Pearl can't think of a response to that. She can only look at Lapis helplessly, her ability to articulate herself thrown completely out the window, until at last she stammers out: "I know. I know," she says again, and then she hugs herself and begins to pace on the spot, staring at the ground.

Pearl's not a leader. Despite everything she's been through, everything she's learned? She's still not fit to make these kinds of tough decisions. In a moment of rising panic, she finds herself desperately wishing that Garnet was here. If ever there was a need for future vision... If ever there was a need for her brand of decisive confidence...

Or Rose. What would Rose do? Garnet told Pearl that she controls her own destiny, but... Pearl is still a Crystal Gem, and she still believes in what Rose believed in. If gems, or their indirect influence, are threatening human lives, then she needs to do whatever it takes to stop it. Right? Rose wouldn't care about the risk to her own person. She would do whatever it takes, at whatever cost to herself, to protect those who cannot protect themselves...

She looks back up at Lapis. She knows she is not going to like this.

"It doesn't matter. We need to do something."