Default Settings // Sequel to "Factory Reset"

Chapter 6: The Living Experiment

Chapter 6: The Living Experiment

"Well, well, well..." A low familiar voice drawled out. "Look what the Lapis dragged in."

Peridot turned around to see Lapis looking down ashamedly. Gripping her arm roughly was Jasper and standing in front of them was none other than the reason Peridot was in the Kindergarten in the first place.

"I don't think you used that phrase correctly."

"What?" The red gem turned to Jasper. She seemed annoyed that her dramatic entrance was ruined. Peridot, however, didn't find herself any less nervous.

"The expression," Jasper frowned. "It's 'look what the cat dragged-'"

"I know how the expression goes!" Red yelled back.

Peridot tried to back away while they weren't paying attention but her back met only rock. She was cornered. Peridot supposed she didn't have very many options then. Maybe she could just try talking to her. If she could reason with with her, she could get out unharmed.

"Ruby-"

"Hm," Red cut her off quickly, making an act of contemplating something before shaking her head, "No, not today."

Peridot looked at her confused and Red used it to her advantage. She charged Peridot who barely had time to jump out of the way.

Jasper and Lapis waited. They watched Red fight Peridot as if they were studying her. It would make sense, Peridot thought. Ruby is just a living Homeworld experiment nowadays.

Without a weapon, Peridot definitely wasn't the worst opponent Red had ever faced. Peridot had gotten better at metal wielding but, at the Kindergarten, the only metal there is the injectors and she couldn't risk one of them falling on her. After all, she was quite accident prone.

"You know they say-" Red grabbed Peridot and flung her into the nearest wall, "-that Peridots are very sturdy gems." Red walked slowly to where Peridot laid in a daze. She picked the weaker gem up by the neck and grinned. "They say they're exceptionally hard to crack." Red flicked Peridots gem with her un-gloved hand causing Peridot to flinch violently.

Red laughed darkly. She readied her gauntlet, knowing the exact place to hit to get rid of her. For good. She was just about to swing down when a sharp voice interrupted her.

"Wait!"

Red turned to the source of the voice: Lapis.

"What is it now? I'm almost finished."

"We can't shatter her," Lapis said quietly. Peridot felt frozen as she stared at the blue gem.

"Why?" Jasper raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Because..." Lapis said, "We can do something worse."

Peridot felt her metaphorical heart drop.

"Like?" Red asked.

"Send her back as a message to the Crystal Gems," Lapis sounded unsure of herself. "A message they'll have to get, to stay out of our way."

"A warning?" Red looked back at Peridot with contemplation in her eyes. Bored with the entire circumstance, she didn't take long to make a decision. Without another word she brought her fist down on Peridot.

The last thing Peridot saw before her vision disappeared was Lapis's distraught face.