After a rogue gem meddled with the latest injector batch, all kindergardens have been placed under extreme scrutiny. Every soldier that pops their way out, gets scanned and tested for flaws, strengths, and durability.
However, Orange Diamond prides herself on having the BEST soilders of the empire. Even if she has to bend the rules to do it. Grey does not approve o this but she doesn’t particularly care.
If a gem is strong enough to pass her extensive testing, they will be added to her ranks. Thus a large amount of off colors are kept when they should have been Recycled because while they weren’t exactly how they were supposed to, they were improved.
The last set of gems to emerge from the kindergarden (about a decade later than the others), however, are an entirely different ball park.
"Unhand me you clods!" The Peridot growled as she hung from the ceiling.
"We don't have a hand on you." The Kunzite named Enide smirked as she picked up one of the machines once attached to the captured Gem.
"Well, you have my limb enhancers!"
"Yeah, enhancer. Like something that's really not a part of your body."
The Peridot let out a growl, which made the Turquoise Cabochon that went by Rad laugh. "Aww, you're like an angry little slice of pie!" For emphasis, Rad began to pull at the cheeks of her light constructed body.
In response she began to flail again, kicking her legs and trying to bite the invisible force.
"Feisty's a better term." Enide smirked.
From the home they created, Kaio walked out. He glanced over to the hanging gem and rolled his eyes.
"She won't bother you." Enide's gem glowed and out came some ducktape. "Rad, I'll cut it if you wouldn't mind doing the honors?"
Rad smiled as Enide cut a piece, and then he smacked it against the Peridot's mouth.
This led to her once again flailing, causing the rope to twist all over.
Kaio let out a snort hiding laughter as he picked up a wrist looking thing and walked over to his friends, leaving the enemy to make a fool out of herself.
“My Diamond will have you shattered for this!” the Peridot shouted, her weird boots(?) kicking out as the fake tubes- were they supposed to fingers or not? why didn’t she just use her own?- scrabbled at his hand.
“Your oh so precious Diamond would have had me shattered anyways.” He growled, giving her scruff a solid shake. The metal extension coating her other arm creaked and groaned under his grip. “Tell me where Ruko is!”
“Ugh- if you were in my Kindergarten you would have been recycled on sight.” She sniffed, though her eyes flicked nervously between her increasingly uncomfortable extensions and the gem holding them.
“Trust me- they tried.” His teeth flashed in a cruel smile, before his mouth returned to a snarl. “Now unless you want to be ground into a green powder, you’re going to show me where he is.”
Chilled, her fear burned away into outrage.
“You mean that sorry excuse of a Ruby Guard? Ugh, why do you even care so much?” Glowering, she rolled her eyes as she resumed her struggling. “You act like you can’t function with out him, which- based on the stated of the brig- is hardly the case.”
“Are you seriously going to make me-” His head snapped up as he heard the screech of bare feet sliding to a stop. Whipping over, he saw him.
In tact. Unharmed. And mirroring the shocked expression on his own face.
“RUKO!” Tossing the Peridot to the side, he bounded through the doors to his other half.
“Amko?” Confusion. And then, delighted. “AMKO!”
Who made it to who first it was impossible to tell. The brothers collided, Amko sent rolling back as he hugged him tight. Burrying his face in his chest, Ruko was rambling incomprehensibly.
Only years of exposure to Ruko would allow one to decipher the jumble mess of words, which Amko had in spades.
“It’s okay- I’m here.” He murmured, enveloping the smaller gem in a hug as he stroked his hair. “I’ve got you.”
It was as easy as breathing, fusing was. A moment the Amko and Ruko were an the floor, the next, Kaio was landing on his feet, hugging himself with a wide grin.
Tears drying, he straightened, rolling his shoulders.
“Alright.” Cracking his neck, his hair shifted into a pony tail as his war helmet formed. “Let’s find the others.”