[Steven - sitting on the living room couch - covers his face with his hands.]
[Jasper - standing with her arms crossed - just watches him with concern.]
Steven: No-n-n-n-n-no! Th-Th-This can't be true! *sighs* I'm all alone... again. *he said sadly*
Jasper: How are we supposed to deal with this without the other Diamonds?
Steven: I have absolutely no idea, I think I'm just going to--
[Abruptly, the diamond control panel in the conservatory begins to beep incessantly and can be heard all the way to the living room.]
Steven: Huh? What's that?
Jasper: No clue. It's coming from upstairs.
[Steven and Jasper go up to the conservatory to check what the beeping on the panel is about and it turns out to be a mysterious video call.]
Steven: Someone from Homeworld is video-calling me, I wonder who it is.
[Steven picks up the video call and the panel screen shows a Gem with a light green complexion, large, spiky bright green hair, and prominently pointy fangs. Her gemstone is where her right eye would be. She has large rectangular shoulder pads and pale furry ruff at the base of her neck.]
???????: Greetings, Steven Universe.
Steven: *confused* You?
???????: I'm so glad you're the one taking my call, Steven.
Steven: I'm really sorry. I don't have much time to attend you, so let's keep it short, okay?
???????: Is this a bad time?
Steven: Sort of.
???????: I see.
Steven: Anyway, let's cut to the chase, shall we?
???????: ...
Steven: What's the reason for your call... Emerald?
[The Gem seen on the panel screen is Emerald, an old foe that Steven and the Off-Colors faced a few years ago.]
Steven: Do you need something?
Emerald: I'll get straight to the point.
Steven: ...
Emerald: I suppose by now you're aware of the attack on Homeworld and other gem planets, aren't you?
Steven: Yes, I am aware of everything. Do you happen to know anything about it? Anything could help us find the perpetuator behind those attacks.
Emerald: Well, you could say that I know the perpetuator. What's more, you know her quite well too, Steven.
Steven: Are you for real!? Who's she?! Where's she?!
Emerald: She's right in front of you, on the screen of your control panel.
Steven: *shocked* What!?! Is it you!?!
Emerald: Indeed, my dear Steven Universe! I'm the mastermind behind it all! I've only got a few Gem planets left to conquer at this point.
Steven: Based on what you just told me, I assume you also had something to do with the disappearance of all the Gems on Earth.
Emerald: You assume right! My undercover Gem stole them right out from under your nose, she told me she even talked to you.
Steven: *gasps* Don't tell me you're talking about--
Emerald: That's right! MY Spinel did, I think you know her.
[Emerald steps aside to reveal Spinel, who was behind her. Spinel taunts Steven by sticking out her tongue and pulling her eyelid.]
Spinel: You fool!
Emerald: *chuckles* What do you think, Steven?
Steven: Why are you doing all this?!
Emerald: Don't act surprised, Steven Universe! It's all because of your Era Three!
Steven: You can't ruin other Gems' lives just because you didn't like Era Three!
Emerald: Oh, of course, I CAN'T! But YOU CAN ruin mine, right?!
Steven: Ugh, fine. So, tell me, how did Era Three ruin your life?
Emerald: Because of that derisory Era Three of yours I lost one of the things I held most dear - my status! After the Diamonds, I was the most important Gem in the empire!
Steven: Is that it? I find the very idea of making a mess across the universe just because you lost your worthless status stupid!
Emerald: *angered* Worthless? WORTHLESS?! It may be worthless to you, but it's not worthless to me!! Man, you really are insensitive! Tell me, how would you feel if a stranger appeared out of nowhere and took away everything you hold dear? Hold on a minute, that just happened. Your friends are gone, aren't they? *laughs* I took them away from you, just as you took everything away from me! *chuckles* I wonder how you felt about that.
Steven: Horrible, and with a huge void in my heart that couldn't be filled with anything, I still feel that way, but--
Emerald: See?! That's how I felt, and it's not nice at all!
Steven: ...
Emerald: Putting yourself in other people's shoes once in a while won't kill you, you know?
Steven: You know that all this isn't necessary, right? Hurting other people won't heal your pain.
Emerald: You think so?
Steven: Yeah! Could we just sit down and talk about this? I know that by negotiating we can come to a mutual agreement, you know, diplomatic stuff or whatever.
Emerald: What do you know about diplomacy?
Steven: Hardly anything really.
Emerald: Obviously. You're a retard. Besides, I've got nothing to negotiate with you, Steven.
Steven: What'd you contact me for then? You must want something, I rather doubt that your status is the thing you hold dearest in life.
Emerald: Well, that's true. The thing I hold dearest was stolen by Off Colors a few years ago, namely the Sun Incinerator.
Steven: Ah, I see where this is going.
Emerald: Hm?
Steven: Look, there's nothing I can do for you at the moment. Lars and the Off-Colors are traveling through space right now.
Emerald: So?
Steven: Okay, here's the deal - you give me back my friends and stop attacking gem planets, plus you get everything back to normal. If you can promise me that, I promise I'll do everything in my power to convince the Off-Colors to give you your ship back.
Emerald: ...
Steven: So, we got a deal?
Emerald: Oh my, so trying to blackmail me with my OWN ship, huh? That's pretty low, even for you, Steven.
Steven: I'm not blackmailing you.
Emerald: Yes, you are! You just did!
Steven: I obviously didn't!
Emerald: ...Whatever you say, man.
Steven: ...
Emerald: Unfortunately for you, Steven, blackmailing me is no longer an option.
Steven: What do you mean by that?
Emerald: I mean I've already taken matters into my own hands.
Steven: Huh?
Emerald: The Sun Incinerator is back with its rightful owner, ME!
Steven: Wh-What?! Where are Lars and the Off-Colors?! What have you done to them!?!