Burning Responsibility

Intro: Hi guys, this is my first Fanfic on PAW Patrol and to be honest, I haven't wrote Fanfictions in years, so don't expect miracles here. I intend to finish this, because I hate it when you get to a good part in a story, and then the author just leaves and never returns. I have often thought about writing my own endings to my favourite stories, but it's just not the same.

I've read a lot of fanfics on PAW Patrol, and I've sort of developed my own taste to them. I'm not a big fan of OCs. Adding some in as the Pup's parents is fine, or for backstory or even as a villain but I think the 6 pups, plus Everest and Tracker are more than enough in most cases. Also, whilst PAW Patrol has been known to venture outside of "conventional" things, such as adding Aliens and Merpups, I'm not going to. I think it's lazy writing if a character gets hurt but is healed by "magic crystals" in less than a paragraph. Also, this will be rated T for violence, but I will never write smut. The pups in this are basically children, so I think its kinda weird, I'll sometimes hint to adult themes, but it's never gonna be M, so sorry for anyone who wanted that. Also, whilst I think ChasexMarshall is cute, I sadly don't see it as Canon. It's obvious Chase has a crush on Skye, and Marshall has one on Everest. I see Chase and Marshall more as brothers really. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Gay pairings, and I think their adorable sometimes, and people like HavocHound have made some brilliant M/M pairing stories.

Anyway, this story focuses on Marshall, but will have some moments with the other pups too, especially Chase and Ryder. The basic premise is that when on a trip to Barkingburg, Ryder and Chase are left stranded on a floating Air Patroller without being able to contact the other pups. With both PAW Patrol members 01 and 02 gone, 03 (Marshall), must step up and take leadership. A role he was never too comfortable with.

The first half of this chapter will be in Marshall's POV, but the rest of the story from there will be normal, overall POV. (Maybe going into POVs for certain moments).

Anyways, I know most people don't read these bits, and I know that was long, but if you did, I appreciate it. I also take notes and feedback from ALL comments. If it's just saying "this story sucks", it's not gonna get better unless you tell me how to improve it. Hopefully, I'll update as often as I can, but It's a busy time of year for me. But I won't stop until it's done! Also, my intros won't be as long XD

Anyway, let's get going.

Chapter 1

"It had only been a couple of hours since the Princess called. She said she had some important business to discuss with Chase and Ryder. We were all excited, thinking we were going on a trip to Barkingburg, but much to our disappointment, the Earl suggested that the minimum come through, otherwise we'd leave our precious adventure bay unprotected. It was only in dire situations when we were all called out, and I knew that. But I also knew that without Ryder or Chase, the role of leadership falls to me". Gulp.

"You see, when the PAW Patrol was first setup, Ryder knew he wouldn't be here all the time, and who could blame him. And sometimes, our missions didn't need Ryder along with us, I mean, rescuing Chickaletta or Alex was second nature by now, and Ryder trusted Chase enough to let him be Second In Command. All of us are numbered pups, and whilst we don't let our ranks get in the way, the numbers did represent a sense of authority. I usually shrugged off the fact that I was number 03. It didn't bother me most of the time, because I'm not one to give orders. Chase was perfect for 02, he was level headed, courageous, quick thinking and above all, caring, although, usually in his own, boneheaded kind of way".

I let out a small chuckle, remembering the times the Shepherd tried to comfort Skye or Zuma, and finding out he wasn't exactly the best at it, usually with a slap on the nose or a lot of eye rolling.

"Me however, I have a talent for comforting pups, and people for that matter. I've often comforted Chase when he remembers he lost Officer Bear on a sea rescue. That was pretty rough, and the look on Zuma's face when the stuffed toy was pulled into one of his Hovercraft's propellers was enough to say I'm sorry. Chase, of course, knew it wasn't Zuma's fault, and didn't hold it against him, but he still couldn't help but feel as if Zuma wasn't there that day, he wouldn't be left with a sack of teddy stuffing scattered across the bay".

"I'm not sure what system Ryder chose for our ranking, Chase was an obvious 02, but me as backup leader seemed a bit offputting to not only me. Skye was by far much better at leading, but according to Ryder, she had a bit of a temper sometimes. Rocky might have done better, and Ryder even told me that it was a close decision, but in the end, he had known me for longer. Rubble was just too young and innocent to be leader, and whilst Zuma was older than Rubble, he shared similar traits, and sometimes didn't take things seriously enough".

"I've asked Ryder to tell me why I'm 03, and his reason is that despite my slight airheaded nature, I am serious when a job needs to be done. He said I am a decent balance of seriousness and sillyness to keep people calm whilst making sure I get the job done. But that doesn't mean I can lead. Of course, there have been drills, in which Chase and Ryder would supervise me whilst I lead the other pups on fake rescues around adventure bay. Chase said I had some work to do, but I'd make a good leader if the time came, and of course, that there is always Skye if I couldn't step up to bat".

"My favourite drill was when we had to evacuate and put out a boat shack on the beach. Of course, in the end we found out it was a fake shack, and it was one of Ryder's drills again, but that was the drill that proved I was ready".

(End POV)

Ryder and Chase nodded at each other, before telling Katie to call. The idea of these drills was to be totally unexpected. Chase and Ryder told the pups that they had to go work at Jake's Mountain for a few days, making some upgrades to Everest's gear whilst Chase took over her resposibilities for a while. In reality, the two were sat in Ryder's Garage under the lookout, watching multiple screens setup around the shack. With Katie calling, the Pups wouldn't know about the drill.

Katie, stood on the beach, dialled for the PAW Patrol. Of course, Ryder's Pup Pad began to ring. He answered and connected the call to Marshall. Marshall knew that with Ryder away, any emergencies would be sent to him directly. Thankfully, there had been none, and the Dally was able to relax for the day, that was until his collar beeped.

"Hi Katie, what's up?" "Marshall, the old boat shack on the beach is up in flames, and I think there are people inside". The blonde girl was very good at acting, it made it seem very real. "We're on it Katie, no job is too big, no pup is too small". With that, Marshall called the Pups.

In the lookout, Zuma and Skye were battling each other on their favourite game. Pup Pup Boogie 3 had been released, and was packed with all sorts of new dances, and the two pups were having a great time battling each other. Rubble cheered the Cockapoo on, whilst Rocky rolled his eyes and cheered for Zuma, laughing as the Chocolate Lab pulled off a tail spin.

All four pups stopped when their tags beeped however. Whilst playful at heart, the four knew they had jobs to do. They were suprised when they heard a familiar shaky Dally voice say, "PAW Patrol, to the lookout!" They looked at each other, before Zuma finally said, "Mawshall needs us?" They laughed as they walked into the elevator.

Rocky looked down at Skye. "Skye, what are you doing?" The boys looked down at Skye, how was tensed up and flinching. "Waiting for the inevitable". They were all confused, until they too realised that it was tradition to be bowled over by a certain pup. They all braced for impact before Rubble spoke up. "Um, guys, with Marshall leading, wouldn't he be at the top?" "Good point Wubble", said Zuma, pressing the button to go up. After a short stop to gear up, the four exited the elevator. Skye, being the next in command, said the usual, "PAW Patrol ready for action Marshall... sir?" They all laughed whilst Marshall blushed. "Don't call me sir, it sounds weird, makes me sound old", he said with a laugh.

"Anyway, down to business guys. An old boating shack on the beach has caught fire from this heat. If we don't get it out soon, the fire will spread to the nearby surfing shack". They all gasped, but none louder than Zuma. "We have to stop it! It can't have my boawds!". Rubble and Rocky both tried to hold in a laugh at the idea of Zuma carrying the whole stock of surfboards out to safety.

"Obviously, I'm going to take point and fight the fire. But because it's got so big already, I'll need Zuma and Rubble to bring buckets of water from the sea to help".

"Let's dive in!"

"Rubble on the double!"

"Skye, Katie mentioned something about people that might be trapped inside, you are gonna have to scout out from the top and possibly winch people out of there"

"Let's take to the skies"

"Rocky, I know you hate water, but you are gonna wear my pack whilst I use the hose on my truck to fight the fire".

"Green mea- I mean, I'm fired up?"

The rest laughed, except Rocky. He knew he was gonna get wet. Of course, he would never let his aquaphobia stop him from rescuing someone, but it didn't mean he was going to be happy about it.

"Ok guys, PAW Patrol is on a roll!" Said Marshall, as he ran to the slide, followed by the other pups.

"He's doing quite well Ryder, sir. He knew what each pup should do, and he even shared his responsibility with Rocky, who really wouldn't have a role in this situation." Chase said, getting a pat from Ryder. The two watched the whole debrief take place. Ryder had to admit, despite Marshall doubting his ability to lead, the role fit him like a glove.

Rocky loaded Marshalls pack into his truck, and took off to follow the rest of the convoy. Marshall led the team, since his vehicle was the only one with them with Sirens. They reached the building where the fire was taking place, and it was worse than Marshall had imagined.

"Skye, scout out from above, if you spot anyone stuck, get them out! Zuma, Rubble, start piling on the water. Rocky, suit up, you're with me".

Zuma rushed his craft into the ocean, drifting at such an angle it caused waves of water to splash up over the buring debris. Rubble lowered his scoop into the water, filling it as much as he could before lifting it above the building and tipping it slowly. He wanted to put the fire out, but if he tipped too quick, he might bring the building down.

"Marshall, the building looks clear! I've checked everywhere, there are no signs of anyone stuck", Skye yelled over the noise. "Great news, thanks Skye. Rocky, how are you doing back there?" Rocky walked out from the back of his truck wearing the Red vest and pup pack. "Ready Marshall!", the Mixed Breed barked out the cannons, which immediately dripped some water onto his muzzle. He grimaced at the feeling, but he knew his job. "Water cannon!" Water instantly shot out of the pack, soaking everything. "Soak the lower half of the building Rocky! I'll work on the roof!"

Marshall ascended his ladder, grabbing hold of the hose at the top. "Hose!" He thought to himself, "I don't think I've actually used this on a rescue before!". The hose was much more powerful than his pack. Whilst his pup pack was strong, it was nothing in comparison. Ryder fitted every vehicle to be as powerful and more advanced than their human's counterparts.

With the flames beginning to die down, Marshall began to run out of water. "Zuma, I need my truck filling! Drag the hose from the back and chuck it into the sea". "Yes sir Mawshall sir!". He cringed slightly at that name.

Zuma drove back on shore and grabbed the hose from the back of Marshall's truck, then drove back into the water. He dropped it and instantly it began to swell as it drew water in. The sheer force of water flowing through the hose at full force again almost blew Marshall off the ladder.

By now, a crowd had gathered around the pups. Skye did her best to keep them back, but she was no Chase. She flew her Helicopter low, telling people that it was too dangerous to be stood that close. She thought she was doing a good job, until of course, Alex Porter wandered over to the fire with a water gun.

"Marshall! We have a problem. Alex is headed your way!". "Rocky, I'll deal with what's left, get Alex off the beach". Rocky nodded.

The mixed breed always knew something was off about that child. Everytime there was an emergency, he liked to make it worse. Sometimes, he thought maybe one day, we'd leave him? But of course, he'd never do such a thing. Even if most of the PAW Patrol's time was dealing with the little devil.

"ALEX, GET OFF THE BEACH. IT'S CLEARLY NOT SAFE", Rocky yelled at the child. "But Rocky, I wanna help" Alex whined. The whining was like someone put sand in Rocky's ear, and then poured water all over him. "Alex, this is not safe. We're trained and frankly someone needs to say this, you can't help. You have a habit of making things worse. Get back to your Grandpa before you get hurt". Alex walked away, tearing up slightly. "I know it was harsh Rocky, but if no one told the kid off, he'd just keep getting in trouble".

Rocky ran back to find the fire was out. Marshall was dousing the last of the debris whilst Rubble cleared any loose bits sitting on the sand. Skye and Zuma had successfully gotten rid of the crowd. Marshall turned his hose off. He looked around at the mess the fire left. It wasn't that bad. The team were quick enough to get the job done before it got worse. As he climbed down his ladder, he congratulated the team on a job well done, but talking and climbing were too much for the Dally, as he slipped on the wet ladder, he fell off the side. Thankfully, he was only a few rungs up, and landed on some burnt up bedding, and something hard.

He got up, worried he landed on a pup. He sniffed around only to find a video camera. With a blinking red light. He turned it to find the PAW Patrol insignia on the back. He laughed as he turned around to the pups holding the camera.

"You guys were in on this?" Marshall said grinning. "In on what dude?", Zuma asked, cocking his head to the side. "No Marshall, they weren't." Said a familar voice. "Katie?", Rubble said, watching as the young girl wandered towards them from the road. "What's going on?" asked Rocky, shaking as much as he could, getting as much water from his fur as possible. "Also, this counts as my bath for the week", he said, frowning at the girl.

Katie pulled out her phone, showing a live video feed from each of the pup's collars and from cameras laid around the left over shack. "Ryder and Chase were watching too, they wanted to know how Marshall would do in a situation where he was put in command". Everyone looked at Marshall. "How'd I do?" He said, laughing nervously. "You did brilliantly!", a new voice joined the crowd. "Ryder!" Marshall said, running up and licking his owner's face. "Marshall, you are fantastic at leading!", Chase said, "but please don't lick me!" Marshall laughed as the Shepherd grimaced slightly. He licked his cheek slightly, laughing as Chase's tough bravado was brought down with a simple lick.

"Marshall, we watched you lead the team, found ways to make everyone useful and successfully stopped what could have been a huge disaster". Ryder said, before Zuma interrupted. "Could've been? Wyder, this building is totalled!". Chase spoke up. "The only other pup who was in on this was Rubble". Everyone looked back at the bulldog. "What? They wanted me to build something, was I meant to say no?" They all laughed.

"This was a trial building, I paid for it, so I could burn it if I saw fit. Mayor Goodway gave me permission to use this part of the beach, as long as it was cleared by the summer festival in a month", he said, gesturing to the soaking black debris.

"So, what now?" Rocky asked the question on everyone's mind. "Now, Marshall is officially 3rd in command. He has proven to be level headed, quick thinking and more importantly, calm in the face of danger". The pups cheered, except for Marshall, who grinned, but only to hide the fact that he was terrified.

Throughout that whole rescue, he thought his leadership was gonna cause problems. He obviously pushed the thoughts to the back of his head, letting him focus on the burning building, but what if he made a mistake that could've hurt the pups?

Ryder took off Marshall's tag, and replaced it with a new one, but much to everyone's confusion, it looked exactly the same. Ryder flipped it over to show the same circular pattern on his Pup Pad. "ooooooh", the pups all stared at it. "With this tag, Marshall can now call the PAW Patrol into action, just like I can, and just like Chase can". Chase flipped his collar to show the same thing.

"But Ryder, at least you or Chase are always here, when would I need to step up?" Marshall asked. "Marshall, being part of the PAW Patrol means you have to be prepared for every outcome. Maybe one day, Chase is too sick to command, or I am away. Or if we both need saving!" Marshall whimpered at the thought, before Skye took his paw. "Marshall, you'll be fine. You've done a great job leading us today". "Totally dude. Mawshall, you awe much smawter than you think. Plus, you saved the suwfboawds!". They all laughed.

"Thanks guys. Ok Ryder, I'll do my best!"

Ryder smiled. "Good pup".