Thunder boomed through Adventure Bay, and over the lookout as Rocky and Everest sat still in Marshall's pup house. It didn't seem real. None of it seemed real. Had their friend really run away?

Was Marshall really gone?

Rocky's mind raced with thoughts as he closed the door to Marshall's pup house. He wouldn't be able to ask Ryder to track him, since he had confiscated Marshall's tag, leaving him with an empty collar. There was no way he was going into that severe rain, since there was active thunder and lightning out there, and even if they did throw all caution to the wind, where would they even look.

Everest didn't seem to share the same thought process though, as she suddenly opened the door to Marshall's pup house and tried to run out.

The recycling pup quickly grabbed her by her collar, pulling the Husky back, "What are you doing!?"

"We need to go and find Marshall, now!" She shouts, trying to escape from his grip.

He tries his best to pull her back, "Are you insane?"

Everest snaps at him, "Are you? Marshall could be out there, cold and alone, and you want to just wait so your fur doesn't get wet!?"

"Going out to look for him wouldn't do us any good."

"But—"

"Marshall's a tough pup, he's probably fine!"

"That's bull!" Everest pulled away, running into the rain.

Everest, stop!"

The Husky hadn't made it five steps out of the lookout before she was tackled to the grass by Rocky.

"You don't have to go, but just let me!" Everest begged as she looked up at the recycling pup, "Why won't you—"

"Listen to me!" Rocky's voice was almost as loud as the thunder booming above.

As Everest slowly closed her mouth, she came to a realization. They were out in the rain, and the mixed breed's umbrella was still leaned up against Marshall's pup house. The recycling pup's body shook as he felt water slither down his spine. As though the rain was acid dripping onto his body, Rocky seemed to flinch at every raindrop that touched his fur.

"I... I understand that you want to find him. To make sure he's safe, to reassure him..." His breathing grew shaky, "It sucks, I know that. I feel so stupid... I should've known that Marshall would've pulled a move like this..."

Rocky wasn't the best at showing his sincerity, he never was. But in the rain, keeping his other friend from going down the same thorny path that Marshall had just walked down, he couldn't help but to allow his eyes to fill with tears, the salty liquid mixing with the rain as it slid down his nose and landed on Everest's fur.

"Marshall is a pup who won't hesitate to put everyone else above himself. Marshall is a pup who wants to carry burdens on his back so others won't have to strain their own. Marshall is a pup who finds a smile for those who have lost theirs..."

Everest fell silent, astonished.

"I want to look for him too!" The soaking wet pup cried, the tears in his eyes rushing forward tenfold, "I want to let him know how much he's done for me! He saved my life! He affirmed to me that it's okay to be me!"

"Rocky—"

"But the most logical option is to wait, don't you understand!?" He howled, his voice echoing into the air around them, "We can't risk our health by running out into the rain like this! Could you honestly say that this is the best time to go looking for him?"

Everest's eyes drooped. As always, Rocky made a good point.

"... Look, if we go out there wandering aimlessly to find Marshall in the rain, we're bound to catch colds. Do you want to be holed up at Jake's cabin for days on end, or wait until the rain passes to find Marshall?"

"I..." The Husky's mouth fell agape, "I..."

Rocky waited, but the rest of her sentence didn't come. Everest simply closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around the gray pup. She had been so wrapped up in how she felt about this situation, that she had neglected someone else on Marshall's side. The first one to be on Marshall's side.

Amid the sounds of nature's cleanse of the area around them, a single whisper seemed to be the loudest thing heard for miles.

"I'm sorry, Rocky..."

.

.

.

As Ryder dried Rocky and Everest off, he couldn't help but to wonder why they were out in the rain in the first place. Especially Rocky. Neither of them seemed all too willing to talk, and the two seemed exhausted.

The young leader left a towel around each of their backs as the two went to look out of the window. The rain didn't seem to have let up anytime since they were outside.

Everest looked down, "Rocky...?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think Marshall's okay?"

"I believe what I said earlier. Marshall's a tough pup..." He answered, "I can't even count how many times I've seen Marshall wipe out without taking any damage. He's got a pretty resilient body."

A faint giggle slipped out of her mouth, "Yeah... He's pretty tough."

The two stopped once they heard the sound of footsteps getting closer. The two turned around to see Skye, who looked a bit confused as she made her way over to the duo.

"Are you guys okay?"

Rocky immediately turned back around, his eyes narrowing. Skye was at least cordial to Marshall following his suspension, so he never held any ill will toward her, but after the Dalmatian's departure, he didn't want to interact with anyone who wasn't Everest. After all, the Cockapoo was indirectly involved with why Marshall wasn't with them any longer.

Everest, meanwhile, couldn't lie to her best friend, "It's been... Less than okay..."

"What do you mean?"

"Marshall ran away."

Skye looked over at Rocky, who had stated what he knew. His voice was callous, every syllable coming out of his mouth seeping with venom. The recycling pup didn't turn around. He didn't want to look at her.

"He... What?"

"You heard me..." He spoke once more, "...He's gone. We don't know where he is. Are you all happy now?"

"Marshall ran away!?" Rubble, who, along with Zuma and Chase, walked into the room.

Everest seemed surprised to see the other pups, "Were you guys listening in on our conversation?"

"...Yes...?" Rubble slowly dragged out the word as he saw Chase and Zuma begin to shake their heads, "...No. Absolutely not."

Rocky groaned as the three pups made their way over, "Isn't this what you all wanted? You never seemed like you wanted Marshall around."

Zuma sat beside his best friend, "Of course we wanted Marshall around, dude... But that was before he stole all of those bones. That kinda made it hard to believe."

"Right, the evidence..." The recycling pup muttered.

"Hey... Are you doing okay?" The Chocolate Lab, for once, dropped his casual air and decided to just talk to his friend, "You were out in the rain for a while... Your fur is all damp." The aquatic rescue pup gently pressed a paw on Rocky's arm.

"I'm..." His cheeks warmed up under his fur, "...I'm okay, just waiting to dry..."

Zuma's gentle touch was electric to the seemingly stoic mixed breed. His spine tingled with a strange sensation as his best friend felt how damp Rocky's fur was. He didn't want to really talk with the other pups after knowing that Marshall ran away, but Zuma? He was his best friend. He liked him. Maybe a little more than normal.

"Why were you even out there for so long? You hate water."

Rocky soon regained his composure, "This is a problem bigger than me."

Everest couldn't help but to hear this, a faint smile on her face. It was no secret that the two didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, often bickering, but hearing Rocky admit that keeping her from getting herself sick was bigger than his fear of water made her smile.

"We gotta tell Ryder!" Skye began to walk away.

"I wouldn't bother."

The Cockapoo stopped in her tracks, "Huh?"

"Firstly, Marshall left by his own volition, even leaving evidence of this in the form of a note..." Rocky explained, "Additionally, Marshall is no longer a member of the PAW Patrol, meaning that even if Ryder wanted to look for him, he has no right to bring him back."

"So... He's gone?" Skye asked, earning a nod from Rocky and Everest.

"Let me see the note."

All of the pups in the room turned to Chase, who had been silent for the vast majority of the conversation, only spectating and listening to the others. However, upon the mention of a note, the German Shepherd pup was intrigued.

Rocky could easily detect that Chase wasn't asking to see it, he was demanding that it be brought to him. The mixed breed gulped faintly, not sure how to say what he wanted to say. He had never been good with starting conflict, especially when it came to those that were supposed to be in charge of him.

"The note was addressed to me and Rocky, not to the PAW Patrol..." Everest stepped up, "That means it's not for us to show. It's up to Marshall."

Being the oldest among them, as well as being the outgoing pup that she was, Everest had no issue with conflict. Nor did she have a problem with putting Chase in his place when need be.

"Where's the note?" The police pup's eyes narrowed, "I'm Marshall's best friend, he'd let me see it."

The Husky shook her head, "You lost the right to call yourself that when you didn't take his side!"

"How was I supposed to take his side against all of that evidence?" Chase asked, glaring at Everest, "I couldn't just—"

"What? Go against Ryder?"

"Oooooh..." Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and even Rocky covered their mouths with a paw at Everest's retort.

They all didn't really want to say it out loud, but they knew good and well that Chase was Ryder's favorite. He was his first pup, after all. The pup he made the PAW Patrol alongside, and the first pup he ever trained for rescues without the help of his father. In turn, most of the pups had thought, at one time or another, that Chase went a little too far with respecting Ryder's authority.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A low growl seeped out of his mouth.

Everest knew that Chase was offering her one chance to back off and go back on what she said. But if she knew anything about herself, it was that she was not exactly one to go back on what she says. The Husky stared into Chase's eyes. As she opened her mouth to speak, it was almost like she could feel Marshall cowering behind her, pleading and begging with Chase to believe him, to believe that the evidence Chase had seen so many times wasn't him.

Just the thought that, if Chase maybe had taken Marshall's side, he wouldn't have run away. The police pup had the most authority when Ryder wasn't around. Had he decided to believe Marshall, he could've done something to prevent his so-called 'best friend' from leaving. But she could only speculate what Chase could've done. Right now, all she knew for a fact was that Chase wasn't any help to helping Marshall stay in the PAW Patrol. So why should he have the right to that note?

"I'm saying that maybe, had Ryder believed Marshall, you would've too!" The Husky clarified, "You're supposed to be a herding pup, but all I'm seeing is a pup who's always getting herded. You're not touching that note until Marshall says so."

"You—!" Chase was about to say, but stopped when Skye stepped in the middle of them.

"Stop it!" The Cockapoo screamed, shutting both of the pups up, "You're scaring Rubble!"

The two looked over at the Bulldog, who had his paws over his ears as he looked at the two with a distressed whimper.

"Everest, Chase, you two are respectively the oldest and the second in command of this team, yet you're arguing like newborn pups!" The aviator pup shouted, "I can understand that we're all going through a rough time, but all of this fighting is going to do nothing!"

Both Chase and Everest let out an exhale, looking in different directions. Out of any of the current members, Skye definitely was the best at getting both of them to shut up and listen. As it stood, only she could snap those two out of it before they did anything they might regret in the future.

"You two don't have to agree, but why fight about it?" She looks at Chase, "Why fight, when this could all be settled in a month, when Ryder asks Marshall to show his evidence?"

"That is, if Marshall gets any evidence before then..." Rocky thought about the departed Dally.

"If you can't agree, then be cordial..." She then looks at Everest, "If you can't be cordial, then separate. It would be better for all of us."

The Husky let out a dry laugh, "Fine by me."

"Everest..." Skye reprimanded.

Everest stood up and walked into the elevator, the doors swiftly closing behind her.

She needed to call someone. During this storm, she was unable to go back home. But she wanted nothing more than to call her owner, Jake. She missed him. She wanted to hear his voice. To hear his advice. He always seemed to know what to do. Whatever problem she had, her owner was always able to help her figure out a way to solve it. She was doing mental gymnastics. She needed someone to set her straight.

The doors to the elevator opened, letting her walk into the highest point of the Lookout, where a large screen was waiting for her.

.

.

.

Taking off a hat to reveal his dark brown hair as he sat in front of a fireplace was another human. The human sighed with relief as the warmth from the fire wafted over his body. It certainly was getting colder outside of his cabin, where he lived.

Jake, the owner of a skiing resort up in a mountain named after himself, had just finished closing up the resort early once a storm fell over Adventure Bay. Because of the cool climate, the rain was quick to turn into snow, and that snow began to pile up.

He would just need to wait it out in his cabin and stay warm.

A buzz from the boy's pocket made him flinch for a moment. He hadn't been expecting a call. Answering the video call request from what seemed to be Ryder's lookout, Jake waited a moment for the call to go through.

Once it did, Jake smiled. On the video call was Everest, who had a solemn smile as she saw her owner.

"Everest! Nice to see you. How's it been hanging with Ryder and the pups?"

"...That's actually what I called to talk to you about..." The Husky looked at her owner, "Did you happen to get a newspaper in the last day or two?"

"Newspaper? Up here? No dice on that..." Jake chuckled, "Why?"

"Well, Marshall is in trouble. Big trouble."

"What do you mean?" The snowboarder leaned forward in his seat.

"You see, Ryder, Chase, the pups, and all of Adventure Bay thinks Marshall stole a bunch of stuff, and there's even a video tape of it!" She sighed, "Ryder even suspended him from the team, and gave him a month to prove that it wasn't him before he goes to the pound!"

"What? No way. Are you pulling my leg?"

"I wish I was!" The Husky groaned, "There's a videotape of a Dalmatian stealing from Mayor Goodway, but the thing is, it isn't Marshall. It's another pup with a black spot around his right eye."

"So they think that the spotted Dalmatian is Marshall?"

"Yeah!" Everest nodded, "Marshall, Rocky and I saw the pup with our own eyes, but we didn't get a picture..."

"I believe you."

"What?" Everest's face went blank when her owner spoke.

"What would you need to call me and lie to me for?" Jake asked, "You know what you saw. Ryder and the others might not, but it's not like you can blame them."

"Oh thank you, thank you, Jake!" The Husky sighed with relief before her face fell once more, "But that isn't the end of it, though."

"Hm?"

"Marshall ran away..." Everest's ears drooped, "Rocky and I don't know where he is, or if he's even okay. We wanted to look for him, but didn't want to get sick with all of the rain."

"That's not good..." Jake muttered.

The mountain pup looked at her owner, desperation in her eyes, "I don't know what to do, Jake!" She exclaimed, "Ryder won't go looking for him because he left on his own, and I still have duties to fulfill as a member of the PAW Patrol. I can't just go looking for Marshall for however long it takes to find him, what if there's an emergency at the resort?"

"You said Ryder is giving Marshall a month, right?" He asked, Everest nodding in response, "The way I see it, there are still more members of the team beside you and Rocky. If you want to go looking for him, I say go look for him."

"But... I can't just prioritize Marshall over Adventure Bay and the resort!"

"To me, it feels like you already know where your priorities lie, y'know?" Her owner spoke in his usual calm voice that soothed his pet, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to make sure your friends are okay."

"But—"

"Everest, listen to me."

Jake spoke to his pet, heart-to-heart. Everest silently listened as her eyes grew wider and wider with every passing moment. Her mouth went agape as her owner told her something. Not what she wanted to hear, but what she needed to hear. He knew that she cared deeply for Marshall. He was the pup to take care of her and Jake after their near death experience in the snow when they first met.

Everest, though, couldn't believe what her owner was saying to her. What he had considered her doing. It made sense. It seemed like a logical leap to make now that she was in this situation. But even a logical leap is still a leap. It was a risky move to pull off.

Yet, when she remembered that it was for Marshall, she didn't care.

After hanging up with Jake, she used her pup tag to call Rocky upstairs. The mixed breed was confused as to why she was hanging out at the top of the lookout alone, but was satisfied when she explained that she had just called her owner.

After taking a deep breath in, Everest explained what she wanted to do. Rocky's eyes bulged to the size of dinner plates as she explained, at first thinking that she was crazy. As the Husky explained her reasoning, though, he found himself starting to understand her.

"So, I don't want you to stop me, okay?" She finished, looking at the floor, "I've already made up my mind."

Rocky raised an eyebrow, "Who said I was going to stop you?"

"...What?"

After a brief silence, the gray pup spoke, "You're a pretty insane girl, you know that, right?" The mixed breed gave her the side-eye.

Everest fumed, "If you're gonna insult me, then—"

"But, I think I'm starting to like that in you. Reminds me of Marshall. Diving in headfirst for the ones he cares about..." He thought back to when the Dalmatian saved his life, "...I think I want to do that for him too."

"Wait, you're saying...?"

"I'm saying I'm joining you in this crazy plan."

"Yes!" She quickly hugged Rocky, "I knew you had some reckless tendencies in you!"

The mixed breed rolled his eyes, an amused smile on his face, "Whatever, let's get ready to find him."

With that, the two formulated a plan. Everest surprisingly agreed when Rocky told her that they would need a few days to prepare for what they wanted to do. Everest admitted that she trusted that Marshall would be okay, and that for a plan as crazy as hers, they needed time to prepare.

As they shook on it, sealing the deal, the Husky thought about the Dalmatian, "I hope you're gonna be okay... Wherever you are…"