"Impossible...YOU UNDID HER CORRUPTION?"

Revealing the news went relatively better than expected. Once Steven, Lapis, and Peridot came back, Max had finished explaining his recent conflict with Jasper to the Crystal Gems, and Pearl was currently ranting about what Max did.

"No one was able to cure corruption, Rose's tears couldn't, Steven's saliva made progress but not enough, and you're telling me that you did it so simply?"
"Okay, it was not a simple cure. Yes the corruption is removed, but that's because I absorbed it. The side effects are still under research." Max says in a feeble attempt to correct and calm Pearl.

"Wait what's going on?" Steven asked curiously as he, Peridot, and Lapis walk toward them.

"Maxwell apparently absorbed Jasper's corruption." Garnet answered in a calm manner, albeit her hands fidgeting showed she was having trouble keeping her demeanor stoic.

"He did what!?" Lapis shouted out before looking at Max.

"Oh here we go. I didn't do it on purpose okay, I was curious so I looked at her gem. But before I could put her bubbled gem away, Obsidian acted on her own and started taking the corruption, look!" Before Lapis could try and tear him apart, Max revealed to everyone how his obsidian hand now covered his entire right arm and shoulder. "When Jasper reformed, she acted as you would have guessed, not in the mood to thank me and trying to get to Steven. I gave her the truth of where Rose is, tested my new strength out on her, and now she's in the room with bubbled gems, currently too damaged emotionally and physically to try and fight me again."

"Wait, so now we have a way to get rid of the corruption?" Steven asked hopefully, thinking of a certain gem and her friends.

"I'm not sure Steven, it's possible but absorbing so much corruption in a short amount of time could cause Obsidian to grow out of control like when she was ripped off my arm." Max explains sadly, hating to put a damper on Steven's growing hope.

"Well what are we supposed to do now?" Amethyst asked the question everyone was thinking, all unsure of what to do with the powerful quartz gem.

"You can talk with her if you wish, but I made a deal with her. Everytime she feels up to it, we will fight again. If she manages to beat me, then she is free to leave and do as she wishes, but as long as I keep winning, she is to stay a prisoner."

"Well then it's simple." Peridot cuts in. "You just keep winning the fights, and we don't have a problem."
"Not exactly. Look at this." Max breathes slowly before trying to make a clone of himself, unfortunately said clone appears, but is just a head.

"Hello there!" The clone head says before hopping around to the disturbance of everyone in the room.

"Yeah, I guess my power up from the corruption is only temporary, I can even feel the obsidian on my arm receding slowly. I am not sure if I'm strong enough to win again."

"Then I see only one choice...we talk to her!" Again Steven gives the optimistic answer, but the gems seem very uncomfortable with that plan of action.

"Steven's got a point, but it's only a choice, you do not have to talk with her if any of you are too uncomfortable, but any in favor of the plan, join me and Steven because we'll be walking into the room." With Steven and Max in agreement, they look to the gems in the room. Lapis shakes her head and chooses to just go back to the barn, Peridot accompanying her. Pearl and Garnet choose to stay, wanting to be lookout in case Jasper were to try and escape. Amethyst though seems to be the only one to join, seemingly curious to see Jasper again. With everyone decided, Max takes Steven and Amethyst into the room.

The familiar sight of the dark pink room and numerous bubbled gems appear in front of the trio. In the far end of the room was Jasper sitting and hugging her knees. Once she heard their footsteps though, her eyes widened and she got up onto her feet.

"What? Back for more?...Or are you here to taunt me? Bringing Rose and the runt in front of me, what could you possibly want from this."
"I'm not here for a fight, just to talk." Max pats Steven on the back so he can walk forward.

"Jasper, I may not understand what you're going through, or how life on Homeworld is, or how you felt when you lost your Diamond. All I can really do is this." To everyone's surprise, Steven gets on his knees and puts his head down. "I am so sorry. I know apologies probably mean nothing to you, but it's all I can do. Rose Quartz...she shattered your Diamond, was part of this big war...and chose to leave me with it. Maybe she thought Earth was safe for me, I don't think I will ever understand what she intended, but all I can say is that I wish to be different from her. I'm not Rose, I may have her gem but I'm Steven. I have my own thoughts and dreams, I never want to have a gem shattered, I just want everyone to be happy and get along, no matter how dumb it sounds." Tears visibly formed in his eyes as he laid out his feelings to Jasper, who surprisingly was listening well. "If I could give you back your Diamond I would, in hopes though that it would stop Earth and Homeworld from being enemies, and maybe...just maybe learn to value peace and love more that war and death."
With Steven's last words, he stand up and wipes the tears from his eyes before walking back to Max.

"..." Jasper continued to be silent, seeming to be deep in thought over what he said, but wouldn't say anything.

"Anything you wanted to say Amethyst?"

"No, not really...well um, I met the other Amethysts and Jaspers in the human zoo. It was funny...you call me a runt and disgrace...but they treated me so kindly, like I was a part of them. Heck, they even let us escape with Steven's dad. Did Holly Blue give you any trouble, or were you elsewhere?" Despite Amethyst's attempt for a conversation, Jasper remained silent. She sighs before looking at Max and then leaving the room with Steven.

Max looked over to Jasper before walking closer. He took a seat next to her and just breathed slowly.

"...so...he really isn't Rose."

"Mhm"

"...just what is this...Steven, and what are you?"
"An interesting question, but no one can really give a straight answer. Hybrids through different circumstances? He was born, Obsidian latched onto my arm. Just where do I start?"

"...I want to know everything, teach me all you can."

With that, Max began to retell the stories of what Max and Steven faced, either separate or together. Steven's birth and childhood, Max's suffering and growth. Steven's influence on the Crystal Gems, Max's training and learning. Jasper listened closely as Max told the many stories of what the brothers have endured, fighting the white claws, dealing with emotions and trust, and just trying to understand who they are.

Soon Max checked his phone to see it was late at night by the time he finished retelling his adventures.

"...so now you know. It's not a simple thing me and Steven go through in an attempt to keep peace. The past, present, and future gives us problems that seem to never end...and now that you have this information, what will you do?"
Max looks down at his right hand, seeing it was back to its original form, not noticing Jasper as she gets on her feet, and delivers a powerful strike to the back of his neck. Max's eyes close as he falls unconscious.

"Ugh, my head...wait, Jasper!" He quickly gets up on his feet and runs out of the room. "Steven! Gather the gems, Jasper's...gone." He looks to see Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl with Steven holding a note.

"We know, Steven was just telling us."

"She asked me to write this note and then left." Steven shows it to Max for him to read outloud.

"I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, but after seeing and hearing about your group, I feel like I understand the Crystal Gems more. I may never join, or understand what Earth has to protect, but I will at least leave you in peace. Maxwell and Steven, don't let anyone stop you two from reaching your goals, do whatever you believe in. From, Jasper."

The room was silent as they look at the note. Afterwards the group split up to search every are the warp pads go to, even the barn where Lapis and Peridot were, but found no trace of the orange gem. Whether they meet again or not is unsure, for now the Crystal Gems were to continue protecting Earth the way they know how. Although...things seemed to be about to get worse. A new threat heading for Earth was approaching, as worlds begin to collide.

To be continued in the crossover nobody asked for,

Max and Jack: Timelines Crossed