A/N: The title of this should be familiar to those of you who follow my stories. In my collection of shorts (Havin' A One-shottin' Good Time), thi sis the fifth chapter. I saw several reviews saying how they wanted to see something of a continuation, and so surprise! This is going to be a double upload, as I post this chapter and a second chapter. Depending on how well received it is, I might make this my main story. Enjoy!
"I don't think we should be doing this, sir," the german shepherd pup said. The boy waved his pup's concern away with his hand.
"I want to see this place," the boy replied. The pup whimpered.
"It's property of the government now. It has been for nearly the past five decades. We shouldn't be here."
The boy looked his pup in the eye. "I am aware. I want to see if Grandpa's stories are true."
"Just because your granddad told you something before he died, doesn't mean that we should be breaking the law."
The blue-eyed, brown-haired fourteen year-old held something up between his thumb and first finger. "Grandpa gave me this USB before he died." The boy and his pup were walking across an old bridge, oblivious to the electric cars that were whirring past.
"We can't even use that USB! That technology disappeared a long time ago. There isn't a computer left to run it." The boy shook his head.
"If Grandpa was right before he died five years ago, then the computer we're looking for should be in the building he talked about." The building the boy mentioned was straight ahead, on a small section of the bay. It was at the east-most point of the island, creating the bay. It was what looked like an old lighthouse, apart from the fact there was no light.
The roof was a faded red, now almost pink. It was a simple concrete building, crusted in salt. Cracks had formed, but on just the exterior. The inside of the walls were titanium, ensuring that as time went on, it wouldn't collapse or rust. A yellow periscope stuck out of the roof, with a cracked lense and faded paint the only reminder of what it was.
The boy and his dog made their way up the twisting driveway, walking past multiple signs that read "No Trespassing". The pup glanced nervously at the signs, swallowing multiple times.
"Don't worry, Ranger," the boy told his dog. "If what Grandpa said is true, we're merely re-taking possession.
"Easy for you to say, Max, sir. You aren't terribly law-abiding, unlike me." The boy, Max, huffed at the pup's statement.
"Everyone says that. You aren't even three and you already act like you're ten. Just ease up a little." Ranger kept his jaw shut, but Max still saw it tighten every now and again.
The pair stopped just outside the front door. It was closed, although the glass was broken on one of the doors. Max squeezed through the open gap, mindful of the remaining glass edges. Ranger looked around at the glass edge, then leapt through after his owner.
Max turned in a circle, nearly tripping over his own feet as he spun. The place was covered in dust, a layer that made Ranger sneeze. "Bless you," Max said distractedly. He didn't hear Ranger's "thank you".
Old pup-treat containers skulked in one corner, partially full of moldy treats. Ranger eyed them hungrily. There was an old couch, missing one of its cushions, with the one remaining cushion torn. There were multiple bean bags, some of which had stains. They looked like food stains, Max even saw a moldy piece of pepperoni. There was one remaining picture on the wall, with a ten-year old boy and eight pups. Max stared long at the photo.
"We need to find a computer somewhere," Max said to his dog. Without giving time for Ranger to answer, Max turned down a hall. The german shepherd ran to catch up.
The pair looked at each door as they walked past, looking into one that had the door opened slightly. One of the doors had a star on a blue background. Another had an orange and yellow fire symbol, while yet a third had plane or helicopter blades on a pink background. A fourth had recycling arrows, and the one next to it had an anchor on an orange background. The final one had a wrench on a yellow background.
At the end of the hall, Max saw what he was looking for. It was a seventh door, but this one had a paw symbol on a red and blue background. Stopping a moment at the door, the boy looked to his dog.
"This is the moment of truth, Ranger," the boy said quietly.
"Then let's hurry before someone finds us out," the shepherd said anxiously.
Max slowly turned the knob, and gently pushed the door. It squeaked open, protesting as the rusty hinges ground against one another. Max tiptoed into the room, with Ranger right on his heels.
Glancing around the room, it was filled with what looked to be projects. One looked like a dog-sized backpack, with arms protruding from the sides. Ranger went to inspect it, sniffing at it. Shaking his head, he said, "If your granddad really owned this place, he had some very interesting things." Max merely nodded, speechless at what he was seeing. His grandfather had been close-mouthed about what he had done when he was Max's age, and so his grandson was finally see what he had done.
Seeing a desk, with a desktop computer on it, Max sat down in an old chair. It rattled and squeaked in protest, but Max paid it no heed. Looking at the back of the desktop, he found a USB port. Plugging the USB in, Max also hit the power button. There was nothing for a few seconds, then the screen changed. It changed to a red symbol with a silver paw print in the middle, and a blue background. It shouted "PAW Patrol is on a roll!", then went to the home screen.
"I'm surprised this thing works," Max muttered to himself. He grabbed the mouse, and went to hover over some of the files shown. Mission Reports, Mission Feed, Projects, mostly labels that Max didn't understand. He looked over a couple of the other files saved, and saw names beneath some of the folders. Chase, Skye, Rocky, Zuma, Marshall, Rubble, Everest, and Tracker. None of the names made sense to the boy. He searched a moment more, and found a file labeled "USB Data". He double clicked on it, and a black screen appeared.
A bar appeared on the screen, saying "Downloading...25%". Max waited for a few minutes, while Ranger stood on his hind paws to see the screen. "Download...Complete!" it read. The screen went dark again, until a wall could be seen. There was some shuffling, and a young man in his twenties rolled into view in a desk chair.
He had dark brown hair, which was combed straight up. He had brown eyes, and a perfect smile on his face. He had a square jaw, and prominent cheekbones. He had a pale vest, with red across his shoulders.
"Hello," the man said to the camera, "if you're watching this, then I have chosen you to follow the steps I laid. I chose you for your character, and for how you act to those around you. Oh, I nearly forgot. My name is Zachary Ryder Jr., although I am more well known as just 'Ryder'." Max stared intently at the screen. At his grandpa. At least, a younger version of his grandfather.
"Anyway," Ryder said on the screen, "young one, I have chosen you, because I see things in you. You might be watching this years after I have passed away, long after my team has gone.
"I am sure you are wondering what I mean by 'my team'. And so I'll tell you. At one point in time, I was in command of a team of dogs, a team that had pledged its life on helping those in need. No matter the issue, we were always willing to help. If I gave this to you, then it means I think this team needs to be brought back. I am hoping that this message would never have to be watched, but it appears this town needs it.
"The team I started and commanded was known as the PAW Patrol. This team ran with backing from the mayor of Adventure Bay, but eventually collapsed. We weren't needed anymore, so I broke up the team. Our team consisted of eight pups. A police pup, a firedog, an aviator, a water rescue pup, a construction pup, a recycling pup, a winter rescue pup, and a jungle survivalist pup. So if you are watching this, I know what I am asking of you may sound like a lot.
"I am asking that you rejuvenate the PAW Patrol. I have made sure that the offspring of my police and aviator pups, and possibly their pups' pups, have stayed in my family. If you don't have one of them, I entitle you to ownership of the one of your choice. I am hoping to still be alive when I give you the pup, so that you can strengthen your bond with him or her. I have some families of pups for you to go to, so as to hopefully make your duty easier.
"I just want you to know that I chose you because I knew you could do it. Otherwise you wouldn't be watching this. I want you to know that I believe in you to be a worthy successor, and possibly even surpass me in being a team leader. I believe in you, young one. Be strong. You are entitled to any money I may have left, as well as any objects at the old Lookout you may want. Do well, young one. I know you will." The screen went dark.
Max looked at Ranger, his hands shaking. Ranger looked at his owner's eyes. "We have some-" Ranger started, but was interrupted. The screen went to a different room, and an older Ryder appeared on the screen.
"Max, I am adding this to the initial message. I know I won't be around much longer, and I gave this to you because I believed in you. When I picked you, I spoke with your pup's parents. I asked them to give you their first pup, to help you restart the PAW Patrol. There was a reason why I asked you to wait until your pup was three years old, and this is why. Watching you grow up into the fine young man you are now is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I chose you because I see potential that you don't even know you have. I have seen you in school, taking leadership eagerly and caring for others. You're nearly exactly like me, getting out of high school by the time you're ten. I trust that you will know what to do.
"I wish I could walk you through what you need to do, but I sadly won't be there in person to help you. I've gotten old, and I only have months to live now. I want you to know that no matter what, whether you succeed or fail, I will always be proud of you. This may be a lot to take in, you probably won't even know half the things I've said so far. I can't talk much longer, the nurse insists I take my nap in a few minutes." A coarse laugh escaped the old man. "It's funny, life. You start by taking naps and having people feed you, and you end by taking naps and having people feed you. Not the most dignified way to die, now is it? Anyway, for you, I have prepared what I call a 'pup-pad'. I have hopefully updated it, but it might be a few years till you use it. On it, I have the name of a family for you to look into. Restarting the PAW Patrol is not going to be easy, but I know you can do it. The name I have is of whom your second member should be. I know a little about him, I have kept in touch with his parents. It is up to you if he should be your second member, apart from the pup you have now. He is your first. So Ranger, I get the feeling you will be a police dog. Your parents assured me that once you were born, they would raise you right. So please keep an eye on my grandson, he's going to need it. So good luck to you both. There shall be more instructions on the pup-pad. I hope you can succeed where I have failed, getting the PAW Patrol started again. I love you, Max." The screen went dark.
Max wiped a tear from his eye, having shed it for his grandfather. Ranger nudged his hand, trying to offer comfort. The boy smiled sadly at his dog. "Ranger, it looks like we have something to do in our lives."
The german shepherd wagged his tail quickly. "Sir, I would love to work alongside you as a partner." Ranger and Max both jumped suddenly as a mechanical whine was heard. A desk drawer opened. Max stared at it for a few moments, then cautiously looked into it.
It was a tablet, about the size of a small watermelon's diameter. It had rubber bumpers around the edge, and had a silver frame and back. It had a light blue home button, the same color as the bumpers. Max pushed the button, watching curiously as it powered on almost immediately. It had the same red and silver paw logo, this time saying "PAW Patrol II" underneath it. A white screen with black lettering then appeared. Max read it out loud.
"No job is too big, no pup is too small," Max read. The screen changed. "Your first recruit isn't a brute. Through ash and smoke, you can rely on this bloke. Just look to the sky, where there is smoke on-the-fly. Look to the golden gate, and look for the last name of Blate." Ranger cocked his head, and looked at the screen himself.
"A riddle? Why a riddle? He said he would provide instruction." Max shook his head.
"It is instruction. I would've expected something a bit harder than this, considering he knew how smart I was." Ranger merely stuck out his tongue. The boy rolled his eyes, then continued. "This is for a fire pup. When it says 'look to the golden-gate', it's talking about the Golden-Gate Bridge. We need to look for a pup who has the last name 'Blate' and see if he has what we're looking for." Max got up, and looked around. He looked closely at the pup-sized backpack, and made the connection. "Ranger, do you know what that is?" the boy said, pointing at the pack.
"No, sir. It looks like a backpack, though I doubt it is," the shepherd replied.
"Because it isn't. Grandpa commanded a team of dogs. So why would he have something such as this?"
"To help the dogs walk old ladies across the street?" Ranger asked. Max shook his head.
"Not quite. He would have built something like this to help his dogs help others. Depending on their duties, he probably would've made them different. This particular one," Max gestured to the pack on the table, "has a net, a taser, a megaphone, and a spotlight. I think this belongs to a police pup." Ranger looked at the pack with renewed interest.
"So how do I work it?" he asked quickly. "Taser!" the pup shouted. Nothing. "Uh, how about this? Arf! Taser!" There was a moment of delay, then the taser attachment fired. The could both hear the crackling of electricity as it fired. Then it was quiet. "Well, I guess that's how it works. Ruff! Retract!" The taser's cords wound themselves back into the gun, and it folded into the pack. "That's cool! Can you put it on?" Ranger asked, looking at his owner.
"I guess so. Just be cautious, who knows how old it is." Max grabbed the pack, and placed it on his dog. He buckled it, it having pieces of titanium armor in between the straps.
"Well, it fits good," Ranger said, inspecting it. Max nodded.
"It sure does. Hold on a moment, I want to do something." Max walked back over to the computer, and removed the USB. He held a circular device next to it, and pressed a button. There was a few seconds of silence, then the round object beeped. Max then shut down the computer. He tapped the circular device. "Just wanted to download those files. There's no telling what there might be on that computer."
Ranger nodded. "Good thinking. Now let's get out of here before we get discovered. I'd hate to start this off on the wrong side of the law." The pup shivered.
Max hesitated. "If he says so, technically we own this place now. And I don't know about you, but I want to look around this place and see what there is." Ranger whimpered.
"I don't know, sir. Even if it is technically ours, no one else knows that. And I know you know what your uncle will do if we do end up getting caught." The pup shivered again.
Max waved his pup's concern away again. "Look, I have no intention of going back to his place now. I don't care if he's my only living relative. I don't want you to get hurt again."
Ranger held his ribs at the memory. The force behind the drunken man's foot hurt quite a lot. "Alright," the german shepherd relented, "we can stay here. As soon as we get found out though, it's all on you."
The boy smiled at how paranoid his dog was being. "No one's been in here in probably thirty, forty years. We're the first ones here in that time, and we have proof that Grandpa left this for us."
"But didn't he tell us that the town or whoever owned it?"
Max was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly. "He did say that. However, he probably didn't mean it. He was rich enough to keep this place, albeit not maintain it. Everyone thought he died without a will, and so far my uncle hasn't been able to get his grubby hands on it. Nor do I plan to let him. C'mon, let's go see where that elevator goes." Cutting off the discussion, Max walked back towards the main entrance, Ranger obediently following.
"But, sir," Ranger spoke, "what if the elevator won't work? Again, it probably hasn't been used in decades."
Max answered without stopping or looking at his pup. "Because, so far the other things we've tried have worked. If Grandpa made it, it could survive a war and still be fine."
"That's another thing. We've only really tried two objects, both of which are outdated. What makes you think the elevator will work?" Max stopped and turned quickly, looking at his pup's eyes.
"Because Grandpa made it. And if he made it, chances are it will be around for a long time." Max turned back to walking to the elevator.
"Yes, I get that your grandpa was smart, sir, but, it's been nearly half a century since this place was closed. I don't know if it will work." Max wisely chose to ignore him.
The boy strode confidently into the elevator, with Ranger stopping just outside. He looked carefully at the floor, then slowly tested it with a paw. It holding, he set another paw into it, then another, and one last one. Both inside the elevator, Max noticed something odd.
"There's no buttons," he said absentmindedly.
"See? See!? I knew it wouldn't work," Ranger immediately argued.
"Bark at it."
"What?"
"I said bark at it!"
Ranger looked curiously at his owner, then did as he was still. "Arf! Elevator up!" There was nothing. "See? I told you it wou- woah!" He cried out as the elevator lurched a foot upwards, then quickly and smoothly ascended. Ranger looked at his owner, who had a smug grin spread across his face. "Fine, it works," Ranger mumbled, "you don't have to be so darn smug about it though."
The elevator reached the top of the Lookout offering a grand view of the bay and the town. Max gave a low whistle at the sight. Even though the windows were smudged and cracked, it was a spectacular sight. "It's a pity that Adventure Bay isn't as nice as it once was," Max said unconsciously.
Ranger nodded his agreement. "Maybe your grandfather wasn't so crazy." Max looked at his dog.
"He was never crazy. And you know, I'm going to follow his steps." Ranger turned to his owner.
"I'm with you all the way."
Max smiled. "I knew you would be."
