greenzone?”“Another day of travel.”Pearl bit her lip, mulling over the two options in her mind. At last, she let out a heavy sigh and gave a nod of agreement.“Let’s find cover.”Garnet said nothing, but she nodded as well and turned away from the road, heading into the sandy expanse. For a moment, Pearl didn’t follow, only watching after the dark woman as she slowly disappeared in the sandy fog. At last, she decided to trust her guard and head down the expanse with her.It took only ten minutes before they came across a small shelter, a trailer embedded halfway in sand and gravel. Garnet gripped onto her revolver as she headed in the door, and Pearl waited outside while she did her sweep. After a few minutes, Garnet came back out and nodded at her, and she headed into the trailer with her.Her eyes struggled to focus in the dark, but Pearl could make out the bare outlines of tables, chairs, and counters. If she squinted her eyes, she could make out a wall with a sofa pressed against it. Garnet brushed passed her, heading for the sofa. She sank down on it and let out a deep sigh, a hand reaching up to pull away her glasses.“Wanna sit?” Garnet asked, spreading her arms over the back of the couch. Pearl’s eyebrows raised.
What happened to being pissed off at me?
She didn’t say it out loud, but Pearl made her decision clear by walking towards a chair and sitting there instead. It creaked with her sudden weight, a result of not being used in a while, Pearl supposed. In the dark, she could barely make out Garnet frowning. She tried not to care about it as much as she wanted to.The sound of the windstorm rattling the old metal walls of the trailer filled the room, strangely relaxing to the point where Pearl felt herself being lured to sleep by it. The only thing that kept her from resting was the burn of Garnet’s eyes on her, a constant gaze not even averted when Pearl looked back at Garnet.“What?” She didn’t bother to cover the irritation in her tone. Garnet gave a smile, faint, but still there.“You’re beautiful.”Her voice was low. A deep blush spread across Pearl’s cheeks and reached her ears, warmth blooming in her chest at the compliment. But anger and pettiness soon squashed it down and she squinted her eyes suspiciously at the dark woman.“Why are you being so different?”“You’re too cute to be mad at.”Suspicion and unease crawled along Pearl’s back and neck.‘If you are trying to charm me into changing my mind,” she started with a warning in her tone “then cease doing so.”The smile dropped.“Why do you want to go there, Pearl?”“I explained to you already.”“And it still doesn’t make sense.” Garnet shuffled from her spot on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. The metal of her prosthetic caught a small amount of light coming in from a window, refracting it onto the ceiling. Pearl let out a breath through her nose.“Why should we go back to Percy and pretend to be safe and sound,” Pearl paused, letting her eyelids fall shut as she collected her thoughts and what she wanted to say, “when we aren’t? I know Yellow Diamond and you know her too; she doesn’t like having loose-ends lying around.”“That’s why we won’t stay at Percy.” The words made Pearl blink twice. “We’ll go back and tell my mums about what happened, and we’ll find somewhere else to go.”“She’ll find us.”“She’ll find my bullet in her head if she tries to hurt my family.” Garnet growled. Pearl couldn’t help the smile that crawled on her face, but she knew the threat would remain empty.“A bullet to the head won’t kill her.” At least not instantly.“Then she’ll find two.” There was a look on Garnet’s face, only barely visible through the dark, like Pearl had never seen before. Not even matching the look she had when she discovered that Yellow Diamond cut out a piece from her arm. It scared her and intrigued her at the same time.“Garnet-“ There was so much she wanted to say, but she chose to clamp her mouth shut then and there and not say anything at all. Garnet eyed her for a little while, before she leaned her head back and let out a deep sigh.“You really won’t change your mind?”Silence. Pearl grimaced.“No.”Then the tension flooded the room again. Pearl closed her eyes and tried to ignore it, instead focusing on the sounds of the wind against the metal trailer, hoping to be lured asleep by it. But nervousness and self-doubt began to fill her, old friends that she thought she had left behind at the crater.
Maybe I’m being an idiot; what if it all goes wrong?
A cold feeling swept over her. Lead filled her stomach. Her face strained into a grimace as she tried to fight back the intrusive thoughts that created those feelings.A few minutes later and she felt Garnet’s gaze on her again.“Do you even want to?” It was a quiet and unsure voice. The intrusive thoughts dashed away and Pearl’s blue eyes flickered up to meet her guard’s face, shrouded in darkness.“Want to what?”“Stay with me?” The way she said it almost broke Pearl’s heart; it was so small and uncertain, as if Garnet couldn’t even believe that Pearl wanted to in the first place. The answer was clear to Pearl, though.“Yes.” Without a single doubt or a voice in her head telling her no, the answer is yes. “You’re my home, Garnet.”She caught in the dark the sight of Garnet’s throat bobbing up and down, and the dark woman looked away to her feet. Pearl rose from her chair and crossed the short distance to the sofa, setting herself down on it and leaning onto her guard’s shoulder, forgetting about her anger in favor for comforting the dark woman. A strong arm wrapped around her thin waist and pulled her closer, drawing a small, surprised squeak from Pearl’s lips. A dark hand drew close to her face, tracing a calloused knuckle down her cheek.“’m still a little angry with you.”“I really couldn’t care less about that.”“You’re a dumb arse.”“And you’re a coward.”No hostility decorated the tone of either woman; the words were almost teasing. Pearl cuddled closer, laying her ear on the dark woman’s chest and listening to her strong heartbeat.“I’m angry at you too.” Pearl murmured. Above her, she heard Garnet snort.“Good. We’re even.” Pearl didn’t know when she fell asleep, but when she woke she was on top of the dark woman and it was so dark she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her. Both of Garnet’s muscular arms were wrapped around her, keeping her flush against her body. The contact and closeness was enjoyable; Pearl savored it, resting her head against the dark woman’s chest and shutting her eyes again.Content. She is irrevocably content with being with the dark woman. That was without a doubt.She nudged a closed fist up to Garnet’s strong shoulder, and the fingers uncurled and hooked around the body part. Garnet shuffled under her and, even in the pitch black of the room, Pearl could somehow spot the light blue and dark brown eyes fluttering open.“We fell asleep.” Pearl stated, answering the first question she was sure Garnet had. A warm hand left her back to trail across her cheek, the thumb pressing against her jawline as the palm moved to cup the facial feature. A blush crept across pale, freckled cheeks. “It-it’ll take longer to get to Greenzone now.” Pearl couldn’t help the stutter.“Good.” Was the dark woman’s low response. Pearl lifted her head up, scooting along Garnet’s body so they could meet eyes rather than Pearl needing to crane her neck.“We’re wasting time.”“I’d rather spend more time with you before we get ourselves killed.” Garnet murmured. Blue eyes rolled in their sockets.“You’re too pessimistic.”The hand cradling her cheek pulled her down, and Pearl let it, meeting Garnet halfway in a soft kiss. A deep breath let out through her nose and she pressed her body down closer. The hand on her cheek snaked up to the back of her head. After a moment, the two women pulled away, breathing slightly faster than normal.“You’re a dumb arse.” Garnet murmured.There was an energy that filled the room, Pearl finally noticed. One that seemed to radiate off of both her and Garnet, something entirely different but at the same time so familiar. It was an energy that made her skin feel warm and made her want to be closer to the dark woman, closer than they already were.“And you’re a coward.” She whispered back.“C’’mere.” The hand on her head pulled her back in for another kiss. They moved with more experience than their first, but still they remained out-of-rhythm and sloppy. At one point, Pearl felt something wet run over her lips, and the feeling made her start away and sit straight up, face flushed and breathing irregular.    “Too much?” Garnet sounded almost sheepish. Pearl bit her lip, still feeling tingles sparking through them.“Did you lick me?” Even as she spoke, her hands moved to the dark woman’s stomach, feeling the hard muscle underneath the thin cloth of her shirt.“Erm, ye-yeah. Sorry, I forgot that you’re unfamiliar with this.” Pearl didn’t respond, focused now on what she was feeling and where her hands were. Her fingers hooked around the hem of Garnet’s shirt, and she pulled it up to her navel, exposing the defined abs and the v-line that led into the dark woman’s pants. Her hands pressed down onto the muscles. Movement beneath her; Garnet moved her hands and laced her fingers behind her head, leaning back on the arm rest of the sofa. Pearl felt her eyes burning into her, her guard watching her in silence.She didn’t do much more other than feel along the muscles, keeping her attention to the dark woman’s stomach and nowhere else. To Pearl, this was better and less overwhelming than staring at the dark woman’s body; she got to know it through tactile sense instead. Her fingers drifted underneath the shirt, trailing along rib muscles and ghosting over abs that flexed and tensed underneath her touch. After a long minute, Garnet hiked her knee up and shifted so she was sitting up a bit more on the armrest.“Pearl,” There was amusement within Garnet’s tone. Pearl felt a warm hand clasp her forearm, the large hand almost wrapping completely around it. “Come closer.” Without waiting for an answer, the hand gripping Pearl’s forearm tugged her forward into the dark woman’s embrace and they met in another slow kiss. They pulled away when air became essential, and Pearl rested her head on her chest. A small smile graced over her thin lips.“I adore you, even though you can be a twat.” She murmured. A soft chuckle from her guard.“I adore you too, even though you have the common sense of a rock.”The insults brought further laughs out of both women, all hostility and anger that had lingered between them gone. Garnet cupped a hand over Pearl’s chin and pulled her in for another kiss. The trailer was illuminated by light pouring in from a window when Pearl woke up, squinting her eyes because some of the light managed to catch her in the eye. She grunted, trying to move herself away, but she was kept firmly in place by the other body pressed against her.Alarm bells rang in Pearl’s head as she noted her and her guard’s naked state, but she suppressed the urge to kick out of her guard’s grip and get dressed in favor of relaxing a little while longer. Though that wish would remain unfulfilled, as Garnet stirred just as Pearl closed her eyes again. A noise emitted from the dark woman’s throat. Garnet clamped her legs together and moved her hips away, forcing the pale woman to shuffle around to accommodate the space for her to do so.“You better not kick me.” Her guard’s sleepy voice rang out next to Pearl’s ear. A snort came from the pale woman.“I only did that once Garnet.”“And I’m not givin’ you the opportunity to do it a second time.” Pearl let out a laugh and rolled off the couch, setting herself down on the ground as she began to gather her clothes and dress herself. Still lying down, Garnet watched her with tired, mismatched eyes.“We can probably reach Greenzone within a couple hours, should the weather hold and we walk fast enough.” She let out a yawn after the sentence.“What happened to the day of travel?”“Like I said, if the weather holds and we walk fast enough, we can trim the travel time down a few hours.” Pearl let out a hum at the reasoning, pulling the blue shirt over her head. Fully dressed, she leaned back on her palms and stared up at the ceiling of the trailer.“Sounds good. Get dressed.”Garnet grumbled out something unintelligible, but she too rolled off the couch and got dressed. Pearl looked away while she did so, until the dark woman tapped her on the shoulder to signify that she was done.“Ready to go?”Pearl nodded.The sky darkened with clouds again within an hour of their travel, bringing on a cold that froze Pearl’s fingertips and made her teeth chatter. She kept her hands in her pockets, rubbing them along the cloth in an attempt to warm them. Ahead of her, Garnet kept her focus on the road, eyes covered with the sunglasses once more. They kept a brisk pace as they traveled along the road, not stopping even when the occasional trailer or house came into view, all too focused on shortening the trip and getting to Greenzone as quickly as possible.Eventually, the cold became so bothersome that Pearl molded herself to her guard’s side in an attempt to keep herself warm.“I w-wish we f-found a jacket.” Her teeth chattered as she talked.“I’ll keep you warm.” And Garnet wrapped both arms around her while they walked, impeding their speed but the combined body heat helped against the unrelenting cold.Two hours later and they approached a sign; Pine City, 90 miles ahead. Garnet let out a hum as her and Pearl read it over.“Greenzone isn’t too far.”“How do you know? We don’t have a map.” It wasn’t accusatory, but instead curious. Pearl shuffled her head so she could look behind her and at her guard’s stoic face.“I memorized the routes.” A small smirk graced her full lips, and she tapped a long finger to her temple “It’s all up here.”They didn’t say much else after that, continuing on their way. Another thirty minutes passed and the clouds drifted away and the hot sun beat down on the two women, chasing away the cold and burning their skin with its unforgiving rays. They gradually left each other’s sides, as their body heat made it worse. Pearl was grateful for the sleeveless shirt; It helped her from overheating. Garnet was not so lucky, even with the thin material of her shirt. Eventually she rolled her sleeves up, exposing defined forearms and the beginnings of her biceps.The sun stayed on them for a while, slowing them down with the heat and the exhaustion that came with it. At one point they had to share a bottle of water, both drinking it and pouring it on their bodies as they tried to ward off the heat.The thought of taking shelter again was promising to Pearl; she had spotted a house not too long ago somewhere in the sandy expanse. The thought of getting to Greenzone as quickly as possible won out against it. Though Pearl wasn’t sure if that was her decision to make, as Garnet looked like she was ready to crack. Her hand drifted into her pocket and she toyed with the white oval, enjoying its coolness on her fingertips. A thought came to mind, and Pearl pulled the oval out of her pocket. It glinted in the sun as she raised it and stepped over to Garnet, maneuvering her hand under her curly mane of hair and pressing the oval against her sweaty neck.“Oh stars, that feels good.” Her guard groaned out. Her own hand covered over Pearl’s and she pressed it further down on her neck. They remained there for a minute, Pearl holding the oval against Garnet’s neck and the dark woman enjoying the coolness from it. Once the oval lost its cool, Pearl deposited it back into her pocket and the duo continued on the sandy, cracked road. Night fell, and with it came the cold.Garnet’s calculations were wrong and Greenzone was still a little ways away. For shelter, the duo found refuge in a crashed car. Pearl leaned back on the seating, letting out a sigh as her body began to relax. A shiver shook her body briefly before she relaxed with another satisfied groan. In the driver’s seat, Garnet was messing with the wheel, turning it back and forth and humming to herself. Pearl watched her, watched as she reached for the stick poking out of the middle of the seats and pulled it back, watched as she returned her hands to the wheel and began a quiet humming again.“What are you doing?” Her words startled Garnet and the dark woman jerked back from the wheel, a blush, visible even with the shades covering part of her face, spreading over her nose and cheeks.“Nothing.” She muttered. Pearl wanted to press, but she decided against it and instead poked at the blanket-bag next to Garnet’s side.“Food?” She said. Garnet nodded and she grabbed the backpack and began to rummage through it. After a moment, two cans of cranberry sauce were procured, and the dark woman handed one of them to her companion.They ate their food in silence, the only sound being the scraping of the cans. Pearl set her can on the dashboard after she finished, leaning back onto the car seat and staring out of the windshield, up at the stars scattering across the sky.“That’s Orion.” Pearl pointed out the constellation. Garnet immediately perked up, covered eyes searching for the constellation. A grin broke out across her face as she spotted the cluster of stars, and Pearl found herself smiling as well. Garnet’s fascination with Orion was simply adorable to her.“He’s watching us!” Garnet exclaimed, her voice sounding higher pitched than normal. She settled back on the chair of the driver’s seat. Her hands began fiddling with the stick and the wheel again. “He knows we’re about to play the ‘hero’ game.” Garnet said. Pearl frowned a little at the remark. Her head turned to her guard.“We’ll be fine.” She said. Garnet snorted.“Wait till we get to Greenzone before you start makin’ statements like that.”Pearl stayed silent, because she knew her guard was right. She settled back into her seat, but instead of staring out the windshield she allowed her eyes to close. Within a few minutes, she was asleep. The sun was high in the sky when Pearl and Garnet arrived to Greenzone.It was as ruined as anything else in the world; the two center buildings, both hexagonal in shape, had parts of their walls broken down or chipped away. One part of the left-most building was completely collapsed, sloping into the sand that consumed it. Surrounding the buildings were walls and fencing, both equally in a state of disrepair. But what drew the eye the most were the lines upon lines of vehicles parked in front of the building; each vehicle customized with its own getup, such as steel rebar or metal plating. One of the trucks had several sharpened rebar stuck to the front bumper, and on the rebar was a corpse of a long-since-expired cluster.A sense of unease filled Pearl as she walked along with her guard to the front entrance; an arch with a large, broken gate in front of it. The sick feeling from days ago filled her stomach again, and she gripped her pocket knife until her knuckles turned white. They entered through the gate.Between the two buildings was an alleyway, and through it they could see a courtyard filled with dozens of gems, all different classes. Camps were set up; tarps, tables, tents, and a radio tower near the farthest wall. A single gem occupied the radio tower, but they were too far for Pearl to identify their class.“Are you ready?” Garnet’s voice startled Pearl, and she shrunk back from her guard. Garnet held no reaction, or at least the glasses gave that illusion. Pearl did notice that her forearms, exposed as her sleeves were rolled up, had her veins popping out against the skin. She drew her eyes down to her hands. Garnet was clutching the revolver in a death grip.“No.” Pearl responded. A faint smirk pulled on the corner of her guard’s full lips.“Me neither.” The smirk disappeared as quickly as it came and Garnet faced forward again, staring out into the courtyard of gems. Her jaw tightened “Last chance to turn around and head home.”“And wait for Yellow Diamond to come find us herself?” Pearl scoffed. “Let’s get this over with.”They stepped through the alleyway and out into the view of dozens of gems.No one noticed them at first; all of them too preoccupied with their own tasks. Eventually, a voice called out to the duo.“Hey!” It was distinctly familiar. Pearl and Garnet turned around, almost in unison. Approaching them was a familiar armored woman with pink-hair. “Holy shit, you actually made it!”S regarded both of the women with a wide grin, hands held out as if she were to bring them into a hug. She didn’t however. She stopped just short of three feet away from them and set her hands on her hips. Her green eyes glinted mischievously.“You two seem close.” She purred, and it was then that Pearl realized that she had molded herself to her guard’s side, gripping her muscular arm with both of her hands. She didn’t move away, however, even as embarrassment made her face turn bright red.“S,” Garnet started, her voice low and cautious. “You’re here.”“Of course I am! I have to pay you!” S threw her arms out as she talked. “I’ve been waiting almost two months for someone to show up!”The commotion brought the attention of the previously occupied gems, all of them regarding the pair with suspicion. Some made a reach for their weapons, something that both Pearl and Garnet didn’t fail to notice. Pearl gripped her pocket knife tighter, eyes flickering between S and the gems.“S-““Y’know, no one else showed up. None. You two are the first.”Pearl grimaced. S’s words were a reminder of her status as the last living gem of Pink Diamond’s regime. It still hurt her heart, even after a few weeks of learning how to cope with it.A few more gems were alerted to their presence, all of them openly staring at Garnet and Pearl. Their expressions were a mix of suspicion, confusion, and some had traces of anger in their eyes. Pearl swallowed as she noticed the attention. Her fingers dug into the material of her pants, plucking at threads and gripping the thick cloth.
I am Pearl 34 UCPD 7, the personal pearl to Pink Diamond herself. Yellow Diamond burned down Pink Diamond’s base of operations and hunted down her regime in an attempt to force her cooperation in revealing technological secrets. Yellow Diamond is directly responsible for Pink Diamond’s death. Yellow Diamond is a traitor to the authority and what it stands for.
As Pearl repeated her speech in her head, she realized one obvious thing.This was the stupidest idea she had in all of her 23 years of life.The coward’s way didn’t seem so bad now.“That’s because Yellow Diamond killed them all.” Garnet’s words made shock ring out through Pearl’s entire body. Wide blue eyes looked at the dark woman. S raised an eyebrow, the corner of her full lips pulling down into a frown.“Really? Because some lady came here the other week and said-““That’s them!” The sudden voice made all three women snap to attention and look towards the source of it. A jasper was standing on a raised platform, an improvised pipe machine gun clutched tightly in their large hands. Their teeth were bared in a snarl, blue eyes reminiscent of jasper 187 and 186 glaring straight at Pearl and Garnet. “Those are Pink Diamond’s murderers! The renegade and the outsider!”…What?Commotion exploded throughout the courtyard, soldiers getting into position and running for cover. The gem at the back wall near the radio tower spared one glance back at them before they returned to their radio.“Traitor!”“Sevie scum!”“Kill ‘em!”Pearl recoiled back especially hard at the second voice; it was an insult she hadn’t heard in a long time. Nonetheless, the pale woman spared a surprised look back at her equally-as-surprised guard. Garnet raised her revolver so the barrel was pointing in the air.“We’re not traitors!” Garnet shouted, and all the gems turned their attention to her, glowering and throwing insults left and right. “Yellow Diamond murdered Pink Diamond and burned down her base! It was her!” It fell on deaf ears.“Bullshit! Yellow Diamond’s own personal pearl came here weeks ago and told us otherwise!”“You’re liars!”“You fucking savage outsider!”Another look was exchanged between the two accused women, both coming to a realization that made their eyes widen and their jaws go slack. Pearl shot her gaze back towards the courtyard.“We-we were set up! She’s using us as a scapegoat!” Pearl blurted out to the crowd of enraged gems. Both hands lifted up as if she were surrendering.A shot rang out in the air, a bullet embedding itself into the ground at Pearl’s feet. With a yell, she jumped back, and before she could react any further Garnet had already wrapped both of her muscular arms around her and dove behind a concrete barrier. S stood still, looking utterly confused as she glanced between the gems and the two women cowering. Bullets passed by her body, hitting the concrete barrier and missing her by mere inches, but the tan woman seemed unfazed. After a long moment, S’s look hardened.An exaggerated sigh left her lips.“What the fuck did you two idiots do?” And with that, she whipped around, drawing a pistol out of a hidden holster in her armor and firing, nailing a gem in the head, a cloud of blood and skull fragments exploding out the back of their skull. They stood still for a moment, twitching, until the last of their brain activity left them and they crumpled into a heap on the sandy floor. S dove behind the concrete barrier, right beside Pearl who shuffled away and huddled close to Garnet. Garnet, a frown etched on her lips, looked to S.“You’re helping us?”“Of course I am!” S leaned over the concrete barrier, firing off her pistol twice and hitting 2 gems right between the eyes. “I’m one of those ‘fucking savage outsiders” y’know? ‘Sides, they’ll probably think I’m an accomplice to you two even if I didn't shoot one of them in the head. Fucking diamond servants are dumb as shit.”Pearl winced. S leaned back and took cover again, resting her pistol in her lap. Green eyes drifted over to Pearl, noticing her expression.“Oh,” An awkward smirk pulled over S’s lips. “Not you, hun.”“What do you want in return?” Garnet asked. Suspicion coated her tone thoroughly. S shook her head, however.“Nothing, but I don’t want a single gem walking out of here alive.” S stopped talking to jump up from her cover, firing off a single shot. The bullet embedded itself into the head of the jasper standing on the platform. They fell off of it and out of sight. She dropped back down. “I don’t want to lose the diamonds as clientele if one of these gems escape and tell them what happened.’“Then shouldn’t we take care of the radio?” Pearl shot a pointed glance to it, as well as she could while hiding behind the barricade.  S let out a small laugh.“Nah, it doesn’t work. That gem on it has been trying to fix it since I first arrived here.” S raised her hand up, firing her pistol without looking over the barricade, only occasionally sitting up to peer over it before dropping again. She stopped when her magazine ran dry. “Just focus on the soldiers.”“We don’t ‘ave ammo.”“You don’t have-?” The look of utter astonishment on S’s face was enough for both Pearl and Garnet to turn red with embarrassment. One of her gloved hands slapped over her face, and she drug it down comically. “I take back what I said about you earlier, Pearl-girl. You two are fucking idiots.” Pearl grimaced.S glanced over the barricades again, a frown etched on her face. A small hum sounded deep from her throat.“M’kay, they keep their ammo over there. I’ll clear out-“ S stopped in the middle of her sentence as she ejected her magazine, stuffing it into a groove in her armor and procuring a new one from her pocket. She loaded the gun and cocked back the slide of the barrel. “-the soldiers surrounding it, and you two dumbasses can go over there and reload. Sound simple enough? You think you can handle it?” the condescending tone was not lost on Pearl or Garnet, both sporting a frown.“Can do.” Garnet replied. S nodded.“Good,” She twisted her body and maneuvered her knees under her. Her upper body stuck out from the concrete barrier, uncovered. Both of her arms stuck straight out, gloved hands holding the gun securely, and she leaned her head down, aiming down the sights of her pistol.“Get ready to run on my signal.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Escape from Greenzone

Gunshots. Screaming. The scent of blood.Pearl and Garnet stayed covered behind the barrier, both squatting with one knee on the ground and the other bent with their foot placed firm on the concrete floor. Pearl kept her eyes forward, but occasionally they would go astray, glancing over the barrier and at the quartz soldiers firing at them, each soldier having a visage of anger twisted on their faces. She recalled the night of the attack, of the quartz soldiers firing at the raiders- Yellow Diamond’s gems- with the same expression.
How the tables have turned.
Pearl looked to her guard. Emotionless, gaze kept only to the ammo station S had pointed out, not once sparing a glance at the soldiers or even at her. As if nothing existed but the ammo station. Pearl dared to reach a hand over, brushing her fingertips along her guard’s bicep. The way her head snapped to her almost sent Pearl falling away from the shock. There was no doubt in her mind that, should those shades not be on her face, her eyes would be blazing with fury.The finger tips on the dark woman’s bicep moved up so Pearl could press her palm down, and she gave the muscled arm a light squeeze, blue eyes softening as she met her covered gaze.“Are you alright?” Pearl asked over the sound of crackling gunfire and screaming. Behind her, she heard a shot louder than the ones coming from the gems, signaling that S had fired her own gun. Garnet’s lips quirked down for a brief moment before shifting back up into a straight line.“Old instincts kickin’ in. Jus’ like at the factory.” And she turned her gaze back to the ammo station. The mention of old instincts made Pearl wince, and she took her hand off of her guard’s arm.
I wonder how many times she found herself in a situation like this before we met.
“GO!”S’s voice made Pearl jump. Garnet had already taken off in a hobbling-run towards the ammo station, leaving the pale woman in her dust. Shaking off the surprise, Pearl lifted herself from her kneeling position and rushed for the station as well. Blue eyes glanced off to the side as Pearl ran. A dozen dead gems lying in pools of their own blood, the crimson red staining their White Diamond Standard-Issued uniforms. Other gems, two jaspers, one agate, three citrines, occupied the previous covers the dead gems left behind, shooting at S and shooting at her and Garnet. Bullets smacked into the concrete ground behind and in front of her feet, breaking off small chunks that flew up a foot into the air, hitting her shins as she sprinted.Pearl barely avoided hitting one of the poles that held up the tarp hanging over the station. She slid past it and fell into cover behind a table. Garnet was already under it, rifling through ammo crates. Ammo boxes fell onto the ground by the dozen as Garnet tossed them out, until she pulled one box out and ripped it open, drawing her revolver and opening the chamber.“Are there any more guns?” Pearl looked around at the station; ammo boxes, two tables, no sight of a gun, though.“On those corpses, there are.” Garnet glanced past the leg of the table and at the courtyard. “One of them ‘as a rifle with my name on it.”“They do?”
How odd to have a rifle named ‘Garnet’.
The dark woman flicked her wrist, closing the chamber of her now-loaded gun. A covered gaze turned to Pearl.“Let’s get back to S. We’ll clear out more of the courtyard, then we can see about picking up a gun.” Her guard stuffed the box of ammo into her pocket and nodded to Pearl. The pale woman exchanged one back and they both turned their gaze to the tan woman covering for them. Still by the concrete barrier, firing at the raiders while bullets either hit the wall behind her or struck her armor and gleamed harmlessly off. There was a new graze on her cheek, leaking blood that dripped off her jaw and to the concrete floor.“Go!”This time Pearl was prepared, and she ran along with Garnet, making sure to stay in pace with her as to not leave the dark woman behind. More bullets flying past them, hitting the concrete, until a metallic ‘clang’ sounded as one of them hit Garnet’s leg. She staggered forward, but quickly resumed her previous pace. They dove behind the concrete barrier and S dropped down to cover.“Got what you need?” She yelled. Garnet nodded, a distinct ‘click’ sounding as she pulled back the hammer of her revolver. A grin split across S’s blood-covered face. “Good, now you can be useful.”Garnet gave a curt nod to S, and she stood up from the concrete cover. She took aim and fired a shot, nailing a jasper straight in the head, blowing a chunk out of their skull. They toppled over from their cover, twitching as brain activity fled them.“Woah! Magnum, nice!” S complimented, green-eyes sparkling as she looked over the gun in the dark woman’s hand. Garnet dropped down and offered a smirk to the tan woman. Her thumb clicked back the hammer and she stood again, and this time S joined her. Pearl stayed behind the cover, head down, knees to her chest, and arms wrapped around them, wishing she could help.One shot from S rendered a quartz unable to walk, another from Garnet destroyed the throat of a jasper running to cover behind one of the ruined walls of the buildings. 3 dozen gems left and the bodies were piling behind the best covers, rendering them blocked and unusable. Gems ran around in the chaos, shouting orders, insults, and profanity as they tried to find more protection or attempt a flanking maneuver. The few that tried to flank were quickly shot down by Garnet and S, giving them no chance.“Here!” Her guard’s voice pulled Pearl from her thoughts. Garnet held the revolver out to her. “I’m gonna get the rifle.” She didn’t wait for Pearl to reach out before dropping the gun onto her lap. Garnet turned and prepared to bolt from the concrete barrier.“Be careful!” Pearl let out. There was a pause in her guard’s motions before she turned her head, smiling at her. “I’ll be fine.” And she dashed out towards the rifle. Pearl watched after her, worrying her lip between her teeth, until a gloved hand clapped on her shoulder and made her yelp and jolt.“C’mon, I need your help Pearl-girl.” S said. Pearl furrowed her brow, frowning.“Don’t call me that.”“C’mon!” And S yanked her up without another warning. A bullet blew past the pale woman’s ear, grazing the top of it and hitting the concrete wall, drawing another yelp as Pearl slapped a palm over it.“Shoot!” S commanded, and Pearl forced her hand to leave her ear and return to the gun. Arms stuck straight out, eye to the sight, Pearl took her shot at a vulnerable carnelian.Miss.Frowning, Pearl pulled the hammer back with her thumb and aimed down again, but the carnelian had already bolted towards a cover behind the platform. Her blue eyes searched the courtyard, until they zeroed in on an agate standing out in the open. She aimed there and fired.The agate staggered back as the bullet entered their chest, falling over seconds later. Pearl couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on her lips, but it dashed away as guilt set in.
You’re killing your own kind.
Pearl tried to shake it off as she took aim at another gem.Near an overturned table, Garnet popped out from her cover, rifle in hand. Pearl distractedly watched her from the corner of her eye as the dark woman took aim and began to pick off gems behind the platform. A sudden sharp pain in her arm pulled her attention from her guard.“Agh!” She fell back behind the cover, letting go of the revolver to grasp at her bleeding arm. In front of her, S dropped down from her position.“Did you get hit?”“What does it look like?!” The pale woman squeezed at her arm, whimpering at the steady burning pain that spread through her bicep combined with the sharp needles that stabbed through her entry wound. A frown crossed S’s lips as she wiped blood off her cheek with her hand.“Keep the bullet in, it’ll stop most of the blood flow. Start shooting.” And S didn’t spare another look back at her as she stood from her cover again and fired. Pearl gritted her teeth, a shaky arm reaching for the gun at her side. Adrenaline rushing through her kept most of the shock her body wanted to impose on her at bay. Gripping the gun in her sweaty palm, she lifted herself from the ground and stood from her cover again. Blood ran in steady lines down the entry wound, slicking her palms and fingers and causing them to slip as she clasped her hand over the other. Lifting her arms sent a pain through her injured one, a pain that sprung tears to her eyes. She made a mental note not to get distracted again.She aimed down the sights of the revolver and fired at a quartz, nailing them in the stomach and sending them to the floor with a roar of pain. The recoil from the gun jerked her arms into the air, sending fresh pain down her injury that made her cry out.“Get over it!” S snapped at her, firing at a jasper attempting to flank left. Pearl shot a glare her way, but S preoccupied herself with reloading her pistol, not facing the pale woman.“Pearl!” A body dove into her and sent her to the floor with an ‘oof!’. Garnet rolled off of the pale woman and sat up, teeth gritted in panic as she brought her hands to her arm, rubbing it as she looked for the injury. “Are you okay?!” “Y-yeah, it’s nothing.” Pearl assured her, but her guard seemed unconvinced, biting into her bottom lip as she fretted over her.“Oh my stars, you two overreact way too much! She’s fine!” S shouted over the gunshots, loading in a new magazine. “Look, I’m running out of ammo, I might have to- oh you got to be fucking kidding me.” Pearl and Garnet followed S’s gaze, which had turned towards the ammo station. Several gems occupied it now, obviously learning from their previous mistake of leaving it open. The gems were all armored as well, black bullet masks on their faces and metal armor covering important areas of their body. Sitting behind them were several canisters, all of which Pearl recognized as biofoam containers. Pearl winced as recognition washed over her; they were onyxes.S clicked her tongue “I forgot about those fuckers.”“Onyxes are specialists as well as punishers,” Pearl explained without prompting. A storm of bullets flew over the concrete barrier, breaking away more at the already-damaged wall “They are rarely sent out in battalions.”“Interesting info, but that doesn’t help us. What does help us is you two stop loving on each other and start killing some more bad guys.” S rolled her eyes as she got up from her cover and began to fire at the onyxes, each bullet being absorbed either by their armor or the cover they were behind. Pearl looked to Garnet, still worrying over her arm. Her hands ran up and down her pale flesh, wiping away blood as she examined the wound.“I’ll be fine, Garnet. S is right.” Pearl brought a hand to her guard's cheek, drawing her attention away from her arm and to her face, offering a small, reassuring smile.“Of course I am!”The smile dropped and Pearl repressed the urge to shout back at her. How S even heard her over the gunfire and screaming eluded her. Instead, she shot a glare her way as she got to her feet again, grabbing the revolver. Garnet still looked at her worriedly as she pressed herself up against the concrete cover again.“Are you going to help, Garnet?” She didn’t say it as condescending as S did, but instead with a soft smile. Garnet’s lips quirked downwards, but she nodded and moved to press up against the barrier as well, rifle in both hands. Pearl drew up from her cover and aimed at the first gem she saw, a cat’s eye. One shot and she managed to get her right between the eyes, blood spurting from the exit wound and out the back of her head, staining her clothes and the ground as she fell back. To her side, the pale woman heard an echoing crack! as Garnet fired her rifle, hitting the carnelian she had missed earlier. The noise worsened the ringing in her ears and she cringed away, standing further over to S’s side. S grimaced as she fired away at the onyxes, each bullet being blocked from their armor or from their bullet masks. Anytime a bullet struck their unexposed body part they would duck down and slather biofoam from the canisters on it, afterwards rejoining the fight. The slide of her muzzle pulled back, signaling an empty magazine.“I’m starting to run low here,” S dropped back down behind the cover “We might have to forgo the ‘kill everything idea’ and instead go for the ‘fuck everything and run’ idea.”Garnet finished what was left in the rifle’s magazine before she dropped down as well and set the gun to the concrete floor. Pearl fired the last round in the chamber and joined them.“I’ve got 30 rounds in this box,” Garnet pulled the box from her pocket and showed it off. “And I can go run for another gun.”“Those onyxes got the station locked down tight, and we still have, like, 20 guys to worry about.” S commented as she stuffed her empty magazine into her armor. She drew a new mag and loaded her gun.“Onyxes are trained sharpshooters; you’ll be dead before you can even leave our cover.” Pearl added.The words brought a frown from both S and Garnet, and they looked at each other. Pearl glanced between them, fiddling with the empty revolver.“Those trucks outside,” Garnet started “We can take out as many as we can, and we can head to one of the trucks and make an escape.”“They’ll pursue.” S added. The dark woman gave a nod and her lip quirked again.“Ammo,” Pearl held out a hand and Garnet didn’t spare a glance back at her as she dropped the box in her hand. The pale woman began to load the revolver, leaving the two more experienced women to talk strategy.“What are the weak points?”“We can shoot at the windshields; the shattered glass should obstruct their vision. We can also take out the tires. Or, if we’re lucky, we can kill the driver.”Pearl closed the chamber and sprang from her cover, aiming down the sights of Garnet’s revolver and looking for a gem. One was trying to flank left; a bullet to their leg sent them to the ground. An onyx fired a returning shot that a cut a strand of her hair and grazed over her nose. A familiar sensation spread through her arm as she whipped around and took aim at them.
Not again.
Numbness shot down through her arm and fingers, tingles of painful electricity firing in waves down the appendage. She struggled to keep her arms up, with one numbing out and the other searing pain from the bullet.“Sounds like the only option is to shoot and escape.” Garnet said. S nodded in agreement.“Alright then, that’ll be our plan. Kill whoever we can and then get the fuck out,” S turned her head “Sound good, Pearl-girl?” Pearl didn’t say anything, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep her shaking arms up. She fired a shot that missed the onyxes and sent the gun flying out of hands. A yelp escaping from her, she fell back down onto her ass.“Wow, nice one.”An audible smack as Garnet slapped a hand over S’s head.“Ow, bitch!” S tried to shoot a glare at her, but Garnet didn’t meet her gaze, instead crawling over to Pearl. A dark hand came over her face as she wiped away some of the blood leaking off her nose.“Stay down for now and keep pressure on your arm,” The dark woman leaned over Pearl, grabbing her gun off the ground. Garnet leaned back, pressing a small kiss to her forehead as she did so, offering her companion a smile afterwards. “We’ll handle the rest here.” A burning blush spread over Pearl’s cheeks.“I-I can help; I just have to wait for the numbness to go away.” She tried to protest.“Jus’ stay here and relax.” Garnet shuffled away from her companion, pressing herself back up against the concrete barrier. The hammer of her gun was pulled back with a click! “S and I got this.” And she faced away from the pale woman and started to shoot again. Furrowing her brow, Pearl glared at her back as she held on tightly to her numbing arm. A surprised yelp escaped her as a hand clapped over her shoulder.“Garnet’s right, Pearl-girl” The tan woman left Pearl’s side and moved to join Garnet.S emptied her magazine after fifteen minutes of firing, the clip only lasting as long as it did due to her careful aiming, not a single shot being wasted as she took down 8 gems. Garnet worked her way through the box -more than half of them were wasted at the onyxes, but each shot proved fruitless as their armor absorbed the shock- until she was at her last three bullets. A total of 7 gems remained, and Garnet took aim at the nearest one, who happened to be near the ammo station.
Bang!
They dropped down without a sound, and a smirk pulled over the dark woman’s lips as she clicked the hammer back and pointed her gun to another gem. A snarl came over their face as they raised their rifle, firing twice. A bullet grazed over Garnet’s rib, tearing the dark cloth of her shirt and drawing blood and slight pain.
Bang!
The gem’s head snapped back, their body staying still for a moment before gravity pulled them to the concrete.
6 more gems.

Bang!
Another hit the ground dead.“Is that all?!” S called to her, sitting next to Pearl. Garnet gave a nod as she dropped down, drawing a hum from the tan woman.“Alright, now we get out. Ready to run, Pearl?” S turned her attention to the pale woman next to her.“I suppose.” As long as she got a proper warning this time.“Alright.” S stayed put, not uttering another word as she stared off at the alleyway that lead to outside the courtyard. “Then let’s go!” And she bolted up without another warning, sprinting off towards the open corridor. Pearl barely had the chance to look at her guard in bewilderment before a large hand tugged her up and she found herself running alongside her guard towards the alleyway.“They’re fleeing!”“Shoot at ‘em!”“Chase them down!”Mixed orders were shouted as the gems recuperated from their sudden change in plan. Pangs of panic shot through Pearl as she heard the combination of footsteps and gunfire. A bullet grazed across both of her thighs, drawing a pained squeak from the pale woman. She had no doubt the shot was from one of the onyxes. A sense of safety washed over her as they reached the alleyway, the cover on both sides of them causing the sense. The gate and entrance were only a few yards away.“C’mon!” S was already next to a large truck, plated in grey rusted armor and stuck with steel rebar and piping, bouncing on her heels as she shouted at them to get a move on. She waited until the duo reached the broken gate before she threw open the driver door and jumped into the truck.“Take the back seat!" The sound of her heart in her ears barely allowed Pearl to hear what Garnet had said. The dark woman rushed ahead, leaving her behind as she reached the passenger seat and wretched the door open, jumping inside just as the truck rumbled to life. Pearl heard a frantic shout behind her.“They’re taking the trucks!”A bullet whizzed by her head with an audible whistle, missing her head by a mere inch. A yelp left her lips as she ducked her head down and zig-zagged towards the backseat. She threw the door open and dove inside just as S began to pull out of the parking space. The sudden jerk of the truck turning slammed the door shut behind her.“Are you okay?! We’re all here right?!” The panicked voice of S rang over the sound of her heart. Pearl whimpered and curled into herself, thighs burning with exertion and pain from the grazes.“Go, go!” Pearl nearly flew out of her seat as the truck came to a stop. She was thrown back into the cushioning as S began to drive again. The sound of crackling and thumping sounded as bullets hit the car and the glass. The occasional bullet managed to get through, where it gleamed off the other window and fell into the seats. A sharp twist in the car’s direction rolled Pearl into the left door. She used the handle to anchor and lift herself up.Through the windshield she could see the yellow and grey landscape rush at them as the car tore through the destroyed street. The pale woman twisted herself around until she could see out the back window, watching as they left Greenzone far behind, watching as several moving objects came rushing after them. Blue eyes widened.“They’re chasing us!” Pearl shouted.“Shit!” Was S’s response.The sound of banging. Pearl looked back to see S knocking open the glove compartments, fishing through them while Garnet shrunk back on the seat to let her do her work.“Check to see if there’s a gun back there!” It was an order and Pearl obeyed without a second thought, looking at the gap between the seats and the driver’s area as she searched for anything useful. Her hand brushed along something metal and she pulled it out. A rifle with a barrel that bent downwards.“Here!” Pearl held it out and her guard snatched it from her hands, tugging the magazine out the bottom of it and examining it. She loaded it back in and leaned out the broken glass of the window.“Be careful!” Pearl couldn’t help but shout.“Don’t worry ‘bout me!” Garnet yelled back. She began to fire the rifle and Pearl turned her attention back to the rear window. The trucks- she counted 4- swerved this way and that as they gained in on them, becoming less of dots in the horizon and more of large vehicles speeding towards them. One of them jerked, sped out of control, and crashed somewhere off into the sandy expanse.“Got one!”“Just one?! Get all of them!”The car swerved to the right, sending Pearl falling to her side. Her head smacked against the car door, drawing a cry from her lips as pain shot through her skull. She pressed a palm to the injured area, tears beading at her eyes.“Damn it, be careful!” Garnet shouted at S. The sound of rapid gunfire sounded after. Pearl winced as she lifted herself again, removing her hand from her head and setting her sweaty and blood slicked palms on the headrests of the car, stabilizing herself. The car swerved again, but her grip kept her from falling. Blue eyes glanced through the windshield of the car, spotting the trucks as they moved closer. There were two of them now; Garnet had taken out another.One of them swerved to the side, before swerving right back and smashing into the left rear of the truck they had. Screeching tires sounded through the air, the smell of burning rubber filling Pearl’s nose as S fought to keep the car from spinning. The truck swerved again, preparing to slam into their truck until a bullet broke through the windshield and embedded itself into the head of the agate driving. Their head slammed on the horn, blaring it, until they slipped off left and turned the wheel with them, swerving the car off the road. The rear door opened, and one of the onyxes bailed out, falling to the ground. One vehicle now. The truck kept behind them, not speeding up.  The last two onyxes were in it, one driving while the other leaned out the window much like Garnet. Bullets smacked the metal backside of the truck and hit the rear window, the glass spider-webbing with cracks. Pearl shrunk behind the seat, not wanting to risk getting hit by a bullet that manages to break through the windshield. She turned and kept her eyes to Garnet instead.The dark woman’s face was twisted with a mixture of rage and concentration, blood dripping down grazes on her cheek and jaw. Her hair and clothes were whipped forward by the wind, speckles of blood from her ribs flying away from her in small droplets. Her knuckles were white from how hard she gripped the rifle, and she kept her head close down to the sights. The barrel of the gun sparked and smoked with each shot, the bullets flying out faster than Pearl could see, but still slow enough that she could see the small projectiles.
It’s due to the bend.
Garnet kept the gun aimed up so the bent barrel pointed where she wanted the bullet to go. Each shot bent the barrel that much more and caused her to have to aim up higher.  Biting her lip, Pearl pressed a hand to her bullet wound and looked to S. Her face was pale, both hands on the steering wheel and strained gaze kept strictly forward.“Got ‘em!”Pearl jerked back to look at the rear window. The truck sped out of control due to its burst tire, coming to a stop and quickly being left behind in their dust.“Is that all of them?!”“Yeah!” Pearl could hear the grin in Garnet’s voice. The dark woman ducked back into the car, setting the gun down on her lap. Pearl twisted so she was facing forward again, just in time to catch the two women exchanging a high-five.“Nice job, kid!” S exclaimed.Garnet’s smile faltered into a slight frown.“Don’t call me that.”S ignored her, leaning back into her seat, letting out a deep sigh as she eased off the gas. The truck slowed, but still kept a pace that wouldn’t allow the gems to catch up, should they get one of their vehicles working again. S lifted one of her hands off the wheel and began to dig at the side of her armor. With an audible click! The side of the chestplate came loose. S took her hand off the wheel, slipping her arm out. The chestplate was thrown to the back of the seat; Pearl dodged away just in time to avoid getting hit by the armor. S returned her hands to the wheel with a relieved sigh. Underneath the armor was a simple long-sleeved grey shirt, the front of it soaked with blood that came from the two bullet holes in her chest.“S!” Pearl jerked up at the sound of her guard’s alarmed voice. She leaned in through the gap between the passenger and driver’s seat to get a view of what happened. “You’re hurt!”“Relax,” S turned her head enough so that both Pearl and Garnet could see the shaved side of it. One of her gloved hands left the wheel. “I have a painstopper implant right here.” She tapped the side of her head, and if Pearl strained her eyes enough, she could see a flat rectangle with a bulb in its center, each colored the same as her flesh, blending into her head. “It’ll keep me going for an hour.” S turned her attention back to the road, full lips pulled into a slight frown. She moved her head to her shoulder, several pops sounding from her neck.“Some fighters your people are, Pearl-girl.” Her words brought a frown to Pearl’s face.“Quartz soldiers are very tough fighters-” Pearl stopped before she could launch into her defense of the gems they had fought. She didn’t need to defend their abilities; she wasn’t a part of the authority anymore and she didn’t need to feel offense at their soldiers being undermined by outsiders. She allowed a small smile to play on her lips as she fell back against the backseat “But… we’re tougher.”“That’s what I like to hear!” The exclamation came from Garnet. The pale woman’s smile drew wider at her guard’s giddiness.“Damn right we are.” S scoffed. The truck picked up speed as she pushed on the pedal. The sandy landscape passed by them quicker, making everything look as though it were a yellow and grey blur. Garnet turned so she could face Pearl, allowing the pale woman to see her grinning face and excitement-filled eyes, her glasses hanging off of one ear.“We’re alive!”Pearl couldn’t resist the laugh that spilled from her lips, a wide smile returning to them afterwards.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Long Road Ahead
  A light hiss escaped Pearl’s lips as cold biofoam was smeared over her gunshot wound, coating it. There wasn’t a lot, only what was left over from when she healed Garnet, so the biofoam was spread in an ultra-thin coat. She leaned back into Garnet’s body, who had joined her in the back seat not too long after they fended off the pursuing vehicles. Her pale hand was in Garnet’s dark one. Every now and then she gave it a light squeeze that the dark woman would always return.“So, when did you guys move past the awkward handshakes?”The sound of S’s voice made both women turn their heads up. Pearl raised a thin eyebrow in confusion. What did she mean?“Sort of jus’ happened. One day we hated each other and the next day we clicked.” Garnet responded.  Pearl supposed she agreed with Garnet’s words; their relationship was quite sudden when she thought about it. The pale woman tilted her head up, staring up at the dark woman. Garnet must have sensed her gaze, as she looked down not too long after. A small smile graced her full lips as they locked eyes.“Hm,” S flexed her fingers out and curled them back on the steering wheel. Pearl broke her gaze with her guard to look at her arm. The biofoam finished its work. She reached a hand out and dug her nails under the artificial skin and began to peel. The vehicle rumbling remained the only sound for a while, none of the three women looking to break it. In a few minutes, Pearl found herself teetering between consciousness and sleep, all too comfortable curled up against Garnet and the sound of the vehicle lulling her to rest.Her conscious returned as S spoke up, breaking the silence “You two fought well.”“Thank you,” Pearl mumbled, not opening her eyes and not moving.“Where are we goin’, S?” Garnet’s voice rumbled above her.“I’m going back to my family. Once we get there, I’ll give you the truck and you guys can go wherever,” For a moment, the tan woman looked at the duo through the rear-view mirror, green eyes focusing on their cuddling forms. Garnet moved to wrap both of her strong arms around Pearl.“That’s kind of you,” The dark woman said. S shrugged and let out an ‘eh’. She settled back into the driver’s seat.“And once we stop, I’ll pay you.”Garnet perked up, disturbing Pearl in the process and causing a soft whine to escape from her lips. The noise brought a blush to the dark woman’s cheeks as she quickly looked back at the pale woman in her arms.“Ugh, you two are too cute; It’s fucking disgusting,” Whether or not it was a joke, Garnet did not know. S’s expression didn’t change from the slight frown and half-lidded eyes. An awkward silence filled the air for about 3 seconds before the dark woman spoke again.“Thanks?”A scoff from S “Took you long enough.”Once again, confusion filled Garnet, until she made the connection and her eyes widened underneath the shades she wore.“Oh! Thank you for helping us!”“Thank you,” Pearl mumbled.“You’re welcome.” And a satisfied smirk spread over the tan woman’s lips as she flipped pink locks of hair out of her face. Her fingers tapped against the wheel and S let out a soft sigh. Her lips quirked up as she glanced through the rear mirror again.“You know Pearl-girl; Garnet couldn’t take her eyes off my tits when we first met.”The comment made Garnet jerk up and made her blush spread up to her ears. Beneath her, Pearl shuffled and cracked a blue eye open, staring up at the embarrassed woman. “She had trouble with staring when I dressed in front of her the other day.” Came the sluggish response.“She was going cross-eyed trying to focus my face.” S laughed in response.Garnet shrunk down in the seat a little.“I don’t know why you two are talkin’ ‘bout this.” Garnet muttered.“Well,” S turned her head to look back at them “I was looking at those sunglasses you had on your face and I started wondering whether or not you wear them to cover up your blatant eyefucking.” A teasing grin spread across S’s lips.“No, Pearl gifted them to me.” A dark hand reached up to adjust her sunglasses. With a small scoff, S turned away from them and focused on the road again, hands turning the wheel to and fro as she kept the car in a straight line, heading down the stretch of road. In the far distance, the sky scrapers and black fog of Empire City could be seen. They weren’t too far.“I’m just teasin’, Garnet. We were all 16 once.”Garnet frowned.“I’m 19.”“Pssh,” S waved a hand “Flip it upside down and it’s the same number.” She returned her hand to the wheel. ‘So, what are you two planning to do now? Start a joint mercenary service? Run away to a far off wasteland to live happily ever after?”“We’re goin’ back to Percy and we’ll figure out what to do from there.” Garnet said. Pearl had shuffled upwards, her head pressing underneath the dark woman’s. A yawn escaped from her lips. Her legs stretched out across the seats, booted foot kicking S’s armor as she did so.“Really? You sure it’s a good idea staying around the same area? Doesn’t Blue Diamond control Keystone?” S asked.“Blue Diamond is further south, away from Keystone.” Came Pearl’s reply. S let out a hum.“Still seems dangerous."“We’ll head to Percy and talk ‘bout movin’ with my parents.” Garnet added before the silence could settle in. “Though I doubt the diamonds would spend resources to hunt down an outsider and a renegade.”“Still seems safer to leave.”“We’ll see.”And that was the end of that conversation. A few miles into the city and the trio of women found themselves attracting attention. Clusters chased after their truck, with only the occasional one being struck from the front of it and impaling itself on the rebar that stuck out from the grate. Each strike jostled the vehicle and ruined the body of the truck that much more, until a sputtering began to sound somewhere within the truck and it noticeably lost some of its speed.S kept at it, though, not stopping as she tore the truck down the ruined streets of the city. Garnet had kept to the backseat with Pearl, still in the same position as before, except Pearl was wide awake, unable to sleep with the noise.“How far is your family, S?” Pearl asked the tan woman. S gave a shrug of her shoulders.“They’re in the middle of the city. Another twenty minutes, maybe?” She rolled her head onto her shoulder, cracking her neck.“Will the painstopper keep you going until then?”“I hope so.” There was no amusement in S’s voice. Pearl bit her lip as she looked up at her guard, who wore an expression of worry for the tan woman as well. A loud thump. The pale woman glanced to the rear windshield to see a cluster crawling towards them, its lower body severed from its upper due to being run over. The tires of the truck painted a red trail behind it.“We have enough biofoam to cover one of the bullet holes once it stops working.” Garnet said. S let out a little laugh.“Be ready to grab the wheel. Chances are I’ll immediately pass out from the blood loss once that happens.” S turned the wheel, guiding the car to the left on an intersection.“Should I get up in the passenger’s seat jus’ in case?” The dark woman asked.S waved a hand.“Nah, you stay back there with your girlfriend.”Pearl perked up, a blush spreading across her cheeks.“Oh, we-we’re not-“ She stuttered before cutting herself off, looking down at her lap. She felt her guard squeeze her hand. Neither woman made another attempt to counter what S had said, and S didn’t try to press them into continuing. Once again the car ride was silent and uneventful, with only the occasional cluster being run over or impaled on the rebar of the truck.About fifteen minutes passed until there was a sudden and abrupt change of scenery. Roads became clearer of debris, dead bodies of clusters the only obstacles. Humans staked on wooden poles and rebar lined the sidewalks, body bags filled with spare parts set near the poles. S didn’t change the direction of the truck, keeping at the roads filled with slaughter. Despite what the tan woman had said before, Garnet joined her in the front, and her mismatched eyes scanned the area for danger, her body tense and her hand hovering towards her revolver. Pearl didn’t see the point; it was empty after all.A little more driving, and the signs of an encampment showed up. Light fixtures, generators running power through them, wooden palisades and scrap metal walls, sandbags set up for cover. S still kept to the road.“We should turn back.” Her guard’s cautious voice sounded. S shook her head.“Trust me, kid.”Driving, driving, driving further in. The signs of a greater wall. Platforms hanging above it. A sniper tower with a man dressed in road leathers posted on it. He aimed his rifle, but S continued to drive, further up the road until they came to a slow stop a few feet away from the wall, and a woman with shaggy hair and metal armor stepped forward on the platform she was posted on.“One warning. Drive away.”S turned off the ignition.“What are you doing?” Pearl hissed, pulling herself up using the driver and passenger seat to glare at the tan woman. A smirk appeared on her full lips.“Relax, Pearl-girl.” She opened the door and stepped out.The raider raised her rifle, but her blue eyes widened and blinked rapidly before she dropped her rifle down and gave S a wide grin.“S!” She turned her head, “Guys, S is back!”The sniper on the tower lowered his rifle as well, flipping it over his back where it hung on its strap. He moved out of sight, but seconds later Pearl could see him climbing down a ladder.S held out her hands in a wide welcome.“Looks like I was missed here!”“S is part of a raider gang,” Garnet stated the obvious. Pearl looked to her with a quirked frown. “Why am I not surprised?”“Do you think it’s safe to get out?” The pale woman was itching to stretch her legs after sitting for so long. Her guard shook her head.“Let’s wait for her to call us out jus’ to be safe.”By now the door had opened and the woman on the platform was on ground level near S, hugging her tightly. Pearl noted, with a degree of nervousness, that there were well over two dozen raiders inside, each facing the entrance and shouting out greetings to the tan woman. S and the woman with shaggy hair pulled away after a few more moments, and there was a subtle grin on S’s face.“It’s been months since we last saw you!”“Business took longer than usual.” S flipped her hair out of her face. The woman nodded, blue eyes straying away to the truck. There was a hint of excitement in them.“Was that a part of the payment?” The excitement showed in her voice as well. The tan woman shook her head.“No, this baby,” S stepped back and slapped a hand on the hood of the truck “Belongs to those two in there.” She jerked a thumb in Garnet and Pearl’s direction. In an instant, all attention was directed to the duo. Garnet remained tense, but Pearl found herself shrinking back into the seats, unnerved by all the eyes on her. The grin that the shaggy haired woman had fell from her lips and turned into a tight frown.“However, there is a whole lot full of them that we are going to fetch before anyone else can get them. And, there are a couple of people we need to ‘search and destroy.’” S turned around and faced the two women still in the car. “You guys can come out, no need to be afraid.”Garnet and Pearl glanced to each other, each asking the same silent question: Are we going to regret this? Garnet slowly popped open the door and stepped out. Pearl followed after, keeping herself behind her guard’s back. The pale woman found herself feeling relieved that her brand was on her neck and covered by her hair, and that being behind her guard kept the Pink Diamond insignia on her pants hidden from view. Dozens of eyes continued to scrutinize them.“Garnet is the mercenary I hired. Pearl is… someone we picked up along way.” At the sound of S dodging where she had come from, Pearl was even more relieved that everything that revealed her affiliation with the diamonds was kept out of sight.“Nice to meet you…” There was no warmth in the woman’s voice. Garnet gave a nod.“Pleasure.” No warmth in her guard’s either. Pearl took a step forward and grasped onto her bicep. She didn’t like this. She wanted to be back in the car. She was sure her guard shared the same sediment due to how tense she was.“Anyway,” S walked until she was in front of the duo, head facing back to her companion. “I’m going to pay them and then send them on their way, and we can start drawing up plans about how we’re going to get the trucks while I’m in the medical bay.” S faced the duo. She reached a gloved hand into her pocket and pulled a thin metal box out.“So, look. Normally I don’t do this, but since you guys are already kind of screwed, I’m going to throw you a bone.” She popped open the lid and held it out to Garnet, who took it and started to examine the contents. “That’s the payment for all the mercenaries I contracted for this mission. It’s about 6000 in queens.” A wide grin broke across her guard’s face as she thumbed through the cards. “And, another thing. If you see any camps with this symbol.” S gestured to one of the walls, and on that wall was a picture of a large triangle, with a smaller triangle at the butt of it. Inside of the triangle were two lines, and outside it at the bottom were two other lines. A very odd symbol, in Pearl’s opinion. “Just say that S is tired of their shit and they’ll let you pass through.”“You’re the leader?”“Yep.” S stepped back and crossed her arms over each other. “I’m sorry our goodbye was so short, but I have maybe like a minute left on this thing.” She tapped the painstopper implant with an index finger. “I wish you guys the best, and stop being fucking idiots and charging at enemy bases with no ammo. You were lucky that I happened to be there.” Her face dropped into a neutral expression. “Now get out of my face.” A small smile appeared on her lips despite the harshness of her words. Garnet gave a nod, shoved the box in her pocket, and held out her hand, which S firmly grasped and shook. She pulled away from the handshake and, with another nod to the dark woman, turned and left for the camp. Garnet turned to Pearl.“Ready to go?” An affirmative hum.“Alright, get in the passenger seat.”The pale woman obeyed, opening the door and climbing in. Secureness washed over her and she couldn’t help the sigh that left her lips. Blue eyes watched S walk into the camp and watched the doors close behind her. The sound of a door drew her attention to her left. Garnet had taken her seat.“Ready?” She faced Pearl with a small smile, which Pearl returned.“Yeah.”Garnet faced forward again, before pausing, darks hands hovering over the steering wheel. Her lips quirked down.“I don’t know how to drive.” After several minutes of trial and error, Garnet found that, not only does ‘R’ not stand for ‘really fast’, but also that pushing on the pedals at the bottom of the car floor was what caused the car to move or stop. The dark woman got the hang of it quickly, and soon the duo of women found themselves driving down the streets of Empire City, a calm silence between them that neither found necessary to puncture. Pearl stared out the window, at the buildings and pile of debris that whizzed by them as Garnet drove the truck onwards. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she moved forward to press her forehead against the cold glass. A warm hand placed itself on her thigh. The pale woman glanced back to see Garnet staring ahead, one hand still on the wheel. Her hand moved to cover over her guard’s.
She’s not really your guard anymore.
She thought back to what S had said to them, and then thought back even further, to the conversation they had after their first kiss.
What are we?
Should she ask, or was this a conversation for another time?  Her blue eyes kept focus on the dark woman, and teeth dug down into her bottom lip. They weren’t sure about their love, but both of them admitted that they ‘adored’ each other. They got along well and shared some interests.
What are we?
It rang again in her head; a question she did not know the answer to. Pearl wished that figuring out her emotions was as easy as pulling a trigger and rendering someone dead. Her head dropped and her eyes stared at her lap rather than her guard.“When we get back to Percy,” The dark woman’s deep voice rumbled “I’ll tell my parents ‘bout when I used to kill for money.” This drew Pearl’s attention. Garnet’s jaw was tight. “They deserve to know, and I shouldn’t keep that from them.”“What makes you want to?” Pearl was glad for the distraction that kept her from dwelling about the question.“I told you, but I hadn’t told them. It feels like a betrayal. Gets rid of some leverage that people hold over me as well.” Garnet spoke in clipped sentences. Pearl wondered if her thoughts were just as jumpy as hers. She swallowed and looked away, before glancing back afterwards. The question was at the front of her mind and refused to leave; she needed to ask it. There was a struggle within her as Pearl tried to figure out what to say first.“You’re not my guard anymore.” It was a harsher opening than she wanted, but it got her point across. Garnet gave a nod, not at all startled by the statement.“You’re not my target anymore.”“What are we?” For the briefest of moments, Garnet glanced away from the road and looked to her companion, a frown etched on her features. She looked back and breathed out.“Let’s save that for later.”And Pearl looked back to the windshield. Flecks of gray fell down from the cloudy sky, dusting the roads and dirtying them even more. Ahead, far, far ahead, Pearl could see where the city ended. She mused about how long it took them to cross it on foot, and how the car shortened the trip into mere hours. Even the traffic that the roads were blocked by didn’t seem to impede them much; Garnet took another direction, turned back north, and that was that.
What could we have prevented if we traveled this quickly?
The pale woman posed the question to herself and hated the first answer her mind provided.
Our relationship.
A lone cluster stood in the middle of the road, armless, jawless, wandering aimlessly. Its hollow eyes drifted towards them. Filled with sadness. Garnet must’ve seen the sadness as well, because as the car barreled towards it, she swerved and avoided hitting it. Pearl couldn’t help but to look in the side mirror, watching as it disappeared into a formless dot as they drew further and further away. It made no move to chase them.
All the sadness.
Her blue eyes trailed to the gun strapped to Garnet’s chest.
Garnet getting shot.
Garnet’s hand drifted back onto the pale woman’s thigh; Pearl didn’t even notice that she took it away in the first place. The action tore her from her reflection and brought her back to a comfortable reality.“We’ll be alright,” Garnet murmured, and Pearl mused at how she always seemed to sense her distress. Even if her distress wasn’t necessarily distress, but instead a depressing reflection “We’ve got each other and each other is all we’ll need.”“And your parents.”The dark woman hummed, her lips quirking up.“And my parents.”Pearl couldn’t help the smile that spread over her thin lips, one that matched the one on Garnet’s full ones.“We can handle anything.”There was no doubt that filled her mind“You know we can.” The dark woman gave a light squeeze to Pearl’s thigh. “I adore you.” Pearl said. Her hand fell over the dark woman’s.The hand under her turned up and clasped their fingers together.“I adore you too.”Pearl didn’t need to reflect to know that she was content, content with her decision to leave the regime, content with her decision to stay with Garnet, even content with all that happened for them to be at this point. The pessimist in her told her that this content will leave soon, but she pushed it down. She was done listening to it.‘What Garnet said,’ she thought ‘We’ll save it for later.’ And the doubt and uncertainty dissipated. She gave a squeeze to the hand and leaned over, planting a kiss on the dark woman’s cheek that she gladly leaned into, a satisfied hum escaping from her throat. Pearl pulled back and faced the road again, stretching out into the gray horizon, surrounded by skyscrapers and buildings that ebbed off into open terrain. In the distance, the sign ‘Now leaving- Empire City’ called out to them.“We’ll be alright.” She repeated, giving a squeeze to the hand in her own.As long as Pearl had Garnet, she could handle whatever awaited them on the long road ahead. 
THE END