-. C O R R U P T U S I I I.-
The days went by without anyone counting them. The relationship between Zero and SRFM was strengthened from that moment, Morty had the right to speak for an hour a day, distributed in different moments that happened with his master. Zero never showed him any feelings and that was fine for Morty as long he didn't ignored him.
Fan Morty was living in the underground floors of the garage, because if Jerry or Beth found him they would not think twice about keeping him and it was something far from Zero's plans. He wouldn't tolerate having that pesky Morty in the house daily, it'd be very difficult have to listen to his trembling voice all day along and he couldn't deal with share him with anyone else.
Not even with his own family.
Morty had been locked up, forced to clean into consensual slavery; the older one brought him food every time he remembered the boy and also gave him a few things to simulate a room; A two-meters-cell that barely had a couple of blankets on the floor to resist the cold.
Of course Morty adored it. It was the first time – in a long - that he had something private to keep his things. -Not like in the nursery, where his blanket and his mattress were crushed´s Mortys.-
Summer was the one who discovered him in a morning that she went to look for Rick and accidentally fells to the bottom floor. There was his "brother" paler than she remembered - because he hardly received the light of the sun. The scream she gave was startling, and Morty only reacted by drawing a timid smile on his face.
He was glad to meet this 'kind-of-sister' whom the other Mortys had told him. Of course, the only remotely familiar memory he had was his grandfather Rick. It was the only familiar scheme he knew in his own dimension.
Rick was always his everything.
"Can you explain what OUR son does in the garage of MY house?" Said Jerry furiously, Beth, with a blanket covering little Morty.
"You could have killed him! Who knows what kind of stuff are in your lab?" Beth hurried, forcing a hug with Morty, though to him, both -she and the idiot who resembled him, Jerry- were complete strangers.
Zero only gave them a hard-to-decipher look, a mixture of indifference and comfort. He took a deep drink of his liquor and didn´t bother to even clean the rest that was drained by the corner of his lips.
"So…" he concluded.
Sumer, was with her arms patted silently with wounded pride, how could Morty didn't tell her he was gay? She was his older sister, Why it be that he didn't trust on her? She might even have helped his get away with that gay boyfriend! She was very disappointed.
"Rick, can I use some of my talk-time of tomorrow? I have many questions that I want to anwser today..." he said slowly, as if the only culprit in the room was himself.
"You can´t. I'll discount that question of your time tomorrow"
"What does the talk-time means! God, what did you do to my son?" shout Jerry.
"He don´t know who the hell you are, Jerry, don´t try to confuse him" Zero cooperated at last. "Okay, if you idiots think this kid is your relative, you're wrong. He…" burped "comes from another dimension where everyone of you is dead and then I stole him from the zoo where he was. He's infested with fleas, traumas and whatever what that blue thing is but was in the garage.
Morty retained a worried countenance, almost enjoying it. He liked to know that Rick had paid attention to all his stories; But the way he remembered his past was so crude, if it had not been for his great self-esteem he'd probably be crying.
"Oh my stars" Beth accused, sliding her hands vaguely out of him. "Poor ... creature ..."
"Rick! How dare you bring such a sick Morty to this house, have you seen how pale and skinny he is? I don´t want to see him here tomorrow. "
Damn dad!" Sumer blamed. "He hasn´t gone out or eaten, you can´t throw him away, what if maybe this Morty already trusted in me. Can we keep him?
Morty's curious eyes could compete in a game of ping pong, as they went from person to person as they talked, and his only sign of corporal communication was to hug himself; pretending that it was to protect him from the decision that these people and his Rick would took.
"I don't know Sumer, we couldn't afford a psychologist," Beth said.
"Oh, you thought to pay someone to save this child while our marriage goes to hell!" - yelled Jerry, who broke out a bomb of arguments between them, same whom led them directly to the kitchen. Sumer shouted annoyed that they never had time for their children and went to lock himself in his room as a good teenager.
So it was Zero and Morty who were 'atonic' in that discussion. Zero looked at him with deep laziness, looking on his coat lab for a smock of cigarette or a portal gun; or whatever he find first.
It was the pistol.
"Come on, Morty." His master sighed heavily, extending him a gentle hand to get him out of his nervousness, Morty's face rose with hope and a gleam of joy in his eyes, his thin hand reaching out to the older man. "I'll take you back to the nursery."
Morty hit Rick's hand, and contracted hims faster than he had wanted. His voice cracked.
"No, please, Rick! "I like being with you, don't take me back there."
-Morty ...
-I didn't do anything wrong, I swear, I can eat less at day, or leave my room only when you tell me but please ...
-Morty I ...
"I like you a lot, Rick, I can stop talikng for ever, or you can punish me when you feel its necessary; I want you to feel good about yourself, I know you're suffering but I don't know why, let me help you, I want to be here for you, I want to be part of you, let me be yours. IloveyousomuchRickpleasedonottakemeawayfromyou.
- ...
Tears welled in Morty's eyes as he covered his mouth with fear, a desperation bathed in remorse. Zero looked at him blankly, his dark ears playing hide his indifferent gaze. The child didn't say a single word after the confession.
The minutes buried the silence.
"I thought ... I told you that you had no permission to speak ... I want you back in the nursery. Now"
"Then I'm not going!"
A strong blow was lodged in the cheek of the child, without thinking it had broken all the patience in the adult; And this one was not going to settle down so easily. In the middle of the boy's groans, Zero grabbed his hair and dragged him to the portal he had just created.
It was a sunny day in the citadel.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this is a looooong chapert, so here is the third and FOUR IS LATEER!
