Chapter 11.
Chapter 11: A Day at the Beach
After months of intense battles, high-stakes missions, and unraveling conspiracies that spanned entire multiverses, the team was ready for a much-needed break. Rick had grudgingly agreed to give them the day off, his usually chaotic energy dialed down as he set up a casual beach trip to help everyone unwind. Even Sans, who was always a little… deadpan, and Morty, whose nerves had been on edge for weeks, were included in this much-anticipated retreat.
"Alright, people," Rick grumbled, standing before a swirling portal. "I know this is outside my comfort zone, but I figured you idiots deserve a chance to relax and, I dunno, not blow up the universe for once. So, I'm sending you to a dimension with a perfectly normal, peaceful beach."
"Normal? Rick, we all know that 'normal' is a relative term around here," Clara said, rolling her eyes. "What could possibly go wrong?"
Rick just grunted. "Don't jinx it. Now, no fighting, no weird time loops, no universe-destroying gambits. Just… go and relax. I'll be here, tinkering with some gadgets. Don't mess with anything."
With that, the portal opened, revealing a sunlit beach with gentle waves rolling onto the shore. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, and the sky was a clear, serene blue—something that almost seemed too calm for their usual chaotic standards.
"Alright, I'm in," Morty said, his voice laced with genuine relief. "I mean, after everything we've been through, this is like… perfect."
Sans, who had been unusually quiet, suddenly appeared beside Morty with a wide grin on his face. "Heh, yeah, kid. A little peace and quiet never hurt anyone... except maybe that time we faced off against that giant T-Rex, but that's a story for another time."
The team stepped through the portal and found themselves on the warm sand, instantly feeling the calming atmosphere settle around them. Hikari kicked off his shoes, grinning as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny, golden coin.
"Let's make this interesting," he said with a mischievous smirk. "How about a little beach gambling to start the day?"
Clara immediately shot him a look. "We're not starting another round of your 'Idle Death Gamble' here, Hikari. I just want to enjoy the day."
Rick, lounging lazily on a beach chair he'd somehow summoned from nowhere, gave a dry chuckle. "Yeah, let's keep the high-stakes nonsense to a minimum. I didn't bring enough anti-radiation pills for all that."
Sans snickered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Don't worry, Rick. Hikari's not the only one who's good at games. I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve. You know, really cool stuff."
Gojo, always up for some fun, grinned under his sunglasses. "I'm in. But only if we play something that involves survival. We can't just waste the day on boring beach games."
Hikari winked. "Survival? I like your style. How about we see who can withstand the most sunburn without turning into a lobster? First one to run for sunscreen loses."
Rick smirked. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Let's keep things... simple for once."
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Sands of Fun: Relaxation and Mayhem
The team spread out, claiming their patches of sand. Clara laid down a towel, kicking back with a book she'd been meaning to catch up on. Morty immediately began building a sandcastle, his anxiety momentarily quelled by the simplicity of the task. Sans and Gojo had both settled under large umbrellas, silently observing the scene while enjoying the peace.
It wasn't long before Gojo broke the silence.
"Hey, Morty," he called over to the teenager, who was still lost in his sandy construction. "You sure you're not going to use this as an opportunity to finally work on your powers? You've been kinda slacking lately."
Morty's head snapped up, his face flushing slightly. "Oh, uh… well, I… uh, I was kinda thinking about just having a relaxing day, y'know?" he stammered.
Gojo raised an eyebrow and gave a playful chuckle. "Alright, alright. Don't let me ruin your vacation. But if you change your mind, I've got some cool techniques to show you. We could make this beach day super interesting."
Hikari, who had been casually tossing his roulette wheel in the air, suddenly caught it mid-spin and eyed Gojo. "Yeah, yeah, let's not overcomplicate things. I'm just here for the good vibes." He grinned and flipped the coin again. "Besides, you've got enough chaos in your own life, Gojo. Let's just enjoy the sunshine while we can."
Meanwhile, Clara had found a perfect spot in the sand, the pages of her book fluttering in the wind as she half-heartedly glanced over at Rick, who was lazily sipping from a coconut drink.
"Rick," Clara said, squinting at him, "this whole 'vacation' thing? You really think it's gonna stick for us, or are you secretly planning some next-level shenanigans?"
Rick lazily shifted his head to look at her. "Clara, if I wanted to ruin it, I'd already be halfway through setting up an interdimensional volcano or some serious criminal conspiracy. Let's just enjoy the calm, alright? For once, it's nice not to be saving the universe for a change."
Clara smirked, clearly not buying into it. "Yeah, sure. I'll believe it when I see it."
As the day wore on, the team settled into an almost unnatural state of relaxation. Even Sans, who was rarely anything other than deadpan, was enjoying the carefree vibe of the beach. He'd pulled out a small, portable grill and was cooking up some questionable food for the group, tossing out one-liners and puns in between flips of the burgers.
"So, Hikari," Sans called over to the gambler, who was sitting nearby with a drink in hand. "How's that roulette wheel of yours working out? I'm feeling lucky today."
Hikari grinned, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Oh, you want to play? You sure you can handle the odds, big guy?"
Gojo chuckled from his spot under the umbrella. "I'm just waiting for the moment the 'survival challenge' turns into a full-on betting war."
Rick groaned from his chair. "I'm going to need more coconuts to survive this."
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The Unexpected Drama: A Change of Pace
As the sun began to dip lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow across the beach, Morty finally looked up from his sandcastle and approached the group, a nervous look on his face.
"Uh, guys?" he asked hesitantly. "I... I kinda need to talk about something."
Sans looked up from the grill. "What's up, kid?"
"I've been thinking," Morty began, fidgeting with his hands, "with all this craziness going on, I… I never really stopped to think about how I'm feeling. I mean, I know we're all used to things getting weird and dangerous, but... what if it never ends?"
The team went silent for a moment, the peaceful ambiance of the beach contrasting sharply with the weight of Morty's words.
Gojo adjusted his sunglasses, his usual relaxed demeanor slipping into something more serious. "Kid, life's always gonna be a bit chaotic, but the trick is figuring out how to enjoy it. We've been to hell and back—literally—and we're still standing."
Rick, taking a long sip from his coconut, finally spoke up. "Morty's right, though. This whole mess of interdimensional junk doesn't stop. But that's why days like this—just chilling on a beach—are so damn important. If you don't take a break now and then, you lose sight of why you're even fighting in the first place."
Sans gave a lazy shrug, flipping a burger onto the grill. "And you've got people around you. Sometimes, just being with folks who get it, and just doing nothing for a while... that's the stuff that keeps you going."
Hikari grinned. "Exactly. Why not take a breather, let the world spin on its own, and just see where it lands. After all, it's all just a game."
The mood lightened, the air filled with the sound of gentle waves crashing against the shore. The group sat in comfortable silence for a moment before laughter erupted once more—Sans cracking jokes, Gojo challenging everyone to a random contest, and even Rick, in rare form, actually relaxing.
For one brief, fleeting moment, everything felt normal. And in the midst of the chaos that was their lives, it was a welcome, peaceful break.
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To be continued...