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Chapter Text

Rick’s memory was never as good as he wished it was when he needed it the most. Situations like the one he was in currently were a prime example of this. His wrists were being tightened in the restraining mechanism above him and his coat was being stripped from his back by the invasive touch of the Gromflomite guards. He grunted in protest, trying to writhe away from the invasive, prickling sensation of their claw-like fingertips.

“The more you struggle, Rick, the longer we drag this out,” one of the bugs – the captain, Rick had gathered – explained to him.

“Does that equate to a longer time of my dick being sucked?” Rick flashed his teeth. Perhaps he wasn’t taking this situation seriously enough, but he was only just starting to process what had happened in the first place. Was he even conscious when his ship was captured?

The insects that were restraining him shouted something about a collar before fastening a cold piece of metal tight around his throat. This became locked to the wall, leaving his neck in an uncomfortably upright position. He vaguely processed a glow from the item, before feeling the shock of what he recognised as being electricity jolting through his chest, and outward to his limbs. He cried out, trying to pry his body away from the wall to no avail. Panic set in.

He realised he must have passed out, because the next thing he knew, the majority of guards were gone. He was now face to face with the so-called captain of this galactic federation ship and two other Gromflomites standing either side of him.

The lights blurred around him as he tried to maintain consciousness.

“Not enjoying yourself, Rick?” one of the companions prompted, “I actually think we have something for that. It’s called: don’t be an asshole.”

The captain made a gesture to her to communicate that she should stop mocking him.

Rick scowled at them. He realised that he was not getting out of this situation easily.

In typical Rick fashion, he decided to provoke them. “I didn’t think the federation were after me anymore. What happened to me being a – what was it? – oh yeah, a non-threat?”

“Well, you see, Rick, that was your status so that our guard stayed out of your way. However, we did decide to take advantage of your slip-up.” The captain reached out his hand, and in it appeared a hologram of the federation’s camera footage. “See, it was you who first invaded our airspace and breached our safety. We had to act accordingly, and that’s why you’ve been detained.”

Rick watched the footage, seeing his ship fly through the non-solid walls and into their compound. He fired off lasers at some of the pursuing guards, incinerating their ships in an instant. Then, he was swiftly caught in the air by one of their larger machines and the hologram dissipated.

He frowned, realising that he got himself into this situation. Worst of all, he had no memory of it.

Motherfucker.

“Listen, I’ve had a rough couple of days. I don’t suppose you have a contingency for blackout drunks, do you?”

“Even if we did,” the captain replied, smoothly, “the benefits of such a program would be reserved for citizens. Not intergalactic terrorists. I’m sure you understand.”

The woman who spoke earlier piped in again, stepping forward. “We were, of course, shocked to learn of your identity. In all your time as a wanted criminal, being easily caught, making foolish mistakes, or even being compliant with our authorities have never been something you’re known for. It’s ridiculous how you even thought your plan would work.”

“Oh god,” Rick would have been grabbing his hair in frustration if his arms were free, “I was drunk! There – there was no plan! I just wound up here while I was in a blackout.”

“What a petty excuse!” she said.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what. If you let me go on your own initiative, I promise not to destroy more than half of your battle ships when I escape on my own.”

This bargain was obviously a joke, but he was still hoping they would supply it.

“As if we’d fall for that ground-level shit!”

“Lieutenant,” the captain said to her, “Initiate wave one.”

“Right away, sir.”

Alarm bells went off in Rick’s mind. “Uh, what the fuck is wave one?”

“Oh, I haven’t explained what we plan to do with you yet. There were protocols put in place in the event that you were ever captured again.”

Yes, and thanks to Rick’s momentary lapse of brainpower, he gave them a chance to put them in action.

“Thanks to your superintelligence, we suspect that you possess the collective knowledge of your entire species. And because you’re an apt traveller, some of that knowledge may extend to other galaxies and worlds – places that we can conquer, Rick.”

“You don’t seriously think I’m just going to hand over all my secrets to you because you asked nicely? I’d rather swallow a cyanide capsule.”

“Oh, we won’t be asking nicely, Rick Sanchez.” It was at this moment when the captain placed his hand over his cheek, the sharp fingertips prickling against his skin. The captain held his face. Rick would have shaken this touch away if he could move his neck. The captain’s eyes flashed with a blood lust as he spoke low and hoarse. “We’re going to break you. Physically, then mentally, then psychologically. And you won’t have any say in the matter. This is your existence now, Rick. It all boils down to nothing. And in the end, we won’t even kill you. You will have to live with everything that’s happened to you. Or, you could end it if you choose. It won’t be my problem then.”

Rick felt the familiar nausea of a hangover as well as something ill churning in his gut. “What kind of dystopian novels do you guys have here? Y-you’re some sick insect fucks, you know that?”

“What that? You’re scared?”

“Not that I’d let you know it.”

It was the most defiant confession a person could give, even to himself. The two stared off for a few seconds longer, until the lieutenant entered once more.

“Captain, it’s ready.”

“Thank you, lieutenant. Leave it a minute before initiating.” The captain released Rick, giving one final warning to him about how he is going to get what’s coming. Rick retorted with a remark about how indifferent he was, so long as his dick got sucked again.

But as the captain was leaving, Rick noticed the final companion from before, who hadn’t said a word. He was just staring at Rick with hollow eyes and no emotion, as if staring into whatever soul he may have. Perhaps this moment would come to mean something, or in a different situation he would have been more inquisitive. But it seemed his temper was short in this moment.

Rick had had enough and snapped in just a few moments. “Why don’t you take a picture? It lasts longer. Or maybe get your eyes checked. I don’t know much about insects, but I don’t think even you should go that long without blinking.”

But the guard didn’t respond. Instead, life seemingly flooded back into his hollow frame and he marched out of the room with the captain and lieutenant.

Quiet. Rick hated the situation he was in and dreaded whatever was about to come. He reprimanded himself for being such an idiot drunk and promised that he would make himself pay once he was out of there.

If he could get out of there. None of his devices were working, probably due to the electronical disturbance from the federation’s prison. He could actually be fucked.

He could hear the loud footsteps as the door creaked open again. The lights even dimmed as this big hunk of iron seemed to walk in the room. Another Gromflomite – male, Rick presumed - but much different to the others he had encountered.

Rick swallowed as he remembered.

This is only wave one. 

Chapter Text

The Gromflomite had been standing by the entry for a few minutes now. Rick could feel his eye start to twitch. He still couldn’t move his neck or limbs, and he was almost completely stuck to the wall. He was forced to look directly ahead at the bug in front of him.

He had noted its large frame and tall stature. It had a lot of muscle mass under its exoskeleton, hidden behind a thin galactic federation uniform that looked as though it had been ironed to perfection. The shoulders were crisp and sharp and it had perfect posture. It hadn’t made any noise or expression since walking in, and it was obvious to Rick that he would have to begin this exchange.

“Who the fuck are you?” he spat, trying not to let any desperation show. “Why haven’t you spoken for the five minutes you’ve been standing there?”

The gromflomite raised a brow, before turning away from Rick for the first time. He secured the door and began walking towards the metal table in the middle of the room.

“You people should just let me go, alright?” Rick started bargaining. “I wasn’t planning on attacking the federation, you know; I was drunk. But I swear to god, if you torture me or kill me then I will come back and burn your civilisation to the ground.”

Finally, a deep and smooth voice boomed from behind the Gromflomite’s mandibles. “Do you always have this much to say of such little value?”

Rick rolled his eyes. “Oh, so you do have a stream of consciousness. Then why did you stand there for five minutes before saying anything? On Earth, we’re supposed to at least introduce ourselves.”

“Be quiet.” The gromflomite picked up a gadget that Rick didn’t recognise, with several dials and a typing pad. He toyed with it and it seemed to turn on, or at least light up.

Rick furrowed his brow, “You’re not even gonna tell me your evil plan?”

“And risk having you figure out a way around it?” He puffed out a breath, almost how humans do when they find something amusing, but not as convincing. He looked at Rick again. “They call me Neer. That’s all you need to know.”

Then, he started approaching Rick. He brought up a hologram from a pyramid-like projector in one of his hands and started swiping across it. Rick couldn’t make out the shapes, still dazed from his hangover. For a second, he wondered if they give him any substances to soothe his withdrawal.

“I’m going to have to perform a physical exam.”

Rick cringed, “Uh, no thank you.”

Zapp!

A short bolt of electricity shot through his body. Rick sucked in air through his teeth, pained. He was about to protest when Neer spoke again.

“That is going to happen every time you speak without permission from now on. I suggest you consider that with whatever you’re about to say next.”

His voice was smooth, warm and professional, unlike the whiny nasally voices that Rick had heard from other Gromflomites. But Neer was clearly unlike any other member of his species, or at least any that Rick had encountered. In another circumstance, perhaps he wouldn’t mind becoming acquainted with Neer. In this situation? Not a chance.

Rick narrowed his eyes. “Do I have permission to speak now?” he asked, in a final pitch of defiance.

“No.”

And Rick was quiet. Begrudgingly. But he knew it was a necessity to make it past the beginning moments of his hell.

The Gromflomite seemed to be filling out a form in a written language that Rick couldn’t read, which was odd because Rick was well versed in the local forms of communication. He figured that there must be another language that members in higher ranks in the federation must use.

After about a minute of typing, Neer began examining Rick’s arm. He cringed as the sharp, prickling ends of his fingers prodded into his wrist, wrapping around his forearm and then his bicep as he evaluated the state of Rick’s muscle mass and fat distribution. Suddenly, he was aware of how naked he had been all this time. His pants still clung to his legs, but his upper body was completely bare. The metal behind his back suddenly felt cold, and he shifted. Neer was onto his other arm now, inspecting it in an identical way to how he did before. He felt Rick’s shoulder roughly, digging his claws right into the joint to see how it functioned and moving his arm backwards, seeming to test its limits.

Rick made a grunt as his body could not handle the extra pressure between his restraints and the force pushing on his shoulder. Jolts of pain coursed through him. He squeezed his eyes shut until it finally stopped when Neer had let go.

“Did that hurt, Rick?” Something was dark within his eyes, cold and uncaring.

“No,” he forced, “In fact, it was enjoyable.”

“I’m glad you’re having a good time.” Neer’s voice was dripping with sarcasm as he placed his arms on either side of Rick’s face.

It was invasive, and the claw-like fingers against his scalp made his skin crawl. He could feel the touch spreading through his entire head. The thumbs of the insect swiped across Rick’s cheek and up, to his brow and then back into his eye socket. Neer inspected his mouth, his jaw, and the line of his neck above the thick metal collar. Rick hated every moment, and the sensation of this sent shivers through his whole body. He tried not to protest, but suddenly the fear of being electrocuted again was less intense than the desire he had to get Neer to stop touching him. He didn’t care if it meant he’d be shocked so long as this was over.

But it wouldn’t be over just because he wanted it to stop. There was no real point of complaining and getting more injured if he hadn’t worked on a solid escape plan yet. He had to see this through.

It became even harder to bear when Neer’s claws started to move lower. They slid from Rick’s collarbones down his frame and onto his chest. Neer hadn’t analysed the anatomy of many mammals in the past. And when he examined Rick’s chest only to notice the familiar pink nubs poking out, his mandibles formed an asymmetrical shape comparable to smirking. Experimentally, Neer decided to swipe across both of them at the same time.

And when the pointy ends of Neer’s fingers moved across his sensitive nipple, Rick gasped. He would have thrown his head back if not for his collar.

Before he could process the full significance of this movement, Neer did it again. Rick resented himself for how sensitive he was and how receptive he was being, given the situation. But between the unfamiliar touch invading every inch of him and the haziness of coming down quickly approaching, he didn’t have his usual levels of self-control.

Neer made an amused noise, before taking the two nubs between his pincers and squeezing. The pain was sharp but familiar and went straight to his dick. He sucked in air through his teeth and cursed his arousal. The Gromflomite started pulling on them, and relished in the strained noise Rick made.

He stepped away. Neer took a look at the human in front of him, now breathing heavily. He feigned disappointment, “You mammals are so sensitive. We’ve only just started, so keep it together. I don’t care if you can’t take it.”

“Are you kidding?” Rick could feel drool starting to seep from his mouth and sucked it back in to distract himself from his uncomfortable arousal. “I mean, shit. I’ve done worse than this for fun, buddy.”

Neer narrowed his eyes and pressed a button to trigger the shock collar. It zapped him for just a few seconds, but the excess pain only fuelled his arousal. By this point, Rick was sure he was hard. He had worked out that the true purpose of this “physical examination” was to locate the most sensitive parts of his body so that they could later exploit that. His previous mistake of being receptive – an old habit of his – could end up being fatal. He had to ensure that did not happen again.

This wasn’t a situation for him to enjoy. Neer was not his lover. His goal is to make Rick respond to him, and he wasn’t going to win.

Neer approached him again, the pointy ends of his fingertips caressing his skeletal frame. They traced the grooves of his bones and the hollow concave of his belly. It felt itchy. Rick resisted shivering from the strange sensations flowing through him.

The claws started scratching at the fabric of Rick’s jeans, causing little bolts of pleasure to his dick. It wasn’t enough to stop ignoring it, but Rick started getting nervous when the tiny strokes moved to his groin. The small movements of the fabric in Rick’s ever tightening jeans was enough to drive him crazy. Not enough stimulation to get anything from, but nothing to kill his erection.

Before he knew it, he was free of his pants. Neer had trouble manoeuvring them off of his legs, but eventually he pried them off, taking Rick’s underwear with them. His cock bounced once it was freed, allowing Rick to see that he was at half hardness. It was confronting, now being completely naked in front of an alien insect, but nothing that hadn’t happened to him before.

The only thing that was different was the fact that he didn’t ask for any of this. He resented his body for responding to so little stimulation. At least he kept his vitality despite his age, otherwise this might be too much for him.

But like always, Rick somehow loved the thrill. The tension and suspense of everything was exciting for him.

Neer studied the newly available skin from a few feet away as he folded Rick’s clothes. He was fascinated by the swelling of Rick’s groin and knew from his past experience with mammals what that entailed. Approaching him again, he noticed as Rick’s expression flushed with fear.

He was smart. He knew what had to happen at this stage.

But just when he thought that nothing else could be expected, Rick heard a whirring sound and his hands dropped down to his side unexpectedly. He felt the restraint against his neck and suddenly that was disconnected from the wall. Rick looked up with his hands wrung together, visibly confused: only now realising how much bigger Neer was to him.

His newfound freedom felt as fake as it was. It was only reinforced when Neer took him by the arm, and threw him onto the white metal floor with a clank.

Rick grunted, feeling every bone and joint struggle when it made contact with the ground. He tried hurrying to stand, but he was unsure if that’s what he was supposed to do. When he made it to his feet and realised he hadn’t been shocked again, Rick tried catching his breath. He was now in between Neer and the exit. If he could only work how to open it and make a run for it, he could escape in one piece.

“Prove to me how great you really are, Rick Sanchez,” Neer taunted, “Fight me! I want to know what it’s like to go hand to hand of someone who thinks they’re a god.”

Rick felt bile bubbling in his abdomen, “H-how is this a fair fight?”

Neer’s mandibles twitched, “It’s not supposed to be.”

It was a few moments before Rick made the first move, turning around to make a run for the door. He knew it would be secured, but it was a desperate effort. He clung to it, before feeling Neer’s tall presence over him, chasing him. He darted to the other side of the room to avoid the inevitable tackle. Rick’s eyes scanned all the tables and benchtops for a sign of any weapon he could wield, but it seemed like his luck had run dry.

With a familiar flick of his wrist, he tried activating his cyber enhancements – his extra limbs – but it just made a small whirring noise and refused to come out. There was certainly something that was stopping him from activating his devices.

He ended up running himself into a corner and turned to face Neer. His mandibles jerked up and down as he slowly cornered in on the human. Rick felt his predatory gaze on his naked body. He hated how vulnerable and helpless he felt. The room suddenly felt cold.

“I think it’s time we got on the same level,” Neer said smartly, undoing his clothes. He was so large that as he pulled them off, chunks of his green-grey flesh came flying free.

And it was only when the last garment came off that Rick saw it. He had never been so intimidated by a phallus before.

It was long. Longer than his, and that was considered to be too much for most humans. But the thick shaft was covered like a porcupine with thin spiky reeds all over. He wondered how hard they truly were, or if they were flexible, but part of him dreaded finding that out. They branched out in all different directions, and Rick felt his blood run cold. Suddenly, he could taste bile again.

Rick Sanchez, probably the smartest and most experienced human in the entire galaxy, felt himself reverting to instinct. The caveman DNA in him recognised the danger in this situation. Although he could normally control his flight response, this circumstance was unlike anything he’d ever imagined. Every fibre of his being was sending him a clear message: run. Get out of there now!

So he did. The futility of his state overcome by the fear of what he had seen misdirected him, of course. He had no clear intentions, only to get away and get out of there quickly.

He tried sprinting away from the corner, to anywhere else in the room, and ultimately trying to bypass Neer. But he saw this, and pulled Rick back by the arm, flinging him onto the ground as he expelled little effort getting on top of him. Rick struggled to the best of his ability, and almost managed to lose Neer’s clamp-like grip, only to be pinned face-down on the hard, freezing floor. One hand being held behind his back, and the other to the side.

Neer was almost proud of how much effort Rick had exerted to get away from him. Normally, he was met with hardly a challenge from creatures he expected more from than a human. And now it was time to break him.

Rick was currently in a frozen state. He didn’t know how this managed to happen to him of all people, or how he managed to let himself get caught. But he knew that there was nothing else to do but see this through.

He hated how his body was reacting. He had done so many scenes, so many roleplays, that it all felt so stimulating to him. His body was betraying him, even if he was actually scared for his life.

It was then that Neer locked Rick into a type of handcuff, stuck behind his back. He could hardly breathe.

The Gromflomite briefly stroked his own phallus, feeling as the spikes hardened at the touch, springing back to their natural positions with each stroke gone by. The ass of the mammal was right in front of him as he lifted and spread Rick’s cheeks. It had been a while since he had taken a mammal, but he always appreciated how soft they were. Creatures with endoskeletons were always far more pleasant, he thought.

It had been a while since Rick had bottomed anybody, and he wondered how he would be able to again after this instant. He felt the prickling sensation near his tight hole as it pushed in. It would have been painless, if not for the sharp tip. Rick swallowed any of his noise, thinking he’d be able to disconnect from the situation; hopefully he could zone out until it was over, and drink to forget it all later. But Neer had other plans. He knew exactly what he was doing as he started speaking to Rick.

“You’ve never taken insect cock before, have you?” The words made Rick’s skin crawl, forming goosebumps. Neer delighted in how he squirmed as he continued to prod his finger around. “I’d be able to tell if you had. We normally leave a lot of damage.”

Rick gasped as Neer grazed his prostate. He felt so sick and so dirty, but the talk was making his dick even harder. He was so accustomed to pain and pleasure being one and the same. His body couldn’t tell the difference between what he was supposed to do and what he wasn’t. But he knew he was afraid of the Gromflomite’s phallus. He was aware of the amount of pain he was about to endure, and his body was ready for any pleasure that accompanied it.

“You’re so pathetic. I bet your kind won’t even be able to take the whole thing.”

The amount of prep was definitely not enough, and Rick started to fret when the insect removed his finger. He started to feel the sharp pins of his appendage as it approached his hole, and he could only imagine how comically big it would have to be in comparison.

But this sent Rick into a panic, and he started spilling out bargains and prayers and pleas.

“Neer – I-I-I really – really don’t want this! Please just d-d-do w-whatever tests you need on me! I-I won’t be able to take this… not my species. Fuck, please, Neer!”

Neer caressed his lower back in a mock soothing way. “Shh, I don’t want to have to shock you now. Stop being pathetic.”

Rick could feel tears brimming as he shook in fear. He tried looking behind him to say, “Please… d-d-don’t…” He could hardly believe he had resorted to begging.

He was only shushed again.

Rick felt the beginning of a sharp intrusion, already knowing how much he would have to accommodate for.

Neer leant closer, and said right into Rick’s ear, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

And that’s when the pain started.

Rick’s brain refused to process most of it. It was too extreme for him to even feel. But his body was so tense. He felt his asshole stretch wider than it had ever before. His face scrunched up, mouth gaping wide as he held in a silent scream before clamping his jaw together and pressing his sweaty forehead to the ground in an attempt to relieve the pain and to calm his reaction. He was sure he must have made a noise, but his focus was on the way it felt. The spikes seemed to snap into place inside him, tearing into his rectum and towards his prostate. As each new spike entered, he felt as it grew hard. Rick wasn’t even sure if he could feel the shaft behind the hedgehog in his ass.

It was overwhelmingly horrible, and every time he thought it was over, Neer was able to stuff more in. The pre-existing spikes dragged across the walls of Rick’s rectum to accommodate for the new ones, poking and prodding as they found their place. Then the movement ceased entirely. He was left with a throbbing, burning sensation. Neer’s phallus was so deep inside him at that moment that it was reaching depths he didn’t know was possible. He was scared to move or even to clench, knowing that would make it even worse. He knew he must have been bleeding, but he couldn’t feel it. Hyperawareness of each of the spikes inside was killing him.

Neer let out a pleased sigh. “You took almost all of it. Fuck…”  

Rick could only think, almost? How about one and three quarters worth of a normal cock. But he didn’t speak. Not that he could even think much else in that moment.

“You should see how stuffed you look. Wow, I haven’t seen anything like it in some time.” He stroked Rick’s back, regrettably causing him to flinch and move around the spikes inside him. He let out a pained whine. Neer let out an amused sound. “Do you know how insect sex works Rick?”

He did with Earth insects, of course, but not alien ones. With great effort not to move his abdomen more than he had to, he answered simply, “No.”

“I’ll tell you how it works then,” Neer punctuated that statement with a small flex of his hips, pushing on Rick’s prostate and surprisingly not disturbing many of the other wounds his phallus had caused. The moan Rick let out seemed confused and pained still, but accepting of that. The Gromflomite smirked, noting that he would be responsive to that action later. “You won’t be able to get off my dick until I have no more ejaculate left, which can take a while. Until then, I can either quite literally destroy your ass, or you can try and get off. Doesn’t matter to me.”

Rick furrowed his brow, realising that he had to make a choice between shamelessly having his enemy jack him off, or having his ass ripped in two while he was awake. But instinctively, Rick protested. Trying not to move his abdomen, he said, “Fuck… you.”

Not one of the easier mistakes to make.

Neer rolled his hips, only slightly moving his cock out of Rick. He instantly recoiled as the multitude of spikes inside him started ripping through his innards, and for the first time in wave one, he screamed out with a hoarse throat. He had no leverage – nothing to hold onto and nothing to distract him from the pain. He had to deal with it in its horrible entirety before Neer inserted himself back to the same depth he was at before. Rick was still crying out, fists balled in his restraints. It was probably the worst pain he had been in for many, many years, and knowing that it was likely irreparable was even worse. He hyperventilated, hot tears finally pouring down his face as the spikes readjusted themselves in different positions to accommodate for where was teared.

“It’s better for me if you orgasm at least once,” Neer explained, holding down the panicked, squirming human. “You have an erection, Rick. I know how to help you.”

The professional terms slightly annoyed Rick, but knowing that’s the only environment he would refer to humans’ genitals at all made it more tolerable. He tried to stop himself from shaking, tried not to show any weakness, when Neer started rocking.

With his full length now filling Rick’s sore hole, the slow, small movements were almost unbearable. Strangely, Rick found that they it didn’t hurt much more than just staying still. The spikes were grating against the internal wounds they had made, but part of the insect’s shaft was pressing against Rick’s prostate with each small motion. The bolts of pleasure this caused him felt immense considering the torture he had endured to get it. His mouth gaped open, though he tried to suppress his moans.

It was surprisingly intimate, considering everything. The close proximity to each other’s bodies that was forced through the anchor in Rick’s ass, restraining most of their movement. He didn’t know how long this was going to last, but when Neer reached his hand around to cup Rick’s neglected dick, he decided that he didn’t care.

Suddenly, despite the throbbing still being at the forefront of his mind, his body was overcome by pleasure. He was vibrating, the unfamiliar and untrained touch rubbing up and down his shaft, giving almost too much attention to the head. Rick couldn’t help the moan as Neer timed a swipe across the head with a pulse of his hips directly into Rick’s prostate.

He realised he must have been at full length by now, and knew that his climax was right on the edge.

“Who would have guessed that the noises you make would be so… wicked,” Neer remarked between grunts of his own.

Rick had to wonder if this was at all pleasureful for the insect in a way beyond sadism. But if he was having his body permanently disfigured, he decided that he didn’t care as long as he managed to get off. He resisted the urge to buck into Neer’s touch, dreading the complications that might bring to the spikes lodged inside him. So he remained as still as he could from the waist down, showcasing his pleasure through lewd sounds and his ragged breathing.

Neer groaned a long and satisfied sound, “After years of Rick Sanchez being the most feared name in the federation, who knew that one day he’d be on the edge of my dick?”

Rick squeezed his eyes shut as the insect’s fingertip traced the head of his cock, seeming to stroke across his urethra. He moaned, absorbing the pleasure and degradation all at once.

“Who knew the smartest mammal in the galaxy would enjoy having his ass stuffed by an insect?” Neer moved a little too much to cause Rick a small bit of pain, emphasising his point. He scoffed at the noise that emerged from the human’s throat and resumed his normal rhythm. “You do enjoy this, don’t you? Huh?”

The strokes over his urethra turned into a sharp pressure as Neer sank his pointy fingertip into Rick’s opening. It was a slow entry, but the burning sensation made Rick start making more noise. They were high pitched and needy now. The pain and pleasure merged together as he could feel himself approaching his release.

Neer seemed to notice this. “You gonna cum, Sanchez? Huh? You like this, you messed up piece of shit?”

When Rick didn’t answer, Neer snapped his hips forward as a punishment. This sent the spikes forward, lodging even deeper into his rectum and made Rick cry out. Tears streamed down his face.

“I asked if you like this, Sanchez. Answer me.”

Rick could feel the original pace resume. The little thrusts against his prostate in a new position were the little sparks of pleasure he needed to send his foggy mind into overdrive. His pride aside, he finally cried out, “Yes! Fuck… I-I-I’m gonna… fuck, I’m almost there…”

“I know you must think this is special for me,” Neer mocked, pushing his fingertip even deeper into the human’s urethra, increasing his pace. “You think that anyone who fucks you is privileged. You think that they’re fucking a god, but you don’t see what I see: a sad, elderly mammal from Earth. You’re pathetic. This is what you’re into? Disgusting.”

“God… Jesus… shit…” It was all too much. The words cut to his heart, and despite the pain he was in, with the insect not seeming to care what damage he did to Rick now, he was about to orgasm all over himself. He felt more tears flowing down his face. It was all too much, just too much, he needed release now fuck.

Neer removed his finger tip, leaving the head of Rick’s cock exposed and sensitive as he began stroking loose and quickly, smearing precum all over his shaft. The sudden excessive pleasure would have been his downfall, but he was already a shaking, moaning mess when Neer spoke again.

“Do it, Rick,” he prompted, “Cum for me. Cum for your god.”

Rick’s eyes rolled back as he felt the wave of pressure come over him, and he screamed, “God!”

Ropes of hot, white semen shot from his head with the insect’s hand still moving rapidly up and down his length. He could feel it start to pool and stick to his bare stomach as it flowed on the ground.

His orgasm shattered him. For a few moments, he couldn’t feel anything. His head felt so heavy.

But suddenly Rick realised that the insect was still moving his hand and thrusting into him. Suddenly the pain and damage caught up with him. His cock didn’t even have time to soften before Rick could feel the familiar swelling again, but he dreaded cumming for a second time. He cried out, trying his best to pull himself off the insect’s cock, but only to be met with the sensation of a tearing rectum; a pain that shot up his back and made him fall flat on his face.

He sobbed loudly and swore countless times and Neer refused to slow. The overstimulation was too much for Rick’s body to handle, and as Neer’s cock found his prostate again, he came for a second time.

It didn’t feel pleasureful. He felt his cock twitch out the forced sperm as he let out broken cries through a sore throat. All his nerves were alight, and he felt the sheer pain too strongly as his overstimulated cock continued to be worked. All the spikes inside him scratched deep within the walls of his rectum, excruciatingly. Every movement against his prostate only sent a bolt of pain through him.

He could feel thick drops of blood dripping from his asshole, and noticed the amused noise that Neer made upon realising it.

Suddenly, his thrusts slowed, but became harder. The strokes on Rick’s cock became slower, but Neer’s grip tightened. More blood dripped onto the ground. Even if he was receiving less stimulation, it was more intense; especially after two orgasms.

But Neer leaned over him once more, body jerking at the pace of the thrusts. He spoke low while he was close to Rick’s ear, and said, “It’s like you were made to do this. You take my cock so well.”

Rick sobbed roughly, not being used to the praise and wishing that it would stop. He was terrified to ask when it would be over in case that made it worse, so he didn’t speak.

“My species can last hours at a time,” he said, “And… shit… while I would like this to last, I need this to be over so I can finish the examination.”

Rick could hardly focus on anything but the pain he was in.

But Neer seemed to be telling the truth. He removed his grip on Rick’s cock and sped up his thrusts. Rick subconsciously clenched, which he noticed caused the spikes to become even harder. The insect’s shaft began moving against his prostate again, and with his newfound sensitivity, more blood started rushing to his half-hard, spent penis. He groaned in agony as the spikes ripped through him, causing more intense pleasure mixed with pain to be sent through his body.

Neer started moaning, seeming to be chasing his orgasm that was on the horizon now. His cock expanded inside of Rick, forcing his ruined rectum to stretch to accommodate for his size. He angled his thrusts towards Rick’s prostate when he heard the shrieks of pain, but knowing that nothing could continue without Neer’s orgasm, Rick’s overstimulation became less of a priority.

He increased his pace, feeling the tearing of flesh and the blood that had been pouring out of the mammal the entire time. The crimson fluid had spilt all over him, pooling on the ground and joining in the puddle of Rick’s expended seed. The griminess of all the fluid only fuelled him as he felt his mandibles twitch up and he threw his head back.

Rick cried as he orgasmed for the third time, dry. Neer gave up the façade of self control when he felt the squeezing of Rick’s ass around his spiky shaft. And finally, the insect let out a deep and long moan, and spilled into Rick.

The orgasm lasted a long time, and Rick’s mouth gaped with drool coming out of it. He had no more energy left to scream out about the pain, and just allowed drool to pool onto the floor below him. The warm liquid filled up his anal cavity, much deeper than he had ever felt something inside him before. The shaft seemed to reduce in size now that most of the ejaculate had been expelled, and this caused them both to relax for a great, intimate moment.

Suddenly, everything was still. Pain coursed through Rick’s entire body, but he wasn’t yet ready to move.

Neer’s head buzzed in the afterglow. He sighed, looking down at the ruined piece of flesh below him.

As his phallus softened, so too did the spikes. They felt flexible somehow, and no longer posed a threat to his internal organs. Neer started pulling out, allowing them to easily bend back and fold in to allow for an easy exit. Rick’s ruined hole stretched and quivered as the spikey phallus pulled out of it with obscenely moist sounds. He grunted as the member brushed past all the open wounds inside him, but if he had more energy, then he would have been able to convey the sheer agony he was in during that moment.

And finally, Rick was empty. Neer watched the mix of red blood and yellow ejaculate come gushing out of him, swirling together to create shades of orange, and spilled onto the floor. He was quite pleased with his work.

Rick was hardly able to catch his breath. He was afraid to move in case that disturbed some of his injuries but managed to flip himself onto his back – and subsequently into his own bodily fluids – to stare at Neer, getting himself dressed.

The Gromflomite’s tall structure was apparent again, the piles of muscly flesh once more hidden away by the crisp, professional outfit.

Neer took one look at Rick’s pathetic state, and smirked. He pressed a buzzer on his wrist that made the door open, and Rick’s heart jumped. Perhaps if he was quick enough, he’d be able to jump on his feet and escape…

But who was he kidding? The thought of moving, let alone moving suddenly, was a terrifying thought. Not that he’d be able to pull it off without being shocked or raped again.

“You were good for me, Rick,” Neer told him, “But I still have a job to do. I can’t do that looking like this. I need time to clean myself up.”

Rick felt tears pooling in his eyes again, but he was ready to pass out. He hardly processed Neer excusing himself from the room and the door buzzing as it closed once more. Rick was alone.

Pain seared through every inch of his body. He laid on his back, his hands still bound underneath him, being crushed by his weight. Blood and cum continued to flow out of his gaping, torn, ruined asshole.

God, he must have looked pathetic. He felt soiled. He wondered what recovery would even look like for injuries like this.

This was far worse than Rick would expect the federation to inflict on him. But maybe he had it coming. For everything he did. This was coming from the entirety of the universe, not just the federation as a form of punishment. It was for everything. And it could only get worse, although Rick couldn’t begin to imagine what “worse” would look like.

He felt numb and soiled. He was so dirty and so hurt. How did he manage to get off on that?

A sob wracked his frame, pitifully. The only thing left to do was try to close his eyes. Bodies healed quicker through sleep, and it was a good way to forget about what you needed to. There was nothing left to do – nothing that he could do – but dread what was to come.

Chapter Text

Rick didn’t maintain the best perception of time whilst he was in the federation’s hands.

After his encounter with Neer, he was left worn out and sore. While it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened to him, it was the first time that he didn’t know if he would ever recover from it completely, especially in the few years he must have left of his natural life.

He had managed to get what felt like a couple hours of uncomfortable sleep before the guards came in to secure him back into his restraints. By then, the bodily fluids he had been laying in had hardened and crusted, causing them to have to peel Rick’s skin off of. They hauled his naked body between them, causing pain to shoot through him from the deepest parts of his rectum. He screamed, trying to resist but not able to summon any strength amidst the pain as they simply latched his collar back to the wall and restrained his limbs.

With every breath he took, he felt the throbbing. Every moment was pure agony. Sometimes he would allow his mind to drift far enough away from the situation to be able to ignore it, before he would accidentally move a muscle in his lower body, causing the pain to start again worse than before.

The early signs of withdrawal had started setting in by this point. Rick recognised the nausea and dizziness, which was not aided by his current predicament. But as much as he despised withdrawal normally, it was somehow the easiest thing to deal with.

It was uncertain how long had passed when two other Gromflomites entered the room. Rick recognised them from when he got there. One was the female lieutenant who seemed too outspoken for her own good, and the other was the silent male who seemed to do nothing but type notes on a holographic screen.

Rick was so desensitised by the plain colours of the room he was in that it was hard to focus his vision on them.

“Sanchez. It’s good to hear that your examination by Neer was successful,” the lieutenant scoffed.

He cringed. “That – that’s one way of putting it.”

“Relax,” she said, “I’m not just here to berate you.”

“Oh, thank god!” Rick’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

With a snap of the fingers, she addressed the male. “Doen, would you prepare the device?”

Seemingly on command, he nodded, placing his tablet down and searching for something under another table in the room. Rick eyed him suspiciously, hoping that he may come across as intimidating while he was naked and exposed. Doen locked eyes with Rick for a moment, and as if just to humour him, they sparkled with the first iota of emotion Rick had sensed in their entire species. It almost seemed like pity.

The moment didn’t last long, but it felt special somehow. Or perhaps Rick was clinging onto nothing. It certainly seemed that way when the insect looked away in a hurry, and retrieved what he was told to.

The lieutenant took a few steps closer, seeming to examine his state in comparison to their first meeting. “We know that mammals can’t go long without having water, otherwise they’ll shrivel up and die. But we can’t have that, Rick.”

Doen had now moved over to Rick’s left side, manoeuvring his arm out straight by his side. He seemed to be carrying a needle and a bag with a long tube attached. Rick realised they must be preparing him for an IV.

“Okay, Doen,” the lieutenant nodded.

And on cue, Doen pierced Rick’s arm with the sharp point. He decided not to try and fight it, lest he sever a blood vessel. So he stared directly ahead, locking eyes with the lieutenant’s cold, uncaring features. The pinch of the needle was drowned out by the swelling of his rectum, and the only reaction he gave was an involuntary twitch of the eye.

The room was filled with tension by the time the canula had been inserted. Doen was just attaching the tubes.

“That bag contains all the calories and fluids that humans need in a day,” she explained. “That way we don’t have to worry about you starving to death.”

“This better have some morphine o-or somethin’ in it, I swear to god,” Rick almost prayed.

“It doesn’t,” she answered smugly.

They attached the bag to the equivalent of a hospital drip. Rick watched as the fluid flowed into his arm, feeling the cool sensation rush into him. It was almost calming.

When the two Gromflomites left him again, he felt more at peace than before. He would never admit it, but he hated isolation. It was one of the worst parts of prison for him. But even after that uncomfortable interaction, he felt refreshed. Knowing that they weren’t going to let him starve to death was a boost, too.

He sighed, racking his brain for any possible trick he might have up his sleeve that he forgot about. His eyes darted across the room to look for anything he could use. A couple gadgets, undoubtedly a weapon, some medical supplies, all completely out of his reach; scattered across the tables and benchtops or safely packed away in containers. Until he could find a way to get himself out of the restraints, they were useless to him.

With a sudden calm filling him, he felt as though he needed to sleep. His skin itched, and beside the perpetual pain in his rear, he was starting to develop a headache. Rick wished he could turn off those goddamn lights. Rick wished he could lay down. But he figured he would have to make do, and into the darkness he managed to slip.

-:-:-:-

The loud whirring of the mechanical door awoke Rick in seconds. He blinked away the brightness of the room, groaning as his eyes adjusted.

His back was hurting from holding the position he was in for so long. Rick had basically given up on trying to support his weight, and just let himself hang from the restraints. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but it was necessary to conserve any of his energy.

“I see you slept okay.”

The unwelcome voice shocked him to alertness. His eyes shot open to find the Gromflomite who had entered and narrowed as he saw them.

Neer.

His stomach turned just by the sight of him. But ever stubborn, he refused to acknowledge the sick feeling of anxiety that came over him. Rick’s expression remained unmoved except for a grinding of his jaw.

The insect studied the man on the wall. They had already been closely acquainted so there was no embarrassment to his nudity.

He let out a hum of satisfaction, as if pleased with his work somehow, before approaching one of the workbenches in the room.

While Rick wanted nothing less than he wanted to speak or even see Neer again, he realised that Neer wasn’t leaving in any hurry. If this was going to continue without any conversation, it would be close to unbearable.

He sighed loudly.

“Why are you even here?”

Neer looked up briefly, processing the angry tone to his voice. His calm demeanour didn’t change as he answered, “Oh, I do apologise. Is my presence disturbing you?”

“I just don’t get why you’re back here,” he avoided the insect’s gaze while talking, “W-what? You didn’t get everything you needed from me before?”

Neer narrowed his eyes, “I’m doing my job, Rick Sanchez.” He reached for an object on the table before standing.

Rick felt anxiety starting to race through him when Neer started approaching. The sight triggered an uncomfortable response in him after what had transpired between them. And although his wardrobe hadn’t change, he suddenly felt more naked. He closed his eyes for a moment, shutting them tightly in attempt to regain his composure. When he opened them, he found Neer closer than he had anticipated, holding an object that he didn’t recognise. Before he was able to process what it was, it was placed against his mouth and nose and began being tied to the back of his head to keep it in place.

It was a mask, Rick decided. It clung tightly against his face, making it hard for any air to escape as he breathed out. Some tubes came out of it to attach to a box, similarly to how Earth hospitals would connect anaesthetics to be inhaled.

As Neer backed up slightly, Rick began to calm down. His body stopped responding as if it was in immediate danger and he started to instead question what this device was for.

“You’ll probably find it hard to speak in this,” Neer told him, “But that’s alright. I highly doubt you’ll have much to say in a moment.”

Rick grumbled something in response, only to find that his words were being muffled by the mask.

Neer reached his arm down and flicked a small switch on the box. This action was followed by a responsive beep from the machine as if to confirm. Almost immediately, Rick felt a cool gas starting to rush into the mask, forcing him to breathe it in. The effect began almost immediately, filling the man with a complete sense of calm. His pupils dilated as he tried to focus on resuming his breathing at a normal pace.

He had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, they were giving him drugs, so he didn’t have too much to complain about. But on the other, they were giving him drugs. Considering the things he had already experienced without any medical buffer for pain, maybe it wasn’t a positive sign for whatever was about to transpire.

“Like I said, I’m doing my job, Rick,” Neer told him as he opened up what looked like a briefcase. Rick couldn’t see what was in it from where he was, but any question was answered for him when the Gromflomite held up a large, sharp scalpel. “There’s a reason they get me to do this; because I’m fucking great at it, and they know I’ll enjoy it.”

The room started to feel foggy as the euphoria set in, and mixed with his dread, it was one of the strangest highs he had ever had. He noticed that the pain in this rear had subsided completely for the time being, which brought him comfort.

But the sight of the scalpel was still enough to make his heart start racing. Neer extended his arm so that the sharp side of the blade only just poked the man’s skin, causing him to flinch dramatically from surprise. Neer laughed cruelly, taking the scalpel away for a moment.

“You’re one of the lucky ones,” he said like a threat, putting something that resembled an apron over his head, covering his front.

The way Rick was positioned, he couldn’t find an appropriate method to lose eye contact with Neer, seeing as he couldn’t turn his head.

He found that he was forced to lock eyes with this disgusting creature as he continued his villain monologue: “Perhaps you’re unaware of how bad things get here, but let me tell you; you should be thrilled that I am the one doing this. My other bugs don’t know a thing about the anatomy of mammals. They’d kill you in just a few moments. But with me, I know exactly where to slice to make my results as accurate as they can be.”

Rick gasped as the metal came in contact with his skin again. This time it didn’t move. It just remained positioned there, in the centre of his stomach with just enough pressure to not let him forget it was there.

Neer scowled, “So when I cut you open, don’t forget that it’s a fucking treat. I’m the best at what I do, and you’re going to appreciate my work for me.”

It was then that Rick realised how much of an ego this bug must have had, not that it was surprising. He spent his days torturing and raping people with his spiky insect dick. There weren’t many ways that could play out humbly.

Rick’s mind felt like it was floating away from the anaesthesia. But then something changed in Neer’s expression. It showed a mixture of both seriousness and enjoyment. It was almost primal. Rick recognised this type of blood lust, widening his eyes at the sudden change in demeanour. Neer’s eyes clouded over, similarly to what they did during his previous assault. He was determined to fulfil his next task. It was chilling to even think about in that moment of tense silence.

The room remained quiet for a little longer.

Then Neer drove the sharp blade vertically down Rick’s torso.

The sensation was so bizarre. Rick had been injured countless times before. He had been bloodied, beheaded, disembowelled, ripped limb from limb and watched so many people he loved fall into the same fate. He didn’t fear injury anymore. He knew he could handle whatever it was his enemies threw at him.

But this? It was indescribable. It wasn’t pleasant by any means, even with the pain factor removed. He could feel every movement, every slice from the blade. The sharp surface opening him up and exposing his insides to light. He could feel the hot blood pouring out of him, down his legs.

Just as the first cut seemed to end, another began, this time to try and widen the initial cut on the right side. Rick could feel the hole gaping, and wondered exactly what Neer’s goal was.

With every breath Rick took, he could feel himself losing blood. He knew he was slowly slipping, and wondered how long it would take for him to become unconscious. Not that he would mind bleeding out. It seemed like a tolerable way to go. Neer sliced horizontally against the left side of the initial cut, now seeming to expose the rest of his innards. Rick felt a huge bubble of indigestion rising in his stomach as he groaned slightly.

And for Neer, it was a beautiful sight. The red buckets of blood that poured from the mammal’s body. Such a refreshment compared to what he was used to. And this was such a beautiful shade of red, he thought as he noticed how it had splattered all over his front and his hands. Looking at Rick in the eye – glassy and detached as they were – he decided it was time to continue the experiment.

Following muscle memory from the previous times he had done this, he pulled the flaps of skin away from the internal muscles, cutting away at any layers of fat or muscle that laid in between. Once he had made a large enough incision, he pushed his hand through the layers of muscle to feel around for what he was looking for.

Rick gagged at the feeling of a creature touching his insides. It didn’t help that the way he felt touch was distorted, to say the least. His brain couldn’t understand why this wasn’t hurting him, or let alone why it felt like something was tickling his insides with a feather? Why did it feel the same as someone patting him on the arm or any other kind of friendly touch? This thing was fishing around in his guts looking for some sort of prize. It was a violation, Rick thought. It was sadism to its purest and most carnal level.

His heart stopped when he felt a hand tug at some unrecognisable internal part of himself. Neer released a satisfied hum, seemingly involuntarily, as he wrapped his claws around it and pulled. After a short time of manoeuvring the mass of flesh, he managed to pull its long body out of the incision he had created earlier, bringing more blood than he intended gushing out of the hole.

And as Rick looked down, he realised he hadn’t been this horrified in years.

There, in Neer’s hand, was a coil of his small intestine. It was still attached inside of him to his digestive tract, from both ends. The lump of mass sat crudely in the insect’s palm.

He realised his vision was blurring as he forced himself to look away for a moment, locking eyes with Neer. The insect’s expression was nothing but pure thrill and ecstasy, clearly very satisfied with how things were currently going.

He squeezed the organ in his hand cruelly, leaning closer to Rick’s ear. “Don’t look away now,” he whispered darkly. “You do not wanna miss what happens next.”

Rick grimaced as he forced himself to look back at the flesh in Neer’s claws. It was disgusting how he groped it like it was something so precious to him. And when he was certain that Rick was paying attention, he acted accordingly, pulling out the intestines smoothly from his stomach.

Rick would have vomited if he was sure it wouldn’t get back in his mouth. Seeing the contents of his abdomen spilling out into this insect’s hand, the blood almost acting as lubricant, just made him want to crawl up and hide in shame. If he was asked to describe how it felt to have his internal organs pulled outside himself, he wouldn’t be able to phrase it very delicately. Even though it wasn’t technically painful, it was a terrible thing to live through. His mouth twisted into an inhuman expression, a mix of disgust and sudden illness.

All this while Neer continued until parts of his guts were dangling out of him, touching the floor. Rick realised he could feel the cold metal of the floor towards the middle of his gut and gagged again. Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think…

With a flick of the wrist, Neer shot splatters of blood onto Rick’s chest and face. The Gromflomite started walking away, but only a few steps so that he could replace the scalpel with another tool.

“You’re a good player,” Neer said contentedly. “You aren’t as whiny as the others and you haven’t decided to bleed out yet, so that’s as much as I can ask from you.

Yeah, like I have a choice if you cut everyone this deep, Rick wanted to reply.

“I always like to start with the digestive tract. Start at the bottom and work my way up, otherwise it becomes too messy,” Neer said almost too casually, as if giving tips to a new trainee instead of speaking to a person you had just dissected.

He started approaching Rick with a tool he didn’t recognise – looked almost like a screwdriver – pointed right at him.

“If you were me, Rick, then where would you move to next?” Neer leaned in closer, enjoying seeing how he squirmed away. The smartest man in the galaxy reduced to nothing but an incoherent, bleeding pile of mass. It couldn’t be more perfect, he thought.

He trailed the instrument down Rick’s throat, almost in a teasing manner. Rick could feel the sharp edge prick into his sensitive skin, but he did his best not to flinch away. He would bluff any sort of confidence until that privilege was stripped from him.

“Well? Would you skip to the respiratory system? Jump straight into the circulatory?” he pressed a little harder on the side of his neck, as if for emphasis. “Circulatory can be tricky. It’s difficult to manoeuvre around all those blood vessels without killing someone.”

When Rick remained unresponsive, Neer sighed.

“I personally like exploring mammal’s bones,” he said, pressing the tool against Rick’s ribcage. His hand had blood that started to crust on it, and if Rick wasn’t who he was, he would’ve cringed at the high chance he’d get an infection. “You remove the skin nice and slowly and then you can pick away the flesh between the bones. Only then can you see how gorgeous they really are.”

Rick detached himself from the graphic details and accepted that this was going to happen next. He was going to be skinned, dissected, cleaned out, and probably raped again. He was finally facing acceptance. Because if he was content with his fate, and understood where it was heading, then perhaps it would be easier to face. He sucked on the spurts of gas in his mask, intoxicating himself so he would relax. Because damned he was if he was going out sober.

BZZZZZ!!

The loud noise cut through the room with ease. Rick had a clear view as the only exit to this hellhole opened, revealing an onslaught of other Gromflomites entering behind it.

There was the captain accompanied by what Rick assumed to be a personal guard, and behind them was the lieutenant and Doen. His nerves spiked at the emergence of these unfriendly faces, but he didn’t mind their visit overall. He assumed Neer wouldn’t continue the majority of his work while his superiors were in the same room, so that bought him time to try and come to terms with it all.

Neer turned around nonchalantly to face the guests, and forced a friendly expression onto his face. “Captain, lieutenant, sirs – I am honoured to have you here today, but as you can see, I am in the middle of something. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Rick felt their eyes divert to him, and in his current state, he wanted nothing more than to shoot them all in their stupid insect heads before he shot himself. Why were they staring at him like that?

“Yes, Neer,” the lieutenant stated, “We have just come to check the reports you’ve written so far. You haven’t uploaded anything to our database yet, so we thought we would stop in.”

Neer diverted his gaze, looking guilty. “Ah… I suppose that did slip my mind. I’m sorry, I’ve been rather caught up recently. If you’d like, I can just upload them now—”

“No bother,” the captain reassured. “Continue what it is you’re doing. We can retrieve what we need and watch you while you work.”

Rick almost sensed a nervousness come about his demeanour as he now fumbled with his tool. “Y-yes, sir.”

The captain and the lieutenant both retreated to a workbench at the side of the room. Neer turned himself around again, so he could continue his work. He moved unnecessarily close to Rick, waving the tool around in his face almost as a form of threat. But at this point, Rick would most definitely consider himself high, although it wasn’t his normal amount.

In an attempt to avoid Neer’s harsh gaze, he looked over the insect’s shoulder to see Doen and the guard staring at him, seeming not to have moved in a few minutes.

They were so blank. Expressionless. Their eyes moved simultaneously up and down his body, taking in the sight of the naked, bloodied, gored human. But there was almost a touch of empathy there, Rick thought. It was so strange how they seemed to be almost connected by what they were seeing.

And suddenly, Rick locked eyes with them at the same time that Neer drove the tool he was holding against his ribcage horizontally. All of the movements were slow as to draw out the sensations, but Rick hardly stirred. He was lost in the hollow eyes of the two strangers before him; two sets of eyes that seemed to have nothing else behind them. No soul, if you could call it that: which scientifically, you could not. No energy filled their bodies. There seemed to be no lifeforce.

Until suddenly, Rick realised they were moving.

Without even an extra nod, they were synchronised as they walked up behind the two authority figures at the work bench. Suddenly, they were grabbed by their shoulders, pulled backwards over their knees, and their mouths were held open. Bright green fluid sprayed from Doen and the guard at the same time, landing directly in the mouths of the authorities.

It took a few moments for his brain to process what he had saw, but the familiar scene playing out in front of him made Rick’s eyes sparkle in recognition.

Neer had turned around once he heard the scuffle behind him, demanding answers in the form of a shout, when the guard spotted him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled out a laser rifle and aimed it at his ‘fellow’ Gromflomite. Neer cursed, ducking out of the way and starting to run, when several laser beams shot him through the head and chest. His body fell unceremoniously to the ground, spurting small bits of his thick blood from the wounds.

Neer had been killed.

But Rick was more concerned with the other insects in the room, seeming to have a mind all connected. They all stood down from combat, and simultaneously began approaching the human.

Rick could have sworn he felt tears rushing to his eyes as the lieutenant approached him, ripping off the mask on his face; exposing his sheltered flesh to the cool air. He sucked in several breaths, vision blurred from the anaesthesia. He waited a moment for the clouds in his mind to reopen, and a coherent thought was formed.

“U-Unity?” he grumbled, looking around at their expressions. When none of them seemed confused, he sighed in relief. “Shit…”

“Yeah, Rick,” the lieutenant said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s me.”

“When did you infiltrate the Galactic Federation?” he asked, trying to reconcile this situation with himself.

Unity shrugged, “It was always my goal to take over the federation. They have control of half the galaxy, anyway, so naturally I’d be able to expand.”

“H-here’s my… my Deus Ex Machina o-or some shit,” he announced, grumbling to himself as he caught his bearings. “God…” Rick strained, certain that they were tears coming to his eyes. So many emotions at once. He was so overwhelmed.

Unity was alarmed by Rick’s display of emotion. “We can talk about this later – come on.” The captain, under Unity’s control, absorbed the sight of Rick’s tortured body. “Look at the state you’re in…”

“J-just a sc-scratch, Yoon,” he reassured, knowing it was a lie.

“I’ll get you out of here, Rick, don’t you worry,” another member of Unity said.

Rick hummed, fluttering his eyes shut for the first time since he’d been restrained.

The different members made short work of it all. One of them moved the anaesthetic machine while the other disconnected Rick from the cannula. It realised that it would need to harm Rick before it could help him here, but was too scared to explain that to Rick. It truly didn’t know how much more of this he would be able to take.

Without hesitated, one of its members coiled the long string of intestine around itself, careful not to create any kinks in the tube. Slowly, it managed to push the flesh back into the gaping hole in Rick’s abdomen. It looked again at the plethora of gaping wounds on his lower stomach and then the large cut on his ribs, realising that he would need stitches. Unity didn’t know how much of this to tell him. He had probably taken too much shock for one day, or even a lifetime.

After the last piece of flesh was pushed into his stomach, the wound spurted a bit more blood. Unity hopes that the replacement of his organs wouldn’t mess up any functions, but it knew Rick well enough to know he would probably deal with any repercussions from that himself, much better than it was able.

Unity directed several of its members to prepare the medical supplies it needed. It knew that this room was stocked with that stuff, and prayed that it would be appropriate for humans. Speaking as the lieutenant – the one that Unity personally thought had more charisma out of them all – it told Rick what was going to happen. “I’m going to have to do some sutures, otherwise you’re not gonna make it.”

“D-damn right, you have to,” Rick replied gruffly. He thought it had been obvious that’s what it needed to do?

Unity delivered the medical equipment to itself fully prepared at this stage. It was surprisingly calm for the situation and started sewing the two flaps of skin together. It expected Rick to at least complain a little but was surprised when he hardly even noticed.

“Don’t worry, Yoon,” he told it when he finally realised, “I-I can’t really feel pain right now. I was under anaesthetic.”

“Fuck, Rick,” another member of Unity said, “It’s going to be okay. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

Rick blinked, processing that half the stitches he needed were about done. He groaned, wondering why he was still in those damn restraints.

It felt good letting his guard down. For the first time in what felt like months, he was finally able to relax. He knew he wouldn’t be murdered any second, or accidentally bleed out or wake up to being raped. In Unity’s arms – and this was the way it had always been – he felt safe.

When the sutures were almost finished, the captain administered a needle to him quickly, injecting a substance intravenously.

Before Rick could even ask what it was, Unity started explaining itself. “This is morphine. The anaesthetic you had wasn’t an opioid, so it’s completely safe. It’ll help with the pain while we get out of here.”

“Speaking of which…” Rick grumbled to himself as Unity finished placing down different bandages to his wounds. One limb at a time, it released Rick from the restraints. His wrists were chafed raw from the metal digging into him for so long. He was hardly able to stand straight and had to lean on the guard Unity with almost his entire weight. It didn’t mind for a second. Rick was light, and it wasn’t like they had never been physically close before.

There it was. A pang in Rick’s chest started as he realised their close proximity. Memories from their last encounter entered the forefront of his mind and he started resenting himself for the way he acted and the way they were forced to leave things off. How could he let one entity have that grave of an effect on his wellbeing? He swallowed, pressing a hand to his torso to try and support himself. He wasn’t going to think about this until he got out of there.

After his foot was finally disconnected from the restraints, Unity was careful not to let Rick fall. He was clearly still fragile, even if he wouldn’t admit it or ask for help if he needed to. Unity couldn’t trust him to do that, and so it needed to stay close by.

They were both suddenly aware of Rick’s nakedness and the mess of blood all over his front. Neither of them were about to do anything together in the place they were in, which practically eliminated all awkwardness as Unity wiped away the blood on his torso and Rick tried his best to get clothes on his back.

“Ugh, when can I get a fucking weapon in my hands?” he prompted, slipping on his blue shirt.

The captain passed a pistol-sized gun to Rick’s free hand, who cocked and loaded it. Unity noticed that he was eyeing something in the corner of the room.

Neer.

He snarled, hobbling over to stand over the dead insect’s body. His exoskeleton had already started disintegrating, as insects normally do. He narrowed his eyes.

“You should’ve let me kill the fucker,” Rick said.

The guard considered for a moment, “If I let you do that, we’d never get out of here. He needed to die quickly.”

Rick groaned dramatically, leaning back onto the guard’s shoulder for support. “You’re right. He just deserved a much slower death.”

“I know, Rick.”

They hobbled out of the door, and already, Rick was loving his taste of freedom. Unity insisted that they take an escape pod instead of trying to find Rick’s spaceship.

“If anybody sees us, which they will, then we’ll be dead and have wasted all that time getting you out. It’s not worth the risk.”

“Okay, okay, but I’m still gonna be pissy about it.”

They reached a turn in the hallway, where two generic Gromflomite guards had pointed weapons at them. Rick shot them both without a second thought, and Unity directed him to the nearest escape pod.

Rick groaned as he slumped into the seat. Unity only kept two of its bodies, stating that it needed the captain and Doen for something on the compound. Rick understood, of course.

The morphine started hitting him as they left the pod. The sirens from the compound blared at their ship. A couple others started chasing them, but Unity made sure that they weren’t followed past the border.

“Okay, Rick, you’re on your way home now,” the guard reassured him.

The lieutenant moved into the backseat space with Rick to check on him more closely. They had a space to recline as well as plenty of blankets that were stocked away for some reason.

“You should really get some rest. It’s going to be a long flight back to Earth.”

Rick hummed, readjusting his position. He sighed in sudden contentedness, answering gruffly, “Way ahead of you, baby.”

Unity didn’t think he realised the effect pet names had on it. The lieutenant sighed, laying down next to him. The two didn’t speak, but there was still tension between them. With Unity ghosting, it knew it had a lot to answer to and that this would be a way longer flight if they both ignored it. But now wasn’t the time.

There was a lot to unpack here.

Chapter Text

The room seemed rounded with some kind of fog. Lights of the cosmos could be seen flashing by as they drove through the vacuum of space. The weight of the drug was starting to wear off, but Rick still managed to find the sights dazzling. He must have seen the stars thousands of times, but sometimes it was all too breathtaking.

He groaned, realising as he awoke that he was in pain and also remembering where he was. Unity’s female body stirred next to him, perking upright in concern. Its other assimilate was still driving.

“Yoon… shit, I-I need more morphine.”

Rick tried sitting up, only for his body to protest instantly. He cried out pathetically, tears brimming his eyes.

Unity shook its head, urging him to lay down again. “Easy, I’ll get it for you.”

The scientist’s head hit the pillow again with a thud. He clutched to his stomach in a desperate attempt to ease his pain, the small room spinning around him.

Unity had grabbed a bag of medical supplies that they would need before they left the compound. It opened a plastic bag of morphine and filled a syringe with the fluid, prepared to inject it.

Rick stared hazily at the ceiling, barely comprehending the feeling of Unity rolling up the sleeve of his blue shirt and placing a tourniquet on his upper arm before it began to administer the drug.

“Uh,” Rick searched for the most delicate way to phrase this, “You’re going to need to give me a dose and a half.”

Unity cocked a brow suspiciously.

“Y-you know m-my tolerance is high.”

It did what he requested begrudgingly, allowing the excess fluid to seep into his arm slowly.

The relief wasn’t instant by any means, but just knowing that it was soon to come made the pain easier to bear. He grumbled a thank you.

Unity’s jaw tightened. “You shouldn’t be thanking me,” it said, guilt-ridden.

He frowned. “W-what are you talking about, Yoon?”

“I should’ve helped you sooner.” It curled its knees into its chest, speaking as if to itself. “I knew you were in danger. I was right there. But I didn’t do anything and now you’re…” it trailed off, glancing down at Rick sadly. “I know what they did to you.”

Rick paled at the mention of it, looking away pleadingly, “Unity…”

“You’re in so much pain. I-I could have prevented that.”

“I’ll just make myself a new body when I get back to Earth.” Rick shrugged, as if cloning himself wasn’t a big deal to most entities. “And then, if it makes you feel better, I’ll get so drunk I’ll forget this ever happened.”

A small smile graced its features, before fading back into seriousness. “I know you’ll be fine Rick. Just—”

“You don’t have to do this,” he cut in.

“—please, Rick, I have to say it.” It paused a moment, giving him one last chance to interrupt before sighing. “I’m sorry. For everything.”

Rick blinked hard, feeling a rush of sensation filling his head. “It’s okay.”

He was unwilling to listen to it open up. He knew that if they started to talk about everything that had transpired between them, that he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself. Getting consumed by his emotions again was not an option.

Unity was staring directly forward, rigid. The room was silent, except for the buzzing of the jet engine propelling them through space. Rick wondered where exactly they were, how much longer it would take them to get home, but as familiar as he was with space, he knew it would be much longer than he could endure happily.

The hivemind glanced down to see the human drifting in and out of consciousness, the effects of the drug apparently kicking in. It was relieved that the pain was fading, but there was still so much to be said and done.

After a long time had passed, Unity summoned the courage to reach out and take Rick’s hand. It was a soft touch, but somehow disturbed him from his small sleep. Through heavy lids, he watched as it inspected his hand, tracing the lines on his palms carefully. It examined the chewed nails, the thick callouses on his fingertips, the thick line of chafe from where he had been restrained for so long, until Rick couldn’t handle the sensation of the Gromflomite limbs and snatched it back almost too aggressively. Somehow Unity understood that this was more of an act of retaliation from the pain he had endured at the federation’s hands than a rejection of its affection, and somehow it understood this without any further word being uttered from Rick.

“You know you’re so unlike other monominds,” it started, finally breaking the silence, “You’re able to think about the bigger picture. You’re too smart to fall for the type of meaningless, repetitive lifestyle that comes with being a single mind, so you aim for beings that are bigger than you. And that’s going to be your downfall, Rick.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Rick slurred, managing to sit up on his own now that the drug had started coursing through his system. “None of this fucking matters to me, you know that? I hang out with lifeforms bigger than me because I know that I’m too good for others like me, and it does nothing but build me up, baby. When I leave, that’s when they fall. Not me.”

“I don’t—” Unity sighed deeply, scanning his expression for any sense of genuine thought, “—I don’t believe you actually think that, Rick. I know you too well.”

“Well maybe, you don’t know me as well as you think you do,” he narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze. “Especially because, y-y’know, you’re never around.”

Its eyes widened at the loaded statement, finally realising what this tangent was all about. “You’re mad that I left.”

It took a moment for Rick to process what Unity said, but he immediately went on the defence. “What? Fuck off.” Apparently, the morphine was making him say things he didn’t mean, or even worse: things he did mean that he didn’t want to admit.

“I had to. For your own good, and for mine.”

“Well, I suppose it didn’t help that you just left a note,” Rick mumbled to himself before realising what he was saying, directly following up by saying, “It doesn’t even matter, Unity. It’s over.”

“You were—”

“Just leave it.”

Unity took a deep breath, switching its focus. “Okay Rick.”

He regretted dismissing it when the room fell into silence again. After a moment of choosing his words, Rick spoke again. “Why are you doing this? Why did you even help me?”

Unity swallowed, “I don’t know. I guess part of me still cares about you. When I saw how much you were suffering, I realised I could help you. Maybe it was even an attempt to make up for what I did.”

When he thought it was going to stop speaking and let the rest of the ride play out in peace, it started speaking again.

“All I know is that… you’re a distraction to me. As much as I care for you, I can’t be with you. If I’m going to take over the universe one day, I have to stay focused.”

Rick’s heart clenched painfully. He swore he could taste bile. The haziness of the drug was making him feel dizzy, and it at least allowed for the weight of the conversation to feel lighter.

“That’s bullshit,” he managed, “I know you could run a hundred planets and still have time for me.”

“Yeah,” it agreed, “Maybe I could.”

Rick rolled onto his back, grunting at the pain as he clenched his abdomen, putting stress on the stitches. He could feel the sedation starting to consume him, and before he lost the nerve, finally let himself say the words.

“I-I miss you, Unity.”

It grimaced at the sentence.  Unity released a shaky breath, almost certain that Rick wasn’t fully aware of what he was saying. It waited until a few minutes had passed, when Rick had stopped holding his breath to wait for a response, and was starting to doze off again. It looked out the window, seeing the edge of Earth’s solar system starting to approach.

“Try and get some more rest, Rick,” it told him with a reassuring pat on his shoulder, “We still have a day or two of travel before we make it back to your planet.”

All he managed to do was hum in response.

-:-:-:-

It was night on Earth when they finally arrived.

The terrifying stature of the Gromflomite ship stood threateningly over the small suburban neighbourhood. Rick would hazard a guess that his neighbours were only used to the ridiculous sci-fi shenanigans he got up to, and doubt this would even make them bat an eye.

The ramp descended across the street from the Smith household as Rick emerged with one of Unity’s bodies. He had already recovered some of his strength and was able to support his own weight again, though he was still visibly unsteady as they crossed the road.

“Garage, open,” Rick commanded. Almost instantly, the door started sliding up as they continued up the driveway.

Unity examined the workspace. The scattered tools and gadgets left lying around on each surface, the tall shelves stacked every inch with boxes labelled something incomprehensibly clear, the vats of chemicals, and most notably the utter mess of dirty clothes and pieces of metal that covered almost the entire floor. As they entered, the scent of chemicals and alcohol filled their senses. Rick sighed, exhausted, making his way directly to a mini fridge where he pulled out a beer bottle before finally falling backwards onto a desk chair. He sighed as he opened the beer and took a long swig. Unity allowed itself to smile. It was good to see him at home again.

But still, it had a question to ask.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Eh,” Rick shrugged, “I’ve been through worse.”

“Rick, this is pretty serious,” it stressed, “You should really take some time to process everything—”

“Unity, in a couple hours I won’t even remember this. I don’t know, I’ll mind blow myself or something after I make a new body.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine.”

Unity sighed, knowing that this conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere. It took one more look at Rick, absorbing the sight before it one last time. “I guess I should go then.”

Something shifted in Rick’s demeanour as he looked up, eyebrows raised, and suddenly sitting far more upright than he had in a while. “Uh – already? Come on, y-you can help me make the shit I need. If – if you want, Yoon.”

It pinched the bridge of its nose in attempt to relieve stress. “I knew you were going to do this…”

Rick didn’t take the rejection at first. He placed his beer on the bench beside him and hurried to stand next to it before it had the chance to leave. He grabbed one of its hands.

“You don’t even have to help me. You – you can just stay a little longer if you want to.”

Unity shook its head, “Rick, I have to get back to the mission. This lieutenant’s body is going to be necessary for me to—”

“Please don’t leave me again.”

Rick’s lip twisted as the words came out. He hated how desperate he felt, and how much control this being had over his wellbeing. Averting his gaze, he caressed the back of its hand, feeling the prickling sensation of the Gromflomite body and cringing. But it wasn’t that bad. It was still Unity.

“You don’t know what you want,” it insisted. “You’d only be a distraction to what I really want.”

“But – but you could just send these Gromflomites back to the federation,” he bargained, trying to pull it closer when it tried squirming away from his touch. He was holding both its hands now. “Assimilate a h-human or something. You can live here. And after I die, j-just take over Earth. It wasn’t going anywhere anyway, so—”

In a fit of emotion, it snatched its hands away quickly. “I am not doing this again.”

“Well, don’t do this to me again!” Rick’s anger was taking over. He felt like he was about to explode, and he took a seat. He finished the rest of his beer rather quickly as Unity continued to stand there, unsure whether to leave or not. It hadn’t seen Rick show this much emotion since they were both young. It was honestly relieving.

“I don’t have a choice, Rick. I have to put myself first. And as a hivemind, that means I can’t only be in one place.”

It absorbed the stress in the features of the defeated man in front of it.

Frowning, it said, “I should really be going. I’m sorry.”

And just as it started to leave, Rick tuned in again.

“Unity,” he stood up slowly, gathering all of his strength. “If you aren’t gonna stay here t-then,” he sucked in air quickly, “Then assimilate me.”

The gravity of that statement hit it hard. It was sure it lost a little grip on all of its assimilated bodies for just a moment as it tried understanding what exactly had been asked.

“What?” was all it managed.

“I mean it,” Rick assured, staring down at the floor. “You don’t want to be with me, and I hardly wanna be alive anyway, so, y’know, you might as well. You can use my knowledge to advance your civilisation or whatever. All the benefits without actually having to deal with – with my monomind ass anymore.”

“Rick, I’m not going to do that,” Unity asserted, hoping that the blatant refusal would be enough to get rid of that thought entirely. “If I wanted to assimilate you, I would have done that already.”

“But I’m asking you to,” Rick pleaded, close to dropping to his knees and begging. “Unity, please just do this for me.”

“No,” it laced its fingers together in stress. “You have a family. You’re the smartest single mind in this universe, and I am not going to do that to you.”

He reached out again pleadingly, almost too quickly and groaning at the sharp pain in his side as he stood up, gripping its wrist tightly, “Unity—”

“I’m leaving!” it yelled, trying to escape his grasp.

“I’m not going to let you,” Rick said threateningly, grabbing it by the shoulders to pull it closer. In its face with drool hanging from his mouth, he pleaded, “Please don’t do this again. You have to stay with me, Unity!”

He hadn’t even realised how violent he got until he saw the fear flush through its features for a moment. Guilt flooded through him as he loosened his grip.

“I have to go,” it finally said, “and I’m not going to let you drag me down with you.”

The room was silent. The buzz of the night air hung heavily over them, neither one daring to move or even utter a word. Rick was convinced that he couldn’t live without it. If they split again, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself sane because his whole world was magnetised around it. But conversely, Unity knew what he was like. He was so ill that he didn’t realise how much he harmed the people around him. It knew that they couldn’t be together again, and its only objective in that moment was to get as far away from Rick as possible so that it may be able to salvage the mess it had caused at the federation.

The thing that hurt the most was knowing that they both cared for each other. Maybe it was even love. But the two of them together was never meant to work out. Whether it was because one was a hivemind, or maybe it was just due to the nature of them both. But it was painful, standing in each other’s arms and knowing it was about to be the end.

Rick scrunched his face, “Unity…”

It didn’t care what he was about to say next.

The next thing he was aware of was the gross sound of gagging that came from the Gromflomite followed by a neon green pool of vomit on the floor, narrowly missing Rick’s shoes.

No.

“Oh, shit,” Rick flung the creature away from him and she landed on the floor somewhere. He rushed to the edge of the garage so he could get a look at the space pod, which to no surprise was now ascending into the air. He swore some more as the Gromflomite continued to vomit.

After a few moments, he realised that he needed to act quickly. Heading back into the garage, he fumbled through his drawers until he found a plasma ray and armed it, with the lieutenant processing her newfound consciousness.

“Ughh… what happened? I… holy shit, where am I? Rick Sanchez? What is all this—?”

The gun made a loud blaring noise as it beamed through her head, letting her body flop backwards onto the floor as Rick stared coldly down at her.

The silence was deafening. Left to his own devices, his own dreadful thoughts, he slumped back onto the desk chair by his workbench. He found he was suddenly intensely suicidal, feeling a great need to shoot the plasma into his own skull.

He glanced over the state of his garage. The body that Unity had once inhabited laying disintegrated on the floor, blood and vomit scattered around the floor.

An idea sprang into his head as he quickly retrieved another beer and a syringe from the drawer. He travelled over to the pool of vomit and reached down to take a sample, grimacing as his stitches pulled when he bent down. The vial was now filled with the green liquid that, if Rick’s approximation was right, had to include some of Unity’s DNA. He didn’t know what this would lead him to, but he knew he would resent himself for not taking a sample later. Perhaps he would be able to reengineer it, or maybe it would simply act as a failsafe if Unity was ever found out and hunted by the federation.

But feeling defeated from the entire predicament, he felt determined to get drunk, finishing off his beer and switching to whiskey in his regular flask to medicate.

It was a few minutes later where he heard a creak in the door leading to the house. He didn’t bother to turn around; he knew who it must be.

“R-Rick?” Morty asked, only suddenly processing the pool of vomit and dead alien in the garage. He paled, “Aw geez.”

“Hey, Morty,” Rick said flatly, taking another swig.

The boy looked stunned, growing more concerned by the second as he processed his grandfather’s drunken, ragged state.

“You’ve been gone f-for like… two weeks. Mom was r-really worried.”

Rick hardly had the alertness to understand what was being said to him, and just hummed in response.

“Can I… ask what happened?” Morty finally said.

Rick furrowed his brows, finally turning around to face him. They made eye contact, Morty seeing the pain in his eyes. His heart sank as he masked his emotions, not yet prepared to watch Rick deny and avoid whatever he was going through.

“Nothing happened, Morty,” Rick articulated carefully. “You should just go back to bed.”

Morty knew something was off. When Rick truly wanted to be left alone, he was very adamant about that. There would be no hint of uncertainty or implication that it was a suggestion rather than an order. And whether it was because he hadn’t seen Rick in a while, or because he somehow got the feeling that it wasn’t best to leave him alone in his current state, Morty wasn’t very willing to listen.

“Gee, are you sure, Rick?” he asked anyway.

“If – if you want, I guess,” Rick shrugged, looking away, “I don’t care.”

If he was being completely honest, he didn’t have the express desire to be left alone either.

Morty stayed where he was. After a few moments, Rick sighed and said, “I suppose you could help me with something now that you’re up.”

His grandson smiled weakly.

“Sure, Rick. Whatever you need.”