Escape and expression
After what seemed like eternity in the realm of nightmares, Prince Jack had fallen through a breach between dimensions that his captor had created. Where he was, Jack did not know, but it was apparent that he was not in the Nightmare Realm anymore, though it did not make much difference, Bill had already made his mark here. This unfamiliar land was already teeming with his minions. Jack knew that he had to get as far away from here as he could. It did not matter where he went, as long as it was as far away from Bill as possible. When he set upon his escape, Jack came across a teenage boy, all on his own. It was obvious his family was taken by Bill. He could not avoid it, Jack needed to know where he was.
"Excuse me, young man. Can you tell me where this is?" asked Jack.
"This place? It used to be Gravity Falls. Now, it's Bill's playground. He's been here for the better part of a week now, petrifying the people and taking them God knows where" answered the boy, in a panicked voice. Jack felt a bit of sympathy for him. Bill was known for many things, but mercy was not one of them.
"We'll find a way out of here, I'm sure" Jack tried his best to assure the young man, but he was having none of it.
"It doesn't matter. My family is missing. Where would we go if we did escape?" wondered the boy. Jack knew he had a point there. Bill could very easily conquer this new world. There wouldn't be much refuge when he did, nor would this world's army have any sort of chance against him.
"You seem to know this place pretty well. Know any good hiding spots?" inquired Jack.
"The forest is filled with little spots where no-one can reach. We can go there and wait this out" the teenager replied. They immediately set out for the hiding spot that the boy mentioned, taking care to avoid Bill's minions as they went. Once they reached the spot, they knew they were in the clear, for now.
"I'm Shane, by the way. Shane Miller" introduced the boy. Jack would give his own name, but that version of him died when Bill took him all those years ago. He decided on a fake name, to renew himself for the better, and to find a way to atone for his crimes in his own home dimension.
"The name is Albert. Albert Stevens" invented Albert. He got the name from a set of old dog tags he found while ducking Bill's patrols. He did not know the real Albert Stevens, but it did not matter. From the look of the dog tags, Jack thought that Albert wouldn't mind much that he used his name.
After a couple of hours, something happened that neither of them were expecting. No sooner had they had an escape planned, that a small team of resistance fighters, made up of civilians that had hidden in an old tourist trap, penetrated Bill's castle, and somehow did the unthinkable. The land known as Gravity Falls was returning to normal, and anything that was a native of the Nightmare Realm was being sucked back into that dimension. This meant only one thing. Bill Cipher, the immortal king of nightmares, was destroyed. The forests were green again and the air smelt fresh. Albert was free at last. Families were being reunited, and celebrations were planned to commemorate their victory. But deep down, Albert had the sinking feeling that this reprieve was temporary. If he knew anything of Bill, it was that he always had a backup plan. What that was, only time will tell.
3 weeks later
The school year had started in earnest in Washington, but Morty was barely there for any of it, as he was mostly helping Rick out on his adventures, as he always did. It became a routine thing that the Smith family grew to accept, now that Beth and Jerry's marriage was back on track. Rick wasn't happy about it, but then again, he was almost never happy. On one of the few days that Morty did attend school, he was given an assignment for a creative writing class; come up with a story that was at least passable. When Morty got to his locker to get his things for the next class, he found an all too familiar face waiting for him there.
"Come on, Morty. I need your help on another adventure" Rick stated, and he opened a portal with his portal gun.
"Rick, if I miss any more school, I'll be held back, and I'll miss the chance to go to high school with Jessica" Morty groaned.
"Then I'll home-school you if this prison for minors has an issue with you helping your grandpa if you really want an education that badly. Now let's get moving" Rick countered, in his usual cynical fashion.
"Can't you do things on your own? My dad is already looking for an excuse to get rid of you after that incident at the White House" Morty argued.
"Firstly, I couldn't care less what your dad thinks of me. We both know he's too spineless to take any sort of action. Second, Ricks and Morties do everything together, it's a fact of the multiverse. We need to move, now. This is very time-sensitive" Rick concluded.
"Fine" Morty conceded, and stepped through the portal. Rick and Morty found themselves on another alien planet. The first few times, Morty was left in awe, but after seeing new planets every week, it sort of lost its appeal.
"Welcome to Caponi 4, where the entire planet is run by 1920s style gangsters. You ever want to hide from the law, or make some backroom deals, you come here. Real easy stop for the scum of the galaxy, Morty" Rick explained.
"So, what are we doing here again?" Morty asked, secretly dreading the answer.
"Advertising. Ever since a certain someone killed my best customer, I've been struggling to find someone to sell weapons to. All the best buyers are too scared they'll end up like Krombopulos Michael to even approach me. We are going to show them that what happened to Michael won't happen to anyone else" Rick answered.
"How?" Morty inquired, cautiously.
"I've been talking to this world's leaders and we've worked something out. Since they were super impressed that you, me and Summer toppled the Federation, they won't kill you, as is tradition here. Instead, we have to help them build a new cloaking device" Rick further explained.
"Did they say what this cloaking device was to hide them from?" Morty quizzed. As if on cue, a hit squad of armed assailants popped out of nowhere and surrounded Rick and Morty.
"Relax, Morty, this is how these people say 'hi'" Rick assured his panicking grandson. It seems that Rick was right, as the armed escort brought the ruling body over to Rick and Morty.
"Rick Sanchez, my old friend. It has been far too long" greeted Governor Narkill. Morty thought this guy dressed too much like a crime boss for his liking. Then again, Rick had taken him to a planet run by mobsters.
"Hey, Pete. How's thing?" Rick replied.
"I wish I could say easier. They were when the Federation fell, but things have gotten harder again. We should talk more inside" responded Narkill. He led Rick and Morty to the Governor's Hall, and in his office, Narkill explained his situation.
"I fear that you may have replaced a manageable problem with one that is quickly spiralling out of control. It is the Citadel we need to hide from now, Rick. Things have changed" Narkill explained. Rick was only mildly interested.
"I always thought no-one knew about the Citadel of Ricks" Rick said.
"That changed when you raided a federal prison with the Citadel in tow. To be fair, it still was hidden, but with the new leadership, there has been a change in policy" Narkill outlined.
"What is the new leadership doing, and more importantly, why do I care?" Rick asked.
"You should care, old friend. The new, democratically elected President of the Citadel has a more expansionistic point of view. Namely, he seeks to take control any way he can, and with an army of Ricks at his disposal, President Morty can do exactly that with minimal effort" Narkill told Rick and Morty. This got Rick's attention. He never thought a Morty of the Citadel could take a position of power, much less the presidency.
"But why bring the Citadel out of hiding. Doesn't that go against what it was built for?" Rick observed.
"That is what we don't understand. I have had an informant gather intel directly from the source, and it seems President Morty has had trouble convincing the Ricks to go along with his campaign, so he's been persuading them, with the help of this new cult that's been cropping up everywhere" Narkill summarised.
"Lame. Why would I care about the actions of some Kool-Aid drinking wackjobs. I came here to build a cloaking device, so let us please get on with it" Rick retorted.
"Very well. But please, bear in mind what I have said here today. My informant tells me the cult has an agenda which will have dire consequences for everyone in the universe, Rick" Narkill concluded, and he showed Rick where he wanted the cloaking device to be placed. It was only when they were alone, that Morty decided to speak at last.
"Aren't you the least bit curious as to what's going on at the Citadel? The governor seemed really worried" Morty raised his concern.
"Not in the slightest. Out of all our adventures, Morty, there are some I'd rather forget, and anything to do with the Citadel can be counted among them. As far as I'm concerned, the Citadel is finished to me" Rick shot down as he began his work.
"We've had some crazy adventures, do you really want to forget some?" Morty inquired.
"Trust me, Morty, when you've been doing this as long as I have, there are some things best left unspoken. It's not all fun and games" Rick answered. This got Morty thinking. What if he wrote down some of the adventures he and Rick had for his writing class? He would have to change some names, but with all he had been through, it was sure to get him an A. It couldn't hurt to jot things down when he got home. Just as he was finished with his train of thought, Rick handed him the portal gun.
"I need you to go here and pick up some parts for me. Try not to be seen buying these, some are extremely illegal" Rick instructed, and opened a portal for Morty to slip through. Once Morty went through, he found himself at a seedy city densely populated with the usual kinds of people you would see in a city like New York. Morty went to the store Rick had outlined in a small piece of paper he gave Morty prior to his departure, and to his relief, no-one was around. He bought the goods, portaled them to Rick and was about to step through himself, when he was handed a leaflet by some wierdo in a hooded coat.
"Beware, child, for the All-Seeing Eye may be dormant now, but the time will come when he will rise again" the cultist preached. Morty had heard enough, and stepped through the portal. Little did Morty know, that the cultist commed someone as Morty stepped through.
"Did anyone see you?" Rick quizzed, eager not to run into trouble.
"No, just some robed wierdo. He may be a member of that cult Narkill mentioned" Morty answered.
"Best keep that encounter to yourself, Morty. This lot are extremely paranoid and very trigger happy. Rather not want a shootout here" Rick warned. Rick had finished the cloaking device, and Narkill, in turn, announced that any looking to buy weapons should go to Rick, as he can get anything done promptly. After a shower of thanks, Rick and Morty returned home. Morty had rushed to his room and began chronicling his adventures with Rick as best as he remembered them, which wasn't hard as he couldn't forget them, even if he tried. After an hour, the first draft was finished and printed, ready to submit to his writing teacher the following day.
Back on Caponi 4, Narkill's informant came back from the Citadel with a rather alarmed expression, as he was sharing what he knew of the cult's plans.
"We are in way over our heads here, boss! This isn't any old cult of crazies, they are borderline psychotic!" the informant ranted, panicking.
"Relax, Kilstone, please. Share with me what you know" Narkill eased.
"The Ricks that oppose the Citadel call him enemy number one. This cult worships someone even Ricks are afraid of, so much so, they are afraid to even say his name out loud, and according to my source, the cult is close to finding and restoring this god to his former power" Kilstone outlined. Narkill did not know what to say to this. Just as he was forming words in his mind, his guard came bursting into his office.
"They're here" the guard said, and Narkill gave the order to man the defences. Gangsters could be seen taking up arms and preparing to defend the governor's home.
"You have to leave, now. Find a way to inform Rick C-137 of what you have seen. Maybe then he will listen. Remember, inform only that Rick, and none other" Narkill ordered, and Kilstone got into an escape craft, fleeing the fighting that took place down below. While the home defenders put up a valiant attempt, they could not hold back the cultist forces for long, and soon, Narkill was face to face with President Morty.
"Fine company you're keeping these days, Mister President" Narkill complemented, mockingly.
"We have an arrangement, that's all" President Morty stated.
"I see, you help resurrect their beloved god, and in return, he grants you your ideal world. You know, what you seek and what he will bring are two different things" Narkill cautioned, in vain.
"Come, now, everything's negotiable. I'm sure we can come to an agreement of our own. Rick was here, we know, we traced his Morty's portal signature here. I can make it worth your while if you help my friends track him down" President Morty bargained.
"We may be gangsters, crime bosses and hitmen, but we know loyalty. We will never give Rick up to you, or your god" Narkill said, bravely and defiantly.
"That's too bad. You seemed like a reputable businessman" Morty concluded, and with a snap of his fingers, the cultists gunned down the remaining survivors, and torched any building they could find to the ground.
From the skies, Kilstone saw it all, Narkill's last stand, the burning of his home, and the cult forces leaving behind the wreckage. His time as a gangster was over. His time as a freedom fighter had now begun, and Kilstone's first order of business, was to get the word out to Rick, or any Rick, that this cult was working to resurrect Bill Cipher.
Author's note: Show of hands, who among you thought I was dead. Let's see,1,2,3,4, most of you then. I should probably explain where I've been. One, I've really wanted to do a Rick and Morty/Gravity Falls crossover for a while now, so I've been marathoning the show on Netflix. Two, I've gotten my hands on a new laptop, so I've been setting that up, and three, I have honestly been struggling to put this together. Even now, things in this fic may not seem coherent or make sense. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. Rick and Morty is owned by Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon and Adult Swim. Gravity Falls is owned by Alex Hirsch and Disney. Enjoy.