A Steven and the Cool Kids Adventure 1

Chapter 1: Take Me Home Tonight

This was bad.

Not "world-ending super-weapon" bad or "corrupted Gem on a rampage" bad...but "don't touch that--oh no" bad.

Steven frowned as he walked along the sidewalk in Empire City--the rectangular device in his hand had, finally, stopped sparking electricty and smoking, but that probably only meant that it was a complete lost cause.

He stopped under a streetlight and looked around the clustered up storefronts crowded together on either side of the street. He looked up at the night sky--skyscrapers and bright lights blocking all of the stars out...even the moon was just barely visible. Cars either sped past him or all-but crawled along the still busy street as too many people to count took in all of the nightlife a big city had to offer

Steven shook his head and dropped his arms to his sides--he wanted to go home. He'd tried asking people which way back to Beach City but everyone ignored him and by now, he'd just given up and decided to try to find his own way. He climbed up on a bench and furiously scrubbed at his eyes--no, he was not going to cry...or, at least, he hoped not.

He lifted the broken device back up to his face to examine it; he tried licking his palm and healing it...but, like the first six times, it didn't do anything. The night had started out so good too--boring, but good...

...His dad had to go up to Keystone, again, for some new parts for the carwash--he'd even had to borrow a trailer from Yellowtail for the trip just to carry everything back tomorrow afternoon--or was it this afternoon now? Steven wasn't sure--had to be after midnight by now.

Connie was sick with the flu--according to both of her parents, the virus had been going around at her school but it wasn't anything to worry about. Nonetheless, Steven had asked Pearl to help him put together a care package for his best friend--Pearl's take on scratch-made chicken noodle and vegetable soup, some herbal teas that Garnet said were supposed to be helpful, and a fruit and vegetable smoothie. Connie had been grateful--Steven would admit, he'd felt abit proud of himself when even Doctor Maheswaran had actually smiled and thanked him for his efforts.

All of the Gems were out on a mission...or missions in this case.

Garnet had gone solo to an old temple location to take care of a corrupted Gem--atleast, Ruby and Sapphire had eachother to rely on if, bad case scenario, they were split up somehow...though Steven really hoped that didn't happen, mostly because Garnet being 'split up' virtually always meant that she had been either seriously injured or something uttely horrifying--like the Fusion experiments or the Cluster--had happened.

Pearl, Amethyst, and Peridot were investigating an old underground Gem facility to make sure that it was still inactive, but Steven suspected that Pearl and Peridot were going to collect any useful materials for their latest engineering feats--even now, they still had to outdo eachother; Amethyst was along for the comedy of watching them argue...and probably being the one they'd make do most of the heaviest lifting--not that Amethyst ever seemed to complain on that part...she called it 'showing off'.

Jasper and Lapis were on another mission, chasing another corrupted Gem--Jasper had jumped at the chance for a good fight...but Lapis would probably be the one to actually defeat the corrupted Gem in question since it was, supposedly, another water-based monster. If Lapis was the one to actually defeat the Gem in question, then Steven knew that they'd all have about a week--at the very least--of Jasper being, as Pearl worded it, 'petulant'. Amethyst, however, preferred to use some fairly specific 'adult' terms that Pearl and Garnet glared at her for--more so if Steven happened to be in the room when the purple Gem said those particular terms.

Thus, Steven had been left home alone, which was alright because he could handle that. But...he had gotten restless and gone for a short walk on the beach and found this bad-luck device sticking out of the sand close to the water. At first, he'd thought it was some tourists' handheld gaming device--plenty had been left behind before--but, after he'd picked it up and wiped it off, it had started to glow and then he'd found himself in downtown Empire City...

..."Why couldn't you just be a video game thing?" Steven muttered with a pout as he poked and prodded the broken screen on the device for a few minutes before setting it on his lap and looking down at his new, star-spangled pajamas--atleast he'd put on his sandals before walking out of the house...he'd just forgotten his cellphone...a jacket...and any kind of money.

Steven looked around again before finally spying the bus depot across the street--if anything, maybe the people who worked there would be able to help. The thought made a bright grin spread over his face and Steven flung himself off of the bench and to the edge of the sidewalk; he looked left and right--Pearl and his dad had always told him to look both ways before crossing a street of any kind--but the cars were coming and going far too quickly for the half-gem to make the sprint across the four lanes.

Steven was about to risk it--maybe he could do that floating thing Garnet and Jasper had told him that his mom could do?--when he saw a woman standing on the corner. With a nod he walked over to her.

"..um, excuse me, miss? Is there a safer way to get across the street?"

The woman looked older up close--too much make-up on her face really...and her tube top and mini-skirt were too short even for how hot the summer had already been--at least she had a jacket to help her keep warm if she needed it...though the thigh-high boots she wore just looked odd. She looked down at the curly-haired boy now at her side--slowly removing the cigarette from between too-red lips.

"Ya just cross 'ere at the cross'alk. Just push the button. Didn't ya folks teach ya that?"

"Uh...not really miss...but thank you." Steven said, smiling as bright as the mid-day sun on the last part; he pushed the button and ran across the street when the traffic stopped, turning midway to wave goodbye and thank you to the nice lady who'd helped him.

Steven jogged up to the bus depot as best he could in pajamas and sandals, and continued to jog into the building. He stopped just inside of the door and looked around--the building had plenty of people milling about or asleep on the rows of chairs...but he couldn't see anyone who looked like an employee or even just someone who could help him.

Steven walked around the large room until he came up to a half-glass-paned wall and looked up.

"Um...excuse me. Can someone help me?"

A dark-skinned woman, probably around his dad's age, looked through the glass at him--she looked nice enough despite how tired the smile on her face was.

"Yes, little boy?"

"Hi. I'm Steven and I'm lost. Can you help me get back to Beach City?" Steven asked as politely as ever--Pearl always said that he should always mind his manners. The woman looked down at him--taking in how he looked.

"Beach City is three hours away from here--give or take traffic conditions."

Steven looked down at his feet and frowned at that--three hours would be a really long walk...maybe even longer since..well...he'd be on foot. He looked back up when he realised someone was now kneeling next to him. The woman looked him over.

"...You're not running away from home, are you?" She said gently and Steven shook his head.

"No ma'am--I'm trying to get home. I live in Beach City and...I, sorta...kinda, accidently ended up here?" People outside of Beach City didn't know about Gem stuff so he wasn't sure how to explain this. "I...was sorta messing with something I probably shouldn't have been messing with." That'd work.

"Alright then...we can just call your parents or guardians.."

"My dad's in Keystone on business stuff and my...guardians are...working; my guardians don't have a cellphone." Steven said--hoping that she didn't notice his attempts to keep the Gems' activities a secret so that he didn't scare this woman who was trying to help him; the woman frowned some but nodded in understanding.

"Is there anyone else you can--?"

"Steven?" Came a familiar voice from across the room; Steven and the woman looked up as an all-too-familiar trio crossed the expanse of the room and Steven couldn't help the wide grin forming on his face.

"Hi Jenny! Hi Sour Cream! Hi Buck! What're you guys doing in Empire City?"

"We were at a concert downtown...but more importantly, what're you doing here, Steven?" Jenny asked, concern in her tone; even Buck and Sour Cream looked concerned and Steven felt bad that he was worrying the 'Cool Kids' right now--he could only imagine how worried his dad or the Gems might be...what if the Gems had all gotten back already and found him missing? Oh...why did Lion have to use the telephone as a chew toy...again?! It was the fourth time this month!

"There was...um...this little accident and..."

The 'Cool Kids' nodded right then, stopping him from explaining further; Buck looked at the woman.

"If it's okay ma'am, we know Steven--we've even looked after him for his dad and..."aunts"...before and we can take him home." Buck said with his most winning and charming smile in place; Sour Cream nodded in agreement, settling his headphones around his neck.
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"I don't know...I would rather release him to a parent or guardian." The woman said sternly, but gently, as Jenny pulled out her cellphone and gave it to Steven.

"Would his dad saying we can take him home work? I'm sure we can call him."

The woman thought on that a moment, then nodded and Steven dialed his dad's cellphone number--hoping that he was still awake...or would wake up anyway. After the sixth ring--and hearing Mr. Universe's choice ringtone of the chorus to "Every Rose Has It's Thorn"--a sleepy Greg Universe finally answered.

"...uh...H-hello?"

"Hi dad."

"...uh, wha...Steven? Wh-what time is it?" A muffled rustling noise followed. "Wh-what's up--yawn--Shu-ball?"

"There was a little accident--nothing too bad!--but I'm sorta, kinda...maybe?...in Empire City?" Steven said nervously; he swore he heard the cellphone hit the floor...then muffled muttering before...

"...Gem related?"

"Yeah...but Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck are here--we just ran into eachother cause they're leaving a concert! Uh...is it okay if they bring me home?"

"...sure. They're good kids--I'm guessing this is one of their cellphones?"

"Yeah--it's Jenny's. um...you need to tell the lady at the bus station that they can drive me home." Steven said--passing the phone up to the woman when Greg said okay...and muttered "bus station?"; after a few minutes, the woman smiled and handed the phone back to Steven.

"Alright then." She said with a small smile as Steven said goodbye and goodnight to his dad and hung up--passing the phone back to Jenny. Buck took off his well-worn red and white jacket and put it on Steven with a shake of his head--the kid really was like a kid brother to them...but a cool one, not a creepy-beyond-all-reason one like Onion was...and that thought just sent a shudder down his spine.

Before he knew it, Steven found himself settled into the front passenger seat of Jenny's car as she drove--Buck and Sour Cream were in the backseat, Sour Cream being 'technical' DJ via his cellphone being plugged into Jenny's radio.