Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol

"Hey."

"Hey."

Her eyes fluttered open upon registering the voice, and immediately locked up. She knew where she was, a place she dreaded, yet she just couldn't process how she got here.

"I neeeeeed you."

The voice carried on melodically.

She could see all, and it was still the same.

Dark concrete walls, shadows, but just bright enough to see. She laid against a large glass door and another glass door was on the other end of the hall. She could hear echoes of different noises, footsteps, whispers, chattering, but she could never understand them.

"Hurry, they're coming."

Her nerves fired up and her limbs loosened, as if a lock was taken off her body. She immediately pulled herself up and looked at the glass door, despite her mind screaming not to. Same place, same mistakes.

She saw herself in the glass, declothed, vulnerable. Something else walked into view, the glass showing it was farther down the hall. It was one of them, a shadow. White eyes illuminated its face before it blinked.

She shot around, but the canine figure was gone. Only she looked back to see her fur caked in crimson.

"Aggh!"

She shook her head and turned back towards the hall, her startled yelled echoed along the walls.

She walked.

The voices became more hush, as if the people they belonged to were observing her every move. She looked around, the concrete was perfect, no blemishes.

"Nugen."

"Pain."

"Greed."

"Humans."

"Evil."

"Nugen."

The voices were more clear though they kept their tone low, she could barley make them out. The glass door was closer now.

"You can't let them catch you." The voice from the beginning.

"Who?" She didn't have to speak, this was her mind. There was no answer.

She could see her reflection now in the far door. White lights appeared around her reflection, always in pairs, they blinked like stars. A growl sounded behind her, gutteral and husky. Her nose twitched at a stench, carrion and metal, it made her sick.

Fear coursing through her now, she started to run. A snarl sounded and she dashed for the door, she didn't know how she was going to open it she just had to get to it. Rapid tapping of claws could be heard behind her.

The doors opened for her without a sound, glass gradually moving to the side.

She practically dove into the darkness beyond the door, into the unknown. Her ears were suddenly assaulted with loud rambling.

"Weak!"

"Nugen!"

"Die!"

"Rats!"

"Humans!"

"Evil!"

"Greed!"

"Nugen!"

"Nugen!"

STOOOOP!!!

Her scream echoed throughout the dark, the silence was deafening now. She whimpered as tears streamed down her cheek fur.

"Please." She begged. "Let me out of here, don't bring me in the place anymore."

"You need to know, you need to help. They're coming."

"Know what!?" She exasperated. "Who is 'they'!?"

"You need…" The voice strained before the realm went quiet again. Nothing but her restless sobs filled the void.

"What do you want from me?"

"Gasket…"

"What do you want!?"

"Gasket!"

Their eyes met each other in the dim light. The cool, musty air filled her nostrils before she rubbed her eyes. She glared briefly at Dwayne who was staring at her with eyes like saucers. Another nightmare.

"Oww!" She winced as a sharp pain traveled around her jaws. Her mouth tasted of sickly sweet copper.

"Gee, I thought you were in a coma and wouldn't wake up."

Gasket ignored him and sat up, leaning against hard rock. Her eyes adjusted and wiping off the last bit of drowsiness from her eyes, she noticed she wasn't in their diner. They were surrounded by rock, sand, and darkness, the only light being from a dim bulb connected to a car battery. A dry rotten wooden beam stood close to them.

"We're in our backup hideout in the old goldmine." Dwayne admitted as he looked her over. "Diner's too hot with them after us."

Gasket weakly nodded as she looked around, confusion beginning to take hold.

"Where's Hubcap?" She wearily asked.

"Uh," Dwayne lowered his head. "They caught him."

"…Oh."

Gasket didn't know what to think. A part of her wanted to jump and cheer while another part filled her with regret. She could really care less though Dwayne did seem to hold a high opinion of him, they formed the pack before her after all. A void formed in his absence, she can already feel. She was going to have to fill it eventually, take his spot and find new members because Dwayne sure as hell couldn't do it. Not now though, now they lay low, find ways to get by while the heat gradually dissipates.

Silence fell over the mine, broken shortly by a gust of wind that entered from the unseen exit, emitting an eerie echo through the tunnel and chilling the sandstone around them. It was night over the desert no doubt. Gasket shivered slightly, not because of the cold but that her current hideout reminded her of her repeating dream. The Ruff Ruff Pack didn't come here that often, it had been a year or so since their last visit and this place felt so alien now.

She eventually looked back at Dwayne who was oddly enough still staring at her, she gave an annoyed growl. "What?"

"Sorry, it's just how you've fully healed."

"Huh?"

Gasket quickly looked over herself. She tried to remember everything before she was out. Something hit her, then… just before that there was a fiery explosion near Dwayne's toppled bike.

"Did your bike explode?" She suddenly asked.

"Yeah I think it was the fuel and maybe the batteries… you uhh, you got torched pretty bad." Dwayne explained.

"I taste blood and have a toothache but I feel fine." Gasket said doubtfully.

"Yeah you healed." Dwayne pointed out before listing. "Your were bleeding, lost teeth, and half of your coat burned off, you smelled horrible too!"

"Okay." Gasket deadpanned. "So how did I heal exactly?"

"On the ride back I noticed patches of your fur start to come back and you weren't bleeding anymore either, I thought I was tripping." Dwayne giggled. "You were fully healed when we got to the mine even though I didn't see your fang come back. You even stopped stinking, burnt fur doesn't smell good."

"Good to know, Captain Obvious." Gasket remarked dully.

He's bullshitting me, she thought. Either that or he's more crazy than slow, there's no way someone could just magically heal like that. Whatever.

"Where's my vest?" She asked as she began to walk around in the dark.

"Oh, I have it." Dwayne reached behind him before presenting it to her. "It's a little roughed up though."

Gasket's jaw hung open a little when she laid eyes on it, it wasn't just roughed up it was straight up trashed. Once a natural brown leather, now a charred black with large holes on the sides and front. The bone tag tarnished and brown and the zipper and other metal fittings were dulled.

"I couldn't find your spikey bracelet or helmet, sorry." Dwayne admitted.

"It's alright." Gasket grumbled as she retrieved her vest and began to slip it on. "Shouldn't need a helmet if I have super healing powers." She joked sarcastically.

Dwayne turned away before she could tell him to. A thought suddenly hit him and as crazy as it sounded, he couldn't resist to ask.

"Hey Gasket, do you think there's some connection between your nightmares and the way you healed?"

Gasket stopped fumbling with her zipper and shot him a bewildered look. "Not really… and I don't think I was hurt that bad."

"But you were, I saw and smelled your burnt flesh!" Dwayne protested.

"Okay weirdo," Gasket scoffed. "You were just stressed out when the accident happen, your brain can act weird when that happens, make you see stuff that isn't there."

"No! I literally thought you weren't going to make it!"

Gasket sighed and held her head. "You're giving me a headache Dwayne, please just stop with the conspiracy. Even if I did heal like you said, I don't see how they'd be connected and besides, what are we gonna do about it?"

She dropped the conversation on that question and sat back against the rocky wall. Silence fell over the mine again, the light bulb flickered.

Dwayne seemed so sincere, she can tell he wasn't lying but she didn't believe his story. Poor boy could never handle intense situations and this one might have really pushed his mind over the edge a little, that's at least what she wanted to believe. It was when she glanced down at her charred vest, with pieces of burnt fur sticking out along the edges, that made her question that. By the condition of her vest she should've had severe burns, maybe she was just lucky? Ha! Or maybe she was the crazy one, and Dwayne was trying to bring her back to reality.

"I might know someone…" Dwayne spoke up, stabbing the silence. "That spotted pup was trying to treat your wounds, maybe he's a doctor or something?"

Gasket was going to laugh him off, but the thought of the Dalmatian sent her mind into a flurry. He tried to help me, even after I scared the shit out of him?

"That doesn't mean he could help me with my problems," Gasket shot him down. "I need more of a psychiatrist type of vet."

"Well it's something."

Gasket laughed. "And what? Just break into the wannabe's HQ in the middle of the night with a bounty on my hide and ask him to help me with my crazy issues, after I just wrecked their town!?" Gasket finished, her frustrated voice echoing down the tunnel.

Dwayne was starting to get agitated. "Then go to a vet then!"

"They don't open until morning and they'd turn me in anyway!"

Gasket huffed and fell back in her thoughts, the thoughts of the Dalmatian. She had an affect on him when she stared him down, he'd be too chicken shit to turn her in. But he also had an effect on her somewhat. A vet was a no–go for sure, even if she wasn't wanted they throw strays in a shelter after they're finished with them.

Spots, that's what I'll call him.

Spots might not be trained for her problems but knowing what little she did about the PAW Patrol, to practically babysit an entire town of dumb humans must be a strain on them. And their leader must make sure they're stable, he must have knowledge in mental help and have to have passed at least some of that down to Spots. Spots was her only chance if she wanted help now, he must be able to do something or give her some kind of drug that can help, even if it was temporary. This was all probably wishful thinking but… to hell with it, she wasn't going to suffer anymore. She stood up.

"Dwayne, my bike still good?"

He looked up at her a bit confused. "Uh… oh yeah, right handlebar's a little bent but yeah."

"Good."

She made for the exit.

"Where're you going?"

"To pay Spots a visit, you'll be okay here right?" She asked without looking back.

"Yeah yeah, I'm good." He replied as he timidly watched her go on, wishing he could ride along as backup.

She stopped just before she faded from the light and looked back at Dwayne sincerely, remembering something. "Thanks for getting me out of there." She blowed a kiss to him.

Dwayne blushed before giving a shakey salute.

She chuckled as she darted away, so corny, but cute. That's my Dwayne.

Gasket made it out of the decayed entrance, covered only be a few old boards and a rusted hazard sign. The full mood cast its weak rays along the desert, giving the sand a slight glow. The air was already chilled but there was no wind, a coyote gave its weak howl somewhere in the distance. A perfect night for riding.