Chapter 21: The Hunt Across Dimensions

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The multiverse unfolded before me like a vast, chaotic tapestry, every thread leading to another Rick or Morty who thought they could outsmart me. They couldn't. I had spent too much time perfecting my abilities, crafting my weapons, and designing traps for this very moment. The Citadel had crumbled into chaos after my public display, and now, it was time to collect what I needed for my next evolution.

My portal gun hummed in my hand, its Celestium Core pulsing softly as I traveled from one dimension to the next. I had a list, a dozen Ricks and Mortys who had shown signs of unique intelligence, those whose minds would serve as the foundation for my future. And I was prepared for every one of them.

....

Rick C-9829 had fortified himself in a hidden bunker deep within Dimension ZJ-772, a lush, jungle-covered world where the atmosphere itself was toxic to outsiders. But I was no outsider anymore. I had enhanced my body to handle any environment, and as I stepped through the portal, I could feel the toxins in the air cling to my skin, only to dissolve before they could do any damage.

His bunker was buried beneath layers of rock and reinforced steel, but my upgraded portal gun made short work of it. The beam from the Celestial Ray sliced through the entrance like it was paper, revealing a series of twisting corridors lined with traps. Plasma turrets, energy mines, the works. Rick C-9829 had prepared for an invasion. But he hadn't prepared for me.

Moving swiftly through the invisible portals I opened ahead of me, I navigated through his defenses. His AI-controlled turrets barely had time to lock onto my position before I vanished again, reappearing behind them. A few precise shots, and the defenses crumbled.

When I reached Rick's control room, he was ready. A shield of energy crackled around him, his fingers flying across the control panels as he directed automated drones to attack me. But none of it mattered. I activated the invisible portal behind him and appeared inside his shield before he even realized what had happened.

He turned, eyes wide, but it was too late. I hit him with a neural disruptor, and in moments, he was incapacitated. I opened a portal to my base, and he fell through, unconscious, into the holding cell I had prepared.

....

Morty E-1372 was another story. He had learned about my plans somehow, probably through rumors spreading across the Citadel after my last appearance. When I tracked him down to Dimension DV-241, he had already gathered a small group of allies, Ricks, Mortys, even a few rogue aliens. They had fortified a small city, transforming it into a defensive stronghold.

But defenses were meaningless against someone who could step through dimensions unseen. I watched from a distance as they set up barricades, energy shields flickering around the perimeter. They thought they were ready, but they had no idea what was coming.

I moved through the city like a shadow, slipping past their guards, unseen and unheard. Morty E-1372 had barricaded himself in the highest tower, surrounded by Ricks armed with the latest Citadel technology. But I had upgraded beyond anything they could comprehend.

When the time was right, I opened a portal inside the tower, bypassing the shield entirely. The moment I stepped through, chaos erupted. The Ricks tried to react, firing off plasma rifles and energy grenades, but I was too fast. I opened another portal behind them, slipping through and disarming them one by one with precise shots from the Celestial Ray.

Morty E-1372 tried to run, but I was already there, blocking his path. He threw a desperate punch, but I caught his arm easily, twisting it behind his back as I opened a portal. He struggled, cursing me, but in seconds, he was thrown into the holding cell, just like the others.

....

Each Rick and Morty I captured had prepared in their own way, but none of them were ready for what I had become. Rick B-4521 tried to trap me in a time loop, but my upgrades allowed me to destabilize his device, turning it against him. Morty X-6120 attempted to escape into a pocket dimension, but I tracked him down, using the transparency feature of my portal gun to see through his tricks.

One by one, they fell, each of them transported back to my hidden base, where the holding cells hummed with power, keeping them locked away. Their minds, their unique intelligence, would soon be mine to dissect and understand.

....

I stood in front of my desk, watching the Citadel unravel on the multiple monitors. Chaos everywhere. Jerry's attacks were spreading, targeting Ricks and Mortys with surgical precision, and the Council was floundering. Typical. But me? I wasn't panicking. While everyone else was running around like headless chickens, I was playing the long game.

Jerry. A name that used to be synonymous with failure and mediocrity. Now? He was turning into a real problem, and I needed to know why.

"Jerry's getting bolder," I muttered, pacing in front of the screens. I studied the pattern. It wasn't just random kidnappings. No, he was choosing his targets carefully, Ricks and Mortys with certain talents. It wasn't a coincidence.

But what was he after? Was it power? Revenge? Or something bigger?

I couldn't help but smirk. The Council was blind to the real game, reacting to Jerry like he was some random glitch in their perfect system. But me? I knew better. I had been watching Jerry for a while, even before all this started. The signs were there, but no one else saw it coming.

They were all scrambling to contain him. Pathetic. They were letting their pride cloud their judgment, assuming Jerry couldn't be a real threat. But here he was, tearing through the multiverse like he'd been planning this for years.

And maybe he had.

But I don't make the same mistakes. I learned from them. I wouldn't underestimate Jerry. That's how you lose. He's collecting something, evolving, and that makes him dangerous. But it also makes him predictable.

I returned to the console, running my fingers across the interface, pulling up reports from my agents. Data, whispers, patterns, I had people everywhere, keeping tabs on every move Jerry made. The Council thought they were chasing him, but I was the one pulling the strings. Let them think they're in control for a little while longer.

"Every move, Jerry," I whispered to myself, smirking. "Every move brings you closer to me."

Patience. That's the key. I wouldn't rush in like the others, thinking I could outsmart him with brute force. No, Jerry would show his hand eventually. When he did, I'd be ready.

And when the Citadel came crashing down? Well, Jerry would either be an ally or a tool. Either way, I win.

....

I sat in my ship, staring at the scanner readings. Jerry. Freakin' Jerry. I took another swig from my flask, the burn of alien liquor doing nothing to calm my nerves. That idiot really thought he could pull one over on me? After all these years?

"Huhhhp, it's always the ones you least expect," I muttered under my breath, trying to piece it all together. The trail was cold, barely any signs of where he'd be next, but I wasn't stopping. Not until I had him.

Morty sat next to me, his usual jittery self. "Rick… Jerry's really doing this, huh? Like, he's-"

"Yeah, Morty, huhhhp, he's doing it," I cut him off, annoyed. "But don't get your panties in a twist. He's still Jerry. He's just got a few tricks up his sleeve now. Tricks that I'll dismantle, piece by piece."

Morty's worry wasn't completely unfounded. This Jerry was… different. Smarter. Crazier. But that's what made it fun, right? I mean, hell, life's pretty boring when everything's predictable. But Jerry? Jerry being the one who's actually pulling off interdimensional kidnappings? Yeah, that's something.

But smarter or not, he's still Jerry. And Jerry has a weakness, he always has. It's just a matter of figuring out what that is this time around. I've seen Ricks panic, scrambling to contain him, but that's not me. Huhhhp, I don't panic.

I leaned back in my seat, the faint hum of the ship's engines filling the silence. The scanner was picking up faint traces of the energy signature he'd left behind. Barely a blip, but it was something.

"Wherever you're running, Jerry," I muttered, eyes narrowing at the console, "I'll find you. And then? Huhhhp, I'm gonna remind you who you're messing with."

Morty's voice cut through my thoughts. "What if.. what if he's too smart now, Rick? What if he's, you know, like…"

"Too smart?" I shot Morty a look. "It's Jerry. He can evolve all he wants. Huhhhp, you can slap a jetpack on a slug, but it's still just a slug."

But I wasn't about to tell Morty that Jerry was worrying me. That I'd seen things from Jerry lately that didn't add up. This wasn't some spontaneous plan. He's been working on this for a while. But what for? Power? Control? Survival?

Either way, "huhhhp", it didn't matter. He made himself into a target, and I wasn't gonna let him walk away from this.

My eyes flicked to the dashboard, the scanner still running, tracking the faint trail Jerry had left. I was closing in, step by step. It was only a matter of time.

"Huhhhp, one thing you forgot, Jerry," I said quietly, grinning to myself. "I'm not like the other Ricks. You can run, but I always catch up."

The game was on.

....

The game was in motion. I had my targets, my plans, and soon, the Citadel would fall, just like the Ricks and Mortys I had already captured.

The hunt wasn't over.

It was just beginning.

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I'm practicing with the switch of pov but by showing and not telling.

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