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andrewmoocow · 1 year ago

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Little Homeworld Life chapter 22: Seeing Black (originally posted on May 22, 2023)

AN: After almost a year of waiting, the Black Pearl Brigade have finally returned from their final battle with Cinnabar! It's been a while since I last wrote them, so bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of writing five or six characters who are almost the exact same. And in addition, we got another batch of new characters joining Black Rutile, one of whom we've already seen in De-Clustering during Tanzanite's flashback. The plot begins to thicken as we reach the epic climax of Little Homeworld Life.

Synopsis: The Black Pearl Brigade, now retired after defeating Cinnabar, decide to move to Earth. Meanwhile, Cinnabar is broken out of prison by another of Black Rutile's minions.

Cast:

Deedee Magno-Hall as The Black Pearl Brigade, Nacre, Pearl, Pearl Guards

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Kimberly Brooks as Dalmatian Jasper

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Matthew Moy as Lars, Dante

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst

Nancy Linari as Martha

Kate Miccuci as Sadie

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Olivia Olson as Citrine

Kathleen Barr as Púrén

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

Shanelle Grey as Sally Grove

Zach Steele as Ronaldo

Uzo Aduba as Demantoid's Bismuths

Miriam Hyman as Demantoid's Bismuths

Shelby Rabara as Demantoid's Peridots

Featuring Barbara Dunkelman as Amber

And Kristen Schaal as Howlite

"Don't get too cocky, Andesine!" the red-clad captain of the Black Pearl Brigade yelled from her captain's chair at the other ship they were dogfighting with. "All systems, fire!"

"Will do, Cap!" Pony, the blue-dressed second in command of the Brigade, saluted before pointing the Servant's weapons at the ship. In the months since the fall of Black Rutile and Cinnabar, though the Black Pearls had planned on going wherever the winds took them, there were still members of the Rutile Rebels hiding across the universe that needed to be brought to justice. Andesine happened to be one of them. A former sergeant of Yellow Diamond feared far and wide for her sadism and patience, best demonstrated as Andesine heartlessly used her fleet as shields, the orange Gem dressed in samurai-like armor led an entire army of fellow Rutile Rebels in trying to conquer what territory had been lost by her master and comrades.

Along with Andesine were a long-haired orange Amber dressed in a tan jacket, brown zip-up overalls, and an orange scarf around her neck, and a Howlite with black veins spreading across her face wearing a turtle-necked sweater and a visor over her eyes.

"Lady Andesine, we seem to be evenly matched with these Pearls." Howlite cautioned her superior as Andesine's ship was at war with the Servant and the Sun Incinerator. "What do you suggest we do now?"

"I say we should keep firing, nerd!" Amber yelled at Howlite's face. "There's gotta be a weak point we can exploit or something!"

"Not everything can be solved with violence, you hotheaded clod!" Howlite argued with Amber. "Sometimes, we have to make a plan and wait for an opportunity!"

"Sometimes, plans don't always work out, and opportunities will fail too." Amber retorted. "Game, set, and match! Nailed it!"

"Can it, you fools!" Andesine commanded her two minions to cease their bickering. "While I agree with Amber that sometimes brute force can get good results, my current plan might be more Howlite's speed." This caused Howlite to stick her tongue out at Amber while Amber pulled down an eyelid. "What the Pearls don't realize is that I'm planning to break Cinnabar out of prison and bring her to Black Rutile, wherever she may be. My idea is to feign surrender so we can be taken to Revanche 666 and stage a breakout."

"That's a brilliant idea." Howlite agreed while side-eyeing Amber, who just rolled her eyes while folding her arms. "But how can we convince the Pearls that we surrender? Surely they'll get suspicious about what you have planned."

"Just follow my lead," Andesine answered before ordering her ships to stop firing and opening communications with the Black Pearl Brigade and the Off-Colors. "I'd like to arrange a formal meeting with the enemy fleet to reach a truce."

"What kind of truce?" Cap asked suspiciously.

"This better not be a trap, Andesine!" Lars shouted.

"No, there is no trap," Andesine promised while crossing her fingers behind her back, letting Amber and Howlite know she was telling a big, fat lie. "As of today, my associates and I peacefully surrender."

"Wait, already?!" Lars exclaimed. "We kinda thought that you'd resist just a little longer! What's with the sudden change in attitude?"

Andesine glanced at Amber, causing her to start speaking too. "Oh, well, uh," Amber stumbled over her words. "we just felt so tired by all the chasing and fighting and thought that it was time we tried changing ourselves for the better."

"That's right!" Howlite added just as shakily. "All this time, we were so lost and directionless; all this warfare just seemed so senseless!"

"I still do not trust them!" Braids, the Brigade's yellow-wearing strongman, said bluntly. "Bring them aboard our ship to see if they truly mean what they say!"

"Hey, you want a fight, Pearl?!" Amber yelled at Braids. "That's right, you and me! Right now! We're having it out! Come on, come on!"

"Everybody, calm down." Fluorite soothed the tensions between all three parties. "Now then, Andesine, are you really certain you surrender?"

"I am as certain as the universe is vast." Andesine replied before quickly flashing her two cohorts a smile. "Please bring us to Revanche 666 so we may consider what we've done."

"IQ, what can you make of this?" Braids asked IQ, the green-garbed intelligence officer of the team.

"Hm, I can indeed conclude they are suspicious." IQ nodded in response. "But if they want to surrender, that makes our jobs easier."

"Andesine is going to surrender, but she has something sinister planned!" Padparadscha Sapphire exclaimed.

"Ignore her," Andesine stated. "Please, take us away, for we are now the last of the Rutile Rebels yet to be arrested!"

"She's right, it's only this fleet left to go, and then we've caught them all!" Pony added. "In any case, you're all under arrest! Lay down your arms, and we'll take you in quietly!"

"At long last, we have them all." Tails, the pink-wearing sharpshooter, smiled in relief. "What a relief."

"Okay, you three, just stay right there while we take you to prison," Lars ordered the three Rutile Rebels as he ended communications with Andesine, who began grinning evilly as soon as their eyes were off her.

"Flawless victory." Andesine declared to Amber and Howlite. "Once we receive our sentence, we shall form a plan from there."

"I like the way you're thinking, boss!" Amber said, rubbing her nose with her thumb and smirking.

"You always were a very patient Gem who loved taking advantage of whatever situation you got in," Howlite added as Andesine's ship was seized by the Black Pearls and the Off-Colors, causing the three Gems to raise their hands in surrender. "I hope you know what you're doing here, Andesine."

"Trust me; I know exactly what I'm doing," Andesine assured with a smirk.

Soon, Andesine and her fleet were transported to Revanche 666 to be admitted into the prison and brought to their cells. By this point in time, the number of prisoners had slowly decreased as more and more of the Rutile Rebels were rehabilitated in confinement and allowed to rejoin society. However, Cinnabar and her cohorts were among the prisoners that refused to accept defeat no matter how much the Black Pearls, Peridots, and Bismuths tried to convince them to abandon their warmongering ways. Now, they were soon to be joined by Andesine, Amber, Howlite, and all the other Gems who pledged allegiance to the trio, just as Andesine had planned.

"Okay, all of you single file!" Lars commanded the Gems being shown to their cells. "Nobody makes a ruckus; this is a prison we're running here, not a fight club."

"Did they seriously turn our headquarters into a prison?!" Amber yelled in outrage.

"I recognize the irony as well, Amber," Howlite replied dourly.

"Well, I think that should be everyone," Rhodonite said happily. "At long last, the universe is free of the Rutile Rebels. That reminds me, how has Black Rutile been doing since she was exiled to Earth?"

"Probably off plotting her revenge or something; I don't care anymore," Lars replied. "I'm just glad we finally put these bigots down once and for all."

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING!" a fusion loyal to Andesine yelled from the line.

"Hey, what did I say about making a ruckus?!" Lars yelled back. "Anyways, what else should we do now that we finally have some free time?"

"Yes, I've been wondering that too." Nacre, the Brigade's latest recruit, and medic dressed in white and formerly known as Shell, stated. "In the time since I've gained a physical body, I don't think I've had enough time to think about how it feels. There is just so much about the universe that I want to learn more about!"

"Well, if that's the case, why don't we find somewhere to retire to?" Cap asked. "Any suggestions?"

"We could go back to Kyukanza." Braids suggested. "The atmosphere and scenery are positively glorious."

"Or we could go to East Walleef again." IQ added. "Surely, the townsfolk will welcome us after how we saved them from Mr. Manco."

"Hm, good choices, all of you." Cap nodded in recognition of her teammates' options. "However, my decision differs ever so slightly. From this day on, we shall become residents of Earth!"

"Oh, Earth!" Nacre exclaimed cheerfully. "I've only been there as an artificial intelligence, but to be there as a full Gem would be so exciting!"

"Huh, what a weird coincidence." Lars realized as his eyes widened. "I've actually been planning on visiting Earth sometime to catch up with everybody down there. Why don't we both go there?"

"That would be a good idea." Tails nodded in agreement. "We can make a day out of it, have a little fun, reconnect with old friends, and make a new home."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Pony exclaimed. "Let's get a move on already!"

As the Black Pearls and the Off-Colors boarded their ships and left Revanche 666 for Earth, Andesine was getting acquainted with her new living situation while being led to her cell. Around her, she could see Gems sitting in their small cells guarded by a destabilizing field. Dalmatian Jasper was bouncing a ball against the wall of her cell, Xenotime was facing the corner and didn't turn once, Pyrite had been tallying up how many days she spent in confinement, Kyanite shapeshifted her hand into a harmonica, Bloodstone paced around her cell no doubt coming up with new crackpot theories, and Zoisite laid on her bench to stare at the ceiling. And then there was Cinnabar. What Andesine thought was once a proud and confident leader worthy of being Black Rutile's apprentice now sat defeated in her cell, contemplating how her actions led to her downfall.

"We're sorry that we failed, my lord." Andesine said to the caged Cinnabar.

"Don't fret, Andesine." Cinnabar sighed in defeat. "I failed just as hard."

"Okay, this will be your home until you finally realize what you're missing here." A Black Pearl guard said as she guided Andesine to her cell and closed the destabilizing field behind her. "Don't think about trying to get out. These cells were made to poof anyone who tries to escape."

As soon as the guard left, Andesine heard a knock on the wall. Surprisingly, she had been placed right next to Cinnabar's cell. "So, how did you get here?" Cinnabar asked. "How badly did you lose?"

"We didn't lose; we surrendered," Andesine said, to the shock and horror of Cinnabar and her cohorts. "But that's what we want them to think. We feigned loss because we plan to break you out and return to Black Rutile on Earth." She revealed. "Hopefully, she'll welcome us back in spite of our past failures to conquer the universe in her name."

"Wait, you want to break out of here?!" Dalmatian Jasper yelled. "No Gem ever escapes from Revanche!" The ball she was throwing then hit her in the face.

"They got round-the-clock security, and the Pearls show no mercy to anyone trying to escape!" Zoisite added.

"This is basically a suicide mission!" Kyanite stated, taking a break from her harmonica playing to show her concern. "And I'm unsure if Black Rutile would ever want us back."

"Hold on, everyone, let's just hear her out." Pyrite calmed everybody down. "Now, why do you think you'll be able to break out?"

"Because I have a little thing called hope," Andesine assured. "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

"Good to see you're so optimistic," Bloodstone said.

"Hope can be a far stronger tool than fear, you know," Howlite stated. "After all, fear is the mind-killer and the little-death that will bring total obliteration."

"Aw, but we just got here!" Amber complained. "I've been planning on stabbing someone with a shiv!"

"Just as long as that someone isn't me." Xenotime declared as she slowly turned her head from the corner of her cell.

"So what do you say, Cinnabar?" Andesine asked Cinnabar, who was now reinspired by her fellow rebel's words of wisdom as she knocked on the wall again.

"I'm in." Cinnabar declared eagerly.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the Pearls had touched down in Little Homeworld, ready to start new lives away from the menace of the Rutile Rebels. Upon landing outside its gates, the Pearls disembarked from their ship to tour the Gem town and were greeted by its inhabitants along the way. The sights around her utterly enamored Nacre, as she was only here as an AI before, but now she could live her life as a full Pearl.

"Oh, hello there, welcome to Little Homeworld." The Brigade could hear Pearl greet them before she realized who she was talking to. "Oh my, the Black Pearl Brigade, is that you? How have you been lately? And who's this new Pearl?"

"Oh, we have much to tell you about what we've done since we were last here." Cap laughed awkwardly. "First of all, this is Nacre." Nacre gave a polite shake of Pearl's hand. "You may know her better as Shell, but now she gained a physical body after saving us by restoring our memories after we were temporarily amnesiac thanks to Cinnabar."

"Wait, Shell? As in the Shell from the Reef?" Pearl asked just as Garnet and Amethyst joined her. "How did that happen?"

"Well, that is actually a long story." Nacre stated. "You see, it all started when the Pearls' ship crashed into the Reef during an adventure and-"

"Well, well, well." Black Rutile declared as she reunited with the Pearls. "Hello there, Brigade. Fancy seeing you back here. I see you've got a wardrobe change and a new recruit." She glanced at Nacre. "A little taller than the rest of you, I see."

"You must be Black Rutile." Nacre said. "I've heard about how cruel and selfish you were, but I never thought I'd see you in person someday."

"Those are all just facetious lies!" Black Rutile barked at Nacre. "Now then, Pearls, what brings you here?"

"We're actually planning on moving into Little Homeworld now that we've taken down all your followers." Cap announced to Black Rutile. "Andesine surrendered pretty easily, surprisingly enough, but we got a feeling she has something planned."

"That's Andesine for you, always planning ahead of everyone else." Black Rutile replied before looking to the Crystal Gems. "Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, why don't you go and make the Pearls at home while I talk with them?"

"Fine, but don't do anything funny!" Amethyst agreed before walking away. "Hey, where do you think we should put it?"

"Guess we'll just have to pick a random spot." Garnet declared as the three Crystal Gems got further and further away, allowing Black Rutile to talk with her former foot soldiers in private.

"You remember what we agreed upon last time you visited Earth, correct?" Black Rutile asked menacingly, pulling out her bowie knife to prove her point. "Tell anyone about our little scuffle, and I'll make sure they pay the price."

"Yes, we still remember." Pony proclaimed. "But if you think you can control us again, we will have no choice but to expose you."

"Wait, what deal?" Nacre asked curiously. "I was on the Servant then, so I'm a little lost here." At the same time, the Servant began hovering above Little Homeworld as Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl piloted it to a good spot where they could make it into a new home for the Pearls.

"Basically, Black Rutile forced us never to tell anybody she was hiding in the woods." IQ recounted. "But I guess that doesn't work anymore since everybody knows you're here now."

"Oh, you think you're cute?!" Black Rutile snarled angrily.

"Please, we're adorable!" Braids confidently answered. "Jokes aside, this place is now under our protection! I do no doubt that you are plotting glorious revenge, and we shall not stand for it!"

"Well, go ahead, make my day." Black Rutile grinned. "If you feel like you are this town's protectors, then I dare one of you to hit me as hard as you can. Which one of you dares?" The Pearls all looked at each other awkwardly, taken aback by Black Rutile's sudden challenge. However, Nacre was quick to accept the offer.

"I'll do it!" Nacre eagerly cheered.

"Wow, you're quite enthusiastic for a piece of fresh meat." Black Rutile laughed. "Hit me with your best shot; fire away if you have to!" Unfortunately for Black Rutile, she only got a gentle tap on the chest. "You're joking, right?"

Back at Revanche 666, a great escape was soon to take place. Headed by Andesine and Cinnabar, the Rutile Rebels that were still imprisoned were plotting to break out of their confinement and escape to Earth, where Cinnabar had stated Black Rutile was currently located. After ripping off a part of the wall in her cell, Howlite tinkered with the wires to hack into the security systems and deactivate the destabilizing fields so they could exit their cells safely and find somewhere to hide from the guards.

"Okay, everybody, here is the plan." Andesine declared. "Once Cinnabar and I return to our cells, we'll act perfectly natural while the rest of you follow our orders." She then began putting the Gems into groups based on their assignments. "Howlite, you, Xenotime, and Bloodstone will take over the security systems and free everyone else from their cells. Amber, Dalmatian Jasper, and Zoisite will hold all personnel hostage. Finally, Kyanite and Pyrite will find us a ship to steal so we can be home free. Are we clear on this?"

"One question," Howlite said. "If our plan is found out, how shall we compensate for such an event?"

"It's quite simple," Andesine answered. "In case that happens, we shall take no survivors."

With that, the escape plan sprang into action. Almost immediately, DJ and Amber pretended to start a prison riot to get the guards' attention, their acting skills working flawlessly as Zoisite also pretended to try and break up the fight.

"I'm telling you, the Viltrumites stand no chance against the Chimera Sui Generis!" DJ argued with Amber. "Their superior strength and superhuman abilities make them unstoppable!"

"But a Chimera Sui Generis is far more durable than you realize!" Amber yelled back. "They can take a beating without breaking a sweat! And that's not even taking into account their squid forms!"

"Please, you two, stop fighting over such trivial things!" Zoisite begged the two fighting Gems as a group of Black Pearl and Bismuth guards arrived on the scene.

"Are we going to need to intervene here?" one of the Pearls asked threateningly while pointing her spear at DJ.

"Well, you just happened to show up at the right time." Dalmatian Jasper smirked as her gem conjured a hook to snag the Pearl by the neck. "Let's make one thing clear here, Pearl! I'm in charge of this joint now, and anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to my friends!" Zoisite followed up on her partner's threat by pulling out her naginata and taking out a Bismuth in one fell swoop. Meanwhile, Amber pulled out her weapon, a kusarigama, and used the chain to strange another Pearl to the point of poofing. "Do I make myself clear?"

"How did you even escape?!" the Pearl exclaimed in horror.

"Let's just say some friends of ours are smarter than you think." Dalmatian Jasper grinned.

"I think we're on the verge of a breakout here!" a Bismuth operating the security cameras exclaimed as she watched DJ and Amber fight the Pearls before she gave orders to the rest of the prison staff. "All units, mobilize to subdue the prisoners! I repeat, subdue the prisoners!"

"I don't believe that'll be necessary." Howlite said as she stood behind the Bismuth and struck her down with her baseball bat. "Bloodstone, Xenotime, you take out the rest of the guards! I'll shut down the rest of the cells!"

"Sounds like a plan," Xenotime answered robotically as she made time freeze around her, stopping the oncoming Bismuths in their tracks and poofing them all with ruthless precision and mechanical grace. As soon as time resumed, it was like Xenotime defeated them all in less than a second.

"Cheater." Bloodstone grimaced. "Didn't even let me get a hit in."

"Wibbly wobbly timey wimey powers, deal with it." Xenotime retorted smugly before turning to Howlite. "How is everything going?"

"I'm in!" Howlite declared as she shut down the entire defense grid and allowed every remaining prisoner to escape, causing mass chaos in Revanche 666 as far as the eye can see. "I love it when a plan comes together." However, while all the security cameras have been shut off by Howlite's hacking, at least one was left unnoticed by the three Gems. And it was still running.

Cinnabar and Andesine emerged from their cells to see the rioting Gems wreaking havoc and overwhelming the guards with their anger at being kept away for so long. The two grinned at each other, as it seemed their plan had gone off without a hitch.

"It's official; this prison is ours." Cinnabar proclaimed before a Peridot was dropped at their feet.

"Why are you doing this?" the Peridot yelled in terror. "How did you plan all this?!"

"It's a secret to everyone." Andesine winked at the Peridot before pulling a communicator from the gem on her chest. "Kyanite, how is finding a ship going?"

"Well, funny you should mention that because me and Pyrite just ran into a problem." Kyanite nervously said.

"Oh no." Cinnabar moaned. "What is it?"

"Hessonite just came and destroyed all the other ships," Kyanite said on the other end as she and Pyrite came face to face with Hessonite and Citrine. Every other ship in the prison had been destroyed, leaving Hessonite's warship the only one left, and Kyanite & Pyrite were currently at the end of the line.

"We've been watching this prison for quite some time in the event something like this happens." Hessonite declared while presenting her sword.

"But how did you know?!" Kyanite yelled.

"That Howlite forgot to shut off a camera that was running on backup power," Citrine answered as she grabbed a defenseless Kyanite and Pyrite.

"What?! How was I supposed to know?!" Cinnabar screamed as the communicator was snatched from Kyanite's hand and crushed to bits.

"HOWLITE!" Andesine screamed for her chief scientist to meet her. "Why didn't you tell us that there was backup power here?"

"Well, because I wanted us to fail, and I was a mole for the Crystal Gems this whole time." Howlite smiled before she screamed, "OBVIOUSLY, I DIDN'T KNOW!"

"No matter, it's just Hessonite coming for us." Dalmatian Jasper stated as the other Rutile Rebels gathered around their two red-colored bosses. "We got a little thing called strength in numbers."

"Well, we're going to need a lot of that strength to complete the mission." Cinnabar stated as Hessonite and Citrine marched into the central area of the prison before they tossed Kyanite and Pyrite to her feet. "Pitiful."

"So this is what Andesine meant when she said she surrendered." Citrine observed the prison riot. "I should've known she was planning to break all of you out."

"And we won't let you tell anyone about it." Andesine said while drawing her flaming sword from her gem and motioning for her followers to attack. "CHARGE!"

"And that's how we narrowly escaped the Trandoshans." Lars recounted a tale of his adventures to his parents, the Crystal Gems, and his friends at a welcome-back barbecue held at his old home. "Moral of the story is don't get in the way of their hunts. They'll make sure you pay the price."

"Sounds like you've had quite the adventures since you were last here," Garnet said. "though I'm sure ours might be some good competition."

"Yeah, we had a shipping war, a beach party, a spy adventure, a krav maga tournament, a talent show, became celebrities! We even met ourselves from another dimension!" Amethyst eagerly added. "You would not believe all the crazy stuff we've been through!"

"Those do sound pretty exciting," Fluorite answered slowly. "I wish we had been there to experience all of that."

"Yeah, sounds like Earth just got a little more exciting." Lars's mother agreed. "Are you still sure you want to keep doing your space adventures, Lars?"

"I'm sure, Mom." Lars answered. "Besides, now that I'm pretty much immortal, I'm probably going to outlive pretty much everyone here, and I don't think I ever want to experience that."

"Well, you do you, Lars." Sadie accepted. "But if you ever feel like stopping by again, my mom and I always have a room to spare."

"Thanks, Sadie." Lars smiled at his old co-worker. "Sure, I've had fun traveling the stars with the Off-Colors, but it wasn't without some problems. Like these snake people I've had a few close calls with."

"Wait a second, did you say snake people?!" Ronaldo yelled as he slammed his hands on the picnic table. "I knew it; I knew they were real!"

"Never a dull moment with you, Ronaldo." Dante shook his head in amusement while everyone else just gave him weird looks.

Back at Little Homeworld, Nacre was taking in the sights and sounds of Earth. Such a wonderful planet to be on, she thought while exploring Little Homeworld and greeting all the Gems she passed by. She hadn't felt this amazing since she used her powers to restore her creations to normal and gain her physical body to join them in saving Homeworld. But now, after spending so much time in the cold darkness of space, she yearned for a change of scenery. Sure, the Pearls visited many planets in their travels, but they only stayed for a short time due to their missions.

As Nacre sat down on a bench and serenely felt the air comb her body, she suddenly heard a faint voice talking. "-was able to get through to that Reginald Johnson fellow you've informed me about." The voice said. "He was a prejudiced psycho who uses his media influence to spread his garbage takes, but he's also pretty agreeable."

"Who said that?" Nacre muttered as she turned around to discover a nearby house resembling Black Rutile's old headquarters. Tiptoeing closer to the home, Nacre spied on Black Rutile through the window and saw her conversing on a computer with a blonde human in glasses.

"Excellent work Sally!" Black Rutile thanked her human associate. "Talking to him should be very entertaining."

"I could feel my brain shrinking with every word he said." Sally Grove groaned in annoyance. "This is why I never trusted men; they're all the same dumbasses who not only do not realize how much is handed to them but still think they're the victims when they mess everything up because of their lazy entitlement and fragile egos."

"Yeah yeah, I've heard it a thousand times from your videos." Black Rutile declared before she realized she was being watched. "Hang on a second; I need to take this. See you soon." She shut off the video and marched towards the window to find Nacre trying to hide from her. "I know you're out there, Pearl."

"How did you find me?!" Nacre shouted as she tried desperately to hide, even though it was hopeless.

"Word of advice, little one, I am far smarter than you realize." Black Rutile smirked back. "TOPAZ!" On cue, Topaz appeared to snatch Nacre by the waist with her massive hands. "Return this Pearl to her friends at once."

"Yes, my Rutile." Topaz nodded obediently before looking down at Nacre. "No hard feelings, okay?"

"Let me go!" Nacre yelled as she tried to wriggle free from Topaz's grip while being carried away, leaving Black Rutile alone with her thoughts.

"Should've known someone was onto me." Black Rutile shook her head disdainfully before going back inside.

The Pearls were now getting themselves situated at their ship-turned-Earth home. Cap was modifying all the rooms to be homier, Pony had laid out a carpet in the bridge, IQ was helping Braids move a couch into the ship, and Tails was moving some decorations around. "Nice choice of carpet there." Tails commented on the ornate Persian carpet with gold tassels, a blue outer section, and a purple inner section with red and gold patterns throughout. "Really ties the room together."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Ooh, I wasn't expecting company so soon!" Pony exclaimed cheerfully as she walked up to answer it. "Sorry, we'll throw a housewarming party lat-" She then realized that Nacre was being delivered to the Pearls by Topaz, who had a message for the five.

"Black Rutile wants you to know that she doesn't want anyone interfering with her plans," Topaz said glumly. "Otherwise, and I hate to say this, but there will be consequences." She then tossed Nacre into the ship before walking away.

"Nacre, what happened?!" Braids exclaimed while dropping the couch on IQ's foot and racing to check on the team's healer.

"I was simply enjoying being on Earth when I overheard Black Rutile talking with this wicked human on the computer," Nacre explained what she went through. "Or at least, I think that's what she felt like. She said such awful things about other humans, and it made me suspicious. I think Black Rutile might be plotting her revenge or something."

"Well, if that's the case, someone has to know," IQ said as she shapeshifted her foot away from the couch. "Púrén?"

"Yes, IQ?" the Servant's primary AI, Púrén, asked.

"Signal the Crystal Gems; we must tell them what's up." IQ declared. "And I think it's time we tell them about where we found her."

As the Black Pearls left the Servant, Black Rutile had been watching them through one of her spy drones, and she was not happy at how they finally went back on her deal. "Alas, I can't seem to trust anyone on this planet." She shook her head in dismay before turning to Aquamarine and Eyeball. "You two, I have some disloyal Pearls that just moved here."

"What do you want us to do, my Rutile?" Eyeball asked.

"Fuse and terminate them." Black Rutile answered while making a slashing motion across her neck. "Are we clear?"

"Very clear." Aquamarine snickered before she and her Ruby sidekick joined hands and fused into Bluebird Azurite, who laughed maniacally before flying away.

Later that day, as the barbecue was winding down and everyone said their goodbyes, Lars heard something coming from the Sun Incinerator. Getting onboard the ship, he pushed a button on the console that showed him a staticky image of a fearful Hessonite. Lars had never seen Hessonite so timorous before. "Uh, is something wrong, Hessonite?"

"Lars, help!" Hessonite cried, but her message was too garbled for the pink human to get the whole message. "-evan-666-Cinna-Andesi-break-Citrine-ship, save us! Plea-" The message abruptly ended, leaving Lars wondering what she meant.

"This is where scum like you belong!" Dalmatian Jasper growled as she tossed a freshly poofed Hessonite and Citrine into the same cell and shut it behind them. "And lucky us, you gave us a ship to use, too, since you destroyed all of them."

The rioting began quieting as the Rutile Rebels began boarding Hessonite's warship to escape Revanche 666 and search for Earth. "Well, this plan has surely been more successful than I thought." Andesine commented while leading the Gems in hijacking the ship. "I was expecting at least one of our minions to give their lives for the good of our cause."

"That's not very comforting." Howlite said calmly.

"I was hoping to see you be used as a meat shield," Amber smirked.

"Don't you start, Amber!" Howlite yelled at Amber before Andesine broke them up.

"Enough bickering; we have work to do." Andesine proclaimed. "Cinnabar, I hope you have a good excuse for when Black Rutile sees you."

"I understand, Andesine." Cinnabar muttered in acceptance of her possible terrible fate. "Whatever Black Rutile must do, I shall accept."

"Yeesh, real bring-down prison has turned her into." Zoisite snarked while walking alongside Dalmatian Jasper.

"At least she's less nihilistic than Xenotime," DJ added, much to Xenotime's anger.

"You make a few overdramatic declarations, and suddenly you're the emo of the group!" Xenotime complained just as Hessonite and Citrine reformed in their cell to see everyone leaving. "Hey, look, they're back!"

"You see what happens when you put too much faith in Steven?" Cinnabar smirked cruelly at the two vigilantes. "This is where it'll get you."

"You won't get away with this!" Hessonite cursed Cinnabar as she and Andesine left with the other Rutile Rebels. "Don't think you can just take my ship and leave!"

"Uh, Hessonite, you kinda forgot one thing," Citrine stated. "Yours is the only ship left here since you destroyed all the others to try and keep them from escaping. Not a great plan."

"Well, looks like we're stuck here," Hessonite replied, realizing her own recklessness at the worst moment. With her ship now in Andesine and Cinnabar's hands, Hessonite was stranded on Revanche 666 with no known way of getting help.

Back on Earth, the Pearls were informing the Crystal Gems at the temple of Black Rutile's plans and how she threatened them. Outside, however, Bluebird Azurite was hiding from sight with her ice saber at the ready. "At long last, a chance to finally kill two birds with one stone." She laughed deviously as the cutlass lit on fire. "Or, in this case, one sword."

"I don't think so!" Lars cried as he grabbed Bluebird from behind and suplexed her onto the deck. "The Pearls told me everything, and I have something to tell you." He added while picking up Bluebird by her wing. "Run. Run away, Bluebird, back to your master. And tell her that no matter what she has planned, the Crystal Gems will be coming for her soon."

"And you just ran away?!" Black Rutile began yelling in Bluebird's face when the fusion returned to give her the bad news. "Whatever, they know what I'm doing! But they still don't realize what I'll do to get there."

"I deeply apologize, my Rutile." Bluebird apologized to Black Rutile just as they heard a loud rumbling sound from outside. "Is it just me, or are there tons of things just coming from the sky lately?"

"One second." Black Rutile said while pulling up her visor to check her surroundings, in which she discovered Hessonite's warship hovering over the forest where Jasper once made her home. "Hessonite? What's she doing here?"

"I don't think that's Hessonite, my Rutile." Bluebird observed. "Otherwise, she'd be landing somewhere to meet the Crystal Gems, not out in the woods. Someone must've taken the ship from her."

"Well, let's not dawdle for so long! Let's get moving!" Black Rutile said as she grabbed onto Bluebird, and the two flew towards the forest, where they found Hessonite's ship waiting for them. When the pair landed, a large reverse pyramid detached from the ship and descended on top of Jasper's old cave, destroying it and allowing Andesine, Howlite, Amber, and Cinnabar's cabal to disembark.

"Black Rutile, we have brought you Cinnabar." Andesine declared and shoved Cinnabar forward to meet her old master for the first time in months. "Do with her as you may."

"Hello again, Cinnabar." Black Rutile ominously greeted her former apprentice. "I've been told what happened when you went against those Pearls. And now, thanks to you, they are living here on Earth. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry for everything Black Rutile, those Pearls had me outfoxed at every turn!" Cinnabar begged for forgiveness while dropping to her knees. "I accept any punishment you shall give me!"

Instead of punishing her, however, Black Rutile picked Cinnabar up by the collar of her jacket and gave her a tender pat on the head. "No need to cry, my friend." She said sympathetically. "It's not entirely your fault because your failures can all be traced to one source."

"Do I even need to ask?" Andesine asked.

"Yes, Steven." Black Rutile proclaimed. "Everything the Pearls did was in service of that little tyrant's corrupted paradise! But slowly but surely, I have been taking control of the creatures he loves most: humans. Now then, let me ask you one thing. People talk loud when they want to sound smart, right?"

"CORRECT!" Bloodstone yelled loudly as a demonstration of Black Rutile's point.

"Well, that is what I've discovered recently." Black Rutile continued. "My ventures through the Internet have allowed me to discover that there are tons of people out there who, no matter how poor their moral character is, everyone will believe whatever they say. And naturally, I have taken advantage of this."

"So what are you saying?" Cinnabar asked nervously.

"I'm saying my new plan is more personal than ever before." Black Rutile responded. "Now then, are you all with me?" The rebellious Gems said nothing, only getting on one knee and bowing in reverence of their genius leader. "That's just what I needed to hear." She declared evilly as the Rutile Rebels began coming back together under her banner.

Only four chapters left until the finale, and we seem to be getting into the real good stuff. Andesine, Amber and Howlite, my resident Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock for this chapter, were based off an idea for a story by a reviewer that I'm sad to say doesn't fit into my current plans, but I was more than happy to insert these characters into this world and fitting them into the Rutile Rebels. In the meantime, we'll have two more slice of life episodes to get down before we move onto the big two-part finale I estimate will be sometime in late June. Keep watching the skies everyone, and see you real soon.

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