Chapter 24: Ascension and Confrontation

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The serum glowed softly in its vial, an ethereal light that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the universe itself. I held it up to the dim light of the lab, marveling at the culmination of months of work, research, and discovery. This was more than just a serum, it was the key to my evolution, the birth of a new race. The combined intelligence of the Ricks and Mortys I had captured had allowed me to unlock the final components I needed to perfect it.

I had drawn from across the multiverse, harvesting materials, understanding their molecular properties, and blending them into the ultimate biological formula.

The Mycelium Synthite enhanced neural growth, accelerating the brain's processing power to levels even Ricks could barely comprehend.

The Orginum Crystals acted as a foundation for rapid tissue regeneration and heightened endurance, while the Zenthalium Alloy, normally used for technological enhancements, had been adapted to reinforce my skeletal and muscular structure on a biological level. Every single piece had been carefully calibrated, tested, and integrated.

This serum was more than just a way to become better than Rick. It was the final step toward something greater, toward Primoris Sapiens. A new breed of humanity, designed not just to survive the multiverse, but to thrive in it, to conquer it.

I injected the serum into my arm, and the transformation was immediate.

A surge of energy rippled through my body, my vision flashing white for a moment as my nervous system reacted to the influx of new neural connections. My muscles tightened, expanding in strength as my bones became denser, more resilient. My skin prickled as the Orginum-enhanced cells began replicating, filling every inch of me with power. My mind raced, faster than it ever had before, processing information with such clarity that the entire multiverse seemed to lay itself bare before me. It was as if every problem, every possibility, had been solved before I even thought about it.

I staggered for a moment, clutching the side of the lab table as the last of the serum settled in my bloodstream. My breathing slowed, my pulse steadying to an almost meditative calm. The change wasn't painful, but it was intense, like shedding an old skin and stepping into something far superior. I was faster, stronger, smarter, every fiber of my being pulsed with purpose.

I was ready.

Just as the final sensations of the transformation passed, the alarms blared. A breach. I didn't need the monitors to tell me who it was.

Rick C-137.

I stepped outside the lab, my enhanced senses already locking onto his energy signature. The barren wasteland of Dimension QZ-819 stretched before me, but it wasn't empty anymore. Rick's ship had landed, and he stood before me, Morty by his side, both of them staring me down.

Rick's eyes narrowed as he took in my appearance. His usual smugness was gone, replaced by something far more dangerous, determination.

"Well, huhhhp, you sure look different, Jerry," Rick said, his voice sharp, no sign of his usual drunken slur. "But let's see if that's all it is."

He moved first, firing a burst of energy from his wrist device. It shot toward me in a blinding arc, but I didn't flinch. My body reacted instinctively, moving faster than I ever could have before. I dodged the attack with ease, stepping to the side as the energy scorched the ground where I had been standing.

Rick grunted, already moving to fire again, but I was on him before he could finish. I swung the portal gun up, the Celestial Ray bursting from its barrel. The pale blue beam disintegrated everything in its path, vaporizing a massive boulder behind Rick as he leapt out of the way.

But Rick wasn't done. He pressed another button on his wrist, and suddenly, a massive holographic figure began forming around him. It wasn't just a projection, it was a towering energy body, shimmering with raw power. Rick sat at the top, controlling the form like a mech suit, his eyes glowing with the intensity of the energy coursing through it.

"Huhhhp, you didn't think I'd come unprepared, did you?" Rick sneered from his elevated position.

Morty followed suit, activating his own device. His energy body formed beside Rick's, smaller but still formidable. The two of them towered above me, their energy crackling through the air, ready to strike.

But I wasn't intimidated. Not anymore.

I shot into the air, my new body responding effortlessly as I hovered above the battlefield. The serum had made me capable of feats that once seemed impossible, and now, I would test that power. Rick and Morty's energy bodies lunged at me, massive fists swinging through the air, but I met them head-on, not with technology, but with sheer physical strength.

I punched forward, my fist meeting Rick's energy construct. The impact rippled through the battlefield, shaking the ground beneath us. Rick's eyes widened in surprise as my blow dented the energy form, sending him stumbling backward.

Morty swung next, but I was already prepared. I dodged his strike, catching the arm of his construct and twisting it, ripping it apart with brute force. Morty yelped as his energy body flickered, destabilizing for a moment before he regained control.

Rick growled, pushing his construct to its limits. The massive energy form lunged at me again, but I was faster. I weaved through their attacks, landing blow after blow, my fists colliding with their constructs in a flurry of strikes. Each hit sent shockwaves through the air, and with every punch, I could feel the gap between us widening.

This wasn't just a fight anymore. This was my ascension.

Rick snarled, activating a device on his belt that released a wave of gravitational energy. The ground beneath me shifted, pulling me down, but I countered with a burst of strength, flying higher and breaking free of the pull.

"Impressive, Rick," I called out, my voice calm, almost serene. "But you're still trying too hard."

I surged forward, smashing through Rick's energy body with a single, powerful strike. His construct shattered around him, flickering out of existence as he was thrown to the ground.

Morty tried to back away, but I caught him in a flash, tearing through his energy form and sending him crashing beside Rick. The two of them lay there, bruised and battered, panting from the exertion.

I landed softly, standing over them. Rick tried to rise, but I pressed a foot to his chest, holding him down.

"This isn't about beating you anymore, Rick," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "I've moved beyond that."

Rick glared up at me, his eyes filled with defiance. "Huhhhp, you think you've won? You think-"

But before he could finish, I activated the neural extractor, pressing it against Rick's temple. His body stiffened as the device latched onto his mind, extracting every memory, every piece of knowledge.

Morty struggled, but I held him down with ease, doing the same to him.

I could feel their intelligence flowing into me, the raw genius of Rick and the unpredictable creativity of Morty. It was intoxicating. But before I could complete the process, Rick's body flickered.

In an instant, both Rick and Morty vanished.

I stared at the spot where they had been, my enhanced mind already understanding what had happened. Rick's consciousness had been transported to emergency clones, a contingency plan I should have expected.

But it didn't matter.

I had what I needed. Their bodies, with their memories intact, were already here. I had the blueprints to Rick's mind, and I would use them to push myself even further.

With a calm smile, I turned away from the battlefield and opened a portal.

Rick could run all he wanted. I was no longer chasing him.

I was chasing something far greater.