Act I- Fog of War
"I said don't splash me!"
Rocky's irritated bark was only met with laughter, as the mixed breed shook the water off himself. Nearby in the lake, a chocolate Lab was giggling uncontrollably.
"Simple math, Wocky," Zuma laughed, "You'we funny when you get mad."
A day in the lake was a trip anyone needed to take their mind off an afternoon. Taking a break and resting under nature's waters was a great way to relax, not to mention the Paw Patrol had been craving a vacation day for weeks. Usually, they would go to the beach to relax, as Adventure Bay was an island. Today was a special case, however, as a forest had been discovered a small distance from the Lookout, and within it a crystal blue lake. Rocky was being his usual self, his hydrophobia confining him to the lake's edge. There was no sand to play in, so Rocky entertained himself looking for bugs. Skye, the blond cockapoo pup, had also stayed out of the water. Not due to any dislike of swimming, however, simply because she was feeling under the weather and didn't want to exert herself. Zuma and Rubble were vigorously enjoying themselves in the water, and while Rubble -a bulldog- was a relatively slow swimmer, he was greatly entertained by water guns.
Chase, the German Shepherd of the team, was lying near the edge, half-submerged in the water. It almost looked like he was sleeping, but every few moments he'd open his eyes when Marshall called him to watch a new trick. Marshall, the one Dalmation, was an energetic pup albeit clumsy at times. It was a well-rounded team of six, each dog bearing a special skill to assist Adventure Bay in its emergency needs. Today, however, they were on a well-deserved vacation.
"Zuma I swear!" Rocky barked again,
"Huh? Who?" Zuma said, looking around unknowingly, "I think that was the wind."
Chase could be hard snickering under his breath.
"Zuma, cut it out, honestly," called Ryder, "stop splashing him, you know he hates that."
Ryder was the glue that held the team together, the boy lead the dogs on their missions and was responsible for bringing them together. Without him, the team lacked any direction, and would surely fall apart.
"Sowwy," Zuma chuckled sheepishly, "I'll splash Chase instead."
The German Shepherd's eyes suddenly shot open, "wait, what?"
Everyone then enjoyed the entertaining display of Chase struggling to swim free of Zuma's waves. No matter what, Zuma's one mastered skill always lay within the water. He was the sea dog of the team and loved every minute of his job, even if he wasn't called any many missions. It was a wonder how Rocky and Zuma got along, as it seemed they'd hate each other to the core. No matter their trifles, the team knew one another and always had each other's backs.
"Ooh! Splash me!" Rubble bounced in the water,
"I... don't think that'd be faiw," Zuma turned,
Zuma was never really able to get his speech impediment taken care of, leaving him slurring his "R's." For reasons that included both him being insecure over it, and also feeling that there were more important things that needed his attention. Even then, many offered to help him with his speech, only to be met with a polite decline.
"Why not?"
"I don't think you'd be able to escape me. At all."
"Yes, splash Rubble, go for him," Chase pleaded,
"Big German Shepherd afraid of the water?" Marshall smirked,
"No, I'm afraid of what could be in this lake, disease and stuff."
Rocky rolled his eyes, "Ironic, considering we go to the beach all the time. And everyone knows that water is far from clean."
"What do you know about clean, trash boy?" Marshall laughed,
Chase shot Marshall a look, surprised at his change of tone.
"It's recycling," the mixed breed shot back, "it's one of the cleanest, most efficient ways to clean up the Earth!"
"Oh sure," the Dalmation grinned, "forget finding the cure of cancer, let's all recycle,"
"Marshall!" Ryder called, "seriously, what is up with you all? Play nice!"
The bickering eventually died down, leaving Rocky with an irritated look, only for it to instantly die away as he found a millipede under a rock. Marshall swam back over and settled down next to Chase, who was still looking at him oddly. Skye watched the whole ordeal, and if she hadn't been sick she'd probably jump in to break them up.
"Where did that come from?"
"What?"
"The 'trash boy,' it's not like you to insult pups to their faces,"
"Hey, I wanted to get in on the fun," Marshall held up his paws defensively, "I never really get a word in around here most of the time."
"Okay well," Chase shrugged, "can you tone it down next time?"
"Alright Chase."
Every once in a while, Chase appreciated Marshall's obedience when it came to following orders. The Dalmation didn't stray out of line too often, but it was good enough that he at least listened to leadership, unlike Zuma. Even if the pups had minor disagreements, they rarely fought, and Ryder eventually taught them to apologize, forgive, and forget. That didn't mean some pups would need a little space, however, and even though Rocky wasn't mad at the insult flung in his face, he found himself wandering off.
"Hey Ryder," he called over his grey shoulder, "can I go explore the trail we came in on?"
"Go ahead," the boy waved, "just be careful and be back soon."
The mixed-breed happily pushed himself through the shrubbery as the dogs behind him simply shrugged. Rocky always enjoyed a moment alone, and he smiled as traversed along nature's path. Being only the size of a puppy, the thick foilage felt like an entire jungle, when to Ryder it was merely "ground plants." Nonetheless, the mixed breed put his nose to the ground and sniffed for anything interesting. A large number of scents hit him at once, the cool scent of the dirt and the aromas of beautiful flowers in yellow and white. Being a recycle pup, Rocky found a hobby of collecting objects he could tinker with, and possibly make into something new.
As he walked further down the path, his nose suddenly carried him into the dense foilage on his left, deviating from the path. Rocky was hesitant, but curiosity overcame him, and he pushed his way in. Pushing through the blockades of leaves and twigs, he found himself in a new clearing.
"Ooh," the mixed breed said aloud, looking around for any twigs or litter,
He stopped when he came across what looked like a small radio. "Score!" He cheered to himself and picked up the small object in his mouth.
"Drop it," came a cold voice behind him.
Startled, Rocky froze and let the radio drop from his mouth. Confused, he tried to turn around.
"Don't move," the voice commanded, and Rocky quickly faced forward. As unease oozed within the pup, he heard the dog start walking over into his view. Flicking his eyes to his left, Rocky saw the speaker, and immediately his fear rose.
The dog was almost twice Rocky's size. He was unable to tell the dog's species, as he was dressed head to paw in tactical gear. A grey bodysuit could be seen under his black vest and pieces of armor dotted his body. Its head was covered by a ski mask, with goggles over the eyes. The only parts of the dog that stuck out were his ears and tail, which were blond in color. On its back was what seemed a Pup Pack, only bigger and more slimmed down. Rocky felt slight panic when he saw a nightstick and taser attached to it.
"What are you doing here," the trooper barked, taking a firm stance,
"I just," Rocky muttered, his voice quivering, "wanted to look for bugs,"
"This area is being quarantined by the ACG, no outside personnel is allowed in or out."
"Why?" The mixed-breed asked, "did something happen?"
"That is none of your business," the trooper growled, staring Rocky down through his goggles, "now clear out before I have reason to detain you."
"Can I move?"
"Yes. Go."
With a shaky breath, Rocky backed up and quickly ran away, his eyes beginning to well up. For a moment, he genuinely feared for his safety and sprinted as fast as he could back to Ryder, barely noticing the tears coming down.
The trooper watched the pup go with an irritated look, then picked up the radio and clicked it on. "Cyrus, we had a small breach, but it's contained now. Some lost puppy wandered in, they weren't in contact with the Bio Site so we should be okay."
Meanwhile, many heads turned as Rocky came streaming back, nearly falling into the lake itself. Ryder caught the terrified pup with open arms and tried to comfort him. Chase and Zuma instantly came out of the water, their eyes filled with concern. Skye picked her head up from her resting spot and hastily walked over, paying no mind to her sickness. Rubble swam to the edge of the lake and watched with surprised eyes. Marshall walked out behind Chase, then stopped as he noticed something tickling his back leg. He turned his head around and lifted his white spotted leg, and noticed something attached to it. It resembled a worm of some kind, pale pink in color. Startled, Marshall quickly kicked off the worm, and it flew back into the water.
The Dalmation gagged, but quickly shook himself off and went to Rocky's aid, reminding himself to take a bath later. The pups soon went home, Ryder carrying Rocky. As they left, Chase turned back to look at the lake, narrowing his eyes. For a brief moment, he swore he saw something moving in the foliage. He sniffed the air for a moment, only for Ryder to call him. With a final look, Chase turned and joined back with the team.
