A/N: Okay, enough is frankly enough! I have been too quiet about this for a while and to be honest I am getting sick and tired of seeing these worthless five year olds coming onto the fandom and making attempts at insulting me and my fellow writers. They know my name and countless, by the way, the reviews on this story that have the name Brayden Welton, yours truly, don't scare me! It is hypocritical that I delete them when I see them because frankly I don't need people stalking into my personal life. And yes, Brayden Welton is my actual name! But please don't look me up or try to add me on social media because I will NOT accept anything.
When it comes to things I actually care about, I prefer to stand up to the wolves instead of cowering in the herds of sheep. My parents raised a sheepdog. And yes, I will become a US Marine regardless because all the negativity makes me want to prove you all wrong even more because I love my country no matter what others say and the Corps deserves my appreciation and patriotism. It's my fuel and I am going to make an easy run through boot camp with it. So jokes on you! I have loads of other things to say, but I will save you the pain and not say anything else on the matter.
Sorry for taking up so much of your time, but I'd rather say this in an Author note than make a new story about ranting and stuff. I know I said cliffhanger in the last chapter, but after reading it, I kinda realized that it wasn't necessarily a cliffhanger. More like a reason to want to read the next chapter to find answers. Anyway, I am done with my bantering and I hope you guys can understand why I did this. PM or review if you are confused or just want to rant to me, because this is the field where I grow my fucks, and you shall notice that it is barren.
Thanks for your time! Let's do this thing!
Welcome to Chapter 21 of Hearts of Ice and Fire!
"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." -John F. Kennedy
Has there ever been a moment in your life where you were so confused by something that everything around didn't have the same usual feel? Like you lose sense of your surroundings and you begin to question everything up to your actual existence. Why am I here? What's my purpose? Those kinds of questions. But what if that confusion began with something that someone you trusted told you?
"There's no easy way for me to say this but….it was because I sent them to do it as a test! And you passed."
Marshall had to play those over and over again in his head just understand the point of it all. And he started to ask himself all sorts of questions with no clue as to how he was even going to answer them.
Why did Ryder do this?
What was the point of it all?
Does he even care about me anymore?
What kind of test was that?
But what was really upsetting was that the young boy that he grew up to know and love had deliberately sent the other pups at him to insult him and make rude comments. Who does that to someone? Especially his own pup?
"Why?" Marshall croaked, shedding a stream of tears.
"I wanted to see if you maybe you'd snap or get angry at the others," Ryder answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "But not once did you have any sort of harsh attitude towards them. You just let it happen, which stunned me."
"What do you mean it stunned you?" Marshall snapped. "Did you want me to snap and hurt someone else? If so, you're going to have to try harder than that. I've been wanting to change since I hurt Chase! I don't ever want to be in the wrong again."
"And you don't have to be wrong again, Marshall," Ryder said. "I just needed to see where I would have to focus my time. I can tell you that rebuilding trust between all of us is one of them."
"Good luck with that," Marshall scoffed. "I doubt the others believe I can change. Not after the things they said to me."
"I provided them with the content and they broadcasted it to you," Ryder admitted regretfully. "Except for Rocky sadly. His comments were actually genuine and his own. The others are more scared and upset with you than they are angry."
"Did you ever once consider what you were actually doing to me? I've got the urge to rip your throat out," Marshall growled, as he stood up and hopped off the bed and approached Ryder. Athena intercepted him before he got close. "What are you doing? Get out of my way!"
"I know you're upset with Ryder and you have every right to be, but you will not share your grievances by resorting to violence. Not after all that you have done to Chase and this team," Athena murmured softly.
"Oh yeah! What makes you think I won't attack you right now?"
"Because you're hurt on the inside Marshall," Athena whispered. "And you want nothing more than making amends for your actions. After seeing what sort of things happen when you get angry with others, you can't bear to see something like that happen to someone else. And you wouldn't want to hurt your mother would you?"
"I never wanted to hurt you Marshall," Ryder said. "In fact, I had hoped this whole idea was going to be a little more peaceful, but I was wrong and I see that now. But you have to remember that this is what we all went through when Chase got hurt."
"Really? People came up to you and belittled you, broke you down, treated you like dirt, and cursed you so much even sailors were shocked?" Marshall snapped.
"What Ryder means is that they went through the same pain that you felt when the other pups made mean comments," Athena reassured. "They wanted you to feel what they were feeling."
"Like I didn't know what they were feeling," Marshall scoffed. "I know exactly what they felt! Someone who was very close to them nearly died after someone they trusted attacked him. I know this feeling very well. When my biological mother died, you know what I went through."
"Your mother died of natural causes, not brutal attacks by someone they knew and loved," Ryder pointed out, receiving a kick from Athena. "Ow…..but you also have a point. This isn't your first rodeo."
Marshall looked down in pure shame and let the tears drip onto the carpeted floors. "I really wish that I had died when my mom was gone. None of this would've happened and Chase would still have his legs."
"Don't talk like that," Athena demanded, trying to keep her emotions together. "How long would Chase have lasted if he knew that you were gone forever, huh? A day? A week? A month? A year?"
"I don't know," Marshall whispered.
"But I do," Athena added. "He wouldn't have wanted to live a second more if he knew that his best friend and brother had died. The same goes for you. Not that I support that idea, but I know that's what either one of you would've done in that situation. You remember what happened after we found you practically on your death bed."
"Sadly," Marshall murmured, recollecting the events of the past.
Athena had dealt with this kind of situation before. Back when Marshall's biological mother had died from a heart attack a little over a year prior, Marshall never left his pup house for nearly three days. But there was more to it than that.
When they found Marshall, he was dehydrated and he looked like he hadn't eaten since the day he was born. But it was Chase who had found him, which Ryder wished had never happened because Chase went missing for five days. No where to be seen, no where to be found. And when they found him, it was an even worse situation than Marshall.
The foolish German Shepherd pup had taken his police truck off the beaten path and wrecked. No food. No water. And to top it all off, his truck and pup tag were broken beyond belief. His shoulder was dislocated and he twisted a paw. By the time the team found him, he had dragged himself only thirty yards.
It took three weeks for Chase to get a clean bill of health from the hospital due to his injuries both physically and mentally. Marshall helped with the final stages of recovery and he helped bring back the Chase that he grew up with. The one he loved and cared about.
"You see now," Athena said. "Chase was scared that you were going to die that he went out and nearly got himself killed. He cares about you Marshall and I know you do to."
"It's kind of hard to care about someone if you're forbidden from coming near them," Marshall huffed, eyeballing Ryder with a look of disgust.
"You know for damn sure why you can't go near him!" Athena snapped at him.
Marshall cowered in fear when she snapped. It wasn't like her to get angry with him, but in a way he kind of could see why she did it. He looked over at Ryder.
Ryder took to his knees and look the spotted pup in the eye. "There is something that I still need to share with you about your punishment. I won't be sharing it down here. I actually plan on sharing it with the whole team up in the control room."
Marshall hadn't of thought of what is punishment might be, but he knew that it wasn't going to be good. Hurting a family member doesn't exactly make it easier on the punisher, but it has to be done if anything is going to change. And Marshall knew that. He didn't want to know it, but it wasn't something that he could just lock away forever and pretend it didn't exist.
"Then what are we waiting for? There's nothing I can do except for accept whatever punishment you have to give me. You know that I won't try to bargain or something."
"Smart words coming from someone who made the biggest, most foolish mistake of their life," Ryder smirked. "Let's go."
They left the room in a hurry and made their up the elevator with their destination in mind, the control room.
Marshall pondered over what might happen next, knowing that the others were bound to be there waiting for them. In his mind, he was kind a hoping it would breeze right over. He'd get his punishment, no questions asked, and they'd go from there. But there were multiple scenarios that he played in his mind that he really wished that he hadn't of conceived in his mind in the first place.
He thought that the others would take turns beating him up, giving him similar injuries to Chase before Ryder eventually just euthanized him right on the spot. Maybe he'd get sent to some prison-like facility to receive some form of 'treatment'. Or maybe he wouldn't get any punishment at all and he'd have to live the rest of his life as a bad pup knowing that he hurt someone so badly that they can no longer walk, run, or even play. He'd suffer and live with the fact that he destroyed someone's life forever.
Regardless, he was prepared to accept his punishment. The elevator was at the control room in a matter of seconds and the doors hissed open allowing them to exit, which Marshall stopped the moment he steeped out of the elevator to survey the scene ahead.
The other pups stood in a row off to the side. They all glared at him with disappointed gazes, but kept their muzzles locked; probably a good thing given the circumstances. Tracer was directly across from them looking towards the ground. A small puddle of tears accumulating at his feet. Athena took her place right next to him and Ryder walked directly ahead and about faced making him look directly at Marshall.
"Come forth," Ryder ordered.
Marshall shivered and shook as he walked. He tried to make eye contact with the others, but it didn't last long. The spotted pup couldn't even look Everest in the eye, whose eyes were welling up with tears. She was scared! All of them were, but Everest was probably the most scared of all.
He stopped when he was about ten feet from Ryder. Rocky growled to his left and his adopted parents were doing their best to keep cool and collected. With a nod of his head at Ryder, he spoke. "I'm ready to accept my punishment for the actions that I have committed."
"Very well, but first," Ryder spoke. "I'd like to hear what a few of the pups have to say. I told them that if they had any problems with you or any questions that they'd like to ask, that they should wait until this moment."
Marshall shrugged. "I guess I don't have choice, now do I?"
"No," Rocky hissed, standing on all fours. "You don't! Not after the crap you pulled!"
"Rocky!" Ryder silenced him with a stern voice. "I get that you are angry, however, you will wait your turn. Zuma? Is there anything that you'd like to say?"
All eyes turned on the chocolate lab, who shuddered from the multiple faces looking at him. But he took a deep breath and looked directly into Marshall's eyes. "I don't weally know how I am supposed to put the things that I am feeling into wowds. Chase getting huwt was really scawy for us. And now that we know that you did it, how awe we supposed to twust you with being a membew of this team anymowe. I'm sowwy, but I don't want you hewe anymowe."
"Thanks Zuma," Ryder said to the pup. "Rubble? Any words?"
The bulldog pup looked scared and seemed only half aware of what was really going on. He shook his head. "I don't have anything. Only that I am upset with Marshall."
"Skye?" Ryder asked
Skye dipped her head. "Marshall, when I first joined this team, you were the first pup that I met, Chase followed shortly after. I was so scared and shy at the time that I almost thought about quitting that same day I arrived. But you reassured me that being apart of this team, this family, that I would start to enjoy life here and you were right. I have enjoyed every second since, but now I can't walk five feet without looking over my shoulder because I don't feel that sense of security anymore. And that's because of what you did to Chase." She stepped back with tears filling her eyes and mucus filling her nose.
"R-Rocky?" Ryder asked, his voice filled with grief.
Marshall winced at the sound of the mix-breed's name. This isn't going to be good!
"Oh, I have plenty of words to say to him, but I'll try to make it brief. For Marshall's sake and yours, Ryder," Rocky said, cracking his neck. "I'm going to start with a big, fat 'I told you so'. I assumed it was Marshall from the very beginning and you all called me a fool. Well guess what? It turns out my little hunch was actually correct the whole time and this worthless carcass turned out to be the culprit and a liar. Who knew that someone that we've worked with side-by-side for years would actually have the nerve to attack one of us and then lie to save their own skin?"
Marshall turned his whole body to look at Rocky head on. He was going to take this as best as he could. Hopefully Ryder stops this before it gets out of hand.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
"What do you want me to say?" Marshall said calmly.
"The truth about everything because as far as I know, you've lied about everything that you've said to me, to the other pups, to Ryder and Chase's parents. How can we have any reason to believe that you can tell the truth from now on?"
"You don't have to believe me, but they're my parents too!"
"Not after this they won't be," Rocky spat. "How could they still want to be related to a criminal like yourself? I know I wouldn't want to. So what do you really have to live for?"
"Rocky!" Ryder exclaimed. "You're getting out of line."
"Even after we find out that Marshall hurt Chase, you still defend him regardless of what he did," Rocky growled. "It's like you don't want to believe that Marshall actually did it. Well guess what? It happened! That traitor nearly killed Chase."
Marshall was starting to get fed up with Rocky's continuous bantering. And he could see that everyone else was too. Which means that while Rocky was getting a point across, he was also making himself look like an absolute fool. I've got to say something!
"I'm not a traitor," Marshall whispered.
"What did you just say?" Rocky demanded.
"I think you heard me. You want to make something of it, mutt?" Marshall stood up with his head held high. "You want to know the truth about the attack? Fine, well here it is. Chase and I were bickering about a girl that I had grown interest in for a while now. He then proceeded to mock me for being clumsy saying that I wouldn't have been good enough for her anyway. And I lost my temper and I attacked him with the fury of a thousand armies. When it was all said and done, I realized that I hurt Chase really bad and I fought to keep him alive. Don't believe me, ask Everest. She witnessed the whole thing."
Everyone looked at the husky pup, standing by the others. She looked ashamed in herself and everything that she stood for. Even after fighting to protect the truth from coming out, it still wasn't enough for Marshall to bring her down with him.
"You witnessed the whole thing and you didn't say anything to Ryder," Rubble said, his voice filled with shock.
"Why didn't you say anything Everest?" Skye asked, comforting her husky friend.
"She must have been in on the whole thing. I knew I couldn't trust her," Rocky sneered.
"It's sad to be in a wowld where evewyone isn't twust wowthy enough to tell the twuth," Zuma croaked.
"But when I confronted her about it, I told her that the same would happen to her if she ratted me out. She played no part in this and she is innocent," Marshall explained, as he walked up to Everest, giving her a wink. "Everest, I want to say that I am sorry that I threatened your safety. I was scared at the time and I still am to this very moment. I hope you can find it in your wonderful heart to forgive me for my sins. If not, I understand."
He could see a gratefulness in her eyes. She may have kept the truth a secret, but Marshall wasn't going to let her be taken down with him. It was his punishment and his alone. Marshall withdrew from her space and returned to his spot. "Ryder, I'm ready to accept my punishment. I said I wouldn't bargain, but I ask just one thing of you."
"What's that Marshall?" Ryder said, his arms crossed in disappointment.
"If it is okay with you, I request that Everest doesn't receive punishment for crimes that I committed. She played no part in the attack and she was forced by myself to keep her mouth shut about it. She shouldn't be dragged down with me. Have mercy on her, please," Marshall explained.
Ryder seemed to ponder it for a second. "Okay, Marshall. Your request is granted. Everest was a victim in all of this and she will have no part in your punishment."
"Thank you, Ryder," Marshall breathed.
"Really? Just like that, you're going to let Everest get away without a single punishment. She defended him from the very beginning," Rocky shouted.
"Rocky, you would be smart to hold your tongue before I decide to slice it out," Tracer said, finally speaking up. "It is Ryder's decision and his decision alone. Your opinion doesn't matter to him. Respect his decision or so help me god I'll punish you myself."
Rocky glared at Tracer for a moment before returning to his seat, holding back the urge to speak more on the matter. He was smart to not let more nonsense slip out of his lips.
Thank you, Tracer! Marshall said to himself.
"Marshall," Ryder said, getting the attention of the Dalmatian. "Over the past few days, I have contemplated every single possible punishment that you could have thought of and some of them were pretty cruel. I've thought of puppy jail and a boot camp, but I decided against those because I know that I can fix you myself if you stayed here. But before I reveal your punishment, do you have anything you'd like to say to us?"
Not a second passed before Marshall nodded his head with a bit of enthusiasm. "I do," he said, turning to look at the team. "I know that you have many things to say about me and I am more than prepared to receive them. I know that Ryder sent you guys to say the things you said to me over the past couple days and I know he gave you the words. I will say I was upset, but because of my actions, I knew that I had to power through it. I regret everything that happened before and after Chase getting injured. I overreacted and that overreaction nearly killed Chase. We nearly lost him multiple times because of me. And I have to live with that for the rest of my life. I want you to know that I really want to change and I can prove that to you if you would be willing enough to give me a second chance. I'm truly sorry and ashamed in my actions that I lost the will to live the moment I committed them. I don't know how long I will last with this team because I don't know if you will accept me anymore. I just want you to know that I truly and purely from the bottom of whatever heart that I have left don't have any hard feelings towards any of you. You've been my family and I let my family down."
Marshall turned his attention to Athena and Tracer, who had approached him. He immediately looked down in both fear and shame. The fear of Tracer and the shame of looking either of them in the eye. "When my mother died and my father abandoned me, you two took me into your home and treated me as one of your own and I am more than grateful for everything that you've done for me. But when I called you to tell you about Chase, I….," He was beginning to drift off, losing his focus.
"What did you do?" asked Athena softly.
"I had the nerve to look you two right in the eyes like I had done nothing wrong," Marshall admitted. "I lied right to your faces and it has been haunting me ever since. The look of pain and sadness and anger that I saw in your eyes has been cemented in my mind. I failed Chase and I failed you." He sensed the presence of someone looking down on him and when he looked up, he saw German Shepherd paws.
But they weren't Athena's.
They were Tracer's!
Marshall looked directly up at Tracer, being sure to keep his head down. He didn't want to provoke a challenge. Tracer leaned down and looked Marshall in the eyes.
"When Athena and I brought you into our home, I was the happiest dog in the town. I was at your birthing and I watched you grow into a wonderful and truly handsome young pup. Were you a troublemaker? Hell yeah you were. Did I punish you for it? Damn Skippy. But through all the trouble you caused, it shaped you into a better rescuer and friend. Athena said I was only getting mad at you because I wanted to see if I could change you back, because your my buddy. I care about you and I want you to be better than you are now. Sure I am disappointed that you hurt Chase, but I am proud of you for excepting the fact that you did wrong and that you are willing to accept any punishment. In my opinion, you're already better than you were days ago when the truth came out." His eyes were watery as he withdrew back to Athena.
Marshall looked at Ryder, his eyes as wet as the ocean. "I'm ready to receive my punishment."
"Very well," Ryder said, pulling out a piece of paper. "For the actions that you have committed that left our beloved police pup horribly injured, I have decided that you as well as Rocky will find a way to get Chase back on his feet again. I am willing to fund the technology and resources to make this happen by any means necessary. Until Chase returns to his feet, I have employed three temporary replacement specialists for the time being for the following positions: Police officer, Firefighter, and Recycling. If Chase does not return to his feet, Chase, Marshall and Rocky will be permanently removed from PAW Patrol. Do you accept the terms of this punishment?"
Marshall took one look at Rocky, whose face said it all. This wasn't fair to him. Why should I get punished for something I didn't commit? That was the question that Marshall assumed was circling through Rocky's mind. But the mix-breed didn't argue with Ryder or snap at Marshall.
He dipped his head.
"We accept, Ryder," Marshall said, returning a friendly dip of the head.
Ryder smiled at the both of them. "Then I suggest you two get to work. You have free roam over any technology you need. Good luck to you."
A/N: Well there we go! The terms of the punishment have been revealed. Was it what you were expecting or did it come as a shock? Sorry for the long wait, been busy lately, but no more. I've recently quit my job and officially have more time in the world to write chapters.
I made a decision recently. I will only be updating this story. Any other uncompleted story will have to wait. I hate to do it, but I don't have any idea what I want to do about them. That is all.
FYI, if you plan to leave a mean comment, please make it as long as you can. Like I said in the opening Author note, they are my fuel. Don't believe me? Well sucks for you now doesn't it, because I frankly don't give a damn.
Thanks for being great people! It helps a lot and I know that I can continue to provide great content for you. See you in the next one!
Atlas FF out!