Chapter 133 - Inside Job 3

Long time no see, hope everyone is doing fine. Sorry for the delay since I'm having writer's block and hopefully I can overcome it.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter. If I made any error, let me know.

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As the space cruiser hummed through the sky, Morty glanced over at Reagan with a smirk.

"You know, since this is a special date and all, I figured we could grab dinner somewhere... unique. How do you feel about going to a different dimension? They've got this place that serves the best food in the multiverse."

Reagan blinked, still getting used to the idea that traveling between dimensions was a casual thing for Morty.

"Wait, seriously? You want to go to another dimension for dinner?"

"Trust me, it'll be worth it," Morty said with a grin, pushing a few buttons on the dashboard. The space cruiser hummed as reality around them shimmered and bent, the stars warping into streaks of light before their surroundings shifted.

In an instant, the world changed. The sky above them was a deep shade of violet, with swirling galaxies far in the distance. Below them was a city unlike anything Reagan had ever seen—a fusion of futuristic architecture and natural beauty, with glowing trees and floating buildings, all lit by a soft, otherworldly glow. The cruiser descended toward a sleek restaurant perched on a cliff overlooking an iridescent ocean, its waves glowing softly in the twilight.

Reagan's jaw dropped as she took in the breathtaking sight.

"This is… unreal," she breathed.

Morty grinned, landing the cruiser gently outside the restaurant.

"Told you it was special. They've got everything here—food from every corner of the multiverse."

As they stepped out of the cruiser, Morty offered Reagan his hand. She hesitated for a moment, still processing everything, before taking it with a smile.

Together, they walked into the restaurant, where an alien maître d' greeted them in a melodic, unfamiliar language. Morty responded smoothly, securing them a table with a stunning view of the glowing ocean below.

Once they were seated, the ambiance set in—a perfect mix of soft music and the natural sounds of the waves. Reagan couldn't help but admire how calm and confident Morty seemed in a place so foreign to her. It was as if he'd done this a thousand times before.

"So," Morty said, leaning back in his chair,

"Tell me more about you. I mean, I already know you're pretty much running the conspiracy cover-up game back on Earth, but what got you into that?"

Reagan shrugged, still marveling at her surroundings.

"Honestly? It's kind of a family business. My dad was this genius who worked at Cognito Inc. when I was a kid, so I grew up surrounded by all the secrets and conspiracies. I guess I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. But, uh… things got complicated with him." She sighed, then added,

"He's kind of a control freak, and I've spent most of my life trying to live up to his expectations."

Morty nodded, understanding all too well.

"Yeah, I know what that's like. My grandpa, Rick, was pretty much the smartest guy in the multiverse, and let's just say he wasn't the easiest person to deal with either. For a while, I felt like I was just living in his shadow, trying to keep up."

Reagan looked at him, surprised.

"Really? You seem like you've got it all figured out now."

Morty smirked.

"Yeah, well, after a while, I realized that I didn't need to be him, you know? I could do my own thing, make my own way. That's when I started traveling between dimensions, building my own tech, and doing what I wanted. It's a lot more fun when you stop worrying about living up to someone else's standards."

Reagan chuckled softly.

"I wish I could do that. I'm still stuck dealing with my dad's mess. Cognito's a nightmare sometimes, but it's all I've ever known."

Morty leaned forward, his eyes meeting hers.

"Hey, you don't have to stay stuck. You've already got everything you need to make your own path. Trust me, you're smarter than most of the people trying to control things. You've just gotta let go of what they think and do what you want."

Reagan smiled, feeling a warmth she hadn't expected.

"Maybe you're right."

Their conversation was interrupted briefly as a waiter approached, offering them an array of strange yet delicious-looking dishes from across the multiverse.

As they dug in, Reagan felt herself relaxing more and more. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't thinking about Cognito Inc., her dad, or the pressures of her job. Instead, she was enjoying a surreal but genuinely fun date with someone who understood her in a way she didn't expect.

"So," Reagan asked, playfully raising an eyebrow,

"What's the weirdest dimension you've ever been to?"

Morty chuckled.

"Oh, that's a tough one. There's this one dimension where everything's made of sentient pizza. Like, the pizzas talk, move, have families… It's kind of a nightmare, but also hilarious. You ever see a pizza argue with its toppings? It's ridiculous."

Reagan laughed, shaking her head.

"That sounds insane. I can't even imagine."

"Oh, it was," Morty said, grinning.

"But that's the fun part about traveling—every dimension has its own brand of weird."

As the night went on, they continued talking, sharing stories of their respective adventures—Reagan's struggles with her team and the inner workings of Cognito, and Morty's countless trips to bizarre and dangerous realities.

The more they talked, the more Reagan realized how much she had in common with Morty, despite how different their lives seemed at first.

For the first time in a long while, she felt like she could actually let her guard down. And in this strange, beautiful world, that feeling was more liberating than anything she'd ever experienced back home.

The evening continued as they enjoyed their surreal dinner, the dishes served becoming more bizarre yet delicious with every course.

The conversation flowed naturally, and Morty felt surprisingly comfortable with Reagan. After their discussions about work and family dynamics, the topic drifted toward their personal interests.

"So," Reagan asked, leaning forward,

"What do you do for fun, when you're not, you know, traveling between dimensions and building insane tech?"

Morty shrugged, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Honestly? I've got a few hobbies. One of the big ones is anime. I've been into it for a while—watched tons of it when I was younger."

Reagan's eyes lit up, her posture straightening with excitement.

"Wait, you're into anime too?"

Morty smirked.

"Yeah, big fan. The animation and stories always pulled me in. It's like watching a version of life, but with more action, drama, and cooler powers."

Reagan laughed, her excitement growing.

"I love anime! It's like… one of the few things that helps me unwind after a long day at Cognito. I didn't expect you to be into it, though."

Morty grinned.

"Guess I've still got a few surprises up my sleeve. What kind of stuff are you into?"

"Oh man, where do I even start?" Reagan said, clearly energized by the topic.

"I've watched everything from the classics to the new stuff—Neon Genesis Evangelion, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, you name it. I guess I've always related to those kinds of shows where the characters have to deal with all this pressure and responsibility, but also have the power to change things. You know?"

Morty nodded.

"Yeah, totally. I grew up watching stuff like Dragon Ball and Bleach. It's crazy how much you can relate to those characters, even though the worlds they live in are so different."

Reagan's eyes sparkled, and then a sudden thought seemed to hit her. Her excitement paused as she processed the next realization.

"Wait a minute… You said you're a multidimensional traveler, right?"

Morty smirked knowingly.

"Yup. Been to a ton of different universes. Why?"

Reagan leaned forward, her voice filled with excitement and disbelief.

"Does that mean… anime universes could actually exist? Have you… have you ever visited one?"

Morty chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, I have, actually. A couple of them, at least. The multiverse is so huge, pretty much anything you can imagine exists somewhere out there."

Reagan's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious? You've actually been to anime worlds?"

"Yeah," Morty said casually.

"I've visited the Pokémon universe before. It's pretty wild. Everything's cute, but it's also kind of intense. The battles are a lot more dangerous than the show lets on."

Reagan blinked, speechless for a moment.

"You've been to Pokémon? Did you, like, catch anything?"

Morty shrugged, a sly grin forming.

"Yeah, actually. Not just any Pokémon, though—I've captured Giratina, Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga."

Reagan's face turned pale, her eyes widening with shock.

"Wait, hold on… You caught them? The god Pokémon? Arceus—the creator of everything?! Dialga and Palkia, who control time and space?! And Giratina, the ruler of the Distortion World?!"

Morty chuckled at her reaction.

"Yup. Battled all of them. And won. Easily."

Reagan was utterly stunned.

"How… how did you survive that? Those are like… they're literal gods! How in the world did you manage to capture them?"

Morty leaned back, casually stretching his arms behind his head.

"It wasn't even that tough, to be honest. I've got the Primatrix, this little device that lets me transform into different aliens. One of them's practically omnipotent. So I just transformed, fought them, and—bam—caught them."

Reagan's mouth fell open.

"You fought Arceus. The Pokémon god of everything. And won… easily?"

Morty nodded, smirking.

"Yup. Arceus, Giratina, Palkia, Dialga—they're strong, sure, but they weren't ready for what I threw at them. The alien I used is basically a reality-bender. The fight didn't last long."

Reagan shook her head, half in disbelief and half in awe.

"That's… that's insane. You've actually stood toe-to-toe with the most powerful beings in the Pokémon universe and beat them, just like that."

Morty gave her a casual smile.

"It's all in a day's work when you've got a device like the Primatrix. It's pretty versatile."

Reagan leaned back, processing the sheer scale of what Morty was saying.

"I can't even imagine what that must've been like. Battling creatures who can bend time and space… That's some next-level stuff."

Morty chuckled.

"The multiverse is full of surprises. If you can imagine it, it's out there somewhere."

Reagan's mind was racing, her imagination running wild with the possibilities.

"That's insane. I mean, if those worlds exist, then what's stopping someone like me from going there?"

Morty gave her a knowing look.

"Nothing, really. I mean, it's not exactly easy—dimension-hopping tech isn't something you just pick up at the store—but I could take you there if you wanted to. There's a lot out there to explore."

Reagan leaned back in her seat, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"That's… that's incredible. I've spent so much time buried in work, chasing conspiracies and covering things up, but this? This is something completely different. I'd love to see those worlds someday."

Morty smiled, enjoying how animated she was.

"Well, who knows? Maybe we'll make a detour after dinner." Reagan laughed, the sheer absurdity of it all sinking in.

"I can't believe I'm sitting here, on a date, talking about visiting anime worlds with a guy who's actually fought god-tier Pokémon and won. My team would never believe me."

Morty grinned.

"Well, if you do end up telling them, I've got that neuralyzer ready to go."

They both laughed, the atmosphere between them growing more relaxed and playful as they continued their conversation. For the first time in a long while, Reagan felt like she was finally seeing the world—or, rather, the multiverse—through fresh eyes.

As the night went on, Reagan found herself more captivated by Morty with each passing moment. His stories, his confidence, the way he handled things that most people couldn't even comprehend—it was like he was from another world.

'Is this even real?' she wondered, her gaze fixed on him.

'If this is a dream, I really don't want to wake up.' But as her admiration grew, so did the insecurities that always lingered beneath the surface. The more amazing Morty seemed, the more inadequate she began to feel.

'How could I ever compare to someone like him? Has he ever had anyone else? There's no way I'm the only one…'

Unable to shake the thought, she finally spoke up.

"Morty… can I ask you something?"

He looked at her, sensing the change in her tone.

"Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?"

Reagan hesitated but forced herself to continue.

"Have you… ever been with someone else? I mean, like… romantically? I just—" She cut herself off, realizing how vulnerable she sounded.

"I don't know. It just feels like someone like you wouldn't be… alone."

Morty paused, putting his drink down as he sighed softly. He didn't look uncomfortable, just thoughtful.

"Yeah… I've had other people in my life." He looked directly at her, his voice steady.

"Actually, to be completely honest… I've got a harem of women."

Reagan's eyes widened in surprise.

"A… harem?"

Morty nodded, his tone casual but sincere.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. There's more than one woman in my life, and they're all really important to me. I love them the best way I can. It's complicated, but it works for us."

Reagan sat there, processing what he'd just said. She wasn't sure what to feel—jealousy? Shock? Curiosity? It all blended together in a swirl of emotions.

"But… how do you make that work?" she asked, genuinely curious despite her own feelings.

"I mean, doesn't that get… messy?"

Morty chuckled, leaning back a little.

"It's not always easy. Relationships never are. But I make sure to be honest with them and care for each one. They're all amazing in their own way, and we have a good balance. I'm even engaged."

Reagan blinked, her surprise growing.

"Engaged?"

"Yeah," Morty said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"To an alien princess. She's from a four-armed race—pretty badass, actually. We ended up fighting in this big battle, and I knew I would get engaged to her, so I planned to become her fiancé. My victory in that battle was part of some ancient marriage ritual in her society."

Reagan stared at him, her jaw slack.

"Wait… you fought her in battle and ended up engaged because of it?"

"Pretty much," Morty said with a shrug.

"I didn't go there simply to get engaged and went to get part of my car. After a while, we grew close. She's strong, intelligent, and… well, a little fiery. But that's what makes her interesting."

Reagan's thoughts raced. On one hand, the idea of him having multiple women in his life stung a little. But on the other, she couldn't help but be impressed.

'He's honest about it, at least. And… he really seems to care about them.'

Morty must have sensed her unease because he leaned forward slightly, his expression softening.

"Reagan, I get that this might sound crazy, and I don't expect you to be totally okay with it right away. But I've been through a lot, seen a lot, and all I can do is be upfront with you. I don't hide anything. And I want you to know that even though I've got other people in my life, it doesn't mean you're any less important."

Reagan felt a lump form in her throat. His words, though unexpected, were somehow comforting. He wasn't brushing off her feelings or trying to manipulate her. He was being honest—something she wasn't used to.

Morty gave her a gentle look, his voice calm.

"You're an incredible person, Reagan. You just don't see it because you're caught up in your own self-doubt. But you don't need to compare yourself to anyone else. You're strong in your own way. You just need someone to remind you of that."

Reagan felt the sting of tears forming in her eyes. His words, though simple, struck a chord deep within her. She'd spent so long feeling like she wasn't enough—like she had to constantly prove herself to everyone, including her father. And now here was Morty, telling her she didn't need to prove anything.

Tears welled up, and she bit her lip, trying to hold them back.

"I don't know why I'm getting so emotional," she whispered, a soft laugh escaping her as she wiped at her eyes.

Morty leaned in, gently wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. His hand lingered on her cheek, warm and comforting.

"It's okay. You don't have to hold it in. You've been through a lot. It's okay to feel things, you know."

Reagan looked up at him, her vision blurred by tears but her heart feeling lighter.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Morty smiled softly.

"Anytime."