Chapter 14: The First Battle in Zero Time Zone

Chapter 14: The First Battle in Zero Time Zone

Rick hit the ground hard.

The impact sent a jolt of pain up his spine, but he barely noticed. His vision blurred for a moment before adjusting to the impossible landscape around him.

The Zero Time Zone stretched endlessly in every direction. The ground beneath him was smooth, reflective, and warped like shifting glass. The sky wasn't a sky—it was a swirling abyss of colors that didn't belong together, shifting, bending, bleeding into one another.

Rick pushed himself up on shaky arms. His heart pounded. Miki groaned somewhere beside him, and a few feet away, Second Rick was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. The other Miki—the one trapped in the time loop—held her head, struggling to stay conscious.

They had barely landed, and already, something felt wrong.

Then—laughter.

Rick froze. The sound echoed unnaturally, bouncing off nothing. It was slow, mocking, and filled with amusement.

"Well, well… look what we have here."

Rick turned, and his stomach dropped.

A group of Ricks and Mikis stood before them, blocking their path. There were at least ten of them, all grinning like predators who had found their prey. Their clothes were different—some in torn jackets, others in armored gear—but their eyes all carried the same twisted amusement.

The one in front stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. His expression was almost lazy, his smirk sharp.

"Newcomers," he said, tilting his head. "You really thought you were special, huh?"

Rick's mind raced. This wasn't the leader of the enemy faction—not the real one—but a commander. A squad leader, keeping an eye on the new arrivals.

Rick glanced at Second Rick, who was still bleeding from his previous wounds. They were in no condition to fight.

"Stay close," Rick murmured to the Mikis. "We stall."

But the enemy wasn't waiting.

The enemy moved fast.

Rick barely dodged the first attack—a fist aimed straight for his face. He twisted to the side, but pain exploded in his ribs as another enemy Rick landed a kick to his side.

He wasn't a fighter. He never had been.

Second Rick, despite his injuries, countered immediately. He ducked under a punch and delivered a brutal elbow to the attacker's ribs, followed by a sharp kick that sent his opponent stumbling back.

Miki and Second Miki fought together, dodging, striking, countering. They were fast, but they were outnumbered.

Rick tried to analyze the fight, looking for an escape—but another enemy grabbed him by the collar, yanking him forward.

Fist. Impact. White-hot pain.

Rick's vision exploded with stars as a punch connected with his jaw. He hit the ground hard, coughing up blood.

A shadow loomed over him. The squad leader Rick knelt beside him, grinning.

"Is this all the great Rick Sharma has to offer?"

Rick gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up—but a boot pressed against his chest, pinning him down.

He couldn't win this fight.

They were losing.

Then—

BOOM.

The battlefield shook.

A massive shockwave exploded through the air, knocking the enemies back. The pressure lifted off Rick's chest as the squad leader stumbled, eyes narrowing in confusion.

From above, figures dropped down, landing in precise, practiced movements.

More Ricks. More Mikis.

But these ones weren't attacking them.

A Rick with a long coat and battle scars cracked his knuckles, smirking.

"Pick on someone your own intelligence level."

The enemies barely had time to react before the newcomers charged.

The battle restarted, but this time, it was even.

Second Rick, despite his wounds, took advantage of the chaos. He threw a sharp kick into the ribs of the squad leader, sending him stumbling.

Miki and Second Miki fought with renewed energy, teaming up against their opponents, dodging and countering with precision.

Rick stayed back, watching, thinking.

The fight was shifting.

One by one, the enemy Ricks started falling.

The squad leader wiped blood from his lip, scowling. He looked around, realizing they were outnumbered.

"…Tch." He turned to his group. "We're pulling back."

In an instant, the enemy Ricks retreated into the depths of Zero Time Zone, vanishing.

Rick let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand against his bruised ribs.

They had survived.

The neutral Ricks led them to safety.

A hidden refuge—a place within Zero Time Zone where the war hadn't reached yet.

Second Rick was immediately taken for medical treatment.

Rick and Miki sat down, exhausted. Their bodies ached, their minds were spinning, but they were alive.

Across from them, the Rick with the long coat studied them carefully.

"You really have no idea what you've walked into, do you?" he asked.

Rick exhaled sharply. "Not enough."

The long-coated Rick smirked. "Then listen up."

And then—he told them everything.

Zero Time Zone isn't just a prison. It's a dumping ground for people who broke reality.

The villain group believes the only way to fix the timeline is to erase every version of Rick and Miki.

No one knows who their leader is. He operates from the shadows, orchestrating everything.

Minor battles have been happening everywhere, and soon, a full war will break out.

Rick clenched his fists.

This wasn't just about survival anymore.

It was about ending this war before they were all wiped out.

He pushed himself to his feet. The other Ricks turned toward him, waiting.

Rick took a deep breath. Then—he made his decision.

"If we're going to survive, we need to stop running. We need a plan."

The room fell silent.

Then, one of the neutral Ricks chuckled. "What are you suggesting?"

Rick's eyes narrowed.

"I'm suggesting we go to war."

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The chapter ends.