Tucker, Marshall and Skye all woke up at reletively similar times, although not the same the order didn't matter. Just as confused as Ryder, the pups aimlessly roamed around, well not exactly aimlessly, they had a goal it just wasn't existant in nothingness. It was really terrifying just to exist here. No sounds but eachother breathing, talking, walking or any other noise. They couldn't see anything but eachother seemingly standing on air. Just the thought that the final days of their lives could've been spent here, in nothing. Plagued with memories of their friends dying, all that they went through, all the horror pain and trama for absolutely nothing, dying in a black void with nothing but eachother as they slowly dehydrate. Zuma being permanently brainwashed and used for Rico's other horrors was something else. Although not for Tucker, knowing everyone in Adventure Bay's concern that they never came back. Death in a black void where you could hear the blood flow through your ears when in pure silence was an absolutely horrific thought.
They wouldn't die there though, not in a black nothing. They were finally able to see something that wasn't pure black, it was barely any better though. They were on sort of a flat rock, quite big like around sixty feet or something along those lines. A few orange streaks moving through the floor of the rock. Two, tall rock spires on each side. They weren't in a black void anymore, what they could see was that it looked like the rock was eternally falling through some reddish sort of landscape.
About five seconds of looking around ended when some kind of demonic figure emerged from the ground. Floating up above them it teased them by causing explosions in a circle around them. The figure had a very barely translucent black smokey looking humane body, very large and his eyes and mouth were orange and obvious.
"Not good." Marshall stumbled.
"What can we do?" Skye questioned.
"Run, I don't know!" Ryder said, scared beyond belief.
The figure, made a sort of sturing motion with its hand which created five tiny little tornadoes kinda orbiting the middle of the area they were slowly pulled in but were never fully taken before they disappeared. With no time to react the thing punched into the ground, not initially doing anything but it created a shockwave which somehow managed to launch Marshall onto its hand because of course it did. He was able to stand on the hand and he jumped off as figure took his fist back. The jumping is never the hard part its the landing, and when Marshall landed he slammed into the ground, not initially killing him but right after the landing he got punched into the ground full force by a large smokey hand. The figure, which will be refered to as Smokey for simplicity, had his hand open as he killed Marshall with it so it could pick him up and throw him at Ryder. Ryder couldn't dodge it so the dead corpse of Marshall just tossed Ryder across the rock.
Only Ryder, Tucker and Skye were left and Smokey wasn't letting up one bit. Smokey started to shoot some indescribable blue substance atat them. Ryder had them all hide behind the rock spire and it worked, they didn't get hurt. After using the tornadoes again without success, Smokey created some yet again indescribable substance although this time purple and slow. It was homing and just slowly followed them. This gave Ryder an idea though, and he did get to execute it. What he wanted Smokey to do just so happened to happen right after the homing things too. Smokey punched the ground right next to them and, resisting the shockwave, Ryder managed to lead the homing thing to hit Smokey's hand. Reacting to this, Smokey floated up, and just made a machine gun of fireballs which were way to fast and consistent to be dodgable. Ryder and Tucker ran towards a spire to hide behind but they were too slow. Ryder was hit first and Tucker was actually able to pull a sort of football move and dodge it once but got hit seconds afterwards. Skye though, ran towards the other spire, and thanks to Tucker's juke she managed to make it and got behind it.
Skye thought it was the end, she was the only one left and had no idea how to even hurt the thing. Sure it was hit once but Skye knew it wouldn't be dumb enough to use that combo again so she'd need another way, plus she had no idea how many times she'd have to hit it or if it would just flat out kill her on the spot. When all hope seemed lost, and as the spire began breaking from the fireball shower, she heard a very faint, quiet voice.
"Please, please just trust me." The voice said, as the fireballs stopped.
"What? Who?" Skye asked, since all she could hear was please due to the fireballs.
"It's me, Rico, I know it's hard, but please trust me rig8ht now." He spoke.
"Rico! You did all this!" Skye sort of angrily said, able to hear him now that the fireballs were gone but needing to vacate the spire as Smokey went round It.
"Shhhh. Just trust me, please." Rico replied with no reaction to anything.
"How? You killed all of them!" Skye cried, dodging multiple kind of ricocheting projectiles.
"He'll kill you if you don't anyway just do it!" Rico said, still quiet but a bit louder than before since the richocheting things were a little loud.
Smokey couldn't understand Skye's arguing which was effectively screaming at Rico since he was floating so high up and creating all these crazy things, so thankfully it wasn't the end for Skye.
"Fine! Just hurry." Skye agreed, hiding behind the other spire just waiting.
"Go in, please." Rico explained, as a portal like all the others appeared in fröont of her.
Skye didn't think for a second as she jumped in. The only hope for the last surviver was the one that put them through all that they did. Skye didn't know what Rico had planned for her, but whatever it was she just hoped it was better than death from some magical flying thing. It ended up being better, much, much better.
She landed back in the Theatre, with Rico standing there, next to the projector. He just stood there there, looking down but not really at the floor.
"I know you really hate me... but thank you so much." Rico spoke, obviously trying to hold back tears.
Skye really didn't know what to think. He was right when he said she hated him, but now she was confused. He put them through all this just to make a movie, but then when it was basically guaranteed that it would be over, that they would all die, Rico saves her and then says thanks? Rico wasn't stupid and either knew or could just tell Skye was confused.
"I can't explain right now, just let me be happy again for a few minutes." Rico said, again confusing Skye.
"What are you talking abo-" Skye got cut off.
"Let me be for a minute." Rico spoke over her.
She did, although she really didn't want to, she let him be. She wanted to know what was going on. So much confusion in such a small amount of time. She waited in the lobby for what felt like forever until Rico finally came into the room.
"Took you long enough!" Skye yelled.
"I took like three minutes." Rico explained.
"Too long!" Skye replied, getting an eye roll from Rico.
Rico sat down in the seat next to Skye and did what was basically preparation for a monologue.
"Oh my goodness it feels good to have a normal conversation with someone ok..." Rico started.
"So, I, uh, don't exactly know how to start, or where, so, um..." Rico stuttered.
"This isn't a normal conversation." Skye remarked.
"It's normal for what I'm used to!" Rico explained.
"Can you just start please?" Skye asked, eager to know what was happening.
"It's not that easy, alright? Ok, so, it never really was my decision to do the things I did. I mean I guess technically it was but, I didn't want to. I had an interest in movie making earlier in my life, I didn't really have any materials to do anything really, but I tried my hardest to make little things just for fun. That's important to know because you know the flying thing that I saved you from? Yeah, he's what was making me do... everything, um. He noticed how much I liked movie making and thought I'd be useful. He wanted a way to have fun and he thought it'd be fun to watch people and pups run around terrified and die in a real life movie set. He thought I'd be good at making it fun to watch, for how hard I tried on my own he thought I could make entertaining things for him. I didn't want to but he said he'd go and kill all the people and pups all around if I didn't entertain him enough or I refused. I had to, I tried my hardest to sneakily help everyone get out but it never worked until now. Thank you all so, so much..." Rico monologued.
"Sounds horrible." Was all Skye could say.
"Basically all bad things I did were him forcing me to do something, and I had to. Trapping you in the boat, the movie rush and really all attempts to kill you. I tried so hard to hide my helping by the WAY I talked and using really convincing reasoning. I teleported you straight to the end on the first one, I had doppelganger Zuma save you on the island, blah blah. I even hid radios around in hopes you could figure it out. No surprise you couldn't but still."
"Why did he try to kill us himself?" Skye questioned.
"I convinced him that the only way to kill you was for him to do it. He gave me all the magic I used against you all and honestly he's not the smartest so he never thought that I could just do everything he could but, he went in to try to kill you and have fun doing it." Rico responded.
"Why can't he get out then?"
"Goddamn with the questions. Ok, sorry, um, he can't get out because I turned the scenes off. You were inside of an actual movie at the time so that's where he went. If you turn a movie off it makes it all disappear, basically just become nothing, and since he is technically part of the movie at that point, you can guess what happened to him."
"Okay, I'm done with questions. Actually wait no can you bring my friends back?" Skye asked.
"Oh boy the last three are gonna be hard but yeah." Rico started, "Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, Zuzi and Chase will be simple enough, just gotta bring them back with the magic I still remain with and then teleport them here. The other three are gonna be hell though."
"Get the others first, you can think about how to get the others." Skye spoke.
"I have an idea, it's risky but I do think we can pull it off." Rico explained, as he got up to go bring the others back.
It was weird how he did it, he had a screen that shows what's happening and the magic seems to just come from his mind. He did bring all the others back and Skye explained the story to them. After all was said and done it was time for Rico to give his idea.
"So, since the others are dead on the same field as evil guy, when I turn on the scene I have to to bring them back, he'll come back too. What I think, though is that since he'll obviously come out immediately since he's clearly pissed. I'll make a portal for us to go into the movie with to get away, you all call the three currently dead members to our area where I'll have another portal. He should follow us in since he's mad and irrational and after we enter the portal back I can turn it off." Rico attempted to explain, "Understand?"
"Nope." Rubble immediately said.
"Oh lord. Ok, you walk into a portal, convince Tucker, Ryder and Marshall to come to anither portal and you go in that one too." Rico simplified it.
"That's more understandable." Rubble replied.
"I understood the first one." Rocky told.
"Well yeah I didn't, ok Rocky?" Rubble responded, getting a very small laugh from Rocky.
"Do we all know exactly what to do?" Rico asked for confirmation.
Getting a yes from everyone, Rico made sure they were all ready, made the two portals and prepared to begin. Hearts were racing and stress was higher than the moon as Rico turned on the scene, revived the deceased and ran towards the portal. Smokey did indeed come out of the movie and Rico and the rest immediately ran into the portal. They all cut the corner of the spire and yelled for the three. As they were running Smokey did indeed decide to show his face and as soon as that happened Rico hopped into the portal. All Nine managed to make it in just about a second later than Rico and as soon as they appeared in the theatre Rico hit the off switch.
"We did it!" Zuma yipped.
"Um, what?" Marshall spoke, basically dumbfounded.
Skye and Rico explained everything to them, during which all the others were chatting.
"Crazy ride, huh?" Chase said.
"Yeah and a forever traumatizing one." Rocky responded.
"Oh yeah for sure." Chase replied, "PTSD, insomnia, so much."
"It's not gonna be fun but we're alive." Rocky answered.
"Speaking of that, you saved my life." Zuzi spoke walking over to Rocky.
"I know I did." Rocky snickered.
"Might I ask why?" Zuzi questioned.
"You weren't making it with three legs, I thought I could make it too."
"Actually, hang on," Zuzi began, "Rico? Is my, uh, my-my leg fixable?"
"Yeah just, gimme a bit." Rico responded, turning around.
"Yay."
"I still have memories from when I was brainwashed. Rico gave me my old ones and never got rid of those." Zuma explained, kinda out of the blue.
"I'm pretty sure he could get rid of them." Chase told.
"No no no. I don't wanna live forever confused about what happened." Zuma replied.
Skye and Rico finished explaining everything to Ryder, Marshall and Tucker and they had just about the same reaction as the others. Skye joined the others as Rico went to Zuzi.
"I can't give you your actual leg back out here but I can make a prosthetic one." Rico told her.
"How do- you- know- how to do that?" Zuzi asked.
"The spirit fed me a lot of information so I could mess with people out here, like I did with Zuma." Rico responded.
"Why don't magic work out here?" Zuzi questioned.
"He didn't want me using it against him." He answered, "Now let's go."
They all went over to the room that Rico brought Zuzi to and it didn't really look like any orthodox surgery room but it was created by an evil spirit.
"Could you not just y'know, like magically make me a new one? Like put me in a movie and boom?" Zuzi asked.
"Sadly, no. Your leg was blown completely out of existence and I can't reanimated it. My magic is also limited and I can't just make a perfectly functioning and fitting new leg for you on the spot." Rico explained.
"Eh, alright. Let's just get the-the thing over with." Zuzi replied.
"First, you all should leave." Rico commanded, pointing at the others who were watching.
"Oh, why can't they be here?" Zuzi asked as they all walked away.
"I wanna say its because they shouldn't be watching a surgery, but really it's just because I don't want them hearing something they shouldn't." Rico explained.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zuzi questioned.
"I know how you are, a few jokes that aren't the nicest." Rico joked.
"How well you know me?" Zuzi asked.
"Better than you know." He answered.
"You know me real well then. Every last part of me." She smirked.
"Exactly like that." Rico pointed out.
"No idea what you're talking about." She joked, looking around faking innocence.
"Why are you like that? You're just as old as they are." Rico asked her.
"I've- I've learned a lot from you y'know." She replied.
"I know for damn sure that's a lie." Rico said, "Alright whatever lets get to important stuff now."
"So I'm not important to you? I thought you knew all about me." Zuzi said.
"Sometimes, I actually do hate you." He responded.
"Yes you do."
"Ok so I do have to use anesthesia so you don't feel absolutely torturous pains. I can, though, put you in a movie after the surgery and stop all further pain from it then and there so you don't need the weeks recovery or whatever." Rico explained.
"I-I-I just want a leg, man." Zuzi replied, a little bit inpatient.
"I was taugh how to do this as a form of torture. Rip a limb off and put the prosthetic on. I couldn't stand to pain somebody so horribly so I normally just killed them in secret after the limb. They were gonna die anyway so I just made sure they would have indescribable pains." Rico explained, "Ah fuck this isn't about me it's about you, ok, so I knew how to put it on as torture and I know anesthesia eases the pain so that's my explanation."
"I-I don't care just-just gimme a leg please." Zuzi told.
"We've been here for only a few minutes give me time to prepare." Rico responded.
"Kinky." Zuzi joked, really just trying to pass time, Rico knew what she was saying so it was fun to mess with him.
"Could you please not do that?" Rico replied.
"I'm not doing anything." Zuzi sarcastically replied.
"You're trying to get something out of me you're not gonna get." He described.
"I don't want notthing but a- leg." Zuzi said.
"You want to embarrass me." Rico explained.
"Nah, I just wanna have some fun." Zuzi replied, "Uh, that, wasn't a joke."
"You played yourself." Rico mocked.
"I failed myself." Zuzi smirked.
"Haha. Alright just gimme a second and I'll get the leg, ok?" Rico told her.
"Alright then."
"So, when are we heading home?" Marshall asked.
"Whenever Rico says we can. I'm sure he has some things to do." Ryder explained.
"What do we tell Adventure Bay?" Skye questioned.
"Oh yeah that's gonna be hard." Ryder replied, slouching his stance.
"We'll think of that when he and Zuzi come out." Chase suggested.
"That's our best choice." Ryder told them all, causing them all to sit, relax for the first time in forever, and wait.
It took several hours before they even heard a door open. As soon as it did Rico told them all to not look at him or Zuzi. He didn't tell them why but it was just because he thought it might concern them to see her so motionless at the time. He had to do a couple of other things before the procedure. He was only taught the main prosthetic part but magic powers can teach you a lot and he learned himself the actual whole process on his own. He wanted something fun to do on his own while his life was being controlled. He didn't have to give her any medications or instructions in dealing with the leg because he put her in a movie to make any form of issue with it begone. Infections, care for the leg etcetera.
"It works." Zuzi said as she walked over to the group.
"That easily?" Marshall questioned
"Rico got the magic, y'know." Zuzi explained.
"Not technically me." Rico responded from the other side of Zuzi.
"How's it feel?" Rocky asked her, since obviously a robo leg isn't exactly normal.
"I love being just, uh basically just, normal again." Zuzi replied, gaining only a smile from Rocky.
"So, what are you gonna do now?" Ryder asked, looking at Rico.
"What do you mean?" Rico asked back.
"Since this whole movie thing is over, where's your life going?" Ryder answered, realizing how personal it actually was.
"Ah shit well. I really can't continue movie making anymore since it would be way too different. No matter how much I truly want to my life can't go down that path anymore. I can make an excuse I've heard of those who were renowned for one thing and had a different passion. I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna do but, I'll figure it out." Rico explained.
"Hmm, well, we can help whenever you need!" Ryder told him, with a happy tone.
"Thanks but, I'm not sure I will." Rico responded, "Well, do whatever you want now. None of us are controlled anymore."
"So I guess we're leaving now, huh? Zuma questioned.
"I guess so." Ryder replied.
"I do want to thank you more I just don't know how." Rico explained to them.
"You don't have to." Ryder began, "We save people all the time."
"Goodbye then." Rico said, standing still.
"Bye!" Ryder exclaimed as he and the group walked towards the door.
"Hang on a second." Rico told them before they could get out. "I forgot something."
Rico went away and came back with two pup packs, Rocky's and Zuma's. How even they had forgotten about them astonished them but they thanked Rico as they all walked out. All including Zuzi and Tucker.
"You're coming with us?" Skye asked both Zuzi and Tucker.
"Uh, yeah. I already like y'all more than where I, uh, where I-I lived before and I don't- I don't think he'd be here if, uh, if he didn't wanna come with us." Zuzi replied with a small grin.
"Well you'll both have to ride with somebody." Ryder explained, getting on his ATV.
"Zuzi can ride with me." Rocky said. "I don't know about Tucker though."
"I'll go with whoever." Tucker spoke.
"You're riding with me then." Chase told him, Tucker obliged getting in his cruiser.
"Back to Adventure Bay we go!"
The arrival at Adventure Bay was obviously very anticipated but also slightly dreaded. Obviously people would be asking about how it was and when the movie they're in is gonna premiere. Not everyone because not everyone cared about Rico but quite a few did due to proximity and his popularity in general. They wanted to sneak their way into Adventure Bay but they knew that would be nearly impossible. They have 6 loud engines and a helicopter all zooming at the same time, so yeah good luck with that. They would, however try to avoid talking to anyone before making it to the lookout to plan their excuse.
They did just that. They just drove passed people to get to the lookout. Nobody said anything to anyone, not even eachother until they were at the top of the lookout. So you can probably imagine the confusion both Zuzi and Tucker were experiencing. At the top they had Chase explain to the two where the hell they were and all the others brainstormed how to properly tell the lie. This was cut short however when Mayor Goodway called Ryder. All the pups stopped what they were doing to listen, although Zuzi and Tucker had no idea who this person was.
"Um... do I answer it?" Ryder questioned.
"I think you have to." Skye replied.
"Yeah, we just drove by in silence if we don't answer this that's gonna bring something up." Chase added.
"Alright you all think and I'll just stall for as long as I can." Ryder said answering the call.
"Mayor Good way! How's Adventure Bay been while we were gone?" Ryder started.
Ryder tried to keep the Mayor on the subject of Adventure Bay as long as possible which ended up being not so long. She really wanted to know how the experience was and Ryder really didn't know to respond. Except Tucker did. He gave out just a little cough to basically tell Ryder that he and Zuzi were something to talk about.
"We met two new pups there actually! I'm not sure exactly what I want to do with them. I'm obviously gonna keep them here since they came with us and its what they want. I just don't know how to use them for the team or if I even will." Ryder said the long drawn out sentence.
"Oh wonderful. Oh and I wanna know what Rico was like?" Mayor Goodway spoke.
"Actually, he didn't want them for a movie, he wanted them for a goodbye message. He's leaving movie creation once and for all and he wanted them along with us two to help him with it. It's a short little video and it'll go public soon." Tucker thought up on the spot.
"Oh No. But Why? Everyone loves his movies!" Mayor Goodway replied with a quick change in mood.
"Who knows?" Tucker answered.
"I guess Rico do, eh?" Zuzi joined, thinking quick and assuming a conversation on their side would leave less time for questions from Goodway.
"He had a secret for his movies he'll hold this one too." Tucker replied.
Mayor Goodway eventually hang up after complaining for a while. She didn't really ask any questions passed that point so they didn't have to do much more improvising.
"Good job Tucker." Ryder told him after the hang up.
"Yeah, thanks but, I said Rico is making a goodbye video with us and there isn't one." Tucker explained.
"Oh yeah, well I still have him as a contact since he called me before so we can tell him." Ryder responded.
"Isn't he leaving the theater for good?" Rubble asked.
"Rico told me he made little films at his house before all this happened. He's gotta have something there." Skye told everyone, recalling Rico's story.
"It doesn't have to be good it just has to exist." Tucker added, imagining possible outcomes.
"I'll call him up, I'm sure he'll be willing to help us." Ryder explained, and since he never put his pup pad away he just lifted it up, scrolled to Rico and tapped it.
"And what's so important?" Rico said as he answered, apparently his calls go to some stand in his hpuse since he wasn't holding anything and he had no tag.
"So, we kinda forged a lie that we need your help with." Ryder admitted, all the pups around him.
"Ah damnit I was comfortable too. What did you say?" Rico replied, more of a joking tone during the first part.
"We said you needed us for a goodbye video so, we need to come back and make something really quick." Ryder answered.
"I could just make one on my own." Rico explained.
"But we said you needed us, specifically." Ryder told him, Rico just slouched over a little.
"True. I have an idea of what I can do and it barely involves you so you wont have to stay long." Rico responded.
"Should we come now?" Ryder questioned.
"I don't need you at any particular time. Actually maybe I don't need you at all, only videos of you." Rico started, "I have a cooler idea that'll only work if you come here though."
"Which one do you wanna do?" Ryder asked.
"It's probably the last thing I'll publicly make. Which do you think?" Rico mockingly responded.
"We'll be there soon then." Ryder told with a small smirk.
"You're really... eh whatever come on." Rico said as he did a sort of come here gesture with his head.
"See you soon." Ryder replied as he ended the call.
"It's gonna look weird for us to drive back, won't it?" Zuma questioned.
"I never thought of that." Ryder responded.
"If anyone asks we can just say we wanted to visit Everest and Tracker since they watched Adverture Bay." Marshall suggested.
"Good idea. Let's go."
Really even their parts weren't very special but Rico really wanted as much effort to be in this before the deadline. All they were needed for was that at the end they all jumped on the screen with Rico in the middle as be "thanked everybody" and they were being the everybody in a sense. Nobody actually ended up asking why they went back that way. Either they didn't care or they assumed an emergency. Rico said that everything else in the video he would do himself. He even thanked them for giving him an incentive to make a goodbye since just disappearing out of nowhere would've been odd.
What he ended up doing was putting some moments from his movies on a background with him saying his goodbye overtop of it. They all come on at the end where he says a final thank you. It didn't take too long and everyone bought it. Everyone somehow bought his everyone joined his crew excuse being why no one came back from his theatre. Such an awful excuse that no one had half a brain to second guess it.
After they had finished doing what they had to with Rico, they drove home and were finally, after so long, able to relax. They weren't pressured, they weren't timed, and all they had to worry about was somebody getting in trouble and calling them which never ended up happening. Chase explained to Zuzi and Tucker all of what they needed to know about the lookout, Adventure Bay, the squad itself and any other questions they could have. One of such questions was were would they live? They knew at then lookout but the actual group members all had pup houses and they didn't. They eventually decided to have the two sleep up at the top of the tower with Ryder while he figured out what to actually do.
More about Zuzi and Tucker, Chase said they should probably go around talking to people. He gave them a list of key places and where to go but he said they should do much more than that. Tucker wasn't the biggest fan of talking to random people so Zuzi did it all introducing both of them and only squeaking words out of Tucker when she asked him questions. They were gonna be alright in Adventure Bay, although a little difficult to get used to, not knowing people or the town, they did get a general idea based in Chase's advice. Life was looking up for them, Zuzi showed it well and Tucker was as quiet as always.
"When are you gonna tell him?" Marshall asked Rocky in reference to Zuma.
"I... I don't think ever." Rocky began, "I thought I had him and boom gone."
"But you've gotta tell him come on now." Marshall urged.
"I just can't. Too much risk I can't." Rocky replied, shaking his head.
"I can't force you to I guess but, just, remember this." Marshall said as he turned and walked away.
"We need a picture with Zuzi and Tucker in it." Skye suggested, since they have only pictures of themselves.
"Yeah, actually good idea, Skye." Ryder responded, standing up.
"Yay!" Skye yelled.
Ryder got all the pups to group up, Zuzi far left, Tucker far right and all the others in the middle. He actually had a timer option for the camera so he could go stand in the middle.
"Alright, say cheese!" Ryder said as he started the timer and ran.
"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Cheese!"
"Belgium."
"Belgium?" Chase asked Zuzi after the picture had been taken.
"Got an issue with Belgium?" Zuzi replied.
"No, it's just, why?" Chase explained.
"Because, Belgium is cool." Zuzi answered.
"Oh forget it." Chase said as he walked away from Zuzi.
So there's that; the story of a rescue group who went through events which will cause what will likely be lifelong trama by a movie maker trying to kill them for a movie just to realize he didn't wanna kill them at all. It's a strange story when put that way, or any way really.