A quick note before the chapter begins, KCC refers to the Kitten Catastrophe Crew
Ryder and the others remained motionless as Ember and Chase slowly walked towards them. Marshall was the first to realize that Chase had a shock collar around his neck, followed by Ryder who's face started to turn a shade of scarlet at the sight. Once Ember and Chase were ten feet from Ryder and the others they stopped.
"Chase…" Ryder squeaked. "I'm so sorry I let this happen."
"Don't be, it's my fault for not trying to escape." Chase said softly as he smiled at Ryder.
"Aww, how touching." Ember spat sarcastically. "Now I have all of the PAW Patrol members in my grasp.
"Not quite." Ryder said as he gave a cheeky smile and pushed a button on his watch and vanished.
"What the?" Ember cried in shock. "Kitties, FIND HIM!"
Soon the KCC started running around looking for Ryder as Harold and Mayor Humdinger approached the others.
"You know Ryder will get the better of you." Marshall popped off.
"Oh, is that so?" Ember popped back. "Say something like that again and see what happens."
"It is so!" Marshall popped off again.
Once Marshall finished, Ember reached into her pocket and pulled out a little remote with a dial and one button on it.
"I warned you." Ember said in a taunting tone before pushing the button.
"AWHHHHHHHHH!" Chase yelled as the collar started shocking him.
"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!" Marshall yelled in a panic. "STOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"
Ember complied with Marshall's order to stop and once Chase was done being shocked, he collapsed to the ground. Marshall's paramedic instincts kicked in and he started for his best friend before Ember stepped in front of him.
"I wouldn't go near him if I were you." Ember warned.
"Watch me." Snapped Marshall not realizing what he just said.
Once again Ember pushed the button on the remote but also turned the dial-up one notch. Chase now began to thrash around on the ground as the electricity flowed through his body. After ten seconds, Ember stopped. Chase was now curled up into a ball, sobbing heavily from all the pain his body is in.
"Would anyone else like to give it a try?" Ember sarcastically asked. "No? Then how about you follow my commands and the shepherd doesn't get shocked again, deal?"
Marshall and the others only shook their heads in agreement.
"Alright, Humdinger, Harold, you know what to do.
"Yes, Ember." Both Mayor Humdinger and Harold said flatly in unison.
Ember turned her attention solemnly to Marshall before pointing her finger to him and signaling him to follow her. Marshall not wanting to hurt Chase anymore than he has, obliged and walked towards Ember. Once Marshall was right in front of Ember, she reached down and put a set of cuffs around his front two legs.
"Now then, follow me." Ember said emotionless.
Ember led Marshall to the compound's front door before stopping in front of it. Marshall slowly turned his head to see Jake and Carlos pushed up against the wall being detained while Tracker was being shoved into a dog kennel.
"Wait here." Ember said sternly as she walked over to where Chase was still lying on the ground.
Ember reached down and picked the almost lifeless Shephard up and carried him over to the door where Marshall was waiting.
"Alright, let's go." Ember said as she opened the door.
Once inside Ember looked down at Marshall who gave a forced smile in return. Ember led Marshall down hallway after hallway. With every hallway looking the same, Marshall was beginning to think they were walking in circles but didn't dare to say anything to avoid Chase getting shocked again. Ember finally turned down a hallway that was different from the others, there were holding cells lined along both walls. Each one had its doors open and a number next to the door, numbers two through eleven. As Marshall walked by each cell, he noticed the floor was severely scratched in cells two and eight, however, Marshall failed to notice that cell one's door was closed and someone was inside still.
"What the hell?" Marshall whispered to himself.
"Your friends didn't want to comply very well." Ember said breaking the silence. "Mostly Chase and Everest."
"Everest…" Marshall thought to himself. Is she alright, is she hurt?"
Marshall was so deep in his thoughts he didn't realize Ember had stopped at the end of the hallway and walked right into her legs.
"Ugh." Marshall groaned as he fell on his butt.
"Try to pay attention a little better." Ember softly said without turning around.
"S...sorry." Marshall squeaked as he stood back up.
Ember opened the next set of doors to reveal a large room with more than enough computer equipment to make Rocky or even Ryder happy. In the center of the room was a large glass tube and something under a white bed sheet.
"What's th… that for?" Marshall asked as he looked at the glass tube.
"Why that's for you, Marshall." Ember answered in a semi demonic tone before closing the doors behind them.
Flashback to thirty minutes ago:
"Oh shit, this is great." Ryder thought to himself as bright lights shined on the group.
"Don't run." Bawled Chase. "Don't run, just do as Ember says."
"Yes, do as Ember says." Ember parroted before laughing maniacally.
Ryder listened to Chase and remained motionless as he and Ember approached them. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryder noticed that Marshall had tensed up. Once Ryder focused on Chase, his blood began to boil, and he could feel his face turning a nice shade of scarlet from the anger building inside of him.
Once Ember and Chase were about ten feet away from the group, Ryder decided he would speak up.
"Chase…" Ryder squeaked. "I'm so sorry I let this happen."
"Don't be, it's my fault for not trying to escape." Chase said softly as he smiled at Ryder.
"Aww, how touching." Ember spat sarcastically. "Now I have all of the PAW Patrol members in my grasp.
"Not quite." Ryder said as he gave a cheeky smile and pushed a button on his watch and vanished.
"What the?" Ember cried in shock. "Kitties, FIND HIM!"
Ryder knew he didn't have much time to come up with a plan, not to mention he could only remain invisible for short periods of time.
"Think Ryder think." Ryder mumbled aloud as he ran down along the wall.
Ryder noticed that further down on the building one of the basement windows was open.
"Here's my only chance." Ryder thought to himself as he ran for the window.
Ryder knew he had to make a dive for the window, otherwise, his cloak would run out. In one swift motion, Ryder dove into the open window and grabbed the ledge swinging himself against the wall just as his cloak ran out.
"Too close." Ryder whispered as he tried to steady his breathing.
Once Ryder was sure the coast was clear, he slowly moved away from the wall and towards the door. Once Ryder was at the door, he turned around just in time to see Cat Marshall looking at him through the window.
"Ah shit." Ryder said in disgust.
"Meow mew meow!" Cat Marshall cried, pointing at Ryder through the window.
"Looks like I got to run." Ryder said as he opened the door and took off down the hall.
Ryder wasted no time on trying to escape the KCC. Hallway after hallway, door after door, Ryder ran down each one trying to find his friends. Eventually, Ryder came to a new section of the compound he hadn't been through.
"Funny, I don't remember this part before." Ryder thought to himself as he turned down the hallway.
Ryder walked quietly down to the other end where two bright red doors were waiting. Once Ryder was at the doors, he could hear a voice coming from the other side.
"Time to end this." Ryder whispered as he re cloaked and opened the door.
Once Ryder was on the other side, he quietly closed the door before turning around to be shocked at what he was seeing. It was a large room, way larger than the lab Ryder has under the Lookout, almost filled with more than enough computer equipment to make himself or even Rocky happy, and in the center of the room was a large glass tube and something under a white bed sheet.
Ryder slowly walked towards the voice that was yelling profanities and banging equipment around. Once Ryder got to cover, he decloaked and peaked his head over a computer tower to see who it was. But once Ryder saw who it was, he wished he hadn't, for the person yelling and banging equipment around was Katie.
"Why am I stuck doing this shit!" Katie yelled as she threw a busted wrench across the room. "I mean really, why would that psychopath want any of this shitty equipment anyways?"
Ryder continued to watch Katie work as a million questions flowed through his head.
"Why is Katie doing this, why is she helping Ember, surely she isn't doing this willingly?"
With Ryder so deep in his thoughts, he never noticed that Mayor Humdinger and Harold entered the room along with Jake, Carlos, and Tracker, until Harold spoke up.
"Jeez, aren't you done yet?" Scolded Harold.
"I'd like to see you do this." Snapped Katie not looking away from her work.
"Why I oughta." Harold said as he clenched a fist and started walking toward Katie.
"I wouldn't do that Harold." Cautioned Humdinger, "Remember, we NEED her."
"Fine." Harold flatly said as he clenched his fist.
"How long until it is ready Katie?" Humdinger asked more politely than he intended.
"Should be just… about… done… GOT IT!" Katie said as all of the computers came to life.
"Excellent work Katie." Harold sarcastically said as he clapped his hands. "Now, you can go and eat now Katie."
Katie only grunted at the command from Harold before standing up and exiting the room.
"Oi, where are the others." Demanded Carlos.
"Why, they're right behind us in all of those cells." Humdinger said with a chuckle. "They could see you, but you couldn't see them."
"Besides, they'll be joining us for the show anyways." Added Harold.
"What show?" Questioned Jake.
"When Ember finally ends the PAW Patrol for good, by killing Marshall." Answered Harold in a demonic tone.
With Harold saying that, Jake, Carlos, and Tracker gasped in unison.
"That's downright evil." Snapped Tracker.
"Why, why him?" Questioned Jake.
"We won't let it happen." Added Carlos.
"Oh, she already has, now have a seat." Humdinger answered as he pushed Jake and Carlos to the ground.
"Oh, this is great." Ryder thought as he witnessed the exchange between Humdinger and the others. "I need to free the others now."
Ryder looked down at his watch and much to his surprise, he only had twenty seconds of cloak left before his watch was dead.
"Now this is really great." Ryder thought. "I need to move swiftly."
Ryder slowly worked his way around the room, until he was right next to the door. Ryder looked up to see Harold and Humdinger walking away from the door.
"Now or never." Ryder whispered as he cloaked and ran out the door.
Ryder ran down the hall to see there were eleven cells, each with their door open, Ryder quickly checked each room to find no one inside of any of the cells. Once Ryder got down to cell one, he noticed it was different from the others. There was a table with a manilla folder on it. Ryder being the curious boy he is, couldn't resist going to investigate. Once Ryder got to the table, the door slammed close behind him.
"Shit." Ryder said aloud before Harold appeared through the window.
"Got ya." He said with a snicker. "Enjoy your say, Ryder."
Ryder tried his hardest to break out of the cell, banging on the window with the table, trying to pick the lock on the door. But no matter what he tried, he just couldn't escape. Ryder finally accepted his defeat as he slumped into the corner of the cell. Not long after Ryder slumped in the corner, he noticed movement outside of the window, and much to his surprise, it was Marshall and Ember.
"Marshall!" Ryder yelled. "I'm in here!"
But no matter how loud Ryder yelled, Marshall never heard him, as he slowly walked down the hallway.