Catch and Release

*procrastinates*

Hello, fellow Steven Universe fans! A while ago, I entered the Book Episode Challenge. So... here’s my entry. I’ll as part two on later.

#bookuniverse

#CuratorReview

Peridot sat crouched near the end of a large, soft box in the Crystal Gem’s base. Her muscles ached, and she grew more irritable as the time ed. Where was that little clod? She’d been waiting for what seemed like hours for the Steven to come up here.

He was the key. Her ticket off of this stupid, cruddy planet. And if she didn’t leave soon…

The sound of running water drifted from below, and when it stopped, she heard footsteps.

This is it.

The footsteps thudded up the stairs.

This is your last chance.

She could see him now, his dark curly hair bouncing slightly with each step.

Don’t mess this up now.

The Steven launched himself into the air and landed on the box with a happy oof. He squirmed under the puffy top layer and emerged at the head of the box, squirming some more to get comfortable. He yawned. “Good night, Happy Bear! Goodnight Sad Bunny! Good night Playful Kitty! Good night ominous triangle at the foot of my bed!”

Peridot froze.

He saw me. He saw me and now I’m broken for sure.

At least I know what that box is called now. A bed.

Peridot waited anxiously until the Steven’s eyes were shut, then darted forward,

dashing to the wall behind him and climbing up the wall. His eyes opened, and she froze again. For a few tense moments, he stared at the spot where she

had been, unaware that she hung right over his head. He yawned again.

“Whatever…”

Peridot slowly let out the breath she had been holding. The Steven closed his eyes again, and she struck.

One limb enhancer went over his mouth while the other snaked around his waist. His eyes flew open and so did his mouth, her forearm muffling his protests. She dragged him out of the “bed” and over to the warp pad. Light burst from the crystalline platform and Peridot lifted off the ground, taking the struggling Steven with her.

She fought the whole warp to keep him in her grasp. And then the warp was over and the Steven was shouting and they both fell off of the warp pad.

The stone ground of the Galaxy Warp was cold against Peridot’s exposed skin. She stood quickly and saw the Steven crawling away. “Oh no you don’t,” she muttered under her breath, raising her arm. “Enough of this!” she yelled, and a beam of green energy burst out of her palm, surrounding the Steven’s form, lifting him up and suspending him over the Homeworld Warp.

“What do you want from me?!” he cried out.

“I want to get off this lousy gem forsaken planet!

Peridot deactivated the beam, and the Steven cried out again as he fell onto the warp pad. Peridot followed, half limping up the steps and stopping right in front of him. Her touch stumps rearranged themselves, forming arrows that pointed to the Warp. “You have to fix this!” she said, trying to sound authoritative.

The Steven sat up abruptly.

“Wait, what?!”

Peridot glanced around apprehensively. “You’re my last chance. I’ve got no flask robonoids. I’ve got no foot, I’ve got no response from Yellow Diamond!”

She stops, forcing herself to take a deep breath.

“I know you fixed Lazuli’s gem,” she said, voice low and threatening. “Whatever you mdid, you’ve got to do it to the Homeworld Warp!” A ball of crackling energy forms in her hand. “Or else!”

“OK, just, just give me a second! My mouth gets really dry when I’m scared.”

Mouth? What does his mouth have to do with anything?

The Steven licked his hand and raised it high above his head.

“Here goes!”

He slaps his hand down on the smooth crystal of the warp. Peridot waits for a few seconds. Looks around. The warp is still a useless hunk of rock. She turns on the Steven.

“What was that? It didn’t do anything!”

“It… doesn’t always work,” he said timidly.

Peridot’s face falls.

“No…” she breathed, shaking her head. “NonononoNO! It HAS to work!

“I’m really sorry!”

A hysterical laugh bubbled up in Peridot’s throat. She sank down to the ground.

“This was it,” she cried forlornly. “This was my last shot!” She gasped. “I’m gonna die here!” she said, starting to panic. The Steven scooted closer to her.

“Hey, come on!” he said brightly. “Earth isn’t that bad!”

“It doesn’t matter what Earth is like! It’s not gonna be like anything soon!” Peridot screeched, gesturing wildly. She tears at her hair, and the Steven looks at her, confused.

“What do you mean?” he said.

A warp pad activated and Peridot growled.

Not again…

She jumped to her feet and started running towards a another warp pad.

“There he is!”

Ugh. Stupid Pearl. I’d put her in her place if… well, if it was my place.

“Peridot!”

Peridot turned to see all three Crystal Gems glaring at her.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” she yelled.

“Gems, move!” Garnet ordered, summoning her gauntlets and running after Peridot. The other gems followed after her. Peridot whipped around, her limb enhancer already glowing.

“Nyah!”

She started firing, and the gems dodged with ease. The touch stumps on her other hand began to whir, and she rose into the air, grinning. Then Amethyst swung her whip, wrapping it around Peridot’s torso and pinning her arm to her chest.

Peridot concentrated, and electricity crackled down the whip.

Garnet rushed over and grabbed the whip. “Not this time!” she cried, and the electricity hit her gauntlets and fizzled out. New electricity sparked from her hands and traveled back up the whip, hitting Peridot. She screeched, eyes wide and hair frizzing. Garnet yanked on the whip and Peridot crashed into the ground in a huge cloud of dust and dirt.

When the cloud clears, Peridot reappears, coughing. Her cough turns into a growl as the gems surround her. One of her limb enhancers glowed with energy.

“Wait! Wait,” she said, her voice desperate. “You-you need me.” She turns to face Pearl. “I’m the only one who knows about the - ”

...

“ - Cluster you insufferable half-formed traitor mega clods!”

Peridot froze, staring at her bare hand.

Bare. Bare?!?

“My limb enhancers!” she shrieked, turning and twisting to examine her short, short body. “Where are my limb enhancers?!?”

...