A Genius Morty

The war room was quieter than usual. Gone were the frenzied shouts and battle plans, replaced with a heavy silence as Rick and Summer stood around Morty, trying to figure out how to save his life. The wound in Morty's chest still pulsed with that sickly, unnatural glow, like a black hole slowly eating away at his life force. Morty sat slumped in a chair, his face pale and drawn, the pain etched deeply into his expression.

Rick's face was a mask of concentration as he worked furiously on a small device, the whir of his tools the only sound in the room. His eyes were red-rimmed, his hands shaking ever so slightly with the effort of maintaining his composure. For once, there was no sarcasm in his voice, no humor or condescension—just the cold, hard focus of a man who knew he was running out of time.

"This has to work," Rick muttered to himself, tweaking the device in his hand. "Come on, you piece of junk. If there was ever a time for you to pull through, it's now."

Summer was pacing back and forth, her frustration mounting with every second that ticked by. She had never felt so powerless in her life. She had faced down monsters, survived battles with interdimensional threats, but seeing her brother in pain—seeing the life slowly draining from him—was tearing her apart.

"Rick, what are you doing?" Summer asked, her voice raw with desperation. "You said you'd find a way to heal him. You said you could fix this!"

Rick's eyes never left the device as he replied, his voice tight with a strain he couldn't hide. "I'm trying, Summer. I'm doing everything I can. This wound isn't just some cut or bruise; it's a tear in the very fabric of Morty's existence. I'm dealing with something that defies every law of physics and logic I know."

Summer stopped pacing and stared at Rick, her eyes blazing with a mixture of fear and anger. "You're Rick Sanchez! You're the smartest man in the multiverse! There has to be something you can do!"

Rick paused, his hands trembling for a moment as he set the device down on the table. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, and for the first time, Summer saw the fear in his eyes—the fear of losing Morty, of not being able to fix this.

"I'm trying to find a way to close the rift," Rick said, his voice cracking slightly. "To stabilize the energy without blowing Morty's entire system apart. But every time I think I've got a solution, I hit a wall. This kind of injury isn't supposed to exist—it's a paradox. The fact that Morty's even alive right now is a miracle of his own willpower."

Morty forced a weak smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the pain wracking his body. "A miracle, huh? I thought you didn't believe in those, Rick."

Rick shot him a look that was half a glare, half a plea. "Don't get all philosophical on me now, Morty. Save your energy. I need you focused on staying alive while I try to figure this out."

Summer dropped into a chair beside Morty, taking his hand in hers, her grip almost too tight as if she was afraid that if she let go, he might disappear. "We're not losing you, Morty. Do you hear me? We're not letting you go."

Morty looked at her, his eyes softening despite the pain. "I'm not planning on going anywhere, Summer. But you guys… you don't have to do this. If there's no way to fix me—"

"Shut up, Morty," Summer snapped, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't you dare say that. Don't you dare give up on us like that. We're going to fix this, okay? We're going to find a way."

Rick's eyes flicked up to Summer, his own face tight with determination. "She's right, Morty. I've pulled us out of impossible situations before, and I'm not about to let some damn interdimensional tear take you away from us. We've come too far for that."

Morty's smile wavered, and for the first time, they saw the real fear in his eyes. Not fear of dying, but fear of failing them, fear of being the reason they lost everything they'd fought for. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I should've told you sooner. I thought I could handle it—I thought I could be strong enough."

Rick reached over and grabbed Morty's hand, squeezing it hard. "You are strong enough, Morty. Stronger than you realize. But strength doesn't mean doing it all on your own. It means trusting the people around you to help you when you're falling apart."

Summer wiped a tear from her cheek, nodding fiercely. "We're a team, Morty. A messed-up, dysfunctional team, but a team all the same. And we're not letting you face this alone."

Rick stood up abruptly, pacing the room, muttering to himself as he racked his brain for any solution that might work. His eyes darted over the various pieces of equipment, scanning for something—anything—that could stabilize the rift in Morty's chest without destroying him in the process.

"I need a stabilizer," Rick said suddenly, snapping his fingers as an idea seemed to take shape. "Something that can temporarily bind the energy, hold it in place while we work on a more permanent fix. It's risky as hell, but it's the best shot we've got right now."

Summer's face lit up with hope. "Okay, then let's do it. What do you need? I'll get it. I'll do anything—just tell me what to do."

Rick paused for a moment, looking at Summer, and he nodded slowly. "I need the temporal stabilizer core from the backup lab. It's experimental tech, but it's our best bet at keeping Morty's wound from spiraling out of control."

Summer didn't waste a second. She was on her feet and out the door, running towards the backup lab with a speed that would've impressed even Rick. Morty watched her go, a small, grateful smile tugging at the corner of his lips despite the pain.

Rick turned back to Morty, his face lined with worry that he couldn't mask any longer. He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him, looking Morty dead in the eye. "Listen to me, Morty. This is going to hurt like hell. We're going to try and bind that wound in your chest, keep the energy from tearing you apart. But there's a chance it might not work—it might just make things worse."

Morty nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Rick's. "I know, Rick. I trust you. Whatever happens, I'm ready for it."

Rick swallowed hard, his voice unsteady. "I'm not ready to lose you, Morty. Not now, not after everything we've been through. I know I'm a crappy grandpa most of the time, but I'm not losing you like this. Not while I can still do something about it."

Just then, Summer burst back into the room, panting heavily, the temporal stabilizer core clutched tightly in her hands. She handed it to Rick, who took it with a nod of thanks, immediately beginning the delicate process of hooking it up to the equipment they needed to stabilize Morty's wound.

"Alright, Morty," Rick said, his voice grim. "This is it. We're going to activate the stabilizer, and you need to focus on keeping that energy in check. Don't let it consume you. You're stronger than this rift, Morty. Don't let it define you."

Morty closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling the energy in his chest pulse like a living thing, like a monster he was trying to keep at bay. He nodded to Rick, his jaw clenched in determination.

Rick activated the stabilizer, and immediately, Morty felt a jolt of pain unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It was as if his entire chest was on fire, like his very soul was being pulled apart. He gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he focused every ounce of his power on holding the energy in place, refusing to let it break free.

Summer grabbed Morty's hand, squeezing it tightly, her own face twisted in anguish as she watched him struggle. "You've got this, Morty. You've got this. We're right here with you."

The stabilizer buzzed, emitting a low hum as it began to bind the energy in Morty's chest, slowly sealing the rift. Morty's breath came in ragged gasps, his whole body trembling from the effort, but he held on, his eyes locked on Rick's.

After what felt like an eternity, the stabilizer let out a soft beep, the energy in Morty's chest finally settling, the glow dimming ever so slightly. Morty slumped back in the chair, exhausted but alive, the rift in his chest held in check for now.

Rick let out a shaky breath, wiping a hand across his face. "We did it, Morty. We bought you some time."

Summer hugged Morty fiercely, her arms wrapped around him like she was afraid to let go. "You're not going anywhere, Morty. We're going to fix this, for real this time."

Morty nodded weakly, a tear slipping down his cheek as he looked at both of them—his family, his anchors in this storm. He could feel the exhaustion settling in, the ache in his chest still there but muted, held at bay by the stabilizer that hummed softly against his skin. The relief was almost overwhelming, but beneath it was a fierce gratitude, a love he rarely let himself express.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of fatigue and emotion. "Thank you both… for not giving up on me."

Rick's face softened, and for a moment, the usually sarcastic, cynical exterior melted away, revealing something raw and unguarded. He pulled Morty into a tight, almost desperate hug, his arms wrapped around his grandson as if he were afraid to let go. "Never, Morty," Rick said, his voice rough. "I'm never giving up on you. You hear me? We're in this together, no matter how messed up things get."

Summer joined the hug, her grip on Morty just as fierce, her voice barely more than a whisper. "You're not alone, Morty. You never were. And you're never going to be, as long as we're around."

Morty closed his eyes, letting himself lean into their embrace, letting himself feel the warmth of their love, their support. He had spent so long carrying this burden by himself, so long hiding the truth of his injury because he was terrified of being seen as weak, as broken. But now, in this moment, he realized that it was okay to let them in. It was okay to need them.

They stayed like that for a long moment, the three of them holding on to each other, the unspoken promise between them that no matter what came next, they would face it together. Finally, Rick pulled back, clearing his throat and wiping at his eyes with a gruff cough.

"Alright, enough of this sappy crap," Rick said, though his voice was still thick with emotion. "We've got a temporary solution for now, but that's not good enough. We need to find a permanent fix for that wound in your chest, Morty. Something that doesn't involve you living on borrowed time."

Summer nodded, her eyes still shining with determination. "There has to be something out there—some way to heal him for good. We've got the smartest man in the multiverse on our side, after all."

Rick gave her a small, grateful smile before turning back to the console, his face hardening into a look of focused determination. "I'm not gonna let you down, Morty. We're gonna crack this thing wide open. There's gotta be a way to close that rift permanently. And I don't care if we have to tear apart every dimension in the multiverse to find it."

Morty nodded, though the weariness in his eyes was hard to miss. The pain in his chest was a constant reminder that they were racing against time, that every second he held this wound together was a second borrowed from fate. But he also knew that with Rick and Summer at his side, he wasn't fighting this battle alone anymore.

"I trust you, Rick," Morty said softly. "I know you'll find a way. But while you're doing that, I can't just sit around and do nothing. We need to stay ahead of the council. We need to keep pushing back."

Rick shook his head, his expression firm. "Not yet, Morty. The council can wait. Your life can't. We need to focus on getting you back to full strength before we go charging into battle again. You're the key to this fight, but we need you whole."

Summer nodded in agreement, squeezing Morty's hand. "We'll deal with Vaxon and the rest of those creeps soon enough. Right now, the only thing that matters is getting you better. And we're not taking no for an answer."

Morty opened his mouth to argue, to insist that they needed to keep fighting, but the look in their eyes stopped him cold. He saw the determination there, the unyielding love and fierce protectiveness that both Rick and Summer had for him, and he realized that they weren't going to let him put himself at risk any longer—not while they could do something about it.

"Okay," Morty said, finally relenting. "I'll put the fight on hold. But promise me that as soon as we find a way to heal this, we take the battle back to Vaxon. I'm not letting him or the council get away with what they've done."

Rick's eyes darkened, and his grin turned dangerous, the old fire flaring up in his gaze. "Oh, you have my word, Morty. Once we get you patched up, we're gonna rain hell down on that smug bastard and every one of his little cronies. They think they're untouchable, but they're about to learn just how wrong they are."

Summer's smile was fierce, matching Rick's intensity. "And when we're done, they'll know exactly what happens when they mess with the Smith family. We're not just a bunch of lost kids and a crazy scientist—we're their worst nightmare."

Morty felt a swell of hope in his chest, stronger than the pain, stronger than the fear. He looked at Rick and Summer, the two people who had fought for him, who had refused to give up on him even when he'd given up on himself, and he knew that no matter what came next, they would face it together.

"Alright," Morty said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the weariness. "Let's do this. Let's find a way to close this wound, to get me back in the fight. And then let's make them pay for everything they've done."

Rick and Summer both nodded, their expressions fierce and determined, and in that moment, Morty knew that they were more than just a team. They were a family, bound by love and loyalty, by the unbreakable bond that had carried them through every battle, every storm.

And they were going to win this fight—not just for themselves, but for each other. For the family that refused to be broken, no matter how many times the universe tried to tear them apart.

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