Chapter 25: Son
Time had gone by since the accident. Ever since then, Bruce wasn't sure of how things would work out, but despite all this, he knew that Marshall would be safe, and to him, that's all that mattered. Over time, he started to disregard his earlier statement of not wanting to get involved with him, and the more they hung out, the more Marshall's personality began to form. He was becoming happier, and he wanted things to stay like this forever, but unfortunately, that's when things started to change...
Another 5 months later… (Morning: With Bruce, Zen, and Nico: In the Station…)
"Another day…" Bruce sighed as he handed Zen and Nico energy drinks.
"Thanks, Bruce. How's Marshall doing?" Zen asked.
"Uhh… He's a little tired from yesterday's workout, but I think he's enjoying the new obstacle course," He replied as Nico walked away.
"That's nice! And… What about him…"
"Well, he hasn't said much to me ever since we settled the claim, but… I guess that's just his way of not wanting to cause any more drama."
"Hmph… Call it whatever you want, but to me, he's still being a coward. I mean, come on! Despite the way I treat you guys, at least I own up to my mistakes!"
"Heh heh, well we can't be good at everything. Come on! Let's get this day over with!"
"Right behind you," Zen said before standing up. "Oh, by the way, that pup really needs to do a better job cleaning up if he's going to keep bringing those rodents in the kitchen!"
"Oh, so you noticed it too, huh?"
"How could I not? He literally started feeding them in front of the camera. It's like he's not even trying to hide them anymore!"
"So… You're cool with it?"
"Aside from the mess, he's not really bothering anyone, so why should I care?"
"Heh heh, alright then, I'll talk to him later.
A few hours later… (With Marshall and the raccoons, in the kitchen)
"Alright, food's ready!" Marshall announced before tripping over his bowl and dropping a bunch of corn on the floor. "Whoooa-! Oof!" He grunted as they started piling around the corn. "Well, I guess you guys are used to eating things off the floor..." He smiled before noticing Madame Cooney moving slower than usual. "Come on, you're almost there…" He encouraged as Bruce entered the room.
"I really hope you're planning on cleaning that after they're done." He said as Marshall's ears shot up.
"Wha-! B-Bruce! You're back early…!"
"You surprised? I told you before I left."
"Uhh… W-Well… I..." Marshall stuttered as Bruce sat next to him.
"How are they doing?"
"Wait, you know about them?"
"I've known for a while. You're not really good at keeping things hidden. And plus, I always keep an eye on that change jar."
"Uhh… I'm sorry for using it without permission."
"No worries! I really don't mind, but you've noticed the way she is now, haven't you?"
"Yeah, I know... She's becoming tired. I'm afraid that one day, she… She's going to…"
"Hey, Marshall, it's okay. It's only natural that her time comes. I mean, she's already lived longer than the average racoon, so maybe it's not a bad thing."
"Yeah, but, I'm not sure if I'm ready to say goodbye yet."
"Look, I know this might be difficult, but that's how life works. Time moves whether you want it to or not, and if we can't adapt, then we can never grow. However, I'm not saying you shouldn't feel sad. There's still some time left, so why not try sending her off with a smile?"
"I'll… I'll try."
"Good, because I believe that even after she's gone, it won't be the last time you see her."
"I hope so…" Marshall sniffled before wiping his eyes. "Anyways, would you mind helping me carry them back after they're done?"
"Not at all. In fact, I think I have something that'll interest you!"
"Really? What is it?" He asked as Bruce smiled.
"You've just gotta wait and see!"
3 hours later… (After returning the Racoons…)
"Alright, now that they're safe, what was it you wanted to show me?" Marshall asked.
"Well, I'm actually taking you somewhere instead of showing you something," Bruce replied before pulling out a flier. "You've been working a little nonstop lately, so I figured why not give you a chance to take it easy! You know how the community likes to hold their own little fairs at the park every now and then?"
"Yeah! Everyone in my class used to talk about them, but I've never actually been to one before."
"Oh, that's awesome! It's in town right now, so I figured this would be a great time to check it out! The first times are usually the best, and maybe this can be a great opportunity to make new friends or something!"
"W-Wait, seriously!?"
"Yeah, is something wrong?"
"I…! N-No! I-It's just that… I-It's been a while since… You know… I've talked to anyone else besides you guys…"
"Oh come on. It's not like anyone is going to harm you. Trust me, you'll be fine!"
"If you say so…"
"That's the spirit! Come on, let's get going!" Bruce said as he grabbed his keys and headed outside.
"Wait, R-Right now!?" Marshall yelped before following him.
At the Fairgrounds…
The place was packed as Marshall and Bruce made their way out of the parking lot. There were a lot of food trucks on the road, entertainment tents on the grass, and carnival rides for miles away. Marshall slowly started shaking before hiding behind Bruce.
"Hmm… This place is busier than usual," Bruce commented.
"Th-There are way too many people here!" Marshall whimpered as Bruce patted his head.
"Don't worry! Just try not to get separated from me, okay?"
"Okay…"
"Well, we've got a lot of time, so what do you want to try first?" Bruce asked as Marshall's stomach growled.
"Some food would be nice."
"Alright, food truck it is! See if you can find anything that caters to dogs."
"Aye, aye, sir!" Marshall smiled before looking around. Moments later, a young boy and his mother walked by them and stopped.
"Mommy, look! It's the firemen daddy was talking about!" The kid said as the mother grabbed onto him.
"Pay no attention to them, sweetie. Let's go on the rides," The mother replied as Bruce lifted an eyebrow.
"Hmm…?"
"Hey, Bruce! I think I found something!" Marshall called out as Bruce turned around. "There's a tent over there that says: 'Whisk it for a biskut!' I bet they'll have something good over there!"
"Geez… If Zen were here, she would probably complain about their spelling and how corny the name is."
"Awww, but I thought it sounded clever."
"Well, you've been living under a rock, so you wouldn't be able to tell."
"Under a rock…?"
"Yeah. It's an idiom."
"... A what?"
"I… Never mind..." Bruce sighed before walking over to the tent where the cashier was taking a nap.
Zzzzzz…
"Ahem…" Bruce cleared his throat as the man woke up.
"Wh-Wha!? Oh, sorry! Can I help you?" The man stuttered as Marshall stood up to see the menu.
"Uhh, we'd like to place an order."
"... Really? From our tent?"
"Yeah… What kind of question is that?"
"Sorry! I was just making sure, because we don't usually don't get any customers nowadays."
"Really? How come?" Marshall asked.
"Not sure. I'm guessing it's because they prefer the other food trucks. Anyways, what could I get started for you guys?"
"Hmm… This is a bakery, so why do they have all of these buckets in the back?" Marshall wondered before noticing something on the menu that caught his eye. "Oh! They have peanut butter cookies! Can I get some of those, please?"
"Sure thing! And what size will that be?"
"Uhh… Small?"
"Alrighty then, your total will be $5.99. We accept cash or credit," The man said as Bruce pulled out his card. "Oh, and by the way, these do take a while to bake, so you might have to wait… about 30 minutes. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, that's cool. We're not in a hurry," Bruce replied.
"Great! I'll see you around!" The man bowed before walking to the back of the tent.
"You know, I wouldn't mind it if you got a bigger size, I mean, even if you can't finish it, we can still take it home."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't want it to go to waste if it turns out they're not as good as I thought they'd be," Marshall mentioned.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Bruce smiled as a blonde-haired woman and her pup walked by.
"Hmm… That pup… I didn't know she was still around," Marshall thought out loud as Bruce lifted an eyebrow.
"Oh, do you know her?"
"Well, not personally. I used to see her walking around my old neighborhood with that person that's next to her. It's so weird… She's so tiny, but at the same time, she looks a little older than I am."
"Really? You can tell that just by looking at her?" Bruce asked.
"Well, it's only a guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was right! I mean, doesn't it look obvious?"
"... Nope. Can't tell."
"Really? Hmm… I guess it's just me."
"Well, now I'm kind of curious. How old do you think she is?"
"I don't know… I'd say somewhere around… four or five…?"
"Heh heh. And how old do you think I am?"
"You're 25, but I already knew that."
"Okay, how about Zen?"
"Well… She does have a few wrinkles on her skin, so I'd say about….37?" Marshall guessed before Bruce burst out laughing.
"Pfffft! You want me to tell her you said that?"
"Wha-!?N-No! Was I wrong!?"
"Way off! Dude, she's only four years older than I am!"
"She is?!"
"Marshall, you're cracking me up! Just let me breathe for a second!" Bruce wheezed as Marshall shook his head and waved his paws.
"P-Please don't tell her! I swear, I'll do anything!"
"Okay! Okay! Relax…!" He chuckled before petting his head. "We'll just keep this one between us for now."
"Phew… Thanks."
"Okay, now that that's over with, what do say we go on a ride before the cookies are done? Like… Ooh! What about the ferris wheel? You haven't been on one of those before, have you?"
"Umm… No…?"
"Great! This will be fun, I promise!" Bruce assured as Marshall gulped.
Later at the top of the Ferris Wheel…
A cold breeze blew across the sky as Bruce and Marshall's seat stopped at the top. There, Bruce pulled out his phone and started recording the scenery.
"You know, now that I think about it, I've never seen the city view from this high either." He said as Marshall remained silent. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Umm… Y-Yeah! I'm p-perfectly fine! Heh heh…! N-Nothing's wrong here…!"
"Really? Because your expression is looking a little pale."
"I-It is…? Uhh… Th-That can't be good."
"Oh…. Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!"
"H-Heights? N-No, not at all! I'm just… afraid of…falling off."
"That's literally being afraid of heights! How come you didn't say anything before we got on!?"
"B-Because, I didn't think it'd be this bad! I thought I'd be fine, but this is way too scary!"
"You've got to be kidding me…" Bruce sighed while scratching his head as Marshall whimpered. "Wait, so how can you handle being on a ladder perfectly fine?"
"A… A ladder feels much safer than going on this thingy…"
"Ah geez... Well, you can try closing your eyes until we get off."
"A-And… How long will that take?"
"I don't know.. Probably another 10 minutes?"
"O-Okay…" Marshall mumbled before covering his eyes. "I'm really sorry."
"It's fine. Just stay calm…"
(Afterward…)
"Alright Marshall, ride's over. You can get off now," Bruce said as Marshall opened his eyes.
"Oh land, sweet land!" He barked before rushing to the ground.
"Okay, so before we get going, are there any other fears that I need to know about?"
"Uhh... there's thunder, bears, and other loud noises… "
"Hmm… I think we should probably hold off on the rides for now. Come on. Let's go see if our cookies are ready.
"Right behind you," Marshall replied before standing back up.
(Back at the tent…)
As Marshall and Bruce made their way back to the tent, the worker quickly cleaned up the area and brought them their cookies.
"Oh, you guys are just in time! Enjoy!" He smiled as Marshall gasped.
"Whoa! I thought we ordered a small size!"
"That is our small size! We usually have a lot of dough, so it's best not to let it go to waste!" The worker replied as Bruce scratched his head.
"Geez…! If that's small, then I wonder how the bigger ones are," He thought out loud before taking the bucket.
"Heh heh! Well you guys enjoy your evening!" The worker waved.
"You too!" Marshall replied before Bruce tossed him a cookie.
"So, how is it?" He asked.
"Mmmm, this is really good! You should try it!"
"Ehhh, not really in the mood."
"Come on! Pleeeease?" Marshall begged with a smile as Bruce rolled his eyes.
"Oh, alright!" He chuckled before taking a piece. "Hmmm… it doesn't taste that bad…"
"Hey, so I've been meaning to ask, why are there so many toys hanging around in these tents?"
"Oh. Those are just prizes you can get for winning their games. Although, a majority of them are rigged, so it's best if we don't bother."
"Aww, but it kind of looks like fun…" Marshall sighed as he stared at an inflatable ladder.
"What? You want to try?"
"Well, yeah…"
"Fine, but just this once!"
"Yay!" Marshall cheered before rushing over to it, where a group of five other pups was watching their friend attempt to climb it.
"Come on! You're almost there!" They cheered as he was hanging upside down from the ladder. A few moments later, his strength finally gave out, causing him to let go and fall onto an inflatable. "Aww! And you were so close!"
"Well, that's too bad, but hey, if you give me another $5, I can give you another go!" The announcer said as the pup looked down.
"Sorry guys, we're almost out of cash," He sighed.
"Really? How much do you have?" Another asked.
"Only $10…"
"Only $10!? But didn't we start off with over $150!?"
"Yep…. Ma's gonna kill me…"
"Crap, I'm losing them! Gotta think..." The announcer thought to himself before coming up with an idea. "Hmm, tell you what, if you can make it to the top and back with a prize in your paws, then I'll give you your money back, along with a prize for you and your friends. How does that sound?"
"Well… I…"
"Hold on," Marshall interrupted. "Can I give it a try?"
"Oh! A new challenger! Think you got what it takes?" The announcer asked with a smirk on his face.
"Uh… This'll be my first time, so I'm kind of nervous," Marshall chuckled before handing him a $5.
"Hey, no worries! I'm a nice guy, so I'll give you two attempts to make it happen. As for you guys, if he can make it to the other side and back without falling off, you'll all get your money back along with a prize!"
"Really!? H-Hey, dude, you better make it! N-No pressure though!" One of them replied as Marshall nervously smiled.
"Geez… this is already sounding ridiculous," Bruce thought to himself as a small crowd approached them.
"Okay, here it goes!" Marshall whispered before holding onto the ladder. As he took the first steps, Bruce noticed something. The further anyone travels on it, the more unstable the ladder becomes. But since Marshall had his own technique, the ladder remained still.
"Whoa, he's really good at this!" One of the pups gasped as the cameraman pointed at Marshall.
"Yeah, he just might make it!" Another agreed and the announcer lifted an eyebrow.
"Hmm… He's definitely doing better than the rest of these morons, but fortunately for me, this baby's still got a few tricks up its sleeve." He smirked as Marshall made his way halfway across the ladder.
"W-Whoa…! A little shaky, but I think I can handle this! Hey Bruce, are you watching me?" He smiled as Bruce waved his hand.
"Yeah, keep going! You're almost there!" He smiled until suddenly, a hidden springer mechanism triggered after Marshall took another step, and he found himself tilted off to the side and letting go of the ladder.
"Whoa-! Oof!" Marshall shouted before standing back up. "Aww… I thought I had it."
"Ooooh! And down he goes with his tail in between his legs! Hopefully, that didn't leave a mark!" The announcer said as the others groaned.
"Awww…! And he was so close!" The pup whimpered as his tail and ears went down. "Look, sir, can I please just have my money back? I really don't know how I'm going to explain this to my owner…!"
"No can do, buddy. You know the rules. Gotta make it to the finish line and back if you want your reward."
"But this is impossible! Literally no one has ever done it!"
"Hey, calm down. He's still got another turn," Another pup comforted him as the pup sniffled.
"Argh… Please… Please make it this time…!"
"Geez… Hopefully that'll teach him a lesson," Bruce thought to himself before looking at Marshall. "I guess I'll have to carry him out of this if it becomes too much…"
"Phew…! Okay, I think I'm ready to go again!" Marshall said.
"Alright! Try to keep your balance, and don't fall off!" The announcer smiled before silently laughing to himself. As Marshall held on to the ladder, he took a deep breath before taking his first step. This time, he was completely focused. As the announcer watched him make his way back to where he was before he was launched off, he waited for the springer mechanism to work a second time, but this time, nothing happened.
"Keep going! You're almost there!" The other pups cheered as the announcer lifted his eyebrow.
"Any day now…" He thought to himself as Marshall grabbed onto a medium-sized teddy bear, then turned around and froze.
"Heh heh…. I got one, but how am I supposed to come back?" He asked.
"I don't know! Try walking in reverse or something!" A pup suggested before Marshall shook his head.
"I-I don't think I can do that…"
"Well… th-then try coming forwards just like that! Come on, you can do it!"
"O-Okay… I'll try…" Marshall muttered before slowly making his way back. "W-Whoa…! T-This is way trickier than before, but I'm almost there…!"
"Come on…. Pleeeease make it..!" The pup whimpered as the announcer was getting angry.
"Why hasn't he fallen yet?! Come on stupid thing, work!" He fumed before hitting the inflatable while no one was looking. Suddenly, the springer activated, but instead of sending Marshall off to the side, it threw him back to the starting line, where his brand new stuffed animal broke his fall.
"Oof! Aww, not again…! I… Wait, did I…?"
"He made it! He actually made it!" The pups cheered as they gathered around him.
"I did…?" Marshall wondered out loud before noticing where he was standing. "Oh my gosh, I did it! Bruce, did you see that?! I actually did it!"
"Heh heh! Way to go, Marshall!" He smiled as the announcer blinked twice.
"I...I don't believe it. The springer should have triggered earlier like last time, so what gives?!" He raged in his head before quickly calming down.
"Thank you…! Thank you so much!" The pup cried before hugging Marshall very tight. "You just saved my life…!"
"Heh heh! I-It was no problem, b-but… can you please…. L-Let me breathe?" He muttered before the pup let him go."
"Oh! S-Sorry…!" He said as the announcer shook his head.
"Well, I guess there's no point in making a fuss over it." He sighed before forging a smile. "Well, color me impressed! I think you're the first one to finish the course this year! Anyways, a promise is a promise, so here's your money back. Whenever the rest of you guys are ready, you can go get your prizes."
"Yaaaaay!" The pups cheered as Bruce shrugged with a smile.
"Well, lesson or not, this isn't so bad either," he thought to himself as Marshall approached him.
"Wow… It's so soft. It's hard to believe that it's actually mine now," he commented.
"Heh heh, well you better take good care of it. Have you thought of a name for him yet?"
"A name, huh?" Marshall paused. "Hmm… I can't think of any right now, but I'm sure l'll come up with one eventually."
"Alright then, I'll leave it up to you." Bruce replied as the others returned.
"Phew… I think I've had enough excitement for one day." The pup sighed as the others nodded their heads.
"Yeah, and it's almost time for this year's DJ to start playing." Another agreed as his eyes opened winder
"Wait, it's already almost seven!? Oh shoot! Ma said I'm supposed to be back before then! Come on, we've gotta go!" He yelped before turning to Marshall. "Uhh… I really wish there was somethIng I could do to return the favor."
"Oh no, it's okay! I was doing this for fun, so there's no need," Marshall replied.
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Positive! Maybe I'll see you guys again some time!"
"Yeah! I'll see you!" The pup waved as they all took off.
"Hmmm… What's this DJ thing they were talking about?" Marshall asked Bruce.
"Oh. Every year, the community likes to pick a bunch of amateur DJs to perform live for their first time. I never usually stick around for this long, but I've heard they do a pretty good job despite the fact that the whole thing isn't very organized. Why? You wanna check it out?"
"Mmhmm!"
"Alright then, but we should probably start heading back after this, because it's getting pretty late."
"Really? Wow, time went by fast. At least I can say I had a great time!"
"Yeah, me too! Wanna do it again next year?"
"Sure! And maybe next time, we can bring everyone else!"
"Heh. That's if we can convince them to all come out at the same time. Well anyways, let's finish this off with a bang!"
"With a bang! Got it!" Marshall cheered before accidentally tripping on his teddy bear. "Oof! I-I'm okay…!"
At the center of the fairgrounds…
The area was packed as everyone gathered around for the event. The center was left as a dance floor. Meanwhile, Bruce slowly looked for some space for him and Marshall.
"Is this place always like this?" He muttered while trying not to bump into anyone. "Remember, don't get separated, alright Marshall?"
No response…
"Marshall…?" He shouted before noticing Marshall wasn't around. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! Where did he go!? Marshall! Marshall!" Meanwhile from the people standing nearby.
"Hey, what's the old man screaming about?" A little boy asked his brother.
"I don't know," The brother replied. "He probably lost his child or something.
"Ehh, sucks to be him. Anyways, do you know who's going to be playing today?"
"Uhh… I think it was that one guy who goes by the name 'DJ Kool' with a K."
"Ugh… What a lousy-ass name. You think he picked that himself?"
"Wouldn't surprise me, but I've heard he does some pretty cool remixes for video games."
"... I hope you're not trying to be funny."
"What…? No! I didn't mean to make that a pun!" They talked as a person walked onto the stage.
"Gooood evening, Roseville! Who's ready to get this party started?" He shouted as the crowd made faint cheers. "Wow, tough crowd today. But don't worry! I think I've got just the thing for that! This first song is dedicated to my family and friends! I hope you all enjoy it!" As the song was playing, the crowd seemed to lighten up, but it felt as though something was missing.
"Wow, you were right! His music does sound amazing!" The boy said.
"Heh, you should go up there and dance." His brother suggested as the boy shook his head.
"Nuh-Uh! You do it!"
"No way! I ain't going up there!" The brother replied as Marshall moonwalked up to the center with his eyes closed.
"Well, he certainly doesn't mind." The boy said as the crowd started staring at Marshall. A few moments later, the blonde-haired girl and her pup could be seen passing by.
"Wow, that pup's got some moves!" She smiled.
"Yeah, I bet Chase can't do that!" The pup giggled as Bruce noticed Marshall in the center.
"Marshall, what are you doing!? Get over here!" He called out as Marshall turned around.
"Oh, Bruce! There you are! Come on!" Marshall smiled before tugging on his leg.
"What? No! You already know I don't dance!"
"Oh come on! Please?" Marshall begged with a smile as the crowd was watching.
"Ugh… You're lucky this is your first time!"
"Yay!" Marshall cheered as Bruce approached the center with him. At first, it was a little odd, but the more Bruce moved his body around, the less awkward it felt. Before he knew it, he was keeping up with Marshall. The crowd continued to cheer as Marshall started pulling in others to dance. Eventually, the center was crowded, and the party had truly begun.
At the front yard of the station (After the fair):
It was peaceful as Marshall and Bruce arrived at the station.
"And so we ended up having a competition to see how many glasses we could get stacked on each other, and… You can tell how that went," Bruce explained as Marshall gasped.
"It fell!? Oh my gosh! D-Did someone get hurt!?"
"Yeah, but it wasn't too bad! Just a few scratches on my arms and legs."
"Wha-! No! That's not okay!"
"Heh! Don't worry! We haven't done anything like that in years! We'll be careful next time!"
"Wouldn't it have been easier to just use plastic cups?"
"Well… Y-Yeah! It would have been safer, but there's no adrenaline to that!"
"Well, I want to give it a try! At least with the plastic cups…!"
"Hmm… I think we've got some in the kitchen. I'll go check it out while you go wait in my dorm."
"Oh boy!" Marshall barked before tripping on the empty cookie bucket. "Oof! I-I'm okay!"
"Careful, alright!" Bruce chuckled as Marshall ran off. "Heh… Just like a kid," He thought to himself before following him. As Marshall entered the dorm room, Bruce headed over to the kitchen, where everyone else was having a conversation as well.
"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked as Zen turned to him.
"Oh! Look who's here! Go on, Lorenzo! Why don't you tell him!?" She fumed as Bruce lifted his eyebrow.
"Tell me what?" He wondered as Lorenzo gulped.
"I… Umm... W-Well… We-" He stuttered before Bret placed his arm on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I've got this," He said before clearing his throat. "Earlier today, we scheduled an appointment with someone who was interested in taking care of Marshall for us. They should be around here sometime next week."
"...What?" Bruce paused.
"Yeah! And not only that, but he wasn't planning on telling us until after the meeting! Zen called out as Lorenzo sighed.
"Okay, I never said that," He mumbled.
"No, wait... Why so all of the sudden?" Bruce asked.
"I-I! W-Well, what can I say? You guys were right… I guess I was being stupid when I said we should get a dog. I'll-"
"No, I think you're being stupid right now! What happened to all of that talk about wanting to make this work!?"
"I-I don't know! I thought we'd be giving him more stuff to do, but there's nothing we can-!"
"No! It's not that there's nothing for him, it's that you aren't given him anything! And what happened to majority rules? You're just going to throw it away whenever you feel like it now? Is that what we're doing!?"
"I…"
"Actually, no! I don't even care! Just cancel that meeting! He's not going anywhere!"
"Now, hold on. Let's talk about th-" Bret tried to cut in as Bruce turned around.
"No! There's nothing to talk about! You guys are being ridiculous!"
"Bruce, listen to me! I know you're upset, but you have to understand that he's not just some kind of pet! We're only trying to do what's best for him!"
"No, you're not! You guys don't know the first thing about Marshall, and even if you did, that doesn't mean you can just take matters into your own hands!" Bruce shouted before turning to Lorenzo. "And the last time I checked, you've shown little to no interest in what he does, so why do you all of a sudden care!?"
"I.. I've always cared! It's just that I… I..." He stuttered before Zen interrupted.
"What? Can't come up with an excuse this time? I thought you're supposed to be good at that!" She said sarcastically as Lorenzo clenched his fists.
"Hey, would you get off my case already!?"
"What do you mean get off of your case!? You're the one who started all this, so why can't you give us an answer!?"
"It's not that he doesn't have an answer, it's that he knows it's going to be something stupid! I can bet you $100 dollars he wouldn't be doing this if he raised Marshall like his imagination!" Bruce said as Lorenzo lowered his head.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! You know, it's things like this that make me wonder why you're still a part of this station!" Zen yelled as Bruce nodded his head.
"Yeah! We're supposed to be a team, and if this is how things are going to be like, then it's probably best if you just resign. You'll be doing us all a huge favor," He said as Lorenzo got angry.
"I…! I-I've dedicated my life to this position, so if you have a problem with it, then you can-!" He paused as Marshall walked in.
"Umm… Is everything alright?" He wondered as they all looked at each other.
"Uhh...Y-Yeah, everything is fine. Just give me some time to finish up here, okay?" Bruce asked.
"Okay!" He smiled before walking away.
"You're not gonna tell him?" Zen wondered as Bruce shook his head.
"There's no need," He sighed before turning to Bret and Lorenzo. "Look, I really don't know why you guys thought this was a good idea, but at this point, I don't even care. I've got some stuff I need to take care of, so I'm trusting that you guys will do the right thing. If not, then I'll do it myself if I have to. That's all I'm going to say," Bruce said before taking a big bag of plastic cups and heading off.
"And where are you going with those?" Lorenzo asked.
"None of your business," He replied as Bret rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I guess you can't say he didn't come around, huh?" He said as Lorenzo sighed then sat down.
"... Just give them the call," He mumbled as he rested his head on the counter.
"You've got it." He replied before walking out of the kitchen along with Zen.
"Hmph… Teamwork…" She scoffed as she made her way back to the office. As the room was silent, Lorenzo felt a tear coming down his cheek.
"Resign..." He whispered. "You're okay, Lorenzo. You're okay…"
Back in Bruce's dorm…
As Marshall waited near Bruce's desk, the door slightly opened, and Bruce walked in shortly after.
"Alright, I got as many cups as I could find, so we should get a pretty high tower this time," Bruce said as Marshall stood up.
"Oh boy, I can't wait!" He smiled. "Say, what were you guys talking about in the kitchen?"
"Oh, it was just our usual arguments. There's nothing to worry about," He replied with a fake smile.
"Okay! I was just making sure, cause you didn't seem too happy back there."
"Hmmm, He noticed…" Bruce thought to himself before shaking his head. "It's fine. It was just some bad communication, but I'm sure it'll be fixed by tomorrow! A-Anyways, let's get started!"
"Alright! Where do I start?"
"Well, there should be about 120 cups in here, so I'd say start off with at least 15 on the bottom, and work your way up."
"Got it!" Marshall replied as Bruce continued thinking about what Bret said.
"He'd be better off somewhere else huh? Well… he does have a lot of talent, but even so, how would he feel about it? How would I feel…? He wondered before scratching his head. "Hey, Marshall…? Do you remember what you said to me about a few months ago? You know… about wanting to become the world's best fire pup?"
"Yeah. How could I not? I mean, you saved my life back there!"
"Heh heh. Yeah… Well, I was just wondering if you still had any doubts."
"Any doubts, huh?" Marshall thought out loud before looking down. " Hmmm… Now that I think about it, I haven't really doubted myself ever since then! W-Wow… I guess that's all thanks to you guys! Ever since I joined this station, I've learned a lot of new things that'll last me a lifetime, and I know I've still got a long way to go, but I'm sure if I keep this up, then I'll be there in no time!"
"R-Right! Right..." Bruce replied, unsure of whether or not he should tell him.
"And the best part about it is, I don't have to worry about feeling lonely anymore as long as I'm with you guys."
"I…" Bruce paused as he felt a tugging feeling in his heart.
"...You okay?" Marshall titled his head.
"Uhh… Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" He chuckled. "Anyways, I'm glad to have you around too! Believe it or not, you're the only reason I decided to keep this job."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I was actually planning on sending the chief a letter of resignation a few days after we got you, but a part of me just wanted to see how things would turn out."
"Heh heh! Well, I'm glad that almost everything's been going our way so far. In the future, I wish that every day could be like this."
"Yeah, but we've still got a job to do, so let's keep this up!"
"Right!" Marshall smiled before grabbing the pack of plastic cups. "In the meantime, let's see how high we can get this thing going!"
"Hey, be careful how you open-" Bruce tried to warn him before Marshall forcefully ripped the back open, causing them to fling across the room.
"...Oops," He whispers as Bruce smiles.
"I don't care what anyone says. He's staying whether they like it or not…"