Chapter 6

Katie had no idea what the ten-year-old was up to and, if she was honest, she was a little worried. The mischievous glint and sinister grin made her body shake with anxiety. She never would have seen her friend look like that but lately, he had been surprising her more and more.

Currently, they were back in town, right behind Mr. Porter's restaurant. The girl wasn't sure what her friend was doing, since he had pushed the dumpster out of the way when they arrived and began digging a hole under it. She just wanted this day to go normal. A simple hiking trip to gain trust and learn more about Ryder's past, but no! Now they're on a mission so the boy could seek revenge, for some reason.

"So, why do you want to get back at Mayor Humdinger so bad?" Katie asked, casually rocking on her heels. Ryder huffed as he drug his arm deeper into the ground.

"Well, like I said before, I was sent to juvie loads of times. Before I went, that purple dude with the not-so stylish hat always told me 'not to get into any more trouble if I ever wanted to have a good life'," he recited in a mocking tone. "'Course I never listened because why would I listen to him? So, now that I know what he's been doing the entire time, it wouldn't be fair if I let him walk away freely, now would it?"

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Katie frowned.

"Harsh is just a word. What he put me through doesn't even cut it. But don't worry about it, princess, it'll be beneficial to not only me but your town too, so think of it as a favor… Aha!" Ryder suddenly pulled a brown bag. He quickly put on a plastic glove and reached into it. Katie gasped when he pulled out a small revolver.

"Ryder! What the heck! Why do you have that?!" She hissed, making him put it back in the bag. "Are you going to-?"

"Will you shut it?!" He hushed her. "No, I'm not going to assassinate the Mayor… even if it's what he deserves."

"Then what are you going to do?" She asked, still ticked off and a little nervous. Ryder smiled again. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Call this number and tell them to meet at the center of town to report shots fired. Meet me at the front of town hall, you wouldn't miss the show, princess," he winked before sprinting off to who knows where. Katie looked at his retreating back disbelievingly.

"Why does he keep calling me princess?" She wondered aloud before sighing and dialing the number. After a few rings, it picked up.

"Foggy Bottom Police Department, what's your emergency?"

When Chase arrived at the Lookout, he noticed that Ryder was gone, as well as the girl. Since he had nothing else better to do, he decided to investigate the area. Maybe this place could help him figure out more about those pups and who he apparently was.

Unlike Ryder, he couldn't help but believe them, but only to a certain extent. He believes that they really made a life there in Adventure Bay, but he couldn't wrap his head around making a rescue team and being an officer. After many experiences with cops, he couldn't exactly feel trusted around one of them, much less be one. The pups seemed… nice, from what he'd gathered. They seemed to withdraw something, but that could be just his nerves talking.

"Remember the last time we trusted someone?" Ryder's voice rang in his ears. Maybe. But they didn't like they would hide anything that might kill them. At least he hoped.

Chase moved up to the elevator, after exploring the first floor. The large TV was cool, along with the pup treat dispenser and pup beds. Other than that, nothing seemed to catch his eye. When he traveled up the elevator, it stopped at another room before the top level. It seemed to be like a changing room where the pups prepared themselves before missions. The room was made of polished wood, to the side was a bookcase. On it held photos and trophies of the pups. One caught his eye.

It was a group photo taken in front of the Lookout. Ryder, who wore the same jacket at the very beginning, was on the floor being licked by Chase. Beside them was Skye pinning Marshall to the floor while Zuma and Rocky tried to catch a ball from the opposite side. They all looked so happy. Chase then felt his heart aching for some reason. He wished he could have something like that, but apparently, he had.

Had.

Chase turned to the small podiums that were lit up by an overhanging light. Above the podiums were symbols; a wrench, a recycling sign, an aviator sign, an anchor, a flame, and finally a star. His gaze lingered on the formal blue attire. Its clean design and color fitted his size, along with the matching cap on top of the podium. His face reflected on the badge. His heart suddenly swelled with… pride? Strange.

"Come on, Chase!" "You can do it, buddy!" "You're so close!" Cheers erupted in his ears. But he needed to focus. If he could finish this obstacle course, then he'll be considered the fastest pup in all of Adventure Bay. It'll be his biggest accomplishment and he wanted to make everyone proud. Especially his leader.

But then a pup zoomed by. He widened his eyes, looking at the snickering black German Shepherd in front of him. His speed faltered a bit as he tried to maneuver his way around the obstacles. Doubt made his way to his brain, making him lose concentration and trip over a traffic cone.

"I can't do it," he whimpered.

"Chase!" He turned to see his friend, Ryder, looking at him from the sidelines. Accompanying him were the other pups. "You can do this!"

"I can't, I'm already too far behind," he objected.

"Chase, you can't give up now! Not after all you've worked for!" Marshall encouraged.

"It won't matter if you win or lose, you'll be the best sprinter we know and you make us all proud," Skye smiled. Chase looked at all of them for a moment before nodding. He got up and began dashing off with the encouraging words swarming his head. He had been so focused on his speed that he didn't notice he passed his competitor. Soon enough, he crossed the finish line.

"I did it!" Chase exclaimed to his team. His family. "I really did it!"

"Way to go, Chase, dude!" Zuma happily howled.

"We knew you could do it!" Rocky barked. Ryder bent down, patting his head while Chase jumped into his arms.

"Are you proud, Ryder, sir?" He quietly whispered in his ear.

"I've always been proud of you."

Chase flinched when that memory came to his mind. He was all the more surprised to feel tears leak down from his eyes. He was so confused… yet happy at the same time. He felt the overwhelming amount of joy from that memory, the pride and hope he had gained from his friends.

Friends? Those pups, he knows nothing about them! Yet he feels like they've been a part of his life more than he could process. According to that memory, vision, thought, it's what really happened. They were happy for his success.

He's going to have to investigate. They think that they can plague his mind with memories, then he'll have to dig deeper.

"Chase is on the case!" He exclaimed to himself, shuddering by the strange feeling of deja vu, despite never saying it before. With one last look, he rushed out of the changing station.

Katie tapped her foot impatiently. She had been waiting for a few minutes after she made the call to the police. After that, she, along with many other people, heard a loud BANG! somewhere in town.

"Hey, princess," Ryder came running up to her. "Is he here yet?"

"No. Where did you go?" She quietly demanded.

"I had to make everyone hear the gun going off somehow!" He rolled his eyes. "Just hope nobody missed that old lady."

She gasped. "Mrs. Johnson?!"

"I'm kidding, gosh," he chuckled. "I wouldn't kill someone that didn't deserve it."

"So, would you if they did?" She narrowed her eyes. The boy side-eyed her.

"Have. Already did." Katie tensed but didn't respond. Soon enough, Mayor Humdinger showed up on his kitten carrier. His smug face irked Ryder, but he kept his cool.

"Ah, Ryder, what a pleasant surprise!" Mayor Humdinger greeted sarcastically. "I can see you taken to another look. I personally think your last one made you look ridiculous."

"Says the man who wears something that a preschooler would use," the boy snickered. Humdinger frowned.

"Where are your pups? I would think you would be with them, as you never leave their side," the men chuckled. "Honestly, I don't see any other friends that you have. Or is it because you don't have any?"

"He has friends!" Katie suddenly cut in. "And I'm one of them."

"Uh, sure. Whatever." Police sirens were heard blaring from somewhere around them. Ryder smirked as Mayor Goodway came out of the town hall to see what was going on.

"Mayor Humdinger! What are you doing here? And why are your police here?" Questioned the woman.

"First, because I can. And second," he frowned. "I have no idea."

The Foggy Bottom Police arrived in front of the town hall. At once, two of its officers exited the vehicle and pointed their guns at the Mayor of their town. The man in purple was surely shocked as he held up his hands.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He exclaimed. One of the officers grabbed hold of the Mayor and put him in handcuffs while the other checked the carrier.

"We were called to report shots fired," the officer checking the carrier answered. He pulled out a revolver as the stack of kittens poured out and ran off. "Still warm. Mayor Humdinger, you are under arrest."

"WHAT?!" He shouted as he was dragged to the car and shoved into the backseat. Ryder slowly walked up to him with his never-fading smirk while the man glared at him. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?! I knew I shouldn't have let you out of my sight!"

"Payback for all the times you sent me back to juvie and back home," Ryder said. Mayor Humdinger let out a string of curses while the boy backed up and watched the car drive away. With that done, he began making his way back to the Lookout. Katie ran up next to him with a frown plastered on her face.

"We shouldn't have done that. He doesn't deserve this," she asserted. Ryder stopped his walking to look at her directly.

"You shouldn't have butted in. I can handle my own fights," he glared. "And you're not my friend. Maybe the Ryder you know was, but not this one. I don't have any friends and don't need any. All I need is Chase. And it was your choice to leave me be, but you never did. You wanted to help!"

"No, you dragged me around like a rag doll!" She exclaimed. "Listen, I never agreed to do this. And I was backing you up because you are my friend, whether you like it or not. You might not know me, but I know you."

"No, you don't know me," Ryder growled. "You know the kid that hangs out with puppies and saves the day. Well, I'm not him, I never was! I'm a kid who has nothing to live for, that no one likes, and has years of experience in crime! You don't know me, because if you did, then you wouldn't want to even be friends."

Katie was frozen to the spot, feeling something in her heart aching. The girl watched the boy walk away, most likely back to the Lookout. She sighed. At least she learned something new.

Ryder lost hope for redemption.

TBC...