Chapter 11: Closing the Trap

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Rick T-76A5 stood in front of me, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. The faint hum of machinery and the sterile glow from the scattered devices in the garage made the atmosphere tense. His portal gun was holstered, but I could tell he was ready to pull it out at any moment. He always was. The air felt heavy, crackling with the expectation of violence.

"You've got some nerve, Jerry," Rick muttered, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Huhhhp, setting up shop in one of my old dumps. Thought you could hide from me here?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't afford to say too much. Rick was too sharp, and any slip of the tongue could tip him off. I just stood there, clutching the neural extractor, watching him closely. Everything depended on timing now.

Rick took a swig from his flask, the stench of alien liquor filling the air as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You know, I gotta hand it to you, Jerry," he said, chuckling to himself. "For once, you did something kinda smart. Huhhhp, but you didn't think this through, did you?"

I could see the gears turning in his head. He was still convinced that he was in control. But that was exactly what I wanted him to believe.

Rick stepped forward, his eyes scanning the walls of the garage, looking for any hidden traps or clues. "So what's the plan, Jerry? You think you're gonna take me down? Huhhhp, you really think you're smart enough to beat me?"

I smirked, my grip on the neural extractor tightening. He had no idea.

Rick's expression darkened as he took another step closer. "I'll give you one chance, Jerry. Hand over whatever you stole from me, and maybe, just maybe, I won't vaporize you."

This was it.

I activated the neural extractor in a quick, fluid motion, lunging toward Rick before he had time to react. The device whirred to life, its electrodes latching onto Rick's temple with a soft hum. For a moment, his eyes widened in shock, and then, just as quickly, they went blank.

The extractor worked perfectly. I could feel it siphoning Rick's thoughts, his memories, pulling them from his mind with surgical precision. This wasn't like the memory crystals, fragmented and incomplete. This was the real deal. I could feel the knowledge pouring into me, filling the gaps, completing the puzzle pieces I'd been missing for so long.

Rick stood frozen, unable to move, his body slumped as the extractor did its work. His mind was mine now.

....

In the Citadel of Ricks, alarms blared as the Council watched the data streams coming in from their trackers. Rick T-76A5 had been located, but something was wrong.

"His signals are erratic," one of the senior Ricks muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. "He's not moving… it's like his vitals are dropping."

Another Rick frowned, tapping a few buttons on the console. "It looks like he's been compromised. The neural activity readings are off the charts. Something's messing with his brain."

The room filled with murmurs of unease. For a Rick to be compromised like this was unheard of. They exchanged uneasy glances as the realization began to set in.

"Jerry," one of them said quietly, his voice filled with disbelief. "It's gotta be him."

Evil Morty, watching from the shadows, smiled. "Looks like Jerry finally found a way to beat a Rick."

....

I watched as the extractor continued its work, the soft hum of the machine filling the garage. Rick's memories were flooding into me, his adventures, his creations, his genius. It was everything I had wanted, everything I had worked for. I could see how his mind worked, how he solved problems, how he built things that no one else could even dream of.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.

The extractor detached itself from Rick's head with a soft click, and Rick collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

I stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, the weight of what I had just done sinking in. Rick T-76A5, the most dangerous man in his universe, was lying at my feet, his mind drained. I had taken everything from him.

But I knew this wasn't the end. The Citadel would be coming for me soon. They'd know something was wrong the moment Rick's vitals dropped. I had bought myself some time, but not much.

I knelt down next to Rick's unconscious form, staring at him for a moment. For the first time in my life, I felt truly in control. Rick had always belittled me, always treated me like an idiot. But now, I had his mind, his knowledge. I was the one in charge.

"You always thought you were smarter than me, Rick," I whispered, my voice cold. "But look at you now."

I stood up, slipping the extractor into my bag and activating the cloaking device once again. The entire dimension began to fade from view, hidden from the scanners and trackers of the Citadel.

They wouldn't find me here. Not yet.

....

At the Citadel, the Council of Ricks was in chaos. Data streams were flashing across the screens, each one showing the same thing, Rick T-76A5's vitals had flatlined, and his neural activity had dropped to almost nothing.

"He's been taken out," one of the Ricks muttered, his voice filled with shock. "Jerry… he did this."

Evil Morty stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Looks like Jerry just became a real player in this game. Now, we need to find him."

The other Ricks nodded in agreement, their expressions grim. They had underestimated me once. They wouldn't make that mistake again.

....

I stood in the middle of the garage, staring down at Rick's unconscious body. I had won. I had taken everything from him. But this wasn't over.

The Citadel would come for me eventually, but by the time they found me, I would be ready. I had Rick's mind, his knowledge, and now I had the power to build something even greater.

This wasn't just about survival anymore.

This was about winning.

I activated the portal gun and stepped through, leaving Rick T-76A5 behind.