Chapter 8: A Game of Thieves

Rick was pacing around his garage in Universe T-76A5, his bloodshot eyes darting from one half-finished project to another. Every few seconds, he took a swig from his bottle of glowing blue alien liquor, burping and muttering between gulps. The scanners were still malfunctioning something was off, and Rick knew it.

"Huhhhp… Jerry. Damn Jerry," Rick muttered, wiping his mouth. "That idiot's been acting too clever. But why?"

Rick knew Jerry wasn't supposed to be smart, but lately, something had changed. Jerry had been too quiet, too careful. Maybe he was paranoid, but his instincts told him there was more going on. He couldn't shake the feeling that Jerry was hiding something. Something big.

Rick grabbed his portal gun, a wave of irritation running through him. It was time to investigate. Punching in coordinates, he opened a swirling green vortex to another dimension. Before stepping through, he glanced around his cluttered garage one last time. He knew something was wrong, but he had no idea just how bad it was.

....

In Universe K-4529, Jerry sat in the dim glow of the abandoned garage, his fingers tracing the edges of the green memory crystal. The silence of the place, Rick's place, was a far cry from the chaos he had left behind in T-76A5. Here, he was in control. No one was breathing down his neck, no one was watching his every move.

He had sensed it the moment Rick T-76A5 opened the portal. Rick was onto him, but this time, Jerry was a step ahead.

"Rick thinks he's so smart," Jerry murmured to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching into a grin. "But not this time."

Jerry stood up, eyes scanning the cluttered mess around him. His mind was sharp, sharper than it had ever been, thanks to the crystals he had already absorbed. But now? Now he had a plan. If Rick was starting to dig, he needed to be quick. He needed to take everything.

He activated the portal gun from Rick K-4529, the familiar green vortex lighting up the room. In a heartbeat, Jerry stepped through.

....

Universe T-76A5 was quiet. Too quiet.

Jerry moved swiftly through the cluttered garage, his senses heightened. Rick wasn't here, just as he had predicted. Good. He had time. His eyes darted toward the shelf where the remaining memory crystals sat, glowing softly in the dim light. They looked so innocent, so unassuming. But Jerry knew what they really were, the keys to Rick's genius, the fragments of his mind that made him the most dangerous man in the multiverse.

He approached the shelf, running his fingers over the cool surface of the crystals. One by one, he carefully picked them up, stashing them in a makeshift bag he had brought with him. Every crystal represented another piece of the puzzle, another step closer to understanding, to power.

"Rick... you never saw this coming," Jerry muttered, his heart racing with excitement. "You thought I was just a fool."

As he finished collecting the crystals, Jerry glanced up at the security camera mounted in the corner of the garage. He knew Rick would see this. He wanted Rick to see this.

Raising his middle finger toward the lens, Jerry stared into the camera, a smirk spreading across his face. "You thought you could keep me in the dark, didn't you? Thought I'd always be your puppet. But guess what? I'm taking them, Rick. I've got the pieces you never thought I'd touch. It's too late for you. I'm not the idiot you always thought I was. I'm in control now."

With that, Jerry activated the portal gun again, stepping back into the swirling vortex, the crystals disappearing with him.

....

Rick stepped back into his garage, his usual swagger faltering for just a second as he took in the scene. It was subtle at first, just a nagging feeling, but then his eyes landed on the empty shelf.

The memory crystals were gone.

"What the hell-" Rick's words caught in his throat as he rushed to the security feed. His fingers flew across the keyboard, scrubbing through the footage until he found it.

Jerry.

Rick watched in stunned silence as Jerry took the crystals, as Jerry flipped him off and spat his declaration right into the camera. For a moment, Rick was too shocked to react. Jerry, Jerry, had outsmarted him? No. That wasn't possible.

His expression twisted with rage. "That dumbass... He doesn't know what he's messing with!"

Rick slammed his fist into the workbench, sending tools clattering to the ground. Jerry had stolen from him. Jerry had outplayed him. But Rick wasn't going to let this slide.

His mind was racing now, already calculating his next move. He grabbed the portal gun, his eyes blazing with fury. The Council of Ricks. That was where he needed to go. They had the resources, the scanners, and the manpower to help him track Jerry down. If anyone could help him fix this, it was them.

Rick opened another portal, stepping through with a snarl. He wasn't going to let Jerry get away with this.

....

At the Citadel of Ricks, chaos was brewing.

Evil Morty was gaining power, positioning himself as a candidate for leadership, but there was another rumor circulating, an anomaly. A Jerry, of all things, who had somehow outwitted his Rick. It sounded absurd, but the whispers wouldn't stop. Ricks throughout the multiverse were talking about it, some in disbelief, others in quiet awe.

Evil Morty leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing on his lips as one of his advisors finished delivering the latest report. "So, a Jerry, huh?" he mused, tapping his fingers together. "A Jerry who managed to outsmart his Rick."

The advisor nodded. "It seems that way, sir. The Council is starting to take it seriously."

Evil Morty's smile widened. "Good. I want to know more. Find him. If there's a Jerry out there capable of outwitting a Rick... well, that could be very interesting."

....

Back in Universe K-4529, Jerry stood over his workbench, the memory crystals laid out in front of him. He had them all now—every last piece of Rick T-76A5's fragmented genius. But there was more work to be done.

Jerry carefully connected the crystals to the floating orb he had built earlier, the same device he had used to merge the memories from Rick K-4529 and Rick T-76A5. The orb hummed to life, its surface glowing as the crystals began to merge, slowly integrating their contents into a single cohesive whole.

As the memories flowed, Jerry felt them merging seamlessly into his mind. There was no rush this time, no overwhelming flood of information. It was smooth, controlled. Jerry could feel the knowledge settling into place, piece by piece, making him stronger, smarter. He saw Rick T-76A5's experiments, his theories, his adventures. But more importantly, Jerry understood how Rick thought. He understood the man who had once towered over him.

Jerry grinned to himself as the last crystal's glow faded. He wasn't just playing catch-up anymore. He was ahead.

With the crystals safely stored, Jerry leaned back in his chair, staring at the flickering lights of his new base. Rick T-76A5 had no idea where he was, and with the cloaking device in place, he never would. This wasn't just about hiding anymore. Jerry was building something. He was preparing.

For the first time in his life, Jerry felt like he had control. Real control. And Rick? Rick was nothing more than a nuisance now.

He chuckled softly to himself, the sound echoing through the empty garage. "You always thought you were smarter than me, Rick," Jerry whispered. "But now? Now I have your mind. And soon enough, I'll have your power."

....

Rick stormed into the Citadel, his eyes blazing as he approached the Council. "I need access to the full scanner network," he growled. "Jerry's gone rogue, and I'm not letting that idiot get away with this."

The Council members exchanged uneasy glances. Ricks rarely asked for help with their own problems, but this was different. Rick T-76A5 wasn't just angry, he was scared. And that was a problem.

"We'll authorize it," one of the Ricks said finally. "But you better get control of this fast. The last thing we need is more anomalies."

Rick nodded, already activating the portal gun. He would find Jerry. He would take back what was his. And when he did, Jerry wouldn't know what hit him.