(A/N) Phew! Hey guys! This chapter is finally here!
For those of you who don't know (All of you) This Chapter has be written FOUR times.
Yes...Four. It was so hard to write because I just kept producing content that i was very underwhelmed with,. I wanted this chapter to be the best it can be, so I just kept rewriting and i kept not liking it, and then I would rewrite it again, and I wouldn't like that one and rewrite it again!
I finally wrote one that I'm happy about and I hope you will be too.
So without further ado, Welcome back to Paw Patrol: The Ballad of Dally!
Disclaimer: This chapter is not for the faintest of heart.
Chapter 6: Through the Fire and Flames
By the time the Paw Patrol got to City Hall, the building was in a blaze of glory. The pups got out of their vehicles and was halted by the shock and horror of what was the centerpiece of Adventure Bay.
Marshall was in complete disbelief. It was much worse than any of them thought. City Hall had always been a gathering place for all who resided in Adventure Bay. It had hosted many ceremonies and festivals for the city. The memories paralyzed the dally as he watched the flames dominate the building. So much that tears started to form in his eyes.
Ryder got off his ATV and was met by a very petrified Mr. Porter, who was obviously worried about his grandson. "Ryder! Oh thank god you're here! My boy's trapped inside!"
"I know Mr. Porter. Don't worry. We'll get him out of there." Ryder assured him as looked at his pups. "Alright pups, are you all ready?"
When Ryder asked that, the pups were still looking on with horrified faces. But suddenly, when they heard their owner, they turned around with determined faces, as if they shrugged their worries off.
"Ready Ryder!" They all say in unison.
"Alright, lets go! Rocky! Get those fire hoses ready!" Ryder began.
"I'll be right on it!" Rocky acknowledged. He then runs to the back of his truck and gets said hoses out, and finds a hydrant to use.
"Rubble, Zuma! Stand by and get ready to use the hoses." Ryder went on.
"Affirmative Ryder." They both say.
Upon that Ryder then turned to the three pups that were going in the building. He took a breath before addressing them.
"Alright you three. According to Katie, she and Alex are in the dining room on the first floor, and the mayor is in her office on the second floor. The lobby is completely engulfed so the front door is not usable."
Marshall then suggested. "I can pull up my ladder so we can get up to the top floor and enter that way."
"Good thinking Marshall." Ryder praised with a smile.
"But what about Katie and Alex? We need to get to them as soon as possible." Skye contested. "And no doubt the stairs are not usable too."
Marshall was stumped there. If they went up through the top, the stairs would be too dangerous. The only other way that they could get to all three of them in time, is if he…..
"I'll go up myself." Chase suddenly announced, catching Marshall, Ryder, and Skye off guard. "I'll go and rescue the mayor while you two rescue Katie and Alex."
Marshall objected highly to Chase's volunteerism. "No Chase. Aw uh. Not by yourself! We need to stick together! Not separate."
"I know Marshall, But the mayor needs help as much as Katie and Alex does. You need to be with Skye so you can help her help Alex. That leaves me to get the mayor." Chase argued back.
Marshall countered with authority. "Have you forgotten about your paw Chase?! What if you hurt yourself more and you are all alone?! I can't let you run in there by yourself with a hurt paw!"
Chase wasn't getting angry but he was getting frustrated. "Marshall, my paw is still going to hurt no matter if I go with you or not! It's not that bad, I'll be fine!"
"Chase! You don't get it! If your paw gives out, I won't be there to help you!" Marshall shot back.
"That's enough!" Ryder suddenly yelled out, stopping the argument dead as the two pups glanced at Ryder. "You guys have no time to argue about this!"
Chase and Marshall whimper in guilt as Ryder looks at his fire pup. "Now Marshall I know it's not a good idea to separate, and I know you don't want Chase to go in alone with his paw hurting, but we don't have much of a choice. You need to be with Skye so you can help her take care of Alex. At the same time, the mayor has to be rescued as soon as possible."
"But Ryder I…" Marshall tried to contest until Ryder interrupted him.
"There's no buts when lives are at stake Marshall. It's the only way." Ryder interrupted.
Marshall dipped his head and whimpered in defeat, as Ryder looked at Chase.
"Chase. I know you said that your injury isn't so bad back at the lookout, but I want you to be completely honest with me. Look me straight in the eyes and say that your paw will not cause you to hurt yourself more." Ryder ordered, as he got down to Chase's level and gazed into his amber eyes.
Chase returned the favor as he set the record straight. "I'll be fine, Ryder sir."
Ryder then got back up, but continued to stare at him. "You better not be lying to me Chase. If you are, It could be a matter of life and death for both you and the mayor."
Chase stood on his fours as he nodded in confirmation. "I understand Ryder sir. I can assure you. I am not lying."
Ryder finally took his gaze off of Chase and went back to Marshall. "Marshall. If Chase says that he would be alright, and is not lying, you're going to have to believe him for the time being. It's the only way."
Marshall looked at Chase's bandaged paw as he thought about Ryder's statement. He saw how deteriorated it was and how much blood and dirt was on it. He wished he had enough time to give him a fresh bandage so it wouldn't hurt him so much, but that was not important right now. What was, is the people who are trapped inside.
He gave a sigh as he looked at Chase. "Okay Chase. If you say that it's the only way and that you will be ok and careful, I don't have anything to argue with."
Ryder nodded as he asked his next question. "Alright, how are you two going to get in, Marshall?"
"Well, depending on where the dining room is, we're going to have to go through it's window." Marshall answered.
"Afraid it's not that easy Marshall. The dining room has no windows. It's far in the building." Ryder replied. "It is in the back though."
"Is there a back door?" Marshall asked curiously and hopefully.
"There should be." Ryder confirmed.
"Great. We can go through there and find the dining room. Hopefully, the flames won't be too bad." Marshall slated.
"I hope so too Marshall. Cause you guys are going to be in there a good bit." Ryder said. He then looks at the three pups. "Now all of you should have two oxygen tanks with masks. These only last an hour due to how small they are. You think that's enough time?"
Marshall nodded and smiled. "Yes sir, That should be plenty of time."
"Are you sure Marshall?" Ryder asked him, very worried.
Marshall looked at Ryder with sympathy. "Yeah Ryder. I'll admit it may be a squeeze, but it shouldn't be anything to worry about."
Ryder only looked away in response.
Marshall could tell that Ryder was starting to feel a little conflicted about sending his pups in the burning building. He didn't blame him. While Marshall could handle himself in a fire, and so could Chase and Skye, anything can happen. Judging by the state of city hall right now, it was probably going to be pretty dangerous as the building could collapse at any moment.
Despite knowing this, Marshall stepped up to Ryder and gave him a mix of a comforting and determined smile. "Ryder?"
Ryder locked eyes with Marshall. The dally could see the conflict going on inside his owner.
"You have nothing to worry about sir. I'll make sure everybody gets out." The dally said confidently.
Ryder gets down on one knee and looks at Marshall's baby blue eyes. He then hugs the dally with all his might, as if he had a funny feeling. "I know little buddy. Just…..b-be careful…." He then tears up a little as he lets go and looks at the group. "All of you."
Chase and Skye both give him the same smile before they turn towards the burning building and run to it.
Marshall then gets up in his truck, and backs it up next to the building. He activated his ladder which shot up to under the second story window. He looked at Chase who was standing beside the truck, patiently waiting for the ladder to stop. Marshall jumped off the truck and proceeded to land, but in true Marshall fashion, ended up plopping down on his face. Chase and Skye had to try really hard to hold in their laughter.
Marshall got up and shook the dizziness off, before addressing Chase.
"There you go Chase. It's all set up for you." He stated.
"Thanks, Marshall." Chase said, as he started to climb up the ladder to the window. Before he got too far, Marshall called to him. "Wait, Chase!"
Chase stopped to look at Marshall. "Yeah?"
Marshall looked at Chase with worry as he was reminded of Chase's hurt paw. "Promise me you will be careful, and call me if something goes wrong?"
Chase smiled at the dally as he gave his answer. "I will if you will buddy." He then resumes climbing.
Marshall took one last look before he started to run towards the back of the building with Skye in tow.
Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!
That was the only word going through Chase's mind over and over, as he climbed the ladder to the window. He was so thankful that Marshall didn't see him limp as he climbed the ladder. He tried his best to make it as subtle as he could so Marshall wouldn't notice.
Yes…...he lied to him. To Ryder too.
He told them his paw only hurt a little and that he would be fine. But really, the pain was more than he anticipated. It wasn't the most painful thing in the world, but each step on it felt like a metal rod was impaled in his paw. It was definitely going to be very hard to tough it out but he was a tough puppy, and the mayor needs to be saved!
He finally got to the top of the ladder and rested a bit. He shook his paw and barked out his nightstick. He shattered the window with the handle end and burst inside, being careful not to step on any of the glass shards.
Chase barked out his oxygen mask and put it on immediately while holding his breath. After he put it on and breathed through it, he was able to take a look around the hallway he was in. He could barely see five feet in front of him due to the thick cloud of smoke that covered the hall. He could see the distant glowing light ahead which he guessed was the fire spreading through the hall.
Then, a problem entered his mind. A big problem. Chase…..had no Idea where the Mayor's office was!
Heck he didn't even know if he was in the right hallway.
As it may be a surprise, the pups really hadn't been in city hall that much. Twice maybe, and when they were, it was only for a little bit. They never even saw the inside of the office. Not that the Mayor was that secretive, just that there were never any reasons to go into the Mayor's office. Added the fact that the Mayor was rarely in the office to begin with. She preferred being out and about amongst the citizens and only was in there for private matters.
Chase had never thought about it being a big problem until now, and with time and fire not on his side, there was only one way to find it, and that was to charge head on through the cloud of smoke and blazing fire.
Marshall pounded on the door with his fire axe the hardest he could.
Opening it was not an option as he was taught countless times in his academy days that opening a door pare paw in a fire, especially if smoke was coming out of it was a good way to burn your paw or face.
Skye stood by with her nerves at eleven. She had never been in a burning building before, as usually, she would be on her copter dropping water from above. Although she sorta knew what to expect, she was very mentally unprepared on what the inside was going to be like. She was very happy that Ryder was able to find her something to do in this rescue, she had never been a medic before. She hadn't been trained to do so, and it was a last minute thing for her to be put in that position. Even though Marshall was going to walk her through it, she still felt very nervous and thought that somehow, someway, she would screw it up.
The sound of Marshall finally breaking the door open zapped Skye out of her thoughts, and when Marshall kicked the door open, smoke oozed out of the doorway, causing the two pups to look away to avoid it. In the midst of that, Marshall turned to the cockapoo.
"Skye, get your mask on!" Marshall ordered, as he barked out his mask to put it on.
Skye immediately did the same, putting it on as fast as she could. Marshall then looked over to make sure for himself that Skye had her's on correctly. Once he was sure, he got up close and asked her. "Is it on right?"
"I-I think so, I am getting oxygen." Skye nervously said. "How bad is it in there?"
"It doesn't look too bad, but it will get a lot worse the further we get. Are you ready?"
Skye swallowed a ball down her throat as she could only nod.
Marshall smiled as he put his paw on her shoulder. "Hey don't worry Skye, I'll be right there with you the whole way. I won't let anything bad happen to you okay?"
It seemed that all of Skye's nerves were pushed down only by the dally's reassurance. She didn't know why, but Marshall's words calmed her, and she started to relax. Even though Marshall's face was almost invisible by their masks, she could still see those calming and caring eyes Marshall was gifted with.
She took a breath as she finally responded. "Thanks to you Marshall, I'm already."
Skye couldn't see it, but she could feel Marshall smile widely at her. It felt warm to know that Marshall cared deeply for her, even when she has been a little cry puppy for the past week.
Marshall turned around. "Alright, we need to go in and find the dining room and get Katie and Alex out of there. Let's go!"
With that, the two pups howl as they plunged in the cloud, hoping to find their destination in record time.
Skye could hardly see inside. The smoke was obstructing her view so much that she was relying on Marshall to be her eyes, as he was the only matter she could see as they raced down the hall.
As they trotted farther, The temperature rose greatly. There were no visual flames yet, but Skye imagined that it won't be long before the flames would take over.
It then started to get really, really hot as she heard Marshall call out to her. "Skye! Are you still with me!?"
"Right behind you Marshall!" Skye called back.
"Good! I'm starting to see some flames so watch your paws! I'm going to spray in front of us to clear more of a path! Arf! Arf! Water cannon!"
On cue, Skye saw Marshall's water cannon came out of his pup pack before Marshall barked again to activate it.
Skye could hear the fire sizzle as they ran deeper and deeper into the burning building. The ground was now hot to the touch as Skye made sure to not step on any isolated flames. It then got too hot to bear as Skye started to pant. She looked up and the air was almost taken out of her lungs. Everywhere around her was fire. It was like she was going through a tunnel of flames and the only ones protecting them were their masks, and Marshall's water cannon.
The heat rose as Sky started to burn up inside. "Marshall…" She gasps as she pants slowly. "How much longer?!"
"Just hang in there Skye, It shouldn't be much longer!" Marshall replies.
"I'm trying Marshall, but it's like we're in a….oven...in….here. I…..don't know…..if I…..can take …..the heat much….longer!" Skye struggled to put out as the heat was taking a toll on her.
"We have to push on Skye…..Katie and Alex are counting on us!" Marshall pleaded, as he started to pant too.
"I'm trying Marshall! I really am!" She says back to him. It was at that moment that she wondered if Chase was having any luck.
"For Ryder's sake, how many hallways are in this place!"
Chase was getting really frustrated at this point. He had been running for what seemed like forever, trying to find the Mayor's office. He probably ran down about seven or so halls already, going deeper and deeper into the now fiery maze.
It was unbelievably hot, as Chase was panting like a derby dog. He felt his fur would burst in flames at any minute, and his paw was starting to get worse. He pushed through as strong as he could, knowing at any minute, his paw would give out so he knew he had to hurry.
He ran down another hallway until he found a set of double doors. On the side of the doorway Chase saw a god send as finally, he found the Mayor's office.
He first put a paw on the door's surface and felt medium heat, meaning that it was safe to open the door. The shepherd did so and looked inside to find the Mayor, but couldn't see that well, due to the smoke covering the room like a blanket. He called out to the mayor.
"Mayor Goodway!" He called out. "It's me, Chase! Are you okay?!"
There was a little pause, until he heard coughing.
"Koff! Koff! Koff!...Chase?! Koff Ack! Is that you?!" the Mayor sounded off, coughing up a storm.
Chase wagged his tail in relief that he got to the Mayor in time. "Yes Mayor, it's me Chase! Where are you?!"
Chase looked around until he saw a hand wave side to side from behind the desk. "Under here! Ack! Koff! Koff! Under the desk!"
Chase darted through the smoke and went around the desk to see the mayor crouched under the desk. Having a coughing fit. "Koff! Koff! Koff! Chase! Oh I'm so glad-Koff! Koff!-you found-Koff! Me!"
"Hang on Mayor. Before you take another breath! Ruff Ruff! Oxygen mask!"
On command, a second oxygen mask shot out as it came out of the pup pack along with a compact oxygen tank. He put the mask on the Mayor and gave her the tank.
The Mayor coughed a little more before taking a long deep breath, relieved to be breathing clean air. "Oh ohh that's much better Chase thank you for saving me!"
Chase smiled proudly until suddenly looked at the doorway, and saw that fire was spreading into the room and his smile faded.
He turns back to the mayor, and holds out his good paw to grab her. "Don't thank me yet Mayor. I still gotta get you out of here. Where's Chickletta?"
Mayor Goodway grabbed Chase's paw as he pulled her up from under the desk. She then holds up her purse in response. "She's safe in my purse." A cluck sounded off from the purse comforting, the Mayor's answer. "She'll be fine in there for a minute, but we gotta get out quick, so I can zip it open outside where she can breathe."
"Well it's a good thing you have the same idea Mayor. We've gotta get out of here now. The office is starting to go up in flames!"
The Mayor looks at the front of the office and nearly jumps out of her heels. "Ah! Your right! We need to go now!"
In a fit of panic, the Mayor started to quickly get out of the office in record time. Chase was caught off guard as he called out to her and started to follow her.
"Wait Mayor! You don't even know where to…...YIPE!"
Before Chase could finnish his sentence, a loud yelp escaped his mouth, as his paw gave out and he fell to the ground. The mayor heard this and went back to the doorway, seeing Chase on the ground.
"Oh no! Chase! Are you alright?!" She lets out as she bolts to him to help him up.
Chase wences and grunts as he gets back on his feet. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just please don't run off on me."
Suddenly, a bookshelf beside them lost its footing and fell onto the desk behind them, with the desk falling apart on impact. The crash caused Chase and the Mayor to jump. Chase practically pushed the Mayor out of the office. "GogogogogogoGO! MAYOR! GO!"
The Mayor wasted no time, as she quickly moved out the office with Chase in tow.
She went to the right towards the flames and would've ran into them, had Chase not called out.
"Mayor! Mayor! Not that way! The other way!"
The Mayor stopped and turned around to face Chase. "What?! But the front door is that way!"
"We can't go out the door Mayor! The flames have taken it over! We have to go out the window!"
"Go out the window?! You mean…...we have to go down the ladder?!" The Mayor yelped out.
Chase looked at the now terrified mayor with sympathy as he knew about the Mayor's fear of heights. "Yes Mayor. We have to climb down but don't worry. I'll be right behind you."
Mayor Goodway was jittery in her response. "Y-You promise?"
Chase smiled. "I promise."
The Mayor took a very relieving breath. "Okay Chase. Lead the way."
The shepherd nodded as he went past the Mayor and took off but not too fast so the Mayor could keep up.
After running down the longest hallway in the world, Marshall and Skye finally reached the dining room. It was cracked open which was not a very great sign.
And it wasn't, as soon as Marshall and Skye walked in, the place was infested with flames. Marshall immediately started to spray down the flames in the room while Skye called out to Katie and Alex.
"Katie! Alex! Where are you?!"
Skye got no response and it scared her to death. She looked around the room for them until she finally spotted under the table with Alex passed out in Katie's arms and Katie not far from passing out herself.
Skye gasped as she immediately shot to them. "Marshall! They're under the table!"
Skye looked at the two, and noticed that Katie was barely hanging on. Marshall then appeared on the other side. He grabbed Alex away from Katie while Skye grabbed Katie, and the two pulled them out from under the table on opposite sides.
The flames were gone as only smoke filled the air. The cockapoo propped Katie against the wall with Katie trying her best to stay conscious, but due to all the smoke she inhaled, that was a very difficult task.
Skye quickly barked out her extra oxygen mask and tank and put it on Katie's head. Katie gave one big gasp and coughed in response before finally having enough energy to speak.
"Ssssskye?...Skye is that you?" Katie croaked out, breathing deep in and out.
"Yes Katie, it's me, Skye." the cockapoo answered with a smile and her tail wagging. "Don't worry, you're safe for right now."
Katie didn't show the same feeling as Skye. She looked around furiously as she just noticed someone was missing. "Alex? Where's Alex?!"
Skye was about to answer, until she heard Marshall call for her.
"Skye! I need you over here!"
Upon hearing her name, Skye rushed over to the other side of the table. She could hear Katie call back to her.
"Wait! Skye! Skye! Where's Alex?! Is he safe?! Please tell me he's okay!"
Skye wanted to answer her, but she didn't really have one to give. She had no choice but to ignore her for now, and focus on helping Alex, who was in bad shape.
Bruises and scrapes covered the boy's body and his shirt and pants were covered with soot and dirt along with the holes that littered on his clothes. She saw Marshall put his extra mask on him as she stopped in shock.
Skye's heart hurt as she made it to him. "Marshall, is he okay?!"
"Yes Skye. He's okay. I just checked his vital signs. I need you to examine him while I check up on Katie."
"But Marshall." Skye replied nervously. "I-I don't know how to use this stuff."
"Don't worry Skye. It's easy." Marshall said with a quick smile. "The gadgets do all the work. All you have to do is look to see what's wrong. And if you need me, I'll just be across the room."
Skye felt a little better about her job thanks to Marshall. Her confidence rose to full, as she barked out the x-ray, while Marshall went to tend to Katie. Skye scanned Alex's body, looking for anything wrong.
Marshall ran up to Katie, who was still worried about Alex.
"Marshall?! Marshall! Where is Alex?! Is he hurt?!" She cried as she jumped up to find the boy.
Marshall got to her and placed his paw on her chest and gently pushed her back down. "Easy, easy, Katie. Alex is fine. Skye is tending to him right now. I want to know if you're okay."
"Well, besides feeling like my lungs are going to collapse. I feel fine right now." Katie answered.
Marshall smiled at this. "That's great! Cause I need you to help us get you and Alex out of here fast! This building doesn't have long, and Skye and I only have forty minutes of oxygen left."
"What do you need me to do Marshall?" Katie asked.
"Well, are you well enough to run?" Marshall asked.
"I….I should be." Katie answered.
Marshall smiled at the girl's determination, but he wanted to at least be sure. "Are you sure?"
Katie paused for a bit before she nodded. "Yes Marshall. I should be fine."
Marshall wagged with joy. "Alright. I need you to carry Alex out of here. Although he's fine, he may not wake up for a long time, due to his injury and the smoke he breathed. I don't think me and Skye are strong enough to carry him out, not to mention I'm going to have to clear a path to the back door with my water cannon. If you could carry Alex and run, It would be at the same time, It would be a big help for us but I need to make sure you're healthy enough to do it. So I'll ask again, can you honestly say that you can do it without hurting yourself."
Katie looked at Marshall with full determination. "Yes Marshall, I can do it."
Marshall's smile grew wider. "Okay. Thank you Katie, you don't know how much this means to me."
Katie matched Marshall's smile. "Anything I can do for you, Skye and especially Alex."
Upon that, Skye called out to Marshall. "Marshall! I need you!"
Marshall immediately turned to bound towards Skye and Alex. Katie followed him to check on Alex himself.
When they got there, Skye had a very worried look on her face as she had the x-ray screen over Alex's body.
"Marshall! On the screen, it shows that his shoulder is red, and his head is red also." Skye informed.
"Oh no." Marshall commented. "That means he's had a concussion and that his collarbone is broken."
Katie gasped in horror, while Skye was frantic. "What are we going to do Marshall?" Skye asked frantically.
Marshall gave a short sigh before speaking. "Well, we can't do anything about the concussion right now, but we definitely can for his collarbone. We need to elevate his arm to help his shoulder heal. Luckily, my pup pack or yours for right now, has some medical tape that we can use as a sling for the time being. So bark out the tape Skye."
Skye realigned her composure as she followed Marshall's order. She barked out the tape and proceeded to very carefully wrap the tape around Alex's arm and neck. Creating the makeshift sling Marshall was alluding to.
While she was doing this, her confidence in being a medic rose in her heart and mind. At first, she was a nervous wreck, and thought that she would screw it up. She knew being a EMT pup was a very serious job and she thought that in order to do it correctly, she would have to have months or even years of training. But now, she felt that it wasn't so hard now that she was doing it. Of course there's a lot more into it, and Marshall is walking her through it, but now she feels that maybe, she could do this too.
Though she had no intention of replacing Marshall as it was his job. He is a licensed EMT pup after all. But maybe if she asked Marshall and Ryder, she could be a medic too. It would definitely give Skye a better chance at being called on for missions while she was grounded more. Besides, it could also help if she was trained in case Marshall was not available.
BOOM!
Skye's mind was jolted out of her thoughts when a sudden loud boom erupted, like a bomb was let off right in front of her. The sound nearly ripped her ears off as she jumped nearly five feet away from Alex with a yelp. Luckily, she was just about done with his sling. Once the ringing in her ears was gone, Skye looked at Marshall.
"Marshall! What was that?!" Skye asked, terrified for everyone.
Marshall strangely seems to be not listening. He was staring at the wall with a very concerned look, like something else was on his mind.
"Marshall? Marshall!" Skye yelped out to get his attention.
Marshall jumped in place. "Huh? What?!"
"Are you alright?" Skye asked.
"Huh? Y-Yeah, Yeah. I'm okay." Marshall answered. "That obviously was an explosion which means we have less time than we had. So we need to get out, now."
At that moment, Katie grabbed the still Alex, and faced Marshall.
"I'm all ready Marshall." She states, as she holds Alex securely in arms.
Marshall smiles at her. "I hope you are Katie, cause we're gonna have to beat feet all the way to the door to escape."
Katie nods at the dally in acknowledgement.
Marshall then faced the doorway as he continued. "Alright, I will be in front, spraying the flames down so a path would be cleared for us. You will be behind me Katie, and Skye, you will tail us and keep an eye on Katie."
Skye wagged her tail in acknowledgement. "Okay Marshall."
With that, Marshall, Katie, and Skye all ran out of the room, with Marshall leading and spraying the flames in front of them.
When Ryder finally regained his senses after the sudden boom, his mind was immediately concerned for his pups who were in the building. His heart ached as he shot his pup pad up to his face to call them. But just as he was about to do so, Chase's pup tag came up and Ryder immediately answered it.
"Chase! Are you okay? What was that explosion?!" Ryder frantically asked at the speed of light."
Chase sounded as if he was out of breath when he answered back. "It's okay Ryder, I'm fine. And I'm just about to be out with the Mayor. I just need your help with something?"
Ryder was immediately ready to do anything that Chase needed. "What do you need me to do Chase?!"
"I need you to get on the ladder and help the mayor get down if you can do it." Chase announced.
Completely forgetting about the explosion for now, Ryder called out to Rocky who was manning the hydrant. Rocky heard him and shot over to him.
"Yes Ryder?" He asks.
"Could you take control of this hose for a bit?" Ryder asked, as he shut off the hose he was using to give to Rocky.
Rocky stopped immediately as he started to fidget a little. "M-Me, h-handle that? With all that….." Rocky paused as he swallowed a golf ball down his throat. "...water?"
"Please Rocky? I need to help Chase, and I need someone to man this hose and help keep the flames down."
Rocky gave a sigh. "Okay Ryder…...I'll do it."
Ryder smiles in joy. "Thanks Rocky." As he gives the hose to the mixed breed. "Be careful with it now."
Rocky grabbed it and turned the hose on. "Don't worry Ryder, I'm sure it won't be that…..WHOA!"
As soon as Rocky turned the valve, he was thrusted a few feet back. So much that his hat fell off.
"Got it Rocky?!" Ryder asked, a little concerned.
After getting used to the pressure, and shaking the water off his face, Rocky finally managed to gain control of the hose, and stood stable enough to keep it that way.
"Yep!" Rocky replied back, trying his best to keep control of the hose. "Got it!"
"You sure?!" Ryder asked back, not buying Rocky's confidence.
Rocky looked at Ryder and gave the best smile he could, as he tried to keep the hose under control. "Don't worry Ryder! Nngh! I've got it under control here! Ahh Ngh! Go help Chase!"
After hesitating for a bit, Ryder finally made his way to Marshall's fire truck and got on the ladder. He climbed up quickly to the window. As soon as he got up there, he saw Chase at the window. His heart felt warm when he saw him.
"Chase!" Ryder called in relief.
Chase smiled as he stopped at the ladder, although he was wincing a little. "Hey Ryder sir! The Mayor's right behind me!"
"That's great Chase! Hurry up! Let's get her out!" Ryder ordered.
Chase nods as he turns around and faces the Mayor, Who had just arrived at the window. "Okay Mayor Goodway, Ryder is going to help you down."
"He is?" The Mayor asked back. "Oh thank you Ryder!"
"I'd say your welcome Mayor, but we still need to get you down and out of the building." Ryder chuckled.
"Oh…y-yeah….o-of course…...climb down the …...ladder." The Mayor stammered, super skittish about having to climb down the ladder.
"It's okay Mayor." Ryder assured. "I'll be right here to help you down. Let's just get you on the ladder right now okay?"
The Mayor swallowed nervously, as she went by Chase and reached out to Ryder, who had his arms out, ready to help her down. Goodway stepped out of the window and on the ladder very slowly, taking her time as Ryder met her and helped her down a few rungs until she stopped for a bit, taking deep breaths to keep calm and having her eyes shutter close. Ryder then looks at Chase.
"Chase? Could you get on here, we need to get her down quickly."
Chase nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes Ryder si….."
Just as Chase was about to step on the ladder, pain shot up from his paw to his body, causing him to yelp sharply and loudly as he collapsed to the ground. Upon hearing his pup yelp, Ryder swiftly moved past the Mayor, completely forgetting about her. He jolted to the window to check on his pup.
"Chase!" Ryder called out with extreme worry. "You okay?!"
Chase got back up on his feet very slowly while grunting in pain. His right leg was shaking. "Nngh...yeah Ryder, I'm o…."
Suddenly, Ryder heard a crack and before he knew it, Chase dropped from his view. The floor under him had given and the shepherd fell through it, down to the ground floor. Howling on the way down.
"CHASE!" Ryder shrieked, as he rushed through the window and to the hole where Chase fell through, not caring if the floor under him were to give in as well.
He looked down through, hoping to see the shepherd, but due to the thick smoke below, Ryder couldn't see anything. It scared him out of his skin as he tried calling out to him again.
"CHASE?! CHASE! You okay buddy?!"
Ryder's breathing was the only thing he could hear, as it slowed at the silence that followed his cries. He started to panic in his mind. There was all the reason to think that his pup literally fell to his death.
"Oh nononononononono no! CHASE!"
Close to the back of the building, Marshall, Katie with Alex, and Skye were running down the halls
The fire had predictably gotten very worse with no hallway being without flames, and the building's structure had visibly started to break down, with walls breaking down, and the supports barely hanging on.
Marshall knew for a fact that they were borrowing time, so he knew he had to hurry it up. He looked behind him to see Katie running behind him with Alex in tow in her arms. He could tell that she was struggling a bit, but it wasn't surprising considering she was carrying an unconscious five year old with her. Tailing them was Skye making sure Katie makes it. She was struggling herself with her eyes barely open, seemingly to only being able to follow just by instinct.
He turned his head back around as he heard Skye cry out for him. "Marshall! Are we close?!"
"Just a little more Skye and we'll be out!" Marshall called back. He then said under his breath. "I hope."
He looked behind him again to check on Katie. "Katie! How's Ales?!"
Katie gasped as she tried her best to keep up and speak. "He's…..still out….(gasp)...But I got him!"
Marshall smiled as he turned back around to face the hallway. "That's great! I'm going to call Ryder when we get out so we can get Alex some help quickly! That sounds like a plan?"
Skye and Katie acknowledged at the same time. "Okay Marshall!"
A few ways ahead, Marshall was thanking the gods above that the back door was finally in sight before them. He got up to the door, and stopped beside it so Katie and Skye made it out first. As he ran out the door he pressed his pup tag to call Ryder.
"Ryder? I've got them out. Safe and sound. We're behind the hall!"
A weird pause occurs as Marshall wonders if Ryder answered him. He got nothing and it felt weird to him.
"R-Ryder? You there?" Marshall listened closely, hoping to get a reply. A shorter pause insured with every second jabbing Marshall like knives. Finally, a voice spoke back.
"Huh? Marshall?" Ryder finally spoke up.
Although Marshall was happy to finally get a response from his owner, he noticed that the boy sounded very distraught, like had been crying.
"Ryder? We made it out, and Alex needs help." Marshall couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty about Ryder. "Are you okay?"
Yet another painful pause happens before Ryder speaks up. He was very quiet when he did. "Marshall…...um….we've got a big problem."
Marshall dreaded asking, but he had to. "What is it? What happened?"
Marshall could hear Ryder struggle to say the next line as his voice cracked. "It's…...It's Chase…..He's trapped inside….and I can't get a hold of him."
Marshall's heart felt like it had fallen from a skyscraper. His concern for his friend overtaking anything that occupied his mind. Alex, Katie, the fire, The Mayor, the building, all went straight to the back of his mind. All that mattered was Chase, and where he was.
"Ryder? Where is he?" Marshall asked slowly. His tone is very serious and very focused.
Ryder didn't say anything for a bit, as he was probably hesitating a bit about telling Marshall where Chase was.
"...hm…..I'm not very sure but….I think he's in the lobby." He finally squeezed out.
Marshall squinted at the answer. His concern grew as high as a tree. Chase was in the heart of the fire and if someone didn't save him quickly, the fires, or the building would send him away.
He could hear Ryder's cries to not go back in and rescue him, but Marshall was too much in his mind to comprehend Ryder's words. His admiration, respect, and brotherhood of the shepherd was too much to ignore, and the thought of leaving Chase to burn was not an option for him.
He was finally taken out of his thoughts by a very curious cockapoo.
"Marshall? What did Ryder say?" Skye asked him.
Marshall took a minute to gather his thoughts and noticed that Ryder had hung up and Skye was talking. Then, he was reminded of Chase's situation and upon that thought, without saying a word, Marshall dove right back through the door, and ran down the burning hall. Leaving a very puzzled Skye who eventually gave Chase to him.
The flames were merely lines of light to him as he ran down the hall, hoping to get to Chase before it was too late.
His pup tag beeped signaling that Ryder was calling. He wasn't going to answer it, as he knew what was coming, but he didn't think being a rebellious pup was necessary right now. He just hopes that Ryder will understand.
He answered the call as he ran. "Ryder, I know what you're going to say. Don't waste your breath. I'm going to rescue Chase whether you want me to or not."
It was a bit before Ryder responded. "I-I know Marshall. So I'm not going to try. I'm just telling you that I got Katie and Alex away safely and that Rocky, Zuma, Rubble and I are going to spray close to the lobby to give you a smoother time. How are you on oxygen?"
Marshall checked his oxygen meter "I've got thirty minutes left Ryder!"
Another pause happened until Ryder finally spoke. "Marshall, please be careful and get out of there as soon as you can and be careful, both of you."
"I will Ryder, I will be….wait. Both of us?! What do you…."
At that time, Marshall heard Skye, who had just caught up to him and was calling out to him. "Marshall! Slow down! What's wrong?!"
The sudden surprise made the dally stop in his tracks and turned to face Skye. "Skye?! What are you doing?!
Skye stopped in front of him and took a minute to catch her breath before she answered. "Me?! What about you?! Why did you go back in here without saying anything?! What's going on?!"
"Skye! Chase is in trouble! I need to rescue him!" Marshall replied.
Skye gasped in horror. She then started to frantically ask a million questions, like she was having a mental breakdown in front of him. "Chase?! Oh noonono! Is he okay?! Where is he?! Oh Marshall, please tell me he's okay?!"
Marshall noticed Skye's spastic tantrum and tried to calm her down. "Skye! Skye! Calm down! He's trapped in the lobby. I'm going to go get him!"
"No!" Skye shot out. "WE are going to go get him!"
"Skye! The lobby is deep in the fire! It's too dangerous for you to be in here right now!" Marshall insisted.
"Why are you saying that Marshall?! You can't rescue him by yourself! You need help?!" Skye fired back at the dally.
"Skye! Now's not the time to argue about this!" Marshall said annoyed.
"Right back at you Marshall! I'm going to help you whether you like it or not!" Skye declared.
Marshall groaned as Skye continued to fight him on this. Was this how the others felt when he would be stubborn about stuff like this?
"Nnngh! Fine! But be careful! And follow my lead okay?! I will never forgive myself if I let you get hurt in here!" Marshall conceded.
Skye nodded in response. "You don't have to worry Marshall. I'll be fine."
Marshall sighs. "Okay, let's go!"
Marshall turned to continue running this time, with Skye right behind him.
The thought of losing Chase was too much for Marshall to handle for him. Chase wasn't just a best friend to him, he was also an idol for the dally. Marshall looked up to Chase as a dog that he wanted to be like. Chase was always professional and very efficient at his job. Marshall wanted to model his life after him.
For as long as Marshall lived, he always dreamed of one day becoming well…..a Fire Marshall or a Fire Chief at a Firehouse, but always felt that he lacked in his skills at being a leader. He could barely speak in front of a crowd let alone give orders and make decisions on the fly for an entire team. But as soon as he met Chase, he had a model to emulate. Chase was amazing at everything Marshall ever wanted to be in his life. Because of this, Marshall always put him so high on a pedestal and admired him greatly.
Not to mention, how much of a good friend he was and how much he meant to the dally. Chase had always been there for him and always been a pup to talk to and have fun with. While he may be a stuck up jerk sometimes, those moments were few and far between as mostly, he is one of the nicest pups Marshall had ever met and definitely more playful, if you could get him there.
Marshall hoped that Chase was okay and not burning to a crisp. He remembered the last time he was this worried about him and that was when Chase crashed his truck into a pole, about a year back. The crash critically injured him, requiring Chase to be operated on for hours to save his live. Those hours were miserable for Marshall as he didn't know whether Chase would make it.
That day scared the dalmatian to his core. So much that he vowed to always make sure whenever Chase got hurt, as well as his friends, that he would do whatever he could do to help them and treat their wounds. That was when he asked Ryder if he could become an EMT pup and by being the team's medic, he would be able to help whenever his friends, or anyone in pain.
This was one of those times as he charged through to get to his buddy. The building was now glowing in ember, as the halls and rooms were far from recognizable. To make matters worse, wooden beams and various objects were now dropping from the floor above. The floor was also burning and even though Marshall was spraying while running, the floor still burned Marshall's and Skye's paws a little, but neither of them cared as they ran on the hot burning floor.
There were a lot of close calls as the two bobbed and weaved through the falling debris so much, there were many times that Skye was very close to death.
"Marshall!" She called as she dodged another piece of debris. "Do you even know where the lobby is?! Are we close?!"
Marshall in truth, didn't know where the lobby was or even knew where they were going. All he knew was that they were maybe close to it, as it was the route that Katie took to get to the dining room from the lobby.
"We shouldn't be far Skye! Just keep up! I'm sure we're close!" He called back, hoping that she wouldn't ask anything else.
"What do you mean your…"
While Skye was asking, Marshall was spooked by a sudden sound behind him. He snapped his head around and saw that debris was racing down and was about to fall on the running cockapoo. Thinking quickly, he spun around and rushed forward and pushed Skye back, leaving the rubble to fall on him. Marshall collapsed on the ground as rubble covered him. A horrified Skye screamed for him.
Luckily, Marshall was only knocked out for a second, as Skye's cries woke him up. He got up on his fours and shook off the dust and debris. Skye rushed to him.
"Marshall!" Skye cried.
Marshall looked at Skye with a concerned look. "Skye! Are you okay!"
Skye was flabbergasted, as she stopped in front of him. "Am I okay?! What about…."
Another set of rubble fell right behind her, as the two yelped with a hop. Marshall got behind her and pushed forward. "Come on! Go go go go GO!"
The two ran into a room very close to collapsing at one prompt, it could be called a lobby, but the flames had destroyed and morphed it into a disaster. The place was effortlessly falling apart. The stairs were just gone, and half the balcony was down on the right of them. Had the help from the other pups not existed, Marshall could've imagined how worse it would be.
Marshall sprayed everywhere to make the room a little less dangerous but there was only so much he could do. While he was doing that, Skye scanned the entire lobby to find Chase. She looked and looked and looked, lifting up every piece of debris that she could find him under, but couldn't find him. She panicked as she frantically called his name.
"CHASE?! CHASE?! WHERE ARE YOU?! ARE YOU OKAY?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Marshall himself was looking furiously as he sprayed. His worries for the shepherd were at max as the lobby was infested with flames, not knowing if Chase was among them.
He sprayed the ground, banishing the flames until he found something that made his heart drop to his paws. He had finally found Chase, who was laying on his side and was lifeless near the back of the lobby, with flames all around him.
"CHASE!" Marshall called, as he shot over to him, being sure to put out the nearby flames. After they were gone, Marshall went to him and immediately checked for life signs.
"Chase! Come on man! Give me a Sign here!" He pressed his ear on his chest to detect a heartbeat and breathing. Thankfully, his heart was beating normally, and his oxygen mask was still working, as his breathing was normal too. "Oh thank puppy heaven!" He then turns his head towards Skye. "Skye! He's over here!" He then starts to shake him to wake the shepherd up, but it wasn't doing anything.
Skye came up and nearly dropped on the spot with tears. "Chase! Is he…."
"No Skye, he's alive. He's just down for the count." Marshall answered, as calmly as he could.
Skye went up to Chase and barked out the x-ray. She scanned over him and the screen presented his ribs in the red, along with his head and right paw.
"Marshall! It says he bruised his ribs and got a concussion!" Skye announced to the dally, very disheartened, scared about the shepherd.
"Well," Marshall began. "It's not that bad. But we can't do anything to help him here. We have to get him out!"
"How are we going to do that?" Skye asked.
Without saying anything, Marshall went over to pick Chase up, and slump him over his back. But when he grabbed him, he mistakenly stepped on Chase's bandaged paw, causing the shepherd to yelp himself awake. When that happened, Marshall winced back in guilt, but the shepherd didn't seem to notice. He shook the dizziness off as he tried to get up on his feet, but the pain in his ribs, along with his paw, caused him to collapse right back on the ground.
Marshall went over to help him up. "Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy man. You had a nasty fall."
Chase moaned as the dally guided him up and on his paws. Chase then looked around "Wh-Where am I?"
"We're in a burning building Chase! City hall is toast! We have to get out!" Skye answered.
Chase was still groggy as both Skye and Marshall helped him stay up. "It is? So that's why it's hot."
"How do you feel? Can you walk?" Marshall asked.
Chase was still trying to clear out the cobwebs. "Like crap. My sides hurt and I can hardly breathe. I also have a massive headache."
Marshall whimpered at Chase's misery. "I'm sorry Chase, but we can't do anything until we get you out, and we have to move fast! We only have ten minutes of oxygen left!"
Chase pushed Marshall away a little as he steadied himself. "I'm okay Marshall. I can run on my own. Let's get out of here!"
"Are you sure Chase?!" Marshall asked.
"No." Chase admitted. "But I'm going to have to try."
Marshall went to him again. "Chase, you need help!"
"Im fine Marshall, really." Chase insisted. "The sooner we get out, the sooner I can get treated."
Marshall had to drop it for he didn't have ammo left to drill into Chase. He looks at Chase's half working posture before giving a big sigh. "Okay man. But I'm going to have Skye keep an eye on you while I spray us a path."
Chase gave Marshall a painful smile "Whatever you say buddy."
Marshall stared at Chase worryingly, not wanting the shepherd to get any worse, but he couldn't do anything about it right now. The only thing he can do is make sure Skye and Chase get out with him.
He eyeballs both Chase and Skye as he gave the layout. "Okay, I will go ahead and spray in front of us as we run to the back. Chase, you follow behind me while Skye follows you just like we did with Katie. If something happens, let me know okay?"
Chase and Skye nod in agreement. "Okay." They both say with determination.
With that, Marshall turned to face the back of the lobby. Skye and Chase get into their positions as Marshall turns his head around. "Ready?"
"Ready!" They both say, as Marshall takes off and sprays the fire out of their way as he charges through with Chase and Skye in tow.
They ran down the hallway at blistering speed though Chase was having a hard time keeping up with Marshall for obvious reasons. Skye followed him and matched his speed so she wouldn't pass him and keep an eye on him.
They bobbed and weaved through various rubble, as they ran faster and faster through the halls. Chase tried his best to keep up with Marshall but the pain was tethering him down. He called out to Marshall. "Marshall, buddy! How much longer?!"
"The back door should be close! Just hang in there Chase!" Marshall called back. Thankfully, Marshall noticed that they passed the dining room which meant that they passed the halfway point. They just needed to go down two more hallways before they will be finally out.
Suddenly, Marshall heard a sharp yelp behind him. He spun his head around and saw Chase on the floor. His paw had given out on him again!
Skye rushed to his side and tried to help him up. "Chase. What's wrong?"
Chase growled and howled in pain. "It's my paw! It hurts so much!"
Marshall was going to shoot over to them, until his ears picked up a sudden crack from above. He looked up and saw the roof was caving in and was about to full right on Chase and Skye!
Everything felt like he was in slow motion, as he knew he only had milliseconds to react.
He rushed forward, over to the two and without saying a word because he had no time to, pushed Chase and Skye out of the way about ten feet away. The force of his push caused them to roll across the floor and away from danger.
Unfortunately, this also meant that Marshall was now the only one under the big pile, coming down on him. A sharp gasp escaped his mouth, as soon enough, all he saw, was darkness.
Chase again had to shake the dizziness off again after being knocked away by something. He wasn't sure what hit him, but it didn't matter now. All that mattered, was getting up and getting out.
He staggered on his paws and looked around the burning and smokie hallway. He saw Skye getting up and shaking her head. He went to her and helped her up. "Are you okay Skye?"
"Y-Yeah. I-I think so. You?" Skye asked back, very concerned.
"I'm okay Skye." Chase replied.
Skye groaned as she tried to recollect. "What happened?"
Chase himself was trying to recollect his thoughts, as he scanned the hall. "I-I don't know. Last thing I remember is being pushed."
The cockapoo took a look for herself and noticed that and obvious something was missing
Rather, someone was missing.
Her head turned furiously all over the hall. "Um…..Chase?...W-Where's Marshall?!"
Chase ears perked at Skye's question. "What do you mean? He's right in fron….."
Chase looked a head of him and finally noticed the big pile of rubble that was blocking them from the other side of the hall as there was no way to get past it, making it a dead end.
Chase stared at the pile as he ran an investigation in his mind. Marshall was standing in front of them when Chase's paw gave out, and Skye was next to Chase helping him. Immediately after Skye helped him up, Chase felt a push and him and Skye skidded across the floor as the rubble came down. There was only one conclusion Chase came to and as soon as he came to it, his heart stopped.
Without warning and forgetting about his injury, he shot to the pile, digging his paws into the rubble. His paw stung like hell but he couldn't careless. He dug through as fast and as best he could, but his paw slowed him down greatly as he could only do one at a time. He yelped through it, causing Skye to pull him away.
"Chase! What are you doing?! You gonna hurt yourself!" Skye cried out.
"LET GO OF ME!" Chase yelled, as he broke free and went back to the giant pile. "MARSHALL! MARSHALL!" Tears splashed out of his eyes as he dug through. "COME ON BUDDY, TELL ME YOU'RE ALRIGHT! GIVE ME A SIGN! ANYTHING! PLEASE TELL ME YOUR OKAY! MARSHALL!"
As soon as Skye heard Chase, her heart dropped. She was going to join him, but noticed that her breathing was getting very thick. He checked her meter and saw that they only had five minutes left.
She knew that they had to get out now…...and if they waste time finding Marshall, they could suffocate and be trapped forever. She ran up to Chase and forcibly pulled him away from the debris.
Chase thrusted around, trying to break free of Skye's grasp. "NO! STOP! MARSHALL'S UNDER THERE! WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM!"
Skye fought back as she knew this was going to be a fight. She didn't want to. She really wanted to stay and save Marshall, but they were on borrowed time, and they needed to get out at that moment.
"Chase! We don't have time! We've gotta get out now!"
"NO!" Chase protested, as he finally broke free and ran back to the rubble. "I CAN'T LEAVE HIM! WE CAN'T LEAVE HIM! HE'S MY BROTHER! I CAN'T LEAVE HIM"
"Chase! Please! We've got very little oxygen! We have to go!" Skye pleaded as she stared at him, trying to get him to understand. She tears up as her lips tremble as she couldn't believe what she was saying. "Ch-Chase! W-We have l-leave him!"
"NO! NO! I CAN'T! I'LL LOSE HIM SKYE! I'LL LOSE HIM!" Chase screamed as he continued to dig, but soon, his paw gave out again, as he had to stop in effect. He yelped sharply sending him into a rage filled tantrum. Cursing his paw from hell and back. "NnnnnnnAAAAAAH! STUPID PAW! STUPID STUPID STUPID!" He banged his good paw on the pile at each word, as he started to wail.
He knew Skye was right. There was no way that he could possibly dig in and look for Marshall fast enough. Not in his current condition. Even though Chase had four minutes left, there's no telling how long it will take to get out.
He had to leave him, it was the only way. And he knew that Marshall himself would tell him to get out and forget about him. After all, he did make that promise to him.
By the time he knew it, he had stopped wailing as if finally, it sunk in on what he had to do.
Skye drew a breath as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Chase. We have to go or we will be trapped here with him."
Chase's mind was finally accepting the truth, but his heart was still rebelling. "I-I-I can't Skye. I-I-I'll lose Marshall." He started to sob again as Skye went up to him.
"I know Chase. But time is not on our side. We'll be no good to him dead." Skye gravely pointed out. "We'll find him Chase. You know we will."
Before hearing that, Chase had already made up his mind. He took one last look at the pile. Hoping that Marshall was still alive and would still be when they go in to search for him.
He then looks at Skye. "Let's go."
Ryder was starting to get very worried for his pups. It had been a bit since he last talked to Marshall who had charged in to save Chase.
He didn't want him to go back in, but it was too late to protest as the dally moved quicker than he could talk.
A very bad feeling formed in his stomach as something told him that something was wrong. He switched off the hose he was using, and went on his pup pad to call Marshall.
No answer.
Ryder's heart stopped at the result. Now he was very worried as Marshall rarely missed calls, especially during a rescue. He tried again.
Again, no answer.
He wondered if the dally's pup tag had been busted but soon realized that if that was the case, he wouldn't get a dial tone.
He was then going to try Skye, until he heard glass breaking in the distance. He looked up and saw Chase and Skye climbing out of a window on the side of the building.
On instinct, Ryder ran to them with so much joy that his pups were alright. The two ran towards their owner as tears were flowing out of their eyes.
Ryder noticed that it was just Chase and Skye. Marshall, was nowhere to be found.
"Chase! Skye!" he calls out as he runs up to them. "Where's Marshall?!"
Upon hearing the name, Chase and Skye stop in front of Ryder and hang their heads. Ryder saw this and immediately was flustered at their expressions. The both of them started shaking as Ryder bent to a knee.
"Pups….what's wrong? What happened in there?" Ryder asked slowly and calmly as he put his hands on the two's shoulders softly for comfort.
When Chase raised his head, He looked like his father had died in front of him again. "R-R-R-Ryd-der. Marshall…...Marshall….Marshall…"
Before Chase could finnish his cold confession, a loud rumbling triggered and grew louder and louder. The three looked at City Hall, as it started to visibly shake in place. Neither of them could move or say anything as the rumbling grew into a sudden earthquake, as soon enough, the building's supports gave out, and started to collapse. It slumped down instantly, as the glass seemingly disappeared and the bell on top fell to the ground with a metallic ring.
Ryder only had a second to grab his pups before they would be pelted by loose debris from the crumbling building. He ordered Zuma, Rubble, and Rocky to abandon their posts, and run to the other side of the road, as the last of the building broke apart like a falling statue.
Ryder, the pups, the nearby citizens and the Mayor, all watch, as the centerpiece of Adventure Bay, turn into a massive lot of ruins.
Then, after the dust was cleared, and City Hall was no more, everything was still. Absolutely still.
(A/N): ...Well...um...there...I guess it happened
um...I just hope Marshall is ok.
Chapter 7 may take a bit, but I'm going to try to get it up as soon as I can.
Question of The Chapter: Did Chase and Skye make the right decision, to leave Marshall in there, and get out safely?
Let me know in your review!
Please review and tell me your favorite parts and if you have any questions about the story or anything else, just put it in your review or pm me and l'll get back with you as soon as I can.
This Is Sean Thames of Dragonsfire Entertainment signing off!