The Great Sanchez Escape (Part 2)

When Rick regained consciousness, all he saw was black. Solitary confinement in pure darkness. The ground was cold, the same as the surprisingly moist wall making contact with his back. But the room was humid and stuffy.

His shoulder and arm ached with a burning pain. Rick tried to rub his shoulder, but his wrists were restrained with handcuffs. He resorted to pushing up against the cool wall to soothe the unpleasant sensation and rubbed his arm in the meantime.

Rick felt the wall with the limited range his hands had. It's probably cinderblock, Rick thought to himself. Now how the fuck do I get out of here?

He forced himself up from the sitting position he was in and paced around the room. His exploration told him that the cell was cramped and that the other walls were moist as well.

Even though he just woke up, Rick still felt unbearably tired. Not knowing what else to do, he slid against the wall back into his original position, letting the coolness on his now wet orange prison jumpsuit lull him to sleep.

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Rick snapped awake, thinking about Morty for some reason. It reminded him if Niji. He saw him get captured right before he blacked out. He felt a faint hollowness in his chest at the thought of the blue pegasus being gone. That's fucking stupid! Rick thought to himself. He's just an oversensitive crybaby. You shouldn't be wasting any thought on him.

Rick didn't know how much time had passed. He could be dead for all he knew, it was so damn dark! What he did feel, however, was an extreme thirst making itself noticeable in his mouth and throat. He glanced at the wall behind him with an invisible look of disgust on his face. "Ugh, how degrading." His voice echoed in the room, making his quiet comment seem much louder than it really was, like lightly poking stagnant water.

When he was about to start licking the wall, the heavy steel door loudly creaked open, the bright light coming in burning Rick's eyes.

"Here's your slop," The guard Rick recognized as the Steven person from before yelled. He threw in a bowl of some mystery gunk that clanked hard against the ground. "See ya in two days."

The steel door slammed shut, bringing with it the previous darkness. Rick kneeled to where he thought the bowl landed and was proven right by the squishy feel of the gruel.

Rick didn't realize how hungry he was until he started eating the meal brought to him. It tasted like a pure salt bomb and smelled worse than cheap five dollar vodka, but it was food nonetheless.

After finishing, he reached for his arm and started gently massaging it again. The long cut still burned, and now felt swollen and warm.

"It is probably infected." A familiar voice said.

Rick looked up from his arm to see a silvery bird figure look down at him. "Bird Person? What the hell?" Great. Hallucinations from sensory deprivation. Just what I need.

"Rick," Bird Person began. "I am here to help you escape."

"Right, like I'm gonna take advice from a fucking figment of my imagination." Rick sneered, crossing his shackled arms.

"I may not be real, but I am still your friend."

"Gee. If you're my friend, then let's catch up. How's death like?"

"It has been less than satisfactory." Bird Person admitted. "But I do not see a point in you asking me."

"And I don't see a point in looking like a fucking lunatic talking to my dead best friend who my brain just made up to fill in for real stimulation!"

"Rick, is it not better to have two heads than one?" Bird Person said. "I am here to help you. I know you want to get back to Morty and make things right." His eyes darted away. "But if you still do not want my help, then I will not bother you anymore."

"You're the best chance I have, aren't you?" Rick asked.

"I would say so." Bird Person concluded.

"Then what's the plan, dummy?" Rick said. "Oh wait. You don't have one. 'Cause you're not real."

"Steven said that he would be coming back in two days." Bird Person stated. "The door is heavy and leaves a niche when it is opened. If you hide behind it when Steven comes back in,"

"I can sneak attack him." Rick realized. He actually secretly adored the companionship that the illusion Bird Person provided to him. But all that was left to do was wait.

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After two days passed in which Rick spent the time napping and talking to his hallucination, he took his position next to the door so he would be hidden when the door opened. The spot was colder than usual, not being warmed by Rick's body heat.

The door swung open and Steven walked in. "Enjoy your gunk." He paced around the room looking for his prisoner. "Where'd ya go?"

"There's Steven." Bird Person whispered.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Rick hissed.

"Who said that?!" Steven yelled.

He marched over to the source of the voice. He didn't have time to react when the steel door was slammed in his face, knocking him out cold.

Rick dashed out of the cell into the black and red hallway that wasn't lit much better than solitary confinement, rubbing his cut arm. The action of pushing the door on Steve made his arm ache again. He rounded a corner and took cover from a stream of guards running towards the commotion, their feet clicking against the black tile floor.

After they passed, Rick resumed his trek to an elevator the same type as before, which would take him to the surface. He looked around briefly for guards. They all seemed to be gone, so he sprinted for the gold doors right in front of him.

He slowed down right in front of the doors to inspect some suspicious elements of the elevator. It didn't have any buttons near it, as well as the doors being cracked open slightly. Rick slid his hand attached to his good arm into the crack and pushed open one door, then the other.

He took on a battle stance to prepare for any incoming attackers to find none. Still on his guard, he stepped in to the polished metal box and found a panel this time. He pushed the button that would take him up and discovered that the doors wouldn't close. He manually shut them and waited as the elevator rumbled its way up.

The trip ended with another tremor from the box and Rick forcing the doors open.

What he found was an army of purple armor clad guards that immediately charged him. Rick was struggling to catch his breath in the chaos as the guards cut and beat him in every way imaginable. One managed to reopen his previous infected knife wound, a waterfall of blood and pus washing over Rick's back.

The pain was unbearable. Rick slowly sank down to a kneeling position, hoping the unforgiving cold of the elevator box would numb his agony.

"That's enough! I still want him to be useable!" Absentina came into Rick's blurry field of vision, her icy blue eyes giving Rick a calculating glare. "Now take him to the infirmary."

Two guards yanked Rick up by the arms and started carrying him to the infirmary. He barely had the strength to moan in pain as the threesome headed for the infirmary. Everywhere Rick looked was red. His blood, the floor, even now the minimalistic lighting, it was all red! The infirmary was a bright and warm oasis in the cold crimson ocean around him. Rick gave in to his fading strength and begged that when he woke, he would be someplace better.

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Rick's prayers were not answered. He woke to his body being forced down by silver metal bars onto an eerily white and clean bed. He heard a faint beeping towards his left ear, so he turned his head to find a heart monitor. The bright lights above him hurt his eyes, but he couldn't shield them with his arm, so he just shut them.

"Up yet, Sanchez?" Rick willed his eyes open to see Absentina at the foot of the bed, her purple fur and black suit a stark contrast to the bright sterile teal and white of the infirmary that soothed Rick's eyes.

She started walking towards the strapped down scientist while slow clapping.

"Oh wow, the slow clap." Rick said. This whole ordeal reminded him of that other Rick capturing him and trying to kill him. "How creative. What's next, maybe you want to-"

"That's enough out of you." Absentina interrupted, pushing the plunger of a syringe inserted into Rick's thigh. The clear liquid quickly spread through Rick's body, leaving a sensation that wasn't painful, but one made him want to squirm. Unfortunately, the liquid paralyzed him.

Being forced to bottle up a weird feeling that energized him while being immobilized was torture. Every part of Rick's being felt heavy, like his blood was replaced with liquid lead.

"Now that you're paying attention," the warden began. "We can begin our little experiment. I call it Operation Make Rick Sanchez My Slave."

Operation Make Rick Sanchez My Slave? What the fuck was this bitch planning? When Absentina pulled out an IV bag full of a pitch black liquid, it all connected. Steven, the blackish tint to his form, the infirmary, everything. That black liquid brainwashed people. She planned this the whole time and he fell for it. No wonder their weren't any guards in the hallways. Rick scolded himself for being so stupid, the frustration another emotion building up in his forcibly petrified body.

Absentina loaded the IV bag into an IV stand and placed the needle in his wrist. Rick wished he could shiver from how cold the serum was in his body. Each of his limbs grew colder and heavier as the serum spread throughout his being. Stay calm, Rick told himself. No point in losing it now. Not that he physically could.

When the serum spread to his head, Rick felt his eyelids grow heavy, then close against his will.

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Rick slowly returned to a waking state, rising from a gray cracked street in a crumbling city. He glanced up to find his eyes assaulted by an image of a red sky.

Rick felt lighter, but heavier at the same time. Not a physical heavy, but something closer to intense guilt. Like Rick remembered what guilt felt like.

He tried to speak again to no avail. Even his thoughts were disabled. Rick's greatest tool, his mind, had been taken away. Much like an infant, he had to solely rely on emotion to interpret the world and make decisions with.

After not feeling for so long, Rick's surprising fear unlocked the floodgates. The water of emotions failed to sink in to the dried out ground that was his brain, much like when it rains after a drought. With no emotional intelligence and nothing to numb them with, Rick acted on his feelings.

The first action was hearing a scream in the distance. He started running through the dead city, closer to the call of distress. As he got closer, Rick began to recognize the voice. No, he thought. It can't be.

When he reached his destination, which was inside the biggest and most emaciated building of them all, a tidal wave of pain washed over him, making his already slightly numb legs even weaker.

He saw his grandson strapped to an upright board, a device with a knife attached to it in front of the board, poised to stab.

You're nothing, a voice in his head said. Absentina. You're just a failure. But don't feel bad. All of the failures help to fuel success. All you have to do is let go.

Rick gave a firm shake of his head. That was all he could do to resist her influence with his thoughts blocked. He kept his gaze fixed on Morty the whole time.

"Rick, you have to help me!" Morty pleaded, pure fear in his eyes. "W-w-w-whoever's c-controlling this thing's gonna kill me!"

Rick felt a new, yet familiar sensation. One that made his entire body sting, but feel heavy, especially his legs. He felt his throat get tight and his vision blur, which was followed by a scorching anger that gathered in his chest, making his throat tighter and causing his hot tears to be squeezed out faster.

"You're seriously-uuurp!-crying for a Morty?" Another nearby voice sneered. "You really are pathetic."

Would you like to know who that person is? Absentina said. Well, you're finding out regardless if you wanted to or not.

Lights flashed on in a heartbeat. The white haze revealed a conveyer belt beneath Morty and the knife apparatus. More stowed away in the back was an enclosed, rusted out control panel, which lit up last to reveal a Rick who'd fallen victim to the brainwashing, purple skin and all.

That Rick was right. He was pathetic for crying over a Morty, Rick's feelings told him. But he wasn't gonna sit and pout like a pussy.

"Rick! Get me out of this thing!" Morty cried. Rick quickly dashed to the board and began unstrapping his grandson before the other Rick pushed a lever on his control panel, pushing the knife to cut Rick's hand and move it away.

"Why t-the hell do you care about this kid?" The other Rick questioned. "He's just a f-uuurp!-fucking cloaking device!"

Just do it, Absentina pushed further. Because you've disappointed everyone in your life, you must pay the price. Accept your fate and let go!

"What are you waiting for?" The other Rick said. "Get your head out of your ass and take the fucking deal!"

"Rick, don't do it!" Morty shouted. "What the other Rick's saying can't be true! I know you think of me as more than a tool!"

"Fuck this! You're taking too long!" The other Rick pulled another lever, which sent the knife straight through Morty's heart. Rick watched helplessly, seemingly glued to his spot, as the knife stole Morty's blood from his chest, leaving his grandson's eyes lifeless, but still panicking. Rick felt so numb he fell to his knees. He felt too numb. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. With no booze to drown the grief in, Rick desired a quick out.

I'm Rick Sanchez, an almost inaudible voice in his head said. It was comforting, and familiar. Rick repeated the mantra in his head, each time his thoughts regaining strength. He slowly rose to his feet as a wellspring of hope gushed within Rick and he felt both physically and mentally lighter. Rick hadn't felt that free in a while. A long while. The feeling was foreign, but a welcome change.

This is a fucking dream, he told Absentina. This is all just an illusion. It has no point.

What are you saying? Absentina retaliated. Of course this is real! Your grandson just got stabbed to death!

You're a great liar, bitch. Rick thought.

You can say that- Absentina was cut off by another meek voice in his head. Rick, you have to wake up! Rick, are you okay? Rick?

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"What the hell?" Rick gasped upon waking. Niji came into focus.

"I managed to get out of solitary confinement," the blue pegasus began. "I was flying to the garage, but I saw you strapped down in here, so I decided to come back for you. You would have done the same for me, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Rick groggily said. "Where's the garage?"

"What are you doing?" Absentina was in the doorway of the infirmary, electric whip in hand. "And weren't you in solitary confinement?"

"Well, you see," Niji began.

Rick looked to a bedside table and found a gray pistol just sitting there in perfect reach of him. Idiots. He swiped the gun and swiftly fired at the warden's chest.

Because Rick barely tried, the bullet hit her shoulder instead of her chest. Rick nonchalantly strolled over to Absentina, shot her in her side, pushed her to the ground, and kicked her in the side of the head harshly for good measure.

"Wasn't that a little harsh?" Niji asked.

"I got something done," Rick said. "That's more than you can say, Mr. I'm In Jail Even Though I Don't Know How To Take Down Fucking Cops."

Niji looked away in embarrassment, but quickly recovered. "Garage's that way." He used a hoof to point to the left of the infirmary.

Rick mounted the pegasus' back and flew in the direction of their destination right into a horde of guards.

Fortunately, Rick kept the gun from before and started shooting the patrols. Unfortunately, it had little effect. He tossed the gun aside once it ran out of ammo when one guard threw an electric net of sorts at the two. Rick braced himself for the burning pain only to find it draping over Niji and him. That relief was quickly lost when the trap stuck them to the metal wall. A magnetic net. The pain from slamming into the wall and the only slight burning from the electricity in the net reanimated the pain in his infected arm and shoulder wound, adding to the weakness.

The perpetrator of the weapon held a knife ready to slice. Rick managed to slip a small part of his foot under a gap in the net. When the guard was about to stab Rick in the abdomen, he used his foot to throw off his elbow and toss the blade into the wall next to Niji. He grabbed the knife with his mouth and passed it to Rick.

Rick tried to, as quickly as possible, slice the magnets holding the net in place. Before he could slice off the last of three magnets on his side, one guard stabbed him right in the middle of his palm. The knife clanked to the floor as the guard withdrew his own weapon from Rick's flesh.

Niji, seeing how loose the net was, used his back hooves to buck it onto their attackers. The process hurt profusely, and Niji groaned and whined throughout the action, but the net fell on the guards, ensnaring them in the end.

Without any words, Rick was on Niji's back and the two continued on their path to freedom.

On their way to the garage, several more guards trailed after the pair, Rick clutching his injured hand to his chest.

"Speed it the fuck up!" Rick ordered.

"Don't you think I'm trying?" Niji retorted.

The garage was an official, sleek black area with lots of Galactic Federation squad cars parked in a grid formation.

"First we have to open the gates." Niji said. "They're over there." He gestured to a big red button by a control box. He dashed over to it and jammed the button.

Two big metal doors in the front slowly opened to reveal the black abyss of space. A refreshing sight when you've been cooped up in a crappy prison for so long.

A group of guards stormed the back entrance to come face to face with the pair. Rick saw something glint in the stars' light on one of the guards' belts. A key ring. One must be for a squad car.

"Charge," Rick commanded Niji. "I have a plan."

Niji obeyed and flew straight into a patrol's armored chest. The impact knocked Rick and him out of flight. After recovering, mostly briefly nursing the pain in his arm, Rick utilized the bought time by stealing the key ring from the guard and making a break for the nearest squad car.

"What are you doing?" Niji inquired.

"Leaving." Rick simply answered.

"Are you going to leave me here?" Niji yelled while struggling against the guards. "I trusted you."

"That was your first mistake." Rick said while climbing into a squad car. While those dipshits were distracted by Niji, Rick jammed the key on the ring into the key hole. In a lucky break, the ignition started. He hovered up from the other cars and zoomed off into space, on his way to Earth.

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A guard rushed into the infirmary to find a half conscious Absentina bleeding out. "Mistress! Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" the warden moaned.

"I'm sorry, but prisoner 7150972 has escaped!"

"Sanchez? Are you kidding me?" Absentina, soaked in her own blood, weakly reached for her phone in her pocket and connected to the prison speakers. "Attention all prison personnel. Prisoner 7150972, or Rick Sanchez, has escaped. Repeat, prisoner 7150972 has escaped. Secure the prison and issue a search and bounty on his head to all Galactic Federation planets."

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Morty didn't expect this night to be different than any other night. But it was, with the flashing police lights and bright mugshots that starkly contrasted with the night that only he seemed to notice out of everyone else in his family.

One digital poster appeared right in front of his bedroom window. The luminosity separating the teen from sleep, he got up to take a look. He saw Rick's mugshot on the poster, and upon further inspection, found his grandfather's mugshot plastered around town with police viciously searching for something.

It came to Morty. Rick must have escaped. He was surprised, but not really. He had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before his wily grandfather bust out of there.

But the most shocking part about the night was when Rick burst into his room.

"Morty, wake up." Rick said in a hushed whisper.

"I-I'm already up," Morty said. "The lights woke me up."

"Come to the garage with me, Morty." Rick gestured out of the room.

"Why?" Morty asked. "What are you doing?"

"Come on, Morty" Rick dragged his grandson into the garage with him, being careful not to wake the other family members.

Once on the garage, Rick kneeled under his workbench and pulled out a medium sized tin.

"Rick, what are you doing?" Morty said. "What the hell is going on?"

"Keep it down Morty," Rick said. "You'll get us caught." Rick rummaged around in the tin and pulled out something. "And this'll make things a hell of a lot better.

Morty heard Rick unscrew something and take multiple long gulps. "Is that a f-flask?"

"-uuurp!-yep." Rick belched. "So da-uuurp!-amn good."

"How much of an idiot are you?" Morty said. "If you just came here to drink, why did you bother escaping?"

"Relax, Mo-uuurp!-orty," Rick began, a pair of goggles over his eyes. "I came here for th-uuurp!-is." Rick ripped off the goggles and pulled out his portal gun.

"Are you saying we're going to another Earth?"

"Yep." Rick created a portal in front of the pair. "I chose a universe in which I never went to jail and we both die around this time. Let's go."

"B-but wh-what about my current family?" Morty pleaded.

"Morty, you've done this before," Rick said. "Just do it again."

Just do it again. It was never that easy for Morty. But he complied anyway and sauntered through the portal after his grandfather into a new Earth.

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"-uuurp!-here we are," Rick announced. "Welcome to paradise."

"Hardly." Morty chided. The two arrived in the garage, like last time, but they found just Rick, alone with his head down on the workbench.

Rick walked over to his dead alternate self and inspected the body. "Alcohol poisoning. Dumb bastard."

"You're aware you drink just as much as that Rick did, right?" Morty inquired.

"The difference is I'm not an idiot."

Rick replied while removing the lab coat off of the body, draping it over his blood stained orange prison jumpsuit, removing the flask from the pocket and drinking from it.

"Are you s-seriously doing that?" Morty shouted in disbelief. "Isn't that like, g-grave robbing er-or something?"

"Grow up, Morty," Rick sneered. "Isn't it -uuurp!-like finders keepers or whatever shit they taught you in school?"

Morty sighed. "I-I guess I should go find my body."

Morty walked into the house and up to his room to find a sight that made Morty vomit in his mouth a little and collapse to his knees.

It was his alternate self slightly swinging from the ceiling, a knocked over chair lying under the dead boy, who's neck was in a noose made of bed sheets.

Rick snuck up behind Morty to also witness the atrocity. "Jesus Christ Morty," Rick grunted. "Good luck gettin' that down."

Morty gave Rick a furious look which received no response. His expression quickly flipped to depression as he climbed onto his bed to reach the noose and untie it to send the body tumbling down.

Once the duo gathered their bodies, they, almost ritualistically, buried their alternate selves and went to sleep in their respective beds to resume normal life in the morning.