A Genius Morty

It had been over a year since the Smith family had been together, and the circumstances of their reunion were far from ideal. Dimension 34-D had been a battleground, and though the tide of battle had shifted in their favor, the scars of conflict were everywhere. The air was thick with the remnants of chaos, the sky still flickering with residual energy from the rifts that Vaxon had used to manipulate the multiverse.

Rick, Morty, and Summer stepped through the portal Rick had opened, their expressions tense and ready for anything. They had been chasing rumors of Jerry's survival and, incredibly, of his newfound role as a leader in this fractured dimension. Rick had been skeptical, of course. "Jerry, a leader? Come on, that's like putting a chicken in charge of a fox hunt." But Morty and Summer had insisted, and so they had come.

The portal closed behind them, and the trio found themselves standing on the edge of what looked like a makeshift fortress. It wasn't much—more of a sprawling outpost cobbled together from the remnants of other worlds, but it was functional. And it was surprisingly well-organized, something that even Rick grudgingly acknowledged with a nod of approval.

"Are we sure this is the right place?" Summer asked, glancing around at the busy outpost, her voice tinged with skepticism. "I mean, this doesn't really scream 'Jerry's in charge.'"

Morty shrugged, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of his father. "I don't know, Summer. If Dad's really here, then something's changed. I mean, look at this place. It's not exactly what we're used to."

Rick grunted, pulling out a small device to scan the area. "Yeah, well, if Jerry's running the show, I expect a lot of things are gonna be upside down. Let's find him and get the hell out of here. I've got about fifty more dimensions to check for Vaxon's hideouts."

They moved through the outpost cautiously, the sights and sounds of survivors rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of battle surrounding them. The tension that had filled the air when they arrived began to dissipate as they noticed the small signs of hope—people laughing, children playing, and conversations that didn't seem to be filled with despair.

Morty's heart clenched as he looked around. He had been through so much over the past year—fighting Vaxon, refining his powers, dealing with the looming threat of Evil Morty—but seeing ordinary people living their lives reminded him of what they were all fighting for.

And then, amidst the activity, Morty saw him.

"Dad?" Morty's voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough to draw the attention of the man standing near the edge of the outpost, looking out over the horizon.

Jerry turned slowly, his expression one of disbelief at first, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. But then his face broke into a broad smile, and in an instant, he was running toward them.

"Morty! Summer! Rick!" Jerry called out, his voice filled with joy and relief. He pulled Morty into a tight hug, then did the same to Summer, though her return hug was more awkward.

"Dad… you're alive," Summer said, her voice thick with emotion. "And… you're in charge of this place?"

Jerry nodded, pulling back to look at them, his face a mixture of pride and exhaustion. "Yeah. I'm alive. And believe it or not, I've been helping these people rebuild after everything that's happened. It's… it's been hard, but I think I've finally found something I'm good at."

Rick crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "So, let me get this straight. You, Jerry Smith, are running a multiversal refugee camp. I'm not buying it. What, you find a leadership manual in the garbage?"

Jerry looked at Rick, his smile fading slightly, but he didn't back down. "It wasn't like that, Rick. After Beth… after everything, I left. I didn't think I could help anyone. But I found people who needed someone to organize things, to keep them safe. And somehow… I just started helping."

Morty looked between his father and Rick, sensing the tension. "Dad's telling the truth, Rick. Look around. This place is stable. People are living their lives here."

Rick grumbled, clearly not used to giving Jerry any credit. "Yeah, well, looks like you stumbled into something halfway decent for once. But if you've been playing hero, you've got a hell of a lot to catch up on. Vaxon's still out there, and he's probably even more pissed off now."

Jerry's expression darkened at the mention of Vaxon. "I know. We've been fighting him here, trying to stop his forces from spreading into other dimensions. It's been… hard, but we've made progress."

Summer stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Dad, what exactly is going on here? I mean, we thought you were gone. And now we find you running this place and fighting Vaxon's forces?"

Jerry looked down, his expression weary. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you all again. After I left, I didn't know what to do with myself. But I couldn't just sit around and let people die. This multiverse—our multiverse—is tearing itself apart, and I couldn't just watch anymore. I had to do something."

Morty placed a hand on his father's shoulder, his voice soft. "I'm glad you're okay, Dad. I'm glad you found a way to help."

Jerry looked up at Morty, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thanks, son. I've changed… I had to. But I don't want to lose you all again. We have to stick together now."

Rick cleared his throat, breaking the moment. "Yeah, yeah, family reunion and all that crap. But we've got bigger problems. Vaxon's not going to sit back and let you run this place without hitting back. We're going to need a real plan if we're going to take him down for good."

Jerry nodded, the tension returning to his face. "I know. We've already started preparing for that. We've been gathering intel on his movements, but he's slippery. I've heard whispers of him teaming up with… Evil Morty."

Rick's face darkened at the mention of Evil Morty. "Yeah, we've been tracking him too. He's been pulling strings in the background, and he's got something big planned. We need to stop him before he can screw things up even worse."

Morty, who had been quiet for a moment, suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with determination. "We have to stop them both. I've spent the last year training, learning how to control my powers. I'm not going to let Vaxon or Evil Morty tear apart the multiverse. Not again."

Summer nodded, stepping closer to her brother. "We're in this together, Morty. We'll take them down, just like we've done before. Only this time, we've got Dad with us."

Jerry looked at his children, his heart swelling with pride. "I'm with you. I'm not just going to stand by and let them win. We've all lost too much already."

Rick rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Alright, alright, don't get all mushy on me. Let's get back to the base, regroup, and figure out our next move. We're gonna need every advantage we can get if we're going to take on Vaxon and Evil Morty."

The family stood together, united for the first time in what felt like forever. They had been through hell—each of them in their own way—but they had survived. And now, they were ready to face whatever came next.

Jerry looked out at the horizon, his expression serious but hopeful. He had changed, grown into a leader that even Rick had to begrudgingly respect. But more importantly, he had found his family again. And for the first time, he wasn't going to let them down.

Together, they would face Vaxon, Evil Morty, and the forces threatening the multiverse. And this time, the Smith family was stronger than ever.

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