The neural extractor sat on the workbench, its faint glow the only light in the dim garage. I watched it hum softly, its form sleek and deceptively simple. This device would be my key to breaking Rick T-76A5, the device that would take everything from him, everything that made him the most dangerous man in the multiverse.
But I couldn't use it yet. Not until I had a clear plan in place. Rick wasn't stupid, and as much as I wanted to believe I had the upper hand, I knew that he could turn the tables on me in a second if I wasn't careful. He was relentless, and that made him dangerous. He had been searching for me, no doubt, following every lead he could find.
I needed to set the perfect trap. I needed to draw him out on my terms.
I stood up, pacing the garage, my mind racing with possibilities. The Citadel was no doubt tracking him now, watching his every move, waiting for him to slip up. But Rick didn't slip up. I had to make him come to me, make him believe that he had the upper hand. Only then could I use the extractor and take what I needed.
....
In the Citadel of Ricks, tension was building.
"We've got a trace on Rick T-76A5," a Council member said, his eyes scanning the data displayed on the hologram in front of him. "He's moving through dimensions faster than we predicted. It looks like he's zeroing in on something."
Another Rick leaned over the console, frowning. "What's he after?"
"No idea," the first Rick replied, shaking his head. "But he's heading toward a cluster of uncharted universes. Could be he's getting close to finding Jerry."
The room fell silent for a moment as the Council processed the information. Evil Morty, standing off to the side, smirked.
"Good," Morty said softly, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Let him run. He'll lead us right to Jerry."
....
I knew Rick wouldn't stop. He was obsessive, driven by the need to prove he was the smartest, the best. But that was his weakness. He couldn't stand the thought of losing to someone like me. To Jerry.
I needed to use that against him.
I sat back down at the workbench, the neural extractor still humming softly in front of me. The plan was taking shape in my mind. I'd create a scenario where Rick thought he was closing in on me, where he believed he had finally outsmarted me. But it would be a lie. I would be in control the whole time, leading him into a trap of my own making.
He would walk right into it, convinced that he had me cornered. And that's when I'd use the extractor, pulling every memory, every thought, every fragment of his genius right out of his head.
....
Rick T-76A5 was moving fast, tearing through dimensions with a reckless speed that even he rarely displayed. His portal gun buzzed and hissed as he punched in coordinates, his mind racing with a fury that kept him going.
"Stupid Jerry," Rick muttered under his breath as he stepped through another portal, his eyes scanning the new dimension. It looked similar to his own, too similar. He was getting close. He could feel it.
Another portal. Another dimension.
"Where the hell are you, Jerry?"
He stopped for a moment, his hand gripping the portal gun tightly. Something felt off. He'd been chasing this anomaly for weeks now, ever since Jerry had outsmarted him and stolen the crystals. And every step of the way, it felt like he was walking into a trap.
Rick let out a burp, the taste of alien liquor burning in his throat. "Huhhhp, No way Jerry's smart enough to set me up. He's just a cockroach running scared."
But still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. This was too easy. He was getting too close too fast. Jerry wasn't supposed to be this good at hiding. Not unless…
Rick's eyes narrowed. "Damn it. I'm walking into something."
....
Back in K-4529, I was finalizing the details of the plan. I knew Rick was close, closer than ever before. And when he found me, I had to be ready.
The extractor was perfect, ready for action. But I needed more than just tech. I needed to control the battlefield. The garage I had taken over in K-4529 was already wired with traps, hidden defenses I had rigged from Rick K-4529's abandoned projects. But I needed to make sure everything was flawless. If Rick got even a whiff that this wasn't his victory, he'd burn the place to the ground with me inside it.
I checked the wiring again, making sure the traps were all in place. Proximity mines, EMP generators to disable Rick's tech, even a failsafe that would seal the entire dimension if things went sideways. It was overkill, maybe, but I wasn't taking any chances. This was my moment, and I wasn't about to let Rick outplay me.
I activated the cloaking device, hiding K-4529 from any scanners or trackers. Rick wouldn't see me coming. He'd think he was the one setting the trap.
But he was wrong.
I stepped back, taking a deep breath. Everything was in place. All I had to do now was wait.
....
Rick stopped in his tracks, staring at the empty space around him. The dimension was eerily quiet, too quiet. He tapped a few buttons on his wrist scanner, frowning at the readings.
"Come on, Jerry," Rick muttered. "I know you're here."
He opened another portal, stepping into the unknown. But this time, as he stepped through, he felt it, the shift. The slight change in the air, the faint hum of something hidden.
Rick's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "Oh, shit…"
....
Back in K-4529, I watched the portal open, my heart pounding in my chest.
Rick had taken the bait. He was here.
I gripped the neural extractor tightly in my hand, my eyes locked on the portal as Rick T-76A5 stepped through.
This was it.
He thought he was coming for me. He thought he was going to take back what I had stolen.
But I was the one in control now.
I stepped forward, my hand tightening around the extractor. "Welcome to my world, Rick."
This wasn't his game anymore.
It was mine.