Peridot's P.O.V

I place my hand on the railing and begin climbing the stairs leading up to the Temple. It's mid day the next day and Lapis and I have come to check on everyone. I haven't felt a sense of loss in the sense that someone I've cared about has died, but I've heard that it's pretty heart-wrenching and tragic. And Lapis knows more about tragedy than I do, so she's more empathetic about it. Still, though, after Amethyst woke us up last night, Lapis crawling out of her hammock while I got up from sleeping in a haystack, I can for sure say that I've not been feeling the greatest. Lapis looks like Lapis looks, but she's good at burying her emotions down inside herself, so that's not unexpected. But given what Amethyst said and how Steven means to her, compared to the rest of us, it must be pretty difficult for her to feel any sort of ok at the moment.

Slowly but surely, I make it up there, Lapis coming up behind me, leading to me pushing the door open and going inside. Part of me is on alert since Amethyst said that the human Jenny was killed while her, Sadie, and Jenny's sister were still inside the Temple. For all I know, Steven could come back at any moment to try and kill someone else. But so far, all I notice is Sadie and Kiki asleep on the couch, both facing different directions but both covered in blankets. They must've stayed here overnight out of fear that Steven would attack them if they tried walking home, not to mention that the curfew would get them in trouble anyway. Walking up to them, I stand looking down at them and cross my arms.

"At least they can find peace in their sleep" I lightly comment.

"I do kinda feel bad for them, though" Lapis adds, going to stand next to me, "This kind of loss shouldn't be something that they should have to go through. If only they were gems like us and could live a lot longer time".

"Still, gems have their own fragile aspects too, Lapis" I say to her, my gaze still on Sadie and Kiki, "One hard strike to our gems and we're goners, just like humans and a direct strike to their hearts. We're essentially similar in that way. Besides, what if they still have human friends? Humans have a limited lifespan anyway, so they'd have to watch their friends die off, which isn't saving them any pain".

"When you put it like that, I guess not" Lapis murmurs, crossing her arms too, "But maybe that's the beauty of humans. They only have a certain amount of time to live, so they should make the best of what they have. It's just a shame that age or natural causes isn't the cause of all human deaths and that murder is still in the question like it is here".

"Let's not disturb these two" I suggest, taking my eyes off the sleeping humans, "Besides, I want to talk to Amethyst anyway".

"Why's that?" Lapis frowns, walking away from the couch with me.

"Because I can't help but feel like there's something she's not telling us" I admit, "In regards to Steven, I mean".

"And why do you feel like that?" Lapis questions, stopping near the bottom of the stairs leading up to Steven's room.

"Because leaders keep secrets and Amethyst is the new unofficial leader of the Crystal Gems. It's in their nature. You also can't tell me that the Crystal Gems aren't also known for keeping things from Steven when he was still around too" I explain.

"You have a point, Peridot, but is really the best idea to be throwing around accusations at a time like this?" Lapis says.

"Maybe, maybe not, but either way, we need to know the truth. We deserve to know the truth" I go on, "And just between you and me, I don't think Amethyst is really the best choice for leader anyway. I wouldn't voluntarily jump at the idea of promoting myself to that level of responsibility, but I would least like to think that you and I could start getting some answers and asking the right questions here since we've come up with next to nothing right in regards to the Steven situation".

"I mean...I wasn't going to say it, but at least you said it so I didn't have to" Lapis sighs, looking down slightly, "And look, I've tried to be more open and trustworthy of these gems, but given their track record, the fact that two out of the three original Crystal Gems aren't around anymore, and that Amethyst was the laziest one out of the three, I didn't and don't have high hopes for her".

"Let's hear what she has to say first. Then we can pass judgment wherever necessary" I say, looking to move forward.

Lapis nods and we ascend the stairs to Steven's room. Both Lapis and I can guess that she'll be there, if not in her own room inside the Temple, and once we reach level ground and look inside, we both confirm our first suspicion due to Amethyst visibly lying down face-first on Steven's bed. She's not making any noise, so I assume she's asleep like the humans downstairs. But, we need her awake and talking, so I climb up onto the bed and stand up straight next to her limp form, lightly kicking her in the side until she finally moves.

"Ugh, ugh, ok, I'm up" Amethyst grumbles, me stepping back a bit without going off the bed, "Oh, it's you guys. What's up?".

"Well, though Lapis and I originally came here to see how you and the others were doing, we'd also like to ask you a few things" I summarize.

"Like what?" Amethyst mumbles tiredly.

"Well, is there anything that you haven't been telling us?" Lapis asks in more of a demanding kind of tone.

"Huh? Excuse me?" Amethyst raises an eyebrow.

"Well, have you?" I back up Lapis, using my own demanding tone of voice. Amethyst looks like she wants to argue, but sighs.

"......There is one thing that I haven't told the others" Amethyst reveals, "Steven called me the day when he was taken to the police station and if I were to guess, it was before he escaped. He said a lot of things, more cryptically than clear, but said that he was going to test us. He would determine whether we would live or would be put on his list to be killed. He also asked me if I would ever hurt him again. I said no and he then told me that he wouldn't come after me".

I grab Amethyst by the front of her tank top and pull her forward so that her face is inches from my angry one.

"And you didn't think to tell us this?" I huff, "This could've been helpful not just to the police, but to us as well. We're supposed to be a team here and a team communicates with each other".

"For all we know, Amethyst, we could've used that bit of information and gotten more of a headstart on catching Steven. Yet now people are dead and will probably continue dying unless we intervene" Lapis grits her teeth, her fists clenching, "I thought I could trust you Crystal Gems to change and not continue keeping secrets, but I guess I was wrong".

I then push Amethyst back and she tumbles off the other side of the bed, hitting the floor in a not too rough manner. Glancing at Lapis, I shake my head and hop off the bed, heading back downstairs with her. Sadie and Kiki are still asleep when we reach the main level, so to ensure that we're speaking more privately, Lapis and I walk out onto the porch, shutting the door behind us.

"I think what happened upstairs just now is all the proof we need that we can't rely on Amethyst here, Lapis. I think it's time we take this matter into our own hands" I say, my fist lightly hitting my open palm.

"I agree, Peridot" Lapis states confidently, "The group is crumbling and caving in on itself and we're being eliminated one by one. Things are spiraling out of control. We gotta handle this ourselves since nobody else is doing anything and if we don't do something soon, the group might be killed off by the end of the week".

"What I'm thinking is that we form our own group with just the two of us. If you can go search for information and collect it, I'll piece things together and figure out connections and patterns behind the killings. We'll do all of this at the Barn where we have privacy" I lay out.

My tablet then buzzes from a notification coming in and the conversation halts. Since I optimized my tablet to only alert me when there is breaking news, this must be serious. Taking it off the mount on my arm, I pull up the notification and a video starts playing. Lapis leans in closer to see and the video shows that annoying noodle-haired theorist human getting escorted to a police car in handcuffs. He also has blood on him, the news voice over saying that Ronaldo Fryman was found covered in his brother Peedee's blood holding a knife. Peedee was also found dead in the same room as Ronaldo with stab wounds to the throat and chest, which sound similar to the wounds on Jenny's body according to Amethyst. This makes Lapis and I share a glance, both of us knowing who's behind this newfound murder. It's no coincidence. Once the video is done playing, I put my tablet away and bite my lip.

"Back to the Barn?" Lapis suggests.

"Yes, let's go. We have work to do" I agree, letting her pick me up as she summons her wings and takes off into the sky.

Lapis flies with a bit more haste than usual, though considering the circumstances, I can't blame her. As we're soaring over the town, I can't help but look down and know in my head that Steven is down there somewhere. If only I could just find him. We reach the Barn in record time, but just as Lapis sets me down, I ask her to do something.

"Could you go to that Maheswaran human, the male, not Connie, and see what information you can gather in regards to the murders? Case files, pictures, records, anything that can help us" I list off.

"Sure. I'll be right back" Lapis nods, taking back off.

As she flies away back towards Beach City, I open one of the doors of the Barn and slip inside, hearing the wood creak from use. I then immediately head to the right side of the interior and grab my workbench, picking it up and moving it to the wall opposite the entrance. I set it down right in front of it and unstrap the tablet from my wrist, setting it down on top of the workbench. Stepping back, I peer up at the wall, thinking that this will be a good spot for putting up pictures and reports. First, though, I dig around in my gem, pulling out a few things like a tape measure or a corkscrew before I get to what I was really wanting: the map of Beach City. I then climb on top of the workbench and bring out a staple gun, spreading the map out and stapling each corner to the wall. I climb back down once it's up and stand back again, thinking about how I'll attach the pictures by the region where the bodies were found and see if that is what the pattern is.

"Knock, knock, partner" Lapis says from behind, me turning around and seeing her holding a box with files in it. Huh, I must've taken longer than I thought putting that map up.

"I take it it wasn't too much trouble?" I ask.

"No, not really" Lapis replies, walking over and setting the box down on the bench, "Connie's father had kept copies on hand and after I told him that you and I wanted to take our own crack at finding him, he said that we'd probably be the best candidates to attempt it and handed them over".

"I'll have to thank him personally once we're done" I comment, joining Lapis at the workbench.

The two of us then get to work pulling out files from the box and organizing them by date on top of each other. I then spread them out across the workbench and open each folder at a time, quickly skimming through the contents to see what we're working with here. Fortunately, we do have reports, pictures, and a couple other written forms of evidence. Sighing, I focus on the first folder and share a glance with Lapis.

"Our work begins now" I tell her, the both of us nodding and beginning to look at the folder's contents.

Alesha's P.O.V

"So who's next on your list to be killed?" I ask Steven nonchalantly.

The two of us are cuddled up on the couch under a blanket, Steven being in his pajamas while I'm only in my underwear. Some may call my attitude of always wanting to wear minimal clothing "slutty" and they're technically not wrong either. Of course, they would also end up dead if they ever said that to me, but I feel like it's my way of being fully comfortable.

"Connie," He replies, straightforwardly.

"And who's that?" I ask, even though I know who she is from my past of spying on Steven.

"She was...someone who I once considered to be my best friend and maybe even a romantic partner. But, all of that slowly faded away when she kept messing things up in my life. Getting me in trouble with the Gems and the Diamonds, ghosting me after I went through a difficult situation with Lars, and a couple other things that aren't worth mentioning" He explains, a clear bit of resentment present in his voice.

"Well, now you have me," I murmur into his neck. He sighs and pulls me further into him.

"And I wouldn't trade you for anyone" Steven says back.

We stay bundled up for a decently long while, just basking in the warmth of each other's bodies and reveling in the softness of each other's skins. But, that part of me that hates other women being around Steven was triggered when that Connie Maheswaran girl was brought up. I never liked her, even when I first saw her come over to Steven's house. I want to help him get rid of her, or at least detain her somehow. So, I ask him.

"Speaking of that Connie girl, what are your plans for dealing with her? And, if possible, can I help you with them?" I say to him.

"Well, I wouldn't want to get you any more involved in my affairs than possible, but if it's something you really want to help with, then ok. Connie is special, in a sense. She's brought me the most bad memories next to Pearl and Garnet. I want to neutralize her and keep her somewhere so that I can dole out one last speech before she dies. But, first, we need to find her in a place where she can be singled out and lead away inconspicuously. And, fortunately, she herself has given away such a location without knowing" Steven reveals.

He then picks me up in his arms, bridal style, and walks me over to the wall on our right. When I give him a bit of a questioning look, he tells me to put my ear to the wall and listen. I do as he says and when I concentrate, I hear a voice that sounds like...Connie!

"Indeed" Steven smiles, me pulling my head away from the wall, "We've been living next to her and she has no idea. I was doing the dishes this morning when I heard her talking on the phone. I don't know who she was talking with, but what I was able to get from their conversation was that there was going to be a party/rave out in the Beach city woods tonight, despite the curfew still being in place, and she was going to be there. That's where you come in. I'd like you to go to that party, find Connie, and somehow neutralize her before bringing her back here. Do you think you can handle that?".

"Oh, yeah, I can handle that. I've been to my fair share of parties before, Steven" I smile at him, "Loud music, drinks, people who try to drug the drinks to get free sex without consent, all of that nasty stuff. I can use pretty much any of those to my advantage, but what about the possibility of Connie having escorts? Not like the prostitute kind of escort, but police escort. Y'know, since she's the daughter of a police officer?".

"I had thought of that, but given the fact that this party is done out in the woods and also done when the curfew would be active, I'm more than willing to bet that this is something that is more secretive and selective among those that are informed about it. Since Connie is going to something like that, she'll be going without the knowledge of her father, which means no police escorts. Not very smart of her, but I also don't blame her for wanting to have a bit of fun and an escape from a 'stressful situation', in her mind" Steven admits.

"So what time is this party going to start?" I ask, despite already acknowledging the 'curfew' bit.

"Certainly when it's dark out, but aside from that, I really don't know" My boyfriend shrugs.

"Well, then, let's do some things to pass the time until it's dark out" I suggest.

"And I'm assuming you have some suggestions?" He raises an eyebrow, smiling.

"Yes, the first of them being more cuddles!" I exclaim in a childishly excited manner.

And so, Steven and I go back to the couch and back to cuddling, that warm, joyously comforting feeling in my chest returning. We make it last for as long as we can, which in reality is about another hour and a half, until the both of us are hungry. By that point, it's about 3 or so and sundown isn't for another hour and forty five minutes, but that doesn't stop either of us from getting a late lunch/early dinner. That takes another half hour and then it's onto some game playing. We stick to more traditional games like Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever, which are cliched, but we didn't care. When we reach a good stopping point with them, it's past sundown and just now stretching into 5 P.M. I figured the sooner I leave, the better the chance I have of getting there before Connie, so I tell Steven that it was time that I left for the party. He nods and wishes me luck, giving me a nice gentle hug before I get dressed in some casual clothes and leave the house.

It almost feels like the previous night when I left to go kill Peedee, but this night has Steven aware of my actions/intentions whereas yesterday he wasn't. Some things are still the same, though, like me sticking to the shadows when leaving the town-home complex and avoiding the police patrols in the immediate area. But, once I work my way through the neighborhood and step into more rural territory, I let my tense and cautious nature drop just a little bit. I'm then setting off into the trees and looking for any bright lights/listening for any louder than normal music playing. I have to venture in a bit far, but I do find the party, stepping out from the trees into a very active clearing. As expected, there are people milling about, talking with drinks in hand, people dancing closer to the music, and the other spare couple of people that are just trying not to stand out despite being alone. Just like me.

I move about the party in the least conspicuous manner possible, which doesn't involve acting totally wasted. But, I try not to make my presence known on the off chance that any of the Gems and the people at the Temple are here. They'd spot me more easily since they've seen my face before and the plan would either be much more difficult or would be a bust. Right now, though, I push that thought to the back of my mind and focus on picking out Connie from the crowd. I guess she didn't learn from the last party, which was the one at that asshole Kevin's place. You would think that after finding out people were killed at that party, she would avoid social gatherings like this until things 'blow over'. But, I guess not. And that will be her undoing.

Though I do have to walk around for a while and search the entire place, I eventually spot Connie hanging out by herself by a tree near the edge of the clearing. Great, I've found her. Now, I need a way to get her unconscious and a way to leave that's not too noticeable. I then look over at the drink counter and see those guys that you see at every party that try to spike the drinks lurking around. I walk over to the drink counter, weaving through people, but instead of directly getting the attention of the sketchy looking guys, I slip by them and grab some pills out of their pockets. And seeing as how their focus was already directed elsewhere, it made my job easier. I only keep one and toss the rest on the ground. The rest of my plan is....something I would never do under any other kind of circumstances and I'm repulsed at thinking about it, but with how many are here, there aren't many other options that will yield a clean getaway. So, I put the pill in my mouth and hide it in my cheek while walking towards Connie. Now I have to put on the act of a lesbian girl that's gotten a little drunk and wants to makeout with her. Again, I don't like the idea of kissing someone other than Steven, but there's no better option.

"Hey there, good looking~" I say, stopping in front of Connie and trying to slur my words to give off the illusion that I'm drunk, "What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone over here~?".

"I...um..." Connie struggles to answer, a bit flustered at my behavior.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed~" I coo, putting one hand on her face and running a finger up her chin, Connie blushing, "Just enjoy me~".

I then feverishly press my lips against hers, Connie backing up against the tree. I then take control, moving the pill onto my tongue, and forcing my tongue into her mouth. When I pull my tongue back and feel the pill missing, I know I've done my part. I then pull back from the kiss to see Connie in a daze and people nearby looking at us. Since they didn't see my supposed 'drunken state' I can play this off in a more normalized display of behavior.

"Sorry about that, my girlfriend was just waiting for me to come meet her here. I'll be taking her home now" I say to anyone watching.

A couple nod and the others just go back to whatever they were doing, making it so I can take Connie by the hand and pull her away from the party. She's still in a daze, which may be the pill already working on her. Once we're far enough out into the woods where nobody will see or hear us, I stop and knock Connie against a tree, grabbing her under the chin and smacking her head against the tree to knock her out. She then falls to the ground and I pick her up, holding her over my shoulder. I feel a bit disgusted about what I just did with the whole drugging her, but maybe that sick feeling is just my internal urge to vomit after kissing her. Her lips didn't even taste that good. Spitting on the ground, I keep a hold on Connie's limp form and set off through the trees back towards Beach City.