It could have been worse... (Closed - Morion & Heliotrope)

[Morion]

Long ago...

The Smoky Quartz perched like a gargoyle on the top of a roof, watched the streets below
Lights
Streets
Cars
Humans....
...and among them, his prey
The Assassin stalked the other Gem, relentless hunter, remorsless killer
His prey?
A Rebel, a so called Crystal Gem
Morion was a skilled inflitrator, experienced ''Eye", the Gem couldn't hide from him
He pursued the blood red "girl", diverting him from the humans
Dark streets, shadowy alleys, it was the predator's home turf
Finally, the crimson Gem was alone
She maybe thought, she was safe now, looked around, but saw nothing
Just the empty street.. The Crystal Gem backed into the shadow of a wall with a relieved sigh...
...and bumped into the Smoky Quartz's chest
The Assassin gently put a hand over her mouth... his scimitar appeared in his other hand...

"Don't worry Rebel... It will be swift" - he whispered in her ear

There was just a little sound...
A swift stab from behind, then the Crystal Gem poofed
Morion grabbed the falling red gemstone, holding it in his hand... even his gloved hand resembled a bit a claved paw; liquid light dripping from the blade in his other hand
He examined the Gem
Should he bubble it?
..or crush it, closing his fist?
But then he bubbled it, and dismissed the smoke grey Bubble, back to home...
...it was a good night for hunt after all...

Nowadays...

Empire City
And in the middle of the city, its Gem Lord and Protector's base
Or home...
The M Tower - as some Gems called it
A giant skyscraper, glass and steel "human Spire", a bit upgraded with scavanged Gem tech, and a stollen Warp Pad in its great hall
The Smoky Quartz's home and base
And the residency of several Gems
The Smoky Quartz, the Morion
The Fire Opal, "Chip"
The Spider Web Jasper, Spider
The Herald of Pink Diamond, the Fusion Gaspeite
Tho' she not lived inside the building, but Black Star Diopside, the Gem Bounty Hunter sometimes parked her cloaced ship next to the skyscraper...
It wasn't their home, but Morion provided and reserved rooms/homes for Gems like Morganite, Lady Chyrsocolla, Bloodstone, Obsidian (with a shovel^^),  Amber,  Carbide and even Her Majesty's, White Diamond's Grand Inquisitor, his excellency, the exalted Opalite!
The M Tower was a big building, with plenty of empty rooms... it was a small price for the City's safety that the Smoky Quartz provided; he protected Empire city from Humans, Rebels and Monsters alike... and it was the center of his web of influance (and the beating black heart of his criminal empire)
And the home of lots of humans.
His Humans...
The security was tight (the usual thugs in shades and suits, headsets, patrolling in pairs) and not-so-hidden cameras watched the corridors
The guards were armed... columbian and Jamaican thugs
It was a mini-Spire, well guarded fortress
A base
But a luxurious home in the same time...
Some of the Smoky Quartz's human "peridots", scientist in lab coats worked that night at the base of the skyscraper. Morion was in his humanoid form, but not Gem "armor"
He was a tall ('Quartz tall^^) Gem (but not bulky like a Jasper or Amethyst, his kind was slender) with long grey hair and silver eyes. It was evident, he was wearing real, human clothes, - black silk suit - Italian with maching shoes - shirt, tie and cane. - it wasn't his projection, since the shirt and vest hided his Gem.
His skin tone was a bit grey...ish, like the smoke, but he could pass as a caucasian man. One hand rested on his cane, in the otherfloated a smoke gray bubble, with a blood red gemstone in it.
He dismissed his Bubble and grabbed the stone, to put in to the energy converter before it had a chance to reform
It was a mix of human and scavanged Gem tech...
The humans and the Gem stepped back, and watched as the machine came to life, a generator, to provide the new equipments with almost unlimited enegry and...
...and then something went wrong. Maybe it was the humans fault, maybe the scavanged Gem-tech was faulty... but every monitor screamed danger, something went critical...
...electric and energy discharges thrashed and hacked... killed one or two scientist before they could take cover behind their boss
Then the device exploded
In the smoke, the Assassin could see the floating crimson red gem, and the light of the reforming...

[Heliotrope]

The captured gem glowed as they began to form. The bright light swelled and curved strongly taking shape from the small blood colored gem. The gem's voluptuous body burst through the light, her arms and legs stretching forth and her body thrusting forward as if breaking from her bonds. Her long raven hair cascaded down over her deep crimson skin as it dropped over her face. The gem collapsed to her knees as she finally became whole. Heliotrope was finally back.

Her body trembling harshly. From a distance it looked as though she was sobbing. Through her shudders, her voice spoke so softly and weakly it couldn't be heard. Her trembling grew violently and her voice spoke again, almost in a low growl her voice was nearly loud enough to hear fully.

"Do... any idea... done...?

She suddenly jolted up abruptly, her eyes burning with rage, as she glared at the dark masculine gem before her.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!?!" Heliotrope yelled out violently.

For almost seven months, she had been trapped in that vulgar bubble, fully conscious, unable to take form, unable to break free. But every day, every single moment she fought, until finally when she was taken out of the bubble and placed in a machine, she forced nearly all the energy she could spare into the crude device and blew it smithereens.

[Morion]

The Smoky Quartz dismissed his humans with a wave of his hand
It was not their fight
The Assassin rested his hands on his cane, silver eyes watched the blood red Gem
The very... very angry blood red Gem
His silver eyes narrowed

"I have hunted down and bubbled a Crystal Gem. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else... When you became a Rebel and turned your back to your Home and Empire, your Matriarchs... you forfeited your every rights to "live"!"

Moiron voice was cold, like the space between the stars, and dark, like the vast emptiness of the deep void

"Tell me Crystal Gem, how many innocent, loyal Gems died during your beloved leader, Rose Quartz's attacks against the Homeworld's facilities? How many... how many "unborn" Gem died on that day when she and her ilk sabotaged the Kindergartens!? How many innocent young Gem are still in the Erath's Crust, sleeping their never ening dreamless sleep... never to awake?"

The Smoky Quartz eyes and voice was cold

"You were lucky I just bubbled you... I should have killed you! Bit I will correct that mistake..."

[Heliotrope]

So full of blind fury, his words didn't seem to even hit her ears. She had only been this level of overwhelming blood lust and rage once in her nearly 14 thousand years of life. Heliotrope usually was so composed, even when vindictive and frustrated she knew how to carry herself with an air of control and charm. But this, she hadn't felt so violated in over 10,000 years. She sold herself, her body for fusion, her morals for money, but to be used like THIS.

"You should have shattered me when you had the chance, because I won't give you a second one!!!"

Her hands rose up to her mouth, gripping her face as if containing a scream. But suddenly her voice seemed to throw her hand away from her lips, shrieking violently as two javelins formed, one in each hand. Nearly catapulting herself forward, she launched herself at the grey gem, looking to turn him to dust under her heels.

[Morion]

The Smoky Quartz nodded

"It was a mistake...."

He frowned
But Moiron promised to his apprentice, the young, chipped Fire Opal, he will try not to shatter anyone
Moiron already regretted that promise tho'^^
Helotrope's attack was expected... the red Gem clearly lost her mind
It was actually a good thing^^
Initiating blind rage with taunts, sarcastic remarks, mocking or teasing was just another tool in the Assasin's repertoire
An enemy blinded by rage or hatred was always an easy prey; usually it was just a matter of time and sooner or later a frenzied opponent made a mistake...
When Heliotrope launched herself forward, the Smoky Quartz stomped theatrically with his cane
And shapeshifted to a smoke gray cat^^
So the crimson Gem landed just on the human clothes, while the kittycat sneaked out from the leg
Silver cat eyes watched the angry Heliotrope from under a bush

[Heliotrope]

While her rage made her movements far less elegant and meticulous, it did make them quick, stronger and unrelenting. In most of her existence, when it came to fighting, her main focus was to gain the upper hand to either escape or manipulate her opponent to get what she wanted. But she was like a cornered animal and she'd fight like an one to get her revenge.

Helio eyes were deadly focused, her mind in such a fury that it took in all the information presented and drove it all towards one goal: hunting that gem down. She wasn't going to let him get away, no matter what shape he took.

Heliotrope powerfully swung one of the javelins down into the ground, spiking it down like a pole vault through the clothing left behind. Following the momentum of the spike and flinging herself forward with the javelin, doubling the her launch. With the added speed, she flung the other javelin at the bush the grey cat-shaped gem had hid in at bullet-like speed. Keeping grip on the flexible ribbon coming off the end of the javelin she hurled.

The moment it hit the bush, she pushed a torrent of her energy through the silk into javelin. In that fraction of a second, the energy she pumped into overloaded the javelin causing it to explode harshly.

But she didn't just stop there. Pulling on the ribbon from the javelin she launched herself from, she yanked it from the ground and slingshot it at the exploded bush to overload it too. The second explosion happened before the dust and smoke had even began to settle. She summoned another pair of javelins in her hands ready to strike again if she saw the smallest movement.

[Morion]

The Smoky Quartz was quick and a bit dour
But in the In the meantime delighted!
It was so long ago he fought with a worthy opponent; most of the Gems on Earth, the Crystal Gems, the Monsters... Independents were soft and weak
But this Gem...
...now she was different!
A real challenge!
Morion shifted back to humanoid form
Tho' he was not a typical Quartz, the Assassin was more than a capable fighter, when it comes to trading blows

"We are Morion"

No blink, no escape, just good old parry with the scimitar; while he is not as strong as a brute Quartz, he is agile and quick with razor sharp refelxes

"We are many; you are but one..."

The Crystal Gem was a good fighter
Annoyingly... and yet it was exciting!^^
Not the best circumstances, the Smoky Quartz needed time, how to fight against this girl

"Your abilities pale before us"

After some blocks and parries, he started to emit smoke, to hide himself (and the area), its worth a try, and it was always a good strategy to play hide and seek in the smoke and darkness
Or at least make the attacker life harder to see or fight

"We will destroy you!"

The Smoky Quartz whispered with a hiss and circled around his prey in the smoky fog

[ Battle theme - sorry, had too ^^]

[Heliotrope]

Heliotrope began spinning rapidly like a fan with her javelins as the blades, attempting to slash her target or at the very least blow the smokey fog away and reveal the dark gem again. His cocky nature and plural third-person speech was meaningless to her but did give striking points. Each time the voice rang out to her, she would launch her javelins like a scorpion lashing out with its tail towards the source, yanking the spear back by the ribbon attached. If she stabbed into something, she would siphon what little energy she could drain in the moment before her javelin was pulled back to her. She was going to charge up her energy and overpower her enemy even if it made her explode.

[Morion]

The Smoky Quartz circled around his prey in the smoky fog
Hiding in the smoke, avoiding the weapon, dancing around the other Gem... the battle was more than tiring
The Assassin growled
This blood red Gem was... quite a fighter!
Not some idealistic, starry-eyed soft self proclimed "Rebel", like the most of the Crystal Gems! This Gem was... something more
He had enough playing!
It was tempting for Morion to shapeshift to a lovecraftian horror, nightmare incarnate!
Tentacles unfolding from the smoke ad shadows, claws and fangs...
...but in the heart of His City he had to play by the "rules"
After all, he was these puny human's defender, their guardian
The Gem Lord and Protector of Empire City!
...so the usual tactics he liked so much was out of the question
And the worst part was... he started to admire this Gem!
She was a real fighter, not some mindless Berserker or anything like that
This Gem was... something more
Her style was enthralling!
This Crimson Beauty was unique!
Fascinating and captivating
It was time to change tactics

"You don't have to do this you know..."

He whispered and moved qucikly in the smoke, it was their "dance"

"..the rebellion is doomed... it is over girl!"

A jump, a slide, swift movement... like a snake or cat, he tried to avoid the attacks

"Pink Diamond sent her Herald... she is on her way to reclaim her Domain... Earth will be her's again! Don't be a fool... You are not really a devoted Rebel, just... misguided, am I right?"

[Heliotrope]

Heliotrope suddenly pierced a javelin into the ground and powerfully catapulted herself into the air, that dissolved as she was shot up high. Spun in the air, the javelin remaining in her hand pulled back ready to chuck it down. But then he javelin began to glow and grow massively, becoming a huge thick lance, aimed toward the cloud of smoke below.

"You insignificant pebble!!! I'm AGAINST the rebellion!!!!" She yelled harshly as she flung the lance down like a bolt of lightning, the long red banner twisting in the air from the lance handle wrapped around her hand. Her voice roared wildly as she flooded out her energy into the lance, causing it to overload and explode like bomb.

[Morion]

Morion watched the crimson beauty as she powerfully catapulted herself into the air...
The Smoky Quartz relized to late what was happening

"Ohh shi-*..."

The anime style explosion was a surprise^^
Morion made his body incorporeal for a moment, but even with that trick, the explosion cought him
The shear power slammed the Assassin back to the steel and glass wall, and the wall crumbloed on to him
The shockwave of the explosion shattered the nearby windows, throwed away cars, humans, trash, left a smoldering crater... after that even the alarms needed a second to start, and filled the sudden silence with their screams
The smoking pile of glass and steel was still...
...then with a bestial roar, the smoky quartz Assassin bursted forth

"THEN WHY WE ARE FIGHTING???"

[Heliotrope]

Heliotrope landed gracefully and started walking towards the smoky quartz, holding in her heavy breathing. She had expended a great deal of energy with that barrage of attacks but she couldn't show it or she might be attacked showing weakness.

"BECAUSE YOU KEPT ME IN A BUBBLE FOR SEVEN MONTHS! YOU DARED TO KEEP ME CAPTIVE AND USE ME!!! USE ME?!?!?! I AM NOT SOME CHEAP STONE TO DECORATE YOUR FILITHY CANE OR CHARGE YOUR ARCHAIC MACHINES! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK AND MONEY YOU COULD HAVE COST ME?!" She growled darkly as she loomed over him. "No one uses me without my consent and compensation..."

Her eyes glared sharply at him, as the screams and alarms blared loudly around them.

[Morion]

"I... I TOUGHT YOU WERE A REBEL! A CRYSTAL GEM VILLAIN!"

Truth to be told, Morion wasn't angry
He was a bit... ashamed
Monsters, Independents, Humans, Rebels... all were fair play, nothing just preys, tools
But other Loyal Gems?
Now that was different
The fact he hurt another Loyal was shamefull and shocking to him

"I... I am sorry... I am so sorry"

The whole situation was a bit... awkward
The Smoky Quartz coughed after a little silence

"Uhm... I'm afraid we haven't had the pleasure to meet before... well, without some murderous intent... sooo... let me intorduce myself! I am a Smoky Quartz, from the Morion variant - Facet-7F2R Cut-8YQ; Her Majesty's Blue Diamond's loyal servant, I AM her eye... I am her Wrath! Currently lended for a few missions to Her Majesty, White Diamond..."

Morion bowed his head a little; tried to be friendly, greeted the other Gem with a Diamond salute

"...and I am now the Gem Lord and protector of Empire City. And... I will compensate you, I promise! If its possible..."

[Heliotrope]

Heliotrope did not salute back. Due to ancient bad blood with White Diamond, she held no loyalty to anything but the Diamond's money. She understood that none but the grand inquisitor Opalite was meant to know of her mission of espionage. But because of this quartz ignorance, her whole mission could have been compromised.

"I am Bloodstone of the Black Palm." Being the only known living member of the ancient mercenary group Black Palm meant that unless you were a first era gem, there was odds you hadn't even heard of the Black Palm. But almost 10,000 years ago, they were one of the most well known and successful independent merc teams through out gem controlled star systems. So the name didn't hold as much clout as it use to, but she held it with more pride than her Kindergarten cut and facet.

Heliotrope was still furious, but she didn't have the energy to just start attacking again and she managed to calm down enough to have more distainful pity than rage for this gem before her.

[Morion]

"It is truly a honor..."

Morion bowed his head again with honest respect; he was an old Gem, with more than fifteen millenia of infiltration, assassination and courtly games behind his back
Tho' he disliked independents and mercenaries, but as long as the Diamonds tolerated them...
And they were darn good fighters!
Not some dumb, expendable Rubies or the regular court Quartzes... the Black Palm was a Legend!
Sadly independents... but they were loyal to the money
And the Empire was rich!
So technically, at least in Morion's eyes, they were Loyals too^^

"...this explains it all. Your capabilities. Besides Her Majesty's, White Diamond's Grand Inquisitor, his excellency, the exalted Opalite I guess you are the only Gem on this cursed planet who is worthy of my admiration. The Peridots don't make such Gems like in the old days anymore..."

He admited with a sigh, with a little longing in his voice
Suddenly he felt very old and tired... maybe that was the reason he cared so much of that little chipped Fire Opal kid...
But the moment passed

"So you are another Bloodstone? The other Bloodstone is a Berseker, an unfortunate victim of Yellow Diamond's... projects. An experiment. Actually we have lots of experiments on Earth. But he is a potent warrior..."