AN: Sorry for the lateness everyone, work has been busy with our project almost done and since it was the holidays, I figured I would just take those days off until I was free again to write. Now, I've been notified that my fic "Marshall Gone Missing" is on Encyclopedia Dramatica. Personally, I don't care, its fine my me if they mention it for whatever reason so there is no need to alert me about such things. As for hateful comments? I ignore them. Anyway, please enjoy the latest chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Paw Patrol
"Man Plans God Laughs" -Popular Yiddish Proverb
There was a saying that said, "Ignorance is bliss". Chase didn't believe in such a thing until he learned of his true origins. Sometimes, he wondered if it would have been better to be just an orphan rather then the product of a rape. Knowing that you were the offspring of a victim and a criminal was bad, but knowing that your mother lost it, killed your siblings, and then herself in grief was worse. What made it an entire shitshow was when the relatives of that family, your half-siblings and your mother's mate, blamed you for it all.
Chase knew he wasn't to blame, Ryder had all but helped him through that phase. The family needed someone to blame for their loss even if it was illogical. After the disastrous meeting with his only remaining family, Chase had cut ties with them as a respect to their wishes to not seem him ever again.
Yet, he was still surprised that fate decided to make him meet his older half-brother after all these years. He knew of Blue, the oldest of his siblings, who had become everything their mother was and more. He knew he eventually became FBI, but he didn't think Blue would have wanted to work with Chase if either of them knew their groups would be working together.
Telling me to go die was a clear idea where his feelings are still after all these years, thought Chase as he walked around the police headquarters to familiar himself with its layout. It was going to be home base in their efforts to find Zuma and stop Damian Stone so he figured he used the time to check it out until the meeting started.
He wasn't honestly looking forward to Blue glaring at him, but Chase would ignore it as best as he could. The mission came first after all.
"You okay?" Chase turned around and saw Skye behind with concern all but written on her face. It warmed him knowing she cared, but he pushed those feelings down before giving her a nod. "I don't care what his issue is. He shouldn't have said that to you."
Chase sighed before nodding to a nearby soda machine a cop was using. After he left, the two walked over for privacy. "Look, don't blame him. He… he and the rest went through a rough time after our Mom died. I know it sounds like I'm giving him an excuse-"
"You are," muttered Skye, placing her paw on the ground hard. "Chase, I know your mother got… forced on and killed herself, but that wasn't your fault."
"It's more then that, Skye," Chase said, whimpering as he lowered his head. "She killed my siblings. The ones she gave birth too. How does it look when a K-9 Cop, a hero and looked to as a source of inspiration, kills innocent children in a mad rage before ending her own life?" Raising his head, he looked into her confused eyes. "She betrayed the very law she enforced. She committed murder, of pups. And instead of facing justice for her crime she took the easy way out. Her reputation, her name, her legacy was smeared in the mud. And all that survived from that crime was me. The product of that assault and the only one who wasn't killed. I don't know I was spared, but she did it."
Taking off his officer badge, he looked at it. The symbol of which he and his family had honored for years. "My half family was hounded by press. Their names became tied to the killer of pups. A disgraced officer who helped ruin her own family." Place it back on his chest, he sighed. "How do you recover from someone you love becoming a monster because of events out of her control? The city that you once loved to protect turn on you in a second for something she did. To have to suffer for her sin every day?"
Skye gave no answer, she just lowered her head as Chase continued, "Blaming me is just their way to deal with it. I know it, and I think deep down they know it too. I don't make a big deal of it because whatever pain I have is nothing compared to what they went through as a whole. So, I let him talk like that to me because it's just how he can deal with it. How he can keep that once grand image of our mother in his mind without accepting she became a monster."
"It's still wrong," whispered Skye.
"Yes, but sometimes we can't help but do the wrong thing. No matter how much we don't want to."
When the meeting was finally called into action, it was filled to the brim with so many people that Ryder could barely keep an idea where his pups were. Beside his team, there was Detective Shaw, a few others he trusted on the case in the same rank, the FBI team, S.W.A.T. and a red-headed female officer who oversaw the Gang Crime Unit.
"We're all gathered here today because Costal City is dealing with the worst gang leader in the city's history: Damian Stone," replied Detective Shaw, placing both hands on the table lying in the middle that had a map of the entire city. "Damian Stone has been highly active since his escape. All but the smallest of gangs are working with him again. Guns, drugs, theft, and more have increased 60% since his return. What gang members we arrest aren't saying anything, mostly out of fear."
He began to walk around the table, drumming it with his fingers. "Now, we all know what Damian is like. He's cold. Psychotic. And doesn't care for any kind of life; not even his own. He's killed men, women, children, dogs, cats, and more. Everything is pure game to him to kill and he revels in it." Pausing, he took a moment for everyone to get that before continuing, "I don't care how we do it. I don't care what methods we use. But Damian Stone needs to be either captured or taken out. He's planning something. Something big. He likes to make a spectacle out of his action, so whatever he's got under his sleeves is going to risk a lot of lives. We need to stop him before it happens."
He looked at everyone in the area with respect. "We got the best officers of our district here, along with three top tier S.W.A.T. units. We have the FBI, the Paw Patrol, and GCU's full team. The governor has given us a blank check but be warned. This blank check is going to be used to support this team, so if I see one requisition for something as small as a condom for you to bang the Mayor's secretary, I'll have your balls nailed to my door." There were a few snickers, but the glares of the more senior representatives hushed that.
Walking to the table, he placed a marker on an area northwest of the map. Crossing his arms, Detective Shaw said, "No, I don't know if he's doing it to taunt us or if he's actually made a mistake, but Damian Stone has managed to turn his former HQ into a working progress again." He eyed a few of the nearby officers. "Some of you might remember that this is where we captured the bastard the first time. While its not his main HQ anymore, it is a major site for the products his gang members are shipping. Information might also be available there, plus it would do a serious blow to Stone's operation. Maybe get him to mess up in anger."
"Do we know what kind of resistance we'll be dealing with?" Agent Kennedy asked.
"One of my men scouted the area, it's a fortress," replied the head of the Gang Unit. "From what we can tell they got men stationed everywhere and alarm system to warn them of anything coming thirty feet from the wall."
"Can we slip someone in an disable them?" Ryder asked.
"You'd have to find someone with stealth training and small enough to go undetected," she replied.
"I can do it," replied Chase, standing up as all eyes went on him. Including his brother. Gulping, he calmed himself before professionally reporting, "I can use my Spy Gear to get in. Rocky can walk me through on how to disable the alarm system."
"Sure, shouldn't be too hard," Rocky seconded.
"No offence, while you are the right size and you have some good training, I'm not trusting this to just one pup," replied Agent Kennedy before turning to a surprised Blue. "Agent Blue, you're going to accompany Officer Chase."
"Sir?" whispered Blue, narrowing his eyes.
"Your personal feelings are to remain subsided, Agent," warned Agent Kennedy as he glares back. "You will work with Officer Chase."
Blue growled before facing Chase who did his best to look calm. "Understood."
"The rest of us can plan a full-on assault after the system is taken down," said Detective Shaw, hoping to refocus attention on the operation. "Now, this is what I propose…"
"You're sure about this?" Zuma asked for the sixth time. When Frisk returned saying he had good information for Zuma, he didn't expect it to be this good.
"Yup, my contact tells me it's true," answered Frisk with a grin. The white terrier laid back on his half-ruined couch and crossed his rear legs. "Damian Stone's got some big holdout where a lot of his goods are shipped from. Everything from full on AK-47's to Angel Dust. It's also got a record area for where his stuff is going to and from."
"Will he be there?" asked Zuma, getting his cloak.
"He only visits once every week and the last time he did that was two days ago. So, I doubt it," replied Frisk as he tilted his head. "You seriously thinking of going in there alone?"
"Yes, but not now," replied Zuma, shaking his head. "I'm not stupid to just charge in without a plan. I'm going to scout it out today and take action tomorrow."
"You going to blow it up?" the terrier asked, "Cause that last boom you made got a lot of attention."
"Tempting, but no. I'll inform the police about it and let them take care of it. I just want the information," Zuma replied as he opened the door. Pausing, he turned around and nodded his head. "Thanks, Frisk. You didn't have to do this."
"Eh, just make sure you don't get killed on this crusade of yours. Or me for that matter," replied Frisk, shrugging.
For the first time since meeting him, Zuma smiled and nodded before leaving to plan his next move.
