Since this show was really good background noise, I binged it while doing schoolwork, as you do, and now I absolutely love this show. Great writing, character dynamics, moments that just punch you in the gut, humour that makes you laugh out loud and many ideas and concepts to play around with.
I want to do more stories for this series, including my version of the season 5 final, a next-gen story about Morty and his daughter Ria, Morty meeting an aged up version of himself, and a story idea about weird Rick that has a twist/theory to it. But like all my other fanfics from other fandoms I have no time or energy for all of this at the moment, so here's a short story showcasing some family bonding crossed with some whump, because we simply can't have the comfort without the angst.
This story does feature torture, blood and stuff, nothing gory and deeply descriptive, but if that's not your kind of thing in any way then feel free to leave, I understand! I'm a person who likes whump and family dynamics, so this is what this is.
Let me know what you think, sorry for any misspellings, and I hope to write more in the future!
Synopsis:
Being dragged along for the ride, like always, Morty follows Rick to an alien marketplace to pick up ingredients with him. Everything starts off what you would expect, the normal banter between the two, but things swiftly take a turn when another old enemy of Rick appears.
Rick, of course, treats the situation like nothing, but when this old foe take notice that he has a grandson, Rick will end up wishing he listened to Morty's concerns when the boy pays the price of his grandfather's karma….
Characters:
Morty Smith
Rick Sanchez
Some minor background people
Ananteris Fattail (OC)
Alien Dog Thing
Warning: Swearing, Some Dark/Sexual Humor, Torture, Blood & Violence, Child/Animal Abuse, If you watch Rick and Morty you'll know how some of this dialogue goes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rick & Morty, only this story itself and any personal characters in it!
Plugins: Check me out of Deviantart & Tumblr for my art! My username is the same as on here!
When Morty thinks about it without context, being dragged out of bed at four in the morning by your grandfather, to go through a green portal or travel space in a ship, sounds like something he would have made up when he was five, and figured out the concept of imagination to his advantage. Now that he thinks about it more, even with context, it's pretty weird to think about. But over the past couple of years since his grandfather crashed into the family life, Morty went from being shocked by the slightest non-normal thing, to just treating it like it was more normal than going to school, which is kind of true in his case.
So once again, here he was, by Rick's side, out and about with aliens at every corner he looked. Tonight wasn't really an adventure, at least for now, but rather a mere trip to some kind of alien market that Morty wasn't familiar with. Rick had sputtered something to him when dragging the kid out of bed, a slight drunk tone to the man's voice when doing so, but Morty hadn't been paying attention, rather going along with wherever his grandfather wanted to take him.
He was at least thankful he could change from his pyjamas to his regular clothes before taking the ship somewhere. He had, along the way, asked Rick the name of the place they're going to, and was answered with some planet name that just sounded like something Rick improvised on the spot, and Morty couldn't tell if it was the actual name, or Rick was just screwing with him, so he didn't bother asking for him to repeat the name in the end.
When they landed on the planet, hopping out and entering the streets, Morty will admit, his nerves were starting to spark up like normal. Maybe it was out of reflex to expecting something terrible to happen the moment they showed their faces, or the fact that Morty was so small compared to every alien they walked by, either reaching their knees or stomach. So subconsciously, he was kind of glued to Rick's side in an effort to feel safe.
That being said, his gaze was darting around, taking in the sights and sounds. He was good at collecting new information just by observing, and based on what the stalls were selling, and what people were yelling and chatting about, it didn't take him long to understand what this place was about.
"Get your glimglora skulls!" One man shouted, his long twisted arm holding up a creature's perfectly clean skull.
"Fried kimboos on a stick!" Another yelled, possibly a woman, her many tendrils waving around cooked meat on a stick.
"Buy two of anything made from a kliger, and get a droogalogalo claw for free!" An inhuman being that made Morty do a double-take shrieked, their hands tapping the table of items in frot of them.
Morty fidgeted with his hands, feeling out of his element. "Q-Quite the hunting game out here…." He said, gaze flickering up to Rick, who made no move to look away from the path in front of them.
"You don't have to state the obvi-obvious, Morty." Rick chided back at him, his normal uncaring expression plastered across his face. "With the guns, alcohol and camo, you can tell w-what this place is about." He limply gestured to the general area, eyes still glued forward.
Morty pulled a light look, but didn't reply for a few seconds, instead glancing around more to figure out precisely what they were looking for. He wasn't sure if Rick had actually told him or not, since again, Morty hadn't exactly been listening when he was rudely awoken and half asleep. He had to take a gamble, they were most likely here for animal parts. What Rick wanted to do with them, that was not really Morty's business, and he didn't want to know anyway. It would either be something he didn't understand, or another event that would claim another part of his innocence that he still had.
Though, while he may know the general idea of what they're looking for, that didn't mean he knew the specifics of it. Since he couldn't help himself, he decided to speak up again. "So why exactly are we here?…."
Rick raised a brow at that, and finally looked down at Morty for once. "Were you not listening?" His expression was clearly annoyed, not the kind of guy who likes to repeat himself.
Morty frowned at him lightly, not in the mood for arguing, but he explained himself. "A l-l-little hard to when you wake me up at four in the morning, rambling about multiple things, f-forcing me on an adventure."
It's not that Morty hated adventures, far from it. It was more due to the sense of timing with things. It was like when you get a sudden birthday invitation a day before the party, and so you have to frantically get a gift, figure out the location, how to get there, and so on. The party may or may not be fun, but the announcement itself has already put you in a bad mood. Plus, Morty was really starting to suspect Rick was choosing four in the morning on purpose.
"I thought you were uuurpp!-good at understanding my rambles?" Rick huffed, automatically pulling out his flask and taking a swift sip of it.
"I have, admittedly, been t-tuning it out lately." Morty sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, his honest and tired nature coming out. "It's easier to just follow you than q-question things when getting dragged out of bed."
Rick shrugged at that, putting his flask away before fixing his coat. "For once, a smart move." He quietly replied, taking a moment to glance around the stalls. "I-If you really must know, Morty, I need some rare ingredients."
"I was already expecting that, actually." Morty commented, narrowly shuffling out of the way when a massive alien stumbled past. He stared at the passerby for a few seconds, subconsciously taking note of the size difference, before looking back at his grandfather.
"Fuck you, I'm not predictable." Rick retorted casually, before gesturing out to some of the stalls. "A-And a lot of those ingredients come from animals, and if you want an-animal parts, this is the place to go."
That didn't entirely answer Morty's question, as he didn't know what the ingredients were, but he figured there was no reason to ask. He probably wouldn't even know what half of them were. Instead, he took in the sight of the stalls Rick was gesturing to, pausing in his steps with his grandfather as he got a better look at things. Every creature, whether be an alien at the stall, or dead animal parts being laid out to be sold, all had different shapes, patterns and sizes, showcase the diverse world that the universe was.
As much as many of it scared, horrified and confused Morty, he could understand the sense of beauty behind it, along with the interesting hows and whys things came to be. Evolution was an unusual thing, though it also puts into perspective just how boring humans are in hindsight. Then again, Rick did prove humans had a lot of offer by his own sheer existence, but he would never admit that.
"A hotspot for all ecosystem harvesting." Rick hummed, as if slightly proud at the sight they were watching.
That did make Morty pause, a sense of guilt and worry bubbling inside him as he saw people buying things like fur coats or necklaces made out of fangs. "Even endangered a-animals?" He whined quietly to Rick.
Rick, in turn, gave him an exasperated look, tempted to comment on the years of earth culture drilling that conservation and recycling rubbish in the boy's head. But he held himself back and decided to just explain, as that would be easier than arguing with the kid. "O-Once planets reach galactic stages, they tend to figure out animal cloning, which means the word 'endangered' means nothing anymore." He rolls his eyes lightly and starts moving again, this time in the direction of one of the stalls. "So don't go ranting on some Greenpeace shit…."
Morty tilted his head, calming himself. While there was still a lot left untouched about that subject, he will admit that it was enough to satisfy him for the time being. At least help him get through the idea of buying rare animal parts. Besides, what else was he going to do? Write names on a clipboard? So he instead found himself trailing after Rick.
As the pair approached the little store, the entire thing was covered in creature parts and bits, mostly vials and jugs filled with unknown liquids, the stall owner perked up. He was a chubby alien fellow, kind of like a blend of an octopus and a lizard, with a purple and blue colour scheme. His many eyes were locked on the two, seeing a potential buyer right away. And since he was here to make money, he happily greeted the two.
"How can I help you, my blue-haired gentleman?" He bowed his head lightly to Rick, ignoring Morty who was clearly just a tag along.
Rick's eyes dropped down to look at the first sets of items being sold on the table, which was a row of different kinds of teeth, to a row of vials, all of which caught Rick's attention immediately. A pleased smile formed on his face, his brain sparking up all the notes and information he had on these items already. Oh, the things he could make with some of the stuff was already exciting just to think about.
"Ooo, look at this stuff, Morty." He chimed with interest, snagging Morty's shoulder to get his attention, as the boy's sight had wandered off at some point. Morty did jump a little, blinking as he followed his grandfather's line of vision. Rick smirked at him, pointing at a particular spot of items on the table. "The good shit."
When his attention turned back to the items on sale, Morty decided to finally take his own look, given it seemed like they'd be here for a while. He had to admit that the stock of things shown to him was impressive, with a diverse set of objects and pieces to buy. The thing that caught his gaze, due to that magpie part of his brain, was a vial that was glowing a bright aqua colour. The hue was gorgeous, a little entrancing even, which caused Morty to reach over to it, the temptation to swirl around the sealed liquid getting to him.
Though when the clerk noticed this, he held a hand up to stop Morty, who grew nervous about the idea he had done something wrong. Thankfully the man was calm and didn't seem annoyed, instead just doing his job. "Be careful what ya touch, sonny." He warned the boy, lowering his hand. "Half this stuff is venomous, poisonous, toxic, acidic, gaseous, radio-"
"I get the point…." Morty sighed, stepping back a bit. Knowing his luck, he'd get himself poisoned with something that required a cure at the dead-end of space.
The man smiled, or at least Morty thinks, as he pointed over to some thick looking gloves nearby. "It's why I got gloves if you wanna feel the products."
Morty didn't jump at the offer, though Rick did, almost having to shove past the boy to reach for them. "Don't mind if I do." He gave a slight singing tone, slipping the gloves on with a satisfying slap when stretching them into place.
And like a kid in a candy store, Rick was already quick to examine each item with a look of glee in his eyes, as the idea of alien shopping seemed to be a big hobby of his, based on what Morty had seen over the years. Deciding to give him a little space, the boy took a few steps back, folding his arms to rest them as he turned his head. While the stall's items did interest him somewhat, he was much more into people watching and surveying the area to pass the time. Besides, it's not like he could buy anything, or really was desperate for anything he saw at the moment, he was only really here for his brainwave camouflage. At least, that's the best reason he can give to why he was here.
He won't lie, many times he has wondered that if the brainwave stuff wasn't a real thing, would Rick even have picked him to go on adventures with, as it feels like he has a wide range of options to choose from. Heck, even Summer would have fit better than him, as it seems like she's picked up more of Rick's genes than Morty has. Perhaps that's why he doesn't complain about the brainwave protection as much as he should, because it was a good excuse to use to hang out with Rick.
Though that doesn't mean he likes everything about their adventures, that could easily be said, and due to all the danger they ran into, even adding in the factor of the trouble he bumps into at school, Morty had a sense of when something was wrong. Including right this second.
It started with a shiver running up his spine, suddenly feeling uneasy. His expression faltered for a second, eyes shifting around nervously, but he remained calm as he didn't want to start a scene. He already knew what this feeling meant, it was the sensation of eyes on him, and perhaps Rick. Trying to be as subtle as possible, which he admittedly he isn't good at, he glanced around, trying to figure out who was watching. Because this wasn't someone taking a passing glance at them, these were eyes that refused to look away.
And eventually, Morty's eyes located the one who provided this sense of danger, and it made him stiffen with fear. It was some kind of creature, a man that screamed intimation, based on his size, clothing, weapons and biology altogether. He was massive, and not just because Morty was small, but because this guy towered over almost everyone around them.
It was actually hard to make out what was his clothes and what wasn't, because his entire colour scheme was dark pitch black, and what outfit pieces Morty could make out were torn, worn in and showcased this man got into a lot of fights, with a long hat and popped collar hiding away most of his face. However, his piercing yellow eyes seemingly glowed compared to his dark theme of style, the emotion that glinted in them full of hate and venom.
Morty had to squint a little due to his colouration blending his entire self together, but the boy eventually realised that the alien staring at them must be a bug, due to the exoskeleton and carapace structure his body was made out of. It became much more noticeable when seeing his swishing tail, which looked distinctly like a scorpion's, complete with a sharp tip at the end and all. The way that it twitched showed signs of aggression, a need to stab something.
The weapons that Morty could see were primarily knives of all kinds, for hunting purposes, most likely. The ones he could see dangled on the man, and Morty couldn't tell if the holster on his belt was used for a gun, or for something else. Either way, it made him feel scared, like the alien was ready to gut him the moment he looked away.
Somehow it took Morty a while to notice another black figure gazing their way, some kind of alien bug dog by the man's side, perhaps a pet maybe? It looked just as freaky as its owner, though it wasn't entirely pitch black. Instead, it had some grey tones, even a few white dots. It was on all fours, with a long spine-like tail twirling behind it, and an elongated face that showcased rows of teeth as it growled to itself, sending a fearful jolt up Morty's spine.
He was about to speak to Rick, having noticed that the man was staring primarily at his grandfather, but when he brought his gaze back up, he found that he had made eye contact with him, and the two found themselves having a stare off neither wanted to look away from. Morty felt his eyes go wide with shock and fright, his tongue caught in his mouth as he lost his sense of speaking for a moment. And while anger was still in his gaze, when the man looked at Morty, he seemed to be trying to figure out who this boy was and his relation with Rick.
After an awkward few seconds of the two unmoving, Morty found the ability to speak again, even if it was shaky and unsure. "R-Rick?" He sputtered out, not taking his gaze off of the man.
Thankfully, Rick was actually listening, though he was still busy gazing over a vial and didn't turn to Morty. "Yessss?" He hummed, tilting the liquid around.
Morty swallowed when the man seemed to hear Rick speak, despite being on the other side of the street to them. "S-Someone's staring at us." He replied back, silently praying for his grandfather to turn around.
Unfortunately, Rick didn't seem to hear his mental pray, placing down the vial only to pick up another one. "Well, don't be rude by staring back, be rude by f-flipping them off." He said with no emotion to it, clearly not caring about whatever's gotten Morty spooked. He just figured it was something to do with the general idea of stranger danger than an actual problem. "That'll give a cle-clearer message."
"I don't think I want to…." Morty squeaked, hating the way his voice shifted pitch due to fear.
Rick was clearly starting to get annoyed, giving a heavy sigh. "Just ignore them, probably t-think we're ugly or something…." He mumbled loudly, checking a price tag and frowning to himself.
Morty noticed that his staring contest ended when the man again shifted his gaze back to Rick, his expression going back to pure hate, Morty faintly hearing the man hissing under his breath he thinks. Whoever this was, knew who Rick was, and that was often a 50/50 shot of them either hating his guts, or being a good old friend of his. And based on what Morty was seeing, he felt like a fight was about to break out.
"H-He's glaring at you, mostly." Morty whispered back to Rick, getting a little jumpy at the fact he seemed to be the only one concerned here. "I-I think he knows you."
"A lot of people do, doesn't make him special." Rick retorted back, now looking through his wallet, ready to make a purchase.
In the corner of his eye, he was keeping tabs on Morty, even if the boy didn't notice this. It was mainly to make sure the kid didn't get snatched up or wander off, but now he was curious to see if Morty would even move an inch or look away from whoever caught his interest.
And when he didn't, not even responding back to Rick, the old scientist finally looked to his grandson, though still half facing the stall. "C-Can you seriously not look away? That's how you get mugged." He warned Morty, not in the mood to save him from some petty thief. It surprisingly happens a lot more than people think.
Morty did respond that time. "H-He just looks so…intimidating." He had faltered for a moment, not having the right words to express how he felt.
Rick raised a brow and smirked, looking back to the stall owner as he handed over some money. "Ya? Amuse me, what does he look like?"
Feeling his tongue fold around for a moment, looking for the right words, Morty started to describe them the best way he could. Though his entire way of speaking was very nervous and unsure. "Ah…tall, pure black skin, sharp features…." He struggled to speak, even deep down annoyed that Rick refused to look for himself. He knew that his grandfather was just trying to get a rise out of him at this point.
Once handing over the money, Rick was handed a few vials and an animal tooth that he placed away carefully in his pockets. "Sounds like quite the catch, hehe." He playfully chuckled to himself.
Morty's eyes drifted to the man's tail again. "H-He kind of reminds me of a scorpion."
That finally caught Rick's attention, as he straightened with a sense of recognition. "Scorpion?…" The moment he put away everything in his coat, he finally turned around, following Morty's line of sight. And the moment his eyes landed on the figure of their discussion, his eyes went wide in realisation. And after a few seconds of silence, he finally said. "Ah, fuck."
That seemed to be enough invitation for the mystery figure, who immediately started strolling over towards the two, causing Morty to finally move as he stepped back, rejoining Rick's side as he sensed things were about to get ugly. The animal was by his owner's side, and as it got closer, Morty did notice the unusual collar around its throat, a beeping light on one side of it.
The man had heavy steps due to his massive size and weight, his clawed feet leaving scratch marks in the dirt, his tail swishing to the motion of walking. Morty questions to himself if everything about this dude had to be scary or was this just natural with his species, because this was starting to become ridiculous. He even had massive fangs at the front of his mouth that were bigger than any of Morty's fingers.
"I shouldn't have made eye contact, damn it!" Rick chastised himself, though he didn't look away, knowing there was no point now.
After a few more steps, the man stopped, his towering size making him look down at the two humans, though his focus was solely on Rick. "Sanchez." He spoke, venom in his voice.
Morty couldn't help but shiver, the voice spoken was deep, guttural and held a slight feral feel to it. There was anger in his tone, and it made Morty question even more what Rick had done to piss off this man. He was no stranger to the idea his grandfather angered people, but seeing them face to face like this didn't calm him one bit.
"Ananteris." Rick responded, folding his arms as he displayed no sense of fear, quite the opposite to his grandson. "I see the tail's grown ba-back." He openingly noted, glancing at the stinger.
That seemed to be the wrong move, as Ananteris, name now revealed, growled back. "No thanks to you…."
Rick raised his hands, looking more annoyed than anything else. "In my defence, you tried to s-s-stab me with it. I think that gives me an excuse there."
Morty gave his grandfather a look, frustrated at the sheer audacity Rick had to be so calm, speaking in a way that was so obviously pissing off the 10-foot scorpion man right in front of them. It was like he actually wanted to start a fight or something, and Morty, for the life of him, couldn't understand why.
Proving Morty right, Anantheris's expression somehow grew angrier, clearly displeased by Rick's behaviour. "You deserved it after messing with Ananteris Fattail…." He proclaimed his name in an effort to strike some kind of fear, but it got him the opposite reaction.
Making the situation worse, Rick laughed quite loudly when hearing that, making Morty way his option of just ditching his grandfather at this point. "God, I'm sorry." Rick slowed in his laughter, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Just that la-last name always gets to me. Got a cool first name, b-but really drew the short straw with the uuurp!-last name." He chuckled to himself.
Ananteris growled once more, his tail flicking more harshly, as if ready to strike the man in front of him. His clawed fingers were twitching too, perhaps wanting to reach for one of his weapons, or straight up strangle Rick, both options he could take.
Wanting to at least try and de-escalate the situation, Morty tugged on Rick's coat, getting his attention. "Rick, you're making h-him angry…." Morty warned the obvious, a pleading look in his eyes asking his grandfather to stop antagonising the man who looks like he'd wear them both like a skinned coat if he wanted to.
Rick didn't seem phased by this, and Morty telling him to stop seemed to just make him keep going. "So what?" He huffed, looking back at Ananteris with an unflinching gaze. "We already know who would w-win in a fight between us."
Tilting his head, that seemed to be another invitation Ananteris was looking for. "How about a round two, then?" He replied, taking out a massive hunting knife in one quick motion, dry blood already on it.
Knowing what was about to happen, Rick reacted fast. His first step was pushing Morty out of the way, the kid crashing to the dirty ground with a yelp. His second step was to narrowly dodge out of the way too, his foe's knife missing Rick's side by a few inches, almost snagging his lab coat too.
Stumbling back, Rick used a stall table to steady himself, watching Ananteris straightening as he growled and hissed like a wild animal, his dangerous movements causing his pet to also start standing in a more aggressive stance.
"Woah!" Rick scowled, a hand already reaching for his laser gun. "Sensitive, much?"
He hadn't felt like fighting today, but he wasn't one to turn down senseless violence. Plus, he wasn't the one to start this, so no one could blame him with anything other than self-defence. So the plan was to just kick this guy's ass again, and have him running home like any other enemy from his past.
At least that would have happened if not for Morty speaking up. "R-Rick!" He called out to his grandpa, pressing his hands on the ground as he was about to get up.
This caught both Ananteris and his pet's attention, remembering that someone else was a part of this two. And just as Morty was about to push himself up, he froze when the bug dog creature stalked towards him, head low and tail high. He couldn't tell if it wanted to pounce on him, or just make sure he wouldn't get involved. Either way, Morty didn't get up, instead shuffling backwards a little by kicking his feet against the dirt.
Still in a bloodthirsty mood, Ananteris was staring at Morty intensely. He knew this kid was with Rick, he just didn't know why. The last time he saw Sanchez, he was a lone explorer, and now he's got a kid tagging along? That was a dangerous game for him to play, as people like Ananteris were not above hurting children to get to their enemies.
Rick knew this too well, seeing that calculating look in his foe's eyes. "H-Hey, ignore him." He called out, trying to draw attention away from Morty. The last thing he needed was the kid caught up in a marketplace fight. "Any good hunter knows not to go after runts anyway…." Rick scoffed, giving Ananteris a look.
As the man looked back at him, it seemed to work, and his pet halted in his stalking towards Morty. The boy let out a breath he was holding, his eyes having been locked onto the creature's fangs the entire time, before looking up too as his grandfather spoke.
He did pout and mumble to himself though. "I'm not that runty…."
No one seemed to have heard him, as both human man and bug man were staring down, both contemplating the idea of a showdown in the middle of a street. Rick had already pulled out his gun at this point, putting the charger on high. He usually wouldn't mind having it a bit lower to enjoy a fight longer, but he had to be cautious with Morty around, and he had come here to shop, not to brawl.
Ananteris pulled out a second hunting knife to match the first one, duel wielding them as he held his tail high. Rick mostly kept glancing at the stinger, as while getting stabbed by a knife wasn't exactly pleasant, he knew Ananteris's species' venom was something he never wanted to deal with again. He can still recall the shock of pain the initial injection felt the first time he dealt with it, and it wasn't even from Ananteris back then.
Morty stayed on the ground where he was, refusing to move as he didn't want to draw attention again. His eyes darted between the two men, trying to guess who would strike first. He also noticed that everyone else in the market had gone quiet, all staring with wide eyes, a few younger and shady folk almost looking keen for a fight to break out. Morty quietly questioned to himself why they couldn't have one peaceful adventure without sudden violence.
But his prays seemed to have been answered, as a new alien strode over with heavy steps, a quite muscular woman who frowned in disapproval. She also had some kind of uniform on. "Sirs!" She called out, catching Rick and Ananteris's attention as she stepped between them. "I'm gonna have to ask you to back down."
Morty tilted his head, but quickly realised this must have been some kind of cop, or at the very least some type of security that kept this place in check. Her presence was enough for him to start picking himself off the ground, feeling safe for once, though he did jump back when Ananteris's pet snapped its gaze over to him, keeping an eye on the boy.
Ananteris himself sneered at the newcomer, pointing a knife at Rick. "I'm not thru with him…."
Rick rolled his eyes, lowering his weapon as there was no way he was willing to risk pissing off security around here. He didn't feel like getting banned from another marketplace this year. "Get in line, buddy." He retorted, putting a hand on his hip. "Majority the universe w-w-wants a piece of this, in m-more ways than one." He dryly joked, pleased when seeing Ananteris give a distasteful look.
The alien bug tried to step forward, barely holding himself back from pouncing at Rick, but the officer placed a hand out in his way. "Look, we may be brutal hunters, who thrive on the bloodshed of animals, and the call of the wild." She crossed her arms, staring up at Ananteris with a stern gaze. "But we're not savages, and fights are not allowed to be started in the marketplace."
Ananteris held back a hiss, lowering his knives as he stared at the woman. Despite the anger he had for Rick, it's clear he too didn't want to get banned from this place, especially since he was a hunter himself, and got most of his business here.
She seemed to take notice of this, stepping to stand sideways in order to have a clear sight of the two men. "You're both clearly customers, so you obviously don't want to get banned, now do you?" She sounded like a mother trying to stop her kids from fighting, expressing that this isn't the first time she's had to deal with unruly people.
For a few seconds, Rick and Ananteris stared at one another, many negative emotions flickering through their eyes. Morty, for a moment, truly believed one was gonna ignore the lady and suddenly strike the other, but thankfully the pair seemed to be wise enough, both putting away their weapons, though their hateful gazes never left.
They seemed to have an entire silent conversation with just their expression, and whatever was said between the two must have been bad, as Ananteris scoffs and hisses under his breath, flicking away from Rick in disgust. After giving a sharp and quick whistle, his pet strolled over to his master's side, with no sense of disobedience in any way in the animal.
With his companion by his side, Ananteris started to walk away. However, he had to pass Morty to do so, the boy pressing his back against the stall's table to put as much space between him and the man as possible. Ananteris and his pet glanced down at Morty, both with different gazes. The animal had a sharp watch, but whatever it was thinking was unreadable. Meanwhile, his owner looked at Morty with curiosity, as if taking note of every little detail the boy showcased. Morty merely stood there, frozen, eyes locked onto Ananteris as he strolled past.
And then he was gone, the bug man with his bug dog wandering down the streets before turning a corner, vanishing like nothing had happened. Morty stayed in place though, eyes unmoving from where he last saw Ananteris, an unsettled feeling crawling inside of him.
He snapped out of it though when hearing Rick come up behind him. "That guy is waaayyy too edg-edgy for his own good." The old man mused, staring off down the street too. But he too acted like nothing had happened, glancing away, and he started to walk off. "Come on, Morty."
Morty blinked, his brain still trying to process all that had happened. It's not every day a massive bug man threatens your grandfather in a marketplace. It also didn't help that the sense of dread inside him refused to go away. But the ability to move came back to him, and Morty jogged back over to Rick's side, before slowing his pace to match his grandfather's.
Not willing to settle it there, Morty sputtered out. "R-Rick, who was that?"
Rick raised a brow at him, as if not thinking this was worth any explanation. "Not listening again?" He shook his head. "His name is Ananteris Fattail, M-Morty."
Morty frowned at that. "Yes, I know that part…." He wasn't deaf, and he wasn't dumb, he knew the guy's name. He just wanted to know what the hell that was all about. "H-How do you know him, and what happened to piss him off like that?"
Pulling out his flask as Morty spoke, Rick took a swig of it before wiping his mouth. "You really wanna hear another story about another person you-your grandfather pissed off?"
He glanced down at Morty, the kid's eyes staring at Rick for answers. Rick was tempted to not say anything, because he had things to do and wasn't one for the past, but he knew Morty would bug him the entire time about the events that transpired, and he decided he didn't want to deal with that.
So he put his flask away, and rested his hands in his pocket, thinking over his words. "To sum it up, I hired him to get me ingredients, the good shit t-too. Tried to then ta-take them without paying cause I spent all my money and other valuables when I was blackout drink in the prior week." Rick took out one hand to roll it around in a limp gesture, already bored with retelling the story. "He didn't uuuuuurrrpp!-like that, called me a bitch, fought with me, t-took the ingredients to his house, I broke in, stole them back, and slept with his wife for g-good measure since she was lonely." He shrugged, as if what he just said was basic and uninteresting.
Morty stared at his grandfather, as despite that simple outline of things, he was starting to see precisely why Ananteris wanted to stab the man. "Rick…"
Rick didn't seem to hear him, continuing with his story. "Lead to another fight, e-ending with him nearly stabbing me, before I cut off his tail." Again he spoke like it was so nonchalant, an everyday thing in the life of Sanchez. "W-which is a big no no in his culture. Which I personally don't get since they grow back."
"Rick." Morty tried to speak up again, but failed once more.
"Like I can get humans hating someone wh-who cut off their arm, but would it matter as mu-much if you could grow it back?" Rick rambled to himself.
Morty finally shouted. "Rick!"
"What?!" Rick shouted back, annoyed that Morty would want to interrupt the story he was so dying to know about initially.
"H-How are you not more concerned he's lurking around here? He just tried to stab you!" Morty threw his arms forwarded in a frantic gesture, his fears getting to him. It was one thing being surrounded by aliens far taller than you, it was another knowing one was willing to shank you when you were least expecting it.
Rick, however, seemed to have a different mindset to this, as always. "You get used to it, kid."
He paused when seeing Morty's eyes dart around, clearly on the lookout for Ananteris. Rick already expected the kid's anxieties to kick up, and he can't fault him for that, but again it wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now. Plus, he knew Ananteris had many clients and jobs around here, his primary spot to make money, he was confident the man wouldn't risk anything to get himself kicked out. And any fight with Rick would cause too big of a scene to get away with anyway.
Morty didn't seem to understand this, his entire body on edge as if something would pounce on him. "Wha-what if he tries something?"
Sighing, Rick did try to comfort his grandson's concerns, though that didn't mean he was good at it. "Relax, Morty. Security is tight around here, given this place is filled with hu-hunters who go crazy for kills."
Morty's eyes widen upon hearing that, as if now remembering that this place is a market that people share their kills and trophies with. He bit his lip, knowing there was no sense in whining about it, but he just wishes that Rick would listen to his fears for once, instead of acting like none of this was anything to worry about.
"He won't bother us, so stop worrying." Rick waved his hand dismissively, before settling them back into his pockets and looking forward. "God, yo-you got to deal with those anxieties, starting to get frustrating again."
Morty frowned, but didn't say anything. Instead, he looked forward too, eye locked on the ground as he sighed to himself. He knew there was no sense in arguing with Rick, and he didn't feel like getting insulted more for just having the basic fear of not wanting to be killed or stabbed. Was it so much to ask for some simple understanding?
Rick did glance at the boy out of the corner of his eye, seeing his bitter expression. He really needed to find a way to calm this kid's anxieties, or else they'd become quite the hassle later in life. For now, he would work with momentary ways of doing so.
Speaking of, something he thought would help caught his attention, noticing a little grill stand. The smell of food radiating off of it as he smiled. "Why don't I buy ya some food? Food will make you happy." He looked down at Morty, encouraging him to give it a shot.
Morty did look over, and the food did look alright, nothing too alien. He knew that this was most likely just a distraction so he didn't ask more questions, or pout and annoy Rick, but he had to admit he was hungry. Perhaps some food would relax him a little, but that didn't mean the topic would be dropped entirely.
So he allowed himself to be guided over by his grandfather, who was already engaging with the stall owner. Unfortunately, this was too good of a distraction for Morty, as his sense of danger didn't pick up that again someone was watching.
A shadow in a corner tilted their head, staring at the two humans with a squinting gaze. "Grandfather, aye?…"
Rick had to say, beyond the attempted murder on his life, today's shopping was quite successful. He had a whole range of new things for the lab, and managed to snag some pretty good deals here and there. So to end the day he decided to take Morty to a little bar on the edge of the marketplace, planning on getting the two some drinks, and maybe a dessert to celebrate or something.
Though while he was mainly in a great mood, Morty still seemed uneasy. He didn't bring up Ananteris since they got food, but Rick knew very well that he was still nervous the man might show up again. It made the boy act a little distant today, his gaze always somewhere else whenever Rick struck up a new conversation between them. His guard was never down, and frankly, it kind of ruined a part of the day for Rick. But to be fair on his grandson he didn't bring it up or point it out, just made a passing joke and moved on.
He knew that Morty would get over it once they left, so he didn't have to deal with the kid's fears for too much longer. Besides, he had his sister, mother and sometimes dad to go complain to about his worries, Rick didn't need to be the one to baby him.
He snapped out of his train of thought when hearing the sound of a drink being placed on the wooden table they sat around, as the bar itself was swarmed with customers already. Morty too looked up from where he sat next to Rick, having been looking down at his dangling feet the entire time before.
After handing Rick his drink, the waiter pulled their hand back, reaching over and taking the other drink they were carrying to place in front of Morty. "Vodka with venom for the adult, and orange juice with venom for the kid." He gave a friendly but gruff smile, before scuttering off to deliver other things.
Rick didn't hesitate to take a sip out of his drink, tasting the bitter and slight spice of it. Despite how cheap it went out here, this drink was pretty good, and definitely had the buzz Rick was looking for after a long day of shopping.
Morty, however, grasped his drink with hesitation. The idea of venom in it really confused him. "Is this safe to drink?" He looked to Rick, tilting his head.
Taking a moment to sip again, Rick rested his drink down before replying. "As long as it doesn't get into your blood system."
Pursing his lips, Morty sighed and let go of the drink as he leaned back into his chair. "D-Does everything have to have some kind of toxin in it?" He remarked, glancing over at the menu on the wall briefly.
"Yup, because how else do you show off toxic masculinity?" Rick clarified, partly joking, partly not.
He quickly finished his drink, while Morty still hadn't sipped his. When placing down his now empty glass, he waved at a passing waiter and gave a signal he wanted another. Not saying no to a customer, they nodded and wandered off back to the kitchen.
Morty glanced at the empty glass, frowning to himself. "At least don't get so drunk yo-you can't drive the ship…." He rested his hand on his chin, starting to feel the faint traces of being woken up at four am getting to him. "I'm still learning how to take off properly."
Rick groaned lightly, rolling his eyes, a slight slur to his voice as he looked at the kid. "Damn, you worry so much." He snorted, leaning his head back with closed eyes as he snarkily replied. "It's t-that Jerry side of you, cause I know th-there's no wussy genes on my side."
Giving a look, Morty straightened in his chair. "Am I n-not allowed to e-ever be nervous?"
There was a hint to his words that suggested this was about Ananteris, and while Rick knew this, he wasn't going to bite that bait. Instead, he raised a brow, clicking his neck as he rested his elbows on the table, giving Morty an unamused look.
"Not when it makes you afraid of your own uuuurp!-shadow." He quipped, smirking as he saw it riled up the boy.
"That was one time!" Morty snapped back, crossing his arms and huffing to himself.
Rick still had a smug smirk on his face, having endless amusement teasing someone who was so easy to do so with. It wasn't like with Birdperson, who Rick never knew how to get a rise out of, so it was fun to know he now had a partner he could always do this to. Childish? Perhaps, but he didn't care.
Morty knew this too, and it annoyed him he could so easily be winded up. It was something Summer use to do to him a lot, and while she still does, now he has to deal with his own grandfather doing it. But he knew it was harmless fun, and normally he wouldn't care. He just...couldn't shake the feeling something was still wrong. And while he was someone who got easily scared, he knew when his gut was just being overly worried, and when it knew he should keep his guard up.
And right now, Rick was making no attempts at even faking concern over this. It also didn't help that he couldn't think straight due to the loud chatting from the other customers, mainly the ones hanging around the bar itself. He just needed a moment to breathe, to sort out what he was feeling.
So he decided to stand up, his chair being pushed back as he slipped out of it. He looked to Rick, who took notice of the boy's movement. "I'm gonna get some air, th-this toxic masculinity is no joke, the air's thi-thick with it." Morty said, eyes shifting side to side as he spoke.
As he turned, Rick didn't stop him, only replying with. "I'll be expecting you to co-come back screaming about something in a minute."
Not responding, Morty made his way through the back door. Glancing around the small alleyway, he saw no one around, just some trash bags lying around to be cleaned up later. The boy shivered the moment he exited too, feeling the cold air prick at him, making him wish he had packed a jacket or something.
He had been quite warm during the shopping trip, but that was because it took place during the day. Looking up, he saw the sky was starting to paint itself in darker and colder colours, the sun setting off in the distance. Despite the uneasiness, he had to admit the sight was beautiful, seeing an alien sky and some nearby planets in the horizon.
Taking a few steps forward, away from the bar's exit, his eyes were still gazing up at the sky, tilting his head. "Stars already?" He mused to himself, noting all the sunset colours he could see. "Wonder what time it is on earth…." He hummed, already reaching for his phone.
His gaze looked down to it as he flicked it on, seeing the time was 1:48 PM back home. No wonder he felt tired, he had barely gotten any sleep before being dragged out here. But he had grown to be used to little sleep, his body not collapsing the moment it could anymore. Though the thought of it did make him subconsciously rub his tired eyes.
Morty glanced once more up at the sky, wondering to himself how long the days were here. "Should really get a galaxy clock on here-"
He stopped himself, hearing something other than his voice. It was a low, deep, guttural growl, and it was unfortunately familiar. Feeling his heart racing, Morty spun around, hand gripping his phone as his eyes landed on the sight of Ananteris's pet stalking towards him, Morty noting the creature was blocking his way back into the bar.
Panic settling in him relatively fast, he took a few steps back, sight locked onto the animal's fangs, the drool dripping from them, causing them to shimmer in the faint light. A bubble blocked Morty's throat for a few seconds, before the urge to scream finally got the better of him.
"Ri-!" He tried to call out, in hopes his grandfather could hear him. But apparently, someone had other plans.
Before Morty could process what was happening, a rough and rather painful hand snatched over his mouth, the clawed tips on the fingers already digging into his cheeks. Usually, such an action didn't hurt as much, but the boy realised it was because his hidden foe had an exoskeleton rather than squishy skin like him, and that was enough for him to realise who was grabbing him.
Failing to shout through Ananteris's hand, Morty's arms flailed up as he tried to pry himself free, but his attacker used his free hand to grab one of Morty's arms, yanking it back painfully and causing him to drop his cellphone, faintly hearing it smack against the ground.
Since his hands failed him, Morty fruitlessly tried kicking his feet around in wild motions, as if his hits could cause Ananteris to let him go. He heard the man huff as he effortlessly picked the boy off the ground, Morty feeling the floor vanish from under his kicking feet.
He did have to give the kid credit. Despite his small size and nervous nature, the tiny human didn't let up and still squirmed as much as he could, hearing Morty's muffled yells through his hand, as if still hoping Rick could hear him. But deep down, the boy knew it was helpless. He just wasn't one to go quietly.
That was, until he heard a strange rattling noise, eyes peaking to the side as he froze up, seeing Ananteris's stinger come into view, hovering right by the boy's face. Sweat rolled down Morty's head, feeling his heart and blood pumping violently, that need to run great, but that need not to be stabbed and injected with venom even stronger. At the very least, he wasn't crying, retaining some dignity, but he felt like he could any minute now.
It didn't help that his entire body was already cramping due to the uncomfortable position he was in, Ananteris's exoskeleton not being the softest thing to be pressed against. He was already feeling a bruise around his mouth due to how hard the man had slapped his hand over it.
He couldn't help but let out a whimper when feeling the tip of the stinger gently brush up against his cheek, closing his eyes tightly in fear. He was praying that Rick would come out and find him, praying that the man would come to save him, but he very well knew Rick was too busy getting drunk back in the bar to be his hero right now.
"Hush, little nymph." Ananteris whispered, his voice so unsettling. It wasn't as aggressive as when Morty first heard it, but something about this tone felt even worse. "I would suggest you don't squirm…."
Ananteris glanced down at the floor, having noticed the light coming from Morty's phone screen. Narrowing his eyes, he shuffled a foot on top of it, barely having to press any weight on it before it cracked, powering off due to the damage.
"A good rule for a hunt." He spoke to both himself and Morty, turning his cold yellow eyes back onto the boy. "Make sure you get the right bait…."