Years Ago

It was a particularly hard night for Marshall.

Thunder boomed loudly through the skies of Adventure Bay. Rain pounded down on the surface of the lookout tower. It had been a few weeks since Marshall was adopted as Ryder's pup, and he was soon to begin his training to become a fire pup. Back in his early days at the lookout, he didn't have a pup house like Chase did, so he was given a pup bed and a blanket to sleep on the top floor of the newly constructed building.

Usually, he'd be fine with sleeping there. He always had been. Just the thought that Ryder was nearby was comforting to the little Dalmatian. Most nights he would look out of the opening and watch the stars until he found himself falling asleep. The stars in the night sparkled bright on most nights in Adventure Bay, glittering and shining through the usually dark night.

This night though, was not one of those nights.

Dark storm clouds were layered in the sky, blocking out both the moon and the stars. The area all around him was pitch black, only the light from distant lightning briefly illuminating the area around him. He didn't like it one bit, though, as every time he heard thunder roar above his head, he tried to hide further under his blanket, whimpering loudly.

He closed his eyes tight, hoping this nightmare would soon come to an end.

Meanwhile, in the sole pup house outside the lookout was a little Shepherd pup. He was always a tad mature for his age, growing used to being on his own at times. The sound of rain was actually quite soothing to the little officer. The gentle tapping of raindrops hitting the metallic surface of his pup house, the sound of trees swaying in the drafts caused by the storm, even the faint booms of thunder through the air.

His eyes were closed, yet he wasn't asleep. Ever since Marshall was invited to live with them, he couldn't allow his mind to wander and think about the young Dalmatian. He wondered how he was faring. This was the first real storm in Adventure Bay since Marshall came to the lookout. Maybe he could check on him. Maybe he could make sure he was okay. After all, he was soon to be second in command. He had to make sure his potential team mates were doing alright.

Another boom of thunder went above Chase's head, making him flinch. Marshall, though, yelped and tried to hide further under his blanket. He wasn't enjoying the night at all.

The little Dally, frightened out of his mind, shaking and crying under his cover, let out a loud whimper. He couldn't take another minute of this. He wanted to go somewhere else. Anywhere else where he didn't feel scared.

"Marshall?"

He screamed, not having expected to hear someone speak. He scrambled to his feet and tried to run, but the blanket over his head slipped from his head and onto the floor. Once he put a paw on it, it was only a matter of time before he slipped and went careening into a nearby wall.

Chase hurried over, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good!" He gives Chase a smile.

"I heard you whimpering when I came to check up on you..." The little Shepherd looked worried, "...Are you scared?"

"Scared!?" Marshall looked around nervously, "What? Of course not! I'm not—"

Thunder boomed once more, causing Marshall to yelp.

"So you're scared..." Chase nodded.

The future fire pup sighed, "Sorry, I didn't want you to worry about me... I didn't want to bother you..."

Chase only smiled, "You're not bothering me. We're friends, aren't we? You should feel comfortable telling me what's on your mind. I don't mind. I'll never mind."

Marshall smiled, "Thanks, Chase..."

The Dalmatian's stomach suddenly rumbled, causing him to smile awkwardly, "Can we go for a night time snack run? All that crying and shaking made me a little hungry..."

"I don't think Ryder would like us sneaking pup treats..." Chase, ever so obedient to Ryder, commented hesitantly.

"I know, I know, but I'm starving..."

The little Shepherd looked around for a moment, "...Okay. Just this once."

"Yay!" Marshall exclaimed, almost immediately being shushed by Chase, "Sorry... Yay."

The two little pups soon found themselves looking at the coveted bag of pup treats that sat on top of a refrigerator. If they wanted a quick night time snack, they would have to figure out a way to get to it. Marshall suggested grabbing his ladder, but Chase knew that it would be too much effort to get it up to the top of the lookout.

That's when Chase spotted a chair nearby, "I have an idea..." He mumbled, catching his friend's attention, "I can hold the chair up while you climb up and grab some treats."

Marshall nodded, "I can do that."

The German Shepherd pup walked over and gently pulled a chair over to lean against the refrigerator, "It's all you, buddy."

The little Dally nodded, slowly climbing up the chair and shakily standing on his hind legs to gain some height, "...Almost... Got... It..." Leaning his head, he bit down on the bag of treats. With that sudden motion, Marshall was sent careening into the ground, dropping the treats in the process.

The Dalmatian hit the floor, the bag of pup treats landing on his head, "I'm good..."

.

.

.

Chase happily munched on a pup treat as he laid next to Marshall in his pup bed. He was well aware that his friend was scared of the thunder and lightning, so there was no way he was going to leave the Dalmatian on his own.

"...And that's how my dad saved the hotel!" The German Shepherd had finished an action packed story about his late father and how he rescued a plethora of hostages at a hotel.

Marshall's eyes glimmered with awe, "Your Dad sounds super strong!"

"He was strong... He was the best..." Chase smiled faintly, "...Too bad I never got to meet him."

"Hm?"

Chase looked at his friend, "You see, my dad, Trigger, passed away a bit before I was born... I was told that it was a fire. He saved a lot of people, but at the end of the day, he couldn't save himself... He was selfless... Everything I want to be when I grow up."

"I know you can do it, Chase!" Marshall reassured him.

The little Shepherd nodded, "Thanks, Marshall."

The room soon grew silent as they listened to the raging storm outside. Chase thought for a moment about his father. He missed him, sure, but the pain seemed to grow weaker as time went on. Now that he had Ryder. Now that he had Marshall, things weren't as hard anymore.

"Hey Chase?" Marshall spoke up, breaking the silence.

The German Shepherd raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

"Why are you staying with me? Isn't it more comfy in your pup house?"

"It's because I want to make sure you get a good night's sleep. I don't want you to be scared... I'd never want my friend to be scared."

The Dally's smile grew at his friend's admission, "...Hey Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that won't change..."

"What won't change?"

"Being your friend... I don't want that to change, ever. I have so much fun with you, Chase."

"Of course that won't change!"

"Promise me?"

"I promise, Marshall. Best friends forever."

.

.

.

Years Later

Chase, along with the remaining pups on the PAW Patrol, watched as Ryder paced back and forth in front of them. The Shepherd pup was sitting still, his chest puffed out as he obediently waited for his owner to speak. They were standing in a random order, as with three of the pups gone, standing in order would be redundant.

"Okay, I know you're wondering why I ask you four to come here..." The boy explained quietly.

Zuma was the first of the pups to say something, "Is it a mission?"

"Yes, and no..." Ryder exhaled, "It's a mission, but this mission is a very different mission. It's probably going to be a pretty hard mission too, but not because it's complicated."

Rubble, who was beginning to get confused, raised a paw, "It's hard but not complicated? That doesn't make any sense..."

"That's because it's not physically hard, Rubble. It's just... Hard."

The pups listened, curious as to what the young genius was getting at.

"Pups, the mission for later, when the sun goes down, is to capture Marshall."

As the audible gasps floated through the room, Chase's breathing quickened. The Shepherd looked down at the floor. He hadn't spoken to Marshall since he tried to get the Dalmatian to confess to his crime. He didn't get a chance to talk to him again, as he ran away soon afterward.

Since then, he noticed the shift in morale. Marshall was the funny pup on the team, the pup who always seemed to alleviate tense situations. For every other pup on the team aside from himself, Marshall was a staple of the team. They were never on the team without Marshall until now.

Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, Rocky and Everest disappeared soon afterward, leaving their tags behind. It didn't take a genius to guess that they went in pursuit of Marshall, believing his side of this strange situation. Once they left, he could feel more of the color be sucked out of the team. Things just weren't the same. How could they ever be the same?

And now, Ryder wanted him and the others to hunt Marshall down? He understood why, but he wasn't ready to look his friend in the eyes, let alone capture him. Marshall was a thief. There was no way he could believe otherwise with that tape circulating around Adventure Bay. He was a police pup. He was Marshall's friend, yes. But his job always came first. The safety of Adventure Bay came first.

Chase's ears perked up when he felt something strange on his paw. Looking to his left, he noticed Skye, looking at him with worry in her eyes.

When Ryder had announced that they would have to hunt Marshall down and detain him, the aviator pup heard Chase's breathing increase. Her heart broke for both Chase and Marshall. Life was stressful from the moment she and the other pups saw the footage of what seemed to be Marshall stealing from City Hall.

She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to feel. Marshall, just like Chase, was her good friend. She hated seeing the team divided. They always were able to work through their issues. They were always able to deal with arguments within minutes of them arising.

But this time was different.

Instead of this being sorted out within the same day just for the pups to return to the status quo, playing and having fun, Marshall, Everest, and Roky were gone. They had no idea where they were. Skye's teeth clenched. Could this really be the end? The end of the team she grew to think of as her family?

Seeing Skye's worried expression, Chase's breathing slowed. He knew good and well that he wasn't the only one going through a rough time.

"...I'm okay..." He whispered.

"How are we supposed to do that, dude?" Zuma asked, his brows furrowing, "Not like, how are we gonna go about hunting him, but how could we hunt Marshall? If we're hunting him, would we have to hunt Rocky and Everest too?"

The group turned their attention to Zuma. The Chocolate Lab was never too vocal about the Marshall situation, but it pained him to even think about considering Marshall as some criminal. Sure, he did steal those bones, but Marshall was their friend, wasn't he? There wasn't any way he could've faked that.

"I know, Zuma..." Ryder sighed, "...I don't want to do it either... Hunting down my own pup... But what choice do we really have?"

The four listened.

"The number of thefts have only risen since Marshall left," The young leader explained, "Even if, hypothetically, he didn't do it, it's him or Adventure Bay. All of us swore an oath to protect and watch this town. One of our duties is to make sure that they feel comfortable here. They don't feel comfortable with Marshall out and about."

"So we have to capture him?" Rubble asked, his eyes widening.

Ryder nodded, "Yes. By force, if we really have to."

"Force!?" Once again, the four pups were shocked by what was coming out of their leader's mouth.

"You want us to fight Marshall?" Zuma's eyes were wide and full of shock.

"Of course I don't!" Ryder shook his head, "Nothing hurts more about the thought of my pups tearing each other apart. But again. Our hands are tied. We all love Marshall, I know that... But no matter what, Adventure Bay comes first."

"What do we do?" Chase, who wasn't willing to dwell on it much longer, straightened his back and looked his owner in the eyes.

"We'll split up into two survey teams," The boy answered, "The first team consists of Zuma, Rubble, and myself, while the other will be Chase, Skye, and Tracker."

"Wait, Tracker knows?" Skye's eyes widened.

Ryder shook his head, "Not yet. All he knows is that he's heading here for an important mission."

The four nodded along.

"The first team, which is led by me, will survey the outskirts of Adventure Bay, just in case Marshall tries to leave the town..." The young leader explained, "The second team, which will be led by Chase, is going to search the town itself. With Skye's helicopter and Tracker's pinpoint hearing, you three shouldn't have any problem relaying to us whether or not you spot Marshall."

Chase nodded in reply. If he had to, he would. If it was for the good of Adventure Bay, then he'd do whatever it took to bring Marshall back and detain him at the lookout.

"Tracker should be arriving in the next few minutes. You and Skye will debrief him on what this is about and make a plan before sundown. There's a few things I need to get ready for when dusk comes."

The Shepherd nodded, "I'm on it Ryder, Sir. I won't let you down."

Ryder smiled faintly, "I know you won't..." He then turned his attention to Rubble and Zuma, "Let's go. PAW Patrol is on a roll."

Just like that, Ryder had declared the mission was on. But it was void of life. The boy hadn't pumped a paw into the air. The pups weren't howling with excitement. And the place was silent as Zuma and Rubble began making their way to the slide.

Once Ryder had gone down the slide, Chase called out, "Rubble, Zuma!"

The two other remaining PAW Patrol pups turned to look at the second in command.

"What's up, dude?"

"Hang in there, okay?" The officer gave the two a salute, "Thanks for sticking around... Even if I am a bad leader..."

Zuma and Rubble's, as well as Skye's eyes all widened as Chase muttered out that last part. It was rare to see Chase, a pup always willing to lead others, doubt himself and his abilities. Sure it had happened before when they first became Mighty Pups, but since then, those instances were small and far between.

"Chase..." Skye's voice was faint.

The Chocolate Lab shook his head, "Don't say that, Chase... We've been following orders from Ryder all this time, but I know you've had the roughest time with this... Marshall's your best friend, right? And who knows? You might be the one to find him first."

Rubble whimpered, "I can't imagine you guys fighting... We're all supposed to be family, right?"

Chase looked at the two youngest pups in the room, but more specifically, Rubble. Ever since everything with Marshall began, he noticed the English Bulldog was having trouble staying his innocent, positive, warm-hearted self. He couldn't blame him. Rubble was the least exposed to the world's cruelty. In every sense in the phrase, Rubble wasn't emotionally equipped for something like this.

If he was being honest, none of them were.

"Yeah, we are..." Chase sighed, not having the heart to tell him how it really was, "...We're all family. And all families have their disputes."

Rubble smiled as he and Zuma made their way over to the slide.

Chase waved, "Good luck."

"And stay safe!" Skye was quick to add.

Once the two faded from sight, the Cockapoo turned to the officer pup, her eyes narrowing, "Now why do you think you're a bad leader?"

"I'm supposed to be a good role model for all of the pups..." Chase looked at the floor, "...Yet Marshall went out and... He..."

Skye put her paw back on top of his, "I know, Chase... But you're smart enough to know that blaming yourself isn't the way to go."

The German Shepherd sighed, "I know..."

"We're all having a hard time. I'll never stop saying that..." The aviation pup stared into his eyes, which were glued to the floor beneath his paws, "You, me, Rubble, Zuma, Everest, Rocky... Marshall... Even Ryder. Everyone seems to be splitting up, everyone's fighting..."

Chase's eyes widened once he heard the sound of Skye's voice breaking. He turned to the Cockapoo, who's eyes slowly filled with tears.

"Skye..."

"I've been trying so hard... I've been working so hard... I tried all I could to keep the team together..." Skye put her paws over her eyes, "...But no matter how hard I try, everyone keeps fighting!"

Chase, who had no counterargument to her woes, decided to shut his mouth and wrapped his paws around the smaller pup.

"I'm sorry, Skye..." The Shepherd laid his chin on her head, "...I'm so sorry."

Skye laid her head against his chest, "I just want my family back. I want our lives back..."

Chase's eyes fell as he only hugged her tighter. Every way he thought about it, Skye wasn't lying about trying to hold the team together. The first thing that came to mind was his and Everest's argument. It was over the note she and Rocky had gotten from Marshall. He wanted to know what his best friend was thinking, what was on his mind.

"You lost the right to call yourself that when you didn't take his side!"

He remembered the Husky yelling at him, declaring that he lost the right to call himself Marshall's best friend. Was she wrong? Were he and Marshall, the original duo, partners in crime, really done for?

As the two held each other close, desperately clinging into what remained of their composure, they heard the sound of the elevator opening.

Standing alone in the opening elevator was a familiar Chihuahua, or Potcake, depending on who you asked. The pup smiled nervously upon seeing the two hugging pups.

"Er... Did I come at a bad time, amigos?"

The two immediately let go of the other, turning toward the elevator, "Tracker!?"

"Ears at your service!" The pup of varying breed grinned, "What can I do to help? What's the mission I heard about?"

Skye and Chase exchanged a glance before Skye began to speak, "You've missed a lot of stuff, Tracker."