"You're what!?"
Watching on with befuddlement as he watched his owner pack a few of his things in a small bag, Chase was left only with worry in his mind while the young leader kept packing. The second in command of the PAW Patrol had just been told that his owner wouldn't be around for a couple of days, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Ryder, on the other hand, was not looking forward to this trip. Following Marshall's suspension and later disappearance, the complaints toward Marshall from Adventure Bay, as well as the complaints of the entire PAW Patrol from those in Foggy Bottom grew in magnitude more and more by the day. This led to Ryder being called to Adventure City for a quick, short, miniscule conference based on the recent events.
At least, he hoped it would be quick.
"I said I'm leaving for a bit, Chase..." The young leader repeated himself, "And bringing you pups to all of that is out of the question."
The officer pup seemed baffled by his latter statement, "What's happening there?"
Ryder finished packing a suitcase, "I have to go to Adventure City to have a talk with some of PAW Patrol's sponsors. They're concerned about some things. Mostly about the Marshall situation. It'll be there and back, so I don't want you pups to just be in the PAW Patroller the whole time."
"So then what are we gonna do in the meantime?"
"Same as always. Protect and watch."
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.
.
Chase watched from the balcony of the lookout as Ryder bid farewell to Rubble, Zuma, Skye, and Tracker. Having already talked with his owner, he had decided to let the others get their goodbyes out of the way without the need to be concerned for him. After all, all of the pups knew that it was a no-brainer that Chase, In Ryder's absence, would have to take over as the temporary leader of the PAW Patrol.
Even the suggestion of him being the leader made the little officer sick to his stomach. He knew well that Ryder had limitless amounts of trust in him, but would it really be that way if Ryder found out that he had already found Marshall less than two weeks prior?
Right, he had already discovered Marshall following his disappearance, and even discovered the reason for why. He was just doing as he was told, searching desperately for the evidence that would prove his innocence for the various thefts around Adventure Bay. But, time was only growing thinner by the day, by the hour, by the minute. With the beginning of the fourth and final week only a day away, he could only hope that Marshall was still trying his best.
He could see how his standpoint on everything could be interpreted from Marshall, Rocky, and Everest's point of view. To them, he was just the cruel pup that would throw away years of friendship at the drop of a hat. Upon realizing this, he constantly battled with the very real possibility that things between him and the others could never be the same. That because of him and Ryder making a call to suspend Marshall, the PAW Patrol would never truly be complete again.
And Ryder was asking him to make all of the calls now? Was he insane? He couldn't be trusted! He wasn't worthy of being a leader. Not yet, at least.
"There you are, dude!" The silent Shepherd heard an exclamation from behind, "We've been looking for you!"
It didn't take a genius to figure out who exactly called out to him.
Zuma. Before Marshall left, he and Zuma never really interacted as much as he would with Marshall, Ryder, or Skye. He seemed to be more comfortable sticking around with Rubble or Rocky, or even the Turbots so he could spend more time in the bay. Even following the team losing three members, he and Zuma hadn't really spoken much aside from any group conversations that would pop up.
And Chase couldn't lie and say it wasn't his fault. Save for Skye, who had been relentless in her efforts to make sure he was okay, he had been distanced from the others. To him, it was all he deserved after what happened to Marshall. He didn't feel like he deserved to be around and mess up any more friendships. Like he had with Marshall. Like he had with Everest and Rocky. He wasn't willing to do it again with those still around, and he wasn't going to make it a possibility.
"Looking for me..?" Chase slowly turned around, confusion littering his furry face, "Why?"
"Well, since Ryder's gone, we were thinking that we could spend a few hours making blanket forts to watch Apollo in!" Zuma grinned, "Skye, Rubble, and Tracker are already in. How about you, fearless leader?"
The Shepherd physically recoiled after hearing what Zuma had called him. The Chocolate Lab was quick to pick this up, though, and was curious.
The aquatic rescue pup's eyelids lowered ever so slightly, "Don't tell me you're still on your whole... 'I'm a horrible leader' thing, dude."
"Look, thoughts like that aren't something I can just... Get over, okay?" Chase sighed, "I've been thinking about it more and more... It's hard not to think that I'm not a bad leader, considering that I couldn't even keep the team together..."
Zuma fell silent. He had to admit, the guy had a bit of a point. No, no, he probably shouldn't be dissing Chase like that, he's already dissing himself enough. But either way, he had no idea what to tell Chase after he said that. Well, guess it's time to freestyle.
"Dude..." He walked closer to the downcast officer, "...None of us in the lookout think that you're a bad leader. Out of everyone left, you're the most qualified to be a leader."
"Out of everyone left, huh?" The Shepherd asked dryly as he faced away from Zuma.
The Chocolate Lab began to sweat under his fur, "Crap, wrong dialogue option!"
"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, Zuma, but right now, I'm not worthy of being called a leader..."
"I know that you feel bad about Marshall leaving, and I do too, you know?" Zuma looked down at his paws, "...We all do. And just like you, we all don't really think we deserve to be called heroes, or Marshall's friends. We were really hard on the guy... We barely even heard him out."
"Really hard is an understatement..." Chase mutters, "It just keeps making me wonder..."
"...Wonder what?"
"Makes me wonder if Marshall was telling the truth, and all of that evidence was purely circumstantial... Makes me wonder if we're the bad guys here, and if we're wrong."
"It wasn't just us who were hard on Marshall, though..." Zuma looked away, "...All of Adventure Bay was hard, if not even harder or Marshall than we were."
Chase's eyebrows furrow, "That's always confused me... They never saw that footage, did they? How'd the word spread that fast? And why were they so... Intolerant?"
"I don't know, dude..." The Chocolate Lab shook his head, "But hey, the point I'm trying to make is that we're all pretty bad for not defending Marshall more than we did in the first place. But you, you're taking it the hardest because you want to make things right the most. If anything, that proves that you're a better leader than any of us!"
"...I guess you have a point..." Chase slowly nods.
"So... Pillow forts, yay or nay?" Zuma raised an eyebrow, gauging the Shepherd's reaction, "...Seeing some 'yay' vibes from you..."
"I'm coming..." The officer pup agreed, "...But only to supervise! To make sure that you guys are safe and aren't using the sheets you aren't allowed to!"
"Sure, dude..." The Chocolate Lab chuckled as he watched the Shepherd walk past him.
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.
.
Securely relaxing within the confines of what seemed to be an endless amount of blankets, sheets, and pillows, the remaining PAW Patrol pups excitedly watched the newest episodes of Apollo, not a care in the world. Even Chase, who had been initially reluctant toward doing something like this, was all for it, munching on a few of the many pup treats that Rubble had stashed for a special occasion.
Chase was put in the center of the pillow fort the group had constructed, Skye at his right and Zuma sitting to her right. On his left was Rubble, who had the small box of pup treats at his paws, allowing both Chase and Tracker, who was on Rubble's left, to easily access the pup treats. But left Skye and Zuma asking each time they wanted to grab some treats.
Skye, who had a cushy pillow around her neck, looked over at the serene Shepherd, a gentle smile spreading on her face. For once in what seemed like ages, she finally was able to see him relaxed again. She wasn't able to properly discern if he was happy or not, but at that point in time, she was just glad that he was feeling at least a little better.
Chase was extremely invested in the current episode. How could he not be, when the episode tackled Apollo helping out a local police agency with discovering a mysterious perpetrator? Things involving crime were his bread and butter! In Chase's investment of the thrilling episode, he barely even noticed what was happening around him.
This blissful unawareness of his surroundings included not noticing when Skye leaned her head to rest on Chase's right shoulder.
The sensation of silky fur brushing against his neck snapped him out of his trance, his ears shooting up as he noticed what was going on. His eyes slowly drifted down to see what was on his shoulder. Upon seeing Skye's distinctive fur gently swaying with each and every movement, he dared not to move and possibly ruin this.
Wait... Ruin this? Ruin what?
Before he could even begin to unpack his own thoughts, Skye spoke softly, just loud enough for only Chase to hear, "I'm glad you're feeling a little better..."
The German Shepherd could feel his cheeks begin to grow hot, his tail wagging back and forth in reaction to what she had just done, "It's hard not to feel a little better when you guys have me do dumb stuff like this..."
"Yeah, this is pretty silly..." She agreed with a faint giggle, "...But it's nice."
"Nice?"
"Yeah... I'm having a good time..."
"We're having fun too!" Rubble suddenly interjected, drawing attention to both Chase and Skye, "And these treats are yummy!"
Zuma looked over, a coy smile developing on his face as he gazed at the Cockapoo and Shepherd, "Dude, is she leaning her head on your shoulder?"
Both flustered pups yelped, immediately separating from each other. While Chase gently scratched the back of his neck, Skye put her paws on her own cheeks, feeling the immense sting that was rising from them.
"Bueno... ¡Felicitaciones!"
"T-Tracker!" Skye hissed with embarrassment, turning to look at the bilingual pup.
Zuma snickered, "Skye and Chase, sitting in a—"
"Don't you dare!" Chase cut the Chocolate Lab off with a shout, the red tint of his cheeks spreading to the entirety of his face.
"Dude, you sly dog!" Zuma continued, who was soon joined by Rubble.
"Chase, you're blushing~!"
"I-I'm gonna go get some water!" The flustered officer suddenly stood up, walking out of the blanket fort and making a swift beeline for the elevator.
Before leaving the room, Chase glanced back at the pups still in the cushioned structure. He could see Zuma, Rubble, and Tracker still laughing and cracking jokes, with the Bulldog even rolling around as he laughed. His face burned even more as he grit his teeth together, steam cartoonishly puffing out of his nose.
"Those three are gonna get it later..."
After riding up the elevator, the Shepherd could hear a familiar chiming noise. Upon further investigation, he found Ryder's pup pad, which was receiving a call. Chase concluded that the boy must've left the device behind to allow Chase to receive calls for help. The substitute leader of the team gulped faintly. It seemed as though Ryder had a lot of trust in him. Would he be able to handle it? Before his thoughts could even begin to grow pessimistic, he snapped himself out of it.
...It wasn't a matter of if he could handle it. It was only a matter of how he'd handle it.
Like he had watched Ryder do many times, the Shepherd tapped on the screen in order to answer the call. Appearing on the screen was a familiar tan-skinned woman.
"Hello? Chase here."
"Chase?" Mayor Goodway immediately seemed confused by the one who answered, "Where's Ryder?"
The little officer looked away for a moment, "Ryder went out to Adventure City... I'm in charge right now."
"Oh, well in that case, I need some help from the PAW Patrol."
"Is it an emergency?"
"If I don't get this done soon it will be!" The mayor exclaimed, "I'm setting something up for an important event scheduled for later today, but I don't think I can get everything left done on time. I still need to grab the refreshments from Mr. Porter's, get fencing from Farmer Al, and finish setting up what I already have here! I don't know what to do!"
"Don't worry, mayor Goodway, no job is too big, no pup is too small!" Chase declared before hanging up and activating the side capsule in order to send a message to the remaining members.
As Skye adamantly and embarrassedly tried to get the teasing Zuma off of her back, Tracker and Rubble had gone back to watching Apollo, with Rubble explaining every little thing that had come up to the uninitiated jungle pup.
That was, until all of their pup tags glowed with their signature colors, "PAW Patrol, to the lookout!"
"Ryder—- Er, Chase needs us!"
"Yes! A mission! I'm saved..." Skye breathed a sigh of relief, "Let's do this, team!" The hyped up Cockapoo sprang up, quickly trying to leave the blanket fort. What she didn't notice, though, was that one of her claws caught a nearby sheet as she tried to exit, dragging it along with her.
"Skye, watch out!" Zuma was quick to notice what her claw had grabbed, "That's a load bearing—!"
Before the Chocolate Lab could finish, the pillows, cushions, blankets, and sheets came crashing down onto the four pups, who let out a few muffled exclamations upon being buried with the mountain of bedding supplies.
Skye was the last to pop her head out of the blankets, who caught a disappointed stare from Rubble, who loved what they had made, "...Whoops..."
"Don't worry, dudes!" Zuma grinned, "We can rebuild it. Stronger! Faster! Let's get to work."
Upon being stared at by Tracker, Rubble, and Skye, the Chocolate Lab chuckled, "After the mission, of course..."
Sharing a quick laugh, the four wriggled themselves out from under the mound of bedding and bounded for the elevator.
Just like always, the four stood in random positions as the elevator began to lift them up to the observation room, temporarily stopping halfway up in order to supply their gear and allow them to take their usual positions, or at least, where they would stand if it were only just them four.
Once the elevator doors opened, the waiting canines all jumped out and lined up in front of Chase, who had been waiting for them to arrive.
Skye, being the technical next in command, cleared her throat, "Paw Patrol, ready for action, Chase!" She announced, puffing out her chest in what Chase thought was an adorable attempt to sound more assertive.
Chase couldn't hold back the goofy smile that developed on his face upon hearing this, but quickly pulled his composure back to the forefront of his mind. He had no time to be thinking stupid, there was a mission, and he'd make sure the team could carry it out efficiently and safely.
"Thanks for coming, you guys, let's get started," Laying Ryder's pup pad on the floor in order to tap the screen with his paw, Chase pulled up an image of a cartoon version of the town's mayor scurrying around in a panic, surrounded by countless preparation materials, "Mayor Goodway told me that she's preparing a very important event, but she's running behind on the preparations. She's called on us to give a helping paw."
"Important event?" Zuma seemed interested, "What for?"
Chase shrugged, "I don't know. Mayor Goodway didn't explain much. But we should help her either way."
"Si, what do we have to do?" Tracker, determined to lend a paw of his own, asked.
"Mayor Goodway told me there are three major things that need to be done..." Chase tapped on the pup pad once more, showing three different areas in their signature, cartoonish style, "First, she needs to finish setting things up where she is. That's why I'll need... Tracker."
"Me?" The Potcake was surprised to have been chosen first.
Chase tapped on the pad again, Tracker's pup tag logo showing up on the big screen, "Mayor Goodway seems to be having trouble finishing the prep over where she is, so I'll need you to help her out with the help of the fire truck."
"¡Soy todo oídos!" Tracker declared, "I'm all ears!"
"Next, Rubble and Skye. Mayor Goodway needs some fencing picked up from Farmer Al's farm. I'll need you guys to use your bulldozer and helicopter harness respectively to transport them."
"Rubble's on the double!"
"This pup's gotta fly!"
Chase then looks at Zuma, "While you guys are doing that, Zuma and I will get the refreshments from Mr. Porter's."
"Let's dive in!"
The officer pup grinned, "Alright you guys, you know the drill. PAW Patrol..."
All five of the remaining members raised their paws together, finishing in unison, "...Is on a roll!"
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Arriving on the scene, Chase, Zuma, and Tracker all hopped out of their selected vehicles and made their way over to Mayor Goodway, who, like she had been during her call with Chase, still seemed to be in a bit of a frenzy as she quickly closed the distance between herself and the pups.
"Chase! Am I glad to see you!"
"Don't worry, mayor!" The confident Shepherd smiled, "We'll make sure you're able to start that event on time!"
Mayor Goodway stopped in her tracks, her head turning to look at the officer pup, "Really?"
"Of course!" Chase reassured her, "Skye and Rubble have already gone out to Farmer Al's to grab your fencing, and I'm going to Mr. Porter's with Zuma to grab the food and drinks. Tracker here, meanwhile, is going to help you out with whatever you need here."
"Oh, thank you, pups!" The animated mayor wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead before turning her attention to Tracker, "Tracker, could you go and check off a few things on my list?"
"Si, no problema!"
"Zuma, could you go and make sure you have some space in your vehicle to carry what we take from Porter's?"
"You got it, dude!"
Once both Tracker and Zuma left to tend to their own matters, Chase's eyes drifted up and towards Mayor Goodway. He couldn't leave for the refreshments just yet. Especially seeing as he had no idea what he was getting them for.
"Hey mayor?"
"Yes, Chase?"
"What have you been trying to set up?" The Shepherd asked, his eyes roaming around, "Especially in such an open space..."
"Oh!" Goodway's eyebrows raised, "I suppose I didn't exactly explain myself when I called..."
The police pup patiently waited to hear the perky mayor explain, sitting on the soft grass.
"Well, you see Chase... Relations between Adventure Bay and Foggy Bottom haven't been... Too desirable lately..." the tan-skinned mayor gently rubbed her upper lip with the side of her pointer finger, "So what better than a little friendly competition to ease the tension, right? So I decided that Adventure Bay and Foggy Bottom would have a dog show competition!"
"Wait, we're not getting along with Foggy Bottom right now?" The given information threw Chase for a loop, "Why?"
Mayor Goodway froze. To think that such a simple question could make her physically recoil like she had just been punched in the gut. Had Ryder not explained to Chase what she had all those weeks ago? Was the police pup still in the dark about these things? That surely couldn't be the case, right? Chase had always been in the loop concerning events related to Marshall.
Did Chase not know that the Dalmatian was seemingly the catalyst to this town feud?
She looked down at the police pup, who only stared back at her with expecting eyes. Goodway was aware that Chase was the temporary leader in Ryder's absence. He had more than enough reason to be asking about this, since it did directly impact the PAW patrol as a whole. But did Chase really need this extra information? Information that would do nothing but stress the little officer out more?
She couldn't do that to him. Not again.
"...It's... It's just grown-up stuff, okay?" She kneeled down, petting Chase's head, "There's no need for you to worry about it."
Chase smiled at her, enjoying the gentle pets from the mayor, "If you say so, I'll trust you on that."
"Thank you."
Waving Chase goodbye as he and Zuma hopped into their vehicles and sped off into Adventure Bay, Goodway's raised hand slowly moved back down to grip the area of her shirt right over her heart. Each beat, every pulse, seemed to throb with a growing sense of guilt.
Did her decision have something to do with her growing guilt toward everything that happened with Marshall? Maybe. Did her decision stem from something more than her concern for Chase's wellbeing? Absolutely. But was there the need to let this all be known now? Not in the slightest.
She could apologize later. To Chase, to Foggy Bottom... And to him.
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.
A young boy, who had been scribbling something down on a piece of paper, squinted in everlasting confusion as he tried his best to work on something. The young boy, Alex Porter, was having a bit of trouble with the bane of any young child's existence. Never in his six years of life had he ever experienced such a challenge. It was harder than any mission he had ever gone on as an honorary member of the PAW Patrol. Harder than any pickle he had gotten himself in...
Math-related word problems.
With his first semester as a first-grader underway, Alex had to adjust to this strange new thing called homework. At first, the boy thought his teacher was playing a prank on his entire class. After all, schoolwork that you do at home? The mere thought was preposterous! That was, until his teacher began putting sheets of paper on the desks around him, before it landed on his own.
Sure, he knew he could ask his grandfather, Mr. Porter, for help on his math problems, but he didn't want to get in the way of his grandfather, as Alex had been told that he was working on something important for the mayor.
Carefully, the boy's eyes trailed over each and every word laid out on his paper, his brain working in overdrive in order to understand what was spelled out before him.
"If Johnny has nineteen bottles of dish soap, and he gives three to Karen," The paper read, "What would Johnny have?"
"What would he need with all those bottles of dish soap...?" Alex squinted, trying to understand the problem, "...Sounds like Johnny has a hoarding problem..."
Now, he was entirely sure that writing down that Johnny had a hoarding problem wouldn't get him any points, and might get him in trouble, so he needed to figure out how many dish soap bottles the hoarder had left. How did his teacher explain how to do this again...?
Before he could work things out, the familiar sound of tires crushing the asphalt of the roads outside caught his attention. He turned his head to look out of his open window, watching two familiar pups hop out of their vehicles and approach the door.
"It's Chase and Zuma!" His eyes lit up with excitement, grabbing something else on his desk. He stared at it for a few seconds, eyebrows threading together, "Maybe they can tell me what's up with this..." He stuffed the object into his pocket before hurrying off downstairs, completely forgetting about his homework, as well as Johnny's plight with dish soaps.
The moment Chase and Zuma opened the door, they looked around for the owner of the calm restaurant. Upon not seeing the mustached man, Zuma was the first to try and uncover his location.
"Yo, Mr. Porter! Are you here?"
Hearing the call from the front door, the man in question peered out from what both pups assumed to be the kitchen, "Chase? Zuma? Are you here to eat?"
The Chocolate Lab fantasized about all the foods he had ever eaten at the restaurant, "I wish... That food rocks."
"No, we're on a supply run for Mayor Goodway," Chase answered, conducting himself more professionally than Zuma had been, "She told us that she ordered some refreshments from here, and we came to bring them back to her."
"Oh, the mayor's order?" Mr. Porter nervously glanced back into his kitchen, "I'm still working on that. But if you can spare a few minutes, I'll have this done lickety-split! Do you two want some food while you wait?"
"Heck yeah!"
"Zuma!" The temporary leader reprimanded before looking back at Mr. Porter, "If it's too much trouble, then—"
"No, not at all! I multitask pretty well."
Deciding to take the man for his word, Chase sat down at a table, Zuma sitting across from him with clear excitement for whatever the owner of the restaurant would whip up for them. The Shepherd leaned himself against the back of the seat, a small sigh slipping out of his mouth as he allowed his eyes to close.
"Man, Chase, you were wrong about what you said earlier!" Zuma suddenly spoke up, eliciting the Shepherd pup to open his eyes once more.
"Huh?"
The aquatic specialist smiled as he looked at his friend, "You know, that stuff about you not being that good of a leader. Or not deserving it at all. You were dead wrong, dude."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why? 'Cause this mission is going pretty good so far. You sent everyone to do their thing, just like Ryder would. You're on a roll, Chase!"
The police pup smiled nervously, "I'm only doing what I think Ryder would want."
"You know, you really gotta stop leaning on Ryder so much..." Zuma sighed before a mischievous smile spread across his furry face, "Besides, I think you impress Skye when you take charge..."
"ZUMA!" Chase's eyes widened, his paws slamming against the surface of the table, "Now is not the time to talk about my personal relationships! We're on a mission!"
Chuckling, the Chocolate Lab raised an eyebrow, "Is it really? I don't see much reason to not talk about it. Since we're waiting on Mr. Porter to finish making the food and stuff."
"Still... What happens between Skye and I shouldn't be in your head like that!" The Shepherd's face burned with embarrassment.
"What happens between you two anyway?" Zuma inquired, "Ever since Rocky, Marshall, and Everest left, you guys have been stuck together like glue."
Chase's embarrassed cringe softened into a more reminiscent stare as he looked down at the table, remembering the many times he was hard on himself for making the decisions that he had back when Marshall was initially suspended. Almost every time, Skye somehow found her way to him and made sure he was doing alright. He appreciated her greatly for it, even if he didn't really feel like he deserved it at times.
"She just... She helped me feel better about everything going on... Honestly, when Ryder was telling me I needed to be the de facto leader, I nearly told him to give that position to Skye."
Zuma seemed surprised by his admission, "Skye? The leader? Why?"
Chase smiled gently at him, "From the moment you all saw that tape of the golden bones being stolen, Skye believed what she saw, but instead of shutting Marshall out and avoiding him, she defended him whenever she could, doing her best to keep the team together. She, above everybody else, was the most courteous to not just us, but Marshall, Rocky, and Everest too."
"Oh that? Yeah, that was really cool of her."
"It was more than just 'really cool', Zuma..." The officer pup looked down at the table once more, "...It's admirable."
"Oh, so you admire her, huh...?"
"Zuma!"
"Um... You guys?" The two pups suddenly heard from further into the store, eliciting the two pups to turn and see where it had come from.
Standing there beside a table a few tables down from them was Alex, who held a small object in his hands as he looked back at them. Chase was immediately concerned with what the boy had to say, as Alex didn't hold that same cartoonish smile he usually had whenever he saw any of the pups from the PAW Patrol, but a gentle frown. Something clearly was wrong with the young boy.
Zuma, though, didn't seem to notice at all, "Hey, what's up, Alex? Long time no see!"
"Can I sit with you two?"
"Sure, dude! The seat's all yours!" The Chocolate Lab patted an empty part of the seat next to himself.
Walking over, the little boy sat next to Zuma, adjusting his rear on the cushioned seat as he tried to find what words he would use to ask the two what he'd been wanting to ask for quite some time now.
"Is something wrong, Alex?" Chase was quick to ask, "Are you in trouble?"
The honorary member of the PAW Patrol shook his head, "No, I'm not, don't worry."
"Then what's up?" Zuma inquired, finally recognizing that something was off about the boy.
"I wanted to show you guys something..." Alex fiddled with the object in his hands, which was now recognizable as a printed picture from a polaroid camera, "A girl at my school told us a story about an adventure she had at Jake's Mountain during show and tell... She told us that a group of humans and pups saved her from falling off a cliff a while back..."
"Humans and pups? That has to be related to the PAW Patrol somehow..." Chase became confused, "...But I don't remember any recent rescues at Jake's Mountain..."
"That's because the PAW Patrol didn't do it, she said."
"Then who did?" Zuma looked at Alex, his interest growing by the second.
Alex laid the picture down on the table. Chase and Zuma used their forelegs to prop themselves up in order to get a better look at what was laid out before them. Upon seeing the picture, and who was in it, their eyes widened.
"Dude, this is nuts..." Zuma couldn't believe his eyes, "...That's... Everest... Rocky... And..."
Chase was frozen, a single utterance slipping from his mouth, "...Marshall..."
