Alas, Babylon
Warnings: Grammatical indecencies abound. Also, I have little to no knowledge of sinkholes.
Chapter 3
Rick was growing bored, they had been trudging along for the last several hours, Rick with his hands tied tightly behind his back. It was humiliating to be at the mercy of a couple of children, but he hadn't really been able to argue as Summer had stopped several minutes into their march to wrap his wrists together with a piece of rope she pulled from the backpack Morty was carrying.
She had done it silently, not answering his sarcastic remark about S&M, instead she had given him a rather blank look. He realized dully that she probably didn't know what that even was.
"So, are you just gonna have my hands tied up all day?"
Rick looked ahead at the redhead who was leading them in the direction Rick had indicated to be where he thought his stuff would be. Summer didn't respond. Rick let out an annoyed huff of air, these kids were a pair of tightwads. He then glanced at the small boy behind him. The kid still had the gun firmly in his grasp.
When the answer didn't come and after Rick, usually taciturn for a Rick, had tried his best to get an answer out of the kids he gave up. Nearly an hour later they came upon a huge sinkhole which had drug down the entire center of the street, barely skirting the buildings. Summer halted, and stood contemplating the way.
They could back track and lose several hours, as one street was barricaded and there weren't any other through ways close by. Tromping through unlit buildings wasn't safe, who knew what alien or person was lurking in the dark, waiting for the light of day or the unsuspecting victim to walk through. That or some bastard from before had left traps behind.
Rick was uneasy, watching the girl weigh the dangers of their course; to get to the other side would involve creeping along three to ten inch ledges which were sided by a gaping abyss and a straight brick wall.
Summer turned, looking at her brother.
"We're gonna head across."
"Look kid," Rick cut in, wanting to stop this dangerous attempt before it got started, "That doesn't look safe."
Summer wasn't listening, already pressing forward. A gun pressed into Rick's back, held by the boy. Rick muttered under his breath, cursing his luck.
"Aren't you at least going to untie my hands?"
There was no answer. All three began creeping their way along the edge. Rick looked down at the dizzying height, head spinning. His hands were bound behind him still, making it incredibly difficult to balance on the tiny ledge. Morty wasn't pushing him though, pausing as Rick tried to put foot in front of foot and leaned heavily against the rough brick wall of the building for stability.
They were almost to the other side, Summer having already made it safely over, when Rick heard the sound of the ledge crumbling. He thought for a heart stopping moment that it was the part he was standing on, but then he heard Morty's terrified gasp.
Rick's head whipped to the side, watching as Morty began to fall, hands scrambling to get a hold of the wall. Rick slipped his hands out of his bonds, having loosened them earlier, and reached out, grabbing a hold of Morty's shirt before the kid was going to fall. This unbalanced him and he had to reach out, grabbing a sharp jutting piece of metal protruding from the wall above him. He clenched his teeth as it bit into his skin. The boy was staring up in terror at him.
Rick concentrated, feeling the ledge he was precariously standing on begin to crumble partially. He could just let the kid go, get out of here and report the mission as a fail. The Citadel would grumble and he'd have to do some grunt work for a while, but compared to being ordered around by children and falling to his death it didn't sound so bad.
Rick clenched his hand which was wrapped around the metal protuberance and began to slowly lift Morty up. It was painful, despite how small the kid was. Rick's arm shook with the effort, dark nauseating abyss below him looming threateningly. With one final heft, he placed Morty on the ledge and the boy scrambled the few feet left and threw himself at his sister. Rick slowly unclenched his hand from around the metal, it's sharp edges leaving a deep laceration, causing his hand to bleed. Stiffly, he followed after Morty, coming to the other side.
Rick was breathing heavily, heart slowing. He looked over at the two.
"I told you, I wasn't going to hurt you. I saved your pathetic asses instead."
Morty was staring at Rick, eyes holding a shine of hero worship. Summer looked less convinced, but she seemed grateful.
"Why?" She asked shortly, eyes severe and piercing as she gazed at Rick.
Rick frowned.
"'Cause you're kids, what kind of douche lets a couple of kids get hurt?"
Summer stared in confusion at him, tears welling in her eyes.
"But no one's-" She broke off and her face turned angry.
Summer turned away, collecting herself. These kids really had been on their own. Rick raised a brow as Morty approached him with a small smile, a bandage in his hand and Rick's bag outstretched. Rick took his bag and was about to take the bandage when he was surprised by Morty coming forward and grabbing his injured hand gently.
Rick was shocked, so shocked he made no move to stop the kid. Morty rinsed his hand off and then pulled out a small bottle which Rick knew the kid had gotten from his bag. It was a mild healing formula. Rick could only watch blankly as Morty gently applied it, causing his skin to meld back together so all that showed was a thin red line. Rick was mildly surprised that the kid had been smart enough to figure out what the bottle was.
When Morty was finished he looked up at Rick with a small smile. Rick let a tiny smile show back.
"We should get going," Summer said gruffly.
Her gaze narrowed in on the bag which was now slung across Rick's shoulders.
"He can't have that."
Rick watched in interest as the boy's face scrunched up a little, looking as though he wanted to argue.
"We're going to tie him back up and keep ahold of his bag."
Rick heard Morty speak for the first time.
"H-he's not dangerous," Morty said quietly.
"That's not-" Summer threw her hands in the air.
"This isn't about that Morty, I'm trying to keep us," Summer stuttered again, looking in pained frustration at Rick and then looking back at Morty continued, "I'm trying to keep us safe, Morty. He's not-"
Summer pointed accusingly at Rick.
"He's not safe!"
It was quiet for a few moments. Before Morty spoke,
"I trust him."
Rick swallowed hard, his throat tightening at the small, quiet statement. He clenched his teeth and stared at the ground, trying to keep his eyes from watering. He hadn't ever had someone talk about him with that kind of tone, saying something like that.
Emotions flickered across Summer's face, before it settled in a neutral calm.
"Fine, he can have his bag. And he can be untied."
Morty smiled happily and Summer glared at Rick.
They continued on, their situation completely changed. Rick now had his hands free, his bag with him and Morty skipping by his side in silence.
They kept going, only stopping when the sun began to sink below the horizon. Summer lead them to one of the buildings, carefully and slowly making her way through the apartment complex, clearing it. They ended up picking one of the apartments on street level, a huge bay window broken out and letting the wind whip through in the front of the living room. They stayed there, huddled on the floor.
Rick watched in interest as they settled, Summer pulling out a can and mechanically prying it open before passing it to her brother. Morty took it, paused a moment and then handed it to Rick.
Rick again was surprised, he hadn't planned on being fed by these children. Graciously he accepted it, beginning on eating it. He'd seen the girl, how much she could carry, and she probably didn't have many cans left. He ate sparingly, handing the can back to Morty who promptly eyed the amount left and ate half. He handed it to Summer who ate the rest.
"So, how'd you two come to be by yourselves anyway?"
Summer glared at him. Her brown eyed gaze of terror was starting to lose its effect. Rick looked to Morty. Morty however had his eyes cast to the ground, shoulders hunched up.
"Well, I don't remember much, but one day a bunch of aliens came. It sounds stupid like that, but I was eleven. It's what I remember."
Summer blinked, eyes glazing over before she stared at the ground.
"I was in my bedroom and Mom came racing in with Morty in her arms, he was eight but he was still so small, just like he is now. She told him to stay there and for me to stay in my room. She left. After a few minutes I heard the laser shots and Mom came back in. She grabbed Morty and I and took us out the window. We traveled a little while on foot before I even saw any aliens. When we did meet some, there were two, they shot and killed Mom. I managed to get a gun and kill them. Ever since then, me and Morty have been on our own, trying to find someplace safe to stay."
Rick was quiet. Morty had in the meantime, curled up next to his sister, head on her thigh and eyes staring blankly at the wall. He had more questions, but they were mostly unnecessary as he could guess the answers to most of them accurately. Besides, the events which had lead up to this were now irrelevant, figments of their past which couldn't be mended or taken away.
Summer let out a quick sigh and leaned so her arm was looped around Morty.
"So," Summer started, voice sharp, "that's why you're taking us to fix your gun and then using it to help us find somewhere safe."
"Kid," Rick started immediately, before his voice choked up, unable to think of anything which he could counter that with.
It wasn't new to Rick, death and misery, but he didn't often come face to face with living breathing aftermaths like these two. Most were the dead faces of people he could never bring back. For a Rick, he was unusually reclusive. So many dead faces and you stopped wanting to see any face other than your own.
"So, what does your gun do anyway?"
Rick looked up in surprise at the sudden change in subject.
"A lot of stuff, it's really powerful. It would take too long to explain it all to you."
Summer let out a soft scoff of disbelief, "Whatever, as long as it gets us home."
A sound came in from the broken window, a soft shushing of something against the ground. All three stared out the window, frozen in the rapture of alarm. There wasn't any sound, no further evidence of whatever danger could be lurking outside.
"Probably just a bird," Summer mumbled, but she kept looking out the window into the dark street.
Rick nodded his agreement despite his own misgivings.
It was quiet after that, Summer's gaze resting on him. Rick watched Summer watch him, until her head nodded and she fell asleep; the two children slumped together. They looked so small in sleep, especially Summer, all her bravado and grim determination gone in the face of rest. Rick watched them sleep, standing at different times to look outside for danger.
Early morning came and Rick was surprised by Summer jerking awake, eyes trailing nervously around the room in feverish fear. Morty was fast asleep still. Rick crouched next to her, a hand on her shoulder.
"You're here, Summer. You're here with Morty. You're safe."
Summer's head trembled as she shook her head 'no', tears pouring out her eyes. Her gaze was still far off.
"We're never safe," Summer said.
Rick breathed softly.
"You're safe with me, Summer. I'll make sure you don't get hurt. I promise."
He gripped her shoulder in a gentle hold, giving a tiny shake. Summer gave a nod of assent and her eyes cleared, fluttering, glancing up at Rick and then turning to the floor in shame and the overpowering effect of whatever she had seen in her sleep.
Rick stayed silent, leaning back to keep watch until the early dawn touched the sky, rays lost in the gray mire of clouds overhead.
