4The Great Sanchez Escape: Epilogue
Author's Note: I know this story's been completed for a while now, but I'm linking it up with a new prison story that's gonna be completely different, so stay tuned for that. Same Rick-time, same Rick-channel!
"Are all preparations clear?" Absentina asked.
"Of course, my mistress," Niji said. "Everything is ready."
"Well, I need to know something else," the warden remarked, stroking her claws through Niji's mane. "Are you ready?"
"Of course, mistress," the blue pegasus confirmed.
"Good. That asshole betrayed you and left you for dead, after all."
"He also took my brother. I'll do it for Kojo."
"That's a good boy," Absentina praised. "Just remember to bring him alive. I intend on making him suffer."
"He won't know what hit him, mistress."
Morty sunk his back into the couch cushions behind him and closed his eyes. It was a commercial break from the Ball Fondlers rerun him and Rick were watching. The episode, coupled with the late time, had left the teenager a little overstimulated.
"M-Morty, you-you're not quitting on me yet, are you?" Rick chided, bumping his grandson's shoulder with the hand not holding his extraterrestrial beer.
"Uh, don't worry Rick," Morty sluggishly replied. "I'm up." Even though he was tired, he wanted to spend the time with his grandfather, who had only escaped from prison a week ago. Any fear of retaliation slowly dissipated from Morty's head over that time period, so he could truly relax and enjoy it.
Rick, who was entranced by the screen, picked up on a sudden blending of colors and an ear piercing squeal emit from the TV.
The noise snapped Morty out of his stupor. "Why is it doing that?" He cried, covering his ears with his hands.
"I don't know," Rick yelled, his teeth clenched to endure the pain in his ears. He stumbled to the interdimensional cable box on top of the TV and batted it down, the time crystal cracking.
"It's still going!" Morty shouted.
"I'm well aware of that, Mortimer!" The world still twisting and spinning below him, Rick grunted and picked up the cable box. "I'm taking this into the garage!" He backed up into the garage door and slammed it shut in front of him, making the noise more bearable for Morty, who was still in the living room.
While in the garage, the aging scientist planted one hand on his right ear while the other threw the cable box on his workbench. He fished around for a screwdriver to the left of him, but found it floating next to his workbench. He snatched it from the air, pried the screws off of the bottom panel, and drove the Phillip head into the center of the machinery.
The device immediately shut down, the noise abruptly stopping, leaving Rick dizzy and with ringing ears. He plopped down into his workbench chair and rubbed his temples, hoping to mentally steady himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue-purplish fragment of what appeared to be a hoof. He turned his head to find Niji glaring at him with silver eyes as cold as metal.
"What the hell?" Rick exclaimed. "I thought you were dead."
"You obviously thought wrong." Niji said.
"Then I guess I need to finish the job." Rick concluded. He withdrew a ray gun from his lab coat, aimed at Niji, and pulled the trigger with no hesitation, a clicking sound being his only payoff.
Rick recalled how he seemingly plucked his life saving screwdriver from the air. The high pitched noise. It all made sense. That frequency disables weapons and distorts the senses, leading Niji to appear invisible to Rick's warped perception.
"Not so tough without your toys, are you?" Niji mocked.
"Oh yeah, I'm so scared. A wimpy pegasus boy's gonna tickle me to death with his pansy-ass feathers."
"Now you're asking for it!" Niji spread his wings and lunged at Rick, who dodged the attack and let him crash into the workbench.
Meanwhile, in the living room, a relieved Morty was enjoying a few minutes of peace from the noise when he was startled by a loud clang that came from the garage.
"Rick," he called. "Is everything okay in there?" He tiptoed to the outside of the door and listened in to the violence taking place on the other side. He felt his back stiffen from anxiety, but still took a breath, collected all of the courage he could muster, and pushed open the door.
He was met with the sight of his grandfather being held down by a horse creature, a gleaming knife to his neck the alien held by his teeth.
"Morty!" Rick strained. "Get this bastard off me!"
The teenager complied, bolting to the shelf adjacent to the workbench and ransacking it for anything useful. Any gun found was useless and tossed to the ground by his feet.
Niji growled, refocusing his attention on Morty. He momentarily let go of Rick, spat the knife out, and bucked his back hooves into Morty's head. He collapsed, the force causing Rick's potion making machine to fall on Morty's head, knocking him out cold with a whimper.
As soon as the pegasus redirected his attention back to Rick, he was punched in the jaw, black blood trickling out of his mouth. Enraged, Niji retaliated by abducting Rick off of the ground and slamming him into the hard concrete floor, a splatter of deep red liquid left behind.
The alcoholic attempted to rise back up, but Niji stopped him by placing a firm hoof onto his skull. The pressure gave Rick an unbearable headache.
"Just for good measure." Niji flashed a wicked smile as he grabbed the same machine that knocked out Morty and brought it down, taking Rick's consciousness in addition.
