A few months managed to pass since Zuma's "last chance." He had given Ryder plenty of time to put him on missions that felt like they were built for him. However, countless times he had been disappointed.

Chase and Skye had always been one of the first two picks. And if it was a water mission he always picked Chase or Rocky instead of him. It was clear to Zuma it was favoritism. It made him feel unwanted and unloved.

But Zuma didn't know what to do now. He had nowhere to go.

Guess my only choice is to leave the Lookout and figure it out. I mean, my best bet is to just become a stray again. I already know how to forage for food.

I can always ask Mr. Porter. He's nice to us.

Zuma nodded in acknowledgment. He stood up from within his pup's house and walked out the door.

No one was there to stop him now; they were all busy with their latest mission. It wasn't a "water mission," yet it required them to go in the water.

Somehow Daring Danny X broke his skateboard, and fell out of a boat in the process into the water, and it occurred during a rainstorm.

Zuma never understood the guy. Who tries to do extreme sports in the water? There were too many risks. Not to mention Cap'n Turbot's ship got destroyed in the process—they didn't elaborate.

It was the perfect water mission, yet Chase was picked first to keep people off the beach and Skye was sent in his place to rescue the daredevil.

Zuma picked up a duffel bag. He shoved a few things in there like his food bowl, a blanket, his surfboard, and a few treats to tide him over.

Now that I think about it, Mr. Porter will just question why I won't go back to the PAW Patrol after a bit. I'm better off taking my own stash for now. Don't want to make any of the pups realize right away I'm gone.

He didn't want to be found at all. He knew he wasn't needed. He would just go through that same cycle over and over again.

He unclipped his orange collar, torn with wear. "I won't be needing you anymore. Sorry, buddy. They don't need me anymore."

He lugged the duffel over his shoulder and headed out.

Unsure of himself, Zuma started in the direction of town. His best bet for not being found would be in the alleyway in Adventure City. There was food, shelter from anyone who dare question why he was there, not to mention he might be able to make friends there.

The only problem was the ocean wasn't there. And neither would my friends...is this really the best option?

He shook his head. No. They don't need me anymore. I appreciate the PAW Patrol for the shelter and warmth they've given me, but they don't need me, not anymore.

He felt the familiar lumpy grass below his feet for the last, took a breath of fresh air, and slunk low to the ground to avoid being caught.

The town of Adventure Bay was bustling. Mr. Porter was handing out apples to the passerby while Alex watched as a pair of suspiciously large black ears laid in wait behind the apple stand.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked the strange pair of ears. "You can grab them. They're free."

A head followed the pair of ears, and a metallic helmet followed. A head shook itself from underneath the stand.

"Oh shut it, will ya?" the voice inquires. "I don't want to be noticed."

"Oh." Alex remarks before he tilts his head slightly. "Why are you hiding? I'm sure Grandpa will let you take some apples. He's giving them out for free today."

The head of the animal turned to the kid. "Bleck," the supposed pup remarked with his tongue out. "I don't like talking to people."

"Oh."

Alex then reaches into the stand when his grandpa wasn't paying attention and handed the stray an apple.

"Oh, uhm, thanks." The dog flashes a toothy smile before bounding out of his hiding spot. It was Claw. He reaches over for the apple and takes off after getting hold of it.

Everything is in order. I don't know why I assumed Claw would make a ruckus. Guess I just expected his usual shenanigans. Recently he's been rather...tame and tolerable. It was unlike the normally aggressive and slightly violent dog.

"You're welcome, buddy!" Alex innocently calls after the pup.

Zuma slowly walks behind Alex, not wanting to gain attention. However the sound of motors and footsteps made him halt in his tracks. It was the Ruff Ruff Pack.

"Hey!! What is everyone crowding around this measly stand for?!" A gray-and-white French bulldog with lighter green eyes than Claw's demanded as he leapt clumsily out of the side seat of a motorcycle.

The French bulldog pushes past several people, causing a few of them to trip and exclaim in complaint as he made his way to the front of the stand. The bulldog sniffs at the apples and says, "Yuck!" He paws at them. "This is what you've all been gathering around here for? This is disgusting!"

Hubcap, the gray-and-white French bulldog, was making a mess of the apple stand. He indicated to Dwayne who bounced out of the motorcycle before bounding to his leader; he got on his back legs and put his paws up on the stand, knocking it over with his tongue protruding.

"Is this good enough, friend?" Dwayne inquired. The Great Dane was a doormat for the bulldog's schemes, always allowing for the smaller of the two pups to order him around under the guise of "friendship."

Zuma didn't know if Hubcap truly valued him. He knew he didn't value Gasket, always stealing her ideas and making them his own.

Speaking of the darker gray husky, she was not happy as she watched. "Come on, guys," she begged. "Can we not cause some wheel trouble today?"

For whatever reason, she was not in the mood for their usually shenanigans today. She was grumpy, her usual energetic demeanor for causing mayhem was unseen.

Hubcap scoffed, mischief in his green gape. "Don't be a buzzkill, woman." he rudely snaps, kicking an apple into the mouth of a nearby pedestrian. The pedestrian lets out a pained cried; the sound of something breaking had Zuma's ears twitching. It sounded like the cracking of a tooth, though only slightly. Zuma didn't even know how he could hear it. "We manly men are having fun. Right, Dwayne?"

Don't get involved, Zuma. You don't need publicity today of all days.

Zuma dove under an empty table as he stalked forward. He could easily do Chase's job at this rate; staying hidden was easier than he thought.

Dwayne nodded goofily, his tongue still sticking out as he watches a bee fly by. He giggles as the bee lands on top of Mr. Porter's shoulder.

"Yeah! I'm having tons of fun with you!" Dwayne blew some air at the bee. The bee buzzes slightly before taking off and flying right in front of Zuma's snout.

The bee buzzed some more before settling itself on Zuma's nose. No! Not now! The bee added insult to injury by wiggling their behind, showing Zuma their stinger fully well.

Zuma blows on the bee furiously, focusing more on getting the delicate and usually feared bug off of him rather than looking at the scene in front of him.

An apple hit his face and he yelped, rubbing his face as the bee quickly got off his face and fled. "Ow!"

"Huh? Do tables go ow?" Alex inquires.

Zuma sighs. His cover has been blown by an apple. Zuma walks out from underneath the table.

He waves a paw shyly, "Hello."

Mr. Porter sighs, "Oh thank goodness. A member of the PAW Patrol. Zuma, you've got to help us get rid of these rough housing pals. As much as I would love to ask of you to get Ryder, I figured since you're here you might be able to get rid of them." After a moment, "don't worry, Alex and I will help."

Mr. Porter goes into his pockets and takes out a small treat bag, handing it to Zuma. "I got this for you pups. To thank you for all you've done for the bay."

Zuma takes the treats and puts them by his paws. "Do you think we could use these to convince the three to leave?" he inquires. He was a peaceful pup. He might have left the patrol because of how he felt; but he wouldn't take it out on those three. Especially since they're all just...chaotic and not evil.

Mr. Porter smiles. "What a good idea, Zuma! I wish I thought of that." Mr. Porter scratches his head. "Anyway, we better offer them the treats. I think we can easily convince Dwayne, but I am unsure about Gasket and Hubcap."

"You do know we can hear you, right? Dwayne! Don't fall for this stupid human's tricks!" Hubcap orders obnoxiously.

Dwayne was too busy digging to hear him. "Huh? What did you—" The Great Dane trails off. His golden eyes found themselves on the treats Zuma was holding as he approached them.

"How about instead of causing havoc today, you have some treats?" the lab offered, shaking the bag from which the treats were held in.

Dwayne's eyes widened in interest, eyes following the bag with each jerk of Zuma's snout. Dwayne drooled.

Despite being a part of a pack that acted like a gang, Dwayne was more of a mellow pup. He didn't seem to adore this life, though he was always willing to follow orders. Perhaps it's time to give him his own choice.

"Ooh!" Dwayne reached out with his jaws before Zuma pulled the treats back. "You and your friends must stop. You're wasting apples, and I'd rather not have to call Ryder to deal with this today. So please just talk to Hubcap and this will be yours."

Zuma turns to gaze slightly at Gasket and Hubcap. "All of you."

"I am right here, you water kisser!" Hubcap shouts, jumping in the air with annoyance. The feeling was mutual.

Dwayne turns to Hubcap. "Please, Hubcap? Can we please stop? He's got delicious smelling treats! We haven't eaten all day!" Dwayne exclaims, extending his stomach and cracking his back as it went inward. He gave his best puppy dog eyes to Hubcap.

Hubcap groaned, looking away. He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but apples are still gross," he mutters before shouting, "and you better share!!"

Dwayne bounces in excitement, gleefully approaching Zuma with an expectant look on his face. Zuma looks at Hubcap. His front paw was about to touch another apple before he played it cool, pulling back the paw to stand there.

"Keep away from the apples," Zuma demanded as if he were Chase, puffing out his chest to assert himself as the leader here.

Hubcap rolls his eyes again. "Whatever you say, your majesty," he sassed as Zuma walked in front of him; this caused the French bulldog to back up. He looks away before muttering, "and you better give us those treats."

Dwayne follows Zuma. Zuma stretches his neck to give Dwayne the treat bag. Dwayne rips the treat bag out of his mouth and throws it into the air.

The bag turns upside down and Dwayne grabs a hold of it, shaking it excitedly. The contents dropped out of the bag and the three immediately began to fight for the treats.

"It's mine!" Hubcap snarled, swiping a paw at Gasket whose teeth were already sinking into an orange pup treat.

Dwayne, meanwhile, was happily licking at a green treat, pawing gingerly at a yellow one nearby. His tail was smacking a pink treat lightly, pushing it closer and closer to Zuma.

"Get your paws off of it! I had my teeth in it first! I'm bigger, therefore I should have it!" Gasket snaps, easily flicking the dark gray dog with a paw.

Hubcap grunts as he nearly smashes the apple stand.

"Hey!" Zuma warned. "Don't fight over the treats. There's enough for everyone." Zuma was about to get in between the fighting pack before Hubcap looked away and huffed like he was some emo protagonist from an anime.

Dwayne finished his green treat, immediately going after the yellow one, snapping it in half. "Yum! Thanks Zuma, Mr. Porter! I was starving!" Dwayne's tail wagged further, pushing the pink all the way to Zuma. The pink treat touched his paw.

He looked down. The treat reminded him of his friend, Skye.

Would she miss him? Nah. She has other friends and clearly Rocky and Chase replaced him as her new "best friend." No one needed him there, so why was he thinking about them now?

No. I won't go back. They don't want or need me. They need even Marshall above me.

But he still couldn't help but think about Skye, about Rocky—his close friend, and he couldn't ever forget about Marshall or Rubble—they were the two nicest dogs in the group. He could easily forget about Chase, but what did he ever do wrong?

It's mainly Ryder. He pondered as he shivered. It felt like—

His eyes wandered to the trio in front of him. Dwayne was now at his feet eating the pink treat, Hubcap was gnawing violently on a red treat from the middle, and Gasket was watching Zuma as she snacked gently on a blue treat. The orange treat was gone.

Mr. Porter had gone back to manning his stand, handing out free apples to the passerby. It seems everything returned to normal for now.

Zuma continued to watch the three miscreants while they ate their fill of treats. They downed the whole bag in an aggressive way, Hubcap destroying a few treats before gobbling them down.

He kept his golden peepers on them. He wanted to make sure they wouldn't cause anymore trouble.

Zuma prayed the three would immediately leave after finishing. If they continued to cause trouble despite their promise, he would ensure they would be reported to Mayor Goodway—they, Hubcap and Gasket, hated Mayor Goodway.

Thankfully, the three did leave.

"Alright you two. Fun's over...unfortunately," Hubcap grumbles, pointing with a paw to their motorcycles. "Let's ride!" Hubcap grins. "Ruff Ruff Pack out!"

The three hop into their vehicles, revving the engines loudly. Zuma puts a paw over his ears. "Ruff Ruff Pack! Ruff Ruff Pack! Ruff Ruff Pack!" The three chanted, Dwayne and Hubcap smiling, grinning in Hubcap's case, as they sped off to their hideout.

Zuma smiled as he watched them leave. He was grateful they were willing to leave. Hubcap is a stubborn and unpredictable dog.

Then again, even their tricks have been lackluster as of late. They've been trashing things less and less. Which brings Zuma to his next question: Can all these villains become good?

Zuma has seen it with Sweetie and Arrby but was unsure about the others. The Ruff Ruff Pack were a strange batch of dogs. They were definitely wild animals when it came to anything sophisticated, and Zuma was pretty sure Dwayne and Gasket weren't evil—even Hubcap didn't seem fully "evil" as Chase would put it.

Then again Chase always believed there was only black and white and never gray. Gray exists if you look hard enough for it. We all can't be Mr. Perfect over here.

Zuma's eyes followed the pack as they left. He hoped things would get better for them. They were scrawnier than he last saw them.

As he looked, his golden eyes found matching golden-green eyes watching him as he was in thought.

Zuma shook his head and made a mad dash out of the general area, ensuring he was on the side of the road as he begun his journey to find a new home and a new life.