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.
Duke could not sleep well that night… Not just because he did not have a home but because… His mind was just ajar with different ideas.
So? He went to the upper deck overlooking Adventure City. He was still thrown off by a lot of things and his canine brain was still racing with different concepts.
Very different concepts at the time which cut through his brain like a chainsaw.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of pawprints. His training helped pinpoint who it was before he saw them.
"Couldn't sleep either, specialist Skye?" Duke asked, his head tilted in the fashion of a dog who was just offered a treat.
Skye rubbed at her eyes. She was never up at…. Whatever time it was, it was dark enough for stars to be lighting the atmosphere.
"Why you out at…." Skye started to say before she hummed.
"At 00:12 hours?" Duke asked before he blinked. "It is midnight… Also, I cannot sleep, I tried… Something is bothering me." Duke said as he hummed.
"Your owner?" Skye asked, trotting over as Duke shook his head.
"Major Remington knew very well I was not going to live with him… My father is their service dog and I was expected to be paired with another soldier." Duke said, his eyes lowered.
"Why?" Skye asked as Duke hummed.
"Because I am a military canine… My purpose was to aid a soldier in the field of battle… It does not mean I do not miss my family, only that I was trained to have another loving one soon enough." Duke said in a monotonous voice.
Duke knew how it sounded. He did love his birth family; nothing would say otherwise… But he was trained for a purpose. To ask him to put said family over his duty was selfish in his mind.
That? And Duke knew he was loved by his family either way. They did not mistreat him or do anything to show he was just a pawn.
"Being a soldier means a lot to you?" Skye asked as Duke shrugged.
"I protect people and help others… Just like Paw Patrol does. I take pride in helping others simply because it shows what I do matters… If I did not? All that time spent training me would be for nothing… What then?" Duke said, blinking.
"Um…." Skye asked to which Duke hummed.
"Sorry. I mean I like helping people and protecting them… Just like you like flying and helping Paw Patrol. Both of us help people, we just have different reasons for it." Duke said.
The two dogs sat in silence after this. Skye because she knew very well that Duke was still attempting to adjust and choose his fate.
And Duke because he did not want to be rude. Skye had some training, the resources and acts of Paw Patrol told him as such… It was just Skye was not used to the military lingo.
Duke hummed before he sighed to himself and then thought of it all… They had too much on the end of it.
Duke sighed to himself before he wished it to relax… They had a lot to discuss before it was tiresome.
"Are you ok?" Duke asked to which he hummed and then thought of it. "I am sorry if I sound a lot more… Weird, I am used to talking to other soldiers…. We do not normally talk like this." Duke stated to himself.
Duke and Skye were about to say something before a fireball erupted in Adventure City, the sound of car alarms being all over. Duke hummed and looked at Skye.
"Uh… Would this be the practice we suggested?" Duke asked as Skye went to wake the others.
Both were all too aware of the fact this was a real danger. Duke hummed and went towards the command deck, aware of the fact Ryder would have briefed them…
It was like being in the army… Just a smaller scale and less serious.
(10 minutes later)
Duke kept his gaze on the hologram, something still new to the army. He looked at the hologram which showed a tanker truck that had crashed on a bridge… It was a standard tanker but it was clear if it exploded. Someone would have been hurt.
Duke kept his mouth shut, too interested in what Ryder's plan was… If it was all too interesting at the time.
"There are 2 car accidents in the city… Skye, Zuma? I need you and Rocky to help deal with the first. Chase, Marshal, Everest? I need you to help cool down the other car which is on fire." Duke heard.
He was about to ask why most of them were being sent after 1 car only for them to be greeted with a regular car which was damaged.
Duke looked at Ryder with a begging expression which made him look at the pup.
"Can I help?" Duke asked as Ryder looked at the Great Dane. "I want to help… Please let me consider it practice." Duke said as he looked at the others.
He knew it sounded silly. Someone could get hurt if he messed up, and they were not able to let him help.
However? Ryder knew he could help. He knew he wanted to help… He needed the others to relax and more backup in the field.
"I can help," Liberty stated as Duke looked at her and nodded.
"Ok… Duke? Help with the tanker truck." Ryder said as Duke gave the military-style salute.
"Roger, commander," Duke said with a smile as he looked at the others. "Um… Anyone mind if I ride with them?" Duke asked awkwardly as he realized he had nothing in terms of gear besides the powers the crystal granted him.
He had more to deal with for now. It was harder to relax… Now? Now? They had a lot more to deal with for now and it would be harder and harder to relax for now.
They had something else to deal with… Something they would fall apart from now and it would be harder to deal with.
He was eager to understand… And if it was clear at all? He wanted to relax… And he would.
(5 minutes later)
Duke had not been in many hovercraft vehicles as training was mainly based on obstacle courses and chasing the other members of his group.
So? Being aboard Zuma's hovercraft was something new. He blinked from his spot in the canopy… They had things like this?
'Ok, military unit isn't too far out of the question.' Duke thought as he pondered just what Paw Patrol was.
They were something special… Duke looked over the small little canopy towards Zuma.
"So… I guess you are the scuba expert?" Duke asked as Zuma nodded with a smile. "Cool… Not used to navel missions, mainly because I am used to GI work…" Duke said as they skated into the city.
"You do talk like a soldier," Zuma said as Duke shrugged.
"I am one… Ok, where is this tanker?" Duke asked before the small glints of fire were seen.
They had a truck in front of them…. It was clear as Zuma and Duke pulled in the tanker had been torn off the rail and sent spiraling into the end of the bridge.
As soon as Duke exited the craft? He was assaulted by the smell. The rest of them had to smell it…. But it was a smell he had learned all too well, he was trained to find it and tear it out.
Shrapnel… The explosive smell of metal. He was dealing with a military-grade explosive… But he could not tell what.
"Why do I….?" Duke asked before he was forced to think of it later.
The burning of the truck brought him back to reality as he was forced to think about the truck and who was in it. The vehicle inched closer to the edge as Zuma summoned water from his paws to try and douse the flames.
Duke who he knew was strong? Decided to help by stopping the truck from going over the edge.
Skye arrived to see Duke gripping the back of the truck and attempting to pull it back. It moved a few inches but ultimately still threatened to fall into the river.
"Hang on!" Skye yelled as she flew over the truck and grabbed the cab, pushing up as the two pups struggled with the wreckage.
Both times it had been harder to deal with… Both dogs struggled with pushing the vehicle up, both had super strength but it was much harder to deal with a several-ton tanker truck….
"Rubble, help!" Skye yelled as the bulldog ran in behind Duke and grabbed onto him, using his pup pack to anchor them into the ground.
Duke grunted as the trio attempted to think… Both times they had left to deal with it for now… Something within them both was interesting.
Duke grunted as the trio attempted his best to lift the truck. He knew how heavy it was which meant he needed a little more help.
"Let me help!" Duke heard from Liberty as she stretched towards them.
"Wrap around the light pole!" Duke yelled, and the inklings of an idea came to his head.
Liberty went to say something before Skye nodded.
"Ok!" Liberty yelled as she stretched around the light pole, moving towards them as her body pulled taunt.
Duke grunted and reached out his paw, gripping hers as they tugged it further away from the bridge.
"Skye!" Everest yelled as Ice shot from her paws.
"Zuma, force the water under Skye! Then freeze it, we need leverage!" Duke hissed as he grunted, the strain of pulling the truck putting an effort on them.
"Uh, ok?" Zuma and Everest yelled to which Duke grunted.
"Trust me! Please!" Duke yelled as he grunted in pain from trying to support the truck's weight.
Zuma and Everest followed Duke's makeshift plan and watched as the truck slowly started to move upwards. Zuma lifted his paws, letting water ebb and flow under Skye as Everest unleashed a torrent of ice under it, making sure that it froze under Skye's paws.
Skye braced against the ice, shivering and it made her remember the last time she was on the ice… But that was not now and she was not going to give up.
With a grunt, the pups began to push the truck up and over. Both times they did so. The pavement cracked, their limbs ached and Duke almost roared in agony as he managed to help tug the truck onto the road.
Duke watched as it slammed over, cracking concrete but remaining in one piece as the Great Dane collapsed, exhausted at having attempted to lift something that heavy, even with help.
Granted? He knew a tanker truck weighed several dozen tons… And he had little idea of his max limit of power. He was fascinated now.
This was part of what made him shocked. He did not think he could be pushed that far.
Then again? He had been too tired to even get up, he slumped over, just as exhausted as the others. Duke sniffed the air again and was greeted by the same smell he had before.
It was still burning metal. He did not know what to think of it… But he knew exactly what it was and it scared him.
He had to think and act…. Something about this all needed to be done… But he was curious as to it now… Something within them both had to deal with it.
Though? Both times? They had to relax… It was more than this, far more than this.
They had to relax, they had to fight… Something within him had to break.
Duke sighed as the chants of praise washed over them. He had been too exhausted in his brain to notice the jet flying overhead.
If he did? When he was able to feel his body? Duke heard pawprints approaching him as Duke hummed and lifted his head to be greeted by Skye.
"Is everyone ok?" Duke asked before he looked at the ground at the time.
Something about it all made him blink at the time being. He was greeted by Skye humming and nodded and then looked at the ground.
Duke hummed at the time and then cracked his paws; he was a lot more tired at the end of the day. Duke seemed to be dealing with it for now.
He was all too amused and thrown for now. He had a smile on his face as Duke hummed and then looked at his friend.
He was interested in her company as both looked at each other. They had a lot in common he was beginning to realize and he smiled as some sort of strength went back into his limbs.
The puppy managed to climb to his feet and both looked towards each other. Duke managed the inklings of a smile and then started to look towards the truck.
Both were curious about the truck as he sniffed the air and then walked towards the truck.
"I smell something," Duke said before he sighed to himself.
He looked at the ground where a smell was trying to cut through his mind. He looked at a pair of shattered pieces of metal.
Both were too interested in it all before he looked downwards at the time… Skye seemed to be thinking of it all as she looked towards him.
Duke hummed and then thought of it as he glanced at the piece of metal, too tiresome at the end.
"Hmm…. No, I know this type of metal. This cannot be it." Duke stated before he sighed to himself. "No, this…. This is a Z-3K Mine. The military had discontinued these, they were too dangerous." Duke said as he paused and then frowned.
He seemed to be dealt with as he looked towards the piece of metal with anger before the sound of engines made him look up as a military-style class jet flew away.
"It can't be him…" Duke stated, his mouth open with shock at the idea.
"Who?" Rubble asked before Duke turned to the Bulldog.
"Zero," Duke said as he tossed the shattered piece of metal to the side. "Why would he come here? What…." Duke started to say before he thought of it.
They were still transporting a prisoner through the country from Adventure City. Considering the event was televised? Duke had an idea that they were coming into town for a good reason.
"We need to tell Ryder… NOW." Duke said, far more seriously than he had.
Duke knew that he had to try and figure it out… And if it was who he was thought it was? Duke was too scared to believe it was true for the time.
Duke seemed to be terrified in a way that Skye knew meant that he was serious at the end of the day.
She turned towards the tanker as it was clear that there was still a civilian inside as it came down to it…. That meant they still had jobs to do as she flew to the door, waving at what was an unconscious man.
Duke turned towards her before he frowned, too interested in something that he did not know.
Duke hummed and then sighed, cursing to himself under his breath as the door was torn over down onto the ground.
Duke could not understand what was going on now. He was tired, very exhausted at the end of it and it was clear they had to think of something else.
Whatever they did not realize? He did… And it was within him realizing that which scared him.
Zero… He was supposed to be defeated, and detained. If he was back? There was a larger danger to Adventure City, maybe even the entire country.
The problem? He did not know for real and even if he did? He could not tell the army; they did not speak puppy and not even his father would be able to tell.
Which meant he could not tell them…. So? That meant helping Paw Patrol. Yet? he did not realize how to stop someone like Zero yet, that was dangerous work meant for real soldiers. He had barely finished training for said work.
Duke was still scared either way and it was something that would break him either way.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words and will show more of Skye and Duke bonding and more about Zero. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!