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e350tb · 6 years

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Steven Universe: Ruby Stars - Chapter Ten

(Special thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading this!)

Sledgehammer

Two jet fighters roared over Wilmingmore.

Clancy frowned as he watched them soar through the dawn sky. Not having slept well, he decided to get some coffee before Bracknell woke up and went out for an early breakfast. He had just driven back into the factory parking lot when he'd seen the jets, silver streaks against the reddish-blue sky. They were headed due south, and he wondered if they were bound for Beach City. Perhaps they had cameras attached, and they'd be taking pictures for Colonel Bradshaw - he wouldn't be surprised if they were.

He was just about to head inside when he heard another growling roar, this one far closer to the ground. He turned to the parking lot entrance - a convoy of olive drab army trucks rumbled through the gate, pulling up in front of the factory. Shouted commands filled the air as soldiers piled out of the backs, assembling in the empty car park - behind them, a jeep rolled in, pulling up in front of the bewildered agent.

Colonel Bradshaw climbed out of the back, joined by Major King. The major handed the colonel a folder, which he promptly handed down to Clancy.

"What the hell is this?" demanded Clancy.

"The situation's changed, Agent Miller," Bradshaw replied, "We have orders from on high."

Clancy looked over the unassuming manila folder, emblazoned by the golden and navy accents of the Presidential Seal. That, he thought, certainly couldn't be good.

"The gem situation has become untenable," continued Bradshaw, "We've had the fire at the rail depot, an attack on a public mall, the worm destroying our chopper, the assault on Captain Clark..."

"Poor man," said Clancy, entirely unsympathetically.

"...not to mention the abductions and the loss of that Barriger kid," finished Bradshaw.

"Barriga, sir," corrected Major King.

"Yes, thank you, Ernest," nodded Bradshaw, "Point is, we need to bring this situation under control."

Clancy let the words sink in, his tongue soured with the bitterness of their meaning. No, this was not good. Not good at all.

That being said, Clancy had been in the game long enough to know when to argue outright and when to… persuade. Men like Bradshaw don’t take well to defiance, he had learned that the hard way. The only realistic option he had was to try to appeal to reason.

He cleared his throat and feigned something that sounded like deferential disagreement. "With all due respect, sir, the situation is under control. As I advised you, the Crystal Gems have it..."

"The Crystal Gems have hell, Agent Miller!" snapped Bradshaw, "How many more people are gonna be dragged into space while they have things under control, huh? How many more government artefacts are they gonna steal?!"

"We have no evidence that they stole that Ruby, Colonel Bradshaw," growled Clancy, struggling to keep the venom from his tone.

"Well then, who did, Agent?" demanded Bradshaw.

Clancy didn't reply.

"No more, Miller," snarled Bradshaw, his eyes narrowing, "I'm taking control of the situation. That folder details Operation Sledgehammer. I have a mandate to bring Beach City and the surrounding area under military law..."

Clancy opened the folder, reading the contents. His face paled - they couldn't seriously be thinking...

"...as well as to either capture the Crystal Gems," finished Bradshaw, "Or terminate them with extreme prejudice."

Steven laid out the rug and put down the picnic basket.

He and Connie were out in the forest, about a mile away from Beach City. It was a lovely morning - there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun shone brilliantly through the canopy of trees. While he continued to set up the picnic, Connie checked the weather on her phone. There didn't seem to be any change in the forecast - the sun would shine all day.

It was a good chance to finally scale things back for a day and focus on themselves.

Connie was just about to close her phone when the news app flashed quickly.

No-fly zone enacted over Southern Delmarva due to hijack threat, POTUS says.

As if on cue, the silence of the forest was broken by the dim roar of a fighter jet. Connie looked up, watching it roar through the deep blue of the sky and off into the distance. If she squinted, Connie could just about make out its shape - it had a pointed nose like a dart, and a pair of wings towards the back of the fuselage. It was long gone before she could make out any more details.

"Huh," she muttered.

"What is it?" asked Steven.

"Nothing," shrugged Connie, "Just saw a plane."

She sat down as Steven handed her a sandwich.

"So, things have been pretty hectic lately, haven't they?" she said.

"Mm-hmm," nodded Steven, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

He swallowed, clearing his mouth.

"I'm just glad Sadie's getting used to everything," he added, "But I hope she talks to her mom soon."

"I don't know," mused Connie, "I'd be pretty mad if it was me. I mean, it'd be like..."

She thought back to Stevonnie's dream on the jungle moon base and smirked.

"...if my mom actually was Yellow Diamond."

Steven chuckled.

"Wow, that'd be weird," he said.

"I know, right?" replied Connie, "Can you imagine my mom as an alien dictator?"

She picked up her phone and held it to her ear.

"No, Doctor West," she said in an impression of her mother, "If that patient isn't ready by the time I arrive I'm gonna have you shattered!" She lowered her phone. "Okay, Connie, I need you to be ready for tennis practice in an Earth hour." She raised the phone again. "Shattered, I tell you! Shattered!"

The two burst into laughter. Steven wiped a tear from his eye.

"Aw, I shouldn't laugh," he admitted, "But hey, funny's funny."

Suddenly, they heard a thump and a rustling from the bushes. Steven glanced over - he saw nothing.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Squirrel?" shrugged Connie.

Steven got up, walking carefully towards the bushes.

"It could be hurt," he said, "I just want to make sure it's okay."

Connie's phone beeped. She picked it up; the news app had flashed again.

Martial law instituted in Beach City and Crossroads areas. Army command advises all citizens to return home immediately.

"Uh... Steven?"

Steven wasn't listening. He leaned down next to a bush, carefully pushing the branches aside.

"It's okay, little fella," he said, "We'll make sure you're feeling better, and we'll give you a name! You can be called San..."

He pushed aside the last branches.

"...dy..."

Connie's eyes widened as she took in the tall, blue figure crouched behind the bush.

"...Lapis?"

Peedee watched warily as a column of army trucks rumbled onto the boardwalk. Each of them found a spot to pull up and deposit their cargoes of heavily armed soldiers. It was surreal - it was like one of those old films about America being invaded, but this time, the occupying force was their own army.

A jeep screeched to a halt outside Fish Stew Pizza. Nanefua and her bodyguards were already stepping out to meet the blue-uniformed officer that jumped out the back.

"Mayor Pizza," he said officiously, "Major Ernest King, U.S. Army Air Force. On behalf of the Gem Task Force, I've been asked to inform you that we are taking over the running of this town, effective immediately."

"Under whose authority?" demanded Nanefua.

"Under the authority of the President of the United States," replied Major King, "Furthermore, Colonel Bradshaw would like to brief you immediately regarding the situation with the Crystal Gems. Please be present in your office in half an hour."

He saluted crisply and climbed back into the jeep. It sped away before Nanefua could reply.

The Mayor shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Rude," she muttered before walking back towards the restaurant.

Peedee furrowed his brow and turned on the radio. Perhaps that would explain what was going on.

"...am Lieutenant-Colonel Bradshaw," a voice said, his voice light and slightly Southern, "Gem Task Force, United States Army. As of this morning, the townships of Beach City, Ocean Town, Charm City and Crossroads are being placed under martial law under the orders of the President. I assure you that this is being done in a humane and professional manner."

An ear-splitting crash filled the air. Peedee jumped and looked up the boardwalk.

A tank had sunk turret-first into the boardwalk, which had splintered under its weight. The commander was standing in the hatch, looking sheepishly from left to right.

"Uh... nothin' to see here, folks," he said.

Greg had just finished washing down a car when they came.

Two armoured vehicles screamed around the corner. Greg stepped back in shock as the lead vehicle rolled on top of the car, crushing it beneath the treads. The commander leaned out the hatch, looking at the wreckage - he grinned mischievously.

"Ha! Nice," he said.

"Nice?! That was somebody's car!" exclaimed Greg.

"Yeah, well, you got bigger problems, Mac," shrugged the commander.

The rear hatches of both vehicles opened and a squad of soldiers emerged. Boots clicking loudly on the pavement, they swiftly took positions around Greg, encircling him on all sides. He swallowed - everywhere he looked, he could see somebody pointing a gun at him.

"Uh... I think you've got the wrong guy?" he said nervously.

"Greg Universe?" replied the commander.

"Uh..."

"Yeah, thought so," nodded the commander, "You're under arrest by order of Colonel Bradshaw and the Gem Task Force."

"But... why?!" exclaimed Greg, "What have I done?!"

"Heck if I know, Mac," grunted the commander, "But I hear the Colonel wants you pretty bad."

He smirked unpleasantly.

"Unless you don't wanna come?"

Slowly, Greg put his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, okay, I-I'll come quietly..."

Sadie watched from the top of the lighthouse as the army vehicles rolled into and around Beach City. She clutched the rail with shaking hands, listening to the radio.

"With your help, we will see the Crystal Gems apprehended safely. Remember, the army is here to help. Thank you."

The radio switched off, replaced by the tones of the Emergency Warning System. Jenny switched it off and joined her next to the rail.

It had supposed to be an easy day. The band had met at the lighthouse to talk about their next song (Sadie was still pretty into the werewolf idea), and while that meant trying not to trip over Ronaldo and ignoring his 'True Werewolf Factoids', the atmosphere in the old building was lovely. The sun was shining high in the sky, and looking over Beach City in the brilliant sunlight was quiet relaxing.

At least it had been, until the tanks rolled in.

Sadie could see them rolling across the beach, cutting off access to the Temple. They seemed to be stopping a few hundred metres away from the Temple itself - Sadie wondered if they were waiting for the Crystal Gems to surrender. Not very likely, she thought.

"Man, this is surreal," muttered Jenny, watching a helicopter land in the town square.

Sadie nodded.

"Why now, though?" asked Jenny, "The Gems have been here since, like, forever. If they'd wanted to start something, they would've done it years ago. Where were they when that big green hand showed up and we had to evacuate? That at least would have made sense."

"Something must've changed," mused Sadie.

She thought back to the wrecked helicopter in the Beta Kindergarten. Surely that couldn't have been it? It had only been one helicopter, and they'd saved the crew, hadn't they?

Distantly, she heard loud boots on the stairwell. She turned to the window, and moments later a few soldiers entered the lantern room. She glanced to Jenny - they nodded and headed back in.

The leader of the soldiers, a man in a blue uniform, was talking politely but firmly to Buck, Sour Cream and Ronaldo.

"...this lighthouse has been appropriated for use by the military as an observation post," he was saying, "You will need to vacate the premises."

"But I live here!" exclaimed Ronaldo.

"We can talk about compensation when the crisis is over," replied the officer, "But you'll need to leave. We need this building for use against the Crystal Gems."

"Use against the Crystal Gems?"

Ronaldo crossed his arms.

"I'll have you know that I used to be a Crystal Gem," he declared.

The officer and his troops exchanged glances.

Five minutes later, the officer shoved a handcuffed Ronaldo into the back of his jeep. He turned and nodded to the other kids.

"Sorry for the disruption, kids," he said.

He climbed into the jeep and drove away.

"Dang," said Buck.

"So," asked Sour Cream, "What do we do now? I mean, we can go to my place, but I kinda don't think I'm up for anymore song-writing..."

"We can go check in with Nana," suggested Jenny, "She's the mayor now, so she'll know what's happening, right?"

"Unless she's been arrested too," said Sadie darkly.

"I still don't get why they're doing this now," said Jenny, scratching her chin, "It just doesn't make any sense..."

Sadie thought back. She remembered the Delmarva Centre and the incident with the corrupted Quartz...

"OSS! Stay back!"

A man stepped through the dust, carrying a crowbar. Sadie's eyes widened.

It was Clancy Miller.

Sadie narrowed her eyes.

"Clancy," she growled.

"This is Captain Wayne Clark of the Gem Task Force!"

Pearl rolled her eyes.

She, Garnet, Amethyst and Peridot watched as the loud, angry captain bellowed into his microphone. He certainly seemed confident, which might have had something to do with the squads of troops that surrounded the Beach House, backed up by a half-dozen tanks. She wondered if they actually intended to attack the Temple.

"We have you surrounded on all sides!" the Captain thundered, "If you do not come out by sundown and surrender yourselves to our custody, we will be forced to assault your base with extreme force. I repeat, you have until sundown to comply!"

"What does he think he is, a cowboy or something?" asked Amethyst.

"He looks nothing like a cow," added Peridot dismissively.

"He's definitely confident." Pearl turned to Garnet, frowning. "Do they have a chance?"

Garnet shook her head.

"Not in a direct battle," she replied, "None of their weapons could penetrate the Temple door. We wouldn't even have to fight them."

"I get the sense there's a 'but' coming up, G," said Amethyst.

Garnet nodded.

"They seem willing to use our allies to get to us," she said flatly. "The humans in town. Greg. Connie..."

Pearl's hands flew to her lips, covering the tiny gasp that escaped her lips.

"Steven," she whispered.

Garnet only nodded, looking particularly severe as she gazed out of the window.

Beside them, Amethyst fidgeted uncomfortably. "I-I mean, they wouldn't actually do anything to the humans, right Garnet? They're supposed to protect them - like Greg and Connie are both humans! They couldn't just attack them, right? And Steven, too..."

"Steven isn't exactly human," Peridot corrected, though her usually poindexter attitude seemed awfully bitter.

Pearl looked about ready to draw swords, so Garnet raised a hand to stay their worries.

"There's a number of possibilities... I can't know for certain how this will play out. But we need to plan."

"There's a gem who wants to escape Homeworld," said Lapis, "I'm trying to help her."

Lapis' return had been met with laughter and hugs from Steven, which was understandable - but Connie had been less ecstatic. It seemed strange to her - Lapis had left because she was afraid of the Diamonds returning. Why, then, would she come back? And why would she recommend another gem come here? It just seemed too good to be true.

That having been said, it'd didn't look like Lapis was lying. Connie had learned the facial tics that people sometimes made when they weren't telling the truth, and Lapis had none of those; and there certainly wasn't any sign that she was brainwashed or anything. Still, something about this made her feel uneasy.

"Lapis, that's so nice of you!" exclaimed Steven, grinning broadly, "I'm sure the Gems would be thrilled to have her!"

Lapis smiled.

"I hope so," she replied, "I mean, they might not be glad to have me, after everything that's happened..."

"Water under the bridge," chuckled Steven, "You get it? Water? Because... because you do water stuff?"

Lapis laughed.

"No," she said.

"Well, I'll explain it to you one day," shrugged Steven. “C’mon, we’ve got to go back to the Temple right now! Peridot is there, and she’ll be so --”

“No!” Lapis flinched away like Steven had hit her. “N-no, I can’t face her. Not… not yet. We should help this gem first. She stole a ship and is just waiting for a signal to come down to the surface… I didn’t know where might be a good place?”

Connie tapped her chin, thoughtful. "Well, away from the army, at any rate."

She winced as she heard another fighter jet scream overhead.

"How about the warehouse?" asked Steven, "They probably won't look there, right? The only things there are Mr. Smiley's stash of old wrestling magazines!"

Connie nodded.

"That might work," she agreed, "Okay, let's go set it up for... Lapis, who was this gem again?"

"Seraphinite," replied Lapis.

Greg winced as the soldiers shoved him roughly to the office floor. He looked to his left, and found himself next to Doug and Priyanka - he swallowed and grinned nervously at them. Thankfully, they seemed more focused on being angry at the military officers than being angry at him.

"Major King's bringing the last one up now," one of the soldiers said.

"Good," nodded Bradshaw.

He was sitting behind the Mayor's desk, Clancy Miller and Philbert Bracknell behind him. The former looked as though his temper was threatening to burst through the dam of self-control - Bracknell, for his part, just looked confused. In front of them, Nanefua paced angrily, giving Bradshaw a piece of her mind.

"You have no right to detain my townsfolk," she snapped, "They haven't done anything wrong!"

"That's for me to decide, madam," replied Bradshaw, "I have orders to neutralise all threats. Other countries would've handled this in a far more violent fashion, and..."

"That doesn't make you right!" growled Nanefua.

The door opened. Major King marched into the room and pushed Ronaldo onto the ground next to Greg - for his part, he seemed to be slightly less forceful than the other soldiers. Slightly.

"Ronaldo?" quizzed Greg.

"I'm a person of interest!" said Ronaldo excitedly.

"Alright," said Bradshaw, standing up, "Douglas and Priyanka Maheswaran, Gregory Universe née DeMayo, and Ronaldo Fryman alias 'Bloodstone...'"

Ronaldo beamed.

"...you are charged with association with treasonous alien elements," he continued, "You will detained until..."

"Warrant," snapped Doug.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Bradshaw.

"Warrant," Doug repeated, "Where is it?"

"My warrant," snapped Bradshaw, "Is the power vested in me by the President of the United States. My warrant is my oath to the people, who I am sworn to protect."

He turned to King.

"Where are their kids, anyway?" he demanded.

"If you touch a hair on Connie's head," thundered Priyanka, leaning forward, "I swear..."

"...you'll go to prison for assaulting an officer," grunted Bradshaw.

"We couldn't find them, sir," replied King, "I've got men looking for them now. I've ordered them to use discretion to prevent..."

"Discretion?" snapped Bradshaw, "Does this look like the time for discretion?"

"...they're kids, sir," said King.

"They're a national security threat," replied Bradshaw, "I understand it's not easy, but I need Steven and Candy..."

"Connie, sir."

"Thank you, Ernest - Steven and Connie in custody."

Major King swallowed.

"Yes sir," he said, "I'll... I'll handle it myself, sir."

"See that you do."

King saluted and left the room.

"Now, we have a conundrum," said Bradshaw, scratching his chin, "We got a couple of Crystal Gems who aren't coming out of their hole. We need to coax them."

He turned to Greg and grinned.

"I think I know just how to do that," he continued, "Bracknell, take the other three to the town square - I'm sending them to Fort Raleigh for detainment, you're gonna make sure they make it intact."

Bracknell turned to Clancy, who nodded.

"Don't rock the boat, Bracknell," he whispered, "I'll sort this out as soon as I can."

Bracknell swallowed. A couple of soldiers barged into the room, pulling Priyanka and Doug to their feet. Greg watched as they were dragged out - as they left, he just about saw Priyanka mouth something to him.

It's not your fault.

He sighed in relief as Bracknell escorted Ronaldo out of the office. Nanefua shot the agent a dirty look as he left.

"And where," she demanded, "Is Fort Raleigh?"

"West," replied Bradshaw, "Clancy, grab Mr. Universe. We're going down to the beach."

Clancy furrowed his brow.

"The beach?" he replied incredulously, "You're not seriously thinking of..."

"If it gets 'em out, Miller, then yes."

"Sir, that breaks just about every protocol in the book!" exclaimed Clancy, "You can't..."

"What the President doesn't know, won't hurt him," replied Bradshaw.

Watching the malicious smirk play at the Colonel’s lips, Greg felt his stomach drop.

Sadie marched up the street, the Cool Kids struggling to keep up as she purposefully made her way to Barb's house. Her face was set into a deep scowl. They encountered Onion going the other way - he gulped when he saw Sadie and quickly crossed the road.

She opened the fence and marched to the front door. She knocked three times, with a lot more force than was probably necessary.

The door opened.

"Sadie?" Barb gasped, "You came back?"

"I need to talk to Clancy," replied Sadie, her fists clenched, "You have his number. I'm calling him... and then I need to go again."

She sighed, calming down slightly.

"I'm sorry, I just... I'm still not ready to talk."

There was a long silence as the Cool Kids caught up.

"Uh... apart from that, though, how's it going, Ms. Miller?" asked Sour Cream.

Clancy sat in his car, waiting for the soldiers to finish bundling a handcuffed Greg into the back of the Colonel's jeep. It wasn't so much that Greg was struggling - they'd blindfolded him, and he couldn't find his way into the car. The soldiers were trying and failing to direct him, and their sergeant's face was starting to look something like a swollen plum as he watched his troops fumble. It'd have been funny if the situation wasn't so serious.

His phone rang. Clancy grit his teeth and turned on the bluetooth speaker - now simply wasn't the time.

"Agent Clancy Miller?"

"What the hell is the army doing here?!"

Clancy winced. That was Sadie's voice.

"Sadie, uh, this-this isn't the time, I-I'm very busy..."

"Yeah, I noticed. Why are they going after the gems? What did you tell them?!"

"I told them to leave it well enough alone!" snapped Clancy, "It's not my fault they can't listen to their own advisors!"

The Colonel jumped into the jeep and it started. Clancy grunted, driving along behind him.

"Look, this is a really bad time," he said, "I'll get them out of here, but I need time..."

"What, you're just gonna give them the Crystal Gems?" demanded Sadie.

"They can't take 'em in a straight fight," replied Clancy, "You know..."

"So you'll just let other people get hurt! Just like you always do!"

Clancy winced.

"I'm working on it," he replied, "I... it's hard, okay! Talking to Bradshaw's like talking to a brick wall, and if I push too hard, he might... he might figure out I'm covering for you."

There was no reply, so he continued.

"They already think I know where the ruby is," he continued, "One step out of line and they could find me out. They could find you out! I-I want to help people, I want to stop them for from getting the Gems, but... but I won't do anything that leads them to you."

He sighed.

"I don't know if I can save everyone," he finished, "But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I couldn't save you. I've done enough to hurt your family."

He pulled up at the end of the road, just in front of the slope up to the lighthouse.

"Look, I have to go," he said, "Just... lay low until this is finished, okay? I'll work it out."

"Clancy, you... I can't..."

He looked up. Bradshaw had climbed out of the jeep and was walking towards him.

"Sadie, I gotta hang up," he said, "I..."

Bradshaw leaned against the window. He was grinning now, like a shark who had just cornered his prey. Clancy furrowed his brow - what was he so happy about?

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a phone, pressing a button on it and pulling it to his ear.

"You didn't seriously think we wouldn't have bugged your phone, did you Clancy?"

"So, Sadie Miller."

Sadie's shivered as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line. It maintained the facade of military protocol, but there was a hint of grim, sneering satisfaction. She glanced over to her mother on the other side of the kitchen table - her face was set in a frown.

"I imagine you have my ruby," he said.

"It isn't yours," replied Sadie, trying hard not to sound as nervous as she was.

"Oh, but it is, Ms. Miller, and you're gonna deliver it to me," replied Bradshaw, "Or Clancy here is going to be in a bit of trouble..."

Faintly, Sadie could hear a dull thud and a cry of pain.

"And what if I can't?" asked Sadie.

Barb gritted her teeth and mouthed a reply. Don't tell them.

"Oh, I believe you can," said Bradshaw, "In fact, I believe you can take that ruby wherever you want. Ain't that right, 1GK?"

Sadie's blood ran cold.

"How long have you known?"

"I've suspected since the fire at the depot," explained Bradshaw, "But I knew after you drew your weapon in a public mall at Wilmingmore... oh come on, Clancy, you're a secret agent, you wouldn't tell me if you suspected me of something..."

Sadie swallowed.

"So what happens to me?" she asked, "If I give myself up?"

There was a long pause.

"I'm not at liberty to say."

Sadie closed her eyes and nodded.

"If I come," she said, "You leave the Crystal Gems alone. You let Clancy and everyone else you've kidnapped go. You leave Beach City and never come back. Got it?"

"Sadie, no!" exclaimed Barb.

"...deal. Half-an-hour, outside the Temple. Come alone."

The Colonel chuckled.

"I look forward to making your acquaintance."

The line went dead. Sadie collapsed into her chair, rubbing her forehead.

"Sadie!" exclaimed Barb, "You can't give yourself up! I'm not letting you..."

"Mom."

Sadie stood up.

"I've just had dumbest idea in history," she said, "And it's really dangerous, and I'm probably gonna have to wing most of this, because I haven't thought it through..."

She took a deep breath and offered Barb a shaky smile.

"...and I'm gonna need your help."

Barb stared for a just a moment, as if processing what Sadie had said. Then, very slowly, her face broke into a smile.

"That's my girl," she said.

Lapis paced back and forth in the warehouse, occasionally looking up into the afternoon sky. Connie watched her dubiously - she knew Steven trusted her completely, but she couldn't help but feel that something was distinctly off about her behaviour.

Quite suddenly, they heard a rustling outside the warehouse. All eyes fell on the door, which started to groan ominously.

"What's going on?" asked Steven, "Who is that?"

The door flew open with a loud crash. A squad of about six soldiers, led by a man in a blue uniform, burst into the warehouse, weapons drawn. The blue uniformed man advanced on the three, shouting a warning.

"My name is Major Ernest King!" he shouted, "I have orders to take Steven Universe and Connie Maheswaran into custody. Do not resist!"

"What?!" exclaimed Steven, "But we're innocent!"

"Where the heck is your warrant?!" demanded Connie.

Lapis narrowed her eyes.

"No," she said, "You can't be allowed to ruin this."

"This is a military matter, ma'am!" snapped King, "And... wait, you're a gem..."

Lapis raised her arms. The sea by the warehouse began to rise into the air, like a gigantic tsunami in slow motion. The soldiers looked up in horror as the foamy water twisted and formed into a giant fist, ready to smash down upon them; Connie's eyes widened as she realised that she and Steven were also in its shadow.

"Lapis, no, don't hurt them!" shouted Steven, running up to his friend.

Lapis turned to him, her face twisted into a dark scowl. For the briefest moment, Connie swore she saw a speck of white in her pupils.

"I'm sorry, Rose Quartz," she snarled, "But I won't allow anything to stop Seraphinite."

A sonic boom filled the air, shattering windows for about a mile around. Connie would have given it a lot more thought, except for the fact that it was swiftly followed by a much closer boom as the fist of water came down. She heard shouts and scream, a few scattered shots rang out, and then she was consumed by water. For a minute, she struggled desperately for breath, thrashing in the endless blue void.

Then, mercifully, she fell into darkness.

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typingtess · 3 years

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Tiptoeing through the “Indentured″ guest cast

Charles Ambrose as Lukas Meyer Ambrose appeared in episodes of Sons of Anarchy Castle, Hollywood Vampire and Lovecraft Country.

Inside his trailer. Outside his trailer.

Lex King as Mia Hahn Played Kat in Dominion, Aphrodite in Troy: Fall of a City and Callie in American Princess. Had guest roles in Brave New World and The Good Lord Bird.

Outside her trailer: With Daniela Ruah, Medalion Rahimi and their stunt doubles.

Michael O'Neill as Retired U.S. Army General Richard Collins O’Neill is one of those “that guy” actors who you see and say “I know that guy!”

Played Father Jansen in Days of Our Lives, Secret Service Agent Ron Butterfield in The West Wing, Ron Cheals in The Unit, Nick Ford in Bates Motel, Alan Sparks in Extant, Sen. Roland Foulkes in Rectify, Lonnie Mencken in Scandal, Carl Luca on SWAT, Senator Mitchell Chapin in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Cameron Collier in Messiah and Larry Mills in Council of Dads.

Had two roles in JAG – Commander Bradley in season four’s “Shakedown” and Major General Harold Rossing in the series finale. Was Former NCIS Special Agent Riley McCallister in the season eight “Enemies Foreign”/”Enemies Domestic” in the season eight two-parter of NCIS. He also showed up in NCIS episode 200th episode “Life Before His Eyes” as McCallister.

Famously also played Gary Clark the mass shooter in Grey’s Anatomy.

Guest roles go back to the 1980’s and include Quincy, LA Law, Picket Fences, One West Waikiki, The Cape, Promised Land (starring Gerald McRaney), The Lazarus Man, The Pretender, Millennium, Orleans, The X-Files, Roswell (1999), Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, Diagnosis Murder, 24, Boston Public, Ally McBeal, Without a Trace, Presido Med, Carnivale, The Practice, Judging Amy, Crossing Jordan, LAX, Boston Legal, Cold Case, ER, Commander in Chief, Close to Home, 3 lbs., Lincoln Heights, The Nine, K-Ville, Criminal Minds, The Women’s Murder Club, The Mentalist, Prison Break, My Own Worst Enemy, Leverage, Army Wives, FlashForward, Sons of Anarchy, Numb3rs, Fringe, Miami Medical, Law & Order: LA, The Glades, Prime Suspect (US version), CSI: Miami, Vegas, Necessary Roughness, Rizzoli & Isles, Battle Creek, Manhattan, The Resident, Shooter and The Romanoffs.

Stephanie Erb as Tranquility Villa Staff Member Psychologist Vicky Weber Was Camille Owens on Port Charles, Luellen in True Blood, Dr. Janice Mead in The Young and The Restless and Helen Miller in Ray Donovan,

Played Rachel Nasry in “The Enemy Within” season 12 episode of NCIS, Molly Layne in season two NCIS: New Orleans episode “Sleeping with the Enemy”.

Guest roles include Star Trek: The Next Generation, One West Waikiki, The Naked Truth, Grace Under Fire Elle, Partners, Dream On, NewsRadio, Everyone Loves Raymond, ER, Freaks and Geeks, Third Rock from the Sun, Bette, Days of Our Lives, Inside Schwartz, Will & Grace (2002), Six Feet Under, Star Trek: Enterprise, Miracles, NYPD Blue, Strong Medicine, Two and a Half Men, Threshold, House, 24, Grey’s Anatomy, Monk, Close to Home, Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, Knight Rider (2009) Parks and Recreation, Weeds, Three Rivers, Numb3rs, The Mentalist, Desperate Housewives, Falling Upwards, Bones, The Fosters, Girl Meets World, Murder in the First, Bosch, Superior Donuts, Mom, 9-1-1 and Grace and Frankie.

Ju'an Monsalvez as ATF Special Agent Francisco Reyes Played Det. Ben Johnson in Saints and Sinners and has been Father Reyes on General Hospital since 2015.

Guest roles include Veronica Mars, Lie to Me, Without a Trace, 90210 (2009), Castle, The Kill Corporation, The Mentalist, Scorpion, Code Black, Baby Daddy, Get Shorty, American Housewife, Hawaii Five-0 (2019), Jane the Virgin and 9-1-1.

Gigi Bermingham as Laura Played Dr. Lois Banks in Days of Our Lives and is currently Naomi Dreyfus on General Hospital.

Appeared in episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 (1992), Hudson Street, Can’t Hurry Love, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, The Tony Danza Show, Any Day Now, Oh Baby, The Geena Davis Show, State of Grace, Judging Amy, CSI (2002), Weeds, Hart of Dixie, Mistresses, The Britishes, Chasing Life, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, American Horror Story and Jane the Virgin.

Nicola Lambo as Lead ATF Agent Was Dr. Kristin Stanwicke in Last Life. In NCIS season 15, was CGIS Special Agent Amanda Graham in the “Fallout” episode.

Had guest roles on 90210 (2013), Hart of Dixie, General Hospital, Scandal, Scorpion, Parenthood, Revenge, CSI: Cyber, The Young and The Restless, Castle, The Catch, Jane the Virgin, Fresh Off the Boat, Baby Daddy, Major Crimes, Speechless, Law & Order: True Crime, How to Get Away with Murder, Freakish, Me Myself and I, Lethal Weapon, Mom, American Crime Story, SWAT, Will & Grace (2019), Bounce, Criminal Minds, Good Trouble, Rebel and Lucifer.

On the set. On the lot.

Written by: Frank Military wrote or co-wrote “Little Angels”, “Deliverance”, “Lockup”, “The Job”, “Greed”, “Betrayal”, “Crimeleon”, “Vengeance”, “Out of the Past” Part One, “Rude Awakenings” Part Two, season four’s finale “Descent”, season five’s premiere “Ascension”, “Allegiance”, “Spoils of War”, “Black Budget”, SEAL Hunter", “Rage”, “Unspoken”, “Unlocked Mind”, “Revenge Deferred”, “The Seventh Child”, “Crazy Train”, “Uncaged”, “The Silo”, “Monster”, “Line in the Sand”, season ten opener “To Live and Die in Mexico”, “The Patton Project”, “Better Angels”, season 10 finale “False Flag”, “A Bloody Brilliant Plan”, season 11 finale “Code of Conduct”, “Raising the Dead” and “Through the Looking Glass”.

Directed by: Eric A. Pot directed “Resurrection”, “Windfall”, “Traitor”, “Internal Affairs”, “Home is Where the Heart Is”, “Forasteira”, “Reentry”, “Hit List”, “The One Who Got Away”, “Kill Beale Vol 1”, “Fortune Favors the Bold”, “A Fait Accompli” and “Imposter Syndrome”.

#NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #tiptoeing #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la

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tuseriesdetv · 3 years

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Noticias de series de la semana

Renovaciones

ITV ha renovado McDonald & Dodds por una tercera temporada

FOX ha renovado Duncanville por una tercera temporada

Cancelaciones

CBS ha cancelado MacGyver tras su quinta temporada

Noticias cortas

Tatiana Maslany (Sister Alice) no estará en la segunda temporada de Perry Mason.

Jodie Turner-Smith abandona The Witcher: Blood Origin debido a un retraso en las fechas de producción.

Netflix adquiere The 39 Steps, la adaptación de la novela de John Buchan (1915) protagonizada por Benedict Cumberbatch.

Fichajes

Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, Single White Female) se une a la segunda temporada de Hunters. Será Chava, cazadora de nazis.

Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Devs) será Uncle Miltie, quien ayuda a Rand (Seth Rogen) a distribuir la sex tape, en Pam and Tommy.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) protagonizará y producirá el drama The Second Home, la miniserie adaptación de la novela de Christina Clancy (2020) que sigue a dos familias separadas a raíz de un fatídico verano en Cabo Cod, Massachusetts.

Samantha Morton (Harlots, The Walking Dead) será Catherine de Medici en The Serpent Queen.

T'Nia Miller (Years and Years, The Haunting of Bly Manor), Charlotte Riley (Trust, Peaky Blinders), Alex Hernandez (UnREAL, The Son), JJ Feild (Turn, Lost in Space), Eli Goree (Riverdale, Pearson), Gary Carr (The Deuce, Death in Paradise) y Adelind Horan (The Pioneers) se unen a The Peripheral.

Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist) se une a She-Hulk. Interpretará a un personaje llamado Amelia.

Hayley Squires (Adult Material, The Miniaturist), Frak Dillane (Fear The Walking Dead, The Girlfriend Experience), Clémence Poésy (Genius, The Tunnel) y Jamael Westman (Anne Boleyn) se unen a The Essex Serpent.

Wayne Brady (How I Met Your Mother, Colony) será Del Cooper, un comediante convertido en productor y el nuevo interés amoroso de un personaje aún no desvelado, en la quinta temporada de The Good Fight.

Shelley Conn (Liar, The Lottery) y Calam Lynch (Mrs. Wilson) serán Mary Sharma, la madre de las hermanas Kate (Simone Ashley) y Edwina (Charithra Chandran); y Theo Sharpe, ayudante de un impresor; en la segunda temporada de Bridgerton.

Sebastian Roché (The Young Pope, The Originals) y Michelle Ventimilla (Seven Seconds, Gotham) serán recurrentes en Big Sky como Wagy, el sheriff de Lochsa County; y Rosie Amaya, hija de Gil Amaya, el gerente del rancho de los Kleinsasser.

Adepero Oduye (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, 12 Years a Slave) y Cornelius Smith Jr. (Scandal, God Friended Me) serán Karen Wynn, enfermera jefe en la unidad de cuidados intensivos y líder del comité ético; y Bryant King, especialista en medicina interna y uno de los pocos doctores negros del hospital; en Five Days at Memorial.

Karen Robinson (Schitt's Creek, Tiny Pretty Things) será recurrente en la tercera temporada de A Million Little Things como Florence, una dulce viuda con sentido del humor.

Kareem Green (It's Showtime at the Apollo) será recurrente en Flatbush Misdemeanors como Kareem, padrastro de Dan (Dan Perlman).

Patricia Hodge (Miranda, A Very English Scandal) sustituye a la fallecida Diana Rigg en el papel de Mrs. Pumphrey en la segunda temporada de All Creatures Great and Small.

Ebonee Noel (FBI, Wrecked), Karen LeBlanc (Ransom, Departure), Yaani King Mondschein (Saving Grace, Blood & Oil) y Rance Nix protagonizarán The Kings of Napa.

Peta Sergeant (Snowfall, The Originals) se une como regular a la sexta y última temporada de Supergirl. Será Nyxly, una prisionera de la Phantom Zone.

Max Osinski (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Last Ship) será recurrente en la segunda y última temporada de The Walking Dead: World Beyond como Dennis, un soldado dedicado y disciplinado que trata de recuperar su vida.

Tom Kenny retomará su papel de narrador en Powerpuff. Robyn Lively (Twin Peaks, Light as a Feather) será Sara Bellum.

Sinéad Keenan (Being Human, My Left Nut), Lola Petticrew (Bloodlands, My Left Nut), Amy James-Kelly (Gentleman Jack, Safe), Genenieve O'Reilly (Tin Star, The Honourable Woman), Colin Morgan (Humans, Merlin), Owen McDonnell (Killing Eve, The Bay), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Doctor Foster, Patrick Melrose) y Kerri Quinn (Come Home, Coronation Street) protagonizarán Three Families, antes conocida como When It Happens To You.

Nicholas Burton (Dave & Theo) y Aaron Jeffery (Wentworth, McLeod's Daughters) se unen como recurrentes a Pieces of Her. Serán Andrew Queller, el hijo pequeño de Martin Queller (Terry O'Quinn); y un misterioso y potencialmente peligroso personaje que aparece en la vida de Laura (Toni Collette) y Andy (Bella Heathcote).

Barbara Alyn Woods (One Tree Hill; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show) será recurrente en Chucky como la alcaldesa Michelle Cross.

John de Lancie (Star Trek: The Next Generation) volverá a interpretar a Q en la segunda temporada de Star Trek: Picard.

Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (The Chi, Treme) será recurrente en The Lincoln Lawyer como Raymond Griggs, un intenso y tenaz detective de Los Ángeles que investiga un asesinato.

Osy Ikhile (The Feed) y Caoilinn Springall (The Midnight Sky) se unen como regulares a Citadel. Stanley Tucci (Feud, The Lovely Bones), Nikki Amuka-Bir (Avenue 5, Luther), Susan Lynch (Happy Valley, Apple Tree Yard), Sara Martins (Death in Paradise), Leo Woodall (Cherry), Gráinne Good (The Other Lamb) y Leo Ashizawa (A Discovery of Witches) serán recurrentes.

Raff Law (Twist) será el sargento Ken Lemmons en Masters of the Air.

Tammy Townsend (K.C. Undercover) se une como regular a la sexta temporada de Queen Sugar. Paula Jai Parker (A House Divided, Family Time), Marquis Rodríguez (When They See Us, Iron Fist) y McKinley Freeman (Hit the Floor, Samantha Who?) se unen como recurrentes.

Thomas Barbusca (The Mick, Chad) y Adrienne Wells se unen como recurrentes a la tercera temporada de Black Monday. Serán Werner, un joven republicano del equipo de Blair (Andrew Rannells); y Nomi, una joven talentosa que pronto se convierte en la joya de la corona en el nuevo negocio de Mo (Don Cheadle).

Vic Mensa será recurrente en la cuarta temporada de The Chi como Jamal, alguien que quiere ayudar a su novia y a su hermana pequeña.

Eugenio Mastrandrea (All Cops Are Bastards), Keith David (Greenleaf, Future Man), Danielle Deadwyler (P-Valley, Watchmen), Kellita Smith (Z Nation, The Bernie Mac Show), Judith Scott (Snowfall, Dexter), Lucia Sardo, Paride Benassai y Roberta Rigano se unen a From Scratch.

Pósters

Nuevas series

Peacock ha encargado un reboot de Queer as Folk centrado en un grupo diverso de amigos de Nueva Orleans cuyas vidas cambian tras una tragedia. Creada, escrita y producida por Stephen Dunn (Little America, Closet Monster), que además dirigirá el piloto. Produce Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk, It's a Sin).

Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming, Lo imposible) protagonizará y producirá la primera temporada de The Crowded Room (diez episodios), antología de Apple TV+ que contará historias reales de personas que aprendieron a vivir con enfermedades mentales. Esta primera tanda, basada en 'The Minds of Billy Milligan' (1981), la biografía escrita por Daniel Keyes, trata sobre la primera persona absuelta por su desorden de personalidad múltiple, conocido ahora como trastorno de identidad disociativo, en los años 70. Escrita por Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Fringe).

Justin Timberlake (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Social Network) interpretará al productor y presentador de concursos de televisión Chuck Barris. Según sus memorias, publicadas en 1984, esta profesión era una tapadera para ocultar su verdadero trabajo como asesino de la CIA en los años 60 y 70. Creada y producida por Jon Worley (Justified, SEAL Team). Escrita y producida por David Hollander (Ray Donovan, The Cleaner). Hubo adaptación cinematográfica en 2002.

HBO Max encarga King Shark, spin-off de The Suicide Squad. Escrita y dirigida por James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Scooby-Doo).

HBO Max encarga diez episodios de Minx, comedia ambientada en Los Ángeles en los años 70 y protagonizada por una feminista joven y formal (Ophelia Lovibond; Elementary, W1A) que se alía con un editor de poca monta (Jake Johnson; New Girl, Stumptown) para crear la primera revista erótica para mujeres. Con Idara Victor (Turn, Rizzoli & Isles), Jessica Lowe (Wrecked, Miracle Workers), Lennon Parham (Lady Dynamite, Bless This Mess), Michael Angarano (The Knick, This Is Us) y Oscar Montoya (Bless the Harts). Escrita y producida por Ellen Rapoport (Desperados). Produce Paul Feig (The Office, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist).

HBO Max desarrolla Deeds, comedia negra sobre una agente inmobiliaria desesperada (Kristin Davis; Sex and the City, Melrose Place) que se embarca en un camino cada vez más oscuro cuando se ve obligada a aliarse con una pareja de sociópatas jóvenes y drogadictos que pronto descubren que en el mundo de los bienes raíces de Los Ángeles, en lo que se refiere a inmoralidad y comportamientos despiadados, les llevan ventaja. Escrita por Michael Davidoff (Working) y producida por Kristin Davis (And Just Like That...) y Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy).

HBO Max desarrolla una comedia ambientada en un campamento de verano en la que cuatro amigas de toda la vida que se preparan para ser monitoras jurarán mantener su amistad tras la llegada de una chica nueva desde otro campamento. Escrita por Lauren Herstik (American Vandal, Pearson).

Showtime desarrolla Mabel, serie precuela de Madea en la que Mabel Simmons se muda a Atlanta en 1972. Escrita por JaNeika James y JaSheika James y producida por Tyler Perry.

The Downstairs Girl, la novela de Stacey Lee (2019), tendrá adaptación televisiva. Ambientada en Atlanta en 1890, sigue a una joven que vive con su guardián en un sótano y trabaja como criada para una de las familias más adineradas por el día y escribe anónimamente en un periódico por la noche. Escrita por Aminta Goyel (Ghostwriter).

Fechas

La décima temporada de Call the Midwife se estrena en BBC One el 18 de abril

El estreno de la 2ª y última temporada de Selena: The Series se adelanta del 14 al 4 de mayo

Girls5eva se estrena en Peacock el 6 de mayo

Run The World se estrena en Starz el 16 de mayo

La quinta y última temporada de The Bold Type se estrena en Freeform el 26 de mayo

Panic se estrena en Prime Video el 28 de mayo

La tercera temporada de Sistas se estrena en BET el 9 de junio

La undécima y última temporada de The Walking Dead se estrena en AMC el 22 de agosto

Tráilers y promos

Loki

youtube

Selena: The Series - Temporada 2 y última

youtube

Run The World

youtube

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series - Temporada 2

youtube

The Mosquito Coast

youtube

Pose - Temporada 3 y última

youtube

Girls5eva

youtube

The Chi - Temporada 4

youtube

Jupiter's Legacy

youtube

#series tv #television

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cupcake-happy-tree-friends · 3 years

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anonymous:

Voice cast for Happy Tree Friends: The Movie.

Cuddles/Splendid - Tom Kenny (Cuddles’ voice like SpongeBob Squarepants/Splendid’s voice like a superhero)

Giggles - Tara Strong (Her voice like a shy and sweet little girl)

Toothy - Richard Steven Horvitz (His voice like Daggett from Angry Beavers)

Lumpy - Dan Castellaneta (His voice like Homer Simpson from The Simpsons)

Petunia - Lara Jill Miller (Her voice like Widget from Wow Wow Wubbzy)

Handy - Nick Bakay (His voice like Norbert from Angry Beavers)

Nutty - Chris Diamantopoulos (His voice like Mickey Mouse)

Sniffles - Candi Milo (Her voice like Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory)

Pop - Jim Cummings (His voice like a father)

Cub - Grey DeLisle (Her voice like Lily Loud from The Loud House)

Flaky - Andrea Libman (Her voice like Fluttershy from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)

The Mole - Mark Hamill (His voice like an agent, but a bit quieter)

Disco Bear - Jeff Bennett (His voice like Johnny Bravo)

Russell/Flippy/Splendont - Billy West

Lifty - Clancy Brown

Shifty - Brian-Doyle Murray

Mime - Carlos Alazraqui (His voice like a mime artist/clown with his French accent)

Lammy - Hynden Walch (Her voice like Elsie from Stanley, but her French accent)

Mr. Pickles - James Arnold Taylor (His voice like Wooldoor Sockbat from Drawn Together)

Truffles - John DiMaggio

Fliqpy (Flippy’s bad side) - Frank Welker (His voice like Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget)

Buddhist Monkey - Phil LaMarr

Panda Mom - Kari Wahlgren (Her voice like a mother)

That’s all for now.

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agl03 · 5 years

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ABC SDCC Press Release

Disney Television Studios Takes Over Comic-Con 2019 With 14 Panels DISNEY TELEVISION STUDIOS TAKES OVER COMIC-CON 2019 WITH 14 PANELS! ABC’S TWO HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FALL DRAMAS ‘STUMPTOWN’ AND ‘EMERGENCE’ MAKE COMIC-CON DEBUTS WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING OF FOX’S PULSING THRILLER ‘neXt’ FIRST LOOK AT TWO NEW ANIMATED SERIES: ‘BLESS THE HARTS,’ FROM EMMY® AWARD WINNER EMILY SPIVEY; AND ‘SOLAR OPPOSITES,’ FROM THE MINDS BEHIND ‘RICK AND MORTY’ EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK OF ‘What Just Happened??! WITH FRED SAVAGE’ AND SEASON 2 OF KURT SUTTER’S ‘MAYANS M.C.’ ‘MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’ RETURNS FOR STAR-STUDDED HALL H PANEL SETH MACFARLANE AND ‘THE ORVILLE’ CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM TEASE SEASON THREE AND NATHAN FILLION TALKS SEASON TWO OF ‘THE ROOKIE’ FAN-FAVORITE ANIMATED COMEDIES ‘THE SIMPSONS,’ ‘FAMILY GUY,’ ‘BOB’S BURGERS’ AND ‘AMERICAN DAD!,’ BACK FOR HILARIOUS PANELS AND AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS Among Those Scheduled to Appear on Panels and at the 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Booths in the San Diego Convention Center: Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell, H. Jon Benjamin, Michael Ealy, Donald Faison, Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Scott Grimes, Jake Johnson, Seth MacFarlane, Camryn Manheim, Megan Mullally, Edward James Olmos, JD Pardo, Fred Savage, Kristen Schaal, Cobie Smulders, Allison Tolman, Ming-Na Wen and Executive Producers Rich Appel, Loren Bouchard, Brannon Braga, David A. Goodman, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Jason Richman, Justin Roiland, Alec Sulkin, Emily Spivey, Kurt Sutter and Matt Weitzman Disney Television Studios including Twentieth Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios takes over the San Diego Comic-Con convention with stars and creators of 14 of its fan-favorite shows descending on the world-famous gathering next month. In addition to exclusive sneak peeks of its programs and panel discussions with the casts and creators, the studio will rotate producers and stars through the ABC and 20th Century Fox Television booths on the convention center floor for autograph signings and activities, including distribution of exclusive 2019 poster tubes, collectible mini-posters, premium giveaways and DVD sales. Descriptions of panel sessions and screenings follow:

THURSDAY, JULY 18

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EMERGENCE (Produced by ABC Studios) – Beyond explanation … beyond understanding … lies the truth. Join the cast and executive producers for a first look at the pilot episode of ABC’s new drama series “Emergence,” followed by an exciting panel discussion. This character-driven genre thriller follows a police chief who takes in a young child she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all. Executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters with cast members Allison Tolman, Donald Faison, Clancy Brown, Alexa Swinton, Owain Yeoman, Ashley Aufderheide, Robert Bailey Jr. and Zabryna Guevara will all be in attendance. (Indigo Ballroom) 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (Produced by ABC Studios) –The cast and producers of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” will return to San Diego Comic-Con in epic fashion as they take over Hall H for the first time ever! Be the first to hear the scoop about the show-stopping conclusion for season six and what awaits in season seven of Marvel’s flagship television show. With your favorite stars in attendance, including Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley and Jeff Ward, along with executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Jeff Bell and Jeph Loeb, this is a must-see panel to celebrate seven seasons with the world’s greatest fans! This action-packed series from ABC Studios and Marvel Television airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC. (Hall H) Please note: Talent is subject to change. 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. STUMPTOWN (Produced by ABC Studios) – Based on the “Stumptown” graphic novel, ABC’s new drama series “Stumptown” follows Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders) – a strong, assertive and sharp-witted army veteran with a complicated love life, gambling debt and a brother to take care of in Portland, Oregon. Her military intelligence skills make her a great PI, but her unapologetic style puts her in the firing line of hardcore criminals and not quite in alliance with the police. Panelists include cast members Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Michael Ealy, Camryn Manheim, Tantoo Cardinal, Cole Sibus and Adrian Martinez, with executive producer Jason Richman and “Stumptown” graphic novel author Greg Rucka. (Indigo Ballroom)

FRIDAY, JULY 19

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. BLESS THE HARTS(Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – From the network that brought you the Simpsons, the Griffins and the Belchers now present the Harts! FOX’s new half-hour comedy, “Bless The Harts,” features your new favorite, good ol’ Southern family. Jenny Hart (Kristen Wiig) supports her lottery scratcher-obsessed mother, Betty (Maya Rudolph), and her witty, creative daughter, Violet (Jillian Bell). With the help of her eternally optimistic, dreamer boyfriend Wayne (Ike Barinholtz), they hope to one day achieve the American dream. While they are always struggling to make ends meet, they’re already rich in friends, family and laughter. Join us for an exclusive first look into your next animation obsession with executive producers, Emmy® Award winner Emily Spivey (“Wine Country,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Saturday Night Live”), and Academy Award® winners Phil Lord & Chris Miller (“Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,” “The Lego Movie,” “21 Jump Street”), and the all-star cast behind the Harts! (Indigo Ballroom) 3:00 – 3:45 p.m. SOLAR OPPOSITES (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – From the minds behind “Rick and Morty” come “Solar Opposites,” a new animated series that follows a family of aliens “from a better world” who take refuge in middle America. Join Justin Roiland (“Rick and Morty”), Sean Giambrone (“The Goldbergs”) and Mary Mack (“Golan the Insatiable”), along with executive producers Mike McMahan (“Rick and Morty”) and Josh Bycel (“Happy Endings”), for an exclusive first look into the series premiering in 2020 on Hulu. (Indigo Ballroom) 4:00 – 4:50 p.m. BOB’S BURGERS (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – Always one of the most entertaining panels at Comic-Con, the Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series “Bob’s Burgers” returns to San Diego with a few surprises in store! Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard and executive producer Nora Smith will break news about the upcoming season, and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Larry Murphy and Megan Mullally will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a lively panel discussion and audience Q&A. (Indigo Ballroom) 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. What Just Happened??! WITH FRED SAVAGE (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – Acclaimed director and television star Fred Savage cannot wait a second longer to share the world of “The Flare,” the most mind-bending, thrilling, edge-of-your-seat sci-fi show never created. “The Flare,” based on TJ Whitford’s classic series of sci-fi novels, “The Moon is the Sun at Night” not only sizzled its way into living rooms nationwide but also inspired Fox to create its first-ever after-show, “What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage.” Join Fred, alongside stars of “The Flare,” Shiri Appleby (“Roswell”), Kevin Zegers (“Fear the Walking Dead”), Tyler Ritter (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), and co-creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser and director Jon Cassar (“24”) to get a sneak-peek screening of the fourth episode of the after-show dedicated to exploring the fandom surrounding the “The Flare.” “What Just Happened??!,” Fred’s half-hour hybrid comedy/talk show, airs on FOX on Sunday nights. Screening to be followed by conversation moderated by Fred Savage and fan Q&A. (Room 6DE) 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. the rookie (Produced by Entertainment One and ABC Studios) – Join series star and executive producer, Nathan Fillion, as he discusses his latest role as John Nolan on ABC’s high-action drama “The Rookie,” as production begins on its second season. Joining Nathan for this intimate conversation will be longtime friend and “The Rookie” showrunner, Alexi Hawley. The two collaborators will also reflect on Nathan’s overarching career, spanning from “Firefly” to Shakespeare, and now, playing the oldest rookie in the LAPD. (Horton Grand Theatre) 6:45 – 7:45 p.m. neXt (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – Join us for the world premiere of “neXt,” a propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with an examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand. Coming to FOX in 2020, “neXt” stars John Slattery (“Mad Men”) as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who teams with cybercrime agent Fernanda Andrade (“The First”), to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Panelists to include creator and executive producer Manny Coto (“24”), executive producers and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (“This Is Us”), Fernanda Andrade, Michael Mosley (“Ozark”), Jason Butler Harner (“Ozark”) and Eve Harlow (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) for a moderated conversation and fan Q&A. (Room 6DE)

SATURDAY, JULY 20

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. THE SIMPSONS (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – Now 30 years old and part of the mighty Disney empire, get inside insights and secret tips on the upcoming, brand-new season from Matt Groening, Al Jean, Mike B Anderson, Stephanie Gillis and the voice of Lisa Simpson and panel moderator, Yeardley Smith. There WILL be freebies! (Ballroom 20) 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. AMERICAN DAD! and FAMILY GUY(Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – It’s a Smith-family fun day with Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), Steve (Scott Grimes), Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and Principal Lewis (Kevin Michael Richardson), plus executive producer and co-creator Matt Weitzman and producers Kara Vallow & Jeff Kauffmann who will treat “American Dad!” fans to a first look at scenes from all-new episodes coming soon to TBS … plus a few other surprises! THEN Join cast Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mike Henry and executive producers Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Kara Vallow from FOX’s hit animated comedy “Family Guy” as we celebrate our 20th anniversary! We’ll take a look back at some of our favorite moments over the last 20 years, plus a special sneak peek at the hilarity and hi-jinx in the upcoming season! (Ballroom 20) 2:30 – 3:15 p.m. THE ORVILLE (Produced by 20th Century Fox Television) – From Emmy Award-winning executive producer and creator Seth MacFarlane, “The Orville” is back for season three and stopping in San Diego! Join the full crew of the U.S.S. Orville: Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Jessica Szohr, J Lee, Mark Jackson and Chad L. Coleman, and executive producers David A. Goodman, Jon Cassar and Brannon Braga to get an exclusive look back at some of our favorite, never-before-seen moments of season two and a special sneak peek at the new and exciting missions in the upcoming third season! (Ballroom 20)

SUNDAY, JULY 21

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. MAYANS M.C. (Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios) – “Mayans M.C.” is the next chapter in Kurt Sutter’s award-winning “Sons of Anarchy” saga. Set in a post-Jax Teller world, Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Come for an exclusive sneak peek at a scene from the upcoming season and a not-to-be-missed conversation with co-creator/executive producer/writer Kurt Sutter, co-creator/executive producer/writer/director Elgin James and executive producer/director Kevin Dowling, plus stars JD Pardo, Clayton Cardenas, Edward James Olmos, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Antonio Jaramillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral, Danny Pino, Emilio Rivera, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero and Vincent Rocco Vargas discussing what to look forward to from season two. Moderator: Lynette Rice, Entertainment Weekly. (Hall H) About Disney Television Studios Disney Television Studios is a collection of studios comprised of 20th Century Fox Television, ABC Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios. DTS produces the most award-winning, culture-defining programming for all platforms including “This Is Us,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Homeland,” “Modern Family,” “black-ish,” “Fosse/Verdon,” “American Horror Story” and “Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger.”

#agents of shield

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wazafam · 3 years

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Content Warning: Some of these articles contain discussions of violence and murder

Prime Video's Without Remorse is the latest Tom Clancy creation that has turned into a movie and expands into the world of the Ryanverse franchise. Starring Michael B. Jordan, the film follows a former Navy SEAL, who seeks vengeance against people who mercilessly killed his pregnant wife. However, things become complicated regarding United States-Russia relations.

RELATED: Every Tom Clancy Movie, Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes

Though it has a generic plot, Without Remorse is filled with explosive action and fighting sequences, and Jordan has proven himself worthy as the newest hero, John Kelly. Of course, it is not the only film of its kind, as other movies have suspenseful and thrilling stories, complex characters, and mind-blowing action scenes.

10 The Bourne Identity (2002) - Available On Sling

Starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, The Bourne Identity follows a man after almost dying at sea. Following a brain injury, he had been diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, which then leads to him trying to get answers about his mysterious past.

Like Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum also had a popularized book series about espionage and action thrills that turned into a film franchise. The first of the franchise, The Bourne Identity, received positive reviews for its refreshing story and fast-paced action, with a unique concept on a spy film. The film soon turned into an established franchise, leading to three sequels, one spin-off film, and a TV series that expands into the world of Jason Bourne and espionage.

9 Sicario (2015) - Available On Spectrum TV & Redbox

Given the intensity of the war on drugs, an FBI agent is recruited by a government official to take down several powerful cartels. She works alongside a reserved and enigmatic individual to escalate tension between competing cartels, but it is only the tip of the iceberg.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Without Remorse's screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, Sicario features a star-studded cast of Emily Blunt, James Brolin, and Benicio del Toro. It was considered one of the best movies of its time, thanks to the eye-catching fighting sequences, brilliant directions, and thrilling and well-written story. There is also a sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

8 Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - Available On FuboTV & Showtime

Following the death of his family, a man tries to seek justice against the man who killed them. However, a plea bargain sees the killer free. Soon, he takes matters into his own hands by bringing hell to those who wronged him and going after corrupted officials like his prosecutor, who committed the unjust.

RELATED: Promising Young Woman & 9 Other Must-See Revenge Thrillers, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Law Abiding Citizen has a talented cast, including Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, and Viola Davis. It is one of the few films where the audience appreciates the movie more than the critics. The action sequences will surely keep viewers on the edge of their seats for an entertaining action flick.

7 The Hunt For Red October (1990) - Available On FuboTV & Sling

Like many of Tom Clancy's stories, The Hunt for Red October follows rising tension between the United States and the Soviet Union when a Soviet captain defies orders and sets the course of his submarine to North America. It is now up to Jack Ryan to determine his motives before things escalate.

In this version, Alec Baldwin portrays the famous character, Jack Ryan, and stars alongside Sean Connery, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill. There are several renditions of the Jack Ryan story, but this first installment of the Ryanverse is considered the best, thanks to its captivating and suspenseful screenplay. The film was nominated for three Oscars awards and won one for 'Best Sound Effects Editing.'

6 Salt (2010) - Available On Hulu & FuboTV

A CIA agent, Salt, becomes a fugitive after she is wrongly accused of being a Russian spy. As she tries to prove her innocence, she also has to use her extraordinary skills to avoid capture.

Salt stars Angeline Jolie, who is remarkable as the titular character and received praise for her performance. It is also one of her highest-grossing films. Although the story is convoluted, the film has enough brilliant and thrilling action scenes that make it entertaining.

5 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - Available On HBO Max

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy takes place in the 1970s, where relations with the Soviet Union and the Cold War are growing more intense. After learning that MI6 has a mole, the agency seeks a retired officer to find the double agent.

This film has quite a remarkable cast, including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. It is a well-crafted and well-written story that takes espionage movies to a different level. The film was listed as one of the best films of its years by many critics and earned three Oscar nominations, including 'Best Actor for Oldman.'

4 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi (2016) - Available On FXNOW

Based on the 2014 book by Mitchell Zuckoff, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi follows the historical events of the Benghazi attack in 2012. A security team tries to survive through this ambush while protecting and saving Americans at the U.S. Consulate.

RELATED: John Krasinski & Emily Blunt: Their Best Movies Aside From A Quiet Place, According To Rotten Tomatoes

The film has jaw-dropping and harrowing battle sequences, depicting the heroic actions of those during the attack. Also, the cast gives an exceptional performance, with John Krasinski being the standout.

3 Safe House (2012) - Available On HBO Max

A rookie CIA agent finally receives a major assignment to watch over a rogue agent at his safe house. However, they both go on the run after an attack and must uncover the trust.

Despite mixed reviews about the story and choppy editing, Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington gave strong performances that made this action thriller captivating and worth the watch. Safe House is packed with thrilling action sequences and car chases that make it a crowd-pleasing action flick.

2 21 Bridges (2019) - Available On FuboTV & Showtime

With no leads on who killed several police officers, an NYPD detective takes extremes measures to close down all 21 bridges to find and stop the suspects. In doing so, he also finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy.

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Taylor Kitsch, Sienna Miller, 21 Bridges is another film on this list where the critics gave mixed reviews, but the audience thoroughly enjoyed it. It is filled with plot twists and well-crafted action scenes that will leave viewers engaged throughout the movie. Also, Boseman reunited with MCU directors, the Russo brothers, who are producers of the film.

1 Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) - Available On Prime Video & Hulu

Mission: Impossible is perhaps one of the most notable film series of all time, but it was the fourth film that amplified the high stakes of espionage and action thrillers. The IMF disavows their most talented agent, Ethan Hunt, as they bear the responsibilities of a terrorist attack at the Kremlin. As Hunt goes off the grid and seeks the help of other agents, he hopes to stop the next attack while also helping to clear the IMF's name.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is an exceptional addition to the series, with some of the biggest highlights being the brilliantly choreographed action sequences. Portraying Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise again exhibits his stunt mastery by showcasing some of the most anxiety-inducing action scenes, such as his climb on the Burj Khalifa. The series now consists of six movies, with a seventh one expected to release in 2022.

NEXT: Mission Impossible: Top 10 Chase Scenes, Ranked

10 Best Movies Like Tom Clancy's Without Remorse | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3b0iUSG

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lifejustgotawkward · 7 years

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365 Day Movie Challenge (2017) - #379: Patriot Games (1992) - dir. Phillip Noyce

In all honesty, I only watched Patriot Games because, thanks to a recent resurgence of interest in watching the filmography of Willem Dafoe, I decided I wanted to check out Clear and Present Danger (1994) and I realized I would have to see its predecessor, Patriot Games, first. That might not be much of an impetus to hang my hat on, but given how much I disliked two other big-screen adaptations of Tom Clancy novels (The Hunt for Red October and The Sum of All Fears), my hopes weren’t too high anyway.

There’s no reason not to enjoy Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, an ex-CIA agent who reluctantly returns to active duty after a disturbing encounter in London with an IRA terrorist, Sean Miller (Sean Bean), who has broken away from the rest of the rebels. An all-star cast accompanies Ford and Bean on their respective journeys: Anne Archer as Dr. Cathy Ryan, Jack’s wife; Thora Birch as Sally, Jack’s young daughter; James Earl Jones as Admiral Greer, Jack’s CIA boss; Richard Harris as Paddy O’Neil, the US liaison with the IRA; Patrick Bergin and Polly Walker as Sean Miller’s two associates; James Fox as the British royal who is initially targeted by the IRA for the attack that Jack Ryan intercepts; and other assorted roles played by Samuel L. Jackson, J.E. Freeman, Alex Norton, Ellen Geer and Ted Raimi.

There is more than enough gunfire to go around in Patriot Games and the standard technical accompaniments (cinematography by Donald McAlpine, editing by William Hoy and Neil Travis, score by James Horner) fulfill their requirements. In the end the film tells an ordinary story of revenge rather than a narrative of complex political intrigue, but as always, Sean Bean fully commits himself to the part of the main baddie. It’s easy to see why he would be cast as a Bond villain in GoldenEye three years later; he knows how to portray malevolence without tripping into the land of cartoon caricature.

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justsomeantifas · 8 years

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Here’s your dose of “What the Fuck Is Going On” news extended edition (2/11/2017 - 2/14/2017)

After a weekend of controversy, Michael Flynn has resigned from his position as national security advisor. Flynn appears to have lied about his communications with Russia and had conversation about lifting the sanctions against them. He did this before Trump even took office and it was also revealed that the DoJ had warned the Trump administration about Flynn. It was revealed today that Trump actually knew about Flynn's conversations with Russia for weeks. Retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. will serve as acting national security advisor until another replacement is named. (source)

Raids conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency continued to be carried out this weekend. Trump tweeted on Sunday that he’s merely keeping his promise to get rid of immigrants who are “drug dealers” and “gang members” however ICE confirmed that 25% of those picked up had no prior felony convictions. This is just the start of the broadened scope of powers given to ICE agents from Trump’s executive order. ICE then promised to meet with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss these raids, however ICE backed out of the meeting. (source) (source)

Former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin was confirmed as the Secretary of Treasury. Mnuchin for Secretary of Treasury has been controversial because his professional history highlights the actions that led the country into financial crisis and he gained a large chunk of his wealth by foreclosing the homes of elderly homeowners and running a bank that hastily foreclosed on homeowners. (source)

Today Trump signed into law legislation that repeals a securities disclosure rule aimed at curbing corruption at energy and mining companies. This rule of the Dodd-Frank Act requires oil and gas companies to reveal taxes paid to foreign countries. Trump stated that this resolution “is a big signing, very important signing.” (source)

Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver has sponsored a bill in Tennessee that would no longer consider children born from artificial insemination as legitimate offspring to their parents. The bill is controversial and noted for it's obvious attack against same-sex couples. Weaver claims that she’s doing this because of constitutional concerns raised by the Tennessee Attorney General in a divorce case between two women. (source)

Former Breitbart editor and deputy assistant to Trump, Sebastian Gorka, is the subject of some controversy due to some pictures of him during Trump’s inauguration. Some have noted that Gorka is wearing a medal originally issued by the Hungarian Order of Heroes, Vitézi Rend, a group who collaborated with Nazi Germany. Hungarians who came across the interview pointed out the medal and some Hungarian scholars have noted the medal does appear to identify with the Order of Vitéz. It’s also been noted that Gorka signed his PhD dissertation in as “Sebestyén L. v. Gorka” - “L. v.” being initials representing members of Vitézi Rend. This comes after he defended the White House’s omission of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. (source) (source)

After the border wall estimates came out (21.6 billion) and the numbers showed a much higher price than Trump and the GOP claimed it would be, Trump took to Twitter. He claims that he has not gotten involved in the negotiations yet and that the prices will come “way down.” (source)

A temporary restraining order was sought to halt the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. However on Monday, a federal judge, James Boasberg, denied their request. Another hearing to attempt to block the pipeline is scheduled for Feb. 27th 2017. (source)

Senior White House policy adviser Stephen Miller was asked on ABC News about the Trump administration's claims of voter fraud. He repeated the same lie that millions voted illegally and then refused to provide evidence but ensured the audience that it's true and when repeatedly asked to prove how it's true said to go to New Hampshire and talk to the people there because everyone knows it's true. He then whined about the media refusing to cover the mass voter fraud - despite there being no evidence and it being an outright lie. Miller also gave other interviews the same day where he said in regards to the travel ban that “the president’s powers here are beyond question,” and "that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned.” Naturally Trump later praised Miller for representing him and defending him in these interviews. (source) (source)

The Justice Department has begun it's rollback of transgender rights for students. This all came quickly after Sen. Jeff Sessions was confirmed as attorney general, who has consistantly voted against LGBTQ rights and issues. It's been a concern what Sessions could do in his position regarding active LGBTQ-related lawsuits and what this all means for the Justice Department as a whole. (source)

Trump complained on Sunday that the media refused to run stories on the "big crowds" of supporters lining the roads to the airport as he returned to Washington. However, the crowds were reported on but they were almost entirely protesters, largely protesters against the Dakota Access Pipeline. (source)

Several conservative pundits keep trying to compare the protests against Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, to segregation. Some even referencing Ruby Bridges, the first first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in Louisiana. (source)

Trump’s most recent approval rating is lower than that of any president who has been in office less than a month, and is currently similar to the numbers former President Bush saw after Hurricane Katrina. Forty percent of Americans currently approve of Trump’s job performance, and 54 percent disapprove. (source)

Secret Service director, Joseph Clancy, has announced that he is stepping down and retiring next month. This resignation means that Trump will now be able to appoint his own choice or Secret Service director. (source)

#Donald Trump #immigration #xenophobia #racism #dakota access pipeline #classism #economic crisis #politics #political corruption #segregation #anti-Black racism #transphobia #border wall #nazi mention #white supremacy #What the Fuck is Going On News #Mod H

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ulkaralakbarova · 2 months

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A look behind the scenes at Bernie Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme, how it was perpetrated on the public and the trail of destruction it left in its wake, both for the victims and Madoff’s family. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Bernie Madoff: Robert De Niro Ruth Madoff: Michelle Pfeiffer Frank Dipascali: Hank Azaria Stephanie Madoff: Kristen Connolly Catherine Hooper: Lily Rabe Mark Madoff: Alessandro Nivola Eleanor Squillari: Kathrine Narducci Andrew Madoff: Nathan Darrow Martin London: Steve Coulter Dan Horwitz: Michael A. Goorjian Ostrow: Geoffrey Cantor Michael Schwartz: Jason Babinsky Waitress: Marta Milans Agent Ted Cacioppi: Kelly AuCoin SEC Investigator: Amanda Warren Peter Madoff: Michael Kostroff Reporter: Portland Helmich Upscale Gala Guest: Doris McCarthy David Sheehan: Hamilton Clancy News Reporter: Tommy Bayiokos Reed: Gary Wilmes Club Codette: Cece King Trader: Kelly Aaron Party Guest: Amelia Brain Pinks: Marion McCorry Nicole De Bello: Sophie von Haselberg Driver: Karen Goeller Emily Madoff: Sydney Gayle Photographer / Paparazzi: Vincent Chan Caterer: Adam Butterfield Mike: Razor Rizzotti FBI Agent Kane Partner: Derrick Simmons Visitor: James Brickhouse Kenneth Langone: Ray Iannicelli Florida Fisherman: Guy Sparks Carl Shapiro: Ben Hammer Pool Kid: Ethan Coskay Picard Reporter: Victor Joel Ortiz Federal Agent: Chris LaPanta Daughter: Nicole Scimeca Young Mom: Anthoula Katsimatides Irving Picard: David Little Pierre: Jean Brassard Robert Jaffe: Mark Axelowitz Audrey: Reagan Grella Girl in Pool: Giulia Cicciari Party Guest: Wayne J. Miller Tom FitzMaurice: Neil Brooks Cunningham Palm Beach Party Guest: Lori Burch Bartender: Christine J. Carlson Inmate Gonzales: Sammy Peralta 17th floor Office worker: Ralph Bracco Young Daniel: Eli Golden Ike Sorkin: Mark LaMura Pool Party Guest (uncredited): Robert Levey II BLM Employee: Geoffrey Dawe Film Crew: Producer: Joseph E. Iberti Screenplay: Sam Levinson Executive Producer: Barry Levinson Screenplay: Samuel Baum Screenplay: John Burnham Schwartz Book: Diana Henriques Co-Producer: Amy Herman Original Music Composer: Evgueni Galperine Casting: Ellen Chenoweth Director of Photography: Eigil Bryld Editor: Ron Patane Costume Design: Rita Ryack Art Direction: Ryan Palmer Executive Producer: Robert De Niro Executive Producer: Jane Rosenthal Set Decoration: Heather Loeffler Executive Producer: Berry Welsh Co-Executive Producer: Jason Sosnoff Original Music Composer: Sacha Galperine Production Design: Laurence Bennett Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Skip Lievsay Movie Reviews:

#based on novel or book #biography #client #defraud #madoff #ponzi scheme #scam #Top Rated Movies

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e350tb · 6 years

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Steven Universe - Ruby Stars: Chapter Seven

A Trip to Wilmingmore

In the city of Wilmingmore, there was a enormous megamall. It was an enormous, grey concrete structure with a round roof, surrounded by a vast tarmac plain of parking lots and loading bays. It was if it resided in a gigantic black hole in the middle of the city, separated from the city centre and the docks by a ring of freeways, elevated roads and the railway line. It was the commercial heart of the state - it was called the Delmarva Centre.

Although the centre was vast, the stores inside needed space for their excess goods. On the eastern, dockyard side of the Centre were a series of warehouses for this purpose. They were old, dark and dusty, but they protected a sea of products from the elements.

That wasn't the only thing they protected.

Sometime in the previous winter, a corrupted quartz had lumbered down from Jersey in search of warmer climates. She travelled by night and slept by day, and incredibly had gone completely unnoticed by the time she reached the city.

She didn't like the city, however. It was loud, crowded and bright, and metal monsters screamed down the roads and railways at all hours. She had tried sleeping in the sewers underneath the city, but the dampness and the smell made her uncomfortable. So she wandered further along, cold and miserable, until at last she found one of the warehouses.

Inside, she found a bed in the corner. It was large and wooden, and she could just about fit inside, once she pushed out some of the strange trinkets that were already inside. Satisfied, she climbed inside, carefully closed the lid, curled up and went to sleep.

She slept for a very long time indeed. She was only awoken by a jolt as her bed started to move.

As it turned out, the crate belonged to an electronics store, and it was being moved inside the centre so that the contents to be added to the in-store stock.

Both they and the quartz were in for a nasty surprise...

"...yeah, I'm with Connie. I mean, fifty pages? That's way too much..."

"But Jenny, it's adorable!"

The van pulled into an empty parking space, and Greg turned off the engine.

"Okay, remember where we parked!"

Sadie climbed out of Greg's van, stretching her arms and legs. Wilmingmore wasn't that far from Beach City, but she was glad to be off the road all the same. In any case, she'd been looking forward to this for a while.

She, Steven, Connie and Jenny had come up to the Delmarva Centre to buy equipment for the band. Greg had suggested some new sound equipment, and they'd decided to make a day trip of it. Buck and Sour Cream hadn't been able to come (something about a project, they said), but that didn't mean they couldn't have fun on their own.

In any case, she needed the down time. Training back at Beach City had moved on to summoning her weapon. It wasn't going well, probably because she didn't have the first idea of what her weapon actually was. A day to cool off and focus on herself would probably be good for her - Garnet had even said as much herself.

"Okay," said Greg, "I'm gonna go pick this sound system up from WirelessShack - you guys meet me back at the van at about... three?"

"Are you sure you don't need help?" asked Sadie, "You're doing this for us, and..."

"Nah, I'll be fine," replied Greg kindly, "You guys enjoy yourselves!"

He wandered off in the direction of the Centre entrance.

"So," asked Connie, "What do you guys wanna do?"

"I'm pretty sure there's an arcade in there," replied Jenny, "I mean, if they haven't closed it or anything. I haven't been here for a year..."

"Or we could go to the LEGU Shop!" exclaimed Steven.

He held up his hand and Connie high-fived him.

Suddenly there came a low rumble. Connie looked at her stomach and blushed slightly.

"Well, guess we know what we're doing first," said Sadie.

She chuckled as they headed inside.

"...Seriously, you're making us come here so that you can use a payphone."

"It's not my fault they didn't have one at the office!"

"Bracknell, before we leave, we're getting you a mobile phone. I mean come on..."

Clancy and Bracknell wandered the colossal avenues of the mall. They were in search of what Clancy reckoned might have been the last payphone in the city of Wilmingmore so that Bracknell could call his parents on his mother's birthday. Clancy would have lent him his phone, except he was under no circumstances to lend his OSS-issued phone to anyone else - his boss had repeatedly told him that it was worth more than he was. Besides, it needed his fingerprints to work.

In any case, he was privately glad to be out of the factory-turned-office. The metallic smells were often overbearing, and either Bradshaw or one of his lackeys called him every couple of hours. At least now he had an excuse to ignore them - and if he got Bracknell a phone, he could claim it was work.

Eventually, they reached the payphone. It was nestled in a corner overlooking a massive, circular concourse. As Bracknell dialled his parent's numbers, Clancy walked over to the railing and peered over it - he felt like a bit of people watching.

It was lunchtime, and people were generally heading to the food court, which was on the other side of the avenue Clancy had just come up. Some were getting business from students, as the Wilmingmore University generally allowed breaks for lunch around this time. There were a lot of people at Cold Issue, for example, and a few more at GameShop. Comparatively, the WirelessShack just across from him was quiet.

Suddenly, a familiar person caught his eye.

Clancy cursed under his breath as he saw Greg Universe, a U-Bahn sandwich in his hand, wandering over to the WirelessShack. He was whistling a tune, and seemed to be in good spirits.

"Okay," Clancy whispered to himself, "Don't worry, Bracknell's gonna be on the phone for a while, I don't have to talk to him..."

"Yeah, I'll call back when I get my phone. Give Dad my love! Bye!"

Clancy's eye twitched as Bracknell hung up the phone.

"She's at lunch with Grandma," he said, walking over, "I'll call her back tonight after I set up my phone. So, WirelessShack?"

Clancy frowned deeply.

Greg stood in line at the WirelessShack, waiting for the man in front to finish paying for his TV.

It took a lot to annoy Greg, but this man was starting to do just that. He was a well-dressed man in a fine suit with no tie, his hair immaculately coiffed, and his voice underlined with a deeply aristocratic air. He probably could have ordered a TV online (or gotten somebody else to do it), but instead he insisted on insulting and abusing the staff at the counter.

"Hurry up, you!" he spat, "I want this television today!"

"Uh-y-y-yes sir," replied the cashier, "I-I just need to make sure your card is valid before I can..."

"Valid? Valid? Do you know who I am?"

Greg was about to open his mouth and ask the man to cool off, when he suddenly felt a soft kick against his heel.

"Ooh, sorry sir, my fault."

"Nah, it's fine," Greg said, turning around.

He paused.

He didn't recognise the man that had kicked him - he was a short, suited, dark-skinned man who looked friendly enough. Behind him, looking as though he wished he was absolutely anywhere else right now, was Agent Clancy Miller.

"Clancy?" said Greg.

"Uh...Greg, yeah," nodded Clancy, "I… uh… we were just getting this kid a phone."

"A phone," nodded Greg.

"Yeah."

"And you went a hundred miles from Washington to get it."

"I… uh..."

Clancy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I'm not here about your kid, alright?" he said at last, "They just want me to keep watch on gem stuff."

Greg nodded sceptically.

"Is...is Sadie well?" asked Clancy hesitantly.

"She's-"

"I want to see it before you load it up!" barked the rich man, "Bring the box out here and make it quick!"

Greg shot the man the sternest look he could (which was hard, as he was not a naturally stern man) before turning back to Clancy.

"She's okay," he replied, "She's living with the Gems for now."

"Yeah, Barb told me," nodded Clancy, "Do you...check in on her?"

Greg nodded.

"Does she tell you anything?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell you or Barb anything she didn't want you to know," replied Greg.

"Um, sir, I'm sort of feeling a bit 'third wheel' here," interjected the other man, "How do you two know each other?"

"Stay out of this, Bracknell," grunted Clancy.

The older agent sighed.

"Look, Greg, just... make sure she stays safe, okay?" he said, "Not for me. For her."

"She'll be alright," replied Greg, "I promise..."

"Ah, perfect! Finally, some punctuality. Wheel it up and I'll look inside."

The rich man was looking at a crate that had been wheeled up from the back. It was about waist high and quite wide - it must have been a very upmarket television. A grumpy looking worker was unscrewing the bolts to the lid. The rich man leant over him, waiting impatiently to see inside.

"Come on, come on, we haven't all day! Let's see it!" the man snapped, with his holier-than-thou attitude that made Greg's skin crawl.

The workman muttered something under his breath as he unscrewed the last bolt. Then, slowly and carefully, he lifted the lid off.

"Wait," said the wealthy man, "That isn't..."

A blue blur flew right into the snob's face, knocking him hard onto his back. Despite the panic of the moment, Greg had to admit it was a little vindicating.

The creature standing on the rich man's chest resembled a very large, very furry and very agitated bobcat. It's fur was light blue with a sprinkling of darker blue spots. Instead of a muzzle it had a beak, and one of its eyes was replaced by a blue gemstone. At the end of its tail was a large, sharp spike.

"Corrupted gem," hissed Clancy.

As the store erupted in a cacophony of amazement, some terror and a few laughs at the annoyingly well-tailored man's misfortune, the gem's head darted around. She seemed to be shaking - Greg realised it must be terrified.

"Okay, everybody quiet down!" he said, "She's scared!"

At that, the rich man tried to sit up. He scowled at his assailant.

"Get this hideous creature off of my new suit!" he thundered.

The gem jumped and yowled. For a second she dug her heels into the man's chest, causing him to wince and yelp in pain - then she was off, out of the store and into the mall, bowling down everyone in her way.

Greg, Clancy and Bracknell watched it disappear towards the food court.

"We... we should get after that thing," said Bracknell.

Clancy sighed.

"So much for a day off," he muttered.

Sadie picked at her food and sighed heavily.

They were sitting in a restaurant in the food court - a fifties-styled diner, with an old jukebox and a lovingly restored roadster out the front. Sadie and Jenny sat alone in the booth; Steven and Connie had gone to try and work the jukebox.

"What's up, Sadie Killer?" asked Jenny.

Sadie stared at a fry in her hand.

"I'm starting to notice that everything seems to taste different," she replied.

"So you hate some of the foods you used to like?" asked Jenny.

Sadie nodded, pointing to an unfinished burger on the side of her plate.

"I never used to have a problem with them," she explained, "But now onions make me gag when I try to eat 'em. And it's not even just that! I don't need as much sleep as I used to or get tired as much, and I never feel like I'm too hot or too cold, and..."

In fact, it was more than simply the taste of the food. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she was sure that people were looking at her differently - and why wouldn’t they? Her strange new red eyes, the gem that poked out from under her shirt - these were not things normal people had. She felt like everyone was judging her, silently fearing her - like she was something other than what they were.

She no longer felt like Sadie Miller (and in many ways she wasn’t - after all, Clancy Miller wasn’t even her father.) In many ways, she hardly felt like Sadie at all. She felt more a Ruby, less a human, the gem in her torso starting to weigh on the wires supporting her sense of who she even was. They grew tauter by the day, and she felt about ready to snap.

Jenny put a hand on Sadie's.

"Hey, girl, breathe," she said.

Sadie closed her eyes and breathed in and out slowly.

"I just... feel less human," she said, "And that's not fair, because I'm not any different from Steven and he never feels like he's not human... at least I don't think he does..."

"Look, Sadie," replied Jenny, "I'm not gonna pretend I understand this, but it's okay if you're scared of what's happening to you. I mean, change is freaky. But you're gonna get through it. You're not alone."

Sadie nodded and smiled weakly back at her.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I guess you're right."

Anything else she might have said was interrupted by the return of Steven and Connie.

"They unplugged the jukebox," said Connie, shrugging, "Someone set it up to play What's New Pussycat twenty-one times."

"Geez, really?" asked Sadie, "Somebody must've had a lot of time on their..."

A shriek echoed through the diner.

Sadie got up, looking out into the food court. Scores of people were racing for the exits, although a few had stopped and whipped out their phones and cameras. The cause of the concern was a blue monster, large and fluffy, that stood on a table. It growled at a security guard, who was very nervously backing away.

"A corrupted gem!" gasped Steven.

"Darn it, now?" exclaimed Connie, "But I left my sword at home!"

"You have a sword?" asked Jenny.

Connie shrugged.

"It's a long story."

The monster growled, stepping towards the security guard. It looked like she was preparing to pounce.

"Okay, we need to bubble her," said Steven, drawing his shield, "Just take it nice and easy, and..."

Suddenly, everything seemed to happen at once.

A young man in a black suit dove out from behind a table, aiming to tackle the monster. He missed, landing hard on his stomach and knocking over the table next to it. A bottle of ketchup crashed to the floor and sprayed him in the face.

The creature just about jumped out of her skin, shooting off the table like a startled cat. She roared and thundered towards the window of the diner. With a mighty crash she jumped through, landing right in front of Sadie and Jenny.

Before they could react, she roared again - this time, a sonic boom burst from her mouth, picking Sadie up and sending her flying into the back wall. She hit her head hard - she slumped to the floor, her vision swimming. Dust flew everywhere.

"Put him down!"

Sadie's vision cleared. She saw the monster - she had lifted Steven up by his shirt with her tail. Connie had picked up a stool and lifted it over her head - she was about to charge in.

"OSS! Stay back!"

A man stepped through the dust, carrying a crowbar. Sadie's eyes widened.

It was Clancy Miller.

"C'mere girl," Clancy urged, "C'mere. Nice and easy..."

The creature dropped Steven - he landed hard on the tiled floor. She turned to face to agent, growling again. Clancy braced himself slightly - he didn't seem to have noticed Sadie.

"Yeah, that's good, away from the kid," said Clancy, "Over here, I can make this nice and easy..."

The monster pounced towards Clancy. He held up the crowbar like a swordsman parrying an enemy - with a sickening crunch, the crowbar bent out of shape as the monster caught it in her beak. She tore it from the agent's hands almost effortlessly and threw it to the floor.

"...oh," said Clancy, backing away, "Uh… shoot, um..."

The monster charged again. The agent shut his eyes.

Before she could tackle Clancy, he was shoved into cover by Jenny. They both landed hard in a corner booth, the agent knocking his head hard on the bottom of one of the stools. Instantly, the creature turned - it growled and prepared to charge once more. Jenny shielded the stunned agent and braced, waiting for the attack to come.

Sadie shook the dizziness from her head and grit her teeth.

This wasn't fair. She'd come here to get away from her problems, just for a day. Not only had a corrupted gem turned up to ruin it, but her once-father had also had the gall to turn up and make everything worse. Now her friend was going to get hurt, and she was just sitting here, watching numbly.

Jenny didn't deserve this.

Steven and Connie didn't deserve this.

She didn't deserve this.

It just. Wasn't. Fair.

"Get away from her!"

Sadie lunged to her feet, rushing towards the gem monster. Her gem glowed, and she felt something emerge from it. Without thinking, she grabbed it and pulled it out.

She lifted the short, red spear and buried it into the monster's back with all the force she could muster. There was an enormous puff of smoke, and she heard something hard land on the floor.

She landed on her knees, breathing heavily. As the adrenaline wore off, she gazed in wonderment at the weapon. It was a practical spear, no more than a meter long - it was dark red with a lighter red head. It seemed to glow slightly, but perhaps that was Sadie's imagination. She glanced from the weapon to her gem and then back again, her face going slightly pale.

"Did… did I make this?"

She looked over to Jenny and Clancy. The former had already gotten up and was running over to check on her friend (she seemed to be stowing her phone as she did), but Clancy was frozen in place, gazing in stunned silence at the half-gem.

"...my god," he breathed.

Sadie wondered if he was in awe or horrified, but she couldn't help but suspect the latter.

They stared at each other in numb silence. Jenny was saying something, but Sadie couldn't process it. Steven was bubbling the gem, and Greg had arrived with the other agent - they were saying things too, but they might as well have been mute.

At last, Clancy spoke again.

"I can't… I… Bracknell, we need to go!"

He sprung to his feet, adjusting his tie with shaking hands as he walked briskly to the door. The younger agent - Bracknell, apparently - quickly followed, glancing back towards the ruined diner as he did. They passed several diner patrons and mall customers, none of whom paid them any attention.

All attention seemed to be on Sadie. She swallowed, her throat dry, and looked at her shaking hands.

She didn't want this. She didn't want this.

"Sadie?" asked Steven, his voice underlined with worry.

Sadie clutched her head, the spear vanishing as she let go of it. Her head was spinning again, and she felt like she was going to be sick.

"... I… I think I need to go."

"Sir," said Bracknell, "What the heck was that?"

They had driven back to the factory in utter silence, Clancy's hands clutching the wheel so hard that he feared he might crush it. Now, sitting in the parking lot, his partner had decided to break the oppressive quiet.

"She's not supposed to actually have a gem, Bracknell," replied Clancy, "I… she's supposed to be normal."

He clutched his forehead and ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth.

"That's what Barb wanted, that's what I wanted, that's what Kay wanted!" he exclaimed, "She was supposed to have a normal life, and I told her about that gem, and I screwed it up!"

"It can't be that bad, can it?" asked Bracknell.

Clancy breathed in, shaking his head.

"The ruby I was supposed to get from Beach City," he replied, "The one I was supposed to find..."

There was a long silence, save for the sound of Clancy’s ragged, anxious breathing.

"Oh," said Bracknell flatly.

"Yeah," snapped Clancy, "Oh."

He shook his head.

"And then I just ran off," he sighed, "She probably thinks I think she's some kind of freak. She doesn't need that, and..."

Hesitantly, Bracknell put a hand on his partner's shoulder.

"It's okay, sir, it's okay," he said, "Just… we'll figure it out, alright?"

Clancy shook off his hand.

"No," he said, sending his partner a sharp glare, "This is my mess, Bracknell. I don't want you mixed up in it."

He sighed again, turning the engine back on again. Bracknell bit his tongue and swallowed, not daring to speak up.

"Right, let's go," he said.

"Go where?" asked Bracknell.

"To one of the other Wilmingmore malls," replied Clancy, "We still need to get you that darn phone."

The sun was setting as they approached Beach City.

The van ride had been quiet. Greg had taken everything in his stride - he could always get the new sound system another day, after all. Steven and Connie had quietly discussed the bubbled gem and the possibility of getting a sword rack for the van for the next time they travelled.

Sadie had spent the whole trip home looking out the window - she felt absolutely miserable.

There was a soft beep from Jenny's phone. She checked the message and smiled.

"Yo, Sadie Killer?" she said.

"Yeah?" sighed Sadie.

Quietly, Jenny wagered a question.

"Feeling any better...?"

"No," replied Sadie.

"Well, I've got a little something for you," said Jenny, smiling, "Here, take a look!"

Sadie looked at Jenny's phone. On the screen was a picture of her in the diner, spear in hand. Her eyes seemed to glow like burning coals, and the discarded gem of the monster lay next to her. She frowned - could that really be her?

No wonder people thought she was a freak.

She was about to say something that effect when Jenny scrolled down, revealing a long list of messages received. She smiled earnestly as Sadie read through them.

looking good SK!!! that spear would make a rad prop in our next vid!

Buck is pleased.

SADIE!!! AWESOME SPEAR!!! WE NEED TO TALK, I HAVE TO PUT THIS ON MY BLOG!!!

omg jen?! she beat a monster! that's amazing!

Hello Sadie

Excellent work! We'll need to discuss how you did it, but I couldn't be more proud!

From Pearl

By Jove! She looks like a modern day Artemis! I'll have to cast her in my next play!

Sadie continued to read the long list of replies. It seemed that Jenny had sent the picture to just about everyone, and they'd all sent praise back. She shook her head - how was she supposed to process this?

"See?" said Steven, "Nobody in Beach City thinks you're a freak!"

"They do think you're awesome, though," added Connie.

Jenny put an arm around Sadie's shoulders.

"Sadie, it doesn't matter if you're human or gem or one of Ronaldo's sneople," she said, "You're still Sadie, and that hasn't changed. All the people who matter still love you, girl!"

"Yeah!" Steven and Connie exclaimed.

"Yeah!" said Greg.

He paused, biting his lip.

"I wasn't listening, what's the conversation about?" he asked.

Sadie smiled.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, "Thanks."

She closed her eyes and put a hand over her gem, slowly breathing in and out. She still didn’t feel human - but just for a moment, she felt like Sadie again.

"It really means a lot," she said sincerely.

#steven universe #ruby stars #sadie miller #connie maheswaran #jenny pizza #greg universe #agent clancy miller #agent philbert bracknell

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dailyhealthynews · 3 years

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‘The Bachelorette’ Contestants Cody And Aaron’s Feud Explained

A season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette without drama is like champagne without bubbles: it’s not worth it. There’s always a lot of drama thanks to ABC producers and contestants. Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette travel drama started on the first night, seemingly out of nowhere.

After 30 interviews, the conversations were in full swing and the boxer remained a mystery. Everyone was a little nervous, but Katie and the boys handled the awkwardness like masters. Then a fight broke out.

In what Twitter calls “the most random fight in the history of the Bachelor franchise,” the episode between 27-year-old Cody Menks the zipper salesman (you know, inflatable doll guy?) And 26-year-old old Aaron Clancy became , the insurance agent.

ICYMI, here’s what happened between Aaron and Cody on the first night.

“I don’t like you, brother. I’ve never liked you, “Aaron said to Cody. “And that’s fine. We don’t have to talk at all. And it’s not my fault that I don’t like you.” (Which makes me suspicious.)

A confused Cody shot back, “Well you don’t like me so it’s your fault.” Then in a confessional, Cody said, “I’m like, ‘What are you talking about buddy?'”

Back to the fight. “I’m literally just telling you exactly what’s going on,” said Aaron as he walked away. “Okay, I don’t agree with anything you said. I don’t think it was necessary at all, ”Cody yelled after him.

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If this exchange has confused you, you are definitely not alone. The full explanation for Cody and Aaron’s beef may not come until later in the season, but there are plenty of pointers and spoilers for RN. Here’s everything you need to know about the first feud of Katie’s Bachelorette season:

Aaron and Cody weren’t strangers before Bachelorette.

These two go way back … to the Cali coast. Reality Steve confirmed that Cody and Aaron both live in San Diego and could have met: “I don’t know if they knew each other per se, but they definitely knew each other and ran into the same friend circle,” he wrote on his website .

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But living in the same city alone is not really reason enough to abuse yourself. Reality Steve thinks it’s bigger than that. His best guess? “Aaron went to Katie and told her Cody was a party guy, not really there for her. Cody found out and confronted Aaron,” he wrote. Ooooh.

“I don’t think it got physical, but Cody was either eliminated at that moment or at the next rose ceremony. Aaron went home an episode or two later,” he continued. Hmm, a likely story. Not really juicy enough for me, though. Next!

They may or may not have argued over the same lady.

That’s all before Katie, by the way. Okay, stay here with me. Not only do Aaron and Cody both live in San Diego, but they are also members of the workout world. Well, maybe they know each other better than Reality Steve thought.

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If you look at their Instagrams, no one follows the other (no surprise), but they do have a few friends in common. If you scroll back on their feed, there are some veeeery interesting coincidences.

For example, there is an Instagram post that has since been deleted in which Cody and a woman got cozy. The caption read “When You Know You Know”, Per Refinery29. These two no longer follow each other, so it is safe to say that they are no longer an object. But this lady follows Aaron (gasp!).

So when Aaron said, “It’s not my fault I don’t like you,” he may be talking about a love triangle that went wrong before the Bachelorette even started filming. Spicy!

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It looks like they’re wrestling over a date.

The fight night appointment came too early for Katie’s men. Based on teasers, Cody and Aaron compete in a mud pit in Katie’s Big Buckle Brawl.

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Both Cody and Aaron are definitely on the date and got themselves dirty, as the promo says.

Craig SjodinGetty Images

What does Katie think of the fighting men?

She’s cool as a cucumber when it comes to dealing with drama. “You have to take everything on a case-by-case basis,” she told Women’s Health. “For me, I really had to follow my intuition on how to use it [the drama between the guys]. And if there was someone I felt had to go home, I made sure to do it as soon as possible. “

The Bachelor franchise loves the home drama.

It’s no surprise The Bachelorette is already teasing a fight between two guys from the same hometown. The franchise does all of this. The. Time.

Recently there was a showdown with the girls in Chicago during Matt James’ season. It was all about Brittany Galvin’s job and a lot of bad rumors. “Since I’m from Chicago, where she is, I’ve heard rumors and people went out of their way to tell me, Ohmigod, take care of this girl …” Anna Redman told other contestants. “that she entertains men for money.” It wasn’t going well for Anna or Brittany.

And the previous season of Colton, Hannah Brown and Caelynn Miller-Keys got into a catfight for the Queen. It brought out the beast in Hannah, but both women courted Colton for weeks.

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So, yeah, Aaron and Cody probably aren’t fighting over Katie (well, just Katie).

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source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/the-bachelorette-contestants-cody-and-aarons-feud-explained/

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e350tb · 6 years

Text

Steven Universe: Ruby Stars - Chapter Nine

(Special thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading this!)

Beta Buddies

Philbert Bracknell was born in Keystone and grew up in Massachusetts - Boston, specifically. His family had been poor - his father had worked for the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, nearly three hundred miles away, and his mother survived on the pay packets the company sent home every week. As a result, he never travelled much - every second Christmas they went back to Eddystone to see Dad, and he'd been down to Fall River a few times to visit his cousin, who worked at the museum at Battleship Cove. He'd never really left the north-east until he was an adult - even then, that was just to work in Washington.

He'd never seen anything like the vista before him now.

The desert sands spread as far as the eye could see like a great ochre carpet. It was dotted in some places by dry shrubbery, and occasionally it was broken by roads, railways and dry riverbeds. In the distance, he could see towering, flat-topped mesas, backlit dramatically by the rising sun. It took his breath away as he watched it pass by from the window of the helicopter - he could only stare mutely, as if gazing upon an alien world.

"It's pretty amazing, huh?"

The co-pilot leaned back, flashing Bracknell a grin.

"Yeah," nodded Bracknell, "It... it's really something!"

The co-pilot gave him a thumbs up.

"Just wait until you get to Site Bravo," she said, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

"What is Site Bravo, anyway?" asked Bracknell.

"Old gem thing," shrugged the co-pilot, "Nobody knows what it's for. Usually we'd keep our noses out of it, but the Colonel wants a detailed report. So we're gonna fly over it and get some pictures, and you're gonna take some notes!"

Bracknell had guessed as much. He'd been flown out at very short notice—Clancy had insisted that there needed to be an agent on station at Wilmingmore and declined to come. In any case, he'd told Bracknell there were 'things he needed to do.'

"Coming up on it now," the pilot announced.

Bracknell looked out the window once more. He gasped.

Below them was a truly enormous canyon. It stretched as far as the eye could see, like a deep scar on the landscape. Each side of the gorge was pockmarked by small holes - they varied in size and shape, but most were just a little bit larger than a person. Tubular structures that resembled gigantic needles were bolted to the sides of the canyon, each in varying states of disrepair.

"What is it?" asked Bracknell.

"La Cicatriz," the co-pilot replied, "The Scar."

"We don't know what the gems actually called it," added the pilot, "But that's what the conquistadores named it. Name sort of stuck..."

Bracknell's attention was suddenly stolen by a strange vibration in the sand below them. It was as if something was running under the desert, but was just shallow enough to shift the dust and shrubbery above it. It was coming down from the north and getting closer.

"I think something's moving down there," said Bracknell.

"Eh, don't worry about it," shrugged the co-pilot, "Probably a coyote or something, nothing to worry—"

With a screech, a worm burst from the sand.

Bracknell didn't get much time to look at the worm—it was long and rusty brown in colour, with a mass of spindly limbs around it's gaping maw. It was gone before he could really discern any features, its spiked tail disappearing into the soil. The barb at the end of the tail flashed for the briefest second. The whole maelstrom of dust and dirt was set against the billows of a blood-curdling shriek that reverberated against the canyon walls, carrying to the helicopter in a deathly echo of distress. The pilot swore loudly.

"Problem?" asked Bracknell, voice shaking.

"I-I've lost all my instruments!" replied the pilot, "The stick isn't responding. Lynn?"

"Mine's out too," nodded the co-pilot.

Bracknell noticed the sound of the rotors was starting to cut in and out, and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot picked up his radio.

"Mayday, Mayday, this is Dog One, we have lost all control," he barked, "We are going down over Site Bravo. I repeat, we are going down..."

Bracknell was pushed back against his seat, clinging desperately to whatever he could as the helicopter spun down to Earth. The world was a flurry of sensation, too much coming too fast; distraught yelling, bright flashes of the morning sun, hot air lashing his face, dust filling his lungs, so much shaking, shaking, shaking. The ground was getting closer, it was too close - he felt like he was going to be sick—why was it so loud?

He couldn’t decide if he’d gone deaf and the ringing was symptomatic, or if it there was so much roaring, shrieking, thunderous activity that he was going to lose his mind...

And then everything went dark.

"Gems," declared Garnet, "We have a mission at the Beta Kindergarten."

Amethyst perked up immediately as Garnet emerged from her room, Pearl just behind her.

"What's the 'sitch, G?" she asked.

She, Peridot, Steven and Connie had been playing a board game on the coffee table. Sadie hadn't been taking part - she was sitting at the kitchen bench, trying to come up with lyrics for a new song. That being said, she wasn't having much luck - she'd decided it was going to be about werewolves but that was about it. Still, it managed to be a pleasant morning regardless, and occasionally she would join in with the board game banter.

"Oh, nothing too taxing," replied Pearl, shrugging, "Just another corrupted gem. We heard some reports on the radio of a 'sand worm' near Beta and..."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," said Amethyst, holding up her hands, "You listened to the radio?"

"Yes, Amethyst," Pearl replied curtly, "It's very informative."

"Not even a music station?" exclaimed Amethyst, "You listened to the news?"

"Well, it wasn't quite the news," muttered Pearl, "It was more of a discussion..."

"You listened to talk radio?!"

"Amethyst, Pearl's taste in radio isn't important right now," declared Garnet, "We need to bubble this gem before it hurts anybody."

"But it's a big worm, so we're going to need everyone on this mission," added Pearl.

Connie glanced at her sword, which was leaning against the coffee table.

"So, by everyone, do you mean..."

"Of course we mean you too!" Pearl rubbed her hands together, "We need all the Crystal Gems today!"

Connie smiled and stood up.

"I won't let you down, ma'am!"

Garnet smiled and turned to Sadie.

"We'll be back by sundown," she said, "If Mr. Maheswaran comes early, let him know where..."

"Actually," interrupted Sadie, scratching the back of her neck, "Is it okay if I come too?"

There was a brief pause. Sadie swallowed, suddenly feeling quite uncomfortable.

"I-I mean it's okay i-if you don't want me to! I don't wanna get in the way, y'know, and..."

"Yes," said Garnet.

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl, "She's still in training. She might not be ready for..."

"Nobody is ready for their first mission." Garnet's expression was stern and impassive. "The only true way to test yourself is to throw yourself in the deep end."

Sadie swallowed.

"Uh… thanks!” she stammered.

She walked over to the warp pad, stumbling slightly from a combination of excitement and nervousness. She stood next to Steven and Connie—they grinned at her, and after a moment of awkwardness, she smiled back.

Then, with a flash of blue, the beach house vanished.

Clancy walked down the boardwalk, hands in his pockets. It was about lunchtime on a Sunday - the boardwalk was busy as the townsfolk picked up their lunch, did their weekend shopping, or simply enjoyed the midday sun. Most people paid the agent no mind as he wandered along, but a few of the older people—the people who'd been here when he'd lived in Beach City—cast glares his way as he passed by.

He was just about to enter Fish Stew Pizza when the door flew open. He jumped back, just avoiding being hit in the face.

Captain Clark scowled darkly at Clancy before storming off down the boardwalk.

"Ugh, jerk," grunted Clancy, "What the heck's he doing down here anyway?"

He shook his head and stepped into the restaurant.

The restaurant was mostly empty, but Clancy could already tell that something had gone wrong. A table had been knocked over - shattered dishes littered the floor, and a broken salt shaker littered the carpeting with glass and wasted flavour.. Kiki stood at the counter, Kofi behind her - she was ramrod straight, but her hands were visibly shaking. Greg was on the other side of the counter, talking softly to her.

"...he can't actually do that," he was saying, "He's just being a..."

He glanced over to Clancy as he entered.

"Uh, Clancy, this might not be the best time," he warned.

"What the heck happened?" asked Clancy.

"You tell me," Kofi spat, his tone venomous.

"It's fine," said Kiki, blinking slowly. "It's all… fine. Is there... is there anything I..."

Her voice cracked, and she clutched the counter. Kofi, clearly struggling between seething anger with Clark and sincere concern for his daughter, ultimately rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

"Kiki, why don't you take a break for a while?" suggested Kofi.

Still trembling, Kiki took a shaky breath before nodding at her father, appreciative, and turned to walk off to the back room. The door slammed behind her - Clancy couldn't help but wince.

"You," snapped Kofi, turning to Clancy.

"I take it Captain Clark did something wrong?" sighed Clancy.

"Did something wrong?!" spluttered Kofi, his face turning red. "He marched into my restaurant and interrogated my daughter like she was some kind of criminal!"

"I... I apologise, Mr. Pizza, but we're running an investigation..."

"That does not give him the right to go after my family!" thundered Kofi, "That man threatened her! He told her he was going to arrest her! He flipped a table!"

Clancy winced. He felt very, very uncomfortable, and did his best to avert his gaze from both Kofi and Greg, not sure he could deal with the men's judgement just then.

"He... uh, he shouldn't be doing that," he explained, rubbing the back of his head, "As far as I was aware, me and Bracknell were supposed to be in charge of this sort of thing. I'll bring it up with Colonel Bradshaw, but..."

"I don't care who you bring it up with!" spat Kofi, "I want you to tell me that it will not happen again."

Clancy bit his lip.

"Y-yes, Mr. Pizza," he replied, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're not bothered again."

Kofi crossed his arms.

"Make sure you do," he growled, "Your table's in the back corner."

Clancy nodded, walking over the corner table. Clancy wondered if Kofi had put him under a flickering light specifically to annoy him. Greg talked quietly with Kofi for a few moments before joining him.

"This is getting off to a great start," sighed Clancy, quickly tapping out a text to Colonel Bradshaw.

Why is Clark in Beach City?

"Yeah, I know," nodded Greg, "Hey, maybe it'll get better as it goes along?"

Clancy opened his mouth, a half-construed, half-apologetic, fully-exasperated comment forming on his lips, but he was interrupted before the first syllable passed through his lips. His interruptions were two-fold.

First, Clancy received a return text.

CPT Clark taking over why Bracknell is gone. Asked him to question locals. -LTC Bradshaw.

Second, the door opened, and Barb Miller stepped in. Her eyes immediately fell on the agent; if looks could kill, he'd be dead a hundred times over.

Yep, he thought, this is going to be one of those days.

The desert was warm, but not as warm as Sadie had been expected. Still, she was glad that she opted not to wear a jacket that morning.

She stepped off the warp pad, taking in the vast canyon around her. She remembered, very vaguely, visiting the Great Canyon in Aridazon with her mother when she was five, but this sight beneath the midday sun could not have been more different. An endless collage of holes in the cliffs, strange injectors in various states of disrepair, cliff faces that were just a bit too clean - all of these were indicators that this canyon was not one naturally wrought from rivers run dry, yielding beneath the weathers of time. No, this valley was made, a carving of stone that reminded her of those made by ancient civilisations - she was half-tempted to say they appeared “man-made,” but given her present company, she suspected gem-made would have been more accurate. Terrible though it was for the land around it, Sadie couldn't help but be a little impressed.

Peridot stepped forward, sniffing the air. Sadie watched quizzically as she stuck her tongue in and out, as if tasting the wind.

"It's been here, alright," she nodded.

"You can tell that just from sticking out your tongue?" asked Amethyst.

"Please, Amethyst, I'm a professional Kindergartener," replied Peridot. “I know worm-dirt when I taste it.”

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently. Steven lost his footing and nearly fell on his face - Amethyst managed to grab him just in time.

"Move," ordered Garnet, "Now."

Sadie had barely started to run when the ground burst open.

The worm exploded out of the ground with an ear-splitting roar. Like an enormous, ungainly dolphin, it dived through the air, tunnelling into the left-hand side of the canyon. As the barbed tip of its tail passed the Gems, it screeched - a sonic wave blasted the group away, tossing them into the distant walls.

Sadie winced, sitting up. She had landed to the right with the other humans, Peridot and Amethyst, while Pearl and Garnet were far away on the left. They seemed to be dancing - Sadie rubbed the side of her head where it had made contact with the stone, sure she must be dazed from the impact. Now was not the time for dancing, but -.

Then there was a flash of light, and the two gems weren't there anymore. In their place stood another gem, a being so tall Sadie had to crane her neck to properly appreciate who - what - why they were there. A rounded triangular haircut framed a pointed face, with four aims and four eyes and a laugh so unexpectedly pleasant it turned Sadie’s lips up to an unwitting smile.

"Well, she's got vocal range," the giant woman said wryly, "But nothing in the way of style."

With a gracious toss and a quick sway of her arms, the gem produced what looked like Pearl’s spear and Garnet’s gauntlets, but the movements were so swift and graceful Sadie hadn’t anytime to properly register what she was doing. A moment later, the cheeky-looking gem stood proudly, an enormous warhammer positioned squarely over her shoulders. "But don't worry, it's no treble at all. Just a little pitch change should do the trick. I think I'd recommend... going flat."

And without another word, the gem leapt away from the side of the gorge, a trickle of laughter echoing over her shoulder. Sadie watched them go, torn between muted shock and awful chagrin. Terrifying in practice, and in humor - she reminded herself never to get on Pearl or Garnet's bad-side.

She leapt up into the air, landing on top of the canyon and bolting off in the direction the worm had tunnelled.

"So, they're just gonna go off without us, huh?" Amethyst grumbled.

Now back on her feet her feet, she helped Connie up. Steven and Peridot stood nearby - the former was digging through his backpack.

"Was that fusion?" asked Sadie in awe.

"Yeah, that's Sardonyx," shrugged Amethyst.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Sadie.

"Eh," said Amethyst dismissively, "She's not that great. Kinda got an ego."

"No, I mean... they were two people, and now they're one person!" replied Sadie, "I mean, Garnet told me about it in training, but... but actually seeing it!"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, yo," said Amethyst.

"Guys!"

Steven had pulled out a Cookie Cat branded walkie talkie. It was buzzing and crackling - Sadie guessed that it was picking up some sort of interference.

"...Dog One, this is Dog... we have crash-landed... Site Bravo. Agent Brack... need medical assist... I repeat, this is Dog..."

"Somebody's here," said Connie, "They must've been attacked by the worm."

"Well, that is most unfortunate, but seeing as we've got a mission," shrugged Peridot, "Come on, gang, let's get that worm!"

"Peridot," said Steven, putting his hands on his hips.

"What?" exclaimed Peridot, "We're on Crystal Gem business! We can't..."

"Peridot."

"Oh, alright!" grunted Peridot, "Let's go find them..."

Bracknell opened his eyes. He found it made little difference - he was enveloped in darkness. He was lying on a dusty floor - the air was cool but not cold, and it was rather stuffy. He tasted something metallic on his tongue and hoped it wasn't blood.

Carefully, he tried to sit up. As he put pressure on his left ankle, he felt a sharp pain - he nearly fell back onto his face, but managed to stabilise himself with the other foot. Well, that was probably broken - sprained at very least. Still, better pain than no feeling at all, right?

He managed to sit up, his hair just about brushing the roof of the small hole he'd found himself in. No room to stand, then.

He looked around for light, his breathing quickening. His arm brushed the side of the hole, and when he shifted he felt himself pushing against the other. Okay, so he was in a confined space. That wasn't ideal - it wasn't ideal at all, but he had to hold it together if he was getting out of here.

Pointedly, Bracknell closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else, something less panic-inducing. He remembered growing up, and his parents, and Eddystone, and poverty. He remembered arguments, and long days, and even longer nights. A single night stood out, and the memories came to seize him by the collar, gripping his windpipe, sending his heart-rate into a deafening spiral.

Once, long ago, Bracknell visited his father's workplace at Eddystone. Dad had been showing him the big diesel 'switchers' that they were making for some railway up in Vermont. They'd been called over by the foreman to discuss something, and the young Bracknell had taken the opportunity to take a closer look at the machines - far closer than his father would have allowed.

The company, at that point, was still building steam engines - very small, narrow-gauge ones for railways overseas. They tested them at Eddystone, and under the tracks where they were stored were deep holes called ash pits. Bracknell promptly tripped and tumbled into one. He'd broken his leg and arm, and the tight pit prevented him from climbing out. It took two hours to find him and another half-hour to pull him out.

Those feelings of terror and confinement were coming back, threatening to paralyse him. Fear was a luxury he could not afford at the moment, so he tried to focus on what he had felt when he'd been pulled out of the pit; when he'd seen his father after being stuck for so long. He'd been so afraid they'd be mad, but instead they just pulled him into a long hug. He didn't think he'd ever been as relieved as he had then.

Opening his eyes, reality rushed to greet him in the form of inky blackness, and a single, weak glimpse of light. Slowly and carefully, he shuffled over to it.

He was at the bottom of a shallow pit, about ten metres deep and fifty degrees steep. It must have been one of the small holes in the canyon's walls. If he'd fallen in after the crash, logically he should be able to climb out.

Nothing else for it, he thought.

Slowly and carefully, he started to pull himself up.

Barb studied Clancy as he took a sip of his drink.

He'd always looked a little stiff and formal, even when they'd been in college. Once it had been somewhat endearing, but now his government-issue suit and smooth, well-kept hair were nothing short of infuriating. He'd done well for himself - a government job, an apartment in Washington, a more than decent pay check - and all of it came from what he'd done to Kay so long ago.

"So," said Clancy, putting down his drink, "Sadie has Kay's gem."

"She does," nodded Barb, "And apparently federal agents are following her around."

Clancy ran a hand through his hair.

"My bosses don't know about her yet," he replied, "I've been trying to keep them off the scent. It's getting harder, though."

"Well, how noble of you," grunted Barb.

Greg bit his lip, glancing between them.

"So, there's one thing I don't get," he said, "How did Rose manage to remove Sadie's gem in the first place? I mean, I've always been told that Steven needs his gem to live, so..."

Barb and Clancy exchanged glances.

"Gem magic," shrugged Barb.

"Just... gem magic?" asked Greg.

"Just gem magic," Clancy replied curtly.

Greg frowned.

"That's not important," declared Clancy, crossing his arms, "The main thing is she's got it back. And that is very bad news."

"How's it bad?" quizzed Greg, "It's part of her, isn't it?"

Clancy grimaced.

"Kay was terrified of Earth," he replied, "So why didn't she immediately try to get home?"

"...couldn't find a ship?" shrugged Greg.

Barb shook her head.

"She was scared of Earth, yeah," she said, "But she was petrified of going back. Going back meant returning to the... the network."

"What network?"

"The psychic control network," replied Barb, "That kept the gems that belonged to White Diamond in line."

After walking for about ten minutes, the group found themselves approaching a crashed helicopter on the side of the canyon.

As far as crashed helicopters went, it was actually in surprisingly decent shape. It was on its left-hand side, the rotors twisted and misshapen by the impact with the ground. Parts of the chopper were smoking, but it didn't seem like it was on fire. It was coloured in a drab olive green, with the letters 'USAAF' stencilled on the bent tail. A woman sat a short way outside - she was wrapping a bandage around the arm of a man.

"Hey!" Amethyst called, "You guys dead or what?"

"No!" the woman called back, "But we need some help here!"

Sadie approached the wrecked chopper, taking care not to step on any pieces of wreckage. As she got closer, she could see a bandage around the woman's foot - no wonder she was sitting, then.

"We came down hard," explained the woman.

"Yeah, no kidding," said Amethyst.

"Darn worm took out all the electrics," grunted the man, "Must've been some kind of EMP or something. I got it back just before we crashed, but it was too late to save the bird."

He pointed his thumb to a small hole about twenty metres away.

"The OSS guy went down there," he added, "Haven't heard from him yet. We're both hurt pretty bad, so..."

Sadie nodded and wandered over, gazing down into the darkness. She could hear grunting, and could just about see two faint glints of light in the gloom - sort of like eyes...

"Hello?" she called.

A pained voice called back.

"Hey! Uh, little help here?"

Amethyst walked over, leaning down next to the hole. Her arms glowed and began to extend down into the darkness.

"Grab on," she said.

"Uh...eh, sure, okay!" the agent replied.

As Amethyst slowly pulled him out of the hole, Sadie took a moment to look around again.

"This is where gems come from?" she asked, "Just... holes in the ground?"

"It's more complex than that," replied Peridot, walking up beside her, "But yes, this is where all gem life begins. Perfectly cultivated by massive teams - most of the work's done by Peridots, of course. Everyone else just does the digging."

"But if you need big teams to make these... kindergartens," Sadie scratched her head, "Then who made the first ones?"

"Only the Diamonds know," shrugged Peridot.

"Okay, he's out!"

Sadie turned as Amethyst pulled the agent out. He looked rather worse for wear - his jacket was gone as was one of his shoes, and his left ankle looked badly swollen. He was covered in dust and bruises. He was also very familiar - Sadie had seen him before, in Wilmingmore.

"You... you work with Clancy!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, yeah," nodded the agent, rubbing his agent, "Agent Philbert Bracknell. He's my partner."

"What're you doing out here?" demanded Sadie, "Why is he suddenly running around chasing gem stuff?"

"Colonel... Colonel Bradshaw wanted a report," shrugged Bracknell, "I don't think it's about you or anything, just... ugh, it's bright out here. I think I might have a concussion..."

An ear-splitting roar filled the air before Sadie could reply.

The worm burst from the cliff face, landing hard on the ground in front of them. This time it did not dig, and Sadie saw Sardonyx clinging to its tail. Looking closely at the barb, Sadie saw a square ochre gem on the side. It glowed, a shrieking sound filling the air - a second later, it pulsed once more, throwing Sardonyx off the tail and into the cliff. Dust and smoke filled the air - when it cleared, Garnet and Pearl were slumped on the ground, dazed and confused.

"Garnet! Pearl!" Steven exclaimed.

"Hold on," said Amethyst, determined, "I got this."

She took out her whip and flung it out, snarling the worm's tail. It began to thrash wildly, Amethyst holding on tightly to avoid being thrown by the gigantic monster.

"Okay..." she said, gritting her teeth as she struggled, "Somebody poof it."

Steven and Connie looked at each other and nodded. Sadie tilted her head as they began to dance in place - then her eyes widened as they glowed, their forms distorting and running together until there was only one there.

Stevonnie grinned and drew their sword, running towards the giant worm. They leapt into the air, jumping higher than should have been possible and landing on the tail. They raised their sword.

"Sorry worm," they shouted, "But you're-WHOA!"

The worm pulled fiercely against Amethyst. Sadie reached out to grab her in an attempt to help, but all that meant was that both were pulled forwards when the worm began to tunnel underground again. With a thunderous roar, they were gone.

Peridot and Bracknell stared at the enormous hole in the ground.

"I'm not hallucinating, right?" asked Bracknell, "Because I'm pretty sure I've lost a bit of blood here..."

The more Greg heard, the more he wished he hadn't.

It was clear that neither Barb or Clancy knew the full truth of the 'psychic network', but what they did know turned his blood cold. Clancy's description was clinical, as if he could see a brutal logic in the idea - to him, it was a psychic network to which the minds of all of White Diamond's court and underlings were connected to. White had implemented it after the Rebellion - after all, if a mere Rose Quartz could cause so much trouble, she couldn't risk other gems showing such independent thought. As a result, complex emotion and rebellious thoughts were suppressed, while loyalty, dutifulness and a dull sense of personal satisfaction were amplified.

What Barb told him was less clean. She described what Kay had confided to her (and apparently, sometimes Rose as well) - the constant, biting feeling that something was wrong that you could never quite explain or address; the dull numbness that often overtook you and drowned independent thought (usually when performing tasks that were 'critical for the Empire'); the sudden emergence of everything that had been suppressed when you escaped it, the vortex of feelings and thoughts that threatened to drive you mad, and then when you got a hold of yourself, the fear that you might lose it and again be drowned in the network.

"How did Kay get away from it, though?" he asked.

"Even White Diamond couldn't control the whole universe, I guess," shrugged Clancy, "They had nodes, I think - high-ranking gems, towers, little devices in their ships. I guess the one controlling her must've been destroyed when her ship crashed."

"There was one gem she mentioned specifically," mused Barb, "Starts with an S, but I can't remember her name..."

"Doesn't matter," grunted Clancy, "Look, there's one thing we can all agree on here. We need to keep Sadie safe - safe from White Diamond, safe from Bradshaw, safe from anything. We need a bug out plan."

"A bug out plan? What is this, America's Wackiest Doomsday Bunkers?" exclaimed Barb, "Clancy, she lives here. This is her life! We need to defend it!"

"Defend?" spluttered Clancy, his voice dropping to a whisper as he glanced around the restaurant. "Barb, Bradshaw has troops! Guns! Tanks! And that's not even going into what White Diamond has! What're you gonna fight them with, you and Skinny the Mailman?!" Yeah, maybe they'll laugh themselves to death."

"It's better than tearing her from everything and running to... Appalachia or something!" exclaimed Barb.

"Appalachia is beautiful and I resent that," snapped Clancy, "And she'll be safe!"

He turned to Greg.

"You've gotta understand, Universe," he continued, "Colonel Bradshaw says he just wants to 'observe' but he'll go after the Gems at first opportunity. And yeah, he doesn't have a chance of taking them on, but Sadie's half-human! Your kid is half-human! They don't just poof when they get shot. And if White Diamond comes, this town's pretty much doomed anyway!"

"But if we take her and run," shouted Barb, "We're never gonna stop! Eventually they'd come for her in Appalachia, or wherever we took her! She'd be going from hideout to hideout forever! She'd never be able to make a life for herself!"

"She'd be surviving," growled Clancy.

"But she wouldn't be living!"

Barb stood up, her chair crashing to the floor.

"You don't get it!" she thundered, "Because all you've ever done is run! You ran from your home! You ran because you couldn't face what you did to Kay! You ran to the OSS so you could hide behind the 'just following orders' excuse! And look at you know! You've got everything, and you hate it! You hate yourself!"

Clancy paled, eyes wide. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Barb, that..."

"Yeah, maybe she'll be in danger here!" exclaimed Barb, "But you know what? I'd rather she be in danger here than be a coward like you!"

There was a long silence.

"Maybe," said Greg, very quietly, "You should ask what Sadie wants."

Barb took a deep breath.

"I need to go," she said, "Or I will probably hurt him."

Clancy bit his lip.

Barb began to march towards the door. It was already opening - Greg swallowed as he saw Captain Clark march in, his face red. He look straight at Kiki, who was back on the counter - she went pale.

"Alright, I reckon you've been holding out on me," he shouted, "So I'm gonna teach you a little lesson, you little-"

Barb marched right up to him and booted him in the stomach. He yelped and fell onto his back, wincing and rolling around in pain.

"Don't dish out what you can't take," snarled Barb.

She marched out the door, leaving the restaurant in dead silence.

Sadie clung to the monster's tail for dear life. Above her, Amethyst had grabbed the barb with her whip. It was burrowing along underground, and Amethyst couldn't tell how long it would be before it emerged again and used its strange sonic attack.

"Stevonnie!" she called, "We need... the sword!"

Stevonnie was holding on much further back. They tried to climb forward, but the worm jolted violently and forced them back again.

"I can't make it up!" they shouted.

Amethyst looked back at them - she narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Okay," she said, "I think I've got an idea, but you're gonna have to trust me! I mean, really trust me! You get what I'm saying?"

Stevonnie swallowed and nodded. Amethyst grinned and looked down at Sadie.

"Take a look," she said, "'Cause you're about to see some Crystal Gem history!"

She recalled her whip and jumped towards Stevonnie, holding her arm out.

Please work please work please work...

She grabbed their hand and looked into their eyes. They nodded, and their gem glowed. Amethyst's vision was filled with light, and she closed her eyes.

They soon reopened them, one of their four hands gripping tightly onto the worm's hide. They stole the briefest moment to look at themself - they had a slightly darker skin tone than Smoky Quartz, although the freckles were about the same. They had two eyes, and their hair was somewhat neater, although still very fluffy. Both arms split into two at the forearm, which honestly looked pretty neat.

Yeah. This works.

"Alright, giant worm!" the new fusion exclaimed, "Meet Smokonnie Quartz!"

They blinked.

"Yeah, that's what we're going with, I guess," they shrugged.

They pulled a pair of yo-yos from their gem, thrusting them out towards the barb on the monster's tail. The two objects whipped around it, entangling it firmly.

Light streamed into their vision as the worm burst from the ground again, roaring once more. Smokonnie leapt into the air, retracting the yo-yos and pulling themself towards the barb.

We only get one chance at this...

They grabbed onto the barb, swinging their sword with their free hand. The gem glowed - they closed their eyes.

Poof!

There was a sudden feeling of vertigo as they fell.

Oh man, I gotta make this look cool.

Flailing in the air, they somehow managed to land on their feet, grabbing the falling gemstone as they did so. With a loud thump, Sadie landed next to them.

"Oh yeah, probably should've caught you too," Smokonnie said to themself.

They smiled as they watched Sadie climb to her feet.

"Still, one heck of a debut, huh?" they said cheerfully.

"You... that's the first time you've done this?" asked Sadie incredulously.

"Yep!" nodded Smokonnie, "Smokonnie out!"

They glowed and split up, Steven, Connie and Amethyst appearing in their place. Connie laughed and tumbled to the floor, shaking her head.

"Oh my gosh, that was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," chuckled Amethyst, "Who said you had to think before doing something awesome?"

"Steven!"

As the smoke around them cleared, they could see Garnet and Pearl running up to them. As it turned out, the monster had re-emerged right next to the helicopter - maybe something about it had attracted the worm?

Amethyst shrugged, quickly bubbling the gem and sending it off to the temple. It wasn't her problem anymore.

"Good work, gems," said Garnet, "Nice fusion."

"Garnet, you think all fusions are nice," said Steven, blushing bashfully.

"They are," Garnet declared matter-of-factly, "But Steven fusions are the nicest."

"Yes, good work all of you," said Pearl, "Now, I don't mean to leave in a rush or anything, but I think we should be getting those humans to a hospital..."

"I'll call mom," nodded Connie.

In the end, Bracknell and the helicopter crew had not been hurt badly. The pilot's arm was broken, but Bracknell and the co-pilot had gotten away with minor sprains.

Bracknell was now in a wheelchair in his ward, waiting to be picked up. The doctor, Priyanka Maheswaran, was waiting with him - apparently she needed to be there when he checked out. He didn't like hospitals - they were overly sterile environments and the food was awful, so he was glad he wouldn't be staying overnight.

The door opened. Clancy walked in - he looked strangely pensive.

"Bracknell," he greeted, "Doctor."

Priyanka offered him the sign-out form.

"He needs rest," she told him, "No field work for a week."

"Heck of a way to get the week off, Bracknell," grunted Clancy, signing the forms, "So the Crystal Gems took him in?"

"Yes," nodded Priyanka, "Apparently he was stuck in the desert. They probably saved his life."

She looked strangely proud. Bracknell noticed a similarity between her and that Connie girl who'd been with the gems - perhaps they were related.

"I'll be sure to thank them if I see them," said Clancy gruffly, "Thank you, Doctor."

They briefly discussed some pain medication he'd need, but before long Clancy was wheeling him through the hallways to the parking lot.

"So apart from this, how'd it go?" asked Clancy dryly.

"Site Bravo was incredible," replied Bracknell, "I've never seen anything like it. Are all gem sites like that?"

"Beautiful? Bracknell, it's a hole in the ground. There's nothing anybody can use in it."

He snorted.

"So I guess we can only hope the Gem Task Force stays around there for a while," he scoffed, "Where they can't hurt themselves."

He sighed.

"Are you okay?" asked Bracknell.

Clancy shook his head.

"I've got a lot on my mind, Bracknell," he replied, "A lot on my mind..."

Once again, Sadie lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling. It was dark, and the moon cast long shadows in the beach house, but sleep simply would not come.

So had that been her first mission? It hadn't gone as expected, but she didn't actually know what she'd been expecting in the first place. She hadn't actually done much - in fact, all she'd really done was be there. And yet, she felt strangely elated by it all. She wondered what it'd be like to fuse - to be one with Amethyst or Garnet or Pearl. How would it feel? Would it be her but more, or would she simply be replaced by someone else for a while? Would she ever be able to take on a gem as big as the worm, either fused or on her own?

Was she a Crystal Gem, now that'd she'd been on a successful mission?

She turned on her phone, pressing play on the music app. Perhaps a song or two would lull her to sleep.

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow,

Don't stop, it'll soon be here,

It'll be here better than before,

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone...

"Lieutenant Colonel Bradshaw speaking."

"..."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"..."

"Agent Miller has advised against such a move, sir..."

"..."

"Satellites picked it up near Pluto, you say?"

"..."

"Yes, I understand the urgency. I'll tell Miller immediately. Goodbye, Mr. President."

Colonel Bradshaw hung up the phone and opened his desk drawer. He pulled out the folder on top and looked it over, nodding solemnly.

TOP SECRET

Operation SLEDGEHAMMER

For the institution of martial law in Beach City and surrounding areas and the immediate apprehension of the Crystal Gems.

#steven universe #ruby stars #sadie miller #connie maheswaran #amethyst #peridot #pearl #garnet #agent clancy miller #agent philbert bracknell #barb miller #greg universe #kiki pizza #kofi pizza #priyanka maheswaran #stevonnie #smoky quartz #sort of #you'll see

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e350tb · 6 years

Text

Steven Universe: Ruby Stars - Learning to Fly

(Special thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading this!)

Learning to Fly

Clancy yawned and took a long sip of cheap coffee, shivering in the crisp night air. It was about three o'clock - far too early to be working, he thought.

Standing in front of the smouldering ruins of the old freight depot, the faint glow of the embers could still be seen on the ruined timbers. The police and the fire department were gathered around, milling over the wreckage to see what might be salvageable, and a woman from the Delmarva Railway Society was pointing animatedly at a burnt steam locomotive. For the life of him, Clancy couldn't work out why the OSS had called him out here.

"Shame about the engine," mused Bracknell, walking up behind him. He's shied away from coffee, and was sipping a cool bottle of cola. How he could drink a cold beverage outside this early in the morning was beyond Clancy.

"Eh," shrugged Clancy, "It'll probably be fixable. It's steel."

"Ten-shun!"

"Here we go," sighed Clancy, turning around.

Three men marched towards him from an army car that had parked just beyond the police line. The man who had yelled stood on the left - he was a grizzled, pale man, his face set in a perpetual frown. His deep brow was framed by the steel helmet he wore, upon which the insignia of a captain was printed. He wore a plain khaki jacket and trousers, hobnailed boots and leather gloves. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the two agents - he seemed to audibly growl.

The man on the right was a clear contrast. He was tall and handsome, and his skin was a deep tan. He had straight, well manicured hair under a peaked cap. His uniform was clean and tailored, and came in a royal blue - Air Force, Clancy guessed. His black belt and shoes were well polished and shone slightly in the moon light. His expression was stoic - he looked neither happy nor annoyed.

The middle man was the most striking. He wore enormous aviator sunglasses, despite the fact that it was night - it struck Clancy as quite impractical. He smoked a corn-cob pipe, and wore a tall khaki peaked hat. His face was set in stone - not in an irritated scowl like the captain, but an arrogant sneer. His uniform was minimalist - a brown tie over a khaki shirt, with trousers carefully tucked into his boots so that they puffed out slightly. He seemed almost familiar to Clancy, as if he was aping somebody else's image, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Bracknell tried to stand to attention. Clancy put a hand on his shoulder and he eased up.

"You must be the Gem Task Force," he grunted.

"That's Task Force Gem," corrected the captain.

The middle man took his pipe out of his mouth.

"Agent Miller, Agent Bracknell," he said, "Lieutenant-Colonel Bradshaw. These are Major King and Captain Clark."

"Yeah, we spoke on the phone," replied Clancy, "You said you'd send a guy over to give us our first assignment. He never showed."

"My apologies," replied the handsome man (Major King, apparently), "The OSS gave us the wrong address."

"That sounds about right," grunted Clancy.

"Well, if you want an assignment, I've got one for you right now," said Bradshaw.

He pointed towards the ruins, furrowing his brow.

"Steven Universe was at the scene when the fire broke out," he said.

"That'd be my luck," muttered Clancy.

"He's Greg Universe's kid," snapped Bradshaw, "He's involved with the Crystal Gems. And what gem makes fire, Clancy?"

Clancy swallowed quietly but didn't answer.

"Rubies, Agent Miller, Rubies," said Bradshaw.

"Like the one you lost," snapped Clark.

"Colonel, you're not suggesting that the Universe kid deliberately..." began Clancy.

"I won't rule anything out, no," interrupted Bradshaw, "But if he did, this constitutes an attack on American private property. It can't go unanswered."

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Clancy.

Bradshaw frowned, his lips thin. Clancy took a little satisfaction from this - he wasn't going to let himself be walked all over by some arrogant brass hat, after all.

"Gather intelligence," replied Bradshaw, "I want a dossier - everyone the kid deals with. The kid here can do that."

"I...uh...yes sir!" said Bracknell, saluting.

"Don't do that," sighed Clancy.

"Don't do that," grunted Bradshaw.

Bracknell swallowed and lowered his hand.

"Meanwhile, I want you to scout out gem sites in Delmarva," continued Bradshaw, "Temples, ruins, labs - if they've built tourist traps, I wanna know about it."

"Sir, you realise gem relics are a global thing?" asked Clancy, "You can't just drive down the interstate and find..."

"Don't argue. Just do it."

Bradshaw's tone was final.

"You have my number," he said, turning around, "I want daily reports. Good luck, Agent Miller."

"Dismissed!" bellowed Clark.

Clancy rolled his eyes as the men walked away.

"Well, you heard him," he muttered, "We've got stuff to do, Bracknell."

"Where's the first gem site, sir?" asked Bracknell.

"Oh, we're going to the most sacred temple of them all," replied Clancy, "We're going to Appledee's."

It was the crack of dawn.

Sadie yawned, a faint puff of mist emerging from her mouth. It was bitterly cold up at the Sky Arena, and she and Steven had both dressed warmly. Fluffy clouds surrounded the floating platform like moving mountains, lit in warm, yellow-and-red colours by the slowly rising sun. In the far distance, she could see the contrails of a plane. All was quiet but for the light rapts of footfalls, almost anxious in their urgency.

Garnet was pacing in front of her, hand on her chin. She seemed to be deep in thought - perhaps she was deciding where to begin?

She stopped suddenly and turned to her new pupil.

"Sit down," she said.

Sadie, somewhat perplexed, did so.

"Before we train your body," said Garnet, "We need to train your mind."

"You mean meditation?" asked Sadie.

"In a way," nodded Garnet.

She sat down in front of Sadie, crossing her legs. She held out her hands.

"Take them," she said.

Sadie hesitated before placing her hands in Garnet's. She blushed slightly, but shook her head and concentrated.

"Focus on me," said Garnet.

Her visor faded, revealing three eyes. Bristling slightly, Sadie tried to mimic her opposite's stoicism, but it was still a little difficult. She knew that Garnet had three eyes - just about everyone knew - but to see them, to be beholden by them so pointedly, was definitely a little intimidating. Blue, red, purple - she never noticed they were three distinct tones.

Swallowing, Sadie tried her best to do as Garnet bid, focusing on her deep and piercing stare.

"Count to four," instructed Garnet, "Breath in. Count to four, breath out..."

Sadie did so, steadying her breathing. She continued to look Garnet in the eye, and as she carried out the exercises, she began to feel more at ease. The stillness no longer seemed so hollow or intimidating, but oddly humble. Distinct corners and gradients of colour all fell out of focus, replaced by the rhythmic humming of air steadily leaving her lungs, only to re-enter again.

She blinked.

She was sitting in a wide-open plane, dimly lit in a rather comforting blue. It was cool but not cold; vast, but not terrifying in its immensity.

"What is this place?" she asked, finally breaking Garnet's stare.

Garnet looked to her left. Sadie followed her gaze, seeing a small, red figure standing next to them. It was a Ruby, but she didn't wear the same Homeworld uniform that Kay had. Hers was a plain dark red, with the front of the top a lighter red. She wore a headband around her hair. This, Sadie thought, must have been the Crystal Gem Ruby - the one that was now half of Garnet.

"You are a Ruby now," said Garnet, "Which means that you may have the powers of a Ruby."

"May?"

"You're half-human," replied Garnet, wearing a small smirk. "Like Steven. There has been nothing like either of you before."

"You may end up surprising us."

Sadie swallowed. She hadn't even been a gem for a week yet - she didn't really want to think about 'surprising' anybody.

"So, what can a Ruby do?" she asked, her tone nervous but with the slightest hint of excited curiosity.

Garnet smiled.

"Well," she said, "That's what you're here to find out..."

To their left, Ruby smiled, clenching her fists. Her arms burst into flames.

"Welcome to Ruby 101," said Garnet.

Time passed.

Peridot had watched Sadie's training by way of observation. The human seemed to be doing well. Every day, she'd head up to the Sky Arena with Garnet and Pearl; she'd return in the early evening, covered in sweat, dirt and more than a few bruises. Steven had taken to making dinner for her (or at very least ordering it from the Pizzas) when she got back, and oftentimes Peridot would join them to watch them eat.

She'd long decided that she liked Sadie. She reminded her a lot of Amethyst in some ways and a lot of Lapis in others, but mostly she seemed to be her own unique person, like most humans. In turn, she seemed to be getting along with her (as was to be expected - she was the Great and Lovable Peridot, after all).

And yet, Peridot was not at ease. While the conversations with Steven and Sadie were pleasant, they were marred by the absence of Amethyst. She still hadn't returned from Vidalia's house.

It had been a week, now. Peridot was only half-listening to Sadie talk about her training in pyrokinesis (apparently she was achieving a temperature warm enough to heat a "s'more" - what that was, Peridot had no idea - but it must have been some sort of accomplishment. Sadie could achieve it without even being angry.) She gazed towards the door, absently fiddling with a fork with her powers.

She sighed and stood up.

"I'm going to go check on Amethyst," she said.

Steven nodded.

"Can you tell her I said hi?" he asked.

Peridot nodded as she walked away.

It was a lovely evening. The sky was a mosaic of blue and crimson, and the sea breeze was pleasant. The walk to Vidalia's house should have been nice, but Peridot couldn't help but feel agitated. She knew that Amethyst was safe with her friend, but she missed her - and there was a part of her that felt somewhat irritated that she was spending so much time with the human.

Presently, she reached the house. A lanky youth with notably ill-fitting appearance modifiers paced outside the front door. He had a phone to his ear, and his tone seemed to flicker between excitement and impressively laid back. From what she’d learned in conversations with Amethyst, she guessed that this was Sour Cream.

"...yeah, that sounds pretty rad," he was saying, "And they can make sure it's...sweet. And your dad can handle this? I mean, he's not mayor anymore, so...great, tell him I said thanks!"

He glanced over to Peridot.

"Oh, someone's here, I gotta go. See you around, Buck."

He hung up.

"Hey!" he said, "It's Peridot, right? Crystal Gem?"

"Yes," nodded Peridot, tight-lipped. "I am Peridot, Current Leader of the Crystal Gems. And you are...Sour Cream? Onion speaks very highly of you."

Sour Cream smiled.

"You here to talk to Amethyst?" he asked.

Peridot nodded.

Sour Cream led her inside. They passed Onion on the way in - he was venturing out with a blowtorch and a pair of wire cutters. Peridot waved - Onion waved back.

They found Vidalia in the living room, reading a worn scrapbook. She smiled as her son lead Peridot in. Awkwardly, Peridot smiled back - she avoided the woman's eyes. Sour Cream waved and walked away, headed for his room.

"You must be Peridot," said Vidalia kindly, "Amethyst's in the bathroom right now; how about you sit down here while you wait for her?"

Peridot was about to tell her that gems didn't need to use the bathroom, but something in Vidalia's eyes told her not to mention it. So, reluctantly, she sat down next to her, her face set in a frown.

"So, you're Amethyst's friend," said Vidalia, "She talks about you a lot, you know?"

"She does?"

Vidalia nodded.

"Yep," she said, "Reckon she likes you a lot."

She smiled knowingly at Peridot, who merely stared blankly back, not quite understanding.

Vidalia chuckled and opened up the scrapbook to the first page. She slipped it over to Peridot, who studied it carefully.

It was a rough sketch - according to the date written on the corner, it was twelve years old. It was of two figures - one tall and wearing a leather jacket, the other short and round. They were leaning into each other, and for a moment, Peridot thought they were involved in some kind of staring contest.

"What kind of ritual is..."

She remembered episodes of Camp Pining Hearts, and it clicked.

"Oh. Oh."

She blushed, shooting back into the chair and away from the drawing.

"Am-am I supposed to be l-looking at that?" she exclaimed.

"Well, that's why I gave it to you," replied Vidalia.

Peridot's eyes widened and she began to stammer incoherently. Vidalia laughed.

"Don't worry," she said, "Everything in that book's perfectly clean."

"And w-why-why'd you want me to look at this?" asked Peridot. Her face felt very warm.

"Turn the page," replied Vidalia.

Peridot nervously did so.

The scrapbook was full of pictures of Amethyst. They were mostly drawings, some very rough; some were from years ago while others were very recent. Some were normal pictures of her doing normal things - eating, sleeping, doing things around town. Others were abstract, with strange wavy lines and peculiar shapes. Some were...decidedly risqué, and a few were very personal indeed. She felt like an intruder as she looked through these pictures; as though she was rifling through Vidalia's innermost thoughts. As she read the book, Vidalia said very little, usually just clarifying things about the art style.

She reached the end and closed the book, running a hand over the leather cover. She liked the feel.

"Why did you show me this?" she asked.

Vidalia shrugged.

"Well, what do you think of them?" she replied.

Peridot looked down at the book.

"They're...uh...really nice," she said, blushing, "You have a real talent for...bringing out how b-uh-aesthetically pleasing Amethyst is. But-but that doesn't answer my question! Why did you show me this?"

Vidalia smiled.

"I wanted to see if you see her with the same eyes I do," she replied.

"But that's impossible. I can only see through my own eyes."

"Figure of speech," said Vidalia, patting Peridot's shoulder.

They heard a door opening.

They turned to the door - Amethyst stood in the arch way, dark, dried lines running over her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy, and there was a hint of dampness on her nose. She looked at Peridot.

"Amethyst?" asked Peridot, "Are...are you okay?"

Amethyst smiled - an uneven, vulnerable smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Yeah," she said, "I...I think I'm ready to go home now."

Peridot smiled back.

Sadie lay on the couch in the dark beach house, gazing at the ceiling. She was listening to her tablet, her music playing very quietly through her headphones. The faint glow of the tablet screen lit her small corner of the room a soothing green. She'd never been able to sleep in pitch darkness - she'd been afraid of the dark as a child, and these days she'd become used to a dim light shining as she slept.

She was tired, deeply tired. It had been a hard, hard few weeks, and her trials showed no sign of slowing down. But she was learning - and as she learned, her thoughts began to surface with newfound perspectives. Sometimes good, but sometimes...

She still couldn't face her mother. She was no longer as angry as she had been, but the grim sense of betrayal still stung. As for Clancy, she'd be quite fine if she never heard from him again. But she couldn't help but sympathise with them - their whole situation had been so new and so difficult. The death of Kay must have been painful for both of them - perhaps part of their dishonesty to her had been due to their own unwillingness to reopen those wounds.

"Dishonesty wasn't exactly new to her, Sadie thought with bitterness while she rolled over on the cushions. She had treated Lars with a rather cruel amount of falsehood herself when they had been "trapped" on the island with Steven, over a year ago now. At the time, she had just been so invested in the opportunity, to revel in a few days away from the world, to forget about the challenges of family and her job and friendships... Lars wasn't perfect, but he had at least deserved better than that.

More and more, she felt Clancy not exactly as someone she wanted to forgive, but... maybe someone worthy of forgiveness."

But there was another thing on her mind. Everyone had made it very clear that she was under no obligation to become a Crystal Gem herself. Originally, she herself had no intention of joining. But over the past week or so, she'd begun to give it serious thought.

Maybe it was a chance for her to make something good of this whole, ugly situation.

Ah, but that was for another day. For now, she lay on her back, closed her eyes and listened to the quiet sound of the music in her ears.

I'm learning to fly,

Around the clouds,

But what goes up,

Must come down...

#steven universe #ruby stars #sadie miller #agent clancy miller #agent philbert bracknell #colonel bradshaw #garnet #ruby #peridot #amethyst #sour cream #onion #vidalia #amedot #hints of past vidalia/amethyst

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e350tb · 6 years

Text

Steven Universe: Ruby Stars - Chapter Eleven

(Special thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading this!)

Reckoning

Private Gordon Watson had long dreamed of joining the army and becoming a hero in some foreign war. He'd turned up to the recruitment office with lofty dreams and endless enthusiasm, absolutely determined to give his all for America and its values.

The army had responded to his plucky enthusiasm by putting him in a truck.

Watson sat at a red traffic light, tapping on the steering wheel. It had been a long drive from the supply depot to Beach City, and he could just about feel himself aging as he waited for the light to turn green. Still, he wouldn't be in this one-horse town long. All he had to do was run to the beach, give the jarheads at the front their ration boxes and clean water, and then run all the way back up to Keystone.

Bitter? Him? Never.

Quite suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. He leaned out the window, making eye contact with a middle-aged blonde woman. She held a wrench in her hand - maybe she was a mechanic?

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Your taillight's out," said the woman.

Darn it, that was all he needed.

"Hang on."

He sighed and climbed out of the cab, wandering to the back of the truck. He leaned down, studying the left taillight. Odd - it certainly seemed to be working...

"I dunno, it looks pretty intact to-"

Something hard slammed against the back of his head, and everything went black.

"You're sure that wrench didn't hurt him?" asked Jenny.

"Ah, it was just a light tap! Worst he'll have is a concussion."

Barb was propping the unfortunate truck driver against a tree, carefully moving his cap so that it looked like he was sleeping. To Sadie, he looked almost peaceful.

They had gotten very lucky with the truck. Not only was it big enough for Sadie's plan (which might more accurately called the beginnings of a plan), but a few crates in the back carried spare helmets and clean uniforms - perfect disguises to get past the military cordon on the beach. They'd taken it to Vidalia's house, and now Sour Cream and his mother were busy lifting a heavy object in a large black box into the back.

"You sure that'll work, Sour Cream?" Jenny called.

"This thing?" Sour Cream grinned. "This rig could raise the roof of the Empire City Building!"

"Right," nodded Jenny, "In that case, I'm gonna go grab some earplugs."

She headed inside.

Barb finished positioning the driver and nodded in satisfaction.

"Yep," she said, rubbing her hands together, "Works every time."

Sadie decided not to ask when her mother had done this before.

"Okay," Barb continued, "Come sit with me."

She sat down on the curb. Sadie hesitated - she knew that her mother wanted to talk, and she still didn't think she was ready - but slowly, she sat down next to her. They sat in silence for some time.

"You lied to me," said Sadie at last.

"I did," nodded Barb.

"Why?"

Barb pointed at the white star emblazoned on the door of the truck.

"I guess I wanted to keep them away from you," she replied, "Them, White Diamond... I didn't want you to get hurt."

She snorted.

"Heck of a lot of good that did," she sighed, "But I guess more than that, I wanted you to be... normal. I... I see how Steven feels about his gem, and..."

"You do?"

"I'm a mom, of course I do," Barb chuckled humourlessly, "Anyway, I didn't want that for you. I just wanted you to be... you."

Sadie looked down at her hands. She noted they were shaking, and with a strained flex of her knuckles, forced the tremble from her fingers. A small dance of warm light caught her eye, her gemstone waving a scarlet glimmer towards her periphery. It had gotten easier to understanding the way it felt, but seeing it, sometimes, still tied her stomach into knots. Excited or weary, she wasn't even sure anymore.

"And who am I, mom?" she asked, pulling her shirt down slightly and giving her gem a conflicted gaze, "Am I human? Am I a gem? Am I still Sadie Miller, or am I someone else?"

Barb sighed.

"No one can answer that but you," she replied, "But for what it's worth, you'll always be my little Sadie. Human or gem, that's the most precious thing in the universe to me."

Sadie looked her mother in the eye.

"If you could do this again," she asked, "Would you still have lied?"

Barb's mouth opened, but nothing came out. For a moment, she sat there, staring mutely at her daughter - then her face fell and she looked away.

"I don't know," she replied, "I honestly don't know."

Before Sadie could reply, Jenny and Buck emerged from the house. Both were dressed in the olive-green uniform and pot-shaped helmet of an army soldier - in Buck's case, it hung low over his eyes.

"What do they put on these uniforms?" asked Jenny, "They reek!"

"I think I need a bigger helmet," Buck said flatly.

Barb got to her feet.

"I better get changed," she said.

She was already halfway to the door before Sadie could reply.

Barb gritted her teeth as the truck approached the beach.

A checkpoint had been set up on the other side of the road from the car wash. About six bored-looking soldiers manned it, backed up by a small tank that had been parked on the sand. Clancy's car sat a few yards away - it had been impounded, as if the worst thing he'd done was park illegally.

"Hope these disguises hold up," she whispered.

Buck, who was sitting next to her in the cab, nodded but said nothing.

Carefully, Barb pulled the truck up next to the lead soldier. He wandered over, yawning as he did.

"What've you got?" he asked.

"What have you got, sergeant," replied Barb testily, pointing to the stripes on her shoulder.

"Uh... yes, sergeant, uh... wh-what're you carrying?" the soldier corrected anxiously.

"Thank you," nodded Barb, taking some satisfaction in his nervousness, "Private Dewey, the manifest."

Buck passed her a clipboard that the original truck driver had left in the glove compartment. Carefully, she handed it to the soldier.

"Let's see here," muttered the soldier, "K-rations, water canteens, ammunition; 7.62mm, spare rifle parts; M14, fire hose and tank..."

Barb tuned him out, watching the other soldiers and especially the tank. They paid her little heed - three of them were playing cards, and one sat on the curb playing a handheld games console. The tank's engine was turned off, and the commander was missing - perhaps he had gone in search of dinner, as sunset was not far off.

They weren't prepared for an attack from outside their perimeter. Good.

"...seven boxes of... what? What the heck do they think we're doing down here?"

She turned back to the soldier.

"I'll never understand the army," he muttered, handing the clipboard back, "Anyway, seems good, drive on through."

Barb nodded, driving the truck onto beach. It rumbled as it met the loose sands, skidding for a moment before driving onwards. She took a deep breath - this was it.

"Sour Cream," Buck called into the back, "Start getting it ready."

Slowly they turned the corner and approached the Temple. Barb swallowed - arranged outside the beach house in a roughly semicircular formation was a platoon of soldiers, backed up by about three machine guns and two tanks. They stood with bayonets fixed, and Captain Clark was positioned in front of them, revolver drawn. Clearly they were about to attack.

Behind them, Bradshaw stood next to Greg and Clancy, who were handcuffed and forced to their knees by a pair of soldiers each. He seemed to be lecturing them, although Barb couldn't make out his words. A few jeeps and trucks were parked next to them - slowly, Barb pulled the truck up by the Colonel's jeep.

Bradshaw looked up and wandered over. He looked decidedly annoyed.

"Does this look like the time for a resupply?" he demanded, "I'm about to launch an infantry assault!"

"Well, they waved me through," shrugged Barb, "Unless you don't want seven boxes of..."

"Unless you have the Miller girl, I don't care what you have!" snapped Bradshaw.

"If you touch her, I swear to god..." thundered Clancy.

"You're in no position to make demands, Agent Miller," said Bradshaw.

"Look, she's not here yet, right?" said Barb, "Why not just get this out of the way?"

Bradshaw sighed.

"Fine," he grunted, "Pull up behind the central machine gun post. They'll help you unload. I want you in and out in ten minutes."

Barb smiled and drove forward.

As they drove up in front of the temple, they saw the Crystal Gems on the balcony. Amethyst and Peridot were positioning a strange, pink cannon under the railing, while Garnet and Pearl were whispering something between each other. She couldn't see Steven, and absently wondered where he might be.

Before long, she'd pulled up behind a small hole in the middle of the perimeter. A machine gun had been placed on the rim of the hole, and the two gunners climbed out to help unload to truck.

Buck tapped the back of the cab.

"It's time."

The soldiers pulled the canvas flap on the back of the truck open.

"Wait, what the-"

BWAAAAAWUUBWUUBWUUBWUUBWUUBWUUB

The soldiers screamed and clutched their ears as the dubstep screeched over the beach. At the back of the truck was a truly enormous speaker, on top of which Sour Cream sat. He whooped and held up a pair of glowsticks, and pandemonium reigned.

Sadie leapt out of the truck, spear drawn. She swung into the heads of the two soldiers, knocking them both to the ground. Jenny jumped out after her, carrying a fire hose. She sprayed it towards a couple of soldiers that had begun to run over to them - the force of water sent them sprawling backwards.

Captain Clark staggered, clutching his ears. He bellowed out an order in an admirable attempt to be heard over the speaker.

"What are you scumbags doing?! Shoot them!"

He pulled his revolver, pointing it at Sadie.

He never got the chance to fire. Garnet leapt down from the sky, smashing down on him with her gauntlets. She pulled the revolver from his hand, crushing it as she made a fist. A particularly optimistic soldier charged her with her bayonet - she grabbed the barrel of her rifle, twisted it upwards and then punched her out.

The machine guns opened fire. Garnet raised her gauntlets, deflecting the bullets.

Pearl jumped into the air from the balcony, aiming her spear in midair. A series of four quick, aimed shots knocked out both of the machine gun teams before she landed. She raised her arms, lifting a cloud of sand into the air, and hurled it towards another half-dozen soldiers, blinding them.

There was a loud bang, and a tank shell flew over her head. One of the tanks was rolling forward, and she glanced over to the balcony.

"Cannon's ready!" shouted Peridot, "Say the phrase, say the phrase!"

"If every pork chop were perfect," bellowed Amethyst, "We wouldn't have hot dogs!"

The cannon fired in a plume of light. The beam slammed into the tank, blasting it upwards and flipping it onto its turret. Like an upside-down turtle, the tracks rolled helplessly against the sky.

The second tank began to roll up. Peridot turned to it, smirking. With a loud bang, it fired - Peridot held up her hands, and the shell froze in midair.

"No thanks," she said, "You can keep it!"

She turned the shell around and flung it back at the tank. It went right through the front armour and into the engine, setting the big machine ablaze. The crew leapt out of the hatches and dove for cover.

Amethyst grinned and jumped from the balcony, swinging her whip above her head. She landed and swung it out, entangling about eight soldiers and throwing them over her head. They landed hard on the sand, and Amethyst quickly retrieved her whip.

The last remaining soldier, hand shaking, pointed his rifle at Sadie. He pulled the trigger - it clicked uselessly, having jammed from the sand thrown up from the fighting. He cringed, throwing his rifle away and reaching for his pistol as he backed up against the truck.

The truck door flew open, slamming into the back of his head and knocking him out.

"You stay away from my girl!" Barb snapped, climbing down from the cab.

As the dust settled, Sadie found herself standing with her mother, her friends and the Crystal Gems in the middle of a beach strewn with unconscious, groaning soldiers. She had to be honest, she'd never seen herself ending up somewhere like this, but it felt strangely satisfying.

A slow, sarcastic clap filled the air.

Colonel Bradshaw stepped up, stepping over several of his own troops. Behind him, soldiers dragged Greg and Clancy towards them. They dropped them in front of the group, and Bradshaw drew his gun.

"Very well done," he said, "Very well done."

He pointed the barrel of the gun at Greg's head. Steven's father gulped, sweating. Sadie clenched her fists and grit her teeth.

"You went back on my agreement, Ms. Miller," he said, "But I'm gonna give you a chance to walk that back. You have five seconds to..."

"Sir!"

Bradshaw frowned, drawing his radio.

"What is it, Ernest?"

"...need backup... unidentified gem at the warehouse... has the kids... I don't think-no, stay back, stay back, I'm arm-"

The radio cut out abruptly.

"Warehouse?" Bradshaw whispered to himself.

All eyes turned to the ruined warehouse across the bay.

As if being painted onto a canvas, a starship uncloaked just above the building. It was roughly cigar shaped with a smooth, featureless surface, save for a small hump on the top which Sadie guessed might be the bridge. It was painted pure white, and an enormous symbol was emblazoned on the nose.

It was a white diamond.

Seraphinite was in a very good mood this evening.

She stood over the unconscious form of the treacherous Rose Quartz, wrapped securely in chains of water with his human friend. The human soldiers had mostly fled or been knocked out, but their leader - the one called Ernest King - was restrained a small distance away.

Reading Rose Quartz' mind was... strange. Ordinarily, Seraphinite could read a gem's personality, emotions and memories like a book, but looking at Rose was like gazing at a swirling sea of ink. Everything was indistinct and slightly wrong - some shapes she could vaguely recognise, like Pink Diamond and her palanquin, but others bore no resemblance to anything she'd ever known. It was as if her pristine gem psyche had been contaminated by the pollution of humanity. She felt slightly ill.

More worrying were the humans. If a mind was a book to her, full of pictures and words and poetry, than those of Connie and King were like padlocked diaries to which she had no key. She had never attempted to read a human before, of course - what reason would she have to? - and the idea that she might not be able to was... deeply concerning.

This would have to be reported. Reported and studied.

"The traitor's human ally," she declared, "Will be coming with us."

She glanced at Lapis, who nodded. She could feel the true emotions of the blue gem - anguish, fear, constant fruitless straining against her mental cage. It was an intoxicating feeling.

"What about the other human?" asked Lapis, "The Major King?"

"His fate," replied Seraphinite, "Shall depend on what happens next."

She turned to the ship's ramp, motioning for Lapis to follow.

"Come," she said, "It's time we met the Crystal Gems face-to-face."

Sadie's eyes widened as the white ship began to move.

It turned almost on a dime, like a record spun and then immediately stopped, and began to glide over the harbour towards them. It didn't hurry, advancing almost casually towards them.

Garnet's face was set into a frown, her teeth gritted. She turned to Peridot and pointed back up at the beach house.

"Get to the cannon," she ordered, "Now."

Peridot didn't comply. She stared at the oncoming ship, her face pale.

"That's a Coalescence-class command ship," Peridot replied, her voice shaking, "Your laser light cannons won't put a dent in it."

"Command ship?" Amethyst tilted her head, the tone of her voice attempting and failing to sound casual. "You mean like... like a diamond or something?"

Pearl was shaking, one hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and haunted - it looked to Sadie like she was about to burst into tears.

"Seraphinite."

Colonel Bradshaw took off his cap and ran a hand through his thinning hair, sighing heavily. His shoulders hunched slightly. Sadie took some satisfaction from the idea that he seemed to be having an increasingly bad evening.

"Clancy," he asked, "You mind telling me what that is?"

Clancy shook his head.

"I've never seen that ship," he replied, "But I've seen that symbol..."

He got to his feet, the soldier behind him immediately aiming his gun at his head in response. Clancy ignored him, facing the Colonel - his eyes were wild and his face was an ashen white.

"Whatever you want, Bradshaw, you can have it," he said desperately, "The gems, this town - you can drop a nuke on it for all I care! Just let Sadie go!"

"Oh wow," grunted Jenny, "Thanks Mr. Miller."

Sadie opened her mouth to add to that, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up - Barb stood there; she too looked like she'd seen a ghost. The ship was just about over them now, and it seemed to be slowly lowering...

"Sadie," she whispered, "He's right. You need to run. Run and don't look..."

An ear-splitting screech filled the air.

Sadie grabbed her ears and fell to her knees, wincing. She could hear screams around her, but she couldn't identify who they were. The sound that filled her ears was indescribable - like a sonic screech, nails on a chalkboard, a thousand vuvuzelas and the BHX logo sound all at once. It was like sandpaper running through her head, scratching and grinding her very thoughts, screaming, screaming...

And then it was gone.

Sadie looked up, her eyes watering. Amethyst was on the ground in front of her, hands over her head. Not far away, Garnet was helping Pearl to her feet, and Peridot was clumsily trying to pull herself up. Strangely, Bradshaw and his men were standing upright as if nothing had happened, and so were Greg and Clancy...

"...Sadie! What's going on, what happened?!"

Sadie sat up, looking at her mother. She was kneeling down next to her, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her pain. Buck, Jenny and Sour Cream stood nearby - they too looked unharmed by the strange sound.

"Didn't... didn't you hear that?" asked Sadie.

"Hear what?" asked Buck.

"That noise!" replied Sadie, "The one that just..."

There was a deep, hydraulic hiss, and Sadie looked towards the ship. It was hovering low now, and a ramp had descended from the bottom of the hull. A gem marched down, tall and green with a silver uniform. Behind her was a blue gem, and Sadie couldn't help but think she'd seen her before.

"Lapis?" gasped Amethyst.

Lapis smirked, an expression that looked entirely wrong on her face. She held up her hands, and three bound figures floated down the ramp onto the beach. One was the military man Sadie had seen at the lighthouse, struggling desperately against his watery bonds. The other two were very, very familiar.

"Steven!" exclaimed Greg.

"Connie!" shouted Pearl.

"Don't give them anything!" shouted Connie, "We'll get out of this, just don't listen to her!"

The tall gem stepped onto the sands, her arms behind her back.

"Greetings," she said, "I am Seraphinite. I am here to see that justice is done."

Before anyone could reply, Bradshaw stepped forward.

"My name is Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Bradshaw, United States Army," he said, "State your business."

Seraphinite frowned.

"I am here," she said, slowly and deliberately, "To see that justice is done."

"And what do you mean by justice?" demanded Bradshaw.

"This gem," replied Seraphinite, pointing to a struggling Steven, "Is the most wanted war criminal in our society. She will be returned to Homeworld to complete his trial."

"Oh no you don't!"

Peridot stepped forward, dodging Garnet's attempts to hold her back. She pointed angrily at Seraphinite, her face twisting into a defiant scowl.

"Steven's a Crystal Gem!" she shouted, "And if you think you can just step onto this planet and capture one of our own, you have seriously miscalculated our combat prowess! Now back off, or we're gonna-"

Seraphinite drew a staff and pointed it at the green gem, nonchalantly firing a beam at her. It hit Peridot square in the chest - she disappeared in a plume of green smoke, her gem falling to the sand.

"Peridot!"

Amethyst ran forward and grabbed her gem, cradling it in her arms.

"Okay," nodded Bradshaw, "And why exactly do you want that little girl? Or Major King?"

"Sir, please, don't let them take me!" shouted King, distraught.

"I'm working on it," Bradshaw called back.

"I wish to interrogate her," replied Seraphinite, "And ascertain her connection to the rebel. As for your officer, we really couldn't care less about him - although he'd be an interesting test subject."

Bradshaw nodded.

"And if I were to give you the Uni... Rose Quartz and Maheswaran, would you leave the Earth?" he asked.

"What?!" exclaimed Greg, "You can't just give them Steven and Connie! I-it's not your decision to make!"

"I thought you're supposed to be protecting people!" shouted Steven, "This isn't protecting humanity!"

"It is," replied Bradshaw, "In a very pragmatic way."

Seraphinite sneered.

"I would have no reason to return," she replied, "There'd be... nothing for me to come back to."

Bradshaw scratched his chin.

"Fine," he said, "Take them all. I'll throw in King to sweeten the deal."

"Sir?!" exclaimed King.

"Take them all," repeated Bradshaw, "And don't come back."

Seraphinite nodded. "Very well."

"But... but, sir, you can't... you can't!" screamed King.

"Sorry, Major, but saving the planet requires sacrifices," shrugged Bradshaw, "Goodbye, Emmet."

King's face fell into a look of utter shock and betrayal.

"...Ernest, sir."

Bradshaw smirked.

"Thank you, Ernest," he replied.

Seraphinite clicked her fingers, and King was floated up into the ship. Slowly, Steven and Connie began to follow.

"Amethyst! Pearl! Garnet!" called Steven, "Dad!"

"We'll get out of this!" Connie yelled, her brave words undercut by the tears beginning to run down her cheeks, "Tell my parents not to give up! We'll... we'll be back!"

Sadie watched numbly as they began to disappear from view. She felt so helpless - something had to be done, but everyone was standing around in mute shock. Somebody had to step up. Anybody!

She clenched her fists. She'd have to do.

Sadie leapt to her feet, drawing her spear once more. She screamed a battle cry as she charged towards the Homeworld gem.

"Sadie, no!" exclaimed Barb.

"Stay back, stay back!" shrieked Clancy.

Seraphinite smirked again. Her eyes flashed.

The screech filled Sadie's mind again. She fell to the ground, just inches away from Seraphinite's feet, screaming as she clutched her ears. Everything else was forgotten - all she wanted was to be free of this terrible, terrible...

It was gone again, but before she could even process her respite, she was yanked upwards up the collar, finding herself at eye level with the tall green gem.

"Interesting," she said, "You look like a human, but it seems..."

She pulled down Sadie's collar with her free hand, looking down at her gem.

"Ruby," she nodded, "1GK, Kindergarten 1-302-Sigma, Batch 21002. That was a bad batch, if I remember correctly."

"You... you got all that from looking at my gem?" quizzed Sadie.

Seraphinite pursed her lips.

"You'll require further study," she said, "You're coming with me."

"No!"

Barb ran towards them, fists clenched.

"You take my baby over my dead-"

BANG.

Barb screeched and fell to the ground. The sand around her left leg was slowly stained red - Sadie gasped in horror.

"Mom!"

She looked over to Bradshaw, who was holstering his smoking pistol.

"Please don't disrupt our diplomacy, Ms. Miller," he said smugly.

Sadie struggled against Seraphinite's grip.

"You dirty son of a... that's my mom, you bastard!" she began to scream, "If you... if anything happens to her, I..."

"Sadie..."

Barb was crawling across the sand, reaching for her daughter.

"I won't... I won't let them take you... I won't..."

She passed out in the sand.

"MOM!"

Seraphinite sneered.

"Does anybody else want to delay my departure?" she asked.

She looked over to Pearl. The tall gem was frozen in place, tears running down her face. Her hands were clutched over her mouth - if she'd had fingernails, Sadie reckoned they'd be cutting her skin. What was she doing? It wasn't like Pearl to freeze up, was it?

"Ah," said Seraphinite, "A gag order. How quaint. Let's see what Rose made you hide."

She gazed at Pearl, her eyes flashing again. Pearl screamed, falling to her knees and clutching her head. Her screech was primal and unsettling - from a gem that was always so melodic and rhythmic, hearing that horrific, guttural sound of utter agony chilled Sadie to the bone.

Seraphinite frowned.

"I see," she said, simply.

She snapped her fingers. There was a poof, and Pearl was gone - her gem landing with a dull thud on the sand.

"This changes things," muttered Seraphinite, "Lapis Lazuli, we must leave now."

She tucked Sadie under her arm and turned around. Sadie looked back, struggling against the gem's grip as she and Lapis walked up the ramp, floating Steven and Connie up next to them.

"No! I can't leave mom! I-I can't leave mom!" shouted Sadie.

"You can and you will," replied Seraphinite, "Try not to dwell on it. We won't be back."

Down on the beach, her friends were calling her name. Jenny began to run towards the ramp - in a swift motion, Garnet grabbed her by the shoulder and held her back. Greg was screaming Steven's name, trying desperately to escape his bonds. Clancy stared at the sand, his face weary and worn. A soldier was carrying Barb off the beach, but whether that was to help her or to get her out of the way, Sadie couldn't tell.

A cry followed them. It sounded like Garnet.

"You won't win," she said, "We'll get them all back!"

Seraphinite rolled her eyes.

"I suppose we'd better make sure they don't follow," she said.

Her eyes flashed. The screeching came again, cutting deep into Sadie's thoughts. She closed her eyes and screamed, weeping as the pain cut through her psyche. She tried to focus on something, anything but the pain.

Lars. The band. The fire. The mall. Shapeshifting. The worm. The army. Seraphinite. Her mother, bleeding from her leg. Your fault. Your fault.

Finally, Sadie drifted into a deep, blissful darkness.

#steven universe #ruby stars #sadie miller #barb miller #buck dewey #jenny pizza #sour cream #vidalia #garnet #amethyst #pearl #peridot #agent clancy miller #greg universe #colonel bradshaw #seraphinite #lapis lazuli #connie maheswaran

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e350tb · 7 years

Text

Steven Universe: The Eye of the Storm - Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Sadie picked at her dinner, listening to the clock ticking. The room was silent, and she felt rather uncomfortable. Outside the sun was setting, the sky turning a dark violet colour.

Barb put down her food and looked at her daughter.

"Okay," she said, "What's up?"

"What do you mean 'what's up?'" replied Sadie, "I'm fine, mom."

"You've hardly eaten your food," Barb pointed out, "Is it something Clancy said to you? Because if it is, I'll wring his-"

"Why did you and Dad split up?" asked Sadie.

There was a long silence.

"Because he turned out to be good for nothin'," Barb grunted at last.

"Yeah, but you must've seen something in him once, right?" said Sadie.

Barb nodded soberly.

"When I met Clancy," she said, "He was a little twig of a man with awful social skills and an obsession with the stars. I guess thought he was endearing. It was college, everyone was allowed to be dumb sometimes. We ended up getting hitched too early and everything fell apart from there."

"But what did he do to you?" asked Sadie, "What actually happened?"

Barb furrowed her brow, biting softly on her lip.

"He walked out," she said at last, "Decided some fancy government job was more important than...than his family. Left Beach City and never looked back - heck, he handled the whole divorce through his lawyer. And good riddance, that's what I say."

"So it had nothing to do with...I dunno, aliens?" asked Sadie.

For a split-second, Barb's eyes widened. Then she shook her head and laughed.

"The closest Clancy's ever gonna get to outer space is eating at Planet Kansas," she declared, "I mean, aliens? Where did you get that idea?"

Sadie sighed.

"Nowhere, mom," she said, "Just...thinking out loud."

"That'd be good for your band!" chuckled Barb, "Deadbeat Dads From Outer Space! Think it'll work?"

Sadie didn't answer, going back to picking at her food.

The sun had long gone down and Lion had taken Connie home. Steven had reheated a few slices of pizza he'd found in the fridge and was sitting on the couch playing Mad Libs with Amethyst and Peridot.

"Peridot, I need a name," he said.

"Percy," replied Peridot.

"Great!" nodded Steven, smiling, "Now Amethyst, I need a body part."

Amethyst grinned.

"I'm gonna say a-"

There was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" mused Steven, getting up.

"Boo!" grumbled Amethyst, "My word was gonna be great!"

Steven walked to the door and opened it, finding Sadie standing outside.

"Sadie? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I asked Mom about Dad," replied Sadie.

"Oh," said Steven, "Did...did he do something really bad?"

"I don't know," replied Sadie, "Because she lied to me. Can I come in?"

Steven nodded, letting Sadie enter.

"What's up, ex-Donut Girl," said Amethyst, waving.

"Look," said Sadie, "Sorry to bother you this late, but something really weird is going on."

"It's Beach City," shrugged Amethyst.

"Yeah, but weirder than normal," replied Sadie, "Okay, so Dad left his wallet at the library and the librarian gave it to me to send back to him, and I went through it..."

"Sadie!" exclaimed Steven, scandalised.

"...yeah, I know, not the right thing," said Sadie, "But then I found this."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture, showing it to Steven and the two gems.

"Is that a Roaming Eye?" gasped Peridot.

"A roaming what?" asked Sadie.

"It's a ship from the Gem Homeworld," replied Steven.

"We stole one!" added Amethyst, "It was great until they stole it back!"

"That was purely through Navy's mastery of deception," sniffed Peridot, "I was not responsible."

"Homeworld?" mused Sadie, "That's where you and Lars went, right? What's a ship from Homeworld doing on Earth? And what're my parents doing next to it?"

"Beats the heck outta me," replied Amethyst.

"Are you sure?" asked Peridot, "It seems implausible that a Homeworld ship could arrive without the Crystal Gems knowing about it."

"We can ask Garnet and Pearl about it when they get back," suggested Steven, "I'm sure they'll explain everything, right?"

"I hope so," sighed Sadie, "Because I really need answers right now..."

Roughly halfway between Beach City and Ocean Town was a small access road. Once upon a time, it had led to a cannery by the sea - but times had changed and the cannery had been closed and demolished, the road to nowhere its only remaining legacy.

A short distance down the road was a small depression in the landscape. It was about forty square metres across and ten metres deep - the earth had been covered with abundant grass which made this dip easy to miss from a distance. Only a select few knew what it really was - a crater left by a crashed alien ship.

A black car pulled up next to the hole. Agent Clancy Miller stepped out. He looked around, satisfied himself that he was alone, and sat down at the edge of the crater.

He remembered that day well.

It had been a Saturday. He and Barb had been dating for three months, and neither had really decided whether or not they were taking it seriously. The biggest thing on his mind was whether or not he was going to commit to an astronomy major or not. Those had been simpler times.

They had spent the day by the sea in Ocean Town and were driving back to campus when the enormous object crashed to earth. He being the space nut he was, he immediately turned off onto the access road, hoping to find a meteorite at the impact point. Instead, he had found the Roaming Eye.

Barb had been apprehensive about approaching the wrecked ship, but Clancy would not be deterred. He took a photo for posterity first, using the roof of his car as a makeshift tripod. Then he had walked right up to the ship with merry abandon - these days, as an OSS agent, he would have known to check for background radiation and other hazards first, and it made him cringe to remember how unprofessional he had once been.

In the soil around the ship, he had found the shattered remains of a green gem, and had excitedly picked them up to examine them. He would later learn that these were the shards of an unfortunate Peridot that had perished in the crash.

While he was shouting unrealistic and fantastic theories to Barb, the Crystal Gems arrived on the scene.

He remembered his awe upon seeing them. Pearl, graceful and fearless and fiercely protective of her leader; Garnet, stoic, mysterious and powerful; and then there was Rose Quartz herself, perhaps the most remarkable of them all, gentle and compassionate but the greatest warrior of them all. To an amateur Ufologist like himself, it was like walking in the presence of Caesar, Napoleon or the Quarrymen. He had so many questions of them - there was so much he needed, needed to know.

Rose walked past him, instead walking over to Barb. She had picked up a deep red gem - it was cracked but intact. Gently, Rose had taken the gem from her, holding it in her hands. She looked down upon it and wept a single tear.

There was a brilliant glow. Clancy had watched as the light around the gem seemed to shift, morphing into a short, humanoid shape. It fell to the floor, landing on its face - the light dimmed, revealing a red figure with square-shaped hair. He heard the Garnet's whisper - 'a Ruby.'

She began to try to stand out - Barb offered her hand to help, which she took. She began to babble - "What planet is this? What happened to my ship? I need to report to my supervisor!"

Barb put her hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"It's okay," she told her, "You're safe now..."

And there he was, standing off to the side, forgotten by everyone.

"Why did I come here?" Clancy asked himself, staring solemnly into the crater, "Nothing good ever came from this place..."

"Because you couldn't leave without coming back first."

Clancy got up and turned around. Garnet and Pearl were standing next to his car.

"Really, Garnet?" sighed Clancy, "We talked about this earlier. I have my orders."

"You're going to regret taking it, Clancy," said Garnet, "You know that."

"I've regretted everything I've done in this place," replied Clancy, "What's one more thing?"

He shook his head.

"What exactly are you hoping to achieve?" he demanded, "If I don't take it, they'll just send someone else to get it. And they'll be clumsy about it because they won't have my experience and they'll probably get somebody hurt. If I do it, it's done quietly and cleanly."

Garnet shook her head.

"Garnet, why don't we just stop him now?" demanded Pearl, "It's hardly like he deserves a chance!"

"Because they'll send another agent, Pearl," replied Clancy, "Just like I said. And that other agent might start looking into things - your things."

He walked back towards his car. As he passed her, Garnet put a hand on his arm.

"Make up a lie, Clancy," she urged, "You can tell them it wasn't here."

Clancy narrowed his eyes.

"I. Have. My. Orders," he snarled.

He got into his car and drove away.

There was a pillar of light as the warp pad activated. When it disappeared, Garnet and Pearl were standing in front of the temple door - they were immediately approached by Steven and Sadie, with Amethyst and Peridot hanging slightly back.

"Oh! Sadie, right? What are you doing here?" quizzed Pearl.

"What do you know about a ship that crashed twenty years ago?" asked Sadie.

Steven helpfully held up the photograph for them.

"Oh...that," said Pearl, "Uh..."

"It's a Roaming Eye," said Garnet, calmly, "It was probably here to check up on something Homeworld left behind..."

"In hindsight, probably the Cluster," Pearl interrupted quickly.

"Yes," nodded Garnet, "When we found it, it was damaged beyond repair. There were no survivors."

"Why didn't I know about this?" demanded Amethyst.

"There was a Lil' Butler marathon that night," replied Garnet, "You were with Greg."

"Yeah, that makes sense," admitted Amethyst.

"Sure does!" exclaimed Pearl, "And oh my goodness would you look at the time! I'm going back to my room to bed! Goodnight!"

She turned around and walked briskly into the temple.

"So there's nothing weird that could have happened with my parents, right?" asked Sadie.

She looked up at Garnet, trying to catch a glimpse of her eyes through her visor. She failed.

"Nothing," said Garnet, her tone final, "Goodnight, Sadie. Goodnight Steven."

She walked to the temple door.

"Don't I get a goodnight?" demanded Peridot.

"Goodnight, Peridot."

Garnet entered the temple and disappeared.

"Okay, quick question," said Amethyst, "Since when does Pearl have a bed?"

"She doesn't" replied Steven, clenching his fists, "They lied to us."

He turned to Sadie, whose expression was unreadable. There was a long silence.

"Library," she said at last, "Tomorrow. We're gonna ask Dad..."

#steven universe #100 words a day #sadie miller #barb miller #amethyst #peridot #agent clancy miller #garnet #pearl #rose quartz

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