MurderVictim

Total eclipse of the Rick~

Morty didn't move. For that first moment, all he did was glance at the screwdriver at the opposite end of the work bench. He shifted his attention from the screwdriver, to Rick, screwdriver, then finally back to Rick. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when he saw Rick outstretch his hand. From past experiences, Morty knew very well that this was a good time to argue.

Wordlessly, the teenager stepped further into the garage. His hand shook as he picked up the screwdriver and plopped the handle in Rick's palm. Between then and when the older man spoke next, Morty took the time to study his appearance. Rick certainly looked like he had been though a lot, but that wasn't where Morty's attention was. Rather, it was on his face. He squinted a bit, though he wasn't sure what he was looking for. Rick looked exactly the same as before. He looked like any other Rick.

Rick's next request snapped him out of his thoughts. Morty blinked, confused. "Uh..." Interrupted by Rick's sudden question, Morty followed his gaze up to the ceiling. Indeed, there was some faint patches of nicotine residue on it and the walls. "I-I think it was Mom," he said, his voice hoarse from not speaking for so long.

"B-But, uh...Crystallized w-what?" He was sure he had heard it before, but at the state he was in he couldn't recall what it was Rick was talking about.

Total eclipse of the Rick~

Poor guy xD Well, at least Beth hasn't shot him...Yet.

Total eclipse of the Rick~

As Morty dreamed, the voices that seeped in from under his door penetrated the images he saw. The noises were soft from where he was on his bed, directly below him in the kitchen, but that didn't keep his brain from picking out what it could. There came the sheepish tone from his father, which didn't last long. It echoed off his dreams and bounced back out without much damage. The other voice, on the other hand...

Morty sat up with a gasp. He crossed his legs under the blanket, though was shaking so hard that he could hardly move. He put a hand to his chest, then pressed it to his forehead before looking down at his lap. That one had felt so real. It was almost like Rick was right there, speaking and breathing and living. Morty's mind was getting a little too good at torturing him. He looked around at his dark room, catching the outlines of a few things littering the floor.

Everything was so quiet. He looked to the door, waited, held his breath, then let it go. Everyone was asleep - Rick wasn't going to barge in to call him to a late night adventure. Morty swallowed hard and realized how dry his throat was. He licked his lips, then threw the blankets back.

Padding down to the kitchen, Morty was surprised to find his father still up. He didn't say anything, however. He just went to the sink, filled up a glass, and gulped it down. He eyed Jerry over the rim of the glass.

"Um...I..." He lowered the glass and looked away, his free hand playing with the fabric of his pajama shirt awkwardly. Was this normal? He didn't think it was. The kitchen smelled like reheated food, and that wasn't new. Beth hadn't exactly called him to dinner...Again. Still, something felt off. Very off.

"Well, um...Good night, Dad. Heh." He dumped the glass in the sink and turned, quietly making his way back towards the stairs. He was about to begin the venture up to his room when he glanced at the garage door. He gripped the handrail so hard that his knuckles turned white. He wanted nothing more than to get away from it, and he was about to, but something caught his eye.

The door was slightly ajar. It was closed, but not all the way. No, no. His parents were the cause of that. Or Summer. Or the wind. Sucking in a deep breath, Morty left the stairs and reached for the knob, aiming to close it right. His fingertips brushed the wood, and the action was just enough to push the door open. Morty's eyes widened as he hurried to grasp the knob.

Rick was going to be pissed!

No...No, wait. No.

Morty tensed and looked up the knob. Why should he care if the door was open? It was just a garage. He sighed and looked into the garage, only to be greeted by a familiar figure inside.

For a moment, he was sure he was hallucinating. He was dreaming. He was sleepwalking and dreaming of the past. That's all it was! He froze, but the scientist before him didn't vanish. At that, all he could do was stare wide-eyed at the man.

"R-...Rick?"

Total eclipse of the Rick~

Mr.Poopybutthole never catches a break, does he? xD;

Total eclipse of the Rick~

"We're Mortys! We're not defined by our relationships to Rick! Our destiny is our own!"

Those words still rang in his ears, bouncing around as they slowly lost meaning. He remembered the rush of encouragement, of adrenaline as he joined the other versions of himself be spurred on by Morty C-137's speech. His words were powerful, and hit him at the bone. At the time, he believed him.

Morty C-237 was a fool.

The moment the crowd had been broken apart and pushed away from the downed Rick, his senses came crashing back. There was blood on his shirt, his hands, his face. He didn't look any different from most of the other Mortys who surrounded him, and he wasn't treated any differently either. He was escorted from the building and rounded with countless other Mortys like cattle.

The light hit him hard, making him shield his face with his bloodied hands. He blinked his eyes open and squinted at all the moving bodies around him until someone shoved him forward. He looked up and saw a Rick staring down at him with an expression of disinterest, which quickly shifted to a frown.

"C-C'mon! Move. We don't have all day, asswipe!"

Morty swept his gaze down at the ground, and finally moved forward.

---

The Council of Ricks had been very vague when they told him when he'd be given a new Rick. "When one needs a replacement," they had told him. Until then, he was expected to shut up and go back to his dimension. Morty had been so numb that he hardly realized when a portal to C-237 had been opened in front of him. Stepping through, he found that his dimension was exactly like it had been. He knew he had been gone for at least a couple months, so of course there wasn't going to be any changes.

Creeking the front door open, Morty peeked around it. The television was on, but no one was watching it. He looked to the kitchen as he caught the heated voices of an argument. Furrowing his brow, he stepped inside and slammed the door behind him. The arguing stopped.

---

His parents had greeted him with hugs and snippy comments towards each other. His mother's eyes were red, her hair was disheveled, and there were what could only be wine stains on her shirt. His father, on the other hand, was perfectly fine.

His sister had rushed down the steps, and before Morty could say a word she was pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. One look at her told Morty that she had spent much time crying.

That first night was awkward. Beth had made a plate up for Rick, and nearly burst into tears when Jerry pointed it out. All Morty could do was sit and slowly eat, trying not to look up from his plate when his parents started to argue.

Summer slammed her fork down and declared that she was going to stay the night at her friend's. Judging by the way that neither Beth or Jerry attempted to stop her, Morty figured that this was a nightly occurrence. He watched her leave.

She didn't come back until two days later.

---

Now, almost a month later, Morty was sitting on his bed. He was currently busy inspecting the healing wounds on his sides. The puncture marks had scabbed over, but were still painful when touched. He guessed they would scar. He bit his lip, knowing it could be worse. His time trapped to the building, repeatedly stabbed to keep his brainwaves shrill and powerful, had been short compared to a few others. There had been no set schedule for when the Mortys would be swapped out to prevent actual starvation, so some had been left out there for far longer than others. That Rick hadn't cared to keep track - he just couldn't have any dead Mortys on his hands. A dead Morty couldn't give off brainwaves.

Morty still had nightmares, and likely would for a long time. Sighing, he lowered his shirt. He swung his legs off the side of his bed and looked out the window. The sky was dark, hardly punctured by any light. Standing, he went to the small window and leaned against the sill. Silently, he counted the few stars that he could see. He traced them, trying to find the constellations Rick had showed him. He darted his eyes up and down, side to side, but couldn't find any. Either the clouds blocked them all, or he had forgotten them.

The teenager took in a deep breath through his nostrils, shuddered, and covered his face as his eyes began to tear up. He couldn't believe he missed that old, drunk asshole. All the scientist had done was drag him around, yell at him, and make him question every aspect of his life. He crushed every sense of security and normality he had in the span of one year.

Yet, all he could remember was that morning, and how Rick had grabbed his shirt and yanked him back until the kid fell out of his chair. The shot had so clearly been made for Rick, but all that old bastard could do was try to protect Morty's sorry ass while everyone else screamed.

"Oh my god, Rick. I fucking hate you."

He wiped at his face, ridding it of his tears as he looked up just in time to spot a shooting star. His naivety wanted to make a wish, but all he did was turn away. He crossed the room to shut off the light, then headed back to his bed. Once under the covers, he shoved a hand under his pillow before settling down, and was asleep within moments.

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

Fuck. Yeah.

PM'ING YOU NOW! :D

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

Gonnnna bump this

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

Buuummmp

*eagerly awaits the season finale*

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

I think last night's episode made some pretty good plot opportunities, so...bump!

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

Buummp