Hey, hello, I want to apologize for taking so long for me to write such a small chapter. School, friends, and some other factors take up all of your free time. But I will not make excuses, it will not help you write history faster. Sorry again, I will try not to let this happen again.
LunaWolf44: Credit to Marshall V2018, he created the backstories.
Marshall V2018: Thanks.
Rescue Wolf: Are you sure you want to know it right now? I mean that would be a spoiler. Actually, you can write your own story with your idea if you don't want to wait for ending or you won't like the ending of this story (or a sequel), nobody forbids.
«Should have kept my mouth shut.» Rubble snorted.
«No.» Mayor Goodway answered firmly to the reporter. «I said I will not give any interviews as long as there is no news from Ryder, and I will not give any interviews as long as there is no news from Ryder.»
They stopped at the doorstep of the Lookout. Mayor Goodway was clearly annoyed that the reporter didn't want to leave her alone. But this is reasonable. Reporters always need some kind of sensation, something that can be very interesting. In pursuit of a large number of viewers, reporters and journalists often exaggerate and add something that actually is not true. Unfortunately, this was exactly the news that Adventure Bay was waiting for that day.
«Please! Just once! And that's it!» The reporter begged. «The town is worried!»
«When Ryder will say something, I will agree to be interviewed.» Mayor Goodway said, turning to face Ryder and the puls. «Now leave me a-»
Mayor Goodway and the reporter froze. They saw Chase. Ryder quickly got to his feet and the mechanical pup hid behind him. Stunned visitors to the Lookout didn't know what to say. They saw a machine that looked just like Chase!
«Hello.» Ryder said nervously. «Did you need something?»
He was trying to pretend that the mechanical dog behind him did not exist. The pups realized that Ryder was trying to hide Chase's presence, so they also stood in front of Ryder to cover Chase with their bodies.
«Um, Ryder, what was that?» Mayor Goodway asked uncertainly.
«Was that Chase?» The reporter asked impatiently. «That mechanical dog hiding behind your back, was that Chase?» In the eyes of the reporter, there was some kind of curiosity.
«What? Chase? Never heard of any mechanical pups.» Ryder smiled nervously.
It was obvious that Ryder was lying, but he cannot be blamed for that, he really wasn't prepared for the fact that someone would see Chase without fur. His heart was hammering in his chest so the pups could hear it just by standing next to him. The reporter really didn't like the fact that Ryder was hiding something from the town, and Mayor Goodway was interested in only one question: «Did Chase survive?»
«Chase is fine.» Ryder said. «But I cannot let you see him, he is still too weak.»
«Thank God he's alive.» Mayor Goodway breathed a sigh of relief. She instantly forgot about the mechanical pup behind Ryder's back. «When will he get better?»
«I'll tell you.» Ryder answered.
«Okay, we will be waiting.» Mayor Goodway said.
Joyful, she left the Lookout without noticing that the reporter had remained at the entrance. The reporter really wanted to know what Ryder was hiding behind his back. «Was it really Chase? Or was it just a replacement for Chase? If this is a replacement for Chase, then the real Chase is dead!» These were the thoughts that were running through the reporter's head. The secret had to be solved! The doors of the Lookout closed, Ryder had breathed a sigh of relief and told Chase that he could no longer hide. However, they didn't know that they were being watched.
«Do you think they understood anything?» Chase asked as he stepped out from behind his owner. «If this is so, then irreparable may happen!»
«I think it's okay.» The boy answered by kneeling down to pet the pup.
«This is incredible…» Everyone heard a quiet voice.
They looked at the entrance of the Lookout and were horrified. There was a reporter who hid and waited for a while to make sure the mechanical pup was real. There was a camera in reporter's hands, aimed directly at Chase. Ryder froze in horror. Everything went not as it supposed to be.
«Ryder, how do you explain that Chase looks like a robot?» The reporter started asking Ryder questions. «Is this the real Chase? Or is it just a robot that looks like him? If so, what happened to the real Chase? Is he alive? Is he dead? Why did you decide to replace Chase?»
Ryder didn't know what to say. He was speechless. He couldn't do anything. Confused pups looked at him not knowing what to do. The boy wasn't ready for so many questions, he wasn't ready for the fact that anyone would see Chase in this condition. Seeing that the boy was unable to answer the questions, the reporter tried to guess what happened.
«It looks like Ryder created this mechanical pup to replace Chase. But why do they need to replace Chase if he is alive and will soon be able to take part in the rescues on his own? The answer is obvious – Cha-» However, Ryder interrupted the reporter.
«I can explain!» He exclaimed. «This mechanical pup is Chase! This is no replacement!» ...Quiet…
«It seems even worse than I tthough…» The reporter said quietly, but loud enough for the audience to hear. «It seems my fears were justified. Ryder considers this tin can as a real pup. A person in his right mind wouldn't do that. This means that Ryder's child's psyche couldn't handle something. Usually a person's psyche breaks if someone is sent to another world, and considering the last incident with Chase, it only means one thing. Chase is dead and Ryder can't accept it, so he created this mechanical pup to convince himself that one of the Paw Patrol members is alive…»
Everyone was shocked. No one had words. The pups just froze like Ryder and stared at the reporter in horror. This hypothesis was so touching and sad that everyone's mood worsened, even the reporter. After expressing sincere condolences, the reporter went to the center of the town to break the news. Only in that moment Ryder come to his senses and was able to adequately assess the situation. He told the pups the plan of action and they agreed, because they simply had no other choice.
Mr. Porter was listening to the news while baking two pizzas for the diners. Alex was helping him, thought, it's more correctly to say that he was trying to help, because a small child could hardly make the cook's life much easier. Suddenly, Mr. Porter heard that there was news from Ryder. Alex also listened. However, upon hearing the reporter's hypothesis, which, due to television, became believed to be true, Mr. Porter felt tears fill his eyes. Moreover, he saw Alex barely holding back tears. He hugged the boy, not knowing how to calm him down.
This news was seen by almost all residents of Adventure Bay. Mayor Goodway also heard the news by chance. She was packing the necessary things in her purse when she heard the news that Chase was dead. This struck her as much as the rest of the city's inhabitants. Due to the incredible shock, she dropped her wallet from her hands, which she wanted to put in her purse. She urgently needed to do something, but first she needed to calm down.
Harold was drinking tea while switching channels on the TV. At that moment, the news of Adventure Bay appeared on the screen. After a little thought, Harold said: «Why not?» He began to sip tea and listen to the news. However, when it came to Chase's death and his replacement with a machine, Harold choked on his tea and shouted «WHAT?»