Marble Madness

[Open Ext. Beach]

Steven: Can I look yet? *covers his eyes*

Connie: Okay... *pulls out Unfamiliar Familiar*

Steven: *opens eyes* *gasp* BOOOOKS! Whoa, cool cover!

Connie: It's my favorite series! It's about this girl named Lisa and she's a witch! - I mean, she doesn't know she's a witch at first, and she has a familiar, which is sorta like this spirit companion that everyone in the world has. And hers is a talking falcon named Archimicarus! Anyways she goes on this quest to find her father after he's kidnapped by the mysterious one-eyed man.

Steven: Whoa, mystery!

Connie: Here! Lemme get you started! Ahem. "Chapter One: The Morning Thief: Lisa awoke with a start, the echoes of her dreams still dancing in her mind, the low rumble of thunder murmured through the quiet house- "

(A distant shooting noise is heard.)

Steven: Wooah, this is a really good book!

Connie: Uh... okay. "The house was deathly still. The only sound Lisa could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. The hairs on her neck tingled when suddenly-"

(A Plug Robonoid splashes into the water near them.)

Steven: What the-

Both: (Water splashes onto Connie and Steven.) Aahh!

(The Crystal Gems quickly exit the house to see what's happening.)

Amethyst: What was that?

(Plug Robonoid rolls up to shore and grows its feet.)

Steven: It's one of the Marble Robots.

Connie: What?

(Plug Robonoid starts approaching Steven and Garnet jumps and stops it with her gauntlets.)

Garnet: AMETHYST! PEARL! *blocks the robonoid from advancing*

Amethyst and Pearl: *both come down from above and slams into the Plug Robonoid* Huuuuuh- Yaaaaaah!!!

(Steven activates his bubble to shield him and Connie.)

Steven: You okay?

Connie: *amazed* I love hanging out at your place!

Steven: Pearl, do you think this was-

Pearl: One of Peridot's Machines? Yes I think so, only... we've never seen one this big before.

Amethyst: Or this gooey! *head to toe covered in goo*

Pearl: Amethyst, we need to be careful we don't know what this stuff is.

(Amethyst snickers and gets a mischievous look on her face.)

Pearl: Oh no - Don't you dare get that stuff on me!

Amethyst: *spreads arms out wide and starts chasing Pearl* Goop hug! (Pearl freaks out and runs away.)

(Amethyst chases Pearl off-screen.)

Amethyst: *distantly* COME HERE, PEARL! *off-screen* I love you, Pearl!

Connie: Peridot. Is that the Gem you told me about? The one that's trying to come to Earth?

Steven: Yeah. We stopped her before but, I guess she can still shoot stuff here from space.

(Steven walks over to Garnet.)

Steven: So... what do you think it was here to do?

Garnet: We destroyed it *picks up a piece of the broken robonoid* - that's all that matters. *tosses it aside*

Steven: *nods* Hm!

Amethyst: Goop hug! *unsuspectedly hugs Garnet, distributing the goo*

(Pearl approaches covered in goo and looking bashful, then Garnet pulls her in so they can have a "goop hug".)

[Trans int. Connie's House with Dr. Maheswaran on the phone]

Dr. Maheswaran: *holds phone* Connie? The Steven Universe boy would like to speak with you.

(Connie quickly rushes down the stairs and grabs the phone.)

Dr. Maheswaran: *to self as she walks out of the room* I swear that's not his real name.

Connie: *runs down quickly from upstairs excitedly* Hi Steven! - what's up? Have you read more "Unfamiliar Familiar"?

Steven: Yeah but I'm -

Connie: *screams* Aaah! Isn't it amazing? How far did you get?

Steven: I'm in the middle of one of them but, I'm really confused... *picks up one book* They keep talking about this Plinkman guy who died... Am I suppose to know who he is?

Connie: Plinkman... but that's Lisa's dad... Steven? You're reading them in order, right?

Steven: There's an order? Aww man, I just started with the one with the coolest cover. Hello? Connie?

(Connie zones out with a blank expression on her face.)

(Another shooting noise and impact sound is heard.)

Steven: What the- ?

(The Crystal Gems all exit from the Temple Gate.)

Garnet: Something entered the atmosphere.

(All Gems exit to the porch.)

Amethyst: Up there! *pointing at the shooting robonoid*

Pearl: It's another one of those things!

Garnet: It landed on Mask Island - Come on!

Steven: Connie, I'm gonna call you back.

[Trans. Ext. Mask Island]

(The Gems warp to Mask Island as the Robonoid wanders around.)

Pearl: Is it... looking for a warp?

Garnet: We have to stop it!

(All Gems destroy Plug Robonoid.)

Steven: *covered in goo* Yeesh - What are these things trying to do?

Pearl: We're not... really... that sure...

Garnet: It's not trying to do anything now.

* Steven moans*

[Scene Pans to Connie and Steven talking again]

Connie: Okay. So you read the first three books in order. Do you... like them?

Steven: Of Course!, They're awesome! I really love Lisa's familiar - He's my favorite, I'm... just confused about one thing though.

Connie: What's that?

Steven: What... is... a familiar?

Connie: Noooooo ugggggh, huh... *slumps against cabinet*

* rumbling sounds*

Connie: Was that another one of those marble things?

(The Crystal Gems all exit from the Temple Gate.)

Steven: Yeah...

Amethyst: *stretches face* Grrrrrrrr! - What is with these things? This is like the FIFTH one this week!

Garnet: We'll find it in the Desert!

Steven: Connie, talk later! *drops phone* Wait you guys, wait for me!

(With annoyed looks on their faces, The Gems warp toward the Desert, then a second after Steven warps to the Desert too.)

[Trans. Ext The Desert]

(All Gems are fighting the Plug Robonoid.)

Pearl: Stop! - coming! - here! - you! - stupid! - balls! *sitting on top of the Robonoid, stabbing it with her spear with each word*

Amethyst: Yeah! Let it out! Get crazy! *tries to pull it back with her whip wrapped around it* Hua! *robonoid tugs forward*

Steven: *flails arms* Guys, guys, guys! Stop! (The Gems pause and look at him.) How many more of these things are you gonna have to fight?

Pearl: *stressed* We don't know! They just keep COMING and COMING and we don't even know what they ARE! - We don't know anything!

Steven: That's okay - I don't know anything all the time, it's like my whole life. But I have you guys to tell me about tell me about Gem stuff, Connie can explain what familiars are, and Dad tells me weird dad stuff.

Pearl: But nobody knows what these things are here to do.

Steven: Well - it probably does. *points at the robonoid*

Pearl: What?

Steven: We could follow it and see where it goes.

Amethyst: Are you NUTS?!

Pearl: Who knows what could go wrong?

Garnet: We can't keep fighting these things forever - Well, we can....but I don't want to. Let's do it Steven's way.

Steven: Yeah! Let's follow the funky flow. *waves his arms around*

Amethyst: We're dead.

(All Gems hop onto the Plug Robonoid.)

Steven: Alright big guy - MUSH! *pats the robonoid*

Gems: Woaaah... Uggh...

Steven: Uh-heh-heh. Woohoo!

(All stand on warp then the Plug Robonoid warps.)

[Trans. ext. Kindergarten]

All: *gasp*

Garnet: Kindergarten...

Pearl: Oh, why here? This site has been damaged enough by the Gems that were incubated here 6,000 years ago! That's it! It's confirmed. These things are up to no good! *summons spear*

Steven: *stops her* Wait! We don't even know what it's doing here? Can't we just... see where it wants to go?

Pearl: Garnet?

Garnet: Hmm... Steven's way.

(Pearl sighs and the spear slowly retracts into Pearl's gem.)

(The robonoid jumps down to ground level and continues walking.)

All: Whoa!

Pearl: What does it want here?

Steven: Maybe it just wants to see where Amethyst was made.

Amethyst: Maybe it should mind its own business.

Pearl: I don't like this at all...

Steven: But...

Amethyst: *looks at Steven* I'm kinda with Pearl on this one.

Steven: Aw, come on, can't you feel this guy's funky flow? He's a funk master. *pats robonoid*

Pearl: I can't believe we're doing this.

(The robonoid stops.)

Steven: Why'd you stop, li'l buddy?

Garnet: Something's happening.

(Garnet grabs Steven as the Gems and jumps off.)

(The Plug Robonoid opens a pyramid-shaped hole in the ground and changes shape to accommodate it.)

Steven: *pupils turn star shaped* Yesss!

(The Plug Robonoid begins to descend into the ground.)

Steven: See? I knew we'd find something cool... Let's go!

(Steven jumps into the hole and lands on the Plug Robonoid. The other Gems follow.)

Steven: Hey guys! Going down? ... Are you okay?

Pearl: *staring at wires lining the walls* What is all this?

(Elevator stops as control room glows and a control panel arises, the Plug Robonoid sacrifices it's bottom tip to form a Hand Robonoid that activates the pedestal and turns on a static monitor screen. A few moments later, the monitor reveals Peridot who proceeds to look to her left and right. All the Gems, startled by Peridot's image, jump off to hide.)

Peridot: Established Gem Projection Link with control room. Plug Robonoid has successfully landed on Planet Earth and entered Prime Kindergarten Control Room in Facet Five. Will proceed to perform status check of Kindergarten.

Amethyst: *whispers* It's Peridot.

Pearl: *gasps* *whispers* Is she trying to re-activate the Kindergarten? Doesn't she know it'll destroy all life on Earth?!

Steven: Why don't we ask her?

Garnet: Shh - Steven, we're facing an enemy we don't know with technology we don't understand. This isn't the time to be asking questions.

Steven: Really sounds like it is...

Garnet: Ok - here's the plan: We can't let her see us, so we wait for an opening. When she's distracted, we destroy the power source on the far wall. Steven stays here!

(Pearl and Amethyst nod in approval of the idea, then pans to Steven running up to Peridot.)

Crystal Gems: *whisper shouts* Steven!

Peridot: Now accounting for all operational Injectors. Checking for aberrations in perimeter.

(Two spots on the floor begin to glow white, and two large green hand constructs emerge from them. The hands activate a pair of panels on the ceiling which causes cylinders to eject from the ceiling.)

Peridot: Ugh, this Gem Tech is simply archaic.

Steven: I don't know, I think it looks pretty cool.

(There is silence.)

(Peridot abruptly cancels all she was doing and the monitor turns to face Steven.)

Steven: Hi! I'm Steven.

Peridot: There appears to be an infestation of "Stevens" in the Kindergarten.

Steven: Daw, I'm not so bad once you get to know me!

Peridot: And how many more Stevens are present in this area?

Steven: Oh - just me.

Peridot: Nee-ah, that's a relief. So tell me - Have Stevens replaced humans as the dominant species on Earth?

Steven: Oh no - there's lots of humans, there's my dad, Connie, Lars and Sadie, the mailman, Onion... I think... lots of people.

Peridot: Hmm...

Steven: Now I get to ask a question, what are you doing?

Peridot: Hm, just picking up where we left off.

(Peridot's monitor faces away from Steven. Peridot raises a hand above Steven and forms a fist, then attempts to crush him. Garnet catches the fist and throws it.)

(Peridot's monitor turns back. Peridot looks surprised by Garnet's presence.)

Peridot: A Gem!

(Amethyst and Pearl jump up.)

Peridot: Ah! More? But the Red Eye didn't report the presence of any Gems on this planet!

Pearl: *blushing* That's because we destroyed it.

Peridot: You what? But the records say that Gems were wiped out on earth... wait a minute... you're the ones that have been destroying my Plug Robonoids... are you the reason the Homeworld Warp is down again? Is THIS your bizarre icon? *shows them the Crying Breakfast Friends sticker* Uhrooh!!! Why do you keep destroying my THINGS?!

Pearl: *still blushing* Because we are the Crystal Gems! We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!

Peridot: The Crystal Gems?

(All Gems abruptly jump and attack Peridot's giant hovering hand constructs.)

Peridot: Stop! How dare you? I'm doing this one way or another. You're just... making it... really... difficult!

Garnet: Amethyst, now!

Amethyst: Destroy! (Amethyst uses her whip to grab a hand and throw it at the power source, breaking it.)

Peridot: I'm reporting this!

(Peridot's Screen Transmission disappears.)

Amethyst: Is it over?

(The other Gems walk over to Steven and stare at him.)

Steven: Okay... I, I might have gone a little too far this time.

Garnet: Well, Steven you weren't completely wrong. We learned something new because of your decisions.

Steven: Alright!

Garnet: But yeah, this was a pretty bad idea.

Steven: Aw man...

(A black star envelops the screen in a reverse star wipe.)

[END]