Alex couldn't handle it. He was unprepared and honestly, it made him throw up in his mouth. His breathing stagnated as they just seemed to get worse, and then abhorrent enough that he couldn't look anymore.

He needed help, and he dashed to find some.

Alex smiled politely at the lively commons and pointed out everyone but Adam and Anna. "I need to talk to you guys immediately."

"Why can't we come?" Adam asked, standing defensively. "A cis meeting?"

Alex walked up to him and glowered. "Adam, sit the fuck down. Now."

Silence overcame the two but for the first time anyone could remember, someone was genuinely challenging Adam. He glowered hard and took a step back. "Fine. Go on then, get lost."

Anna frowned. "Adam. Take a deep breath."

He stormed off and pulled a jug of milk out of the fridge. "I'll be on the fucking roof."

The front door so slammed hard a few jumped, taken aback by Adam's behavior.

Hazel blew out a low breath of anxiety at how hard he slammed the door, and just how much worse his dairy allergy would get with him having a third degree sunburn. "Dammit. I hate when he's mad..."

They congregated in Alex's living room and Alex sat down to bury his face in his hands. "People are so terrible, you guys. Adam's mad at me and– he just hurt my feelings..." He trailed off and sniffled. "But you guys had to see this. I'm overwhelmed."

Steven crossed over to crouch in front of the blonde and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Alex, we'll worry about Adam later okay? What happened?"

He kissed his hand and clenched his fists. "We're being hate raided really badly."

"Why?" Connie almost didn't even wanna ask when she saw the downright murderous look on Alex's face.

He connected his phone to the TV and started scrolling through screenshots of comments.

Jacob had to turn away almost immediately. The worst, most transphobic, and actually violent comments he'd ever seen in his life were going to make him sick. "J-Jesus, that's awful. I don't wanna see that."

Hazels jaw dropped at the sheer hatred some people had for his partners being happy. It rocked his world in the most horrific way, he didn't even know what to say. His mouth went dry. For the first time in years, he felt like being seriously violent.

Alex started shaking as he revisited it. "I-I'm so angry. They're being so cruel... Why?" His eyes glassed over at one of the worst comments.

"They should just kill themselves. These fucking r——— need to be exterminated Hitler style." The comment had 6,000 likes.

Steven clenched his fists and glowed a livid pink. "What does that word mean? Nothing good I'd assume."

"It's a slur," Connie whispered blankly. "One of the worst ones."

How could people be so evil and awful? It was beyond them, it had never even crossed their minds to misgender or hate their partners for being happy with who they were. Anna was so sweet and beautiful. She was stylish and kind to no end, a bubbly bright ray of sunshine that they adored with all of their hearts. Adam had just passed his bi-annual depressive episode and was bouncing back faster than usual. He treasured and loved on them, he was the person they could go to with anything, any problem at all, and Adam would tear the world in half just to make it all better if he had to. He was a bit sensitive lately as they'd seen earlier, but they just couldn't take it to heart when he loved them so deeply it was now always apparent in his eyes. He was changing for them, releasing things and letting go, and every day he was loving them harder.

Jasmin shot out of her seat hysterically. "Wait! We can't let Adam see this! We– we can't let ANYONE else see this! This is too much, there's so many triggers, especially for Adam. He just got out of his episode and I could tell he was really thinking about it this time and... I don't know if I can handle another attempt right now. And Anna's our baby! I–," She sat back down and groaned through her frustration. "Fuck!"

The manager nodded sadly. "I broke into his phone and logged him out because I couldn't imagine seeing them... cry." Alex's shaking heightened suddenly and he broke down. "I hate humans! I hate being one! I hate that we're so full of hate."

Steven broke out of his haze to stare at Alex as a sentence he'd never heard spoken so seriously was said. Alex hated being the very thing Steven wanted to be every day. It was weird, for a moment he longed to be less human.

"Phones out," Jacob ordered gruffly as he wrapped him in a hug. A few kisses and a murmur got Alex to wipe at his eyes and nod up at him like he was his savior. "We're doing a mass delete right now and then we're putting out a video."

"Today," Steven added instantly with a tone he rarely used. "We're banning them too, and if they come to our shows like they say they're going just to hurt them for being trans, there will be a war with this planet."

Connie gagged at the first one she deleted. "I see a man and a woman, but not in the order they're saying. This is how people get killed."

It was quite a bit before they couldn't find anymore, but the damage was already done. None of them could think straight, and the first one to move after they all stilled in a hurting silence was Jacob.

They followed as he pursued the man, even when Adam crossed his arms. "Oh, so now I'm invited?"

Jacob bowled him over with a hug and squeezed until Adam cried out in pain. "If anyone, ANYONE, ever says anything to you two or so much as looks at you guys wrong I swear to fucking god I'm going to death row and you can quote me on that."

"What happened?" Anna looked at them but no one would make eye contact. "What did we do?"

Hazel scooped up Anna and cradled her sweetly. "Baby, you didn't do anything wrong. We love you. We love you so much. We love both of you."

Adam pushed Jacob back a bit to look at his face in concern. "What's wrong with you guys?" Hazel brought Anna closer and the group hugged both of them, muttering their profound love even more.

Hazel set Anna down. "I need to go break something."

"Mind if I join you?" Steven asked at the same time as Jacob. They shared a grim smile and Connie followed after them to make sure they didn't hurt themselves.

She stopped as they headed to the basement, and turned to look at the two trans members of the band. Her eyes scanned both of them and she shook her head. "I love you guys so much, okay? You're both perfect." Then to Hazel, "Don't let them use their phones."

Anna's eyes dropped as it hit her. "Oh god, were being hate raided because of me..."

Adam scoffed jadedly. "Because of us. Get in the car, baby."

From downstairs they heard a loud crash and a string of multiple swears at the same time that formed into one furious bellow. It sounded like they were out of control destroying things and sure enough Connie sprinted upstairs looking terrified. "Everyone out!" Her urgency had them leaving as soon as she'd called for it and she dropped to her knees when they hit the grass. "An unstable fusion. Of all three."

"Can Steven fuse with more than–,"

"Yes!" She snapped. "Obviously!" When Jasmin looked hurt she simpered. "I'm sorry. I think two might be the cap, but who knows?"

Alex started to sniffle and they swiveled their heads to see what had him smiling so big.

The birds chirped in the trees, the sun shined, the grass was rustling with creatures and insects... it was a beautiful day for love.

And that's what they saw: Adam and Anna slow dancing to the sounds of nature with their foreheads pressed together. Adam tipped her head up to kiss her and they nuzzled closer, lips brushing against each other before they met in a second tender kiss. They looked so peaceful together, maybe the weather had stagnated their plans on leaving to do whatever.

After a long moment, they turned and looked out at them with twin expressions of apprehension before Adam sat where he was standing and waved them closer.

Anna crawled over to sit on Adam's lap and sighed for a long time. "They'll never hate me more than I hate me."

Adam chuckled. "Relatable." He took a deep breath and nodded to Jasmin for Alex, cowering and clearly upset. "Alex, I'm so sorry for snapping at you. I had no excuse."

He sat on the other side of him and laid his head on Adam's shoulder. "I don't like when you guys cry. I'm starting to have more feelings, I think."

Adam rubbed his head and leaned down to kiss him. "I love you, Alex. I need to hear that you forgive me for losing my temper."

Alex nodded. "I forgive you."

Stone faced, he looked to the others. "You guys too, you didn't need to see that side of me."

"That's why we love you, Adam." Jasmin pulled her knees up to rest her chin on them. "Well, it's not the only reason, but you apologize so well. No one is mad at you."

He smiled a little and pulled Anna closer as she dozed off. "I'm mad at me. But I'll get over it. Someone take the baby."

Connie held her and pressed kisses to her face gently. "She's so perfect."

Jasmin watched Adam stand. "Daddy, what are you doing?"

Adam grinned. "Going to get my other babies."

Lips pursed but trapped, Connie shook her head. "Adam, don't. Sometimes they just have to get it out. That's how Malachite kind of worked. Just leave them to their anger."

He walked off still smiling, and then let himself blush. They made him feel so good inside, so loved and adored. But there were three of them hurting harder than they could handle and all he could think about was fixing it.

This wouldn't be an easy task, he knew enough about gem stuff at this point that there was no way it could be. An unstable fusion was a little like when Steven corrupted, but blatantly hostile rather than accidentally.

He took a deep breath and descended into the basement, now dark.

The damage looked worse than it really was. That meant some part of them had some control. His eyes scanned the broken glass and the splintered door to the music area. "I guess that's a good place to start," He quipped to himself.

It was then he realized he was being watched. A prickle to the back of his neck told them they were close, and still fused. A  presence far bigger than him seemed like it was over off to his left, so he stopped mid step and listened.

Silence... more silence...

Sniffling.

"Come here," He murmured, turning around and lifting his hands. "You're okay, baby."

They didn't approach but the tension disappeared. Turning to face into the thick darkness in the far left corner of the room, a surprisingly smaller than he expected figure sat. That being said, it was taking up the whole corner. "Oh, honey."

Adam refused to be warned off by the sudden impending feeling of an attacker. Anger permeated the air so hard he had to swallow his fear and go numb, his little superpower.

He couldn't see, but he reached out to skim fingers across whatever he touched. They flinched and three distinct voices whispered, "I don't even remember it happening... it was so fast."

"I'll bet," Adam sympathized, trying to figure out what he was touching. Their chest or...?

His eyes widened as he realized the sound of them breathing was distant. He was probably up to their hips if they stood. Steven had the ceilings really high everywhere for a reason, the giant needed giant things, and Adam could bet the fusion was grateful to no end for his thinking ahead.

"I need you guys to talk to me, can you do that?" He looked up, prompted by a gentle glow and could see them. For the first time in his time with the polycule, boys hadn't made boys. They were a she. "Everything makes sense now. Sit."

She sat and pulled at her hair, echoing voices like a radio and a microphone playing at the same time. "Adam."

He shushed her softly and cupped her cheeks. She was mixed, slender and very tall, with possibly vitiligo trekking up her arms and over her nose. And... "Whoa..." She had horns that were just poking over the top of her dark chestnut and frizzy curls. Looking closer, the vitiligo on her arms was a milky white over patches of a deep caramel and freckles in a gorgeous mosaic. He couldn't tell much else, but her eyes stole his soul out of his body. They were completely black, the deepest and richest shade he'd ever seen. She was almost like an Eldritch horror, but humanized.

For an embarrassing amount of time Adam blushed like a complete idiot. He loved his polycule and all the fusions they could make but this one... It was love at first sight; this slightly disconcerting creature was easily someone he'd be proud of having as a partner. He'd make human sacrifices to her every day without fail if she would let him simply hold her hand. "Holy shit... You're so pretty," He breathed, swallowing and clearing his throat when his voice came out so hoarse.

She was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

He'd spoken without thinking, but her eyes welled up and she pulled him into a sobbing hug. "We're stuck. Help."

"Breathe," He soothed gently. "You can unfuse, I know you can."

"How?! We're a ͕̩̠̬̪̟ͦ̎̂̄͂m̤̲̣̻̮̞͈̼̯̜ͧ̂͛̓̌͑ͬ̔͆͂̇͝ͅo̸̴͇̬͎̹͓͍̘ͦ͊́̏͒ͣ͛n̨̥͍̬͈̪̻͉̞̞̗̠ͧ̓́̿̎͂̃̑ͧ̕͘͜s̸͖̖̹̑͒ͭ̓̂̈ͫ̂͏̨̯̲̭͞t̵̷̡̠̘̙̮̥̯̰̠͈̥̻̗̣͚̺̄͋̏̀̕e̒ͦ̇̈҉̵͙͓̳͕̺ͮ̀̚ͅr̨̲̦̰̪̿̅̓̇̀̒̐͜͟!"

Adam had to take a second to interpret it. The wave of anger that flowed from them had crippling effects on his sanity for a split second but he sucked in a new breath of air. "No, you're not. You're my babies. And I need you."

Truly, their anger made sense. For three men pretty in touch with their feminine side, not only did it infuriate them, but it hurt them too. If they had said terrible things about Adam and Anna, what did that mean about them?

Brushing his lips against her cheek, he kissed repeatedly. "You're okay. I love you guys the way you are, self expression and all. Your anger does not define you, and it never will."

"Trying," She whimpered. "Can't!"

Adam chuckled as their glow got brighter. He could see they were trying and it made him so proud his eyes grew misty. "Yes, you can. You're unfusing right now."

She grunted and focused harder. "You love us?"

"I promise."

The bright flash of light momentarily blinded him, and then three hugs tethered him to the real world again. Maybe he couldn't see quite yet, but his love extended beyond the five senses.

Steven sniffled and nuzzled into Adam's neck. "We hate anyone who says anything poor about you."

Adam kissed over their faces and pressed them together just to do it again. He could sense they needed the comfort of him being here with them all, especially his Hazel. "I'm here. I love you."

He fell asleep, or rather, became less conscious.

Outside, Connie rocked Anna while they talked idly. Anna, Jasmin and Alex mumbled every once in a while something like, "I hope they're okay," or "I've never seen them get so... angry," but there wasn't much else to say.

She trembled but held Anna tight. "They just so happened to group hug, and then it happened." As dark as things seemed, they truly weren't dark people. It made her smile just a little bit. "They really love Adam and Anna. Steven can be reckless, Jacob can be trigger happy, and Hazel can be hard to calm down. Hopefully–,"

The conversation stagnated as a being she could not describe stumbled out to the house and righted quickly, finding their footing. "Whoa, the sun feels nice, doesn't it?" They nodded to themselves and split, clasping hands tightly.

"Are you guys okay?" Jasmin jumped up to wait for them to come closer, but they were soaking up the sun for the moment.

"Let them be, they'll come around," Alex assured weakly.

Steven let go to pass out into the grass and they focused their minds on something else. Hopefully the raid was over, they didn't need the extra stress with three parties trying to get pregnant.