The corridors were uniformly green, mirroring the exterior of the ship, with numerous doors opening to vacant recesses in the walls as if the sole purpose of this hand-shaped vessel was to capture gems. Not all the cells were empty; in front of him, a small blue gem, roughly Steven's height, swayed gently as she sang. Her blue hair and dress fluttered as she hummed a tune that seemed likely to catch on widely.
Lars watched the gem, who did not return his gaze before she spoke.
Blue: Quickly, hide behind something.
Lars glanced to his right and saw one of the doors swing open. He leaped into a vent, hurriedly replacing the tiles to conceal his entry.
Peridot: It appears some vents on the ship have been displaced?
Jasper: You, fix it.
She pointed at Peridot and then turned her glare toward the blue gem.
Jasper: And you, stop singing!
The blue gem fell silent, remaining quiet while Jasper confronted Peridot.
Peridot: The Cluster is still in preparation as normal, without distractions. Setting course back to Homeworld to report to Yellow Diamond.
After Peridot and Jasper leave, Lars climbs down from the vent.
Lars: Guess I've got to get moving then.
Blue: It would be best for you not to alert the others.
Lars turned to the blue gem with a side glance.
Blue: I don't know how you got on this ship, but it would be best for you to head to the side of the ship to find an escape pod back to Earth. You should inform Steven about the situation.
Lars: So, you know me then.
Blue: You could say that I know you, but you know only a little about me and someone else.
Lars reached for a green pad. The blue gem moved her head in sync with his hand movement, watching intently as something materialized in front of his hand. It was a piece of green metal with five steel prongs that floated as they made contact with the green pad.
Short electrical like sparks shot out of the pad as it exploded as the yellow barrier began to glitch out and short circuit, making it dissapears.
Lars: Well that worked better then what I planned.
Blue: How..?
Their head direction was seemly on where Lars hand was at as no marks was left on his hand.
Lars: Just some tricks I picked up.
Lars: Cant risk that again, damaged some of my magic circuit in my fingers...
He had originally tried to mimic what Peridot had done as a test, which proved successful, indicating that it wasn't really her hand but something else entirely. Now wasn't the time to delve into questions, as he needed to focus on helping others escape.
Blue: Why did you let me out...?
Lars walked off.
Lars: Something about you is familiar.
She stayed quiet as there was some half lies within his words before nodding.
Blue: Thank you once more, Lars.
Lars: Where the others, you reckon?
She lifted her hand together and all noise from her went quiet for a moment before she looked to the right.
Blue: She is over there...
Dashing off to the right with Lars sighing and quickly catching up as they ran down multiple corridors and ran to the left and right that navigating the ship would be a headache for Lars.
Suddenly, they stopped Infront of a another cell where a red gem sat, crouching.
Blue: Ruby, I am here...
The red gem shot up and looked to the left as their eyes widen in disbelief.
Ruby: Sapphire!
She lunged toward the gem as Sapphire attempted to intervene before it was too late. Ruby's arm began to glitch, but fortunately, it was limited to just her arm. Instinctively, Lars reached into the cell, grabbing Ruby's head to prevent her from leaping into the barrier.
Ruby: Ugh!
Ruby shook her arm to rid it of the glitching and pulled away from both the barrier and Lars' grasp... through the barrier.
Sapphire: Oh my...
Ruby seemed to realize that Lars was completely unharmed.
Ruby: It's you! but how... are you fine?
Sapphire: It would appear that due to him being a human, he is not affected by the Gem Destabilizer field.
Lars felt only a faint vibration on his wrist, realizing a new and easier method to free everyone: he would have to use his own body to block the force field, allowing the gems to escape their cells.
What struck Lars as strange was the absence of any other defense systems within the ship's interior, as well as the lack of alarms. From the moment he boarded the ship, through navigating the corridors, breaking through the vents, and now with the force field down, there had been no signs of any security measures or alerts.
Lars: Are the gems from home world really that cocky and arrogant to think no-body would be able to escape?
Lars will have his answer for that thought very soon...
So...Ruby ran right under Lars arm as he used himself as a blockage for the barrier as she as well Sapphire embracing into a hug.
Ruby: Did they hurt you?
Sapphire; No, no, I'm okay. Did they hurt you?
Ruby: Who cares!?
Ruby began to tear up as Lars would just feel slightly awkward, watching.
Sapphire: I do!
Sapphire kisses Ruby's tears away. Ruby picks up Sapphire and starts spinning her around. The pair laughs and twirls around together in joy, as they start to fuse together. Lars watches as their laughter and bodies merge together into an amorphous white blob of light and emerges as... Garnet, who lands in front of him, happy to be whole once more.
Garnet: Lars, Thank you!
Lars merely show a genuine smile at the fusion before he point with his thumb behind him.
Lars: Dont worry about me, I got some business to do since I am here so get the others and find a way out.
Garnet: And you?
Lars: I will do what I do best... Protect and fight.
He walks off as Garnet stares off to him before raising her hand to summon back her visor and headed off to where she could see where the others was.
.
.
.
Lars: So, this is where you are... Lapis.
Lapis turn her head as her eyes widen, appearing shocked.
Lapis: W-Why are you here?!
She froze before turning away.
Lars reached out his arm as Lapis yells at him.
Lapis: No! I don't want your help. Things are bad enough as it is. I've already made too much trouble. Once we get back to home world, they're going to decide what to do with us.
He ignored her plea about reached once more out to the barrier as she stands and look angry towards Lars.
Lapis: Lars, whatever you're doing, just stop. If we do everything they say, they might go easy on us especially for your sake! you're human, Lars! Who knows what they will do to you should you disobey them...
Lars: You decided, Huh. To protect me and everyone for the safest outcome?
Lapis: Yes... It is for the best since we can't fight them... Home world... Is far to dangerous to even think about fighting.
She sat back down and curls up.
Lars:....
He sighs as he accepts her answer.
Lars: Very well, If your main ideal is to protect the ones you are close with even if it meant destroying yourself in the process, then by all means go on.
He turns and walk off.
Lars: You should know something about me.
He stopped.
Lars: I will never stop fighting, My ideals is to protect everyone and have everyone to be happy. As you do what your desire, I do what I desire. Be well, Lapis, I expect you to survive when this ship comes to a crash, back on earth.
As Lars was about to leave the corridor where Lapis lay, she pounded the ground with her fist while still kneeling, cursing him for his reckless decision. She claimed she only wanted to protect him and Steven.
Jasper's thunderous voice echoed down the ship's corridors.
Jasper: Where did they go?!
She stood in an open area of the ship, clutching a nearly shattered green screen that displayed cameras showing the two gems had escaped their cage and fused, making their way toward another prisoner.
Jasper: Come back here, you weak gems!
Just as she was about to charge through the ship to disrupt the fusion, a single figure stood in her path. Jasper glared at him, her expression turning from anger to confusion as she scrutinized his face.
Jasper: You're...?
Lars: A human named Lars.
He stood erect, meeting her gaze with a steady, narrow look, his arms crossed defiantly.
Jasper: How did you get on the ship? We never captured any humans.
Lars: I have my ways.
His response was deliberately vague, leaving no clear indication of how he managed to board the ship.
Jasper: Either walk into a cell, or I'll make you go the easy way.
Her threat was intended to be menacing, suggesting a hard way regardless of her words, as a means to vent her anger. However, she considered that simply overpowering this seemingly frail human might not satisfy her or boost her ego; it might actually diminish it further.
Lars: I don't like either option. Why don't we just return to Earth, and you release the gems you captured there?
Jasper's vein throbbed on her forehead as she took intimidating steps toward Lars, stopping inches from him to glare down menacingly.
To her, he was like a bug, no... a cockroach who is daring to challenge a golem of pure destruction.
Jasper: Did I say that? No. Just get in your cell, or else.
Moments later, Jasper was thrust backward across the ship's tiles, clutching her chest in astonishment as Lars lowered his fist.
Lars: I've got gems to bring back. I can't just return empty-handed, you mindless brute.
The aura of rage around Jasper pulsated as she looked down, clenching her fist, feeling the sting of the punch in her chest. She was baffled-not only had she failed to react in time to block it, but the fact that she had to consider blocking it at all was humiliating. An elite Gem like herself had been slightly harmed by a single hit from a human.
A human...
A human...
A human...
Jasper: Prepare to die....
Lars: I am curious if you will keep that cocky attitude once you get defeated by a human.
Lars held Jasper's intense glare with a defiant one of his own, his resolve hardening. He traced the forms of Kanshou and Bakuya, mythical blades that Lars primary weapon he use for close combat, preparing himself to face the formidable Gem as this gem reminded him of the berserker class, Hercules.