Chapter 13: Prey and Predator

The stars stretched endlessly in every direction as I hovered in the void, staring at the monitor displaying the coordinates for the dinosaurs' last known location. They were intelligent, incredibly so, but that only made them more valuable. Their knowledge would be the key to solidifying my edge over not just Rick T-76A5, but the entire Citadel.

I glanced at the neural extractor resting beside me, its hum a constant reminder of the power I now wielded. It had worked perfectly on Rick, but the dinosaurs were a different challenge. They wouldn't be caught off-guard easily. That was why I needed to prepare. My temporary base was coming along, small, hidden in orbit, but functional. From here, I could strike when the time was right.

I tapped a few keys on the console, watching the scanner pick up faint energy signatures in the system. They were close.

"Time to finish this," I muttered.

But first, I needed to bait them out. That required a little more finesse. They wouldn't fall for brute force; they needed to think they were in control. I was planning to set up a distraction on the ground, something subtle enough to draw their attention while I moved in with the extractor. I'd be in and out before they even knew what hit them.

....

Meanwhile, in the Citadel, the search for me was intensifying. The Council of Ricks was growing more desperate, sifting through thousands of dimensions in the hopes of catching a glimpse of my location. The cloaking device was doing its job, but they were getting close. Too close for comfort.

"His tech's improving," one of the Ricks muttered, staring at a holographic display. "We're still not picking up anything on the scanners, but we've noticed fluctuations in the space-time fabric. It's subtle, but it's there."

Evil Morty leaned against the console, his eyes glinting with amusement. "That's the problem with most Ricks, they underestimate their enemies. Jerry's learned that lesson. Now he's making you all look like fools."

The other Ricks bristled at the comment, but none of them could deny the truth. They had underestimated me, and now they were paying the price for their arrogance.

"Keep scanning," the senior Rick barked. "He can't stay hidden forever. Sooner or later, we'll catch him."

Evil Morty said nothing, just smiled as he watched the tension rise.

....

Back in space, I maneuvered the ship closer to the planet's atmosphere, carefully staying off any potential sensors. The dinosaurs had advanced tech, no doubt about that, but Rick's cloaking tech, combined with my modifications, was enough to keep me hidden, for now. Still, I knew better than to rely entirely on stealth. I needed to be ready for any scenario, and that meant weapons, traps, and the neural extractor.

The plan was simple: create a diversion, get the dinosaurs to leave their main city, and then move in while their defenses were down. They wouldn't expect someone like me to be coming after them. That was their mistake.

I flicked a switch on the control panel, releasing a series of energy pulses into the lower atmosphere, just enough to disrupt their sensors. Now, they'd be scrambling to figure out the source of the anomaly, and I'd be waiting for the right moment to strike.

....

On the Citadel, Rick C-137 sat in a dimly lit bar, a drink in hand, listening to the murmurs of the other Ricks around him. The news of the rogue Jerry had spread like wildfire, and every Rick in the Citadel was on edge, their usual bravado faltering in the face of the unthinkable.

"Never thought I'd live to see a Jerry cause this much chaos," one Rick said, shaking his head.

Rick C-137 snorted. "Yeah, well, huhhhp, you let your guard down, and even a Jerry can get the jump on you. Not me, though. Huhhhp, I'm staying one step ahead."

Morty sat next to him, nervously sipping his drink. "So, what's the plan, Rick? Are we gonna help the Citadel track him down?"

Rick shrugged. "Nah. Let them waste their time. Huhhhp, we'll do what we always do, Morty. Stay out of it until we can't."

"But what if Jerry's dangerous now?"

Rick shot Morty a look. "Dangerous? Sure. But smart enough to outplay me? Huhhhp, not a chance."

Morty wasn't so sure. He had seen what Jerry was capable of, and even though it sounded crazy, there was a part of him that wondered if Jerry really had become something more. Something they couldn't stop.

....

I watched the scanners as the dinosaurs began moving out of their city, exactly as planned. I smiled to myself, the thrill of the hunt running through me. The Citadel could keep looking for me, but by the time they found me, I'd have the knowledge of the smartest beings in the multiverse at my disposal.

The neural extractor buzzed softly at my side, ready for action. I activated the cloaking field, slipping through the atmosphere unnoticed as I closed in on their location. They were out in the open now, distracted by the energy pulses I'd released. I had them.

My ship hovered above the ground as I prepared to make my move. Everything was falling into place. The extractor was humming with power, and I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me. This was it. The next step.

I stepped out of the ship, cloaked and hidden, my eyes locked on the dinosaurs below. They were brilliant, sure, but they weren't prepared for someone like me. No one was.

I moved closer, the extractor in hand, ready to take what was mine. The knowledge, the power, soon, it would all be mine.

But just as I reached the first target, something shifted.

The air crackled with energy, and before I could react, alarms blared from the ship's control panel.

I cursed under my breath, glancing at the readings. They had detected me.

"Damn it."

The dinosaurs were smarter than I had anticipated. They had some kind of failsafe in place, some advanced tech that had sensed the disruption in the air. And now? They were onto me.

I retreated back to the ship, heart racing, the extractor still clutched in my hand. The plan wasn't over yet, but it had just gotten a lot more complicated.

....

At the Citadel, the Council Ricks stared at the sudden spike in their scanners.

"We've got something," one of the Ricks said, his voice tight with excitement. "It's faint, but it's a disruption we haven't seen before. Could be Jerry."

Evil Morty's eyes gleamed as he stepped forward, watching the data stream in. "Looks like the game just got more interesting."

....

Back in my ship, I clenched my fists, staring at the monitors as the dinosaurs scrambled to counter the disruption.

"They think they can stop me," I muttered, a dark smile crossing my face. "But they're wrong."

This was only the beginning.