Hello there!
How are you all? Doing good? I'm so relieved; I can see grass! XD Winter is finally gone! Sorry that the chapters are coming out so slow. I hope the contents makes up for the snail's pace. A couple someones told me they think I'm not characterising the girl pups as much as the boys, and that they all feel the same (exception of Sweetie). Well, they haven't had much screen time. What do you think? Imma do better (hopefully), but guys you gotta tell me this stuff so my sisters don't call me out on my mistakes. That's embarrassing! XD
Anyway, thank you all for your enthusiasm and support. It's amazing to know so many people are enjoying my junk! A special shout out to my Canadian audience who have for the longest time made up a humongous part of the viewers. Thank you for that and maple syrup! XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Paw Patrol and all that stuff. You know the music, so let's dance!
2:12 AM, Barkingburg.
Zuma was TIRED: Ticked off; Irritated; Ready to bite someone; Extremely upset; Done.
Why? A little egotistical maniac kid had pup-napped him and kept him locked up for maybe an entire week or two, ran some painful tests on the Labrador and his friends involving needles and annoying beeping machines, and finally they were being freed, and Zuma couldn't even help beat the little moron up. Instead, he was being escorted out of the castle like a helpless little puppy just so he could let Chase and his pirate crew handle it.
Okay, they weren't all pirates. Zuma was still stuck on the fact that he was dodging through hallways behind Sid, one of the Paw Patrol's more competent and practical opponents. Most of their other rescuers were recognizable, except for the collie that called himself Captain. Where they had picked him up or who he was beyond the name was a big mystery.
"Sooo..." Zuma began, eyes roving down the halls that branched off for any signs of enemy movement. "What's the story behind this rescue?"
Chase glanced back from point position, a lopsided and somewhat embarrassed grin on his face. "It's a long one, but once we figured out that you guys were missing, we began recruiting help. Rocky picked Sid because, well, we didn't have the Sea Patroller anymore, dashing the original plan."
"You came on his ship?" Everest asked.
Tomissen nodded excitedly, eyes glinting. "It was a wild ride! We fought off pirates who tried to board and had a ghost in the hold and things like that."
"Aww, I wish I could've gone!" Rubble whined. "Pirate boarding action!"
"It wasn't fun, I'll give you that for free," Captain informed Rubble, stalking by a hall with his head facing that way. "We're talking bullets, cannons, and the stuff like that."
"Still cool," Rubble muttered ruefully.
"If ye don't mind possible demise," Sid replied, casually, punching a random castle guard who had just rounded the corner in the face just in the left temple. As he staggered, Sid followed up with a swipe of his leg, making the man fall to the ground, head impacting with a cringe-worthy conk. "Then yes, cool."
Skye looked at the unconscious man in concern, biting her lip. "What are you going to do about Harold?"
"I'm honestly not sure," Chase admitted, quickly hopping over the guard. The other pups followed his lead. "He's been more aggressive in my opinion, so we can't just let him be. I guess it's up to Ryder when we rescue him."
"Yeah, when you rescue him," Zuma grumbled loudly. "While we step outta the way and hide."
"You guys are tired and just got free," Chase reasoned.
Everest snorted in contempt. "All the more reason to let us help and get even with that twerp! You let Sweetie go and she was a prisoner too."
"She knows the castle better than anyone," Chase replied as they came to a stop by a window with the pane cut cleanly away in a circle. The cold night air blew in and ruffled Zuma's fur, making him shiver. Arrby and Tanya both deployed their grappling hooks from their packs, attaching them to the sill. "Alright, they'll get you all down safe."
Everest shook her head stubbornly, furrowing her brow. "I can help. Don't just send me out like a wounded puppy for rescue."
Skye put a paw on her friend's shoulder as Arrby began to help her towards the edge. "Come on, Everest. Chase and the others have it under control." The Husky shrugged her off as she descended, Tanya taking Rubble as well.
"Skye's right," Chase told her. "You don't have to worry, we've got-"
"But I can do much more than Sweetie for this," she snapped crossly. "That prissy princess can't hold her own without her gadgets, what good will she be to them?" Captain stepped forward, sharing a look with Chase. Tomissen, Zuma, and Tracker stood a bit behind, silently spectating the exchange in concern. Sid guarded the hall forward, sword in hand. "I'm only a little tired. I can help; I can fight."
Tracker looked at her in concern, large ears folding down. "Amiga, ¿puedes oírte a ti misma? Listen to yourself. We are rescue pups, not fighting pups; you shouldn't want to pick a fight purposely. Not out of anger."
"Speak for yourself," Captain mumbled, grunting when he was jabbed in the ribs by Chase.
Everest grimaced, looking at the chihuahua. "It's not about fighting. I'm not about to let Rocky and Marshall walk into danger."
Zuma cleared his throat, grinning slyly. "Is it both or more one of them that has you worried?"
The Husky gifted him a hard stare, a fiery glint in her blue eyes. "If what you're implying is that I'm more concerned for Marshall, you very well know how I feel, and I'm not shy about it. I want to be there for him and Rocky, not leave it to Sweetie of all pups." Tanya and Arrby had just come back up, both pausing at the tangible frustration in the air.
Chase glanced back as Sid stealthily crept down the hall, sword held at an angle, and rounded the corner. A dull thud sounded, along with a grunt, before a body impacted the ground dully out of sight. "We can't stay here and argue. You know this mission needs speed, and the longer we wait the more danger the others could get in." Everest opened her mouth to argue but hesitated, biting her lip. Chase continued, taking notice of her pause. "He'll be fine, I promise. I need you to go with the others and get geared up. If we need help, I'll want you helping to lead the others."
She looked like she wanted to argue further, yet she didn't. Instead, Everest huffed grouchily and walked over to her cousin. "Fine. But I will be right back." As she prepared to go over the edge, she pointed back at the police pup with a paw, baring her fangs. "Call us if they get into trouble. Don't, and you'll regret it." Chase nodded grimly as the pair of Huskies rappelled off, followed closely by Arrby and Tracker.
Zuma whistled, chuckling to himself. "Well, she really has the hots for that fire pup."
"Not now, Zuma," Chase sighed, nodding off towards Tomissen and Captain. "Move on with Sid; I'll catch up after he gets down."
"Yessir!" Captain saluted before dashing down the hall, beagle on his heels.
"Let's go break the police-kid outta jail!" Tomissen cackled, hammer extended from his pack.
Zuma looked on, silently impressed with the German Shepherd. He was in charge and authoritative, commanding the others effectively. Kinda the same Chase he had known before this whole misadventure, but something was different. He seemed more... confident in his position as leader. Reflecting back several minutes, Zuma grinned at how Skye and Chase had kissed. It may have just been their nerves or them finally confessing in their own way, but it had done something to the Shepherd. He had a spring to his step and a hyper-focus to his eyes. "So... are you and Skye a thing now?"
Chase cast an incredulous glance towards the Labrador. "All that's happening, and that's what you ask?"
The brown dog shrugged, looking out the window as Tanya's rope began coiling on her return. "You two actually made lip contact. I thought the world would end before that'd happen. Are you two gonna be a pair now?"
"Well," Chase said, blushing and staring off down the hall. "That is... undefined. I guess it's up to her."
The Labrador rolled his eyes. "Dude, she did the kiss. I think she made her choice."
"Is Doctor Love talking you through relationship things?" Tanya asked playfully as she crested the window.
"Unwantedly," Chase grunted, waving the Labrador towards her. "Get out of here, Zuma. And keep the others out of trouble."
Zuma saluted smartly, a genuine smile on his muzzle, and stepped onto the sill with the Husky. "You can always count on me, dude."
Marshall never thought as law enforcement he would be breaking and entering.
"Listen," Rocky said in a hushed voice as Marshall, him, Sweetie, and Busby lingered outside a large metal door. Being the kind that slid open, it stood out against the stone brick walls and overall medieval aesthetic of the underground tunnels. On the other side, voices could be heard shouting and yelling. Loud clangs and hammering echoed, and the rush of engines provided a steady hum to the cacophony. "I think we found our hangar."
Sweetie sniffed the air, furrowing her brow. "Jet fuel, and lots of it. Also... sweaty humans, blegh."
"We need to get in there," Marshall told her, looking to the door controls.
The Terrier gave him an amused look. "I would hope you don't plan to just waltz in through the door. I wager they are aware of us at this point."
Rocky nodded, humming in thought. "We need an alternative entrance; something less expected."
Busby squeaked, rolling back a little. Marshall glanced where the frog indicated, spotting a large vent above the door.
"Well, that will work," Sweetie observed, pacing up to the door. Bracing against it, she stood on her hind legs. "How do we reach it?"
"Pup tower," Rocky said matter-of-factly, walking up beside her. "Marshall, get on my back. Sweetie climbs as she is the lightest."
"Not this again," Marshall sighed, plodding over. "Don't you remember last time?"
"Hey, last time Rubble was involved, and so was that darn monkey."
"Um, is this a good idea?" Sweetie asked pensively as the Dalmatian slowly climbed atop the Mongrel, both wobbling profusely.
"No, but that never stops us," Rocky replied cheerfully, stumbling slightly under the weight of his friend who was now standing on he hind legs, reaching halfway to the vent. "Go ahead and climb up top."
"Great," Sweetie mumbled, beginning her way up. After hesitating briefly, she placed a tentative paw on Rocky's lower back, hoisting herself up. The pup stack swayed at her added weight, and she braced herself with a paw on Marshall's rear. The firepup blushed as he felt her begin to scale him, using his pack to pull herself up. Soon, she stood on his shoulders, the tower trembling slightly in unbalance. She pawed up at the wall above her head, about two feet shy from the vent. "Alright, now what?"
"I'll give you a boost with my hose," Marshall said, following up with a quiet bark. The hose extended from the red pack, lifting the princess pup upwards who made a surprised yip. She struggled to keep her front paws firmly on the wall as she reached the vent. Regaining her balance, she glared down at the other two pups before pounding on the cover, knocking it inwards after three tries. She crawled inside, turning and looking out.
"Marshall now," Rocky grunted, grinding his teeth when the Dalmatian kicked off him, latching onto the edge with his front two paws.
"I've got you," Sweetie told him as she gripped onto his arms, pulling him up with effort. Marshall scrambled wildly with his rear legs, lifting himself into the ventilation shaft. He found himself face to face with Sweetie, both of them looking each other in the eyes in the shadows of the metal shaft. He felt her warm breath on his face and saw the glint in her magenta eyes.
"Did you two die or something? We wanna come up too," Rocky called in a hushed voice. Marshall blinked, turning and looking down. Busby rolled forward on the floor below, squeaking twice.
"Toss Busby up here," Marshall told him. Rocky nodded, picking the frog up in his mouth. Throwing his head around, he launched Busby in a high arc into the vent. The frog landed with a tumble, squeaking angrily.
"I'm coming up," Rocky said, taking a few steps back. He made a dash straight for the wall, using it to vault up. Marshall's paws shot out and clamped down on Rocky's as he grabbed at the vent ledge. After he clambered in, Rocky nodded appreciatively. "Thanks. Let's go see what there is to sabotage."
The crisp night air was still, and the moon shone down as a bright spotlight upon the seven pups who moved expeditiously down a the sidewalk through Barkingburg, weaving past lamp posts, trash receptacles, and mailboxes. Skye and Zuma led the pack, followed by the others with Arrby bringing up the rear.
Zuma followed the familiar street path that was well documented in his memory, turning corners and taking alleyway shortcuts. The heavy padding and winded panting of his fellow freed prisoners interrupted the quiet night, telling of most of their exhaustion from their ordeal. A quick glance backwards revealed the many tired faces behind him. Skye herself was lagging just a bit beside him, gaze focused forward. The only exceptions were Tanya, Arrby, and Everest, the last having a steely glare. Zuma shook his head, returning his gaze to the street in front of him, trying to keep his breathing level as he too was tired.
"Here we go," Skye softly said as the group popped out of an alley opposite to a park. Neatly trimmed and lined up bushes and trees formed a perimeter that encompassed the large green space, broken at several points by footpaths that crisscrossed through the park. Looking both ways, the cockapoo jogged across the street, the others in close step. They all hopped up onto the sidewalk, continuing on into the park on one of the trails.
"This isn't the way that Rocky showed me," Arrby observed, looking as they passed by rose bushes and a duck pond in near proximity to the path. Several lily pads floated upon the still waters, drifting slowly and sluggishly.
"Ryder has several entrances to HQ here," Skye informed him, continuing to lead the pack. "They're more convenient than the truck entrance."
"Psst, hey!" Rubble whispered loudly, eyes darting about furtively. "Are you sure you want to let the little pirate know the entrance to HQ? He could tell Sid!"
The dachshund laughed, the sound echoing alarmingly in the quiet night, making Zuma cringe. "I already know the way in."
"Oh." The bulldog seemed at a loss for words. They continued in silence for another minute before he spoke again. "What about Everest?"
"What about me?" The lavender Husky asked in confusion.
He looked over incredulously. "Spider mutant dog?" Zuma, Tracker, and Skye snorted to hold back their laughter. Tanya and Arrby looked at them in confusion, while Everest sighed in exasperation.
"I've already been inside, Rubble. Multiple times."
Abruptly, Skye turned off the path and towards a bird fountain, coming to a stop beside it.
"¿Entrada?" Tracker asked, following with the others. "The entrance?"
"Yep," Skye replied, pawing at the base. "There's a button that looks like the badge somewhere." She circled around, humming in thought.
"Nothing strange 'bout a bunch of dogs hanging around a bird bath at midnight," Zuma said in a hushed tone, sarcasm abounding.
"At least it's not a fire hydrant," Tanya quipped, earning a chuckle from the Labrador and a disgusted look from several other pups.
"Here!" Skye announced quietly, hitting a shape that barely protruded from the shaft of the bath. She took a step back as the sound of water draining was heard. Drawing himself up to his hind legs, Zuma saw the last of the bowl's contents disappear in the center hole.
As he plopped back to all fours, there was a large popping sound like a seal being broken, then a rush of air as a circular section of ground lifted up, bird bath and all, and slid backwards, revealing a small, metal tunnel, big enough for an average sized grown dog to crawl through. It descended down at an incline and was lit by lights in the ceiling which automatically turned on when the hatch was breached.
"Whoa," Tanya mumbled in awe, peering down. "Ryder has some pockets."
Zuma chuckled, taking a step towards the opening. "Girl, you don't know the half of it. He-"
BOOM!
The Labrador nearly leapt out of his fur as he was interrupted by a thunderous noise which made the ground tremble beneath his paws and through his body. Car alarms were set off, adding to a cacophony or barking dogs, slamming doors, and people beginning to yell that now echoed through the night. He saw the others all staring in shock behind him, orange light glinting off their irises. He whipped around and felt his jaw slacken.
Over the Barkingburg castle rose a huge spire of smoke, spreading up and blocking the stars from view. From within the walls glared the harsh glow of flames, dancing in the smoke. The towers of the castle were partially concealed by the hellish plume which's size proliferated across the sky rapidly. Sirens began in the distance as the pups stared, dumbstruck.
"… ¿Qué infierno?" Tracker mumbled numbly, staring at the massive sign of destruction.
Skye looked away in a panic, dashing for the entrance to the underground. "We need to get geared up, pups!" Everest was right behind her, moving at a full sprint.
"Ten bucks says it was Captain," Tanya muttered as she and Zuma rushed to go down afterwards.
"C'mon, is that all you've got?" Captain taunted as he weaved between the legs of three guards who tried to nab him, missing by inches. "I've seen grubs move faster!"
Sid wrestled a man across the floor, sword having been knocked away, trading punches and yells. Tomissen smashed a guard's foot with his hammer, eliciting a pained shout from him. Meanwhile, Chase weaved his way towards the heavy wooden door across the top floor of the south tower, evading a man who attempted to dart him with his gun. The other men's arms had long been dropped as the combat went melee.
Chase dodged another dart with a roll to the left, deploying his net and launching it his a bark. The guard tried to twist away but was caught by the spread wire mesh, taking him to the floor and tangling his limbs, pinning him with the weights on the edges.
"Take this ye rapscallion!" Sid bellowed, pounding the man he struggled against with a solid blow to the temple. Disoriented, the guard couldn't resist as Sid launched him back with a strong kick. When he impacted the wall, there was a cracking sound before a rushing whoosh. The man exploded into a cloud of fine grey dust which drifted about into the room. His uniform landed limply on the ground, and a broken wrist-chain clattered to the floor. "What in Davy Jones's beard?!"
"They're not real!" Chase yelled, barreling into another man, knocking him to the floor. He gripped the man's own matching chain with his teeth, ripping it off. With a poof of air, the guard disappeared as well, leaving behind only his clothes and powder.
"Good to know!" Captain called back, tackling another hostile to the floor and following suit quickly and efficiently. Sid dashed by, attacking the next one. In a matter of seconds, they were all finished off, leaving only the man who struggled beneath the net.
"What do we do about him?" Tomissen asked, gesturing with the hammer out of his pack at the incapacitated guard.
"Leave him," Captain said, nosing through the piles of clothes. "It'd not be honourable to do anything to him."
Chase nodded, rummaging through the stuff on the floor. "He's right. See if you can find a key."
"Belay that," Sid declared, retrieving his sword and stalking to the wooden door. "Pirates bring keys with them." He slashed the lock, breaking the link that attached it to the door with a loud clang. He shook his head. "Locks these days." He pulled the door open.
Standing inside the cell was Ryder, the Princess of Barkingburg, the Earl, and several men, all who stared in astonishment at what they beheld outside.
"Chase?!" Ryder exclaimed, rushing through the door and scooping up the police pup in an instant, hugging him tightly. "You're here! I knew it!"
Chase buried his muzzle into Ryder's chest, immensely glad to be with his owner once more. "It's good to see you, Ryder."
Ryder let go, looking down at the German Shepherd with a mixture of pride and joy and surprise. The boy glanced around at the many eyes upon them. His gaze rested on the sword wielding pirate. "Sid? What are you doing here?"
The young adult tilted his pirate hat back, flashing his dashing grin. "Savin' yer butt, that's what. Ye owe me, don't ye forget it."
Ryder nodded hesitantly, standing up and looking backwards as the other occupants of the cell stepped out, several of which appeared to be real castle guardsmen. They began picking up the several tranquilizer guns off the floor. The Princess stepped out cautiously, the Earl moving protectively beside her.
"Your Highness," Chase said with a bow, the other pups mimicking clumsily. Sid bowed like a professional groveler, sweeping his hat behind himself with a great flourish, feather trailing through the air dramatically. "Are you okay?"
She smiled weakly to the police pup, motioning for him to rise. "I am, now that you have arrived. Thank you Chase and company for rescuing us."
"We're not outta the woods yet," Captain informed her. "Harold is still running about with an undetermined number of his dossers."
"Harold," the Earl spat in contempt, bushy brows furrowing. "That boy has had unrestricted access to the entire castle for days. Heaven knows what he has gotten his hands on." He glanced down in distaste at the pinned enemy, motioning to the real guards. Two of them marched forward and ripped the net off, while two more grabbed the prone man by the arms and hoisted him into the cell, slamming the door behind him. The last guard propped himself on the door, gun in hand. "James, stay here and keep him contained. The rest of you, protect the Princess."
"Yes, Highness," the men responded.
The Princess turned to Chase, eyes filled with concern. "Where is my Sweetie? Ryder has told me she was being held with the rest of the Paw Patrol beneath the castle."
Chase nodded. "We found her. Right now, she went with Rocky and Marshall to investigate Harold's hangar."
"Hangar?" The Earl and Princess asked in unison.
"We're not quite sure what his plan is, but we're moving to coun-"
BOOM!
A deafening blast rocked the air, making the tower tremble violently beneath the occupants' feet. The sudden jolt of vibrations threw Tomissen, the Earl, and several guards to the floor. The Princess let out a shriek of terror as the sound of flames roared loudly from outside. Chase turned to one of the arrow slit windows, seeing the view completely obscured by a solid wall of black smoke. Sid stumbled to the same window, waving his hand in front of his face and coughing as some of the smoke trickled inside, filling the room with the strong smell of burning gas with a metallic tinge.
"Everyone stay calm!" Ryder ordered calmly. "We should exit the tower quickly and in a calm manner."
The Earl struggled to rise, a guard helping him up. "What is happening?!"
"I'm not sure, but-" Ryder was interrupted by the familiar rumbling sound of a jet's engines. Out of the smoke cloud careened a craft very much similar in design to the Air Patroller, with twin propellers and engines, the main difference being that it was purple and grey. Chase registered these details as it narrowly missed their tower, going behind and it came two others, the proximity of their flight path sending further vibrations throughout the tower and dust raining from the ceiling. They left a cleared swath of air in their wake, revealing the flaming wreckage of another aircraft burning in the courtyard atop a landing pad of sorts. Three other empty pads were lined up beside it, and a large square hole in the ground revealed a huge structure underground. Figures scrambled about in the dark, barely lit by the orange flames that licked up at the sky for about twenty feet.
"It wasn't me this time!" Captain announced, staring in wonder at the destruction below.
"I guess we found that hangar," Tomissen muttered in shock.
"Sweetie!" The Princess gasped in horror, hands covering her mouth.
"We can't jump to conclusions," Ryder said, standing. "Chase, get down there and appraise the situation. Find out where Marshall and the others are. After that, we need to contain that fire." Sid and Captain made a dash for the stairs, taking multiple at a time.
"Yessir!" Chase replied, swiping his tag which now glowed blue. "Marshall? Do you copy? Marshall?!"
Marshall crawled through the ventilation shaft, which was really actually walking for a pup like him, so nothing was out of the ordinary. Right behind him came Rocky and Busby, and before him was Sweetie. They navigated forward, listening to the rushing of engines, clang of metal, and the occasional shout that echoed throughout the building. At intervals they crossed over vent covers, through the bars of which Marshall caught random glances of what was below. A hallway with men walking. Boxes. Crates.
Suddenly, Sweetie stopped, causing the Dalmatian following her to bump his nose into her rear. He held in a yelp as he jerked back, blushing fiercely. Busby and Rocky bumped into him in turn, the latter grunting.
"What is it?" Rocky hissed, craning his neck to see around them.
"The vent goes far up, left, and right," Sweetie responded. Marshall realized she was right, seeing a wall impeding their progress. Two other paths went in either direction.
"Which way?" Marshall asked.
Sweetie hummed little, glancing down both directions. Her tail wagged quizzically, and Marshall tried not to stare. "I believe we should go right."
Rocky shrugged, pushing Busby onward. "Good as any other option." Sweetie began again, turning around the corner and padding softly down the metal corridor. The others followed her, moving as silently as possible. As they continued forward, the vent covers were on the left wall. They all stopped at one, looking out.
"Whoa," Rocky mumbled. "Someone's been busy."
A cavernous room spread out in front of their view, with stacks of crates and boxes positioned at random. Five aircraft were powering up, each one of a very large size. They were comparable to the Air Patroller; in fact, they had an identical design with the propellers for having movements and the jet engines to achieve higher speeds, though they were purple and silver. The rear sides faced the pups, large doors opened wide. About thirty men moved about, loading in crates and some large units of machinery into the awaiting jets. With a large, square base, the machines had a taller, rounded part that extended upwards to the height of a full grown man. The width of them were of two. A control panel was on one side, with different buttons and levers. An antenna protruded from the top, completing the crazy piece of junk look.
"There's Harold," Sweetie said, pointing a paw towards the purple-armor-clad boy who overlooked the operation with his fists on his hips. Beside him were several canines of varying colorations and sizes. "Who are they?"
"No idea," Marshall responded, marveling at the size of the hangar. Beside each jet were large metal machinery stations, seeming to be attached to a square platform beneath each aircraft. "If not for his powers, I'd be in disbelief that he made all of this."
"Those are elevators," Rocky observed. "They lift the craft to the top where there are huge doors. They'll probably come out somewhere in the courtyard."
"Where does he plan on going?" Sweetie questioned.
Rocky scratched his chin. "Dunno. But I'm not about to let him leave." He barked quietly, and a ratchet driver extended from his pack. In a matter of seconds, he detached the vent cover and pulled it inside. "Ten-foot drop, we make for cover behind those crates to the right." The mongrel hopped out, landing with a slight tumble. Getting to his paws, he motioned the others down before hiding behind some boxes.
"Here we go," Sweetie whispered, grabbing Busby in her jaws before leaping out, landing gracefully on all fours.
"Great," Marshall muttered, slowly hanging himself over the edge before dropping down. Impacting the ground with an involuntary "oof," he rolled into cover. He stood, shaking some grime from his fur. "What's the plan?"
Rocky peeked around, examining the hangar. "We sneak around the back to the furthest jet. Sabotage the lift and its engines. Move to the next one, and keep on it."
"Simple," Sweetie approved, stepping forward.
Rocky smirked at her, gesturing towards the jets. "Let's hope you're as good with tech as you claim."
"Oh, I'm better than good, love," she replied with a flutter of her eyelashes.
Rocky snorted out a laugh. "Then try to keep up." He dashed out, keeping low. Right behind him was Sweetie, following him step for step. Marshall followed, aware that he was taller than both of them so trying harder to stay low and avoid notice. He glanced back at Busby, jealous of how easy the little frog had it. Stealth was no problem for him as he just wheeled around.
Circling around the edge of the room, the pups came to be adjacent to the first jet and its elevator. Creeping slowly and cautiously, they came up to the control panel on the pad. Rocky extended his ratchet driver, opening up a side hatch, revealing various electronic components from wires and switches to plugs and gears.
"How do you do 'sabotage'?" Marshall asked, eyes flicking back and forth between the electronics and the rooms activity.
"It's a delicate art," Sweetie informed him just before ripping out a few wires. Rocky, in a similar manner, unplugged something and jammed it somewhere else, making sparks fly. They both began having a field day of everything inside, scrambling it up or leaving it hanging loosely.
Marshall shifted his weight on his paws. "Make it fast. We don't want to get caught."
"Too late," a gruff, British voice said. Marshall felt something impact his side as he suddenly went airborne, landing in a heap across the floor, pain searing. He raised his head to see Rocky and Sweetie retreating from a large, stocky brown wolf that growled viciously. Behind him sauntered Harold, a large, victorious grin on his face. At his side was a huge white wolf, almost large enough for a person to ride upon, and a dark grey wolf that was comparable in size to Sweetie.
"Well, well, well," he cackled. "Looks like someone let the dogs out." Rocky and Sweetie began growling at the boy, and Marshall struggled to his paws, wincing a little at his pain from landing hard. "So you think you could just walk into here and mess with my stuff?"
Rocky snorted. "Anything is possible; you haven't exactly impressed me recently."
"I'm sure that can change quickly," Harold sneered, motioning to his canines. "Lupa, Feng, I don't want them following. Canis, we're going: now."
The small she-wolf and the brown brute stepped forward, snarling, while Harold and the white wolf turned and walked off towards the jets.
"Hey, I thought Harold just employed cats," Rocky snarked, stepping back once as the hostile canines approached. "What gives?"
"Things change, like your bone structure in a moment," Feng said with a malicious grin. Marshall shivered at the light in his eyes. It was… sadistic.
"I've got one thing to say then: scatter!" Rocky bolted to the left, tugging Sweetie to run. Marshall went right, Busby zooming behind him. With a glance back, the Dalmatian saw Lupa in pursuit, moving very, very fast. Pouring on his Dalmatian speed, he began to leave Busby behind as he weaved by crates and between startled men's legs. As he ran, he caught glimpses of Rocky dodging Feng, knocking him on the head with his tool hammer. Sweetie chased after Harold, who boarded his jet.
The hangar rumbled, and dirt clods began raining down as five sections of the roof opened up, revealing the star-filled night sky. Cold air washed in.
Getting distracted by the environment change, Marshall didn't notice Lupa had come dangerously close. With a growl, she pounced at him a full seven feet, narrowly missing. Yelping, Marshall poured on more speed, heart slamming against his chest.
The first elevator began going up with the sound of winches and tracks. As Marshall rounded the jets, Sweetie jumped on the second elevator an instant before it began to rise. Rocky made a beeline for her position, big monster-wolf hot on his tail.
"Hurry!" Sweetie admonished, watching the chase unfold. Marshall realized that Rocky would never reach the platform first, so he hung a left and made to intercept them.
Rocky's eyes met his, and a frantic question passed through their gaze. Marshall nodded, barking to deploy his hose. "Hey, jerk!" Marshall yelled, wondering if there was something cooler sounding he could have said. As Feng turned, the firepup barked, sending a jet blast of water directly into his face. The wolf took a tumble, sputtering and coughing. Rocky made it to the base of the elevator, leaping up to the awaiting Sweetie who grabbed his paws, barely hoisting him on as it continued to rise. They both looked down, concern evident in their expressions. "Go ahead and stop Harold! I'll be fine!" Marshall called as he dashed away.
He turned his focus to his pursuer, who… wasn't pursuing? Skidding to a halt and fully turning around, he saw Lupa jumping to board the third elevator which had already risen eight feet, soaring impossibly high for a canine of her size. Feng stood, shaking off and growling, then barreled to the fourth platform, hopping on as it began lifting up. The hangar had already mostly cleared out as Harold's goons had loaded up on jets. The last elevator remained immobile as Rocky and Sweetie had sabotaged it. Marshall watched as some men powered up the aircraft that rest upon it, seeming intent on leaving the hangar without the lift's help.
Barking, Marshall charged in that direction, jumping onto the ramp and aiming his hose across the cabin. He began spraying the inside, soaking the control panels, flight instruments, and occupants. Electricity sparked across the dashboard and the engines powered off, and Marshall felt a surge of triumph. Then he saw he had also sprayed the weird machine that was loaded inside. It began making crackling sounds and the lights on its controls were blinking spasmodically. It began emitting a beeping noise.
Stepping back, Marshall watched in horror as things began materializing adjacent to it. They were very much like wolves, but larger than normal: much, much larger than normal. They had long, sharp, jutting fangs, large claws, and vicious red eyes. And they kept appearing. The Dalmatian and Harold's guards retreated as the jet filled up with the monsters, all snarling and baring fangs.
Marshall sighed. "Well, this isn't good."
With a monstrous roar-howl mix, they began flooding out at Marshall and the men. Harold's goons scattered, quickly being overtaken and pounced upon. Marshall, however, stood his ground, hosing down the approaching monsters in a desperate bid for life, sending the recipients of the hosing tumbling back across the ground. No matter how many he pushed back though, more came from the jet, appearing out of thin air around the machine. They began circling around him, pressing the firepup back. It was only a matter of time before he was overrun.
One of them managed to sneak up the left, leaping forward with a snarl. Marshall brought the hose to bare too late, being crushed beneath the monster's weight and thrown back as its jaw snapped at his neck. Desperate, Marshall pushed back with all his might, digging his paws in beneath its head. Figuring the others would join in too, Marshall knew it was over.
A buzzing sound cut through the air, and suddenly the creature atop Marshall disintegrated into fine grey powder. Coughing as most of it ended up coating his face, he watched in half amazement, half horror as twin blue laser beams flashed from wolf to wolf. Every time it made contact with one, the monster would explode into dust. The source of the lasers was Busby, who rolled adjacent to the firepup and squeaked, still lasering.
"Thanks Busby!" Marshall said, gagging at the foul taste of the powdered wolf. "I owe you one!"
The knightly frog squeaked in pride, slicing and dicing all hostile creatures. Marshall noticed that all of Harold's goons were gone; torn uniforms and articles laying beneath piles of dust. There was no carnage nor remains. Marshall realized that these weren't real people, but more of Harold's copies.
"Busby, stop the machine!" Marshall called out, pointing inside the aircraft. The frog turned to look in that direction, lasers leaving molten lines in the body of the device. With some sparks of electricity, it died. All remaining wolves instantaneously vanished, as if they never existed. No new ones were made, and suddenly the only sounds were shouts and engines from above.
Busby continued to carve into the device, making amused sounds. Finally he shut them off, and Marshall raised an eyebrow as he read it out loud.
"'Busby wuz here.' Really?" The frog nodded in response, and the Dally snorted a laugh, relief washing over him at the averted danger.
BOOM!
Marshall instinctively fell flat as an earsplitting explosion went off above him, bright flash briefly turning the hangar into a sunbathing room. The ground shook, and boxes tumbled off their stacks, crashing to the ground and spilling their contents; mostly machinery parts. Marshall looked up in time to see a flaming engine and debris come tumbling down on a direct course to land on him.
"Yikes!" He yelped as he threw himself to the side, dragging a very indignant Busby with him. Marshall felt the heat of the flames as the large debris slammed down, smashing a small crater into the stone floor. A few larger metal chunks impacted the roof of the jet with loud clangs, sparks and embers being sent flying.
Shakily, Marshall found his feet, looking up as the light of flames lit up the night. Busby squeaked angrily, proclaiming that he could've saved himself.
"Come on, no time for that," Marshall told him, running for the entrance door to the hangar. "We need to check on Rocky and Sweetie!"
"Go ahead and stop Harold! I'll be fine!" Marshall called up before turning and dashing across the hangar at speeds only Dalmatians know.
"We can't just leave him down there with those things," Sweetie told Rocky, eyes flicking down from their lift in concern at the retreating firepup.
"He'll be fine," Rocky assured her, watching as the wolf named Lupa jumped nearly ten feet onto a rising elevator, eyes focused on them. Rocky whistled to himself. "I think the baddies are following us anyway. Man, that chick can jump."
"Hey!" A man yelled, stepping down the aircraft's ramp and raising a tranquilizer gun. Rocky rolled away from a dart that hissed by, springing forward and clamping his teeth on the gun. As the human tried to shake him off, Sweetie pounced his leg. Though she couldn't provide enough force to knock him over, it gave Rocky the chance to wrench it away from him. Deploying his claw arm from his pack, he awkwardly aimed it back at the man, using the robotic appendage to pull the trigger. A dart fired, striking him in the thigh. Sweetie hopped clear as he dropped to one knee, eyes unfocused, before a second dart to the arm knocked him flat.
"Denied!" Rocky laughed, tossing the gun to the side as the elevator stopped above ground. They were in the courtyard of the castle, at the end by the south tower. The stars twinkled down, providing plenty of light in the night blanketed interior of the walls. "We have reached our destination."
"So have they," Sweetie pointed at the next lifts as Lupa and Feng both rode up on separate lifts. The fifth one hadn't moved, due to some unfortunate mechanical issues. "What's the plan?"
"Sabotage this jet," he replied, gesturing to the one on their lift. "I'll distract them."
"Got it. Try not to die."
Rocky chuckled as the Terrier ran around the aircraft's port side. "There goes my plan for tonight." He sauntered towards the wolves as they stepped off the platforms and onto the grass, growling. "Good evening! How are you tonight?"
"It's not night, it's early morning. Too early," the big one answered in a gruff tone. Lupa looked at him incredulously for answering.
Rocky tutted. "Now that a negative point of view. So you're the grumpy one, right?" He turned to the other wolf. "Are you the cheerful one? Or just the pretty face?"
Lupa bristled angrily, snarling. When she spoke, she had a slight accent. "There's nowhere to go; we can run you down easily. Where's your little friend?"
Rocky brought a paw to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Little friend, little friend. Hmm… Nope! Can't think of it. Can you describe them?"
"Maybe a cracked skull will jog your memory," Feng growled, stepping forward.
Rocky faltered. This guy seemed to mean business, and that meant the bloody kind of business. Where was Harold getting these goons? The good news is that big ugly seemed a little more volatile in the attitude department, or at least eager to fight. With a quick glance back, Rocky saw he was between this guy and the landing gear of the jet. "All right, all right. I see you're a little cranky without your nap. Maybe you can go back to your doggy cage for a snooze while your friend and I talk adult stuff."
"Adult?!" He said, nose flaring as he leaned forward, ready to pounce. "What do you take me as, a puppy? I'm twice your size."
"Feng," Lupa said, rolling her eyes. "We can grab him and-"
"You don't tell me what to do!" He snapped with a curse at the end, inching towards Rocky. "You got a lotta nerve, mutt."
'There's some sort of tension with those two,' Rocky thought quickly. 'If I could play to that…' He grinned cockily, taking one step back. "Yep. I got nerve. And I also got brains, which is something I doubt you have, so if you'll move over and I'll talk to your superior there. Y'know, smart pup to smart pup."
Feng barked another curse, glaring him down. "You're not going to live to regret that, mongrel."
"The only thing I regret is not bringing nose pins. Dude, you reek. Ever hear of a doggy bath?"
Furious could not describe the wolf's face. Apoplectic maybe? "Any last words?" He growled out.
Rocky smiled innocently. "Yeah: you're ugly."
"THAT'S IT!" Feng yelled, charging at a speed that astonished Rocky. "DIE YOU BASTARD!" His instincts screamed for him to turn and retreat, but he held his ground. The wolf closed in, only a few feet away. That's when Rocky leapt away, feeling the wind from Feng's jaws snapping shut where he had once stood. The wolf continued onward, trying stop, but impacted the metal landing gear leg with a huge CLANG! To Rocky's surprise, the entire jet rocked, being knocked back a few feet to the side. When Feng collapsed away from the strut, the mongrel was astounded when he saw that it was completely demolished. The metal was dented, with a distinct Feng-face dent. The tire itself had burst and warped out of shape, the ring probably bent badly.
"Bastard?" Rocky mock pouted. "Now that just hurt." Something impacted him from behind, and he went on a tumble across the platform. He came face to face with a snarling Lupa. "And how are you, darling?"
Her mouth opened slightly, so he didn't know if she was going to speak or bite his neck or kiss him, though judging by her expression, number two was the most plausible. Before anything though, she was knocked from atop him by a flash of white fur. Rolling, he watched as Sweetie and Lupa growled and bit at each other and clawed. They separated, bristling and circling. Rocky got up, stalking forward to stand beside the Terrier. Their foe's eyes flicked between them, cold calculation passing through her look.
The sound of a jet engine rising momentarily distracted them as Harold's aircraft began to lift off. Seizing that instant, Lupa kicked off the ground, soaring clear over them and beside Feng, who had risen unsteadily. Tugging him, they both ran and boarded the jet as it began lifting off. The other aircraft were doing the same, and Rocky knew in moments all four would escape.
"We gotta stop them!" Rocky yelled.
"Come on then!" Sweetie hollered back, dashing for the second jet just the ramp touched off from the ground. Rocky ran after her as she leapt on, turning to help Rocky on. Inside the aircraft, the interior was almost exactly like the Air Patroller. Eight men sat on either side on the benches while the center floor was occupied by a large device with a square base and a rounded top. One goon piloted from the front.
Rocky, in an impulsive action, charged across the floor, by surprised men, and tackled the flight controls from the pilot's grasp.
"Gah!" The man yelled as the aircraft listed dangerously to the left, nearly sideways. The occupants of the cabin were tossed about, except for Sweetie who ran across the left wall and to the front, leaping to the floor as Rocky jerked the controls back to upwards position, making the pilot fall from his chair. The Terrier ripped open a panel below the dashboard.
"Quickly!" Rocky admonished, keeping the aircraft moving wildly in place, swinging the end out back and forth in an attempt to hinder the men who were trying to make for the front now.
Sweetie ground her teeth, paws moving through the various electronics. "Hard if you're moving it so damn crazy!" She ripped a wire clump with her teeth, and several gauges went dark.
"There goes the heading bug and artificial horizon!" Rocky announced, glancing back in worry as one of the goons tried to charge forward just to get launched to the side.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you need those?" Sweetie snapped, paws moving furiously. She barked, and Rocky's pack deployed a screwdriver.
"How-?!"
"No time!" She snatched it and stabbed it into the panel, making sparks fly. Alarms began sounding and red lights flashing. "Bug out!" She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from the chair, basically dragging him across the first three feet. Rocky began to smell smoke as they ran, dodging around the men and to the ramp. Suddenly, the jet jerked right, sending them both crashing into the wall hard.
Rocky shook off his daze, grabbing Sweetie by the collar with his teeth and tossing her out of the jet, her shrieking briefly as she toppled through the air, an instant before an explosion ripped through the front of the aircraft, sending shrapnel and sparks whistling over the mongrel's head. Something stung in his left back leg, but Rocky ignored it, leaping out the back of the jet and landing with flop-roll combination on the courtyard green.
Sweetie ran to him, grass in her furry bangs, and hoisted him up. "Get up! Get up!" They ran as hard as they could, hearing the jet spin out of control.
BOOM!
Rocky and Sweetie were sent head over heels and crashing into the ground. Somewhere in there, Rocky bit his lip, the metallic taste blood stinging his tongue. He found himself on his back, eyes on the stars that quickly were blocked my a choking cloud of smoke. Orange light flickered, and he raised his head, Sweetie beside him doing the same.
The flaming wreckage of the jet lay on its side, open blaze crackling and popping. One of the wings was gone, large pieces laying in ruin across the elevator platforms. Skeletal beams and metal supports stuck up at seemingly random angles. Smoke and the smell of burning fuel spewed into the air, probably very bad for the environment. Several figures ran or limped away from the destruction towards the castle. The other three jets flew off into the sky, one of them trailing smoke from a damaged engine.
Rocky sighed, letting his head drop into the moist grass, closing his eyes. A minute passed with no sounds except for the burning jet and the distant sirens that slowly grew in volume and therefore proximity.
"How do you feel?" Rocky opened his eyes, glancing at Sweetie who lay right beside him, less than an inch away. Her fur was dirty and matted, she was scruffy and dirty, grass blades had found residence all over her, and he just noticed she had a few bleeding gashes in various spots. Despite that, her magenta eyes retained an exhilarating light, reflecting the orange flames beautifully. "How do you feel?" She repeated in genuine concern.
"I feel heroic!" Rocky exclaimed giddily, laughing a little. "And handsome!" In truth, he probably was incredibly dirty, but he didn't care. That was, in his book, very awesome.
The Terrier snorted, swatting him lightly. "Good for you. I will have you punished for throwing royalty out a plane, for your information."
"What?!" Rocky sputtered incredulously, staring her in the eyes. "Uh, hello! I saved you, for your information!"
"It was humiliating!"
Rocky laughed devilishly. "You have a pretty scream."
She gasped, face flushing. "I did not scream!"
"Sure you did! I heard it!"
"You vagrant," she seethed, but there was no real ire. In fact, she snorted out a giggled. Rocky smiled as she swatted him again.
He narrowed his eyes mockingly. "Vagrant? How did you open my pup pack?"
Sweetie bit her bottom lip, eyes roaming. "Well… I might have had Busby hack all your pup packs a while ago."
Rocky blinked. "What?"
"That was before this misadventure! Besides, it came in useful, right?"
Instead of answering, he began to laugh. Long and hard. Soon, Sweetie was too. Despite all that had happened, and despite Harold getting away, Rocky was relieved.
The laughter for slowly died down as Ryder, Chase, Sid, Busby, Tomissen, Marshall, and Captain ran, or rolled in a certain frog's case, out into the courtyard, quickly pinpointing them and hurrying over. Behind them came several Barkingburg Fire Crews. Even a truck was let around.
"Rocky!" Ryder called as the firefighters began working on the wreckage, hoses spraying. The boy knelt beside the two pups. "Are you okay?"
"We're fine, Ryder," Rocky said with a lick to the boys face. "Good to see you."
Ryder rubbed his pup's belly. "You too. What happened?"
"That was me," Sweetie confessed, rolling to her paws.
"She meant us," Rocky added quickly, getting up as well. "We detonated it."
"I only intended it to be disabled, not to explode."
Ryder sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Luckily, the occupants were all Harold's clones, not real." Rocky cringed, thinking back to two certain individuals back at Adventure Bay. He saw the other pups all were thinking the same.
"Real or not, that explosion was top notch," Captain approved. "Stopped them from going anywhere."
Howls filled the air, and everyone turned in time for a wave of pups to wash over Ryder, licking and hugging the boy. Skye, Zuma, Rubble, Everest, and Tracker all wore spare firefighting gear and vests as they attacked their leader with love. Tanya skirted around them with her medkit deployed, looking Sweetie and Rocky over.
"Well, you two sure are scuffed up," she observed, wincing when looking at the mongrel's leg. Rocky glanced down and saw blood slowly seeping down his fur and staining the grass. "I'll get that cleaned and patched up quick."
"Where's Harold?" Ryder asked, having extricated himself from the dog pile.
Sweetie frowned, eyes watching as Tanya began cleaning out the wound. "Coward flew away. We don't know where, though. He has some wolves with him, at least three, and they're definitely not normal."
"How so?" Chase asked, sitting down on the grass.
"One is fast and can jump metres into the air, while the other is a large brute. He moved an entire jet by ramming his face into it."
"Harold ran some weird tests on us," Zuma volunteered. "The dude used meteor pieces and had us hooked up to his machines while powered up. Rubble had the longest containment." The bulldog whimpered.
"Super strength," Ryder muttered. "So he powered up some wolves?"
"They could be clones," Skye offered, sitting beside Chase. "He's been cloning everything, maybe he made them with powers."
"Yeah," Everest added. "Don't see what dog would help that moron. Especially with his whole cat thing."
Sid crossed his arms, leaning to his left. "Doesn't explain his leavin' so suddenly."
"Maybe we can find out where he's going from one of his men who are left here," Tanya suggested, helping the freshly bandaged Rocky to his paws. Sweetie stood as well.
"Interrogation?" Tomissen asked hopefully, hefting his hammer.
"Gotta follow Geneva Conventions, mate," Captain said ruefully. "No actual torture."
"What about the jet in the hangar?" Tracker asked. "Don't planes have a, eh, ¿Cómo se dice? Black box?"
"Oh, you're right" Ryder said, snapping his fingers. "There are probably planned flight paths inside. We can also catch up to him in it."
Marshall kicked his paw around, looking down sheepishly. "I kinda sprayed the interior with my hose. You may have to repair it the controls."
"Can we fix it?" Rocky asked loudly. Everyone looked at him oddly, and after an awkward five seconds he sighed. "You're supposed to say, 'yes we can!'"
"Right," Sid said slowly. "Let's get down there an' see what we can see!"
"Wait!" Marshall blurted, drawing curious gazes. "There's something inside; a machine. I accidentally activated it and it made… wolf monsters. Larger than any canines I've ever seen. They were vicious. Without Busby, I think they would've ended me."
Rubble paled. "E-ended?"
The Dalmatian shook his head. "I don't know what Harold is up to, but it was scary. They attacked Harold's guards, too. They weren't so lucky."
Ryder looked up at the sky, muttering something under his breath. After a moment of silence with the only sound the fire crews packing up their gear, he looked back at them, a determined face on. "We need to take it a step at a time. Get his destination, then intercept him."
Chase nodded, looking them each over. "We can do this. I'll lead a team to get gear from HQ. Rocky and Sweetie can help Ryder with our ride. Sid, take Tomissen, Arrby, and Captain to talk to any remaining goons of Harold's. Find out what you can."
Ryder looked down at his pup, seeming impressed. Smiling he looked them all over. "You heard Chase. Once we have the intel we need, we'll know how to stop him. You have your assignments: Paw Patrol, we're on a roll!"