(A/N: I do not own Paw Patrol, enjoy!)

Ultimate Rescue: Glacier Part 1

Saturday Morning. Arguably the pups' favorite day of the week. The day that the whole team got to spend together, some closer than others. Everest was snuggled up to Marshall like two spoons in a drawer. The Husky was in a blissfully sleepy state, almost euphoric as she slept next to her Dalmatian. One pup house over, Skye was the little spoon the Chase's big spoon and in a similar state. For the moment, everything was still.

Chase was the first to awake when he felt his pup tag alarm going off, vibrating against his chest. Chase yawned and was about to silence it when he felt Skye stir.

"Mmm don't stop, that feels nice" the blonde Cockapoo murmured as she pressed her neck back against the tag and Chase's chest.

Chase chuckled softly as he wrapped his paws tighter around his beloved aviator. Shortly however, Chase's tag gave up and stopped alarming. Skye opened one eye to glare at her police pup.

"I don't recall giving you permission to stop" Skye softly accused.

"It wasn't me" Chase said innocently, "it was my pup tag alarm."

"I guess it is time to get up then" Skye groaned.

"We don't have to if you don't want to" Chase offered.

"So I see I've finally proved to you that it is better to stay in bed in the mornings" Skye purred triumphantly.

"I knew that from the first time we spent the night together" Chase replied.

"Then I finally made the goody four paws police pup decide to be a bad pup for once" Skye giggled in satisfaction as she turned her muzzle sideways and upwards.

Chase obliged her request and kissed her tenderly. "Not quite that bad" Chase replied as he stretched out his paws, "we do need to get up and set a good example for the rest of the pups."

"If you were trying to set a good example, you would have proposed me already, we would be married and I would be pregnant with our pups" Skye asserted playfully.

Chase blushed so red that Skye thought it might actually permanently change the base color of his fur. "Um, well, uh, let's go wake the others" Chase stammered as he tried to compose himself. Skye giggled in response, she loved what she could do to her Alsatian at will.

Chase walked out of his pup house with Skye riding on his back. "Ruff, megaphone!" Chase barked. "Rise and Shine Paw Patrol, it's time to flex!"

In Marshall's pup house, Everest groaned in annoyance, "one of these days, I'm going to persuade Rocky to disable that megaphone so we can sleep in."

"And how are you going to do that, babe?" Marshall asked with a yawn.

"The extra sleep should be reward enough" Everest replied, pulling Marshall's paws over her eyes, "and it that doesn't work, I will threaten to eat him."

"I'm sure one of those will work" Marshall said with a laugh as he kissed Everest on the base of each ear and the two pups got up and trotted outside.

"Why do we do this every morning?" Rubble whined as he dragged himself across the lawn.

"To keep us healthy and stwong" Zuma reply, much to everyone's surprise.

"Hola amigo, since when did you start enjoying our morning workout" Tracker asked suspiciously.

"I've always liked them" Zuma replied, "it falls under the heading of 'the chicks dig it'."

Everyone laughed at that as they got into position. For some reason, there was an above average number of creaks, groans, and cracking joints from the pups. Then it was time for cardio.

"Ok pups, time for a lap around the town" Skye directed, eliciting a chorus of groans. "Ready, set, go!"

The pups all took off. Oddly enough, Marshall didn't zoom off like a rocket and instead set a more measured pace with Everest by his side. As the pups ran, the normal gaps opened between them.

Marshall and Everest rounded a corner, taking them out of sight from Zuma and Rocky behind them and Chase in front of them. Marshall then darted off their normal route and in towards town. Perplexed, Everest turned to follow. Marshall turned another corner as Everest caught up to him.

"Where are we going?" Everest panted.

"Taking a little detour" Marshall panted, picking up speed. The two pups continued to run, with Marshall in the lead and Everest right on his flank.

Chase was running hard. He had sprinted at the start to get ahead and stay ahead of Marshall. The police pup hasn't stopped sprinting the whole lap around town and gave it everything he got when he could see the lookout.

"Great hustle Chase" Ryder complimented him as the German Shepherd reached the finish line.

"Thanks Ryder" Chase panted as he jogged his cool down, "how was my time?"

"Your fastest yet, almost as fast as Marshall's" Ryder replied.

"What?!" Chase yipped, "how did Marshall beat me? He never passed me!"

"Not his time today" Ryder laughed, "almost as fast as Marshall's fastest time when he doesn't have the zoomies."

"Oh" Chase said with a happy laugh. Chase walked over and stood next to Ryder as the rest of the team finished the run.

"Hey, where is Marshall?" Chase asked, realizing that Marshall still hadn't finished.

"He was in front of us for a bit, then he took off" Rocky said.

"Well, he never passed me" Chase replied.

"We didn't see him at all" Rubble noted.

"Gran problema, do you think he got hurt?" Tracker asked.

"Wait, where is Everest?" Skye asked.

"She was running with Mawshall…" Zuma said, realization dawning in everyone's eyes.

"The must have dipped off together" Chase surmised.

"I wonder what they are doing" Skye wondered.

"No quiero saberlo" Tracker said, pulling his ears down to cover them.

"Well, we are going to find out" Ryder said as he dialed the Dalmatian on his pup pad.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Adventure Bay…

"Oh my goodness, Marshy, this is the best idea you've ever had!" Everest bubbled.

"I know right? What better way to end a morning workout?" Marshall replied happily.

*Bleep bleep* "Marshall and Everest! Where are you two right now?" Ryder's voice echoed from their pup tags.

"Oh hey Ryder" Marshall said pleasantly, "we just made a little pit stop on the way back."

"What are you doing?" Ryder asked.

"Oh, a little bit of this and a little bit of that" Marshall replied jokingly.

"Could you make it sound any more suspect?" Everest giggled.

"I mean, we definitely didn't ask before doing it" Marshall said with a smirk.

"And it was a lot of fun and felt sooo good" Everest played along.

"Do what?!" Ryder was almost hysterical, his mind running wild with what Marshall and Everest could be up to.

"Well…" Marshall and Everest said together. Everyone was hanging on to every word.

"We stopped to get breakfast burritos!" Marshall and Everest said happily, tilting their tags so everyone could see.

"You got breakfast burritos mid work out?" Chase yelped, jaw hanging open in shock.

"And you didn't bring us any?" Rubble yipped.

"How could you?" Skye practically wailed.

"Don't worry" Everest laughed, "we are bringing the leftovers home."

"What leftovers?" Marshall said before pointedly chomping down his last bite.

All the pups watched in horror as Marshall leaned over to snag Everest's last bite as well.

"You keep your jaws off that!" Everest said, smacking Marshall on his muzzle with her paw. Then the Husky wolfed down her own last bite.

The collective groan from all the pups caused Marshall and Everest to burst into laughter.

"You poor dears, you thought that was what we were saving for you?" Everest giggled.

"I guess you don't want these then…" Marshall turned to show them the stack of ready burritos for the other pups.

"You little…you got us all worked up!" Chase barked.

"Those better make it back to the lookout!" Rubble begged.

"Or else…" Rocky finished pointedly.

"Don't worry, they will" Marshall promised, crossing his paw across his heart. With that, Everest and Marshall disconnected the call.

"Gracias al cielo, I thought they were really going eat all the burritos" Tracked breathed in relief.

"You ok over there Ryder?" Rocky asked. The boy genius was hyperventilating into a paper bag.

"I'll be fine" Ryder breathed, "I'm just so happy that they weren't…" Ryder stopped abruptly.

"That they weren't going to hog all the burritos and eat until they got sick?" Rubble offered.

"Yeah…that's it" Ryder replied. Several pups exchanged a knowing smirk.

Quicker than expected, Marshall and Everest returned to the lookout, paper bags stuffed with burritos slung over their backs. "Hey guys, happy to see us?" Marshall said jovially. The pups responded by dogpiling him and Everest and promptly relieving them if their burrito burdens.

"I think they like our surprise" Everest giggled as Marshall helped her up.

Meanwhile, high up in the mountains beyond Adventure Bay, Mayor Goodway, Chickaletta, Captain Turbot, Francois, Mr. Porter, and Alex where hiking along a glacier. "This really is beautiful, isn't it?" Mayor Goodway simpered.

"Absolutely astounding" Captain Turbot agreed, "perfect for positively picturesque photos."

"Except I will be the one with the best photos cousin" Francis replied, sweeping it to take a picture.

"We'll see about that" Captain Turbot replied, snapping a picture of his own.

"Careful Alex" Mr. Porter cautioned his grandson, "while glaciers are very solid, the right amount of force could cause a crevasse to open."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful grandpa" Alex replied as he jumped down from an icy outcropping. Alex landed with a crunch on a solid sheet of ice.

*Crack*

"What was that?" Alex stopped to wonder.

"That sounded like ice cracking," Captain Turbot replied, "this part of the glacier might not be quite as thick as we thought."

"Oh come now Horatio" Francois replied, "I'm sure it is…*

*Crack*

"Quite…"

*Crack*

"Safe?" Francois finished uncertainly.

With a loud crunch, a large crack appeared in the ice sheet.

"Get away from the crack!" Mr. Porter shouted to everyone as he ran to grab Alex, who was straddling the crack. No sooner any anyone taken more than two or three steps when the ice sheet started collapsing. Large sheets of ice fell into a crevasse. Everyone screamed in fright as they grabbed onto whatever they could.

A cloud of ice and snow dust puffed out of the crevasse as the ice shards settled. "Is everyone alright?" Captain Turbot asked, brushing ice from his jacket. He was standing on a ledge near the top.

"Chickaletta and I are ok" Mayor Goodway replied from a ledge just below him. Chickaletta was asleep in her purse.

"I would not say I am magnifique," Francois replied, from a ledge that was off to the side and still lower, "but I am Très bien."

"I'm fine," Mr. Porter said from a ledge just above Francois, "but I can't find Alex!" he shouted.

"Quiet!" Mayor Goodway hissed, "we don't want the ice to break anymore!"

"But we have to find him!" Mr. Porter whisper-shouted back.

"We have to call the Paw Patrol" Captain Turbot said. He went to pull out his phone but found it had been smashed by the ice. "Does anyone have a device that is not damaged, defiled or disfigured?"

"Mine is ok" Mayor Goodway replied, dialing the Paw Patrol.

Ryder was sitting in the grass with the pups enjoying his own breakfast burrito when his pup pad rang. "Hi Mayor Goodway, how is your glacier hike going?" Ryder asked.

"Well it was going well" Mayor Goodway replied with a roll of her eyes, "until part of the ice collapsed and we fell into a crevasse…"

"Oh no, that's not good," Ryder replied, "is everyone ok?"

"Well…" Mayor Goodway stammered, "everyone except Alex…"

"We can't find him!" Mr. Porter called up from the edge of the frame.

"That is really not good" Ryder replied, "but not job is to big, no pup is too small!" he declared before pulling out the buttons on the side of his pup pad and pressing a new combination.

*Bleep bleep* "Paw Patrol, to the lookout!"

"Ryder needs us!" all the pups yipped in unison, gulping down their last bites before turning and running to the elevator.

Predictably, Marshall tripped over a towel which flopped him over onto his side, his momentum continuing to carry him forward and wrapping him in the towel. "Whoa-oa-oa" he yelped as he rolled.

Everest was running beside Marshall when he tripped. "Lookout!" she barked a warning to the other pups. It was in vain, as always.

The rest of the pups had just finished turning around in time to see Marshall, all wrapped up in the towel and rolling sideways, bouncing towards them.

*Crash*

"Sorry pups, I felt the need to go burrito bowling" Marshall said, his eyes still pinwheeling as he poked his head out of the pile. All the pups laughed happily as the elevator doors closed behind them and it brought them up.

The pups geared up and jumped out to their spots. "Paw Patrol ready for action Ryder sir!" Chase sounded off before looking around, "in some cool new gear!" The pups all yipped happily. Their new gear was colored white with a stripe of their tag color running along the side and back. Each pup also had on a white helmet with their color stripe along the top and goggles.

"Cool is right Chase," Ryder said with a smile as he pulled up the display, "because we are going someplace where it is so icy and cold that most of your vehicles will have trouble."

"Where could that be Ryder?" Rocky asked, "we've taken our vehicles to the South Pole before."

"We have, Rocky," Ryder replied, "but there is only ice where we are going."

Everest's eyes widened in understanding. "We are going to Sabertooth Glacier, aren't we?" she yipped.

"We are, Everest," Ryder confirmed as the display focused on their mission area. "Mayor Goodway, Chickaletta, Captain Turbot, Francois, Mr. Porter and Alex were hiking the glacier this morning when the ice under them cracked and they fell into a crevasse. On top of that, Alex is missing"

"Oh no!" All the pups yipped. Everest and Marshall flashed back to the they day they first met, when Everest and Jake almost fell into a crevasse.

"Which is why this mission is an ultimate rescue situation" Ryder concluded.

"But Ryder, which of our ultimate rescue rigs can handle this?" Skye asked, "mine might be able to but I don't know for sure."

"You are right Skye," Ryder replied, "all of your Ultima rigs would require some preparation before going into such a harsh climate. Which is why we are taking a brand new rig!"

Everest eyes bugged out as her symbol appeared in the center of the screen. "Does this mean…" she started.

"Yes it does, Everest," Ryder said with a smile, "this is an Ultimate Arctic Rescue!" A graphic of a the new rig appeared on the screen. Everest's ultimate rescue rig looked like a biger version of her snowcat, but with two tracked trailers being towed behind it. "We don't have time for a full run down like I had planned, so we'll just get right on it. Everest, you are our Arctic Rescue specialist so you'll be leading the mission. Your snowcat forms the basis of the ultimate rescue rig and has been upgraded with a bigger and stronger grapple on the front in addition to a higher capacity snow blower. Also in the cab is a deployable mini snowcat with a sled stretcher for transport of an injured patient. There is also a warming room in the back that can keep patients form succumbing to hypothermia. The first trailer has two snowmobiles for Chase and Tracker and a mini helicopter for Skye. The second trailer has two mini snowcats, Rubble's with a crane, Rocky's with a ice drill, and special ice wall crawler that can scale ice cliffs that Zuma will pilot."

"Whoa" all the pups gasped in awe. Everest was the most excited, with her tail wagging so hard it might actually bruise Marshall's flank.

"Are you ready, Everest?" Ryder asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.

"Ice or snow I'm ultimately ready to go!" Everest barked, her paws digging at the air excitedly.

"We're on it!" The rest of the pups chorused.

"Alright, Paw Patrol is on a roll!" Ryder proclaimed. All the pups barked and howled happily as he ran to his fire pole and slid down.

"Just hit the button right next to the transform button and the transform button at the same time when you land" Marshall whispered to Everest before giving the Husky a shove with his hips towards the slide. Everest ran and jumped onto the slide, landing on her tummy.

"Woohoo!" Everest yipped happily as she bellybogganed down the slide before landing in her pup house cockpit. She pressed both buttons and her pup house immediately dropped into the garage below. "Whoa!" Everest gasped as the body of ultimate rescue cab dropped on top of her pup house, making and audible click as the connections locked. Robotic arms attached heavy duty treads to each side of the cab while a third arm attached a massive snow plow blade and blower to the front. Everest looked back as two tracked trailers were rolled out behind her snowcat cab and hooked up. Smaller vehicles were inserted into the trailers and large hydraulic columns pushed upwards around her rig as it started to rise. The hydraulics pushed the lookout into the air and the platform locked into position.

Everest pressed her paw down on the accelerator and the snowcat train surged forward. Everest stopped just past the slide while the rest of the pups slid down. Marshall landed next to Everest in the cab with a howl. Chase, Skye and Tracker landed in the first trailer while Rubble, Rocky and Zuma landed in the second trailer. Everest howled excitedly as Marshall clicked on the emergency lights on the rig and Everest accelerated down the driveway. Ryder met them at the bottom, clearing a path for the large snowcat train as they headed out of town and towards their mission.

Marshall leaned over, "I'm going to give Cinder a quick call" he said.

"Why? We are just going to call her tonight" Everest replied, not taking her eyes off the road. Her ultimate rig required more concentration and skill to drive.

"Because I have a feeling we won't be able to call tonight" Marshall replied as he dialed his sister on his tag.

"Hey Marsh" Cinder softly answered, "you are early, what's up?"

"Hey Cin," Marshall replied, "we are heading out on Everest's first ultimate rescue and we probably won't be back tonight to call. But we'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok, be safe, I love you both!" Cinder softly replied.

"Love you Cinder!" Everest chimed in.

"Love you sis, bye!" Marshall said before hanging up.

"Do you do that before every ultimate rescue?" Everest asked.

"I probably should" Marshall replied, "but no."

"I agree with the probably should" Everest said with a smile, "you have this nasty habit of being in the middle of the action."

"If I recall correctly, it wasn't me who got hurt last" Marshall replied with a snicker.

"Jerk" Everest replied, slugging him in the shoulder. Both of them laughed before leaning against each other, eyes focused on the road and following the ATV in front of them.

It was a long drive to the glacier. Paved road gave way to dirt trail. Ryder changed his ATV into snowmobile mode as they crossed from the dirt trail and onto the icy sheet of the glacier.

"We are almost there pups" Ryder said as they continued to drive. The glacier became steeper and the air colder. Soon, Ryder had them stop.

"Is this where their signal came from Ryder?" Everest asked.

"Yes, it is" Ryder replied.

"Alright then," Everest immediately took charge, "Skye, get your copter up and start searching. Chase and Tracker, do the same on your snowmobiles in opposite directions. Keep your GPSs on so we don't lose you too."

"Let's take to the sky!" Skye yipped as she began the start-up sequence for her helicopter. The snowcat trailer elevated the helicopter to the roof so Skye had a clear launch pad. Seconds later, Skye was airborne.

"Chase is on the frozen case!" Chase barked as the side of the snowcat trailer dropped and he gunned his snowmobile out.

"¡Soy todo oídos!" Tracker said as he exited right behind Chase. The three searchers went off in three different directions to try and find their lost friends.

"What about the west of us, Evewest?" Zuma asked.

"For now, we wait," Everest replied.

"Wait?" Rubble said uncertainly.

"Wait" Everest affirmed, "we are the reference point for Skye, Chase and Tracker. If we move they could get really lost. There aren't any landmarks on a glacier. Plus, there is a good chance that if we move, we move in the wrong direction."

"Fair enough" Rocky conceded, "but how are we going to stay warm?"

"Put your jackets on" Everest replied, nodding towards Marshall who was already bundled up in his cold weather rescue gear. "And if it starts to storm, we hunker down in the warming module. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."

The pups snuggled up with each other and Ryder to wait for word from their searchers. The sun passed it's zenith and began to sink from the sky.

Skye, Tracker, and Chase were still searching into the early afternoon. The three kept checking in with each other and Everest and Ryder on their progress.

"I found what looks like a fresh crack!" Skye yipped.

"Which way?" Everest asked.

"Head north" Skye replied.

"Let's go pups!" Everest yipped as she hopped into the cab of her snowcat. The pups were immediately ready and headed north. "Chase and Tracker, head that direction but keep looking for Alex, we still don't know where he is located."

"Roger, Everest" Chase replied.

"Right behind you, vamos!" Tracker added.

Everest brought he snowcat train rig to a stop next to the crevasse. "Ok, let's see if we can find them" she directed as everyone got off, "just watch the edges, it might be unstable."

"Anyone down there?" Rocky asked as he walked near the edge, pausing occasionally to peer over.

Rubble walked farther back from the edge, nervous about approaching. "You ok dude?" Zuma asked.

"Not really" Rubble replied, "I'm afraid to get close to the edge."

"That's ok, I'll walk by the edge" Zuma said, "you can keep and eye on Wocky and I to make sure we don't fall."

"Sounds good" Rubble replied.

Marshall paused thoughtfully. "Do you hear something Marshall?" Everest asked.

"Maybe, let's head this way" Marshall replied.

"I hear them!" Everest exclaimed after they had walked a bit. The two pups dashed to the edge of the crevasse. "There is Captain Turbot!"

"And Mayor Goodway and everyone else!" Marshall yipped.

"It is our pelted protectors, the Paw Patrol!" Captain Turbot said happily.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out" Everest said, "huddle up pups. Rubble, we'll use your crane first to lift out Captain Turbot. Rocky, give him a paw. Zuma, use your crawler to collect Mayor Goodway and Chickaletta. Marshall, check them out as they come up."

"You got it Everest" the pups replied as they got to work. Rocky guided Rubble's snowcat crane into position over Captain Turbot.

"Back slowly…and stop!" Rocky directed, "now go ahead and lower your hook." Rubble watched Rocky who watched the hook on the crane. "Just a little lower…" Rocky directed. "Ok, Captain Turbot, go ahead and hook yourself into the harness."

"Superb snag Rubble," Captain Turbot said as Rubble started lifting him up, "and decisive directing Rocky."

Rocky helped Captain Turbot up at the top and passed him off to Marshall. "Hi Captain Turbot, let's get you checked out. Ruff, stethoscope; Ruff, thermometer!" Marshall barked.

Captain Turbot waited patiently while Marshall listened to his lungs and monitored his temperature. "Ok, you don't have hypothermia, but we do need to warm you up a bit" Marshall diagnosed, helping Captain Turbot into the warming room on the snowcat.

"Thanks Marshall" Captain Turbot said as Marshall closed him inside.

Meanwhile, Zuma was enjoying his ice cliff crawler. The vehicle had tracks like a normal snowcat on either side, and four retractable legs that could pierce the ice walls and allowed Zuma to scale the vertical cliff. "This is pawesome!"

Mayor Goodway was less thrilled. "I hate to be contrarian, Zuma, but that looks like a scary spider."

"Don't wowwy Mayor Goodway, it is a safe and nice spider" Zuma said gently. Zuma guided the crawler down next to the ledge that the Mayor was on. Then, he used the legs to bring the vehicle level with the ledge. "Hop in Mayor, and buckle up!" Zuma said.

"This does not seem safe at all" Mayor Goodway said nervously as she climbed in, with Chickaletta still asleep in her purse.

Zuma double checked the safety belts. "Let's dive up!" Zuma said. He brought the crawler back to the wall and began slowly making his way up.

"Oh, I can't watch, and neither can Chickaletta" Mayor Goodway almost shrieked as she covered the chicken's eye and her own. Chickaletta remained asleep.

Mayor Goodway was was still whimpering when they reached the top. "It's ok Mayor Goodway, you can open your eyes now" Everest said gently.

"No way, I'm not opening them until we are at the top" Mayor Goodway replied.

"You are at the top Mayor Goodway" Everest said with a giggle.

Chickaletta chose that moment to wake up and squawk in affirmation. "Oh, well, great" Mayor Goodway said sheepishly as Zuma unbuckled her. "I was really more scarey for Chickaletta anyway." Marshall checked them both out and they were fine as well and they joined Captain Turbot in the warming cabin in the he snowcat.

Rubble and Rocky were bringing up Francois when the glacier began the shudder again. "Oh no, we have to get Francois and Mr. Porter up fast" Everest yipped, "I think the weight of our vehicles is too much for the edge of the crevasse!"

Everest hopped into the cab of the snowcat train and moved it farther back from the edge. Zuma followed with his crawler and Ryder moved his ATV as well. Rubble and Rocky got Francois up and brought him over to Marshall but the shuddering continued.

A chunk of ice broke off the cliff face and fell down towards Mr. Porter. Mr. Porter let out a scream and got as far back from the edge as he could but it wasn't enough. The chunk of ice squished him against the ice wall before shattering. Mr. Porter groaned as he slumped against the wall.

"Rubble, get your rig back from the edge!" Everest barked the command.

"On the double!" Rubble replied, carefully but quickly moving the heavy crane snowcat back from the precipice.

"We'll get Mr. Porter out using the grapple on the cab" Everest said as she went over and unhitched her snowcat cab from the two trailers. "Arf, grapple!" Everest barked, causing the grapple to shoot out to the edge of the crevasse.

"Ok, here is the plan pups" Everest outlined, "we'll lower the grapple down and hook Mr. Porter into the harness. I'll take the edge spot and guide the grapple. Rocky, I want you to operate the grapple since I'll be too far away to control it with my barks, and Marshall…" Everest paused and looked at Marshall. Everest's mind knew she needed Marshall to go down and make sure Mr. Porter was ok to ride in the harness and get him into the stretcher if he wasn't well enough. But going into the crevasse was going to be dangerous. Everest didn't like the idea of putting Marshall in danger like that. She would rather have risked senting Zuma down into the crevasse. But Marshall was the best, which meant she should send him.

Ryder watched Everest, this was the real test of her leadership, to see if she could handle making the right decision even though it was hard.

Marshall knew what Everest was going through too. He gave her a supportive nod. The pause was almost imperceptible.

"Marshall," Everest continued, "I need you to go down into the crevasse and check out Mr. Porter to make sure he is ok to ride in the harness or if we need to lift him out with the stretcher."

"I'm ready for a ruff ruff rescue!" Marshall replied, running over to get the harnesses out of the snowcat.

Ryder smiled, proud that Everest had made the right choice even though it was hard. He would have picked Marshall for the cliff rescue too. Zuma could do it but Marshall had more training and experience in cliff rescues and had more medical training. And with how dangerous this rescue could be, they needed their best pup, which meant Marshall. He just hoped this served to boost Everest's confidence and not make her second guess herself.

Marshall finished clipping his harness on and looked up to find Everest in his face. "Be safe" she whispered as she attached his harness and the rescue harness to the grapple.

"Always" he replied before giving her an affectionate headbutt before starting down the ice cliff.

Everest directed Rocky in lowering Marshall down with her paw, not taking her eyes off of the descending Dalmatian. Marshall rapeled down, careful not to dislodge any more ice boulders. In no time at all, Marshall had made his way onto the ledge.

Marshall ran over to Mr. Porter. Marshall quickly checked him for any life threatening injuries and found that Mr. Porter was unconscious and breathing, but his breaths were very shallow. Fortunately, he wasn't bleeding except from a couple small cuts. "Ruff, X-ray!" Marshall scanned Mr. Porter and determined that he was ok to move.

"Everest," Marshall called up, "Mr. Porter is ok, just unconscious and cold. We should be able lift him out in the harness."

"Got it" Everest replied, "hook him up and lift him out."

Mr. Porter groaned as he regained conscious.

"Hey Mr. Porter, it's me, Marshall, I'm going to get you out of here."

"Do I have to do anything?" Mr. Porter groaned, "I hurt all over."

"Not really, I'll help you get into the harness" Marshall replied. Marshall detached the spare harness from the grapple and arranged it next to Mr. Porter. Carefully, the Dalmatian got Mr. Porter's arms into the harness, followed by his waist and finally his legs. As Marshall was tightening down the straps, he felt the ledge shake slightly and heard a couple chunks of ice fall from below.

I need to hurry Marshall thought to himself. Verifying all the straps were tight, Marshall went to clip in the harness. But it wouldn't latch. "Come on…" Marshall said as tried again with no luck. Then he noticed that his own harness was tangled and blocking him from attaching Mr. Porter's harness.

Marshall felt the ledge rumble again. Quickly, he unclipped his own harness and let it fall to the ice at his paws. Then he clipped in Mr. Porter and made sure it was snug.

The cliff groaned and Marshall felt it start to give way. Quickly, Marshall grabbed his own clip and reached up to attach himself.

The cliff collapsed. Marshall yelped as he felt nothing but air beneath his paws as he started to fall. Pushing off of Mr. Porter, Marshall tried to spin himself around to grab the cliff and simultaneously push Mr. Porter away from any debris.

"Pull them up fast Rocky!" Everest barked as she watched everything unfold. She held her breath as she would only have one shot.

Marshall grunted as he hit the ice wall. Marshall flexed his claws to hold onto the ice wall as best he could. He was able to get his forepaws wedged into cracks in the ice. But his back paws couldn't find any grip.

Everest took careful aim…"arf, grapple!" She barked and the grapple on her backpack shot out towards towards the dangling Dalmatian. Hang on Marshy! Everest thought desperately.

One of Marshall's back paws finally was able to gain a paw hold. Finally! Marshall thought, giving a quick exhale before turning his head and smiling at seeing Everest's grapple shooting out to grab his harness. In a moment he would be safe.

The ice holding Marshall shattered all at once. In an instant, Marshall was falling again and he yelped in fear as his paws clamored to try to find any spot to hold onto. Everest's grapple crunched into the ice wall where Marshall had been a split second before, her aim perfect.

"MARSHALL!" Everest screamed, helpless as she watched Marshall fall from sight into the deep dark crevasse.