4.
As Jerry pulled into Iris's driveway, gunshots and a male scream rang through the air.
"GET OUTTA HERE!" Iris shouted, almost grabbing the steering wheel.
"What's going on?!" Jerry yelled back, quickly making a U-turn.
"You need to get back home-NOW!" Iris cried, barely planning out her words in her panicked state. Jerry drove as quickly as he could back home.
Iris racked her brain for Morty's grandpa's name. Summer called him "Grandpa Rick", so she assumed that was his name. Iris stomped down the stairs and slammed open the garage door.
"Rick, please, help me!" She begged.
"What?" Rick sighed.
"Please, I think they tagged me!"
"What do you mean…"
"We need to get somewhere safe or we need to get this tracking chip outta me! What's it gonna be?" Iris cried. Rick simply shot out a red portal from her gun. The alternate dimension was filled with green hills and blue skies. Iris knew this wouldn't last.
"Alright, wha-who is chasing you?" Rick asked.
"I'm pretty sure they're aliens, but I really dunno. Basically, I was their slave," she continued, "But, I was smart. I escaped. Problem is, they put a tracking chip somewhere in my arm. They're obsessed with finding me. My dad's always been in this dimension, though."
"They'll probably find us soon," Rick scowled.
"Oh my God, oh my God…" Iris muttered.
"I didn't want it to come to this, but I need you to help me cut this outta me," she stated.
"N-no way! I don't know where you've been!"
"Please! I'll do anything!" She exclaimed. Rick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Will you leave me alone for a few weeks…?" He replied. The scared girl nodded quickly and Rick said," Fine."
Morty and Summer were watching T.V.. Since Rick upgraded the family television, they watch T.V. almost every night. A new episode of Ball Fondlers was on screen, engrossing them into the show. Suddenly, the door was slammed open. Iris and their father ran into the house with a panicked expression. Their father flopped down on the sofa and stared at the television, his face melting into a calm expression.
Iris gritted her teeth, trying to think of something-anything other than her current situation. Rick carved into her with a damn box cutter that he had in one of his coat pockets. The situation sucked. Tears dripped on the ground along with her blood and sweat. He stopped cutting and dropped the box cutter.
"I-I'm done. You can stop crying now," Rick teased. Iris didn't look up. She gasped for air, still sobbing.
"I gue- I guess you didn't hear me."
"SHUT UP!" Iris screamed," I didn't ask for this! I'm sorry!" Rick sighed. He didn't ask for this either. He took a sip from his flask. He didn't have near enough whiskey to be ready for this. He dug through his pockets, finding a handkerchief. Where the hell did I get this? He asked himself before tying it around the shivering, sobbing mess of a girl's arm. It's not like Rick hadn't cut up anyone else before; he knew how and where to cut her. Sure, he'd never cut out a small tracking chip the size of a SD card before, but he didn't do half bad.
"I-I need you to keep this a secret. DOOONN't go tellin' everyone what happened tonight," Rick instructed.
"I will keep it a secret as long as you keep mine."
"Deal," Rick said, shooting out another portal. Now, they stood on a cliff with a vast, purple ocean. Rick threw the small chip as far as he could. It sailed through the air for a moment, before getting shot again with a short, blue laser. Iris stared at it, and watched the ashes float down into the water.
"Thanks," She uttered.