AN: Alright, warning you all right now, this is going to be a very dark chapter. This is a chapter that I hate to write because I really like Marshall so much, but I have to do this. I swear if I get on TV tropes for this I bet all the tropes will be the dark ones.

Some people have wondered how Stone got all this info for the pups and why some "games" are crueler than others. Well, the first one is easy. He forced it out of Marshall painfully. It's already been hinted in the show that Marshall isn't the best when it comes to keeping secrets (See Pups Turn On The Lights). Second, the reason why some are crueler than other is that he's doing the best kind of pain not only to Zuma's friends but to Zuma as well.

Enjoy the chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Paw Patrol

If one could see into the homes of every person in Adventure Bay you would see them all waiting on the edge of their seats to see what choice Chase would pick. Two out of the three would lead to only worse situations for Marshall. The odds were against him, and Chase had to pick without a clue of what to do.

Back in the Lookout, the said German Shepard Pup was looking at each of the three cups with narrowed eyes. A part of him wanted to start panicking, but he kept his cool and tried to think of his best friend's life at stake. If he was there at the scene, he could sniff out which was the dog treat, easily.

One in three shot. Come on, Chase, he thought as he took a deep breath and decided on a leap of faith. "The middle one."

"Well, let's see…" said Damian Stone as he walked up to the table and put his hand on the cup. "Last chance to change your mind?"

Looking around, the pups and humans inside the building all started at Chase and nodded to him. Thankful for their trust, he looked at where Marshall was on the screen. "Marshall… I…"

"It's okay… I trust you…" said Marshall, giving a bloody smile.

A small smile decorated Chase's lips before he put back his serious face. "The middle one."

Everyone held their breath as Stone slowly lifted the cup… and revealed it to be a doggie treat.

"Oh, thank god," sighed Ryder in relief as did the other pups.

"Way to go, Chase!" congratulated Rubble which made the police pup blush.

"Fine, deal is a deal. Have it," said the criminal as he rolled his eyes and tossed it at Marshall. Having not eaten since he was capture, the dalmatian bit it with joy. However, after a few tastes of it he gagged and spit it out.

"Ugh, it's so old!" grumbled Marshall.

"Hey, there are starving puppies in Africa who would kill for that kind of treat," scorned Stone before signing and shaking his head. "Okay, so this hasn't gone exactly as I had planned…" He chuckled. "I guess the kid gloves are coming off… Ryder?"

Ryder froze up when he heard his name being called and gulped.

"Do you love your dogs?" asked Stone, slowly pulling out his knife and opening it.

"Yes…" whispered Ryder.

"Have you ever had to discipline them at times? Physically?" asked Stone as he flipped Shiva in the air.

"No. Never," said Ryder with a growl. He would never lay a single hand on his pups in physical abuse.

"Well, I've always found that sometimes to discipline your men you have to get physical… and you Ryder, are going to kick the dog as it were," said Stone as he walked over and lifted his knife.

Before Ryder could ask what he mean, he screamed as Marshall started screaming upon feeling Stone's knife dig into one of his paw's toes. Everyone was screaming and crying as Stone slowly began to saw Marshall's left rear paw's toe off with his knife. Marshall's cries echoed so loud across the speakers even those down stairs could hear him. Zuma held his paws over his ears and screamed for it all to stop

"Stop it! Stop it! Mommy! Mommy!" shouted Zuma as the memory of Marsha, her fingers being taken one by one, echoed in her mind. When the toe finally came off and the blood squirted out, Zuma lost all sense of control and fainted.

"Zuma!" shouted Rocky as he rushed to his side and held him. "Zuma! Buddy! Hang in there!"

"Wocky... please make it stop..." cried Zuma into his chest. Rocky held him close and gently kissed him on the forehead. He didn't even care if it looked weird, he just wanted his little brother to be safe.

Please... don't let him suffer... don't let another one I care about suffer... begged Rocky, as he closed his eyes and prayed. He tried to push away the images of another pup in his life he once loved very much, but stopped thinking about him out of guilt. I can't fail another... not again...

When it was over, Stone took some cream he had on him and pressed it against Marshall's toe, making the dalmatian whimper as his face was covered in tears. He leaned his head back and whimpered as Stone patted him on the head. "How does that feel, Marshall?"

"I ... I want... I want Ryder..." blubbered Marshall, who's toe lay on the floor.

"And here is what I want from Ryder," said Stone, staring at the camera as he inched closer. "I want you to kick Zuma. Hard." This got everyone's attention. "I want you to keep kicking him each time I say so. If you fail to do it, or if it's not hard enough, Marshall loses another toe each time."

Ryder felt like he was going to be sick. Kick one of his pups? One of his best friends? He couldn't do it. It was wrong. Wrong on all levels.

"Wyder..." whimpered Zuma as she slowly got out of Rocky's embrace and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Do it... kick me..."

"Zuma, no!" shouted Skye.

"You can't ask me to do this!" shouted Ryder.

"I don't want Marshall to die!" screamed Zuma, as he glared at his friends and owner. "I don't want to lose him! If I have to get hurt for him to live then fine! I don't care! I'd rather suffer a million times then lose another loved one!"

"... Zuma... don't..." moaned Marshall.

"Just do it, Ryder! NOW!" screamed Zuma.

"Tick tock, tock tick. Shiva's getting hungry for more blood," said Stone, waving his knife around.

Ryder clenched his fist so hard that blood was drawn. Shaw, still holding the puppad for STone to see, placed his hand on Ryder's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "Noone will think less of you..."

Closing his eyes, Ryder muttered, "I'm sorry, Zuma." And he rushed forward, his leg swooping forward.

Zuma shouted in pain as he felt Ryder's foot make contact with his rips. He sailed across the room, before landing hard, wincing in pain. Stone only laughed at the sight and clapped his hands. "Again."

"I'm going to kill you, you son of a bitch," said Rocky as he saw Ryder walk over and kick Zuma again, this time even farther across the room. Zuma hacked out some spit before wiping his muzzle.

"Again."

"Damnit! Isn't this enough!" shouted Ryder in fury, only to regret it as Stone frowned and made his way towards Marshall again. "No! Wait! Stop!"

"Too late."

Marshall screamed again as a toe from his other rear paw was removed. Slowly the knife tore the flesh and into the bone and yanked it off with a sinking twist. Marshall screamed so loud that the pups had to cover their ears. "Help me! God, please help me!"

"There is no God, pup," said Stone as he whispered into his torn earn. "But there is a Devil. And he made me."

"... pplllllleeeeaaasseeee..." begged Marshall as a small trail of urine dripped from his seat.

Stone only shook his head with a smirk before turning back to the camera. "Again."

Ryder wasted no time. He hit Zuma again and again. Over and over. They were all helpless as Zuma was forced to take blow after blow, but all of them were hurting from it. Including Ryder. For ten minutes, Zuma felt punishment to his ribs and was forced to eat the ground with each kick. His teeth were grinding in pain so much that he could have broken them all from the intensity alone. A small trickle of blood dripped from his nose as he felt the bruising in his ribs like fire inside his chest.

Ryder had been crying non-stop. For him, this was the worst betrayal to a pup who he gave everything to after losing it all. There would be no forgiveness for this in his mind. Forever more would he hate himself for this day until he died.

The pups all knew that Ryder was not to blame. He loved them like family. He would never hurt any of them on purpose. All this did was make them vow to take Damian Stone down by whatever means necessary.

Rocky felt his heart torn with each kick. For even one moment, he wanted to attack Ryder and just take Zuma away from this. Away from this pain, Paw Patrol, and Stone. For one split second he didn't care about anyone but Zuma as his heart began to race again. Why... why do I feel this way when it comes to him?! He's like a brother to me but... but...

But what if it was more?

"Stop. That's enough."

Everyone sighed in relief upon hearing this. Ryder instantly ran to Zuma and hugged him. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." sobbed Ryder as he held onto Zuma as gently as he could.

"It's... okay... Wyder..." moaned Zuma, who was barely conscious.

"Well, that was enjoyable," said Stone with a smile.

"Goddamn, psychopath! I should have shot you all those years ago!" shouted Shaw. "I swear, the first thing I do is put a bullet in your head! Procedure be damned!"

"I cannot wait," said Stone, crossing his arms in amusement. "But we still have more games to play first."

"Haven't you done enough?!" shouted Rubble, crying his eyes out. "We get it already! Just stop!"

"I said, we're not done yet," issued Stone as he got up and rubbed his chin. "Now I believe there was one more pup who had to go before Zuma... oh yes, that little loud mouth known as Rocky."

Rocky gulped as he heard his name, but stepped forward with a growl. "Whatever sick game you have planned. Just bring it already."

"Oooh, quite brave aren't you?" asked Stone with amusement. "From what Marshall told me, you and Zuma are quite the best friends? Am I right?"

"Yes," muttered Rocky.

"Good..." said Stone as he took out his gun and aimed it at Marshall. "I want you to start insulting your best friend. Tell him he's pathetic. Tell him he's a failure of a brother. That all of this is his fault. Marshall's suffering. That kid's trauma. His family's death. All of it is his fault.'

Rocky slowly turned around and stared at Zuma who was curled up in Ryder's embrace, like baby trying to escape the horrors of the world. He saw Zuma... his Zuma.. suffering like this... and he couldn't do it.

"No."

Everyone turned around and stared at Rocky who stared at the screen in defiance. Stone blinked in surprise before growling. "What?"

"I said no. Screw you," said Rocky, sitting down. "I'm not going to do it."

STone fired the gun near Marshall and missed him just barley. The pups sighed in relief upon seeing him unharmed. "I said I would shoot him. You this gun is fake? It's not!"

"I don't care..." whispered Rocky, lowering his face. "You can hurt my friends. Hurt me. Fine. But you will not, under any circumstances, force me to hurt Zuma."

"Damnit, Rocky!" shouted Chase as he rushed over and growled at Rocky's face. "This Marshall's life we're talking about!"

"... I'm sorry..." whispered Rocky, closing his eyes. "But I just... can't..."

"... Well, its looks like he's dead then," said Stone as he aimed the gun.

"... but I can give you something else."

Stone stopped before he could pull the trigger and raised his eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"... what if I was to reveal my deepest secret... for all of Adventure Bay to know..." whispered Rocky, lowering his head in shame. Tears were dripping down his eyes as the one pup he never thought to utter in his mind again came to him. I'm so sorry, Ryan.

"If you're talking about your abusive owner, Marshall already told me about that," snorted Stone, rolling his eyes.

"That's only half of it..." said Rocky, getting everyone's attention. "... there is something I never told anyone. Not even Ryder knows, but I'm done hiding..."

"Wocky?" asked Zuma as everyone focused on the Recycling pup who bit his lip.

"... you guys remember when I said he almost drowned me and I played dead to escape?" asked Rocky, as he slowly turned to his friends and gave them a sad smile. "I lied... it wasn't me he drowned... it was my little brother, Ryan."

The entire room was silent. Rocky felt a huge relief escaped him as every pup looked at him with wide eyes. Stone was even lowering his gun as he listened in. "My brother... we're only a two years apart... but he was the world to me. For a long time it was him, me, and my owner. A perfect family. When my owner lost his job it all came apart. My entire world came crashing down as my ower abused us. He... hurt us... insulted us... I can still feel his beer bottles smashing into my fur..." Rocky lowered his head as memories of horrible times began to appear in his mind. "Have you ever had to watch your little brother, your best friend, just ask why your owner was so mean? Why he didn't love you anymore? I tried to tell him this would fade, but even I knew this was a dark reality we ended up in."

"Rocky... don't speak... anymore..." whispered Zuma, but Rocky ignored him.

"One day... he was drunk... so bloody drunk... my brother couldn't take it anymore. He told him off for what he was... a loser and a hateful man. He didn't take it well..." Rocky was now openly sobbing. "My b-b-b-brother... he was dr-r-r-raged by that man... and into the tub... t-t-the water was s-s-s-so hot it was burning him... burning him!" screamed Rocky as he could hear the screams of pain, the smell of burnt fur and scalding flesh, the futile attempts of Ryan trying to free himself.

"He begged... b-b-begged me to save him... he screamed s-s-so loud..." Rocky fell to his stomach and sobbed. None of them had ever seen him sob so much. "BUT I DID NOTHING!"

He jumped and screamed, "I did nothing! I didn't save him! I didn't speak! I just sat there and watched in horror as my owner drowned my little brother! I could have done something, but I didn't! I LET HIM KILL MY BROTHER BECAUSE I WAS A COWARD!"

Rocky let out a scream before falling silent and taking deep breaths. Everyone stared at him with pity and tears, even Shaw had a tear in his eye. "That night... I buried my brother in the backyard... and I got the police... and that's my story... that's everything..."

Before Zuma even knew it, he was rushing out of Ryder's hand and wrapping his paws around Rocky. Rocky who always let him cry on his shoulder. The one who was always there protecting him. Who had just let himself open up the harshest wounds he had just to spare Zuma...

Now for once, Zuma was going to comfort him. He let Rocky cry on his shoulder, comforting him. Letting him know he was there. Rocky held nothing back. Years of guilt and self-torment finally unleashed after so long. He's the same... thought Zuma as he closed his eyes. He's the same as me...

A small series of claps got everyone's attention as Stone slowly put his hands together and shook his head with amazement. "Wow... that has to be one of the saddest stories I have ever heard...I really liked it... although the drowning in hot water idea is something I need to try out in the future."

"Your sick..." muttered Rocky.

"Hey, be grateful that I'm letting you pass because that story really caused you pain... but not it's time for the final round!" said Stone as he whistled to his men on the other side of the camera.

Does he ever stop?! growled Zuma who wanted nothing more than to take that knife and shove it down his throat.

Zuma's anger was soon replaced with fear as he and the others saw a big stomached woman in her early thirties, tied and gagged, get dragged into the screen via wheelchair by an masked man. She was struggling against her bonds and crying tears of fear as she stared at the camera.

Stone reloaded his gun as he twirled it around. "This is Macy Hinder. She's about 34 years old. Married... and is due if four months."

"Oh my god," whispered Chase, as Skye buried her face into his chest in fear. "Is there no end to his evil?"

"Now, Zuma," said Stone, getting his attention. "You have a choice to make." He pointed the gun at Marshall who was staring at the woman in concurn. "Either I kill Marshall..."

He then aimed it at the expected mother. "Or I kill Macy and her unborn baby."

He smiled as he turned to the camera. "You have to choose who will die."