Chapter 2: Shadows of the Past

The house was quiet again as I slipped back into Jerry's bedroom, the crystal tucked securely in my pocket. I closed the door softly, locking it behind me. I couldn't afford any mistakes, not now.

The first piece of my plan was in place, but the real challenge was yet to come. Rick could return at any moment, and if he even suspected I was after his secrets, it would be over. I wasn't naïve. Even the slightest deviation from Jerry's usual stupidity would set him off.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my fingers running over the smooth surface of the crystal. It was strange, holding a piece of Rick's mind, a fragment of his genius, in my hand. The thought alone made my pulse quicken. But as I stared at it, something gnawed at me.

Why can't I remember?

I've been in this world for what, days? Maybe weeks? The details felt fuzzy. No matter how much I concentrated, the memories from before the merge, my memories, were scattered. Pieces of a life I couldn't fully grasp. There were fragments. Flashes. I knew about Rick and Morty, sure. I knew the basics, enough to keep myself alive. But the deeper I tried to dig into who I had been before, the more it slipped away.

It was like trying to hold water in my hands. The harder I squeezed, the faster it dripped through my fingers.

I leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling, frustrated. I remembered being smarter. Stronger. More capable. On Earth, I had been someone who could have done anything if I'd had the tools, the resources. But those thoughts were hazy, the faces of people I knew, the places I'd been, it was all just... gone.

Was this Jerry's mind holding me back? Or was it just the process of merging with someone so weak that it scrambled my brain? Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. I was in control now. But the past, my past, was locked away in shadows, taunting me with glimpses of a life I could barely remember.

It didn't matter if I couldn't recall everything. What mattered was the future. I had the crystal, and that was a start. One small step toward the intelligence I needed to accomplish what I'd set out to do. If I could outsmart Rick—steal his knowledge without him ever realizing it, I would have the power to conquer everything.

But I couldn't let my mind dwell on the past. Not when there were more immediate concerns.

I pulled the crystal back out of my pocket, staring at it again. The soft glow seemed to pulse in the dim light, almost like it was alive. There was a temptation to use it right now, to absorb its contents and take the first leap toward real power. But I knew better than to rush. Technology like this had risks, especially with Rick's handiwork. If I screwed up, if I didn't know exactly how to handle it, I could fry my brain.

Think.

Jerry wouldn't have been capable of doing anything with this. He probably wouldn't even have thought to steal it in the first place. The thought brought a twisted smile to my face. That idiot was gone. I had to keep reminding myself of that. The way his mind had crumbled when we merged… I could still feel it sometimes, the faintest trace of his old personality flickering before I stamped it out. Jerry was dead. I was in control now. But sometimes I felt like his pathetic memories were still hiding somewhere, trapped beneath the surface.

I set the crystal aside and stood up, stretching Jerry's stiff, underused muscles. His body was weak, far weaker than I was used to. But it wouldn't be like this forever. I had plans. Soon, I'd be able to rebuild this body, strengthen it. It will be better that everything i ever had, enough to make sure I wouldn't be crushed by Rick, or anyone else, for that matter.

....

The next few days passed quietly. I went through the motions, pretending to be Jerry. The kids barely noticed me, too wrapped up in their own nonsense. Beth didn't care, as usual. She never looked too closely, and that worked in my favor. Rick was still gone, likely off gallivanting through some distant dimension on one of his reckless experiments. That gave me time, but I knew it wouldn't last forever.

I spent most of that time studying. Rick's garage was a treasure trove of technology, and every moment I was alone in there was an opportunity to learn. His devices were scattered across the workbench, half-finished projects lying next to advanced tech that was far beyond anything I'd ever seen before. I memorized every piece I could, learning their functions, their capabilities.

Some of it was familiar from the show, things I recognized. But other pieces? They were beyond anything I'd ever known. This was Rick's true genius. The show had only scratched the surface of what this man was capable of. And soon, I'd be capable of it too.

But I was careful. I had to be. Every time I set foot in that garage, I made sure I left everything exactly as it was. Rick would notice if anything was out of place, and I couldn't afford to tip him off. Not yet.

I stood in front of his portal gun one day, staring at it. Just inches away from one of the most powerful devices in existence. A small part of me wanted to reach out and take it, to activate it and see what it could really do. But I held back. I wasn't ready yet. I didn't know enough.

Patience. That was the key.

....

I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself as I looked around the garage one afternoon. The old Jerry, the real Jerry, had probably stumbled around this room like an idiot, never understanding the incredible power that was right in front of him. The fool had wasted his life, always overshadowed by Rick, never realizing the potential that could be his.

But that wasn't going to be me. I was going to surpass Rick. I was going to take what was his and make it mine. I had already started with the crystal. There would be more, piece by piece, until I was in control. Until I had everything I needed.

I didn't care about the rest of them, Beth, Morty, Summer, they were nothing to me. Distractions. The only one I respected was Rick, and even that respect had its limits. I wasn't going to underestimate him, but I wasn't going to fear him either. In the end, I would outsmart him, outmaneuver him.

I'd win.

The future was mine to shape. And once I had the knowledge, the power… there was nothing I couldn't do.

The past? It didn't matter. I couldn't remember most of it, anyway. But here, in this universe, I had a fresh start. And I wasn't going to waste it.