With Marshall and Skye sharing a newfound determination to uncover the truth of their pasts, a thought came to Marshall's mind as the two of them stepped out of Skye's pup house, the sun reflecting its light on their fur.
"Skye.. if our memories aren't deceiving us and there really is someone out there who's trying to kill our families... I don't think we can assume our families maliciously left us to die during our respective tragedies. It's still a possibility, but I don't know... Something doesn't feel right when I think like that now." Marshall admitted, sighing as he looked up to the sky above, hearing the waves crash against the shore as well.
The two returned to the lookout steps, climbing them slowly until they reached the top. They rested silently, the cool sea breeze sweeping through the tops of their tails as they gazed toward the ocean, where the clouds moved lazily along the horizon. Then as the silence drew on, another thought occurred to Skye. "I hope you're ready, Marshall. Because I found something, footage of the helicopter crash that led to me being... separated from my family. It's painful... but in here, there's proof that a bomb exploded in the helicopter and, by extension, proof of our theory, Marshall."
"What?" Marshall exclaimed, looking at Skye, both of them taken aback, "Are you serious? Do you know anything else about it? Anything that could lead us to the criminal who's targeting our families?"
"Not much, unfortunately." Skye admitted, lowering her ears and averting her eyes, as Skye spoke, she showed Marshall the video by tapping on her pup tag. After she did so, the video began playing, along with the audio; the sounds of that fateful storm in Azura were burned into Marshall and Skye's memories, for all the wrong reasons.
Around ten minutes into the flight, a large lightning bolt could be seen striking down near the helicopter while, at the same time, an explosion occurred that sent the helicopter careening out of control before it made contact with a massive oak tree.
The explosion happened so quickly that, for the viewers on the scene, it was almost as though it was happening all at the same time: first, the helicopter went flying off course, then, in an instant, it crashed into the tree, sending the helicopter crashing onto the ground and bursting in flames with Skye's family able to escape the wreckage, but just like Skye's memory of the incident, they left her to die... right? They didn't even try to rescue her from the helicopter and it seems like they focused on saving their own skins, scanning the field for something, even though their youngest pup was trapped underneath a piece of burning metal near the corpse of the pilot.
Just like Skye's horrifying memory of the incident, the pilot's head was slammed into the cockpit of the helicopter as he bled out, with glass from the windows of the helicopter lodged in his body and scattered around the cockpit of the helicopter itself.
Just like she remembered in her vision, blood was splattered around the pilot's head as the camera panned away to show the body that lay dead in the helicopter, his arm dangling limply at his side.
But then just as suddenly as the helicopter had crashed, the helicopter burst into flames, shooting up high into the air just as suddenly. However, Skye had been able to free herself from burning alive in the wreckage of the helicopter, but of course she did, she's still alive today, after all. But in the corner of the camera feed, a figure in a large hoodie could be seen as they retreated into the shadows, with Skye immediately pausing the video there. "Whoever this is, they're the one who wants to murder us and our families. I'm sure of it." Skye exclaimed, her pink eyes that normally radiated a sense of forgiveness and kindness now burning with hatred for whoever this is.
Marshall frowned as he turned to Skye. "Why would anyone want to hurt us... or destroy our families like that? Is there someone we should talk to? Anyone, maybe, who might have information about this person?"
Meanwhile, in Azura, a lone figure could be seen holding a pocket knife as they looked at an article from a few years ago on their phone, a more recent one on their laptop too. "So... Those two mutts and their families survived my attempt to finish the job... no matter, I will eradicate both families next time." They muttered as they stabbed a nearby dartboard that was hanging on their wall with the knife they had been holding.
"Our leader cannot learn of this failure... or I will be dead for sure. I am a member of Talon, I must keep secrets." They continued to murmur as they continued to stare down at the note attached to the dartboard with a single nail, written in red ink in messy, childlike handwriting.
As the marker dried, they folded the note up, stuffing it into the pocket of their baggy sweatshirt. "I knew it, this time I'll make sure they won't get away scot-free. That will teach them not to mess with me or the rest of Talon again. But first, I need to deal with these two pests myself... as well as their families, Blaze, the father of the Dalmatian family I was ordered to target is the main priority, but both families have to die in their entirety. No survivors are allowed to speak." They said to themselves, a sinister grin on their face.
Thinking back to what his leader had told him, a cruel expression filled the man's face. "You've always been a sick son of a bitch... but your plan... is truly incredible." He continued remembering what the leader himself had told him about his plan, and the plan of the rest of Talon to make the two families think there was only person behind all of this, when in reality, they'll have no way to know what's truly coming for their lives until it's too late and they're already dead. "But now... I need to pay Adventure Bay a visit." He said to himself as he remembered one thing. If he ever said the name of his leader, he would be dead, just like how the foolish mutts he's targeting will be dead by his blade.
Back in Adventure Bay, Marshall and Skye were both sitting together as they overlooked the waves that were crashing against the shore, their tails intertwining as Skye couldn't help but think about what Marshall had said. About how he told her that he's been cutting himself, just like she has - as a way to try and cope with the pain and trauma of the past.
Skye also knew that Marshall was having doubts about his abilities as a rescuer and as a member of the Paw Patrol, especially recently, which was something that she wanted to talk to him about, but not yet. As the two sat quietly, listening to the gentle waves that lapped gently against the shoreline, the Dalmatian and Cockapoo couldn't help but notice that their minds were wandering elsewhere; they just couldn't bring themselves to focus on what was going on right now, here in Adventure Bay - all they had been talking about was the recent discovery they had made that someone was out to kill them - to kill their families, if they were even still alive, of course.
"Skye. After what I saw from the recording on your pup tag, I think I know what we need to do next. We have to show Chase and the others and tell them about what's going on. If there is someone out there who is attempting to murder us and our families, the rest of the Paw Patrol need to know too. We can plan our next steps from there.."
"We can't tell them about what we just learned from the video, because it'll put them in danger, Marshall... And... this is our fight, it's only pertaining to us and our families" Skye protested, turning towards him with a frown on her face.
"But that's exactly why we need to tell them," Marshall replied, shaking his head, "If we don't, and this person... or group, if that's the reality of this situation, comes after us, our friends won't know what's going on and won't be able to help. I'd much rather have our friends worry a lot about this for no reason, than for everyone else to be in the dark and not be able to do anything when it comes down to it."
"Yeah... I guess you're right," she replied, letting out a sigh as she turned toward the water as it crashed against the shoreline. She felt guilty for putting everyone in danger by withholding this information from them, but she needed to protect them, and she didn't want to risk her friends getting involved in any dangerous situations or situations she knew they may or may not be prepared for.
The two sat silent for a few moments after that, listening to the soft sound of waves lapping against the shoreline, as neither one of the pair really knew what to say, both knowing very well that whatever conversation they had to have regarding this was going to be long, and hard, if not quite painful for both of them.
As the gentle rhythm of the waves continued to soothe the beach, Marshall and Skye remained lost in thought, their minds weighed down by the gravity of their situation. They both knew that the decision they faced was not an easy one, and the consequences of their choices could ripple far beyond their own lives.
"I just don't want to put anyone else in danger, Marshall," Skye confessed softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. "We've already been through so much, and I can't bear the thought of risking the safety of our friends."
Marshall nodded in understanding, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he contemplated Skye's words. "I know, Skye. But keeping this to ourselves won't make the danger go away. If anything, it'll only leave us more vulnerable. We need to trust our friends, just like they trust us to have their backs."
The weight of Marshall's words hung heavy in the air, each syllable carrying the weight of their shared burden. Skye knew he was right, but the fear of what might happen if they revealed the truth gnawed at her insides, threatening to consume her with doubt and uncertainty.
"Maybe we can start by talking to Ryder," Skye suggested tentatively, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "He's always been there for us, and I trust him to help us figure this out."
Marshall nodded in agreement, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. "Yeah, talking to Ryder sounds like a good idea. He's wise beyond his years, and he always knows what to do in tough situations."
With a shared sense of determination, Marshall and Skye rose from their spot on the beach, their tails no longer intertwined but their bond stronger than ever. As they made their way back to the Lookout, they knew that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges and uncertainty. But with each other and their friends by their side, they were ready to face whatever lay ahead.