Chapter 12: A New Hunt

I stepped out of the portal and back into Universe T-76A5, my original dimension. The air was still, the world unchanged, but everything felt different now. I wasn't the same Jerry who had cowered in Rick's shadow, the one who had been mocked and underestimated. Now, I had Rick's mind, his genius, and his memories, pieces of him, but it wasn't enough.

I needed more. And I knew exactly where to start.

The dinosaurs.

Rick had always hated them, those annoyingly peaceful, incredibly advanced beings. Their intelligence far surpassed most of the multiverse's species, and I knew if I could get my hands on their knowledge, I could go beyond what even Rick had achieved. But capturing them wouldn't be easy. They were too smart, too well-guarded. I needed to set up a temporary base first, somewhere I could operate without any distractions or interruptions.

Space.

I'd build my base in orbit, away from prying eyes, and prepare the tools I needed to capture the dinosaurs. They wouldn't see me coming. No one would.

....

The Citadel was buzzing with activity.

"Rick T-76A5's vitals are still offline," one of the senior Ricks said, pacing in front of a large holographic display that flickered with streams of data. "We've scanned several nearby dimensions, but we can't locate him or Jerry. It's like they've disappeared."

Another Rick, younger but equally tense, frowned at the console. "Jerry's cloaking himself. He's learned how to stay off our scanners. But he can't hide forever."

Evil Morty stood in the background, watching the chaos unfold with a calculated calmness. He had heard the reports, seen the data, and now, he understood the gravity of the situation. A Jerry had managed to take down a Rick, something no one had thought possible. And now this anomaly was loose.

"Find him," Evil Morty finally said, his voice quiet but commanding. "We can't let this Jerry roam free. If he's capable of taking down one Rick, he could pose a threat to more."

The Ricks exchanged uneasy glances. They knew Jerry had become more than just an anomaly. He was a danger. And now, the entire Citadel was turning its focus toward tracking him down.

....

I hovered in the void of space, high above the Earth of T-76A5, a ship borrowed from one of Rick's many forgotten caches. The sleek, metallic walls of the temporary base shimmered under the faint starlight as I worked on the devices I'd need to capture the dinosaurs. They were peaceful, sure, but I wasn't naïve. They wouldn't just let me walk in and take their knowledge without a fight.

The neural extractor had worked wonders on Rick, but I needed something more powerful, something that could handle multiple targets at once. The dinosaurs' minds were vast, their knowledge deep, and I couldn't risk losing any of it in the transfer. I began modifying the extractor, boosting its range, enhancing its memory capacity. Every wire, every circuit, every modification had to be perfect.

The ship's sensors blinked, notifying me of the increased activity from the Citadel. I paused, narrowing my eyes at the screen. They were getting closer. I could feel it. But they hadn't found me yet. The cloaking systems I'd set up were holding, keeping me hidden from their scanners. For now.

....

Meanwhile, Rick C-137 sat in his ship, The Space Cruiser, leaning back with a bored expression as Morty sat beside him, nervously tapping his foot.

"Uh, Rick, where exactly are we going again?" Morty asked, his voice shaky.

"The Citadel, Morty. Huhhhp, where else?" Rick replied, taking a swig from his flask. "Apparently, there's some big deal happening with a Jerry of all people. Can't miss that kind of bullshit. Plus, we gotta check in with those idiots at the Citadel for, you know, whatever reason."

"Jerry?" Morty's eyebrows furrowed. "What could a Jerry possibly, wait, no way. Is it… our Jerry?"

Rick snorted, shaking his head. "No, Morty. Huhhhp, don't give our Jerry that much credit. This one's some kind of, uh, rogue genius or some crap. But if a Jerry's causing this much of a stir, I gotta see it for myself."

As the ship zipped through the cosmos toward the Citadel, Rick's mind wandered. He'd heard the rumors, whispers of a Jerry who had taken out a Rick. It sounded ridiculous. Impossible, even. But if there was any truth to it, well, Rick C-137 wasn't going to sit by and let another Rick get outplayed by a Jerry.

No way in hell.

....

Back on the temporary base, I finished the final modifications to the neural extractor, watching as it powered up with a low hum. It was ready. With this, I'd be able to drain the memories of the dinosaurs, take all their knowledge for myself, and use it to stay ahead of the Citadel. They were coming for me, but by the time they found me, I'd be too powerful to stop.

I activated the ship's engines, steering it toward the dinosaurs' last known location. They had tried to establish themselves as the superior species once, and now, I was going to use that arrogance against them.

The Citadel could keep searching. They wouldn't find me. Not until I wanted them to.

....

At the Citadel, Rick C-137 arrived, stepping out of his ship with Morty in tow. The air was thick with tension, Ricks murmuring to one another, their usual confidence shaken by the news of the rogue Jerry.

Evil Morty watched from a distance as Rick C-137 made his way through the crowds, his eyes narrowing in recognition. This Rick had caused trouble before, and now he was here, undoubtedly looking to involve himself in the hunt for Jerry.

"Things are changing," Evil Morty muttered to himself, a small smirk forming. "Let's see how far this goes."

Rick C-137 approached one of the Council Ricks, his usual swagger in full force. "Alright, fill me in. What's the deal with this Jerry, huhhhp?"

The Council Rick frowned, glancing around nervously. "It's… bad. This Jerry took down Rick T-76A5. We've been trying to track him, but he's hidden. Cloaked."

Rick C-137 snorted, shaking his head. "A Jerry outsmarting a Rick? Sounds like a joke. Huhhhp, but I guess I'll stick around and see what happens. After all, huhhhp, can't let a Jerry one-up us, right?"

Morty looked at his grandpa, nervous. "What do we do if he's actually dangerous, Rick?"

Rick shrugged, taking another swig from his flask. "We handle him, Morty. Just like we always do."

....

I stood at the controls of the ship, the vastness of space stretching out before me. The dinosaurs were next, and after them? Who knew. The multiverse was filled with infinite possibilities, infinite worlds to conquer.

And soon enough, not even the Citadel would be able to stop me.