Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Marching Orders. Enjoy the 2500-word chapter. I do not own Patrol; Nick and a few others do.

While Ryder, Chase, Liberty, and several Paw Patrol members chased down Humdinger? Skye, Rocky, Rubble, and such had brought Duke to the aircraft carrier base.

Skye looked at Duke, the Great Dane pup adjusted the blanket he had been given. Despite his height and the fact, he was a soldier's dog? He looked… Scared, adrift.

"Maybe we can get him home?" Rubble asked as Skye shook her head.

"He does not have a home, remember? He told us… His owner was looking for someone to adopt him." Skye said as she frowned. "I'm going to talk," Skye added as Rubble nodded, offering a smile.

Skye pushed the door open and Duke turned, alert and ready for a fight only for the energy to drain away as he realized who it was.

"Specialist Skye," Duke said with a nod a soldier would give another. "How is your team? I assume morale is up since you have not stopped smiling… And I assume given Humdinger's emotional reaction you have stopped him before." Duke said in an almost robotic tone.

"Skye," Skye said, stepping forward. "And that was military talk for 'we are ok and close to finding Otis?'" Skye questioned to which Duke nodded.

"Affirm… Yes. Sorry, I am used to talking to my teammates like that… Training teaches us to be blunt and straightforward." Duke said, looking to the side.

"You were a military dog?" Skye asked as Duke nodded.

"Army. I was supposed to be an ordinance and scout dog." Duke said before humming. "Ordinance means stuff that blows up… Like bombs, scary bombs," Duke added, blinking.

"I know… We do not normally handle that." Skye said as Duke smiled.

"Good, it is very dangerous work…. Even for a puppy." Duke said, standing up.

"It's okay to be scared," Skye said as Duke blinked. "You're pretending your fine… I know, I have pretended." Skye stated as Duke hummed.

"I am not…." Duke started, noticing her look which told him that was a lie. "I… Am scared about Otis, he is nice…. Way too nice to be safe around someone like Mayor Humdinger. I just feel terrible letting him down." Duke stated as he sighed.

It was during their talk Skye forgot she was shorter than him so she had trouble looking him in the eye.

Then again? He was VERY tall. From what Chase said? Great Danes were massive dogs when they were adults. Duke was not an adult dog but he was still taller than her by a great deal.

It still reminded her of what she had said a few weeks ago. Duke hummed and looked at her before blinking.

"Your gear looks far more military-like for a group of rescue dogs… This place is an aircraft carrier… I am surprised you are not soldiers yourself." Duke said as Skye shrugged.

"Perks of selling a lot of merchandise." Duke heard as he hummed.

"Ah," Duke said, part of his frown returning as he thought of somewhere else.

He did not at all know what to say before they spoke of that for now… Now and for good reason.

"I heard you are a pretty good pilot… I would not know… I was not trained to be flying anything." Duke stated before he hummed.

"Uh… Guys?" Rubble asked as the two dogs paused and looked over at him. "Remember those asteroids?" Rubble heard as Duke blinked.

"Did he say asteroids?" Duke asked before Skye followed Rubble.

Neither stopped Duke, both knew he wanted to help… And with most of them working? It was clear they needed help.

As Duke, Skye, and Rubble all climbed the deck? They were met with a dozen more booming lights.

They looked more like giant rocks… But Duke watched as one barely missed the carrier, slamming into the edge of the docks and rocking the boat.

All three dogs were knocked sideways as Duke pushed himself to his feet, grunting as pain shot up his arms.

"Ow!" Duke muttered with anger. "What was that? Why are their asteroids coming down… Wait, aren't those meteors?" Duke asked as he hummed.

"More meteors? Didn't I destroy them?" Skye asked to which she was greeted by a look from Duke. "Long story," Skye stated to which Duke hummed.

"We have time…. Let us see if it is dangerous… There is probably going to be more." Duke stated as he looked at the sky.

Skye knew she could not agree more… But she did not have the other crystals and last time? Last time she had almost died.

Duke looked at one of the meteors with interest. He felt something off about them but could not tell.

"Should we tell him?" Rubble asked as Rocky shrugged.

Before they could respond? There was a flash of light as the one Duke had chosen to investigate made Duke blink… And as the crystal within touched his paw? A beam of green light flew from his eyes, punching straight through a piece of metal.

Duke blinked, smoke coming from his eyes as he hummed…. He turned towards the others who were speechless.

"More crystals?" Skye thought to herself as she looked at Duke. "Uh… Guys? Can you call Ryder? I… Think he might want to know about this." Skye stated as Duke's eyes glowed an alien green.

"About those meteors, you blew up?" Duke asked as his eyes glowed, power within them.

Skye could only hum, knowing there was going to be more trouble… And it made her MORE curious about things.

He hummed, smirking to himself at the idea of it… Something about the small little crystal in his hand made him feel more power than he wanted to feel.

But it also made the pain feel like it did not need to exist within him… Now? He felt like he had been more and more relaxed than he ever had in his life.

"I am going to… Talk to Ryder." Rubble stated before he turned and left.

Duke hummed and passed the crystal to his other hand. Energy still crackled around his eyes as he blinked, firing a laser that cut through the water like a knife into butter.

"Ok… Optic blasts. What else?" Duke asked, leaning on the meteor.

It was sent skidding away like a softball, digging through solid concrete like it was water. Duke blinked and looked down to see he had done that with one paw.

"Uh… Do they all give super strength?" Duke asked, wondering if he should be holding the crystal.

Skye blinked as she realized two things…. 1. There were more magical meteors than Vance had believed and her magnet had done more than she believed.

And 2? The danger that was ahead? Danger Paw Patrol was to face had just been upgraded.

"Ryder? We have an issue." Rubble said as Chase's voice came over the carrier's speaker system.

"We know, Rubble… We found Otis but a meteor stopped us from catching Humdinger… How is Duke?" Chase asked as Rubble looked at both Skye and Duke.

Duke hummed as Skye floated around the Great Dane, Duke humming as both pups showed off their abilities. Duke showed what was obviously surprise and shock but he hid it behind awe as well.

(With Ryder and the others)

"Thank you, thank you! New friends!" Otis yelled from inside the dog carrier they had gotten from Humdinger as Skye spoke over the team comm.

"More meteors showed up! One of them opened and Duke found another crystal in them!" Skye said as the sound of breaking stones was heard.

"My bad! I did not realize I had strength like that… That is a large hole in the docks." Duke said as Rubble laughed.

"Wait… Duke got powers?!" Chase yelled before another sizzling noise came.

"Um… I would not stand directly in front of me… I still do not understand that ability." Duke stated, Skye humming.

"Yes… Yes, he does… Duke? Where is your… Oh. There are more crystals. We cannot see them all. I think you might want to come back with Otis. We need to talk." Skye said.

"Specialist Skye? I think there is more crystal frag… That is a LOT of crystal shards…" Duke said before the line went dead.

Chase looked at Ryder, both realizing that they had other issues to worry about… And the mayor could wait.

(Within 1 hour)

Ryder looked at Duke who was busy talking with Skye and Chase. Duke held up the crystal which had since then attached itself to his new pup tag as Duke lifted one of the chairs not attached to the ship… He lifted it with one paw, balancing it in the palm of his paw.

Duke tried to place it down… Almost smashing it into the deck hard enough to dent the metal.

"This is outside my training…" Duke said sheepishly as Skye hummed.

"Ryder?" Chase asked in a tone that suggested something was wrong.

Something at the time which had amused them before they relaxed at the time… She and he had to try and figure it out.

They had a lot more to do as he looked over at Skye, pausing for now. This was a lot more to try and figure it out now.

He looked over at the time being… They had a lot more to try and figure it.

Duke looked over at Skye as both looked over at Skye. She and he were different warriors… An idea like this was harder and harder to deal with.

Duke scratched at the back of his head before he looked downwards at the time.

Duke hummed to himself…. What he was able to try and figure out.

"Are you ok?" Duke asked Skye before he hummed to himself.

Skye smirked to try and figure it out… Now? Now they had a lot more to try and understand. Duke offered a smirk and then sighed to himself, rubbing up and down his neck.

The two dogs at the time were awkwardly… There were a lot more things Duke did not know about it.

Otis looked at Duke before he sighed to himself.

"Ok… So, we are going to have to deal with a corrupt mayor… And they have these crystals like the one we have." Duke stated before he sighed to himself.

"Yes… These crystals are very dangerous." Liberty stated before Duke nodded.

"Sounds a lot like a group of soldiers," Duke stated before he sighed. "Sorry, military talk… We have a lot more to discuss. The more enemies here? The more we must discuss." Duke said as he paused, looking downwards.

The rest of the pups looked at Duke, very sure of it… They had more skill; they were gifted people and Paw Patrol saw at least one skilled warrior.

Duke kept his gaze on Skye and Chase. Duke and Chase were clearly on the same page before he thought of it… He guessed the Army pup was a lot more skilled than he looked.

They had a lot more to try and discuss… Both knew this and both realized the other was doing whatever they could to speed such a process along.

Granted? Both were serious soldiers and both had to deal with something.

"Maybe we could get in some training?" Chase asked as Duke shrugged.

"If you believe that it is the best course of action? I will comply with that… Though, I believe it will take some time to relax." Duke stated before he sighed, tiring only because of the groups of questions when he was bombarded by them on all sides.

Duke being himself, however? Shrugged off the worst of it as he realized he had to handle it.

"Um… Should I give my crystal to you? it is not coming out easy…" Duke stated as he blinked, unsure of what to do.

Chase and the others realized they had more work to do as another meteor flew by.

Chase looked at Ryder, knowing at the end of the day. it was still his call and most of them both wanted nothing more than to listen.

Ryder looked at Duke who was busy trying to talk to Skye and Rubble before Otis attempted to tackle him. Duke frowned at Otis; his muzzle set in a deep look of neutrality before he allowed Otis a small hug with some reluctance.

Ryder's first thought was to call Duke's owner… But that was not an option, Duke had made it explicit that his owner was temporary and he was to be sent to another owner.

That and he assumed a military dog being kidnapped might cause much larger problems… Namely for them all.

"Ryder?" Chase asked as the boy bent down towards the German Shepard.

"Go tell Duke we can talk in the morning… I need Rocky and Zuma to help find the meteors and see if anyone was hurt." Ryder stated as Chase nodded and walked towards Duke.

Ryder watched as Duke who was attempting to tug the crystal free from his collar and instead almost slammed into Skye and Rubble before he fired another optic laser from his eyes.

"Duke has superpowers!? Awesome!" Otis yelled, attempting another hug only for Duke to block him with his tail.

"No physical affection. I could crush you by pure accident…" Duke said as Ryder walked away. "Also, I… What do you mean to stay here? You have enough living quarters for us?" Duke asked to which Chase nodded.

(5 minutes later)

The 'meteor' that had passed over the Paw Patrol carrier turned and let its engines flare… It was a jet, a very military-level jet.

"Commander, perhaps we could have attempted this mission without such measures?" The commander heard.

"When I ask for your opinion, Lieutenant? I will… Continue, we need this scientist for our plans." They heard.

The group turned towards their leader, a dog in military-style armor like those worn by Paw Patrol… The small cracks of light shining through the cockpit revealed he was a collie and he looked over most of the craft.

All but his second in command were metallically sleek. Why? Because they were not living beings but robots.

"Why did we come here, Commander Zero? You could have found the meteors somewhere else."

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! A few things.

I am not attempting to rush Duke and Otis entering Paw Patrol or give them special abilities. I merely want them to be ready for that.

Given this is a more mature story? I am going to have some violence and such.

No, I am not acting like Skye is more vital to the group than Chase, merely Duke who met her first is more comfortable around her.

The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of Duke's first night around Paw Patrol, more bonding, and Zero's debut. Until the 900–6500-word chapter, Lighting Wolf out!