Chapter 5

The alleys were quiet. The sun was already setting, so the light was dim at best; only . Miracle, Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble were scanning the area looking for the two pups. Miracle knew the scents of the pups that they were looking for, so she was the only one who was sniffing the area.

"Almost find them yet?" Rocky asked, looking over at the Australian shepherd.

Miracle's green eyes were narrowed with determination. "I'm on the trail… I think we're getting warmer."

"You mean colder," Rubble jokingly offered.

"No, I meant- Oh…" Miracle giggled.

"Anything?"

"Hold on." Miracle put a white paw out in front of the group for a moment. Shortly later, she walked ahead of the group and barked, "Storm? Are you there?"

"Miracle? Is that you?" a voice asked.

The pups looked and saw a doberman pup. She was a little taller than Miracle, and her blue eyes focused on Miracle's green ones.

"Yes, it's me," Miracle said, "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah. A few months, right?" Storm said after a moment of thinking. Her eyes wandered to the collar and pack she was wearing, and then to the group following her. She gasped. "And a member of the PAW Patrol at that. It seems you finally got over your fear, eh?"

"Well… Kinda… I had a little help," Miracle admitted. She gave Rocky a meaningful look that only he saw.

"Ah. Well, I'm glad." Storm came three steps closer and turned her attention to the whole group. "So, what brings you full on members of the PAW Patrol here?"

Miracle once again spoke for the Patrol. "Well… Let me put it this way… The PAW Patrol needs your help."

"Oh? Why?"

"Well, it's a long story," Rocky said. "Er… do you want to hear the long version or the short one?"

Storm waved a paw nonchalantly. "The proper version of the story. I've got time."

The pups all exchanged glances before Rubble, surprisingly, started. "Well, it was Miracle's first mission as a doctor on the team. A human was attacked… and it turned out to be our fellow PAW member Chase's brother, Swift, who did it."

"Chase, police officer Germie by the way, ran off and started sniffing for his brother, who is older than him," Miracle continued. "He ditched the rest of the Patrol, and by the time we found him… he was injured badly. Dislocated jaw and six broken ribs."

"Wow… That seems pretty bad," Storm commented.

A nod from Rocky was her response. "It is. We all went looking for Swift while Miracle here took care of Chase for a surgery. I guess Skye was extra tired, she's a little aviation cockapoo who actually witnessed Chase get mauled, and she went back to the Lookout. Someone probably recommended she go there."

"Chase was in a sedated state and confessed he like-liked Skye. She wanted to go out and think, and Swift nabbed her and Chase got reintroduced to reality. We all came in when they called us, and Miracle thought of you guys." Zuma finished with a nod. "We were hoping you could help us apprehend Swift."

Storm stared stony-gazed at the group of pups for a second as she contemplated how to respond. "...Wow," she eventually replied. "I see where Miracle would think of me."

"Yeah, with the one police dog down, we're going to need another dog to take his place for now." Rocky nodded definitely.

"I see… This is only temporary, right?"

"Most likely," Miracle answered. "But… it sort of depends."

"Alright…"

Just then, another doberman walked up to the group. This one was a little shorter and had amber eyes instead of blue. She also had a slightly lighter shade of brown covering her muzzle and paws.

Miracle looked at the pup and said, "Hello Lightning."

"Hey, Miracle. How are ya?"

"Well, I could be better, but otherwise, I'm fine. Just need to borrow your sister for a bit."

Lightning tilted her head. "Oh?"

"Yeah, we need her to track someone down," Rubble explained, almost smiling at the pup. She radiated a friendly aura that he liked!

"Can I come?" the smaller doberman asked.

Storm looked at her sister sternly. "No, I need you to stay here. The dog they want me to track down is going to be very dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous with you!" Lightning exclaimed with an exasperated roll of her amber eyes. "I just want to have a little fun! Is that too much to ask?"

"When your idea of fun could end up getting you hurt, yes."

"Hmmph!"

"Sorry, but I just can't deal with you possibly getting hurt." Storm

"Sis," Lightning said, "We've been living on the streets. How bad can it be?"

Storm looked away. "You have no idea how bad," she muttered darkly.

"So… are we going now?" Rocky asked. "This is a super-emergency."

"Yeah…" Storm then looked at Lightning, "Go to the station, Lightning."

"Actually, I think she might be safer somewhere else," Miracle said suddenly. "Besides, we need to make one quick stop there."

Both sisters looked at at Miracle. "Where?" they asked in unison.

"You are familiar with the Lookout, right?" Zuma asked, picking up on Miracle's drift.

"Yeah…" Storm replied.

"Well… it is a closed building… and what's a PAW Patrol member, even a temporary member, without gear?"

"I guess," Storm said.

"Then come on," Rocky said as he took a few bounds out of the alleyway. "We need to get moving."

"Okay," Lightning replied.

All seven pups dashed out of the alley and began the long run to the Lookout.

It was, thankfully, not a long run; the seven pups made it to the Lookout without consequence. When they got close, Rocky spied a certain rad-haired leader Chase talking by Chase's rig. Miracle led the charge to Ryder. "Ryder, we managed to get some help."

"That's good… Replacement officers, I'm guessing? I'll get you two some old rigs. They're pretty bare-bones, but they'll get you to cover more ground."

"Uh… Yeah," Storm said. "About that… It's just one of us that will be helping out."

Ryder's smile dropped. "Oh, so, uh…"

"Really? I thought that was a joke," Lightning said, pouting. "You were serious?"

Storm walked up to Ryder. "Sir, my sister needs to be kept here where she'll be safe."

"Okay. I'll assign someone to stay with her."

"I don't need anyone to pupsit me!" Lightning announced indignantly.

"Please, just do as he says."

"Ugh! Why can't I help?"

Rubble put his paw up timidly. "Ryder, sir, I can watch her here."

The funky-haired boy looked at the bulldog pup. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It won't be a problem," Rubble replied.

Miracle, remembering the introduction Rocky had once given for Rubble, she added, "Besides, I heard that he likes sports."

Lightning's ears perked up as she instantly grinned. "You do? What sports ya like?"

"All of them," Rubble chuckled.

"Me too!"

"Cool!"

"We need to go, sir." Chase said.

"No, you need to stay," Miracle said. "You're still under my orders. Or have you forgotten about your injury?"

"But-"

"She has a point, Chase, you are in no condition to be out there," Ryder said solemnly.

"But I can't just-" Chase's collar suddenly went off. None of the others' collars were bleeping like crazy… He almost immediately jammed the tag.

"Your little Dalmatian friend has joined the cockapoo," rasped a voice everyone could recognize.

"Swift! When I get my paws on you-"

"Oh, I look forward to seeing you."

Storm growled lowly. 'This is the monster we're dealing with?'