Inconvenience Truths (closed w/ 6UE)

[7XB]

To say that the better part of the last several weeks had been rather difficult would have been a rather colossal understatement: 7XB was practically reeling, still, after the revelation that had come about in their last encounter...or perhaps they should say 'confrontation’ with Padparadscha. While it was true that much of what has occurred had been the result of mistrust between the two of them, it pained the Quartz gem that said mistrust had not been entirely unfounded. Yes, the meddling of Arsenic 2MD had assisted blown things, to some degree, out of proportion, but her tip was the reason that they knew any of this at all. Much of what they'd seen was admittedly far above the class of a common quartz gem, but other circumstances left them with little time to fret over such an unimportant detail.

They'd not pored over those records in great detail, the information pertaining to the mysterious sapphire’s origins had proved far too enticing to ignore. Besides, in retrospect, the Quartz doubted that what they were looking for, if it existed at all, would be on that drive at all. They would like very much to believe that this information didn't exist at all, it didn't take a seasoned investigator to tell that Padparadscha had been hiding something else. Despite the trouble their gut had gotten them into, the passing weeks to shake the feeling they'd been lied to.

The Quartz couldn't face Padparadscha, not again- especially after what had happened back in the quarry, but the need to investigate gnawed at them like acid through bone. But as a Quartz, they knew full the tendency of soldiers to learn more about the projects they are stationed on than their patrons intend.

The gem in question, though, 6UE, was proving harder to locate than 7XB had imagined..it seemed as though that particular Amethyst had vanished almost entirely off the Moonbase in the time since, or perhaps even before, the conflict at the quarry- A few well-placed questions had directed the clear quartz, oddly enough, to Empire City, a human settlement rife now with bitter memories.

[Amethyst]

"...you know, space! I mean, it's gotta be huge, but I haven't been far. I'd like to see more of it, but first I gotta see everything on Earth," Ame sauntered down the sidewalk with a paper bag in her hands, alongside a human with scruffy facial hair who was perhaps tall for a human, but next to the seven foot, burly quartz soldier the man was dwarfed. Both of them had matching hockey jerseys with the team's signature hawk mascot printed onto it, along with their numbers on the back.  

The man chuckled, and gave a side eye to the quartz,"Well, o'course it's huge, I have a feeling I'd get seasick out there though-- or space sick, or whatever. I like to have my feet firm on the ground. Or the ice,"

"Well you never know, maybe you'll get picked for space hockey here in a few years," Ame smiled and shrugged, then reached into her paper bag and took out a burger. She took an absurdly huge bite out of it, and looked around as she chewed. Her brows shot up, and she came to a sudden halt as she spotted a familiar gem cruising their way down the opposite end of the street. Her eyes flicked to the human,"Stars...I'm sorry Moh but I just realized I got to be somewhere, I'll catch you later alright?" She became increasingly tense as Moh's eyes flicked to where she'd been looking.

"Is that another one of those jewel people you were telling me about? Or minerals? Gems? Ah well anyway, see you at the rink," Moh shrugged, and kept walking forward. Ame swiveled, and began speed-walking in the other direction. She kept munching on her burger as she went, struggling to think of what she'd do with the other three she bought while she tried to slip out of 7XB's sight. 

[7XB]

As easy as 7XB must've been to spot, a bright, ivory-colored gem with no disguise to speak of cutting through the sea of humans like a hot blade through butter, the Amethyst was equally difficult to find. One would think that a purple gem standing head and shoulders above the fragile earthlings wouldn't have been all that difficult to find, but the sheer mass of organic life scurrying about amidst the vibrant lights and utterly revolting scents of whatever foul convocations human-kind consumed to sustain and prolong their miserably short lives combined into a cacophony of distractions. The quartz gem had no idea where in this vast, greasy place to begin looking, but they were not one to be easily dissuaded.

Tireless, they'd already been searching for some hours when something caught their eye, something suddenly moving against the flow as they did, cutting through humans with ease- another Quartz gem. 6UE, if they weren't mistaken, just the gem they'd been tracking, though they hardly recognized her in that ridiculously frumpy human cloth she seemed to be wearing as a disguise. 7XB was quick to notice that same pattern of clothing amongst the crowd.

“Hm..”

Eyes narrowed, the clear gem hastened, aiming to stay hot on Amethyst's trail.

[Amethyst]

She glanced over her shoulder to get a quick look at the gem, mouth still full of burger as she continued munching on what was left of the first one. Ame flinched with a big grimace pulling over her expression; the other quartz was practically shooting live rounds from their eyes, straight for her as they picked up speed-- it was clear they'd spotted her and that they weren't going to let her slip by in the crowd. Her attention snapped forward again as she began chewing her food more frantically, and as she stuffed the rest of it in her mouth, she reached into the bag and pulled out another one.

The amethyst picked up the pace herself while she thought about what the best course of action was. She couldn't help but to think of this gem as an authority figure, her drill master, despite the fact that she'd left homeworld behind; as much as she resented what happened while she was still on the investigation unit, admittedly the clear quartz commander had taught her a lot.

If she ran, it would be a dead give away that she was up to no good, or at least that is what 7XB would pin it as, but there would be a possibility of escape. Direct confrontation could be signing her shattering-warrant if this gem knew she had defected, but there was still a chance that they didn't know, aside she had heard that running on a full stomach could cause cramping. She gripped her burger more tightly, and cut around the corner, attempting to put some more distance between them before she would try our her parkour skills. 

[7XB]

After their brief encounter with the planet’s primitive security forces, 7XB was not overly eager to make a scene- not yet, anyway, though if Amethyst decided to make things too much of a bother for them, the seasoned gem was not opposed to making a scene. The cold express they'd trademark hid a lot from the world: what would they say once they finally ran the purple gem down? Would she be willingly interrogated without a fight or would they have to resort to more..dangerous methods? It was always hard to to gauge what a gem, especially a soldier, would do when backed into a corner- as they no doubt knew would eventually happen- and 6UE had no real reason to trust 7XB on sight since the debacle at the quarry in regards to the mysterious 'Project Lotus’.

For one reason or another, though, they had reason to believe that 6UE’s reluctance to face them was rooted in something other than their last encounter. Whatever that was, the clear Quartz would just have to find out, but they already didn't much like the thought of what it might be..

And then she was out of sight somewhere ahead, leaving 7XB to duck suddenly into the narrow corridor between the building they’d just passed and the one that now blocked their view of the Amethyst, knocking more than one human aside in their efforts to cut her off.

[Amethyst]

"S-sorry! Excuse me! Pardon," Ame weaved through the crowd, trying not to step on the humans; she knew from experience they could have a bad reaction to being bumped, especially by a large gem like herself. She checked over her shoulder, and felt some modicum of relief to see that 7XB wasn't right on her tail. Though, not having them right in sight was itself nerve-wracking, she wasn't sure what corner they might spring out of next. 

As she came up on an alley way, she cut down it just to try to shake them off even further-- only to come to a halt when she saw the gem had the same idea, marching their way down the intersecting alley,"Whoa!" She impulsively exclaimed, otherwise frozen as if caught in a spotlight,"Err--" She didn't have many options, but considered them quickly; 7XB was quick, with ranged abilities as well as close quarters prowess, and now they were less than a few meters away from her with unclear intentions. The purple quartz again swiveled, and ran back toward the street. She came up to a conveniently placed dumpster, and yanked it out of place to block the alley before she got back up to speed, spilled out onto the sidewalk, then dashed over the avenue with long strides, bringing several vehicles screeching to a halt. "Sorry!" She called back to the humans, while simultaneously looking back to see if the other quartz was still after her. 

[7XB]

There was a saying back on Homeworld that all Quartz gems thought alike, a stereotype that many, including 7XB themselves, went to great lengths to combat, though the sudden arrival of 6UE from the opposite end of the grimy alleyway made it a touch more difficult to combat this notion: clearly the Amethyst's idea to double back was thought up mere seconds after their own decision to cut ahead. Admittedly, they weren't exactly mutually exclusive ideas, but that could have simply been coincidence!

Either way, the elder Quartz gem practically ground to a halt, their heavy walk had almost become a run before the very gem they'd been tracking appeared so suddenly before them called for a very sudden change in thought, and the reversal of gears left them reeling momentarily.

The handful of seconds passed quickly, and the somber gem struggled to think of what might be said to make the Amethyst listen- “6UE..” they tried to begin, frustration setting in as they realized it was already too late. She was gone. Bolting after her, it was only the telltale sound of grinding metal prevented a collision with the foul-smelling slab of metal that had so suddenly obstructed their path.

The stench threw them off more than anything- it was as if every disgusting scent humanity had to offer had been wrapped up into a single, compact form. They flinched at the smell, but persevered nonetheless, vaulting over the receptacle in a singular motion.

The feeling of human filth made their skin crawl, the concrete cracking beneath their weight as they recovered. It was easy to trace the direction the younger gem had gone, the sudden thoroughfare through the usually bustling river of human vehicles was a dead giveaway. With a heavy sigh, not to mention a crack of their neck, the large gem moved in said direction with unexpected speed, lest the trail go cold. 

[Amethyst]

Humans gasped and stumbled back as the clear quartz slammed into the sidewalk in front of them, and the Amethyst turned to see that the obstacle she'd created hadn't been much of one for 7XB. Teeth clenched, she already knew she'd have to do better than that to shake them. Her attention snapped forward again, keeping a steady forward advance, she raced right through the other side of the street. Ame managed to do so without stepping on anyone, but peeved and curious commuters alike were drawn to a halt as the two gigantic super soldiers cut over the avenue. 

If it hadn't been clear before, now she was certain 7XB had some bone to pick with her, even if it was just for her being here in the first place. She had no idea where the clear quartz stood at this point; insurgent soldier, homeworld commander, or someone else entirely--whoever they really were, 6UE had no intention of being captured or pulverized this early in her career. If that was their goal, she knew it would have to be a hard fight to get the upper hand.   

She zipped straight into the next alley, flying with the speed of a truck straight toward a short, old brick building situated behind the main avenue, standing alongside an alley intersection. Rather than turning, she kept forward. With all of the power and momentum built behind her, she dove into a spin dash, and flew clean up the wall, flinging herself straight up to the roof of the squat building. Then, as she began to lose momentum, she unfurled, stumbling onto her feet before getting back up to speed. 

[7XB]

So, it was a hunt that the Amethyst wanted, was it? Well, 7XB would give her exactly what she wanted- Their patience was wearing painfully thin, but they were not about to give up, as whatever information that she may have in regards to Lotus would likely prove invaluable. They'd spent the better part of the last several weeks convincing themselves that she knew something important, and had hence tossed themselves headlong into such a dangerous situation as this with little regard for themselves, and certainly none for the petty humanoids that surrounded them.

Some distance, just around a corner ahead she disappeared in a flash of light: They were inclined to follow suit, the sheer force of their combined weight and speed allowing the clear gem to fall forwards into a dash with little more than a carefully calculated increase of pace, the screeching and ire of humans blown out of the way by their wake a common sound as they made to gain on the purple gem.

The foul, acrid stench of melting asphalt followed the blur that was 7XB into the alleyway, yet they still lacked the speed required to get ahead of Amethyst, and they couldn't afford to loose any so, like firing pistons, white-hot blades ignited from their blurred form, carving deeper through the softened pavement until they came into contact with the sheer, rugged wall at the end of the pathway. Unrelenting, they shot upward, a hail of brick and thick chunks of masonry hailing downwards as they made to intentionally overshoot the ledge, rocketing straight upwards as 6UE attempted to regain her balance.

[Amethyst]

The last time she'd been here with 7XB, she'd gotten an idea of their disdain for the native earthlings that she found so interesting; they showed no less disregard for them now. If she were going to be caught up in conflict with this gem, she knew they wouldn't be paying mind to the people around them. Her best bet was to keep going until she was as far from the major population centers as possible, before they could unleash their destructive power with bystanders caught in the crossfire. As Ame stumbled forward, she reoriented herself toward the abandoned industrial zone, but it was still blocks away.

The sound of solid brick and mortar being ripped to shreds sent chills racing down her nape; her skin prickled with the sense of alarm shooting through every corner of her form. Then, the sawing fell away, and the massive shadow of the gem warrior pursuing her pulled over the roof-- the was it already too late? Grimacing, she scrambled to get back up to speed. She couldn't take even a second to falter or glance behind her, Ame raced to the edge and pushed off, aiming to land on the flat roof of the next building over.

[7XB]

Even with nothing at all to cling to, the sheer power of their movement allowed the Quartz gem to rocket upwards a good distance higher, spiraling several times before their arch changed, and a more tangible rendition of the clear gem appeared from the thermic fire of their razored dash; They appeared to almost hover in that moment. Almost, but gravity could only be put off for so long. 7XB had only a handful of moments before they would start plummeting downwards towards the skyline. Keen eyes lock momentarily upon the fleeing Amethyst.

They had, hopefully, just long enough to gauge the direction she was making for. There was no way for the bulky gem to stop themselves from falling, and they were most definitely not among the class of gems that could fly, but if they could, perhaps, redirect the momentum of their descent, it would be just as effective.

And then it began. 7XB ducked forward as they began to fall, rolling head over heels a number of times before they were able to pick up enough speed to dash again. It didn't take long, and the gradually quickening fall of the Quartz became much more meteoric, assuming a sharp trajectory: The target was a building not far ahead of 6UE and, if they timed it as well as they had hoped, they would make impact just as the other gem did. This would, hopefully, neutralize her effectively enough for 7XB to get a word in edgewise.

[Amethyst]

The whoosh of air and the movement of the shadow were the warnings of 7XB's impact, half seconds later they slammed into the roof of the building, cutting her off from a narrow escape toward the abandoned industrial zone that she had planned to lead them toward. Ame tumbled onto the roof, cushioning her fall with a roll, and quickly popped back up to her feet, faced with the much more experienced quartz. Teeth clenched, she didn't have time to make considerations that she hadn't already made, but she had to keep moving or be caught.

A drop from this height would definitely hurt, stun her even if she landed wrong, and the nearby buildings were all much taller, meaning she would have to scale them-- that wasn't a safe option, because 7XB's blades could carry them much more quickly than any momentum she could gather from here, even if she had another long running start it would be a gamble. However, she certainly couldn't let herself be caught at a standstill. Instead, she came up with a new plan.

She clutched the paper bag in her hands; the burgers within were probably all mushy by now, but that didn't bother her much. She took a deep breath, then gave a cheesy grin. Even cheesier was the burger that she drew out of the bag, and she extended her arm out toward 7XB,"Want a burger?"

[7XB]

A wince seized the muscles of their face in the moments before impact was made with the rooftop- Even if the landing was stuck perfectly, the G-force of the impact meant that the all-too-sudden stop was going to hurt. A lot. The roof of the building was much sturdier than 7XB expected, and that only made the landing that much more brutal for the battered gem. In the long run, it was very likely a good thing: A collapsing building would certainly be a cause for alarm amongst the humans, especially for a gem that was trying to avoid a scene as much as possible.

That didn't make the reinforced concrete they struck any softer, though, nor the freshly exposed steel beneath it's shattered surface. A cloud of rubble and dust cloak them as they recovered, hunched over and coated in fragments of debris. It was fortunate for their pride, then, that they had righted themselves by the time the dust had settled, allowing the weapons they bore to vanish.

Perhaps if they came off as less threatening, the skittish Amethyst would see reason. “6UE,” they began somewhat sternly, though they had few other tones, “ I am not here to..to..” The sight, and smell, of the human food turned them a faint shade of green; Shaking their head, they continued, “Ahm..no. Listen..”

[Amethyst]

Her thick brows furrowed, and she pulled her burger bearing arm closer to herself. The plan had been originally to trip them up a bit before they could toss her down the nearest manhole, but now that it seemed 7XB wasn't diving straight in fists flying, she wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Had she entirely misjudged their intentions, or were they now trying to trip her up?

That moment she spent in thought, she stood still and kept her eyes on the other gem's movements. It had been a while since anyone had called her 6UE, but they weren't calling her rebel scum so that was probably a good sign. They'd put away their menacing gauntlets, though the senior soldier had a generally intimidating aura about them; their stature, sharp eyes and commanding voice kept her standing up straight. "No?" She said, then spoke at a measured pace,"More for me I guess," Slowly, Ame brought the burger to her face, then took a huge bite out of it, all the while keeping her eyes on her opponent. If anything she hoped to psyche them out enough to get herself out of there as quickly as possible.

Then, as her eyes flicked down over the other quartz, she realized the concrete roof was split and cracked enough to look like the arctic sea in early spring. Her brows shot up; it wouldn't take much to break it in completely, and while it could give her a mighty twisted ankle among other risks, she kept it in mind as a quick manner of distraction if 7XB was indeed playing her for a fool here. Both of them were on thin ice as far as she was concerned. 

As she finished chewing, she looked back up at them to hear what they had to say. 

[7XB]

It was nearly impossible to hide the look of disgust upon their face as she actually took a bite of the greasy, pungent morsel she had tried to offer them, but above all they were rather relieved: She had not only retracted her offer to share whatever rancid scraps of human refuse she had acquired, but their thread of reason seemed to have gotten through the purple gem’s naturally-thick skull, or at least they could hope. The Amethyst practically had her intentions inscribed upon her brow, like many Quartz gems, and it was easy enough for them to piece her plan together from the movement of her eyes. They had been a commander since before 6UE had emerged, and a soldier longer still- She was far from inconspicuous.

They knew full well that their impact had likely caused some kind of lasting damage to the towering structure. A weakness that even a gem as inexperienced as 6UE could exploit. What they could not be sure of, though, especially considering her confrontational attitude so far, was if she was trying to get them to drop their guard, or merely working out a contingency if things went awry? Either way they relaxed, at least visibly, and began to speak over the nauseating sound of Amethyst’s teeth grinding the food into a paste.

“Look, I'm not here to fight you, 6UE. I need information. Information on..” they paused, looking about as if someone was potentially eavesdropping on them, “on the you know what at the Quarry site.” Their last visit there hadn't exactly gone well, but the mood they had been in at the time had not been conducive to gathering Intel.

"I want to know what Padparadscha is really doing thete..and what it has to do with Yellow Diamond."