AN: Hey guys, have another chapter to enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Paw Patrol


"Zuma was mine!" Keres shouted in frustration as she paced around the office of her client, Damien Stone, who was looking at her passively while sipping a soda. The knife wielding assassin had barged in the day after her failed attempt to assassinate Zuma and started ranting about how she was robbed from what she almost had. Based on her testimony it was most likely M.B.S aka Most Badass Sniper. It wasn't his real name, if anything it was an amusing one. However, he had the skills to back it up as he was considered the most deadly freelance sniper in the world.

"Well?" Keres asked as Damien just calmly took another sip before leaning back in his chair. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

"It's an open contract," Damien said with a shrug. "It's not my fault that others are interested in making four million dollars. You aren't the only assassin in the world you know."

Grumbling, Keres sat on the chair across from Damien's desk and snorted. "I know that, but there at least is professional courtesy."

"I didn't think assassins knew the word," Damien replied with a chuckle. "Besides, you had Ryder there in your grasp and he's worth $500,000. Why didn't you just slit his throat?"

"I go after the big target first," Keres answered with a huff. "You made Zuma's one million. I want him before I go after the small fry."

"Whatever cuts your meat," Damien replied as he shook his head in amusement. "If you want, I can make it up to you by telling who else just accepted the contract."

"Who?" Keres asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well, just yesterday someone by the name of Jagar agreed to the contract," Stone replied, which made Keres' eyes widen.

"Did you say Jagar? Shit," Keres muttered with a growl. "That's going to make things harder."

"Is he big news?" Damien asked, curiously. "I've been in jail for a few years so I'm behind on things. I'm still surprised the Boston Red Sock ever won a World Series while I was gone."

"Jagar is one of the top assassins in the world," Keres replied as she took out one of her daggers and stared intently at it while spinning it in her palm. "Just like his namesake, he's a hunter. A wolf specifically. Pure blood and deadly. He uses no tricks, gadgets, equipment or nothing. Just himself and yet he's managed to kill all his targets without so much as a scratch on him. You know the rumors that there was a planned invasion of Taiwan a few years ago by the Chinese Government? That was canceled because Jagar killed all the military leaders who were going to be part of that invasion and not a single soldier ever saw him but the aftermath was bloody and brutal. It was renamed a "War Training Exercise" by the CCP to save face, but anyone with the right info can tell you it was them backing down out of fear of Jagar being hired to kill again."

"Hmm, doesn't sound like someone who would just take a contract like this," Damien Stone pondered in thought.

"He isn't it. He doesn't care about the money, just the hunt," Keres answered as she flipped the blade a bit before putting it away. "Anyone else?

"Just one other. This one I do know because I've seen his work," Damien replied with a bloodthirsty grin. "Ever heard of Deadtail?"

"The cyber armored fox? Fuck yeah, I've heard of him," Keres replied with a shiver. "Ruthless. Tactical. And deadly. On second thought, I'm just going to kill one of the brats and just run after I get a paycheck. Even if it isn't the full four million."

"Eh, just kill one of them and I'm fine with it," Damien said as he threw his coke can over head and hit the waste basket. Suddenly, his phone rang and he opened it up only to tilt his head. "Correction, I have another one that just took the contract. And they sent me an email saying that they're going to get paid very soon."

Keres snapped her head. "Wait, they're striking now? Zuma's in the wind and the entire hospital is crawling with cops and staff. How do they intend to get in there? Who is this person?"

"Calls himself...I think I'm reading this right...\/\/1Z4rD?"


After enough recovery, Agent Kennedy and Blue were free to be visited in the hospital. The Paw Patrol and Detective Shaw decided to show their support by going to them. Chase and the pups decided to talk to Blue first while Ryder and Detective Shaw went to Kennedy after he had a talk with his fellow agents and let them leave before meeting up with the two. Surprisingly, the F.B.I. agent was in good spirits despite what he went through.

"If you think this was bad you should hear what happened in Mississippi when I had to deal with a bunch of right-wing militia nutjobs," Kennedy said with a chuckle. "Couldn't sit on my ass for six weeks."

"Well, I'm glad you helped save me. You and Blue both," Ryder said with a smile as he held out his hand. "Usually, I'm the one who has to do the rescuing."

"Just don't make it habit," Agent Kennedy replied as he shook the head before frowning. "However, we do need to talk about your former dog, Zuma."

Wincing, Ryder nodded. "I know. Look, he's...he's been through a lot. Stone...he broke him. Not just once, but twice. First by slaughtering his family and then putting us through Hell. I don't know what happened to him in between now and when he left us, but after what Damian did to him I just..."

To Ryder's surprise, Kennedy put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "I know what you mean. I've seen good agents change because of the shit we see in our job. But the fact is that he's a danger to not just others but also himself, Ryder. Regardless of what happens to him, we need to bring him in. For his own sake if anything."

"I hate to say it, but he's right, Ryder," Detective Shaw replied, getting their attention. Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, "I saw Zuma just mere hours after seeing his adopted parents and that kid looked like he was this close to wanting to die. Like he'd rather be six feet under then live with the haunted memory of his parents and sister being murdered by that sick psychopath."

Shaw walked over to the window and shook his head. "I had him, you know? My gun right against his forehead as I held him under arrest. Just looking into his eyes I saw nothing but pure evil with not a hint of good inside of him. Maybe if I pulled the trigger that day this all would have been avoided, but I didn't."

Turning to Ryder, Shaw then nodded. "Kennedy is right. I hate to do this to the pup too, but he needs to be brought in. He needs help, Ryder. Because he's either going to get himself killed or kill Stone by any means necessary. Maybe he hasn't crossed a line where innocent people get killed, but how long will that last?"

Ryder bit his lip and closed his eyes. He knew that what they were saying was right but to make Zuma a target for arrest? His mind thought to all those days in Adventure Bay that seemed like a lifetime ago. When they were running around, having fun, enjoying the summer breeze, and watching tv together as a family. Why did it have to end?

"I can't make this decision on my own," Ryder said with a sigh. "Zuma was also part of the pups family. They need to have a say in this."

"Understandable," Agent Kennedy said as he was about to say something when he got a ring on his cellphone. Taking it out, he accepted the call and asked, "What is it? Huh? Oh, sure."

Putting his hand on the phone he asked, "Can you guys give me a few minutes?"

Ryder and Detective Shaw nodded as they moved to the other side of the room to let Kennedy focus on his call. Detective Shaw pulled out a cigarette only to pause and mutter in anger about the hospital's "no smoking" policy. He folded his arms and sighed. "Well, we did manage to get your broken pup pad. The techies think that they can get what you recorded on it for evidence that will allow us to move in on Nikolai Brothers. You said something about them getting a shipment from the Chinese tonight, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know where they're going to be specifically," Ryder said as he tried remembering what he heard at the club.

"I'll tell dock patrol to keep on the lookout for anything suspicious then," Detective Shaw said before asking, "What about this assassin lady?"

Ryder shivered at the thought of the woman with the knives. The very look at her screamed "death" and with the way she nearly killed Zuma, Blue, and Agent Kennedy made it clear she was no amateur. She was a professional killer with a heart of ice that would slay anyone to get her prize. "I honestly think she was the most dangerous killer in that bar. The only miracle we're alive is because of that sniper shot."

"Which came out of nowhere and hit this assassin's dagger with a clean shot," Detective Shaw muttered, rubbing his chin. "The fact that a sniper could do that with such aim, from outside of a bar through a window? Has to be an expert."

"Try the expert," Kennedy muttered as he got off the phone and glared at the wall. Both Ryder and Detective Shaw looked at him as he looked like he just aged six years. "I just got a warning from my friends on Quantico. They just learned that M.B.S was spotted arriving at Costal City Airport yesterday but we're only getting word about this now. Worse, they've heard rumors that another top assassin, Deadtails, is coming here too."

"Three assassins? Okay, that's no coincidence," Shaw replied. "Stone must have put a hit on you."

"Or all of the Paw Patrol including Zuma," Kennedy replied as he leaned back in his bed and grumbled. "Criminal gangs. A murderous psychopath. A rouge pup acting like he's the Punisher. And now professional assassins. All we need is terrorists and we've reached peak shit up a creek."

Ryder couldn't help but feel the same as Kennedy was. Can I go back to rescuing Alex from something dangerous again?


"On behave of the entire Paw Patrol, I want to thank you for saving Ryder," Chase said as the others stood behind him with grateful expressions. Blue was laying on his hospital bed, smirking as the pups all looked at him with gratitude. "Seriously, you have no idea what this means to us."

"It totally makes up for the fact that you acted like a jerkbutt to Chase," Rubble said cheerfully which earned a moan from the others. "What?"

"Subtle, Rubble," Rocky muttered with a sigh. "Real subtle."

"It's fine, guys," Blue replied, raising a paw and waving it. "I...I did act like an asshole. And I apologize. Chase's existence brought bad memories, but that's not enough of an excuse for how much of an ass I was."

"Well, at least you're willing to admit it," Skye said with a snort. "Still, you did save Ryder. That deserves forgiveness in our books."

"Means that much to you, huh?" Blue asked in understanding.

"He's family," Marshall said with a nod. "Most of us didn't grow up with parents so Ryder's the closest thing we got to a father or a big brother. All of us consider each other family...we're just...missing one other."

The others all frowned and looked down with a whimper, especially Rocky who looked ready to cry. Blue frowned and looked at them all before sighing. "I guess that's the curse of being part of a big family. Because mine is very big. Heck, the family reunions with each other, their kids, owners, and friends? We have to rent out an entire convention lobby sometimes. And not everyone can make it or...sometimes our job costs us our lives. Being in law enforcement and all you dread hearing the day a relative of yours died on the job."

They all looked up at Blue who looked at them in silence before continuing, "But your family member is gone. He's just lost. He's been hurt and he's lashing out in the only way he thinks that he can do it to feel better, but I've seen that road taken by so many in my life. It never ends well. He needs to be arrested, but not just to stop his actions...but to save himself."

The others looked at each other as Blue asked them. "Do you want to help him?"

"Of course!" Rocky shouted as the others all nodded in agreement.

"Then you need to stop him," Blue said as he sighed heavily. "I'm not saying its going to be easy. He might even hate you for doing it. But are you willing to do whatever it takes to save Zuma? Even from himself.

The others were silent but their eyes soon started to turn to steel as they realized something after thinking more about what Blue said.

Yes.

They would save Zuma.

By any means necessary.

However, the moment was interrupted when Marshall tilted his head and pointed to the window. "Hey, what's that?"

Everyone turned to face the direction he was pointing at and were equally confused. "Is that...a drone?"

The said drone was a big one. About the size of the pups. It was floating on four propeller engines while sleeked in a dark purple coating. It was smooth, looked expensive, and had a small red camera looking at them.

"Um, what should we do?" Rubble asked, tilting his head.

Everyone's eyes widened however, when the bottom of the drone opened up and two gun barrels popped out.

"DUCK!" Chase answered as they dived to the ground with Blue rolling out of his bed.

The barrels fired and all hell broke lose.


He missed this.

He didn't realize just how much he missed it until Frisk suggested it to him this morning.

Costal City Beach.

The city might have been where he was born, but the beach and its sea had been his home.

He remembered every corner of the sand and the memories that came with it. How Gred and Marsha taught him how to surf. His first cookout. Watching fireworks with his twin sister. The amount of fun he had chasing after seagulls with his friends. And the Shack where he had helped his owners/parents with their jobs.

It was gone, the shack had been removed long after the events that caused Zuma's life to be ruined, but as he stood in the place where it once was. He felt neither sorrow nor joy, but melancholy. As if he had just stepped into a time warp. Closing his eyes, Zuma could hear the beach partiers hitting it up inside and around the shack. The waves crashing into the sand. The wind blowing in your face as birds flew above hoping for a tasty snack. The smell of burgers and fries being served with the order bell ringing up.

He remembered Greg's smile whenever he was proud of Zuma for working hard.

He remembered Marsha's laughter whenever she saw Zuma flipping to catch an extra fry from a customer.

He remembered Shelly's dancing whenever her favorite songs came out and dragging her brother out to join her.

Opening his eyes, Zuma just looked at the beach, which was closed for the day, and just sighed. "It feels the same...and yet nothing is the same."

His ears perked when he heard the sound of four paws coming towards him and he prepared himself in case it was trouble.

"Hey! This beach is closed for the day. I need you to leave...right...now..." Zuma narrowed his eyes in confusion as he slowly turned around only to feel his mouth drop and his eyes widen.

She had definitely grown since the last time Zuma saw her, and no longer had her pigtails, but she still had the cute bow around her tail. The female golden retriever stepped back a bit before she asked with hope in her voice. "Z-Z-Zuma? Is that...you?"

"R-Reggie?"