A Genius Morty

The Smith family gathered in Jerry's quarters within the outpost, a space that had been hastily converted into something resembling a home. The walls were bare, save for a few maps and notes that Jerry had posted as reminders of upcoming tasks and strategies. A small, makeshift table sat in the center of the room, surrounded by mismatched chairs that had clearly been scavenged from various dimensions. The atmosphere was tense, though the air of imminent danger had eased somewhat now that the family was together again.

Jerry poured water from a large canteen into a few cups, his hands shaking slightly from the emotional weight of the reunion. His mind was still spinning from seeing Morty, Summer, and even Rick standing in front of him after all this time. He hadn't expected to see them again, at least not like this.

"So, uh… this is where I've been," Jerry said awkwardly, gesturing to the room around them. "It's not much, but we've managed to turn this place into something halfway decent."

Rick slouched in one of the chairs, looking around with a critical eye. "Halfway decent? You're running a multiverse refugee camp, Jerry. That's like saying you found a shiny turd on the side of the road—it's still a turd."

Jerry winced but didn't rise to the bait. "It's not perfect, Rick, but we've made progress. These people were lost—displaced by Vaxon's forces, or from dimensions that collapsed because of all the chaos. We've given them a place to regroup, to figure out how to survive."

Summer crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "It's just… hard to believe, Dad. I mean, no offense, but you've never been exactly… good at handling this kind of stuff."

Jerry sighed, sitting down at the table. "I know, Summer. Trust me, I didn't think I had it in me either. But when I found myself out here, surrounded by people who needed help, something changed. I couldn't just sit back and let everything fall apart. I had to step up."

Morty, who had been quietly watching his father, finally spoke, his voice thoughtful. "I can tell, Dad. This place… it feels different. It's like you've actually found your footing here."

Jerry smiled slightly, though it was tinged with sadness. "It hasn't been easy. After I left, I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt so… useless, you know? But then I started helping people—organizing supplies, finding shelter for survivors, making sure people had food and water. Little by little, it grew into something bigger. And now, well, here we are."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, yeah, heartwarming and all that. But the question is, how the hell did you pull it off? I mean, you've always been more 'hide under the covers' than 'lead a rebellion.'"

Jerry shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "I guess I just learned to adapt. When everything's falling apart around you, you have to figure out what you're good at. And for me, it turns out I'm good at keeping things together, even if it's just the small stuff. These people needed someone to help them survive, and I found that I could do that. Maybe I'm not fighting off Vaxon with powers like you and Morty, but I've kept these people alive. That's something, right?"

Summer nodded, her tone softening. "It is, Dad. You've done more than I thought possible. And honestly, I'm proud of you."

Jerry's eyes flickered with emotion as he looked at Summer. "Thanks, Summer. That means a lot."

Morty leaned forward, his expression serious. "Dad's right, Rick. We can't just brush this off. He's actually built something here—something that's helping people survive. But that brings us to the bigger issue: Vaxon. We've been dealing with his forces too, but something's not adding up."

Rick perked up, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, Morty?"

Morty took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "When we fought Vaxon… something was off. I used everything I had against him. I've spent the last year training, honing my powers to the point where I can manipulate energy from the multiverse itself. Vaxon has a similar ability—he can control and tap into chaotic energy from different dimensions, just like me. But the way the fight went down… it was too easy."

Jerry frowned. "Too easy? I've heard stories of Vaxon. He's supposed to be nearly unstoppable."

Morty nodded. "That's exactly it. Vaxon's strong—stronger than almost anyone I've faced. But when we fought, it felt like he was holding back. He let me get close, let me believe I was pushing him to his limits. But I wasn't. The truth is, he could have destroyed me, but he didn't. It's like he wanted me to think I was winning."

Rick leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing. "Huh. So, what you're saying is that Vaxon let us win? That he's playing some kind of long game?"

"Exactly," Morty said, his voice growing more intense. "He didn't have to retreat when he did. He was in control the entire time. And now that I think about it, it feels like we're missing something. He let us win for a reason—we just don't know what that reason is yet."

Summer's brow furrowed, and she glanced at Rick. "Could it have something to do with Evil Morty? We know they've been working together, at least loosely. Maybe Vaxon's part of a bigger plan."

Rick rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Could be. Evil Morty's not the type to just sit back and let things unfold. He's always got a scheme going, something that twists the multiverse to his advantage. Vaxon and Evil Morty could be manipulating events, pushing us to act in ways that serve their agenda without us even knowing it."

Jerry looked between his family, confusion clouding his features. "But why? What's the point of letting you win if it only gives you more confidence, more strength to fight back?"

Morty shook his head. "I don't know yet. That's the problem. It's like Vaxon and Evil Morty are two steps ahead of us, and we're playing right into their hands. We've been reacting to their moves, but we don't have the full picture."

Rick stood up, pacing the room as he thought through the possibilities. "Well, think about it, Morty. You've been training, leveling up, right? You're tapping into powers that most people can't even comprehend. Vaxon's probably been watching you the whole time, testing you, seeing how far you'd go. He's using you, Morty."

Jerry's face paled at the implication. "Using him? But for what?"

Morty's expression darkened. "I don't know. Maybe he's trying to push me toward something—maybe he needs me to be strong for some reason. Whatever it is, we need to figure it out before it's too late."

Summer frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "So, we've got Vaxon pretending to lose, Evil Morty scheming behind the scenes, and you've got powers that could blow up entire dimensions. And we're supposed to figure out how to stop them?"

Rick snorted, still pacing. "Yeah, that about sums it up. But here's the thing: we're not going to win by just reacting. We need to take the fight to them. Find out what their endgame is and shut it down before they can pull whatever crap they're planning."

Jerry, still trying to process everything, looked at Morty with concern. "Morty, are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, you've come so far, but it sounds like Vaxon and Evil Morty are playing a much bigger game than any of us realized."

Morty's eyes hardened with determination. "I don't have a choice, Dad. We've all lost too much because of them. I've spent a year training for this, and I'm not going to back down now. But we need to be smart about this. If Vaxon and Evil Morty are playing us, we need to figure out how to turn the tables."

Rick stopped pacing, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "That's the spirit, Morty. We're not just going to sit around and let those assholes pull the strings. But first, we need information. Vaxon and Evil Morty have been operating in the shadows, and if we're going to beat them, we need to bring them into the light."

Summer nodded in agreement. "Right. And that means getting ahead of whatever they're planning. We can't let them control the narrative anymore."

Jerry, feeling out of his depth but resolute, spoke up. "I've been gathering intel from other survivors—people who've encountered Vaxon's forces in other dimensions. It's not much, but maybe it could help."

Rick smirked. "Look at you, Jerry, actually being useful for once. Let's see what you've got."

Jerry fumbled with a datapad, pulling up the reports he had gathered from survivors and traders who had crossed paths with Vaxon's forces. He handed the device to Rick, who immediately started scanning the information with his usual analytical intensity.

"These reports mention some weird energy signatures—dimensional anomalies that don't quite line up with the usual chaos Vaxon's forces create," Rick muttered as he scrolled through the reports. "It's subtle, but it's there. Almost like they've been intentionally destabilizing certain dimensions without fully collapsing them."

Morty leaned forward, intrigued. "So, they're destabilizing dimensions but not destroying them? Why would they do that?"

Rick rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "It could be a setup, Morty. Vaxon and Evil Morty could be creating these controlled collapses to siphon energy or manipulate the multiverse in ways we haven't even figured out yet. This is more than just conquest—they're engineering something."

Jerry, who had been quietly listening, looked uneasy. "So, they've been destabilizing these dimensions on purpose? I've seen it happen here. We've lost contact with several neighboring dimensions in the last few weeks, but I thought it was just the usual chaos spreading."

Rick shot Jerry a sideways glance. "There's nothing 'usual' about controlled dimensional destabilization, Jerry. This is a multiversal game of chess, and you've been playing checkers."

Morty's jaw clenched as he processed Rick's words. "If they're destabilizing dimensions, they must be drawing power from the chaos. I felt it when I fought Vaxon. He was using that energy, controlling it. But if he's manipulating dimensions themselves, then we're dealing with something much bigger than we thought."

Rick nodded. "Exactly. The energy Vaxon's harnessing isn't just random. He's targeting specific dimensions, probably ones that give him access to multiversal weak points. It's like he's tunneling into the core of the multiverse, breaking it down piece by piece."

Summer, who had been pacing near the door, stopped and turned to face them. "So, what's the plan? How do we stop them if they're destabilizing entire dimensions?"

Morty leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "We need to figure out where they're focusing their efforts. If we can stop them from destabilizing key dimensions, we might be able to cut off their access to the energy they're gathering. But we also need to know why they're doing this."

Jerry, trying to keep up with the conversation, looked at Rick. "Could it have something to do with the energy Morty and Vaxon use? I mean, if they're both drawing power from the multiverse, maybe Vaxon is trying to tip the balance in his favor."

Rick tapped the side of his head. "You're not wrong, Jerry. Vaxon's probably trying to absorb as much of that raw dimensional energy as he can, but that's only part of the equation. He's not just after power—he's after control."

Morty's eyes darkened. "And if he gains enough control, he could reshape the multiverse however he wants. That's why he let me win. He didn't care about the battle. He's thinking long-term, letting me believe I'm a threat so I'd back off and focus on small victories while he works on the big picture."

Summer shook her head, incredulous. "So, all this time, Vaxon's just been toying with us?"

Rick snorted. "Of course he has. That's what these guys do. They bait you with small fights to distract you from the real war. We need to start thinking like they do—big picture. We need to find the pattern in these destabilizations."

Jerry, looking determined now, pulled up another series of reports on his datapad. "There's a dimension a few clicks away from here that's been showing the same kind of anomalies you're talking about. It's small, but it's an important trade hub. If Vaxon's targeting dimensions with strategic importance, it could be one of the places where he's focused his efforts."

Morty stood up, pacing as he considered their next move. "Then that's where we need to go next. We need to investigate that dimension, see what Vaxon's really doing there. If we can figure out the pattern, maybe we can start undoing the damage he's caused."

Rick grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Finally, we're getting somewhere. But don't forget—Evil Morty's still out there, and he's not going to just sit back while we unravel his little side project with Vaxon. We need to be ready for anything."

Jerry, who had been following the conversation more closely now, nodded in agreement. "I'll stay here and keep gathering intel from the other dimensions we're in contact with. If I can find any more patterns, I'll send the information your way."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, Jerry? Running this refugee camp is one thing, but keeping track of multiversal destabilization patterns is another."

Jerry met Rick's gaze with newfound confidence. "I can handle it, Rick. I'm not the same guy I was before. Besides, I owe it to these people to keep fighting. If Vaxon's going to keep tearing apart the multiverse, we need to know where and how."

Rick seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, Jerry. Just don't screw it up."

Summer, who had been quiet for a few moments, stepped forward. "We'll need to split up. Morty and I will check out the trade hub dimension. Rick, you can figure out if there's any way to stop Vaxon's destabilizations from spreading to other dimensions."

Rick pointed a finger at Summer. "See? That's exactly what we need—decisive action. Alright, let's move. The sooner we start, the less time Vaxon and Evil Morty have to set more traps."

Morty stood up, his determination renewed. "We're not going to let them win. Not this time."

Jerry watched as his family prepared to leave, his heart heavy with a mixture of pride and worry. He had always felt like the weakest link in the family, but now, for the first time, he felt like he was part of something bigger. He wasn't just surviving anymore—he was contributing, helping to fight the battles that mattered.

As they gathered their things, Jerry walked over to Morty and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful out there, Morty. I know you've gotten stronger, but Vaxon and Evil Morty are dangerous. They're playing a game we're only just starting to understand."

Morty smiled at his father, his eyes full of determination. "I will, Dad. We've all lost too much already. But we're not done fighting yet."

Jerry nodded, stepping back as Morty and the others activated their portal devices. The swirling green vortexes shimmered into existence, and one by one, Rick, Morty, and Summer stepped through, vanishing into the unknown.

As the last of the portals closed, Jerry stood in the quiet room, the weight of their mission pressing down on him. He had found his place here, among the survivors, but the battle ahead was far from over. Vaxon and Evil Morty were still out there, and the fate of the multiverse hung in the balance.

Jerry took a deep breath and turned back to the datapad, ready to do his part. He might not have the powers that Rick and Morty possessed, but he had his own strengths. And now, for the first time, he was ready to use them.

As the outpost hummed with activity around him, Jerry knew one thing for certain: this family wasn't just surviving anymore—they were fighting back. And they wouldn't stop until the multiverse was safe once and for all.

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