Chapter Text
Things weren't looking so good in the Smith household. The constant screaming and swears thrown around, slammed doors and abrupt exits, no moment was quiet. It was surprising that it wasn't Beth and Jerry at it again. No, it was all Rick and Morty causing the ruckus with their petty arguments and shouts over any tiny thing they laid eyes on.
"Fuck off Morty, don't touch my shit." Rick snapped, turning and glaring at him in the garage, his hand clenching around the screwdriver tightly as if he were to shank him.
"You asked for help though." Morty snarled back, just feet away handing him screws.
"You're touching all the wrong shit, stop it before you ruin it."
"It's some stupid handcuffs Rick, who cares."
"Well I do dipshit, hence why I'm making them."
This was nothing new.
Both Rick and Morty were at each other's throats constantly, insulting at every moment. Beth had heard it constantly for weeks after they returned from an adventure from some planet, both exhausted. In the beginning it was on par with their usual banters, but it escalated into threats and violent actions... Beth didn't want to think if it progressed any further.
"This is the worst idea you've come up with in a long while." She heard Morty scream, his voice projecting through the house to where Beth was seated. She'd had enough of their antics, their theatrics. They didn't need another disturbance call from the police department, the three already was embarrassing enough. Beth wasn't sure if she could oppose her father, but it was maddening, constantly listening to shrill threats from Morty and disgusting words from Rick's own mouth.
Beth frowned as she heard Rick's response, and a bang from the other room. Standing up she rushed over, forcefully opening the door to see them both on the concrete fighting. Morty already had a busted lip and Rick looked pissed. "I've had enough of you two and your shitty behaviour." She screamed, the two of them turning with speed, staring menacingly at her. Beth gulped, manoeuvring around the room at a safe distance to say her piece. "Stop your screaming or pack the fuck up." She shouted, pointing her finger down to put emphasise.
"Fucking hell Beth." Rick shoved off Morty, before trying to stand up. "He's the one you should punish, he's you're son."
Beth furrowed her brows at the audacity of his statement. "You're both the problem, not just Morty."
"You tell him mom. You're fucking stupid Rick." Morty dusted off his pants before proceeding to stand upwards.
"The fuck you say?—" Rick forcefully grabbed a fistful of Morty's yellow shirt, lifting him barely off the ground, ready to strike.
"Enough!" Beth shouted once again, placing her hand on Rick's iron grip, trying to loosen it and drop Morty. "You're going to hurt him."
"That's the point sweetie." He whacked Morty in the jaw, his head spun in the opposite direction, growling in retaliation.
Morty's limbs started thrashing against his grip, trying to nick him in any spot that was close enough to be striked. He kicked him in the shin, Rick's grip loosened for a brief second, letting Morty escape and stand behind Beth. His cheek brutally red, spitting a mouthful of blood on the floor, glaring back at him. Rick lunged at the both of them now, hoping Beth would do the right thing and step aside and let him at it. No matter how much he tried to side step around Beth copied his movements, leaving him with no opening.
"Dad, stop it." She shrieked, her arms behind her back shielding her son. She knew it wouldn't be enough, she just hoped Rick would calm down in a moment.
Rick's harsh breaths were echoing around the room, his eyes closing in focus. Beth was terrified of what she coming in between, but there was no place for violence in her home. "No, he talks shit all day and all night. Morty, the shitstain needs a little punishment." He snarled out, this time pushing Beth to the side her shoulder colliding violently with the metal legs of the workbench.
The vibrating metal resonated through her head. She hissed in pain, propping her body up, her eyes losing focus between the two men in the room.
With Beth not protecting Morty, Rick had full on access to kick and punch him, but Morty fought back. For every two hits Rick got in, Morty was able to get one. The sickening sound of flesh colliding, the screams and swears shouted was too much for Beth. She tried standing up, using the stool to prop herself up, swaying on her feet. The small glint of metal caught her eye on the bench, remembering this is what they originally started fighting over. The metal handcuffs, ordinary in appearance but Beth knew better.
Edging her way slowly to them, she knew she only had one choice. Rick turned in surprise as he heard the metal clink shut, his eyes blinking in disbelief. Morty snorted, getting in a free hit, Beth stopping him from pulling back and clinking the second of the pair shut.
It was silent for a moment, for their brains to process her actions but their attention turned to her.
"What the fuck!?" They yelled in unison, trying to pull away, but the metal dug into their skin.
Beth was fearful of their attention directed to her, so she stepped back to the bench, noticing a small remote and grasped it firmly. "That finally quietened you both down. See how pathetic your childish fighting has become?"
"Press the button to take this off me." Rick snarled in response, without stepping forward to her.
"Are you calm yet?"
"I would be calm if Morty would shut the fuck up. I can hear him breathing like a storm."
"I would be quieter, if you didn't almost break my nose." Morty tried lifting his fist, the metal chains chiming between them.
Beth lips were taut, her hands crossed over her chest. "Doesn't sound like you both are calm to me."
"Fucks sakes Beth, press the fucking button." She could see Rick's mood drop even lower. It was her time to go.
"I'm not taking it off till you calm down." She sighed, pocketing the small remote and slamming the room behind her.
"Moooooooom." The low whine was heard through the door, before a slap. She couldn't turn back, They would have to sort out their differences.
Rick slapped Morty, the last of his anger slowly evading him. He laid down on the floor, tugging the cuff with him so Morty would follow. He wouldn't allow himself to be the one led if they were cuffed together.
"What now Rick, huh!?" Morty spat, as he awkwardly laid down, too close to Rick than he'd like.
Rick didn't give him a response.
"You going to get this off us now that she is gone?"
"I can't." Rick whispered out, annoyed that his invention got used against him.
Morty's voice rose, nearing his ear. "What do you mean you can't? You made it so take it off."
"You see..." Rick started off, holding back on the insults. "Some idiot I know started helping me but then fucked up." He glared at him, hoping Morty got the memo "And I didn't exactly finish the cuffs so I didn't made a secondary bypass on them."
"You have dementia or something?" He saw Morty squint his eyes, as blood splatted out his mouth with each word. "How does the great Rick become so careless? "
Rick gripped his chin, with great force, causing Morty to choke, his eyes opening in alarm. "I don't have dementia. Don't fucking say that again." He spat, the spit landing on Morty's cheeks. Morty tried to recoil in disgust but the grip was deadly.
"S-Sorry." He choked out, Rick letting go at the half baked apology but it would have to do for now. "So no remote, got it. Smash them open or something." Morty's voice was a little raspy, soothing his throat with his uncuffed hand.
"No can do. There's a laser inside that will slice our hands off if we try and tamper with it."
Morty didn't even bother with his words this time, instead rolling his eyes.
A moment passed between them before Morty asked again. "What now?"
Rick frowned, thinking up of a plan in their limited state. He concluded on something, eyeing Morty if he was willing. The only way to set things back to their individuality was through Beth.
"We plead."