Work Text:
“Ah, just the magical young man I was looking for!”
Steven bolted upright, nearly falling off the cliff overlooking the temple. “Nanefua?! How did you find me?” He glanced at the broken pathway and steep incline. “How did you get up here?”
“Mayor privilege. Anyway, I have a job for you.”
“At midnight?”
“Please Steven Universe, it’s 11.”
“Why are you awake?”
“So many questions,” she said, shaking her head. “Will you help me or not?”
Her ruby guards stepped out of the bushes, still wearing sunglasses, and cracked their knuckles. Steven looked between them and Nanefua before shrugging. Not like he was being productive brooding on the hill, anyway. “Sure. What is it?”
She smiled and gestured for him to follow. The rubies got in formation and she hopped up, getting a piggyback ride from them. Steven bit his tongue about the gross misuse of power and instead followed them down the cliffside.
They walked wordlessly until they came to a building on the far side of town. It looked like Beach City’s first failed attempt at a skyscraper, full of broken windows and jagged metal. Fire escapes had collapsed, ringing the building with rusted steps and railings.
Nanefua gestured at the derelict. “I need this torn down.”
“Ok. Can I ask why?”
“It’s a huge health hazard! If there’s going to be abandoned buildings around my city, they must at least be fit for teenage parties. This is just unsafe. I mean look,” she pointed to rebar jutting from the rubble. “Tetanus! Tetanus everywhere!”
She signaled for the rubies to put her down. They complied with smart salutes. “I figured you were just the man for the job.”
Steven frowned, one eyebrow raised, hands jammed in his pockets. “Why me? Wouldn’t a gem be better?”
“Because! I see you walking around town with your nice hair and your clipboard and your schedules. That’s for old people like me. But you!” she jabbed a finger into his stomach. “You’re young and chock full of testosterone!”
Steven flushed and took a step back. “Uh.”
“You are a veeeery impressive young man, Mr. Universe, a bit too impressive. I am using the power vested in me by the people of Beach City to demand that you cut loose! Cherish your youth!” Nanefua threw her hands in the air. The rubies whooped alongside her. “Go crazy!”
Steven rubbed the back of his neck, blood rushing to his cheeks. “Aw… no, c’mon Mayor Nanefua. This isn’t responsible.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” Steven said and tried to think of a reason.
“I’m waiting.”
“Because!” He crossed his arms, then made a vague, flippant gesture. “Because it’s not!”
Nanefua groaned. “Ugh. If you won’t do it for yourself, then how about this – I cannot have Beach City’s greatest asset burning out at seventeen. Take some time for yourself! Show off! You’ll perform better if you do.”
Steven chewed his lip, debating.
“Besides, I need this building gone. I’m going to have to hire someone to do it if you won’t, and that means using valuable tax dollars. You’re doing the town a service.”
Steven wavered, knuckles to his mouth. He wanted to, he really did, but was there a place in this world for that kind of destructive outburst? He glanced sidelong at Nanefua, stars in her eyes, fists balled in expectation.
“…Ok.”
Nanefua dropped to her knees, both fists shaking at the heavens. “YES!”
She sat upright and pointed to a support pillar. “Get to work! And try not to breathe in any dust. This was built in the era of asbestos.”
Steven chuckled as he removed his jacket. One of the rubies took it from him and tucked it over her arm, giving him a curt nod as she did.
Steven approached the building, nervously stretching and popping his joints.
“You can do it!” Nanefua shouted.
He smiled at her, then turned back to the building. He took a deep breath, hauled back and then punched the corner of the building.
A tiny crack appeared.
“BOO! Wimpy!”
Steven scoffed and turned, arms open. The rubies shook their heads while Nanefua gave him two thumbs down. “What do you want from me?”
“Quit holding back!”
“Fine!”
Nanefua giggled, her plan of juvenile psychology coming together. He turned back and punched harder, shielding his fist with a bubble. The sound of wreckage falling echoed from above as a good chunk of stone buckled under his fist.
“More!”
“Agh!” He kicked the pillar. The sound of danger above got louder. He paused and looked up.
“…I think I should start from the top.”
“That’s fine! Demolitionist’s choice. Just get this building down!”
Steven jumped and gently floated to the top of the building. He peeked over the edge at his audience. “Alright, ready for this?”
The trio below gave him six thumbs up. He grinned, then jumped once more. He raised both fists over his head before bringing them down in a single, powerful strike.
The rotting wood disintegrated under his attack and rained down to the floor below. Several chunks fell with enough force to punch through that floor, then the next and the next. Steven floated to rest on a delicate outcropping and looked down the new skylight that reached to the very basement.
Nanefua yelled encouragement from below. Steven laughed and jumped off the roof, landed midair on his shield, then launched himself sideways at the corner of the ceiling. He kicked it in and bounced away, floating to earth as the top three floors buckled inwards.
“There’s nothing important in there, right?” he asked as he touched down next to Nanefua. She had settled down on a clump of grass with a bag of popcorn. Both rubies took fistfuls from it, eyes glued on Steven.
“I certainly hope not.” She brushed him off. “If we haven’t needed it in the last 50 years, I doubt we will anytime soon. Now go on, keep up the show.”
Steven smiled and rolled his shoulders. “Alrighty then.”
He took a step back, then took a running start and jumped at the middle of the building. He summoned his bubble mid-air, adding some spikes for dramatic effect. He shoulder-slammed through the rotted walls and disappeared somewhere deep within, upper floors collapsing above him.
The sound of falling wreckage drowned out his audience’s cheers. Steven bounced to a stop on the third floor, then threw his shield up through the ceiling. He followed it, hopping up to the second to last remaining floor. He kicked some supports out from the inside, dodging the falling wreckage, confident he could bubble himself if he got trapped. He fell into a rhythm, punching harder, jumping farther.
It really was a shame that all the horrible stuff with the gems happened when he was younger. He was so, so much stronger now.
More useful, at least in theory.
Steven grumbled and pushed the thoughts away, a section of floor vanishing under his stomp. He caught himself before he fell through the new hole, then swung upright and punched through the ceiling.
Maybe Nanefua was right. Maybe he should relax a little, enjoy himself.
He punched through a pillar, gingerly stepped to the side and then kicked the falling debris through another wall. In the same motion, he pivoted, grabbed a hunk of concrete and flung it through another support.
This was kinda fun. Just because he almost trapped his friends at Graduation didn’t mean that his powers were inherently destructive. Just because his mom hurt Pink Pearl with them doesn’t mean that he would, too. He could handle this. He could get a grip. He could do better.
He put his hands on his hips and surveyed his handiwork. A little less than half the building remained, supported by haphazard junk and crumbling foundations. He bit his lip and smiled, considering how to take down the rest.
It might be time to put that screaming power to good use.
Steven made his way to the skylight, bouncing as he walked, hyping himself up for his final attack. Pink light spread from his cheeks to his toes as he broke into a run, filling his head with things worth shouting about. He tried, and failed, to keep his thoughts positive, but it didn’t matter. He could safely let it all out here. It surely wouldn’t backfire on him this time.
Steven skidded to a stop in the center of the building, the stars visible in the skylight he had opened earlier. He took a deep breath, his heart thudding in time with his racing thoughts. He thrust his chest out and threw his hands by his sides, pitching forward for the strongest bellow he could manage.
The young man let out an earth-shattering roar that sent birds fleeing their nests a quarter mile away. What little glass remained in the building exploded. The foundation crumbled. The walls buckled. Steven stood sturdy, panting, at ground zero while the building fell around him.
Steven momentarily shrank back, eyes wide as the building shuddered, then giggled. Strung out on adrenaline and energy, he watched the debris fall as if in slow motion. He turned to take it all in, smiling, before his blood ran cold.
Nanefua and the Rubies huddled in the path of the collapsing masonry, staring up at their impending doom.
Steven shouted and sprinted to them with supernatural speed, tackling and bubbling them as the building collapsed on top of them.
Once the dust settled, Steven popped the bubble and shoved the wreckage off.
Nanefua jumped out of the hole, screaming and pumping her fist. “THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!”
Steven turned on them, angrier than they had ever seen him before. “What were you doing in the building?! You knew I was- this is why I didn’t want to do this!”
Nanefua puts her hands up in a placating gesture. “We wanted a better view! We couldn’t see your magic demolition skills from outside.”
Steven sputtered, the fight ebbing from his posture. Nanefua clapped him on the back. “Do not worry, Steven. I have the utmost faith in you.”
Steven pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. “…I’m so, so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. Are you guys ok?”
“Obviously. Rubies, are you two ok?”
“Great, Mayor Sir!”
“Perfectly unharmed!”
Nanefua sat down prim on a rock and spread her arms. “See? No harm done.”
“But you almost got hurt!”
“So? I didn’t.”
“But-“
“But I almost choked on a fry earlier. That doesn’t mean the Frymans are bad people.”
She frowned at Steven, who shook with more than just adrenaline. “Calm down, boy. You did a great job.”
“No, I didn’t! I almost hurt you!” Steven’s voice came out strangled, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. He knotted his fingers in his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. “Ugh, I’m so stupid to think this was a good idea.”
“Steven, if anything, I almost got myself hurt. I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”
“I’m upset because this keeps happening!” Steven yelled, throwing his arms out wide. “My powers are out of control and I’m going to seriously hurt someone!” He gestured to his own chest with both hands. “I shouldn’t be around people!”
Nanefua pursed her lips while Steven ranted, his voice steadily amplifying into hysterics. “Rubies, I need a moment alone with him.”
The rubies saluted and marched off, politely turning their backs one out of earshot. Nanefua scooted closer to Steven.
“Do you understand why I really asked you to come out here?”
“You wanted me to blow off some steam, because apparently if I don’t, I’m going to explode and take out half of beach city, right?”
“Not exactly. Steven, I am worried about you.”
He groaned and kicked a rock. “I’m not important. What’s important is that I could hurt people!”
“That’s part of being human! Everyone has the potential to hurt! What is stopping me from taking this,” she yanked a jagged piece of rebar out of the rubble she sat on, “and stabbing the next person that cuts me off in traffic?”
Steven paused. “I don’t know, laws?”
Nanefua laughed. “Oh, absolutely not. Try again.”
“Your…self?”
“Exactly! I could go ballistic whenever, but I won’t! That’s true of everyone.” Nanefua clasped her hands in her lap, a somber expression on her face. “Everyone is capable of great evil. You having more physical destructive potential than most doesn’t make you special.”
Steven blinked, unsure whether to be offended, relieved or flattered.
“Do you think I should isolate and punish myself for potentially hurting people one day, maybe?”
“Of course not.”
“So why do you feel justified doing so to yourself?”
Steven rubbed his elbow and looked away. “It’s more than just deciding not to. I can’t control it.”
“But you can learn to,” Nanefua said and leaned forward. “And until then, you should accept help from your friends and family.”
Steven refused to meet her eyes. She waited a few moments before she spoke up again.
“Do you think you’re better than me?”
That got a reaction out of him. He stood upright, looking almost scared. “What?! No! Of course I don’t think that!”
Nanefua raised an eyebrow. “Do you think you’re better than all the people you’ve helped?”
“No!”
“Do you expect them to get over their issues alone, to suffer quietly?”
“…No.”
Nanefua patted her rock for Steven to sit down. He did and Nanefua pulled him closer so he would lean on her shoulder. He eventually relented, careful not to put too much of his weight on the tiny woman.
“I worry about you, Mr. Universe.” She rubbed his back. “I noticed you weren’t acting like yourself. I suppose I could’ve just asked you what was wrong instead of trying to distract you…” She sighed. “I apologize for making you do this, and for treating it so flippantly. I had full faith that you could protect us if something happened, but running into the building for a closer look was unsafe and I shouldn’t have put that pressure on you. I didn’t realize it would bother you so much.”
Steven smiled at her. “It’s ok, Mayor Nanefua. I… I really appreciate you trying to help.”
He sighed and rested his chin on his knees. “Is it that obvious that something’s wrong?”
“Not really,” Nanefua said. “You seem fine, but I’m the mayor. It’s my job to look out for all of Beach City, even you.”
She pinched his cheek, making him groan and push her hand away even as he smiled.
“You’re a good young man. We appreciate you. I don’t think we tell you that enough.”
“…Thanks, Nanefua.”
“It is no problem.” She stood and dusted her pants off, then offered her hand for him to take. He was polite enough to pretend she helped him upright. “Come to the shop whenever. I have a free cheese, pineapple, olive, onion and mushroom pizza with your name on it.”
They walked out of the wreckage together, the Rubies falling into step behind them. Once a good distance away, they turned to judge Steven’s handiwork.
“You did an excellent job, Mr. Universe. You’ve saved the city thousands in contracting jobs.”
Steven smiled. It almost reached his eyes. Nanefua took his sleeve and tugged until he looked at her, moonlight framing his hair in a white halo.
“Remember, as long as you are a resident of Beach City, you can always reach out to your mayor.” She chuckled. “And if for some reason you are no longer a resident of Beach City, you can always come to your friend, Nanefua.”
The tension left his shoulders and the fake grin melted away, leaving a small, sad, but genuine smile in its place. Weariness drew lines under his yes, but he looked at peace for the first time in a long time.
“Thank you, Nanefua. I will.”