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andrewmoocow · 2 years ago

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Little Homeworld Life chapter 15: A Quick One While I’m Away (originally published on April 3, 2023)

AN: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but this episode shall be focusing on Steven himself. Bet you didn't expect that, huh? Taking place around the same time as the previous episode and taking cues from The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, we shall spend the episode focusing on Steven as he continues his journey across the country to find himself along with focusing on the end of Two Sides of the Same Gem from his perspective, but he keeps finding trouble along the way. What characters could possibly return along the way, you may ask? That's for us to find out!

Synopsis: Steven travels across the country to find himself.

Cast:

Zach Callison as Steven

Ron Perlman as Negative Steven/Inner Steven/Thorn

Hugh Jackman as Beckham Jordan

James Monroe Iglehart as Coach Matt Monroe

Karen Fukuhara as Makoto Fuji

John Goodman as Jeffrey Lazuli

Grace Rolek as Connie

Kate Miccuci as Sadie

Indya Moore as Shep

Joan Jett as Sunshine Justice

Kacey Musgraves as Yvonne

Michelle Creber as Chloe

Featuring Tim Daly as Kent Clark

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Sarah Summers

Christy Carlson Romano as Bonnie Kimberly

Cam Clarke as Mr. Leonardo

Sam Riegel as Mr. Donatello

Sean Astin as Mr. Raphael

And Brandon Mychal Smith as Mr. Michelangelo

For the past month since his failed attempt at reaching out to his evil counterpart, the leader of the Crystal Regime, a lot has been on Steven's mind lately. Who would've guessed there was another universe in the infinite horizon of the deep cosmic sea where not only Steven was evil, but he and the Crystal Gems ruled the universe with an iron fist? It worried Steven about what if he gave into Black Rutile's manipulations and turned out just like that alternate Steven. But on the other hand, Lord Steven suffered from the same problem of living up to his mother's legacy as he did, and it seemed like maybe the two could've come to an understanding had Black Rutile not gotten in the way and had Lord Steven presumably killed for even daring to have a change of heart. No matter how traumatizing the sight of seeing himself die yet again may be, Steven chose not to dwell on that for now and continued his drive.

"Penny for your thoughts, my boy?" the familiar voice of Negative Steven gave the regular Steven a scare and almost made him lose control of the Dondai Supremo.

"You!" Steven yelled at Negative Steven. "I thought I made peace with you! What do you want now?!"

"Relax, Steven; I don't want to fight." Negative Steven proclaimed." I only want to talk. So, an evil version of you, huh? Sound familiar?"

"Yeah, I made the connection." Steven said, eyes laser-focused on the road. "But still, can you imagine it? There's an evil version of me out there, and probably in many other universes. What do you think that says about me? Was I really that close to turning out just like them?"

"Possibly." Negative Steven contemplated. "Worst case scenario, you'd turn out even worse. That's why I'm here now, to keep you from going too far off the deep end should something like our first encounter happen again."

"So you're like my conscience now?" Steven asked his inner self. "Wow, it's amusing how our relationship turned out. So what can I call you other than Negative Steven? Maybe Inner Steven? Or how about Thorn, since you were a thorn in my side?"

"Thorn, Inner Steven, I can go either way." Steven's new conscience replied with a shrug. "Hey, we're coming up on our next stop. Snakewater, Montana, I think."

"Thanks for reminding me; I hear there's a lot of dinosaur digs here." Steven said as he began pulling into Snakewater.

"Get a move on, Dr. Scott, I want this Oryctodromeus clean by sundown!" Jeffrey Lazuli ordered the leader of a group of paleontologists as they worked on cleaning up a dinosaur skeleton they had just excavated. "The museum wants this donated by noon tomorrow."

"Hello there, sir." Steven greeted the bowling ball magnate. "I was just stopping by when I saw you here. Need help with anything?"

"Well, drop me in a cave and call me Batman; it's Steven Universe!" Jeffrey cried out in delight before turning to the paleontologists. "Hey buddies, Steven Universe is in town today!" The paleontologists stopped what they were doing and rushed over to greet the boy, although he'd prefer to say hi and go on his way. "Never would I see the day I'd get to meet you in person, Mr. Universe."

"Nice to meet you too, sir." Steven laughed awkwardly while shaking all the paleontologists' hands and signing autographs for them. "I suppose you may recognize me from the times I saved the world, huh?"

"Oh, not entirely." Jeffrey said. "I once met some of your Gem friends, one of whom happened to share my name. Lapis, I think her name was? Yeah, she came to me because she was mistaken for my daughter by some thugs."

"Yeah, funny how that works out." Steven continued laughing sheepishly while looking for an opportunity to get away. "Listen, I need to go now; I got a ton of other places to see."

"I hear Los Diego is gorgeous this time of year." Inner Steven replied, even though Steven was the only one who could hear him.

"No, no, stay. Everyone in town would love to see you!" Jeffrey urged Steven, who couldn't say no and disappoint everyone. "So what do you say?"

"Of course, I'll stick around!" Steven declared. "I'd love to see more of your town."

While Steven was eager to meet the people of whatever town he came across, he wasn't prepared to be mobbed by fans wherever he went. Indeed, his adoring fans caused him to be chased out of Snakewater and find somewhere new to visit where he hopefully won't be mobbed by screaming fans or paparazzi, somewhere like Los Diego, the place where he sent the Crystal Gems off to for a night of fun so they can be distracted from his struggles for just a little bit.

Not at all. What started as a sightseeing trip soon turned to chaos as Steven found himself running through the streets of Los Diego, away from his fans, with Inner Steven by his side. "How would the Gems cope in a situation like this?!"

"Beats me; look at what they're doing." Thorn answered with a shrug before pointing at a billboard advertising a Lapis Lazuli-brand flamethrower. "Talk about irony."

"Yeah, the irony is real!" Steven replied. "Don't you think they should've talked to me first before this happened?!"

"You tell me." Inner Steven answered. "Didn't you want some time away from them to find yourself?"

After a moment of contemplation, once Steven found a way to hide from his fans, he could only come up with one answer. "Well played."

A few days afterward, Steven and Thorn drove all the way up to Keystone to have a meal at the Best Diner in the World, where Steven had breakfast with Greg and a feuding Ruby & Sapphire so many years ago, back when he was so young and carefree, and the only thing he had to worry about at the time was how Pearl's betrayal affected Garnet and her components.

"I wish I had a corporeal body of my own to inhabit instead of being a part of your mind," Inner Steven muttered as he was enamored by Steven's breakfast. "because this food indeed looks worthy of being served by the Best Diner in the World."

"Glad you're enjoying the place, Thorn." Steven laughed while cutting up his chicken and waffles. "Though I'm definitely sure there are tons of places calling themselves the Best Diner in the World, this one will always hold a special place in my heart."

"Hey, look, it's Steven Universe!" a news reporter yelled excitedly as he set his coffee on the counter and raced to sit next to Steven in his booth. "Mr. Universe, I'm Kent Clark from the Daily Star; it is an honor to meet you!" the reporter introduced himself while shaking Steven's hand. "Care to answer a few questions?"

"Uh, sure, I got time to kill." Steven shrugged while setting his fork down, while Thorn just raised an eyebrow.

"Question number one, can you describe your early childhood?" Kent asked while pulling out a notepad.

"Well, if I had to describe it in one word, it would be "complex," Steven answered. "On one hand, I was used to having fun adventures with my friends involving my favorite ice cream being discontinued or taking my new backpack on an adventure. On the other, my life has been put at risk more times than I can count on my fingers, and I learned some shocking truths about my heritage that I'm better off forgetting about."

"I think you're selling yourself short there, friend." Thorn commented dryly.

"I see." Kent replied. "Now for question two. How are you coping with life following your recent adventures?"

"Pretty okay, actually." Steven answered again. "I've been traveling the country in search of an identity for myself and maybe a new place to live, but I've promised my friends back in Beach City that I'll return every so often." Then his face suddenly turned dour. "But the events of last month have been pretty shocking for me, even by my standards. As it turns out, there's a whole alternate universe where I'm the evil ruler of Earth, and I tried convincing him to change his ways before he got killed. Or, at least, I think he was killed. I got my gem taken out, and I didn't instantly die either."

"The multiverse, eh?" Kent murmured. "You mean the concept of an infinite number of universes with infinite possibilities? You know, I always daydreamed about being a mild-mannered reporter who's actually the last of an alien race sent to Earth by my parents to be adopted by a kindly farmer couple, and the Earth's sun basically turns me into God. What if there's another universe where that's my life?"

"Look, it's been nice talking to you, but I think I have to go." Steven said as Kent let him move out of the way, only to be hounded by more reporters and even some other restaurant patrons.

"Mr. Universe, is it true that you're as much of a white supremacist as the hashtag says?!" one sensationalist reporter asked.

"Wait, a what supremacist?!" Steven gasped in alarm. "Where are you getting this from?!"

"Just this page dedicated to Black Rutile, sir." The reporter said. "Asking about discrepancy here."

"I think I should really go now; thanks for having me, everyone." Steven hurriedly said as he shuffled his way out of the diner and back to his car. "Of course, Black Rutile would keep spreading slander like this."

"You, a white supremacist?" Inner Steven sneered. "Maybe when the pigs fly as the fat lady sings."

Back inside the diner, Kent was doodling a picture of himself as a superhero on a new page in his notepad. The superhero version of Kent was dressed in a blue costume with a set of red trunks, boots, a cape, and a big S on his chest. "Hm, what should I call him? Supreme?" he muttered to himself. "Naw, pretty sure that's already taken. Superior? Hm, getting a little warmer."

Steven's journey now took him to Empire City, where he hoped some familiar faces would help him. That reminded him, he had a meetup with Beckham Jordan he needed to attend because they had arranged a basketball game with some of the local kids. But unfortunately for him, that would soon have to wait. As Steven disembarked from his car and began walking through Empire City, he was quickly greeted by the familiar voice of a little girl. "Mommy, look, it's Mr. Steven!"

"Wait, is that who I think it is?" Steven chuckled as he turned around to find Chloe, the little girl that he and Spinel helped reunite with her mother Yvonne, running towards him. "Chloe, it's been so long! And you've gotten so big too!"

"Yeah, I'm six now!" Chloe giggled as she wrapped Steven in a big hug while Yvonne laughed.

"Oh, hello Steven, fancy seeing you here again." Yvonne greeted Steven. "I saw you on the news last month. Technically, it wasn't you; I think it was that evil you. Whatever happened to him?"

"I'd rather not talk about that." Steven tried to dodge the subject while gently setting Chloe down. "Listen, I'd love to stay and chat and maybe babysit, but I got things in this city to do. I'm actually planning to check up on Beckham Jordan and his friends today so we can shoot some hoops together."

"Oh, how delightful!" Yvonne exclaimed. "Tell Mr. Jordan I said hi. I'm a pretty big fan."

"Bye, Mr. Steven. I hope I can see Spinel again!" Chloe waved Steven goodbye as he returned to walking, unaware that four men in suits with differently-colored ties, one blue, one purple, one red, and one orange, were quietly following him.

"Hey Steven, I'm open!" Beckham Jordan yelled as Steven tossed the basketball to him, and a group of kids tried blocking him.

"Oh no, you don't!" one of the boys exclaimed while snatching the ball away and dribbling it toward the hoop on the left. "Score!" he yelled as he made a perfect dunk. "Woo, go me!"

"Nice moves there, Koby." Steven patted Koby on the head. "Who knows? With enough practice, you might be playing on the same team as Beck."

"Now, now Steven, let's not get too hasty." Coach Monroe chuckled warmly before blowing his whistle. "Okay, kids, halftime!" On that note, the kids took a break from their game to start swarming around Steven with questions galore.

"Mr. Steven, how can you fuse with fuse with humans and Gems?" a girl asked.

"I think it may be because I'm half-human, half-Gem." Steven answered. "I'm unsure if I ever delved too deep into that topic."

"Have you ever tried fusing with them both?" a boy added.

"I don't think I ever considered that either." Steven replied. "Anyone else?"

"Can you turn into a monster for us?" another kid asked while raising their hand.

"I'm afraid that's a no." Steven said nervously. "I only turned into a monster due to massive amounts of bubbled-up stress and cortisol from all my years of adventuring. Plus, I'm not sure if I can even do that anymore."

"I got a question." Matt asked, pointing to the growing crowd of news reporters and photographers outside the court. "Any of those guys looking for you?" Steven cringed in disgust as he spotted the paparazzi trying to break through to meet him.

"Just when I thought we'd finally get away from them." Inner Steven grimaced when he suddenly got an idea. "Here comes a thought. Why don't you walk up to those autograph hounds and show them what for?"

"Are you sure?" Steven asked his conscience. "They're obnoxious, but I don't think they mean any harm."

"Go on, yell at them." Thorn sneered evilly, his former life as Negative Steven beginning to show once more. "Do it!"

"Mr. Universe, we'd like to ask you a few questions for the Empire City Times." A newswoman asked with her microphone to Steven's face. "Just recently, your friends in Beach City have reached international celebrity status. Care to disclose your feelings on the matter?"

"Uh, I don't think they ever told me about this." Steven answered shyly.

"Correct, this status was thrust upon them without warning too." Another reporter stated. "Onto more pressing matters, did you truly believe it was right to imprison Black Rutile in Little Homeworld instead of shattering her?"

"Taking lives just isn't my thing." Steven replied as he slowly began glowing pink with anxiety. "Black Rutile needed to learn that her actions had consequences, no matter how much she insisted that she was in the right!"

"Yet you're still letting her run free to enact her revenge on you and your super friends." A third reporter proclaimed with a scoff. "Like just recently, she attempted a takeover of the world with the assistance of an evil doppelganger of yourself from another dimension. Who's really to blame here, you or her? Or perhaps you're becoming just like her?"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Steven finally screamed as his powers and temper took control, and he sent the news team flying with a mere yell while creating a small crater beneath his feet. "I am nothing like Black Rutile, and I never will be! So just leave me alone already!" As the dust settled and the reporters collected themselves from the shock of the blast, Steven looked around and gasped at what he had just done before looking back at Inner Steven, who had his arms folded with a smirk.

"Attaboy, Steven." Inner Steven smiled proudly before he looked at the stunned children. "Care to explain what you just traumatized them with over there?"

"Mr. Steven, are you okay?" one of the frightened children Steven was just playing basketball with bravely stepped forward to ask the older boy.

"I….I….." Steven muttered in terror before running away from the court, dismayed with how he had just acted.

"Steven, wait!" Beckham cried as he raced after Steven. Not too far from the court, the four men in black watched the incident patiently from behind their pitch-black sunglasses.

"Hmmmm." The man in the blue tie pondered. "Mr. Donatello, would you care to discuss what we have just witnessed."

"It seems his powers are triggered under extreme stress, just as Aescul stated." Mr. Donatello, the man in the purple tie, analyzed in a robotic tone of voice. "Had he been pushed farther, the effects would've been lethal."

"We need to bring that boy to his majesty at once!" the red-tied man hissed while taking off his shades to reveal snakelike eyes beneath them. "He is too dangerous to continue living on this planet!"

"Calm yourself, Mr. Raphael." The orange-tied man suggested to his companion. "I suggest we continue our surveillance of Steven to see where he goes from here. Should he indeed threaten the human race, we will take action."

"As always, Mr. Michelangelo, you are right." The blue tie man said to Mr. Michelangelo with a reptilian smile. "We cannot simply alter our mission now. I request further investigation on this child, and then report back to me. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Leonardo." Mr. Donatello, Mr. Raphael, and Mr. Michelangelo nodded with their hands over their hearts. "Glory to sneople-kind." As the three snakes disguised as humans slithered back into the shadows, Mr. Leonardo kept out of sight as he snuck his way towards the basketball court, taking advantage of Coach Monroe trying to calm the scared children down.

"Hm, this has Diamond written all over it." Mr. Leonardo observed the crater Steven had created. "The royal family must be informed of this."

"Uh, can I help you sir?" Matt asked Mr. Leonardo, who responded by presenting the coach with a silver pen-like object in his hand.

"I need you to look in here, please. My pen seems to be broken." Leonardo stated before the "pen" emitted a bright flash that momentarily stunned Matt and the kids. As soon as they could see again, the man in black had vanished when in reality, he had retreated to the rooftops to continue his investigation.

"Steven! Steven!" Beckham called for his little friend while walking through the Narrows. "Come on out, squirt; I won't bite!"

"Hey buddy, you looking for someone?" a hot dog seller asked Beckham in a thick Brooklyn accent.

"Yes, I'm looking for my friend Steven." Beckham answered with a nod. "He's about yay high, wears a pink jacket, and is probably running in shame of his powers going out of control! Seen him run by here?"

"Oh, you mean Steven Universe?" the hot dog seller said while sticking a wiener in his mouth like a cigar. "I saw him run crying into that alleyway over there." He pointed towards an alley just a few blocks behind him, and Beckham could see that it was now glowing pink.

"Oh, thank you so much, sir. You're a lifesaver!" Beckham smiled as he enthusiastically raced towards the alley.

Meanwhile, Steven had curled himself up into a ball to cry, still ashamed over his earlier outburst while fuming over how Inner Steven egged him on. "This is all your fault."

"My fault?" Thorn said defensively. "Technically, this is just as much your fault since I am a part of you. Guess I'll have to get used to being your conscience."

"Just leave me alone." Steven responded sadly before he heard footsteps coming towards him. "Let me guess, another reporter?"

"No, Steven, it's me." Beckham said calmly while sitting down next to his friend and fan. "Listen, I understand what just happened was because you're under a lot of stress. You're an international superstar now, and I totally get that. Heck, even I need some time away from the press sometimes. But I prefer not to drive them away with any weird alien superpowers I got from my mom."

"So what are you trying to say?" Steven said before Beckham put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"The point is that I know how you feel and how to help." Beckham said, helping Steven up off the ground before finding a nearby costume shop. "Follow me; I know of a perfect disguise."

"Have to say, this celebrity isn't half bad." Inner Steven grinned at Beckham's willingness to help Steven.

"Yeah, he's a really great guy." Steven responded, much to Beckham's confusion.

"Steven, who are you talking to?" Beckham asked Steven.

"Just my conscience." Steven replied frankly, much to Beckham's confusion, as the two entered the costume shop. Above the shop however, Mr. Leonardo and his cohorts watched the two silently before beginning to talk among themselves.

"Despite his godlike power, Steven is just as human as the rest of them." Mr. Leonardo proclaimed stoically. "Our people and their special friend must know about this."

"So this is the same boy who brought the Diamonds to their knees?" Mr. Raphael added sourly. "Pathetic."

"Don't speak too soon, Mr. Raphael." Mr. Donatello assured his teammate. "If Steven truly has pure intentions for the universe, we shall allow him to live his life. If not, he will be exterminated, and the entire Gem race shall be reset to their original programming." However, the sheer gravitas of Donatello's declaration was undercut by Mr. Michelangelo noisily snacking on some pizza. "Mr. Michelangelo, could you please stop eating that Earthen source of nourishment so messily?"

"I apologize, my friends. It's just that the humans make such good food." Mr. Michelangelo said with his mouth full of pizza. "Want some?"

"Not right now. We must keep watching." Mr. Leonardo declined the offer as Steven emerged from the costume shop wearing a red button-up Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a fake mustache.

"You sure this'll help me blend in?" Steven asked regarding his tourist disguise.

"Trust me. Nobody will suspect some tourist in a goofy mustache." Beckham replied proudly. "Gonna need an accent too, though."

"You mean-a like this-a?" Steven asked in a fake Italian accent, causing Beckham to laugh. "Hey-a, I'm-a nailing this!"

"Yes, it's like you're a completely different person." Inner Steven chuckled sarcastically.

"Listen, let's just go to my penthouse, and we can lay low there for a bit." Beckham instructed Steven. "Hopefully, we won't have fans bothering us then." Looking at his watch, Beckham then realized something. "Oh wait, Makoto and the cheer squad should be practicing in my gym right now. That won't be too much of an issue, right?"

"Naw, Makoto's good people; I'm sure it'll be fine." Steven said in his normal voice as he and his favorite basketball player walked away to the penthouse.

"Okay, girls, let's run through our routine again!" the voice of Makoto Fuji exclaimed to her fellow cheerleaders as Steven and Beckham entered Beckham's penthouse, where they found Matt sitting on the couch with a book in hand. "A five, six, seven, eight!"

"Oh, Beck, didn't expect you back so soon." Matt said while looking up from his book and then at the disguised Steven. "Who's your friend here? Found another visitor?"

"It's me, Steven." Steven whispered while taking off his disguise. "Had to put this on to avoid the press."

"Clever move there, kiddo." Matt grinned with a nod. "Hey Makoto, Steven's here to visit! Why don't you and the girls take a breather and come see him?"

"Oh, Steven!" Makoto turned to find Steven outside the gym before lowering her pom-poms and speaking to her cheerleaders. "Take five girls. Got an old friend coming over."

"Hey, is that Steven Universe?!" one of the cheerleaders, a brunette with blue eyes, said excitedly. "Yo Bonnie, Makoto's friends with Steven Universe!"

"OMG, Steven?!" the redheaded cheerleader Bonnie cried and raced over to greet Steven. "I can't believe it, Sarah; I'm meeting Steven Universe!"

"Hi, nice to meet you, girls." Steven blushed shyly while shaking the cheerleaders' hands. "Makoto, it's been so long!"

"Steven!" Makoto cheered as she scooped Steven in her arms and spun him around. "You could not believe how worried I was for you when you turned into that big dinosaur thing! How are you recovering?"

"I'm doing just fine." Steven sighed happily as Makoto gently put him down. "I'm just busy avoiding all my new fans lately, as a celebrity should do."

"Yeah, he's been bitten by the fame and fortune bug." Matt chuckled lightly. "I should know. I caught a glimpse of it myself."

"Well, while you're here, wanna check out the routine we've been working on?" Makoto offered. "We'll even dedicate our cheer to you!"

"Sure, I could use some time to relax." Steven sighed agreeably while following the three girls into Beckham's gym, where the rest of the Vipers cheerleaders were doing some warm-up stretches and gymnastics while waiting for their captain to return.

"Okay girls, let's start over." Makoto called to the girls while picking up her pom-poms and taking her place in the center of the gym. "We got a special guest to perform for today, so let's make it count! Ready?!"

"Okay!" the other cheerleaders yelled. "S-T-E-V-E-N, who is our friend? Steven!" The girls then started bouncing around the gym as they formed a pyramid, with Makoto at the top, held up by Bonnie and Sarah. "Go, Steven!"

"Hey, you all did great!" Steven cheered back while taking a picture of the pyramid before him. "I have got to tell Connie about today and maybe send her this."

"Alright, tell her we said hi." Makoto replied as she was lowered to the ground, not noticing the four men in suits spying on them from outside.

Once outside the gym, Steven sat down on the couch and started calling Connie, who he believed was in her dorm room at the University of Jayhawk. "Hey Steven, long time no see! How's your road trip going?"

"Doing good. You'll never guess where I am right now!" Steven smiled before pointing his phone camera over to Beckham having coffee, who just waved at Connie. "So, how are you doing?"

"College enrollment has been hectic so far, but I'm keeping up." Connie replied. "Hey, did you hear that Peridot and Amethyst were on a talk show recently? Apparently, the president had the bright idea of making the Crystal Gems international superstars for all their deeds, including me."

"Yeah, I noticed." Steven muttered. "It's been pretty tough for me to get used to this, and I've been spending part of my journey running from the press and overly-obsessed fans."

"Hey, you're not alone here." Connie nodded. "Everyone's been worshipping me lately because of my association with the Gems, asking for autographs, favors, and even if they could name their future children after me!"

"Talk about nuts." Steven replied. "Makes me wonder how the Gems are doing?" While shrinking Connie's face on the screen, Steven decided to try texting Pearl. However, he got an automatic message with a video attached. "WE'RE SORRY, MISS PEARL CANNOT BE REACHED AT THE MOMENT." The message read. "SHE IS CURRENTLY FILMING FOR HER APPEARANCE IN THE UPCOMING BLOCKBUSTER 'THE PINK BEAST FROM THE BAY,' IN THEATERS SOON."

"The Pink Beast of the WHAT?!" Steven yelled, outraged at this profiting off his trauma while Inner Steven reappeared to give his two cents.

"A film based on you? What will they think of next?" Inner Steven dryly remarked.

"Really, a movie based on you turning into a monster?" Connie added just as dryly. "Then again, I've seen more offensive movies based on true events." Just then, she spotted something, or someone, standing on the balcony watching Steven. "Uh, gotta go Steven, I think someone is looking for you."

"Huh?" Steven turned around as Connie hung up to find Mr. Leonardo standing on the balcony outside with his arms crossed. "Uh, excuse me, sir, but if you're looking for someone, I don't think you'll find them here."

"That's the idea, Steven Universe." Mr. Leonardo said as he forced his way into the penthouse, and his cohorts emerged behind him, almost like he duplicated himself. "We have come for you."

"Hey now, you're trespassing on private property here!" Beckham yelled as he blocked the four men from getting their hands on Steven.

"You do not understand, human. We don't mean any harm." Mr. Donatello responded. "Simply hand over the child and we will let you live."

"No way we're letting you get your hands on him!" Sarah Summers added defensively.

"You mess with him; you're gonna have to mess with us first." Bonnie Kimberly proclaimed as the other cheerleaders surrounded the men in black.

"Go, Steven, get out of here!" Makoto urged her little friend. "We'll take them from here!" Steven gave a terse nod and immediately raced out of the penthouse, while the four men tried to follow.

"After him!" Mr. Raphael yelled when he was suddenly put into a headlock by Matt.

"Watch out, he's dangerous!" Mr. Michelangelo exclaimed in fright.

"You bet I'm dangerous; I was a champion wrestler in college!" Matt boasted. "Wanna see me do a mean grapple?!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Mr. Raphael yelled while trying to wriggle free.

When Steven thought things couldn't get any worse, those four guys in suits just had to suddenly appear wanting to talk to him. He needed to get out of Empire City and fast. Steven floored it as soon as he found his car, and almost like a flash of light, he was gone from the city in the blink of an eye.

"Where should we go now?!" Thorn yelled harshly as Steven kept his eyes on the road. "What if those four guys keep following us?!"

"I don't know!" Steven replied in terror. "Let's just stop at the nearest city and lay low for a few days or so! Hopefully, there will be someone we know there!" In what felt like only a few hours, Steven was so stressed that he lost track of time, he suddenly realized that he had accidentally crashed into a tree. "Where are we?"

"Seems rather peaceful out." Thorn mused happily before he noticed a massive music festival, with a group of rather flamboyant men dressed as a policeman, an Indian chief, a cowboy, a construction worker, a soldier, and a leatherman performing on stage. "And I spoke too soon."

"Hey, it's the annual Wood-Shavings Festival!" Steven exclaimed. "Only one of the biggest music festivals in the country! You know, I know a few musicians myself; maybe we can meet some here."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, Steven." Inner Steven sighed. "Besides, that much leather on one person must be a nightmare to wear in the summertime."

As the two Stevens combed their way through the crowd, they were once again unaware that the four men were still following them, apparently having escaped the clutches of Beckham Jordan and company. When Steven began to get closer, he saw familiar faces relaxing backstage. "Sadie? Shep?!"

"Steven?" Sadie gasped and raced towards her old friend in delight. "Oh my goodness, it's been so long!" she squealed while wrapping Steven in a hug. "What's been happening lately?!"

"Just a lot of stuff." Steven explained. "Gem terrorists attempting to take over the world, on the run from obsessed fans and guys in suits, talking to my own darker half turned conscience."

"Yo." Inner Steven greeted Sadie, even though Steven was the only one who could see him.

"So, what brings you here to Springfield?" Shep asked Steven. "I'm not sure if this is really a coincidence that you arrived just as we were about to perform with Sunshine Justice here."

"Hey Steven, long time no see!" Sunshine Justice greeted Steven with a smile. "My, you've certainly been growing since last we met! How's Greg doing?"

"He's doing great. In fact, he's moved into my old room now." Steven replied. "I gave it to him as a gift before I left home to find myself and run from my obsessed fans."

"Oh yeah, I heard everyone's cuckoo for Crystal Gem puffs now, probably including you." Sadie said. "How have you been faring?"

"That's why I found my way here, to escape all the hustle and bustle of celebrity life." Steven answered. "More times than I could count, I've been followed around by news reporters and photographers wanting to talk to me, and some of them think I'm no better than Black Rutile."

"Is that where they came from?" Shep asked while they pointed at the four men in suits marching towards Steven. "Or are they just security?"

"You guys!" Steven cried while unleashing his shield. "What did you do to my friends?!"

"Do not worry, Steven, they are safe, for they are not our objective." Mr. Leonardo stated while adjusting his blue tie. "We only want to speak with you, Mr. Universe."

"Uh, I'm going to need a refresher on this!" Sunshine Justice stepped back as the men approached her, Steven, Sadie, and Shep. "What are they, the feds?"

"No human, we are simply four individuals on a mission to speak with Steven here." Mr. Michelangelo revealed. "To see whether he has any pure intentions for the universe at large."

"Okay, fine, I'll tell!" Steven finally submitted to the four's commands. "If you think I will turn out like Black Rutile or that evil alternate universe me, I'd rather die than go evil! I know that not everyone will agree with me, but I don't mean any harm!" The four men were silent before turning to each other and huddled. Soon, they turned back to Steven with rather uncharacteristic smiles on their faces.

"Very well then." Mr. Leonardo stated warmly. "We'll simply be on our way. Have a splendid day, Steven." Mr. Leonardo and his comrades then turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Steven to wonder what inspired their change in tune.

"So good to finally have them out of my hair." Steven sighed with relief before turning to Sadie and Shep. "Well, while I'm here, care to invite me onstage? Would be nice for us to sing together again."

"Sure, the more, the merrier." Sadie agreed while handing Steven a ukulele that looked exactly like the old one he gave to Pearl.

For the rest of the evening, Steven sang onstage with Sadie and Shep, while Sunshine Justice provided backup. But while he was happy to reunite with some old friends, the four men from earlier still lurked about the festival grounds to continue watching Steven.

"His majesty and the Lapidarist will be pleased with what we have discovered." Mr. Leonardo proclaimed while removing his sunglasses, allowing him to shapeshift his head into a creature resembling an Australian copperhead snake. "Come, my friends. We must return to Serpentes with our findings."

"Do we have to?" Mr. Michelangelo complained. "I wanted to stay and enjoy the human music."

"We can examine human music later, Mr. Michelangelo." Mr. Donatello assured his partner. "Mr. Raphael, our ship, please."

"Understood." Mr. Raphael obeyed before pulling out a device that made a snakelike spaceship visible, and the four Sneople boarded the ship before it vanished into the stars above. "GLORY TO SNEOPLE-KIND!"

Well, that was certainly an ominous ending. Who is the Lapidarist, and what could it possibly want with Steven to the point of sending those four obvious Ninja Turtles references down to Earth? Unfortunately, that'll have to wait until we get to Snake Eyes but, in the meantime, we head back to Little Homeworld for a little therapy! See y'all later and happy early Easter.

#steven universe #steven universe future #fanfiction #steven universe alternate future #little homeworld life #steven quartz universe #negative steven #beckham jordan #makoto fuji #coach matt monroe #connie maheswaran

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