Fingers gliding across a keyboard, a man rhythmically typed away, his eyes darting down to ensure that the keys being typed on were the correct ones. After all, a task such as this required the utmost precision and attention. No room for error. Upon completing yet another line of code, one that stretched out from one end of the screen to the other, the man slowly turned around in his swivel chair, standing up and walking away from the screen.
The leather soles of the man's dress shoes tapped on the sleek floor as he walked across it, the echo created by the initially unnoticeable noise providing a nice background sound to fill the silent void of what appeared to be the interior of a cave. His plan was moving along quite nicely. And a bonus, it seemed as though he was right on time.
See, he had recently heard that Mayor Goodway was planning a dog competition for both Foggy Bottom, as well as Adventure Bay. And if he wanted to win and prove that Foggy Bottom was the better of the two locations, he would have to get a bit creative. Especially if he didn't own any dogs.
As the man stopped walking, the sound of tapping ceasing, various barks and howls began to fill the air. The man smirked beneath his mustache. So what better of a plan to take the strays around Foggy Bottom in order to train them to be the best show dogs possible? Yes, this was indeed an excellent plan!
"With that pesky PAW Patrol down on their numbers, it's the perfect time for me to pull off my excellent plan!" The man exclaimed, his cartoonishly villainous voice rising above the howls and barks around him, "I've got this in the bag!"
Just as he told himself that, a singular spotlight was cast down on the man. The most notable sight was the overwhelming purple color on every inch of his body. This included a purple top hat, which the man's eyes were hidden beneath the rim of.
The mysterious malefactor raised a hand to snap his fingers, the howling and barking ceasing immediately afterwards. His smirk grew wider as he finally looked up, his eyes revealed. Standing under the lone spotlight was the head of Foggy Bottom, the neighboring town to Adventure Bay, Mayor Humdinger.
For years, it had always seemed as though Adventure Bay had always gotten the spotlight in their little corner of the world, so much so that many didn't even know what Foggy Bottom looked like. It angered the purple clothed man. So much so that when Humdinger finally became the mayor of the town, it became one of his primary missions to show Adventure Bay, to show the world how much better his beloved home was.
And this dog competition was just another place to prove his point.
"With the PAW Patrol down on their numbers, I have free reign to keep them from messing up my schemes!" Humdinger reached up to pinch and twirl his mustache, "They'll all finally see... Foggy Bottom will have its—"
Suddenly, the spotlight Humdinger was standing under began to sway in multiple directions. The mischievous mayor tried to ignore it, waiting a few seconds before it finally settled once more.
"Foggy Bottom will have its—-"
The spotlight began to swing again, taking it off of himself and flashing at various places. Growling with annoyance, Humdinger looked up to see one of his many kittens hanging from the light, playing around with it.
"Not again!" The purple clothed man childishly stomped his foot, "Naughty kitty, you're ruining my dramatic introduction!"
.
.
.
In a forest not too far away from the misty town, four pups sat in front of a dog that easily dwarfed the four pups in size. The large dog, a furry Great Pyrenees, looked at each and every one of the pups. A Husky, a mixed breed, and two Dalmatians with vastly different dispositions as they waited for the large dog to speak.
"So, why exactly did you want me here?" One of the Dalmatians, nicknamed Hood, inquired, growing impatient, "I get these three, but why me again?"
The Great Pyrenees only smiled, "I can't separate a team from its navigator."
"Um... When did I agree to be on a team, Elder?" Hood's eyes narrowed, "A temporary truce? Sure. But a team?"
Everest turned to look at the doppelganger Dalmatian, "Quit it with the complaining... Moan and groan all you want, but you'll never go against what Elder says..." The Husky shrugged, a giggle slipping out of her mouth.
The wild Dalmatian's sharp eyes immediately flickered over to the Husky beside him, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"C'mon, Hood, calm down..." Rocky joined the conversation, "I think what Everest meant was that she didn't know that Elder was your dad."
Hood's attention zeroed in on the mixed breed sitting on Everest's right, "What are you talking about?"
"Rocky's being silly!" Everest's giggles grew louder, "Don't mind him, all I'm saying is I would never let another dog dominate me like that."
Right after Everest had told Hood that, she and Rocky burst out in laughter, Hood's cheeks burning as the two pups mocked him. Marshall, meanwhile, remained off to the side as he listened to everything unfold. He knew that whenever Everest and Rocky weren't bickering with one another, they were nearly ten times worse.
"Funny you would say 'dominate', Everest..." Hood smirked, something coming to mind, "Considering that you've been wishing for the past week to get a certain someone to do just that to you."
Everest's face grew hot, catching his insinuation, "You little—!"
Elder joined back in, cutting Everest off, "Regardless. Like it or not, you four work well with one another. And most of all, you get things done, do you not?" He raised an eyebrow, "Because of that, I need your help."
As though the large dog had flipped a switch on in Marshall's mind, the Dalmatian was quick to zone in on what Elder was saying, "Help? Say no more! We'll help you out, Elder!"
"That was quick..." Hood commented before glancing back at Rocky and Everest, "Does he always have to be—-?"
"You need something built?" Rocky asked, somehow having summoned a makeshift utility belt around his waist, "I've got the tools and materials to do it!"
Everest also seemed excited about the prospect of someone in need, "Is it another vicious animal? We'll deal with it!"
"You gotta be kidding me..." Hood's eyelids lowered.
Just outside, a familiar puppy, following her nose, was quickly approaching the opening to the cave the scent she was following was in.
"Just like that, I've tracked Everest's scent to... Elder's cave!? What a twist! What could she possibly be doing there? Consult from the leader of the valley?" The puppy, a little Shiba Inu, identified as Anya, thought as she remained outside, "Perhaps a closer look could yield an answer..."
Ever since Everest helped Anya with bringing a branch back to her home in order to defend from the coming rain, the Shiba found herself with a sense of adoration toward the older Husky. Since her earliest days, Anya had always wanted to be the type of dog that could be able to help others, just like she had seen many do before her. Hearing that the Husky had been doing what she had always wanted to do might have caused her to gravitate toward the older female.
Anya peered into the cave, where she could see Everest, Marshall, Rocky, and Hood standing in front of Elder as he spoke.
"A while ago, a group of three dogs from this valley left to go and search around for better areas for food. They told me that they were headed to the nearest human settlement, but they haven't come back."
"So you want us to go looking for them?" Hood asked, raising an eyebrow, "What if the same thing happens to us and we end up missing too?"
"Unlike them, you four have a set of skills that should work well for this," The Pyrenees explained, "Dally, you have vast knowledge of forest travel. An innate ability to navigate. Everest, you're filled with fighting spirit only rivaled by few. Rocky, your intelligence is something I've never seen before. With your help, figuring out what could've happened to those dogs will be simple."
Marshall stood quietly as Elder counted off each of their skills and talents, his paws fiddling with the scarf around his neck. He wasn't too sure what the large dog would say about him. Perhaps something related to his medical skills? That's what many seemed to be interested in while he had been in the valley.
The Dalmatian had spaced out, blissfully unaware of the approaching dog. Elder, who had spent the entirety of the conversation laid down on the far side of the cave, finally rose to his paws to slowly walk closer.
"Marshall, step forward, if you will."
Blinking himself back to Earth, the forest medic slowly stepped forward, wondering what could possibly be going through Elder's mind.
"Time and time again, Marshall, you have impressed me. When you first arrived with your friends, I was astonished to know of the skills you possess as a medic..." He told him, leaning down to meet Marshall at eye level, "But what astonished me the most was that night of the fire."
Stunned by the onslaught of praise, it took Marshall a few seconds to ask; "What about it...?"
"You were surrounded by those who refused your help because you're domesticated. You had insults flying at you from almost every direction imaginable. But instead of flipping out, or refusing to help the Canine Valley at all, you showed me your greatest strength... Your altruistic nature, as well as your drive to never give up on the things you seek.."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"It's for you to understand why I want you to be the leader of this little team," Elder smiled, "Just like how you led the Canine Valley to safety that night, and how you led these three to do it, I want you to take charge once more. You'll call the shots and ensure everything goes smoothly."
"What!?" Both Marshall, as well as a shocked Hood, asked in unison.
"I mean... When you think about it, Marshall, haven't you kinda always been the leader?" Rocky asked, eliciting Marshall to turn and look at him.
Everest nodded, clearly agreeing with Rocky, "Ever since the three of us set out to prove your innocence, Rocky and I have been backing you every step of the way!"
"I dunno... You have had my back but it's more like you two have been dragging me along for the ride while I moped around..."
"What about when we first came here, though?" Rocky raised an eyebrow, "You haven't noticed, but you've really come into your own since we got here. Like Elder said, that fire incident is a perfect example."
Elder took this queue to join in, "Understand this, Marshall. You too, Dally. Individuals only show their true colors when danger truly poses itself. I understand that this decision confuses both of you, but for completely different reasons. Those reasons also contribute to my decision."
"Yeah!" Everest grinned, suddenly finding her way behind Marshall, "Trust what the big guy says! You're the leader! And I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Of course you wouldn't..." Rocky snickered, Everest's head snapping around 180 degrees the moment she heard the former recycling pup say what he had.
"And what do you mean by that, Rocky!?"
The sounds of Rocky and Everest's usual banter began to fade off into the background as Marshall remained still, mulling over what had just happened. Him? A leader? From as far back as he could remember, he was never the one to be leading others. In fact, some of his earliest memories were of him remaining behind Chase in whatever they did. Even when the PAW Patrol became more widely recognized as an official team, his rank was below Chase, the one who would lead the pups whenever Ryder wasn't around.
He was good at what he did, maybe even above average at what he did, but to be chosen to be a leader, even if it was on a team of pups who were—for the most part— willing to follow Marshall as the leader, was a thought that had never crossed his mind.
Like many times before, his eyes slowly drifted to the scarf he was wearing around his neck. It always seemed as though he looked to that scarf for advice, like the one who gave it to him was somehow woven into the fabric itself. After all, it still held a faint trace of her scent mixed in with his own. Liz. He remembered what she told him the last time he thought he didn't deserve something.
.
"There's only one pup or person on this planet who can decide your worth and who you deserve. That pup is you."
.
Marshall's reluctant frown developed into a faint smile as he turned to look at the open entrance of the cave. There was nowhere else for him to go but forward. And he would run toward it full speed. He stood up, walking toward the entrance of the cave. In the process, he passed between Rocky and Everest.
"Let's go."
"Huh?" Rocky and Everest asked, surprised by the Dally's newfound confidence.
Hood, meanwhile, remained silent as his eyes trained on the Great Pyrenees. Now, he could understand why he had such high praises for Marshall, but why put him in charge? Why not himself? What was what the Elder said supposed to mean?
The large dog only stared back at him, his expression unchanging. As the time the domesticated pups spent in the Canine Valley grew long, he grew to understand the circumstances that led them to his home. Or at least, the synopsis of it. Due to this, Elder didn't see Hood as fit to lead a small team, especially if he hasn't made any attempts to atone for his actions under the protection of a temporary truce with the Domestics.
With a sharp exhale through his nose, the wild Dalmatian turned around, following behind the three other pups.
Marshall stood on the hill just outside of the cave, Everest, Rocky, and Hood standing at his sides, with the latter standing behind them, "Alright you guys, let's go save those dogs!"
Watching the four hurry off, a still hidden Anya peered out from inside of a bush, "I watched as my friend ran off with her friends with the declaration of saving dogs... Are they on a mission? A mission for heroes!?" Her eyes sparkling, she quickly chased after the four.
.
.
.
Hours following them leaving the Canine Valley, Everest's snowcat pulled up to a town. One that Hood recognized as the nearest to the forest they were currently residing in. The town ahead was one that Marshall, Rocky, and Everest had been before. One that was a tad hard to see due to the fog that seemed to always be covering the location. The home of one of their biggest nemesis.
They had driven to Foggy Bottom.
"You said this was the nearest human settlement from the valley, right Hood?" Marshall asked, his eyelids lowering a bit as he stared ahead.
Hood turned to look at the other Dalmatian, "Yeah, why?"
All but Hood, as well as the secret stowaway hanging onto the vehicle from the back, had a similar thought that resounded in an exasperated and unified sigh, "Humdinger."
"The guy hates dogs more than anything!" Everest exclaimed,
Rocky nodded in agreement, looking at Marshall, "If they disappeared here, there's a good chance that Humdinger had something to do with it."
"You're right, but something about us just gunning for Humdinger with nothing but a suspicion that he did something wrong feels..." Marshall paused, trying to think of the right word, "Hypocritical?"
Hood finally chimed in, "If he's seriously as bad as you three say, we can't just let him slide, even if we don't have evidence. We'll just look for it when we get there."
Rocky thought for a moment, "In that case, how about we split up?"
"Huh?" The three other pups looked at the mixed breed.
"Well, if we aren't sure about putting all of our eggs in one basket, then we'll work in two groups. Two of us look for clues around Foggy Bottom while the other two go and investigate Humdinger's possible involvement. What do you think?"
Marshall didn't need to be a genius to know that Rocky was asking him if he thought the plan was a good idea, "Uhhh... Yeah! Sounds good! What should the teams be?"
"Well, since Marshall's technically still in hiding from the public, I say he goes to investigate Humdinger. He should probably bring Everest along with him, in case things get hairy and they need to battle their way out."
"That leaves us to explore this place?" Hood inquires, "What if these humans think I'm Marshall? Shouldn't I just go with him to this Humdinger guy?"
Rocky's ears perked up. He didn't exactly think of that, "Er... Don't worry, I'll make you a cloak like the one you were wearing while you were the thief of Adventure Bay! Besides, you don't know Humdinger. You don't have much experience."
"Right..."
The four hopped out of the snowcat as a silent pair of eyes watched from behind the vehicle.
"Alright, make sure to report whatever you find, okay?" Marshall told both Hood and Rocky. The former scoffed.
"Sure, captain obvious..."
"Okay grumpy face..."
Both Dalmatians proceeded to huff cartoonishly and walk off in opposite directions, one heading off into the town area of Foggy Bottom, and the other toward the coast near where Humdinger's hideout was. As they did, Everest eyed Rocky, who was watching Hood walk off.
"You decided to pair me and Marshall together for a reason, didn't you?"
Rocky chuckled, facing away from her, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'd say don't think about it too much and enjoy your time with him."
"I totally owe you one."
"Good luck with your investigation..." The mixed breed only walked back to the snowcat, grabbing a bag.
As Everest sped up to catch up with Marshall, the pair of roaming eyes seemed to want to follow the Husky, leaving the safety of being behind her snowcat in order to trail both her, as well as Marshall.
The Dalmatian, his eyes closed in frustration from his prior interaction with Hood, kept walking until Everest caught up with him, "Marshmallow!"
"Huh?" His eyes opening, Marshall looked back at her, "What's up, Evie?"
Ever since the two pups had accidentally revealed their hidden nicknames they had been using for one another the previous day, they had made the decision to freely use those same names, as neither of them were willing to ask the other to stop. Marshall loved the name Everest came up for him, as did Everest with the name Marshall came up for her. Though this was only something they felt comfortable doing alone.
"What's up?" Everest seemed confused, "What's up with you? I've never seen you get so annoyed so fast..."
"I dunno. I guess me and Hood get on each other's nerves a bunch..." The Dally smiled nervously, "It was the same yesterday when we got separated. We didn't get along."
"Really? What happened?"
Marshall thought for a moment, "We just... Argued. Stuff about how I was framed because of him, and me telling him that even though we're in a truce right now, that doesn't mean I'd let him off the hook for what he did. Not just to me, but Adventure Bay."
"You really said all of that?" The Husky asked, astonished.
The Dalmatian nodded shamefully, "I really did want to act like everything was no big deal... I wanted to go into the Canine Valley with no animosity... But even if Hood didn't frame me on purpose, the things he said to me that night, I can still hear them clearly..."
.
"We don't want to put anyone out of a home, I just want to prove that I wasn't the one who stole those bones!"
Hood raised an eyebrow, "You mean those yellow bones?"
"Yeah?"
"They were useless."
"What do you mean by that?" Everest asked, glaring at their adversary, "Those things must be worth thousands of dollars!"
"Dollars?" Hood initially seemed confused, "You mean that currency humans use? We have no use for it. I went there thinking that they were edible, but they're harder than rocks! It was a waste of time."
The former fire pup's head immediately sunk as he looked at the floor, "Then what do you want!?" He shut his eyes tight, "Why did you have to do this? If they were a waste of time, then what was I, collateral damage?"
"Yeah. You were."
.
"Hm..." Everest's eyes looked down at the sand they were walking on.
"Something up?"
"It's just... it's really sweet of you to still want to get justice for Adventure Bay despite them treating you like that..." Everest moved a bit closer to Marshall, "Elder was right about you having a big heart."
The Dalmatian's face grew warm, "T-Thanks, Evie."
The two eventually saw a large cave on the coast of Foggy Bottom. If stories from Chase, who had been inside the hideout on various occasions, were correct, then the cave before them was where Humdinger would come up with most of his dubious schemes. Exchanging a quick glance, the duo nodded softly with an agreement to remain quiet as they entered.
Walking into the cave, the duo squinted in order to be able to see better in the progressively darker area of the rocky tunnel leading into the main room. The moment they stepped into the main room, a large spotlight was cast down on something further into the room.
In a section of the hideout that looked like it had recently been carved out stood a large vehicle, which the spotlight above seemed to be focused on. Both Marshall and Everest's eyebrows immediately raised upon seeing this vehicle. It appeared to be a purple replica of a vehicle they had seen before.
"That kinda looks like the PAW Patroller..." Marshall spoke in a hushed voice, looking at the Husky beside him, "But very... Purple."
Everest was quick to start approaching the large vehicle, "Let's go check it out."
Marshall frantically looked around, his anxiety toward not knowing where the potential perpetrator could be growing by the instant. He didn't notice how much further Everest had gotten from him until he looked back toward the vehicle, where the Husky had already managed to get a side door open and was ijn the midst of making her way in.
"Wait up, Ev—oof!" The Dalmatian suddenly slipped on something, causing him to face-plant on the floor, "...There it is..." He groans, his voice muffled by the floor..
Standing back up, Marshall noticed that he could feel something small on the bottom of his left forepaw. He quickly tapped it on the ground, causing whatever was stuck to it to drop and land on the floor. It was a small food pellet, one that Marshall was able to immediately recognize by the look, as well as the smell
"...Doggy Delights..."
Doggy Delights was only one of what seemed to be millions of dog food brands. One that he was instantly able to recognize as the one he'd eat almost every morning up until a couple of weeks ago. It had been so long since he had seen, let alone tasted, that specific brand. It took him back to those drowsy mornings with the rest of the PAW Patrol, slowly waking up as he enjoyed his food with the rest of the team. Despite some of the pups, namely Rubble, finishing breakfast before them, those pups would stay until the entirety of the team were done, sharing jokes and laughter.
He missed it.
As the laughter from the rest of the PAW Patrol faded off to return to the depths of his mind, Marshall stared down at the single food pellet that lay before him. His eyelids lowered, the silence of the cave he was standing in becoming more apparent by the second. Marshall knew well that he wasn't in the lookout, sharing a breakfast with his friends in his warm, welcoming home. Instead, he was in Humdinger's hideout, the complete opposite place in comparison to the place he'd dreamed of returning to.
Speaking of, though...
The Dally tilted his head in confusion. What were dog food pellets doing in Humdinger's hideout? He didn't like dogs in the slightest, which, admittedly, had something to do with his disdain for the PAW Patrol. Regardless of his reasons, though, Humdinger hated dogs. So then why was there dog food lying on the floors?
He looked ahead at the large PAW Patroller ripoff. Perhaps there were some clues lying in there. Besides, he needed to catch up to Everest. Getting separated was the last thing they needed, especially behind enemy lines. Nodding to himself, he quickly ran toward the phony PAW Patroller, entering through the same opening that Everest had just a few moments prior.
Upon entering, Marshall's eyes squinted. The interior of the false PAW Patroller was dark. So much so that seeing three feet in front of home was a challenge. As he walked, Marshall could hear the door he had just past slammed shut, making the Dalmatian yelp and jump, his head snapping back to look at it.
"Oh no... That doesn't seem good..." Marshall gulped, wondering where the next closest exit was.
Before he could continue to panic, the Dally shook his head, remembering that he had followed Everest's trail into the large vehicle. He couldn't just freak out and turn tail the moment things got scary. At the very least, he had to make sure Everest was okay and had at least someone around there to have her back. Though, upon further examination, Marshall quickly realized that the Husky was nowhere in his limited sight.
Stumbling his way through the dark, Marshall wondered why Mayor Humdinger would need something similar to the PAW Patroller. It wasn't like his kittens, the Kitten Catastrophe Crew, had vehicles that needed to be transported large distances... Did they?
Marshall's face scrunched up, using his left forepaw to lean against a nearby wall.
No, that would be impossible. If they did, Humdinger would be flaunting them around in his attempts to be rid of the PAW Patrol like he always did with most of his inventions. Now that he was thinking about it, could the phony PAW Patroller he was in be something Humdinger wanted to use in order to beat—-?
Before his train of thought could leave the station, the Dalmatian suddenly found that the wall he had been leaning on was no longer there, causing him to fall to the left, crashing into another section of the vehicle's interior with a thud.
"Ow..." The dazed Dalmatian slowly rose to his paws once more, opening his formerly shut eyes.
Immediately, his eyes were finally graced with a source of light after what seemed to be ages of stumbling around in the dark. Another spotlight shone down on a single swivel chair from what seemed to be pulled straight out of someone else's house.
"Congratulations, Marshall!" A familiar voice exclaimed as the swivel chair spun around, revealing the grinning face of Mayor Humdinger.
"Humdinger!" Marshall's guard rose, "...Wait, for what?"
"You've come to join me as a new member of my team!" Humdinger elaborated, "Surely, after the way Adventure Bay has treated you, you'd want your revenge. Thus, you came to Foggy Bottom to make sure I win!"
The Dalmatian's face went deadpan, "...What?"
"If you're not here for a team-up, then what are you here for?" The purple clothed mayor asked, his arms crossing as he leaned back in his seat.
"I have reason to believe that you're holding on to some stray dogs against their wills... I'm here to investigate!"
"Investigate what?" Humdinger adjusted his hat, "I don't care for you entering my secret hideout and throwing all of these false accusations at me! After all, I know you of all pups wouldn't like that happening to you, now would you?"
The Dalmatian seemed to be confused by the question thrown at him, but a single thought entering his mind gave him temporary pause. Something specific about what the mayor in front of him had just said. Marshall's eyes widened.
"...Wait, how'd you know that they were fal—"
Midst Marshall's confused inquiry, a chorus of howls rose from further back into the phony PAW Patroller, catching both of their attention. The Dalmatian immediately looked back at Mayor Humdinger, raising an eyebrow as if to ask for a bit of clarification on what he had just heard.
"...Er... Must've been my kitties!" Mayor Humdinger grinned, an anxious chuckle slipping from his mouth, "...You know how they get when they're bored... They cause a lot of mischief..."
The forest medic's eyelids lowered, his expression going deadpan, "So, you wouldn't mind if I took a little look back there...?"
"Of course I would mind!" Humdinger suddenly stood up, "This is my personal vehicle! You don't have the right!"
"Um... Marshall?" The Dalmatian's communicator suddenly went off, Everest's voice on the other side, "...There's a ton of dogs in cages! And I think the Catastrophe Crew is stalking my movements..."
The room fell silent. That is, until an upset Marshall spoke.
"Mayor Humdinger! You have dogs back there!" Marshall glared at him.
"Fine, you got me..." Humdinger sat down, sneakily pressing a button on the side of his swivel chair, "I'm putting some of the dogs of the Foggy Bottom pound to good use! I even collected some strays outside of Foggy Bottom to use!"
The Dalmatian's eyes darted away for just a moment, remembering that Foggy Bottom's pound was where he could've ended up had Ryder not given him the time limit to prove his innocence. Snapping out of it, Marshall remembered that there were bigger matters than himself to worry about.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because, there is a dog competition for both Adventure Bay and Foggy Bottom being held later today. I don't have dogs of my own, so I took some. Simple solution!"
"Humdinger, that's dognapping!"
"They've had chances to leave on their own. But they choose to stay!"
"You won't get away with this!" Marshall got himself ready to pounce, "We'll put a stop to this before you take these dogs too far away, some of them might have homes they need to return to!"
"Really?" Humdinger smiled, his hand reaching up to twiddle his mustache, "Look behind you."
"...What?" The Dalmatian slowly turned himself around to look in the direction of the door he had stumbled past earlier. Though, it wasn't empty like it had been a few seconds ago.
Standing there were two large dogs holding something in their mouths. A tied up dog tried its best to wriggle from the mouths of the two larger dogs, but upon them tightening their jaws, the pup in their custody yelped with pain, ceasing the struggle.
"Everest!" Marshall cried out, recognizing the captured pup.
Opening one of her eyes, the tied up Husky looked back at the Dalmatian with shame in her eyes, "...Sorry, Marshall... I don't know what happened... The cages opened all at once and they descended on me like wolves..."
"Let her go!" The now angry Dally turned back around to face Humdinger once more.
Humdinger closed his eyes, snapping the fingers of his right hand. Following his snap, Marshall could hear the audible thud of Everest hitting the floor, followed by her strained grunt.
Marshall took his disdainful eyes off of the mayor, hurrying over to check up on the tied Husky, "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, but I got caught..." Everest spoke softly, just loud enough for Marshall's ears only, "You haven't, though. You have to go tell the others."
"Everest, I can't—"
"Go, now!" The Husky suddenly flipped her own body over, using her teeth in order to bite the leg of one of the dogs. The Dalmatian hesitantly groaned, standing up straight and running for the door. He passed by both dogs, who didn't move an inch as Marshall flew by.
That was, until another snap filled the air.
In the blink of an eye, Marshall found himself pinned to the floor. It took a few seconds for the Dalmatian to even register that he had been slammed to the floor, and took a few more for the pain of it to set in. Groaning, Marshall turned his head to alleviate the pressure on his nose, his breathing growing shaky.
Just like that, the mission was a failure. There was no way out of this one. Rocky and Hood were further in Foggy Bottom, a distance from where Marshall was well aware the mixed breed's communicator wouldn't be able to pick up from. There was nobody else to lean on this time. Just him, Everest...
...And also the Shiba Inu staring at him from behind a nearby cage.
"What the... Anya!?" His eyes widened as his sight focused on the small pup.
Once she realized she had been spotted, the Shiba hid herself further behind the cage, "I watched on with quivering legs as I watched my friends be taken down by villains! Dog villains! I did notice that they looked quite familiar too... Augh! What do I do!? I didn't think they'd get in trouble the one day I followed them!"
As Marshall was picked up by the scruff of his neck, he swung his right foreleg around wildly, causing the communicator that was secured to his wrist to slip off and hit the floor with a faint clink.
"Get away!" He shouted, "Find the rest!"
Anya, looking down at the device laid in front of her, gulped faintly. Her eyes drifted back up to look at The Dalmatian, who only gave her an encouraging smile as he was dragged away. The little Shiba grabbed it with her mouth, dashing away and toward the door the three had entered through before.
"What was that?" Humdinger asked as Marshall was carried back into the room.
"Er... I said... You won't get away with this!" The Dalmatian stuttered, "...And that we wouldn't rest 'till you're brought to justice!"
"Yeah right!" Mayor Humdinger snapped once more, the larger dogs hearing this as they dragged both Marshall and Everest over to a slightly bigger cage, "Should've teamed up with me, thief of Adventure Bay!"
The door to their cage slammed shut, the lock fastened securely. This was followed by similar sounds of different cage doors being closed and locked around them. Remaining where they were, the two pups remained quiet as they waited for the area to fall silent once more. This was signaled by the sound of Mayor Humdinger's shoes tapping on the floor, slowly fading away as he seemingly left the area.
Once they realized that Humdinger left, Marshall was quick to go and try to untie the ropes binding Everest, who looked away from her friend. A single silent whisper rose from the Husky's mouth.
"...I'm sorry..."
"Huh?" Marshall perked up.
"I can't believe I got caught so easily..." Everest laid her head down on the cage's floor, "I messed up bad..."
"What?" The Dalmatian was very confused by the sudden change in her deposition, "Please don't put all of the blame on yourself. Remember, I was the one who stumbled into where Humdinger was sitting... Besides, you said all of the cages opened at once, right? That might've been Humdinger's doing too."
"Even if it isn't my fault, this is still pretty bad. Rocky and Hood are too far away to be contacted on our communicators—wait, where's yours?"
The Husky glanced between her communicator and the empty space on Marshall's right foreleg. The first thing she imagined was that it had been taken from him after his attempt to escape without her.
"Oh, that's because one of us managed to get out of here!" The Dalmatian smiled, "While it was unexpected, I think we might have brought a stowaway to Foggy Bottom..."
"A stowaway... Who could've—?" She began to ask, but stopped suddenly, her eyelids falling, "...It was Anya, wasn't it?"
"Yep! She followed us all the way into here, and I saw her when I tried to escape. Before I was dragged back, I threw off my communicator."
"I swear..." Everest huffed as Marshall finally managed to get the ropes off of the Husky, "She's always getting herself into some kind of trouble by following others she knows she shouldn't follow."
"Wait, this has happened before?"
"She'd sometimes follow me and Brutus while we went foraging back at the valley," The Husky activates her communicator, "Anya, can you hear me?"
Not too far away from Mayor Humdinger's cave, running along the coast, the little Shiba heard Everest's voice from the object in her mouth, stopping in her tracks.
"Everest?" Her muffled voice asked.
"Oh good, that means you're still nearby..." Everest's voice sighed with relief, "Okay, listen to me, Anya. Head toward town and use the communicator to get in touch with Rocky."
"I can do that!" The Shiba grinned, "I do have one question, though..."
"Yeah?"
"What's a town?"
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Rocky and Hood snuck around the alleyways of Foggy Bottom in hopes of finding something, anything related to the dogs that had disappeared, completely oblivious to what had happened with the other duo sent to Humdinger's hideout.
The mixed breed peered around a corner, eyes narrowing, "...I'm still surprised that Foggy Bottom is so close to the valley..."
"Foggy Bottom, huh?" Hood repeated, "So you've been here before?"
Rocky gave a slight nod, "Yeah, once or twice while the three of us were on the PAW Patrol. We mostly came here to keep Humdinger from doing anything crazy..."
"The PAW Patrol, huh? I've heard that name before..." The wild Dalmatian thought for a moment, "You three seem so fixated on that team. What even is this PAW Patrol to you?"
The mixed breed thought for a moment, completely turning himself around to face the doppelganger Dalmatian, "I guess you could say that it's a bit similar to the Canine Valley in a way. We looked out for one another. We always had each other's backs."
"Hm..." Hood nodded along.
"Well, that is, until you framed Marshall and fractured the team."
"For the last time, I didn't frame Marshall. Him getting caught in the crossfire was just—"
"Let me guess, collateral damage?" Rocky asked, his eyes narrowing.
Hood thought for a moment, "Well... Yeah. It was. I never understood why you three took that so harshly..."
"What do you mean?" The mixed breed's glare was replaced with a confused squint.
"Collateral damage is literally defined as something happening as the result of something else," Hood explained, "But the way Marshall reacted, you'd think I meant to make what happened to him collateral damage."
Rocky's mouth closed for just a moment. He had a good point. The way Rocky, Marshall, and Everest were looking at what he said made it seem as though Hood was overtly insulting what happened to Marshall over the course of the weeks prior to him saying that. But, in reality, the situation would be realistically classified as collateral damage to Hood's thefts.
The former eco pup looked down at the ground, "In that case, can I ask you something?"
"I've got nothing else to do. Go for it."
"What do you think of Marshall?"
"Marshall?" The wild Dalmatian thought for a moment, "Well, he's an idiot."
"There goes all of Hood's credit..." Rocky's expression grew deadpan.
"He throws himself into danger time and time again, as though he's immortal!" Hood exclaimed, "As long as it means he's convincing someone else, he won't hesitate to dive in head first... He'll do it."
Rocky's eyebrows raised ever so slightly.
"Maybe that's why Elder decided to make him the leader out of the four of us... He isn't bad at it, as we've seen when that fire hit... He never gives up, and he's always willing to let others know that the impossible can become possible. Just like that night he offered to help the valley..."
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He then inhaled once again, "So I'm asking you. Will you let me... Let us help this place?"
As Marshall's extended paw raised a bit more, Hood noticed the sun beginning to rise behind him. The daybreak behind him provided just a tad bit more visibility, rays of light shining down in multiple places, and conveniently, right on Marshall's paw.
.
"Maybe it was a sign..." Hood's eyes narrowed as he leaned himself against a wall, "...A sign that Marshall's the beacon of light that'll lead to a new tomorrow..."
Rocky was taken aback. He couldn't remember a time when Hood would openly compliment Marshall. Their complicated relationship was always filled with a sense of uncertainty, especially since the time limit Ryder had initially given them was growing sooner by the day. Inevitably, their truce with Hood would end, and the time to bring the doppelganger Dalmatian to justice would see its day. But, despite all of that, one thing was very clear to the intelligent mixed breed.
"It seems like you have a lot of nice things to say about Marshall."
Hood's eyes widened, "I—"
Before the wild Dalmatian could say anything, Rocky's communicator suddenly beeped, "Helloooooo? Does this wooooork?"
"What the?" Rocky's eyebrows raised as he brought his communicator to his muzzle, "Who is this?"
"I'm Anya! Do not fret. I am an ally of Everest's."
"...Um, okay? Well, Anya, how'd you get a communicator? And where are Marshall and Everest?"
"They were captured by a mustache-twirling bad guy!"
"Oh come on, don't be so dramatic..." Hood commented, "...Mustache twirling villains are only in fairy tales."
"That's Humdinger!" Rocky exclaimed, "Anya, do you know where Everest's snowcat is?"
"You mean that machine we all came here in?"
Hood's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean we all?"
"That doesn't matter!" The mixed breed shook his head, "Anya, meet us there, we're on our way."
"Aye-aye!"
Quickly doubling back and running over to the snowcat, Hood and Rocky were met with the worried face of a Shiba Inu pup, clearly way younger than either of them were.
"You're that pup Everest hangs out with..." Hood immediately recognized her, "How'd you even get here?"
"I hung onto the back of this thing, and jumped out when you guys did!" Anya explained.
"That's besides the point!" Rocky interjected, "What did you see?"
Anya thought for a moment, "There was this huge cave! And when I followed Everest and Marshall inside, they went into this house inside the cave. I went after them, but when I came in, I saw dogs trapped in cages everywhere! Then, Marshall ran toward me, but was tackled by another dog and taken away. He threw this thing at me and told me to get away and find 'the rest'. Are you two the rest?"
The mixed breed nodded, "Yeah, we're the other two members of the team."
"So it was this Humdinger guy who took the dogs that came here from the valley?" Hood inquired.
"Most likely..." Rocky confirmed, "But what would he need with all of those dogs...?"
The wild Dalmatian quickly replied, "Doesn't matter. We need to save those dogs, as well as get Marshall and Everest out."
"Right! We have our perp, let's get to—"
Before Rocky could finish, a loud honking noise could be heard further into Foggy Bottom, cutting the mixed breed's sentence short. The noise gradually moved closer to them, causing them to turn toward where the noise was coming from.
Barreling around a corner and into their sight was a large vehicle, one that Anya was able to recognize.
"That's the house I saw inside the cave!" The Shiba pup shouted over the honking, "It's a moving house!"
"That's a vehicle!" Rocky exclaimed, "He's taking them away! Everyone, in the snowcat. NOW!"
Inside Mayor Humdinger's replica of the PAW Patroller, Marshall and Everest remained trapped in one of the many cages lining the walls of the middle section. The cages along the walls were stacked on top of one another, packed into a square section of the wall so that none of them would fall. The cage the two were trapped in just so happened to be the cage right in the center. While Everest was doing her best to try and open the lock to their shared cage, Marshall had found himself striking up a conversation with the dogs in the surrounding cages.
The Dalmatian seemed confused, "So the reason why you put up with this place is because Humdinger feeds you guys well?"
"Exactly," The dog in the cage to their left nodded, "The more we comply, the more we're fed. And the food we're fed is definitely better than what was at the pound..."
"So what happens if you don't comply?" Everest stopped trying to open the cage as she looked at the trapped dog.
Another dog from the cage below theirs answered, "We're fed the bare minimum."
"That doesn't really sound like the best deal..." Marshall's face contorted into a grimace, "Why would you allow this to happen?"
"Like we said, pup. It's all we have..."
Marshall leaned himself against the back of the cage, his eyes drifting down toward the bottom of the cage he and Everest were trapped within. His mind was overwhelmed with a growing sense of guilt. Yet again, problems seemed to rise from the lack of food others experienced. A lifestyle he hasn't experienced since he was very young. Thus, it was an experience he had gotten used to forgetting and leaving in the past.
There were a lot more problems outside of Adventure Bay, as well as the Canine Valley that needed to be solved. The Dalmatian's eyebrows furrowed. How could he take this all away?
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.
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Humdinger's vehicle raced down the road, Rocky using Everest's snowcat to chase behind as quickly as her vehicle would allow him to go. At his sides were Hood and Anya, who both prepared themselves for entrance. The Shiba Inu pup slipped on a backpack Rocky had instructed her to after he gave them a quickly devised plan.
"Okay guys... Here's the plan one more time," The mixed breed told the two as the snowcat began to close in on Humdinger's large vehicle, "Anya, you need to find Marshall and Everest. There's no way we can stop Humdinger if it's just the three of us. In your bag is their equipment. Don't lose it."
"Aye-aye!" The youngest pup of them gave a mock salute.
Rocky turned his head to look at the Dalmatian beside him, "Hood, find Humdinger and keep him pacified while I do what I need to do."
"And that is...?"
Rocky grinned, "I'm taking this thing down!" The inventive pup exclaimed as they finally caught up to the vehicle, "Now jump on!"
The back of Humdinger's vehicle had a small section near the back doors where people would normally step in order to access things from the back end of the vehicle. Perfect for jumping onto. Without hesitation, Hood jumped onto it, looking around for a possible way in. Anya, however, hesitated a bit more as she stood on the side of Everest's snowcat in preparation to jump. That was, until the right side of the snowcat popped up, sending Anya flying off and toward Humdinger's vehicle. Both Rocky and Hood watched on with horror as Anya hit the roof of the vehicle with a loud crash, eliciting a groan of second-hand pain.
"Ooooh..."
"Rocky, what the heck was that!?" Hood turned his attention to Rocky, who seemed to be slowing down in his vehicle.
"This is bad! This is really bad!" Rocky peered out of the side of the snowcat, his attention focused on the front right tire of Everest's vehicle, "I blew a tire, I'm slowing down! Go on without me! I'll catch up!"
Hood nodded, quickly using his claws to climb his way up to the roof to check on Anya.
The little Shiba pup, having landed right on her belly, was still recovering from being thrown onto Humdinger's vehicle. Her eyes cartoonishly spiraled as she tried to steady her vision. Hood eventually came along, putting a paw on her head.
"Don't bow out now, especially if you came here on your own accord."
"Of course I wouldn't!" Anya sprang up, "A fearsome canine such as myself would never flinch from a grand entrance! Now come on! Let's save the day, and our friends!"
Hood nodded in reply before his focus zeroed in on what seemed to be a sunroof near the middle portion of the vehicle, "We just might've found our way in too..."
"Really!?" Her little tail began to wag, "As Hood began trying to pry that clear thing open so we could get inside the moving house, I wondered... What would this bad guy need with all of these dogs? What would he need with Everest and Marshall? I knew one thing. Nobody takes my allies and gets away with it! We had to bring this guy to justice! Valley style!"
With a muffled pop, Hood managed to pry open the sunroof, turning to look at Anya, who was already running toward the opening.
"Let's do this!"
The moment Hood landed on the sleek floors of the vehicle's interior, he raised his nose to the air and began to sniff around. The scents between human and canine had always been distinct. Just another reason why he found being a wild pup to be more advantageous when facing off against humans. Within seconds, he caught the scent of a human. As well as cats? Strange.
Anya headed in the opposite direction of where Hood was eyeing. Using her own nose to catch the scents of both Marshall and Everest, scents that didn't seem too far away.
The wild Dalmatian began to make his way to the front of the vehicle, eyes roving around. He couldn't help but to shake the realization that the scent he had picked up was quite familiar. Which was strange, especially because he had only interacted with a few humans in his entire lifetime. Shaking the thought away, Hood eventually found himself staring at a door. The scent seemed to be just beyond it, mixed in with the small of cats he noticed earlier.
Using his head to push the door open, Hood looked up at what was just beyond the door. Upon seeing the human waiting for him, his eyes bulged to the size of dinner plates.
"YOU!"
Anya, meanwhile, followed her nose to the room filled with cages, looking around with awe, "Woah... That's a lotta cages..." While she had been in the room for just a few seconds before, seeing all of the cages for more than just a passing second really made everything sink in, "This is real... Dognapping is real!"
"Anya, is that you?" Everest's voice echoed through the room.
The little pup snapped out of it, turning to look in the direction of where her voice had come from, "Huh?"
"Anya, you came back!" Marshall grinned, "Are the others with you, too?"
The Shiba sat on her haunches, giving the Dalmatian a confident grin and wink combination, "Mission accomplished!"
"That's great! Let's get outta here!" The Dalmatian excitedly pressed himself against the front of their cage.
Everest noticed that their cage slid forward once he did that, "Marshall, wait! We're in the middle. If we fall, we'll take a bunch of other dogs down with us!"
"Huh?" Marshall, who had already given the cage one more bump, turned to look at the Husky as their cage began to slip out from the stack of cages around them.
The Husky was quick to grab her friend, instinctively wrapping herself around him as their cage fell alongside many others. Just like back when Marshall protected her during their encounter with Forest Fury, she wanted to make sure she stayed out of harm's way, even if he was the one to cause that possible harm.
A symphony of crashes pierced the air. The sound of breaking and crumbling metal filling the ears of all occupants of the vehicle, including those in the front section. Many previously trapped canines rose from the caused debris, various groans and moans deafening the distressed shouts of Anya, who frantically searched around for her friends.
"Ow... That kinda hurt..." Marshall shook his head off, "...Sorry about that Everest..."
The Husky, who was still on the ground, was trying her best to steady her vision from all of the spinning they had done on the way down from their elevated position on the wall. While Marshall was used to throwing himself around like a chew toy, Everest's body wasn't as equipped for the cartoonish levels of flying and spinning.
"Everest? You okay?" Marshall nudged her.
"...Am I okay...?" Lying on her back, she looked up at the Dalmatian, clearly stunned from the impact, "You're sooooo sweet, cutie pie!"
"Sweet?" Anya peered over.
"C-Cutie pie!?" The Dally's face went beet red under his fur, "How hard did she hit her head?"
Before anyone could further address Everest's dizzy state, they heard a shout from the direction of the front compartment.
"Get back here!"
"No! You can't make me!"
Not wasting a moment of time, Mayor Humdinger came dashing into the main room, where he saw what was happening around, including the escape of Marshall and Everest. The purple clothed mayor gulped. This wasn't good at all! Everything was falling apart! He figured if he could escape to a secondary vehicle he kept stored in the very back of the large vehicle, he could escape.
Behind him was a wild Dalmatian, who was in hot pursuit.
Snapping his fingers, Humdinger gathered the attention of all of the dogs that had left their cages following them falling to the floor and breaking, "Help me escape, and everybody gets pup treats!"
The mayor of Foggy Bottom went running off once more toward the exit, but not before spotting a Shiba Inu pup on his way. He knew good and well that many people loved that particular breed. Perfect for the dog competition. If he had to vacate the vehicle, then he would at least need to bring something along with him.
In one swift motion, Humdinger picked Anya up from the ground, throwing the backpack she had off of her.
"Anya!" Marshall shouted as the mayor took the squirming and screaming pup away.
The backpack Humdinger had thrown away hit Everest's head, seemingly snapping her out of her trance, "Ugh... What happened?"
Hood ran over to the duo, "Things just got a whole lot worse, that's what. We can't let that man take Anya."
Everest sprang to her paws, "What!? Humdinger took Anya?"
"Yeah, and left these dogs for us to deal with..." The wild Dalmatian commented in irritation.
Marshall's attention focused on the bag Anya had been wearing when she had come to get him and Everest. She hadn't been wearing that earlier when she went to go find Rocky and Hood. The former firefighter pup walked over to it, zipping it open. Upon seeing what was inside, Marshall's eyes lit up.
"Our gear!"
"Huh?" Both Everest and Hood turned to look at Marshall.
"Everest, put your claws on!" He dug into the bag for a moment before pulling something out and sliding over the bag for her to grab what she needed.
The Husky pulled out the two black glove-like garments, perfectly sized for her two forepaws. Slipping each of them on like she had seen Jake put on his socks, Everest admired the look of the gloves, as well as the compartments just above where her claws normally were. She knew what the compartments were hiding, and she was excited to see how Rocky improved them since the last time she used them.
Marshall slipped on his own equipment, which was now a belt that he could tightly secure to his waist. At the sides of that belt were two metallic boxes, the contents within unable to be seen. Just barely poking out of the boxes were two plungers, one in each box, ready to be fired.
Exchanging a glance and a smile, Marshall and Everest made a mental note to thank Rocky for delivering the equipment through Anya to improve their chances of handling themselves.
Hood took his focus off of the two and toward Humdinger, who was still running, "He's getting away! Go after him!"
"Go after him?" Everest seemed confused, "How are we gonna do that while these dogs are keeping us from getting to Humdinger?"
"I'll hold them off myself. We don't have much time!" The wild Dalmatian glared at the group of dogs that were closing in on them by the second, "Just go!"
"You? Hold them off for us?" The Husky asked in confusion, "How can we trust you not to just turn tail and run away when you're outnumbered like always?"
Hood clenched his teeth. Everest, unfortunately, had a point. Ever since Hood was initially tasked with leading Marshall, Rocky, and Everest to the Canine Valley, he had a habit of trying to escape from situations whenever things seemed dire for the small group. From the pack of wolves, to the forest fire. From the group of bears, to his own emotions. Running away seemed to be a habit of his. It was just something he had grown to utilize in day to day life. A survival instinct.
But for some reason, everything in his body, no, his soul, was telling to dig his paws into the ground and stand for more than just himself. The dogs surrounding himself, Marshall, and Everest, needed to be liberated from the prison that was false promises of food based on good behavior. That wasn't what it meant to be free. They needed to be saved. Anya needed to be saved. He shut his eyes tight, a single exclamation managing to slip into his ears.
.
"I don't want to not be able to help when I see those who need it! Just like in Adventure Bay, there's a place that needs help. A community in need of someone who looks out for them. So why can't we carry that burden for you?"
.
Hood's eyes opened once more, before they drifted over to look at the Husky beside him.
"I'm sick of running away from everything."
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.
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Outside of the large vehicle, Rocky used the snowcat's claw function in order to hang onto the back of the vehicle and allow it to be towed by Humdinger's bigger transportation device. Once ensuring that the snowcat wouldn't slip away, Rocky quickly hopped out and climbed his way up onto the roof. The mixed breed pup immediately noticed an open sunroof, allowing an easy entrance. Upon peeking in, though, Rocky could see a swarm of dogs all pouncing toward a familiar Dalmatian, who was using every ounce of strength in his body to fend them off.
Recognizing that the sunroof would not be a good place to enter through, Rocky changed his sights to the front of the vehicle, which had windows leading into the driver's seat. Quickly noticing that the driver's area had no occupants, Rocky pulled a small, sharp rock out from a small bag tied to his waist, using it to crack the windshield.
Meanwhile, Marshall and Everest chased Humdinger to the back of the large vehicle, where a smaller car waited. The two pups both knew that the purple-clothed mayor was trying to make his escape, but they weren't going to let that happen, no matter the cost.
Humdinger, still holding a restrained Anya, hopped into the car and pressed a button on the dashboard, which caused the very back wall of the vehicle to start opening. The back wall operated similarly to a garage door, slowly rising. Without even checking what was behind him, Humdinger slammed on the gas, trying to reverse out and onto the road to make his escape. Behind Humdinger was Everest's snowcat which was hanging to the back of Humdinger's large vehicle, completely blocking the exit. Doing the math in his head, Marshall knew if Humdinger backed out into Everest's snowcat, it would cause a car pileup of disastrous proportions.
"Stop!" Marshall bellowed, slamming the metal boxes on his sides, forcing the plungers contained within them to shoot out and stick to the front of Humdinger's car.
Since the Dalmatian was obviously not stronger than a car, Marshall began to be dragged along with Humdinger's reversing vehicle. Thinking quickly, Everest switched the paw socks containing her artificial claws to her hind paws and slammed them on the floor, activating them. She leaped over and grabbed Marshall's paws, the metallic claws on her hind paws digging into the floors.
"No, no, no..." Marshall whimpered, looking back at Humdinger, who was still stubbornly trying to pull away.
"Hey! Hey!" Everest shouted, catching the Dalmatian's attention, "Look at me, okay? Everything's gonna be okay! We've got this!"
Rocky, finally managing to break into the driver's area of the large vehicle, fell in and immediately sprang to his paws. He looked around, his eyes soon focusing in on a control panel spread across the dashboard. Among the various controls were two blinking lights.
One of which read; "AUTO-P"
The other blinking light read; "GARAGE"
"Garage?" The mixed breed's head tilted in confusion, "But, the only place a garage would fit in this vehicle would be... The back! He's trying to escape!"
Rocky pressed the garage labeled button, but nothing seemed to be changed by his input. A small screen above the control panel suddenly lit up, revealing the reason why his input didn't work. It was locked by a password.
"Oh man... Uhh..." The intelligent pup began to think, "Foggy Bottom rules? Humdinger rules? Cats over dogs?"
With every verbal guess, the mixed breed clumsily typed out what he was saying. With every guess, though, the screen glowed red, letting him know that what he was typing was incorrect. Layers of sweat caked his already warm face while he worked his hardest to ensure that Humdinger wouldn't be able to get away.
Failed attempt after failed attempt. Guess after guess. Red glow after red glow. Rocky's anxiety grew by the second.
"Ugh, enough with the red! I can't stop now!" He shouted, paws clenching, "Green. Means. GO!"
Rocky raised his paws into the air, throwing all traces of logic and reason to the wind as his paws came crashing down on the various buttons and levers littering the dashboard. Right after he did this, the dashboard began to spark and crackle with electricity, the mixed breed stepping back with a satisfied grin plastered across his muzzle. That was until all of the buttons on the dashboard glowed, the vehicle beginning to swerve.
Still keeping Mayor Humdinger from leaving, Marshall looked at the man, desperation in his eyes, "You can't do this, Humdinger!"
"I can't do this? You broke into my Humdinger Harbinger with no search warrant!" The man exclaimed, using a free hand to point at Anya, "I'm taking her as compensation—-Augh!"
Just as Mayor Humdinger pointed at Anya, the Shiba bit his finger, causing Humdinger to drop her and howl with pain. Anya jumped out of the car and ran toward Marshall and Everest. That was, until the vehicle started swerving to the right.
Marshall looked outside, noticing how the Harbinger seemed to be veering off the road. Not good at all.
"Everest!"
"Marshall!"
The two pups reached for one another just as their surroundings went dark.
CRASH
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.
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A faint crackling noise filled the air, as well as Marshall's ears as he slowly regained consciousness. He could hear the ever so strained groans from his mouth spill out along with his drool. Everything around seemed to be covered with a filter of orange. The first thought that came to mind were his friends. Were they okay? How did they fare in the crash? Did they make it out?
His eyes shooting open, Marshall realized that he had somehow woken up in a patch of grass, distanced a few feet from the Harbinger. The Dalmatian sat up, looking around. What awaited him was nothing short of chaos. Various stray dogs were running in various directions, some even bearing wounds from what he assumed was the crash.
Bringing himself to his paws, Marshall decided that the best course of action would be to find his friends, as well as Humdinger. The Dalmatian ran toward the Harbinger through the grass, which was lying on its side after crashing off of the road. Marshall quickly climbed onto it, eyes roaming the area. That was, until his eyes stopped upon seeing a familiar mayor trying his best to sneakily crawl away from the wreck.
Marshall took a deep breath in, "HUMDINGER!"
"Huh?" Humdinger fell onto his backside as he looked up at who was standing atop the fallen vehicle. Marshall alone stood above the mayor malefactor, a sharp glare on his face.
"It's over... You're caught..." The Dalmatian panted with exhaustion, sitting on his haunches.
"We got him?" A familiar voice joined in, catching both Marshall and Humdinger's attention.
Peering out from the partially opened garage area was a familiar Shiba Inu, who sprang out, followed by an exhausted Husky, who noticed who was standing on the side of the large vehicle.
"Marshall!"
The Dalmatian looked down at the Husky, who was cheerfully waving at him.
"Everest! Anya!"
The two soon managed to climb onto the side of the vehicle, joining Marshall on top. While Anya only smiled with satisfaction, the Husky quickly wrapped the former firefighter into a tight hug. Marshall hugged back, his tail wagging as he felt her fur brush against his.
"Did you see the others?" Marshall asked.
"No... I don't know where they are..." Everest's eyes drifted to look down.
Another familiar voice interjected, "Don't start crying, alright?"
Falling out of the vehicle from the sunroof, which was now closer to the ground than it was before, was Hood, who had various bruises and scratches littering his body. Despite his injuries, though, the wild Dalmatian had no issues climbing onto the side of the vehicle and joining the three.
"You really fought all of those dogs?" Anya asked, her eyes sparkling, "So cool!"
Everest thought for a moment before grinning, "You know, that was pretty heroic of you, Hood!"
"Like I said before, I ain't no hero!" Hood scoffed, "Besides, I don't think breaking into someone's vehicle and making it crash is exactly heroic..."
"But we managed to stop Humdinger from taking all of those dogs!" Marshall reasoned, "How is that not heroic?"
"I swear! You PAW Patrol pups are coming in droves!" Humdinger, who was still sitting on the grass below, shouted, "Why can't you let me scheme in peace!"
"We're not the PAW Patrol!" Marshall retorted, "We're..."
Trailing off, Marshall's eyebrows furrowed. While he did know that they weren't on the PAW Patrol, he hadn't actually put much thought into what doing everything they had done that day classified them as. Like Hood had previously stated, breaking into someone's property didn't exactly seem lawful, but saving all of those dogs did.
"Defined as a self-appointed group of citizens who decide to take the law into their own hands..." Another familiar voice, this time, from the front of the vehicle, began to explain, "...Those who undertake law enforcement without legal authority, or use unofficial means to prevent crime are best described with one word."
Rocky peered out from the front area, sliding out and joining the group on the roof.
"Rocky!"Marshall and Everest tackle-hugged the mixed breed.
"Did you make everything go haywire?" Marshall asked, wondering how the vehicle had crashed in the first place.
Smiling confidently, the former eco pup nodded, "Of course I did! It was pretty easy."
"So what were you saying?" Everest asked, letting Rocky go.
"I was saying that those who undertake law enforcement without legal authority, or in this case, what we just did, are classified as vigilantes."
"Vigilantes?"
"If you all aren't even on the PAW Patrol, then why do all of this!?" Mayor Humdinger asked, frustrated, "What gives you the right?"
Hood glared at the purple-clothed mayor, "It's not because we want to, it's because we have to."
"Yeah!" Anya nodded, "Taking down a big meanie like you means that these dogs can be free again!"
Everest smiles, "We may not be the PAW Patrol, but if it means others can live safe and free, then we won't think twice about stepping in to help!"
Rocky chuckles, "...And I guess we'll do it as a band of vigilantes."
Marshall sat on his haunches, putting a paw up to his chin, "Not the PAW Patrol, but something different... Vigilantes, huh...?"
Rocky raised an eyebrow, "I think something like Vigilante PAW would work just fine, if you're seriously looking for a name."
The Dalmatian's eyes lit up, "That's perfect!"
"From here on out, we'll be known as Vigilante PAW!"