3243/Gem Theft Auto

Gem Theft Auto
Date of Scene:	21 October 2015
Location:	The Great Forest
Synopsis:	When a corrupted gem falls to the earth in the Great Forest, a fight breaks out when two different parties try to get a hold of it.
Cast of Characters:	20, 516, 836

---

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    If something falls in the forest, will somebody be there to hear it? Maybe not, but if a certain earthbender is there, she is bound to notice it due to her sensitive seismic sense.

    It's often Toph is out and about in the multiverse when she has the opportunity, as there are always new rocks and metal samples to be found. And as the greatest earthbender of all time it's her duty to know all sorts of earth, isn't it? But she had quickly turned her attention to the fact that she felt something crash into the ground some distance away. Something with a lot of force. A meteorite, maybe? With that the blind girl headed off through the forest, quickly making her way to the clearing where she felt something crash into the ground. It's a crater, which means that whatever struck down is of a decent size. And... it feels like earthen material indeed, what a great find!

    Looking all too pleased with herself, Toph heads over the edge of the crater, holding one hand on her satchel. "Man, never thought I'd find a meteorite...!" It's kinda like Sokka's spacesword and all, but... smaller. At the very least she can probably make something nifty out of it with her bending!

Peridot (836) has posed:
    What an annoyance. As if she didn't have enough things to do around the Kindergarten. She couldn't simply ignore a confirmed starfall event. If only she hadn't sent Lapis off on her scouting missions to discover warp pads and abandoned gem tech. She'd be perfect for this kind of job. Nor could Peridot send Jasper. The brutish gem would scarcely know how to handle this situation besides 'punch it'. Nor would she send Ferham alone, either. Not that she didn't trust Ferham's capacity for thought. But, this was gem business. A gem would handle it.

    She rode out on the hover pad surveying her holo-screen. She was rapidly approaching the target zone when she saw an extra signature on her radar. A small being of some sort had beat her to the stone! This would not do.

    The hover pod opened, to reveal Peridot and one of her bodyguards, Ferham. She looked down upon Toph, with her nose turned upwards. She didn't expect much trouble. "Human!" She said with a measure of disgust. "I can see you are Steven sized, and therefore a mere larvae." She looked back to her screen with a bored expression. "Because of this. I will give you a short span of time to vacate the area while I collect this specimen before I enact extermination protocols."

    "Do not squander my generous offer!"

Ferham (516) has posed:
     Ferham was following Peridot airborne in the hoverpod alongside her. She could travel faster than the gem could on her hoverboard, but she also wasn't making this a race--she was going to try and play bodyguard of a sorts of Peridot, though she was also keeping an eye on the green gem as well. Once the pod opened and she noticed Toph however, the femmebot seemed to react surprised. "Oh, damnit--it's Toph," Fer seemed to recall the last time she had fought Toph, though she also wasn't sure why she was here. "I guess she's investigating the object that fell here also," she shrugged a little, peering over at the normally zealous gem next to her and rolling her eyes just a little.

     "How about we see what she wants, first?" she idly commented to Peridot, though she didn't seem to mind much either way.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Just as Toph's about to slide down the last bit to get to the fallen object, her sensitive ears notice a sound. And how can she miss all that metal? What really catches her attention however is the voice as it speaks.

    At first the blind girl blinks, arching an eyebrow. Wait, 'Steven sized'? Her senses notices something else... the presence of a gem? Is this one of the crystal gems? Or... not. When she is called a larvae however, her expression turns deadpan. Oh right. This is /that/ sort of non-human. Crud, she can even /hear/ it in her voice how she doesn't seem to think much of her, the disgust. It's nothing new, but considering Toph's pride and bratty ways, she can't help but attempt to roll her eyes. Ferham's voice and form is also noticed, and Toph sighs. Great.

    "I don't know who you're calling a mere larvae or what kind of gem you are," the teenager begins, not moving from where she's standing. "But I'm not leaving this place, and that specimen? It's /mine/, seeing as I found it first." With that Toph raises her foot, and the earth underneath the corrupted gem shifts into a pillar, sending it flying straight towards Toph's open hand. "Besides... Toph Beifong does not bow down to anybody!" The stubbornness can easily be seen on the young earthbender's face.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot looks at Ferham from the corner of her eyes. "What is a Toph?" She ask, covering her mouth with her hand. The pitch in her voice raising.

    As Toph begans speaking more, Peridot lowers her hover pod to the ground. It creates steps, and step by step she descends to the ground. "I am a Peridot." She announces as she steps into the dirt. Her arms cross over her chest. The green gem studied the green garbed human carefully.

    "You do not even know what it is you posess!" Peridot accuses and points. The fingers on her handed floated in mid air above her palm. However they were not metallic in nature. Possibly making the gesture completely wasted. "It is the rightful property of the Gem Empire. We intend to study it. Hand it over before it hurts you. You cannot possib--"

    Peridot paused mid-sentence. Her voice trailed off as she squinted and craned her head forward. "What on Homeworld is wrong with your visual spheres?"

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "A Toph--is an earthbender sir, they can control the particles of the ground and soil to defend themselves," Ferham explained it as succintly as possible to her gem charge, adding, "This particular one is also blind, so be aware of that," Fer shrugged a little. Not that it would do any good, necessarily, in a fight. "They're fairly powerful, they gave me and another confederate elite a hard time last time we met," she sighed, her wings flaring out so that she could hover instead of taking the steps. This also however had the dual effect of not allowing Toph to judge exactly where she was, though she could still obviously follow the sound of her voice.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Toph Beifong," the blind earthbender begins, as it citing something obvious though with some snark to her tone, "Human female, age 14, earthbender and discoverer of metalbending, earthbending teacher of Avatar Aang, ensign in the Union. That enough for you? Also what Ferham said." Though really, only 'fairly powerful'?

    Yet when the gem introduces herself, a look of realization crosses the girl's face. "YOU'RE Peridot?" The Homeworld gem that Pearl mentioned? Toph grabs the corrupted gem as she takes a hold of it, and she looks curious. Wait, this... feels like the corrupted gem that Garnet showed her. Which means there's only one proper course of action for this. Though the accusation Peridot delivers makes Toph narrow her eyes. "I know very well what this is... it's a corrupted gem, right? I have yet to meet a gem that could possibly hurt me." Somehow it doesn't sound like Toph is entirely just bragging about that comment.

    When Peridot pauses and cranes her head forward though, Toph pauses as well, curious. What now? Then there's that question. Sure, Peridot might have noticed how Toph never turned her eyes directly towards her, and how their colour is all wrong. "My /eyes/ have never worked. It's called being blind," Toph responds with an almost bored look on her face. "Anyway, I'm taking this and bringing it somewhere safe." With that Toph turns around on her heel.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot briefly watched Ferham as she spoke, absorbing the intel like a rabid little sponge. The usage of the word 'sir' caught on her ear in a strange way. It was an honorific she was not accustomed too. If she didn't already have questions about this Toph she would have pressed Ferham about it. Ultimately she dismissed it as some manner of quirk. Some unique strangeness inherent in all Ferhams.

    Peridot listens to Toph speak, her patience slowly waning as she tried to take it all in. However she did pick up on a few key elements. She had yet to meet a gem that could hurt her? Peridot was certain there were only seven confirmed gems on the planet. And the ones she knew would have reported meeting an elite to their commander. "Enough!" She shouts. "You surprise me, you--" She paused. What did Toph say? Some kind of earth manipulator...
     "You dirt wizard! The fact that you even posses the knowledge of what a corrupted gem is, is uncommon for your kind." Peridot rubs her chin thoughtfully as she briefly looks upwards. "You have been mind poisoned no doubt by the rebel gems."

    "However your affliction confuses me. You are defective." Her lips purse. Oddly enough, there was little insult in her tone despite what she was saying. To her, it was a simple utterance of a fact. A scientific curiosity. Like she had just told Toph her hair was black. "Clearly you were left in the ground too long, or perhaps emerged from your hole too early."

    "Ferham, before we take what is rightfully ours. Is there a Confederate policy about striking defective human children I need to be made aware of?"

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "She has superhuman destructive capability, Miss Peridot--she nearly put me out of commission for a long while as it is," Ferham took out her whip a tad reluctantly and it hummed to life. "I am not sure we can stop her, but this is not going to come about peacefully," Ferham floated up and narrowed her green eyes toward Toph. "Alright, miss Beifong, you can use your earth bending to stop me, but can you handle... thiissss," Ferham produced a small cylinder from her side and shook it gently--something that sounded like small screws or BBs from an airsoft rifle clattered around inside, before she popped the top open with her thumb and threw the tiny objects out over and trying to scatter them in Toph's escape path--thumbtacks!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Dirt wizard...?

    At that Toph lets out an amused snort at that, halting in her step without turning her head. "That's /earthbender/, CLODERELLA." As for how she knows? "I wouldn't say Pearl and Garnet poisoned me, as I'm capable of thinking for myself. At least they aren't as stuck up as you seem to be."

    It's curious, how somebody can say something like that without meaning to be insulting. So Toph turns around slightly, holding the corrupted gem in one hand while she places her other hand on her hip. "OKAY, I get it... you're a gem, you don't know how humans work, so I'll be generous in case you really piss somebody off. Humans aren't defective, if we have something that doesn't work it's called being disabled. I don't care if people wanna joke about my blindness, but some people seem to think it's a big deal or something. Also, humans don't crawl out of the ground, and trust me, you don't wanna know what we crawl out of. Read a book or something. I'm blind, it's nobody's fault, and I'm perfectly happy with who I am, I see the world in my own way, and I wouldn't be the greatest earthbender of all time if I wasn't blind."

    As for policies... "I'll only give you this warning... I'm stronger than most humans!" And here comes Ferham, challenging her with... thumbtacks?

    The earthbender blinks where she stands, then calmly extends her free hand, then brings it up in a quick movement. Instantly the thumbtacks respond, shifting before they respond to the very first metalbender's will... and flies through the air back at Ferham. "Of course I can handle that, it's metal, dunderhead!"

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot's brows furrowed. Her expression changing to confusion. Largely Toph was right. Peridot didn't know how humans worked. Her entire species could regenerate loss limbs, or otherwise reset to a fully functional default state with little effort. The concept of being permanently disabled was entirely foreign to her. Even a cracked gem could be mended. "Whoever grew you is at fault, right?" She offers, in an effort to correct what she perceived as an inaccuracy. Surely this world had rules and accountability.

    But her fingers quickly balled into tight little fist. "Grrr.. What am I saying? Earthbender, Clod Manipulator, Mud Raker. Defective. Disabled. I don't care what you are or what kind of hole you crawled out of!" Again. Toph was absolutely correct. Peridot would NOT want to know. "You're all equally beneath me."

    "Get her! Fer-" Peridot pauses as the tacks are thrown and then subsequently thrown back at her bodyguard. "Wh-" Peridot turns to Ferham with an exasperated hand gesture. Her brows raised. "What was that!? What kind of clod throws a metal weapon at a.. a metal artificer!" She ask, palms open.

Ferham (516) has posed:
     Ferham blinks as the metal thumbtacks actually /stop/ and then revert their trajectory to fly back at her. "Ahh!" Ferham covers her face with one arm and part of her torso with her right wing, trying to turn so that her actually serves as a shield as the small sharp metal objects ping and richochet off her. "Well it's not like I could find thumbtacks made of something else! who the hell makes them made out of plastic, or whatever?" she pants a bit in frustration, then she realizes something... waitaminute... uh oh. Ferham turns in the air and spends a moment freaking out as she realizes that the thumbtacks have sunk into part of her right thigh and her posterior on that side, turning it into a pin cushion!

     "Ahhh no blast it why--" she shrieks more or less, scrabbling to pluck the various metal caps of each one out, which seems to have the femmebot busy, for the moment.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Man, talking with Peridot is weirder than talking with Jarvis. Or maybe this is how Jarvis feels at times, considering he has access to all sorts of information. "No, my biological parents are not at fault. Sometimes things just /happen/," Toph points out with a huff. And when Peridot claims that she's beneath her? "Oh really?" The earthbender kicks one foot into the ground, and a twenty foot tall pillar rises up underneath her. "I think it's you who's beneath me!" she calls down. As for the gem's reaction to her metalbending? "THAT is my bending. I told you, I'm an earthbender! Which means that I can command earth in all its forms! Earth, rocks, mud, dirt, metal... and /gems/." Well, she might not be able to bend sentient gems, but it might work to convince Peridot to back off. If not... "Like this!" Toph uses her free hand to do some quick movements, and something metallic seemingly moves by itself out of her satchel, shifting and wrapping itself around the corrupted gem that Toph lets go of, but it remains still in the air as the earthbender moves her hands. Once it's all wrapped up it moves back into Toph's satchel, and now since Toph has her hands free, she enters a martial arts stance. "You sure you want to see what I can /really/ do?" she challenges Peridot and Ferham alike where she stands on her tall earthen pillar.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    "Aaah.." Peridot gasp as the pillar rises from the ground. Her eyes becoming little dots as she tracks Toph's ascent into the air. She swallowed a little and took a step back, her brows arched upward. The term biological parents went completely over her head. But through context, she assumed that was the name of the kindergarten technicians charged with her creation. However, that was the last concern on her mind at the moment.

    She believed Toph. She had met a dragon last week that dined soley on gemstones. Surely it was not that far fetched to believe this human bore powers that made her a legitimate threat to her in particular. The multiverse had been filled with frighteningly powerful threats to gemkind since she arrived.

    Fortunately, Peridot's ignorance had a silver lining. She had no idea how Toph's powers worked. So, she suddenly clamped her floating fingers down firmly over the gemstone embedded in her forehead. She believed this to be a sufficient defense. "Ha! Behold my genius defense. Let's see you take my gem now!" She taunts. Safe, perhaps, but not for the reasons she believed.

    "And while you're at it. Give me mine!" She raised her other hand. A beam of green neon shot out of it, as she activated her robotic limbs tractor beam. She attempts to grab the metal encased corrupted gem!

Ferham (516) has posed:
     Having freed herself of (most) of the thumbtacks from her body, Ferham swooped down closer to Toph, bringing herself around in a swing to face her. "Listen, Toph, you don't know what you're dealing with here, that object in your bag is /dangerous/, do you want to be responsible if it causes anyone harm?" Fer tried the diplomatic approach--however she had to duck back as Peridot began her more... forceful approach. "Gah!" she banked back and her wings were slid out along her sides, before bringing herself to a stop.

     "Guess there's no talking about it now," she took the opportunity to try to lash her whip around the container the container that the corrupted gem was in--that is if Peridot didn't get to it first, or Toph didn't try to stop her.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The young human brims with confidence where she stands high above. And she arches an eyebrow when Peridot clamps her hand over the gemstone on her forehead. "... man, you're a total dunderhead, aren't you?" she comments. As for Ferham's attempt to persuade her to hand the corrupted gem over, Toph only shakes her head. "No can do, I'm going to hand it over to the Crystal Gems so they can take care of it and eventually find a way to restore it. These corrupted gems might be dangerous, but I can handle it and keep it safe to ensure that nobody gets hurt, and that includes the gem!"

    Though she blinks when the gem extends her other hand and uses something that makes her satchel tug at her shoulder. Luckily Toph is steady, and she digs her heels down on the pillar, resisting the tugging. "HEY!" Toph frowns, looking rather displeased, and it doesn't help when Ferham adds in her whip. "I found it first, which means it's MINE, you dirty thieves!" The girl throws out her hands twice, and in response four sizable rocks break free from the pillar, two rocks heading for Peridot and two for Ferham. At least Toph doesn't discriminate that way. Hopefully it will be enough to make them let go of her!

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Peridot sneered. "I think you will find that it is you who is Dunderheaded!" She shoots back. Both of her hands occupied, she starts taking a few steps back. The mechnical joints in her limb enhancers whirring loudly. "Those crystal gems are a menace." She grunts. "Gems are endangered on this planet... they are the rightful citizens of the gem empire and are our responsibili--."

    "Eep." Peridot blinks as the giant rock hurdled towards her. It slams into her frame, and sends her off her heels and flying through the air. The tractor beam managed to hold, being a powerful force in itself. Designed to aid in utility heavy lifting. This affectively made Peridot and Toph tethered together with an invisible rope. Toph would feel the kinetic energy she applied to Peridot suddenly applied to her shoulder.

    Of course, being blind, and unable to see the holo-energy. It might feel as though Peridot suddenly gained a massive increase in strength that would seem physically impossible due to her size and weight. Also, the screaming didn't help that theory. Someone who was pulling off an amazing feat of strength probably wouldn't be yelling in wild panic. Where Peridot landed depending on a few factors. The weight capacity of the Satchels shoulder strap, or how prepared Toph is to be on the receiving end of her own strength.

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "Ahh! I'm trying to help Toph--" Ferham is cut off by having to throw most of her concentration into dodging the flying boulder sailing at her--successfully managing to avoid the first one while the second actually catches her square in the chest and sends her flying back. There is the crunching, crackling sound of a tree trunk breaking as the femmebot winds up impacting with one, the swish and thud of leaves and heavy treebough off in the distance soon following. Picking herself back up, activated her anti-gravity again and was lunging back through the trees--almost sort of hopping from tree branch to branch while using her grav system to sort of moon jump.

     "If it gets out of that container who knows what will happen," she once again tried to implore Toph, trying to spot where Toph was standing and sending a blast of cold energy to try and create ice beneath her feet to make a buffer between her and the soil.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "And here I thought your insult library was confined to the word 'clod'!" Toph retorts. At first she can't help but grin when she feels one of the rocks slamming into Peridot. At least until she herself feels a powerful tug on the satchel, and by proxy on herself. It's too much for even Toph to deal with, and she lets out a loud yelp as she goes flying in the air after the unfortunate gem.

    It's at this moment that Ferham sends out the blast of cold energy, and it strikes the blind girl who looks rather shocked and cold for a moment there, the painful cold striking her in the side as she's yanked forward right in the path of the blast. "OW!"

    It's a high quality satchel, a gift from an elven king as payment for her using her bending to help the citizens of Mirkwood. But even it can't stand too much abuse, and as Toph is pulled with, she does her best to stop. So as she throws her arms up to bend a large earthen wall to stop herself with, it happens. The strap breaks, and Toph crashes into the earthen wall, utterly shattering it. It does slow her down though, and she comes crashing through the ground, dust and rocks whirling up. Sure, she's dirty, but her expression is one of irritation. "Oh, you two are so getting it...!" she mutters, extending her arms. As a response, the remains of the earthen wall move to cover the girl in a makeshift armour, adding length and bulk to her form as a ten foot tall earthen golem rises with a crumbling sound.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    The green beam of energy is stretched as Toph hits the wall. The built up energy threatening to snap in any given direction, until the strap finally gives first. The resulting release of the built up potential energy acts like a rubber band that snaps on one end. The heavy metals inside collide with Peridot, shattering her visor instantly and giving her a deep green eye. (The closest she could get to a black eye) and she is sent tumbling head over heels deep into the woods.

    Eventually she collides with the base of a tree, the bag falling into her lap. "Uuuughhh..." She coughs, as the wind is knocked out of her. She didn't need to breath to live, but breathing -felt- nice, and she needed air to form words and sentences. So she could only sit there and gasp silently until her lungs finally remembered how they were supposed to work.

    She coughs and struggles to her feet. "Ferham, get me out of here. Forget the crud bender. -koff- We got the thing.". She says dizzily, as she begins limping away, covering the gem on her forehead with her hand once more. Can't be too careful.

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "Uh oh," Ferham was both griping because she hadn't intended to hit Toph directly with that cold beam from her hands--had rather intended to freeze the ground beneath her so she couldn't use her earthbendery powers--but wasn't anything she could do about it now. Now however they were faced with a large earth golem and a Toph covered by earthy armor. Chia Toph?

     "I highly agree with this plan," Ferham using that Reploid super speed and flight of hers, swooped down and would attempt to pick up Peridot to carry her off. Guess Fer didn't have time for that!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The earthbender's satchel is rather full, and there's not just the metal covered gem inside it. Rather, Peridot might notice that there are other things in there as well. Rocks, gemstones, and more metal as well as what looks like an advanced metallic glove of some sort.

    Even as Ferham moves to swoop Peridot up, the ground shakes, and some trees are knocked over as the earthen golem comes crashing through the forest. And Toph's voice might be young and not particularly threatening, but the way she speaks should tell just how pissed off and angry the young girl is. "GIVE MY SATCHEL BACK!" she calls, and she extends one large earthen arm.

    The satchel becomes alive, and several of the items inside it move, shifting as sharp metallic and rock spikes protrude from it, an attempt to make Peridot drop it even as Toph pursues the two Confederates.

Peridot (836) has posed:
    Well her lungs were working now. "AAAAUUUHH!" Peridot shouted looking over her shoulder at the assortment of nightmarish configurations that sought to pull her back down to the earth. "Keep her away!" She flail-kicked her legs. "Fly you fool! Faster!"

    Well, that made up for the blunder with the caltrops at least. Ferham may not have been as bright as Peridot or as strong as Jasper. But Ferham was fast, and that happened to be exactly what the villainous duo needed right now!

    As the bag wiggled to life and spikes protruded out. Peridot gave out a gasp of surprise. Any other gem, and most biologicals would have dropped the bag. However, Peridot's unique condition causes the spikes to impale her robotic limbs. Which create sparks and puncture holes, but otherwise cause her no pain and she does not drop the bag! It does however increases her panic levels. "Ah! It's a nightmaaaaaare!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Nothing is stopping the earthbender it seems, as more and more trees crash over, rocks are utterly demolished whenever they get in Toph's way. "THAT'S MINE!" Toph yells again, reaching out with her hand as she tries to bend the satchel back. But as the spikes are impaled in Peridot's limb enhancers all it does is to yank on the gem's limbs, which might only make her panic more. When that doesn't work...

    Ferham might notice something which makes the escape a little harder, as earthen spikes shoot up in her path. Somehow it seems like Toph is really angry now, angrier than she was before when they threatened to grab the corrupted gem. Though of course, since Ferham is flying it's much harder for Toph to strike her and figure out just where she is. But that doesn't mean she won't try!

Ferham (516) has posed:
     "I'm trying!" Ferham yells back to Peridot whom she's carrying over the din of the wind and destruction being wrought around them by Toph's earth golem. "Going to be a bumpy ride, hold on!" Ferham dives and spins, one of her wings impacting with the sudden spire of earth and compensating by partly folding and yielding instead of taking all that kinetic energy. It does however cause the two to spin and bank sharply to one side. She's able to recover from the spin and right herself without dropping Peridot, of course that doesn't mean the homeworld gem hasn't been exposed to all that raw G-force--she's likely to be a little er... queasy after this.

     Swooping down, Fer is able to duck beneath two more spikes and outdistance the earthen terror behind them. "Okay... I think we're clear, err... Peridot?" she asks, looking down at the likely shaken Gem.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Panic rises in Toph's stomach when she hears and feels the two increasing the distance between them, and the earthbender desperately tries to keep up. But determined as she is, even she has to admit defeat when she can no longer sense Ferham or the precious cargo Peridot was carrying.

    Eventually the earthbender slows down, and the earthen armour breaks off as Toph steps out of it, an absolutely forlorn look on her face as tears begin welling up in her eyes as her hands shake with fury.

    They got not only the corrupted gem, but... her satchel. And the reading glove.