The Smith Residence; Earth Dimension [Replacement]; 08/21.

Funny how one riled up conversation in a diner before leaving and then less than 24 hours of arriving back home was more than enough to remind Summer just how much the Galactic Federation sucked and how badly she wanted things to go back to the way they were. How oblivious and submissive to it all everyone seemed. How her Grampa Rick was probably festering away while they continued existence in a world where frequent DNA scans and eating pills for meals was totally normal. And all it took was one meal to make her snap.

( Maybe I just want you to care if I run away yelling! )

_________________________________

Summer didn't stay in her room for long, though it had been long enough for the sun to set and a small thunderstorm to roll in. Her father's obliviousness, her mother's drunkeness and self-pity, Morty's entire weak apathy about it all, just stewed inside of her until she couldn't take it any more. Sure, she had planned to do some investigating throughout the week before heading back to school, but she needed to see what she could find now. She just had to!

( I'll make it up as I go. That's what Grampa Rick does. That's what heroes do. )

"That's my sister," Morty said. "This used to be my home."

[[ooooo-weee! Did someone say canon catch-up? 'Cause this here's the first slice of a nice, fat canon catch-up pie. Part one of...ohgod. So many. Transcribed pretty much directly from Season 3, Episode 1 "The Rickshank Redemption," so, you know, totally spoilies and such]]

The Smith Residence; Earth Dimension C-137. [08/21].

Gathered around the table in the Smith household, Summer could only stare. It was the same house, the same table, the same damn tablecloth, but different Jerry, different Beth, different her. It was one thing to wake up and spend a weekend as a different you, but to actually sit across a dinner table from a different you was...different. Especially when the other you was eating a disgusting Cronenberg sloppily and noisily, as you looked around, trying to come to the terms that that was you, used to be you, this house crumbling down around you used to be your house, that this was a world where things took a very, very dark turn.

( Good roasted Cronenberg, I assume? )

"Boo-nah?" she tried instead.


[[I would apologize for the upcoming spam, but that would suggest that I feel bad about it. More S3E1 spoilers, natch, part 2 of 4....for today. Continued from here.]]

The Citadel of Ricks; 08/21.

Because an overgrown world with feral versions of her family wasn't enough of a mind-fuck for Summer today, she was now being marched through a new location in handcuffs, feeling equal parts awe and fear. "A city of Grampas?"

"It's the Citadel of Ricks," Morty explained. "All the different Ricks from all the different realities got together to hide here from the government."

( He's not a villain, Summer, but he shouldn't be your hero. )

And back on Earth, in what used to be the White House, a whole bunch of Gromflomites struggled to make sense of it all as their single centralized galactic currency dropped from being worth one of itself, to being worth zero of itself. And since no one is willing to do anything about it without the promise of money, which no one has any longer, the Federation descended into complete anarchy, its members fighting over the most menial of material possessions until they all jumped ship and started for the stars, abandoning Earth once and for all.


[[awww, yeah, I'm going to squirt canon ketchup all over this fandom hot dog. Cut for spoilers and length (and a lot of swearing), part 3 of 4, continued from here and here.]]

The Smith Residence; Earth Dimension [Replacement]; 08/21.

"Guess who dismantled the government!"

Rick, Morty, and Summer walked into the living room of the Smith residence, and Beth made a straight beeline for her father to embrace him, leaving Jerry in her wake. "Please don't leave me again."

"I never will, baby."

"I was right!" Summer announced. "He turned himself in on purpose, it was all part of his plan!"

"Jerry," Rick said over Beth's head, as she was clearly not planning on releasing the hug anytime soon, "is there any light beer left? It's insane what you miss in prison."

"Um, okay," said Jerry, and a sudden imperviousness filled him. "No. No, no, no. Foot down time."

"No, you're right," Rick allowed. "Where's the vodka?"

"Beth," Jerry said. "It's him, or me."

And cue them all staring at Jerry like he'd grown a second head or something.

"Seems like you guys need some privacy," Rick eventually said. "I, uh, I'll be in the garage."

And Summer and Morty took a cue from Rick and went along their own way, too, upstairs to their bedroom, where their looks said it all. "Oh, geez, Summer," Morty said, "is this finally it? A-Are Mom and Dad gonna get a divorce?"

"Are you kidding me?" said Summer, now paying more attention to her phone, sending off a text to BDG with the good news, while her friends her at home flooded her with their own messages. "Probably. I mean, how many times has this happened, Morty, who knows? One of them always gets cold feet and can't go through with it. It's fine. It'll be fine...Ohmygod, Nancy says they're drawing and quartering aliens in the school courtyard, and it technically counts as patriotism. I've got to go check this out."

In a way, it felt a little weird, that this was all she was thinking about for practically three months, and now it was done, it was over. It didn't matter any more, and maybe things would go back to normal. Her Grampa Rick was back, he had saved them and brought down the Galactic Federation. She didn't even need to tap into all those resources she'd built up, but it was nice to know that they were there. And, man, she couldn't wait to tell everyone about it once she got back to Fandom.


[[ and that's a wrap for today, but we're far from done! Continued from here, here, and here! Open for calls and texts, if'n you'd like!]]