Disclaimer: I do not own PAW Patrol.
"Copy that, Rocky." Ryder switched to Chase's tag. "Chase, I want you two to follow behind them and have your handcuffs at the ready."
Marshall grew a little nervous, overhearing what Rocky just told Ryder. They were heading their way.
The plan changed slightly, Chase was unable to separate them so they blocked off the intersection in the center of the plaza the best they could. Rubble blocked the exit while Zuma guarded the right road. Marshall himself took the left road with his fire truck as Ryder sat in the middle, facing the open highway. Marshall toyed with his water cannon, making sure it was ready. The new plan involved them blocking the Ruff Ruff Pack's escape while Ryder would attempt to negotiate them into surrendering so they can be apprehended. If that didn't work, Marshall would move in and use his water cannon to disable the gun like the original plan but then every pup must be ready for the worst since they'll have to use any available means to stop them. It was already going to be hell fixing all the damage they caused and it can't be allowed to happen again.
The unmistakable motorcycle engines rumbled down the road prompting Ryder to narrow his eyes. The two bikes swerved into view around the curve. They immediately locked eyes with Ryder, the boy didn't even flinch as Dwayne aimed the cannon at him.
"Oh great." Gasket heard Hubcap growl. "How are we supposed to get out of this?"
Gasket had to think for a moment, analyzing the situation as they moved closer to the intersection.
"It's gonna be hard to get past them with sidecars on our bikes, road's narrow enough as it is." Gasket thought out loud. "The only option I see is ditching our bikes and making a run for it… unless, we find a way to get one of them to move." She locked eyes on Marshall, the Dalmatian tensed up in response.
They came to a stop right at the pedestrian line, the air became thick as their motors died down some. Dwayne kept the cannon on Ryder but held a hesitant gaze while Hubcap stared daggers, Gasket kept exchanging glances with Marshall, confused as to why she couldn't take her eyes off him.
"You're surrounded and you have nowhere left to go." Ryder spoke sternly. "Now there's two ways we can settle this…"
"Tell your mutts to back off or my friend here will fill them full of magnets!" Hubcap threatened while Dwayne popped a reluctant eye to him.
"No he won't, now you can give up right now and relinquish your bikes and that cannon and help clean up your mess, then your time in the pound might not be that long."
While Ryder attempted to talk them down, Gasket turned her attention yet again to Marshall, trying to study how they can get around him. He kept lowering his eyes whenever she narrowed her own at him, causing a giggle to creep up from her throat. Cute little thing, practically stabbed her drowsiness away with every look, but he was the target right now.
Her ears picked up the sound of a motor behind her and knew that those two losers were coming back to box them in, probably the police pup, she had to come up with something now. Darting back to Marshall it was obvious he was the most skittish of the group and could scare easily, so she'll go first and rush him at full speed. He should panic and move but if not all she had do was turn slightly and his vehicle will take her sidecar. Probably the best plan despite the fact she could harm her new cru… No! Cut that out!
"We're getting out of here and that's that!" Hubcap continued his barking. "Your town was garbage to begin with!"
"Hubcap, climb up behind me." Gasket whispered after she leaned down.
"Huh!?" Hubcap shot a confused glance next to him.
"Just do it! I have an idea."
Hubcap begrudgingly though hastily gripped Gasket's vest and took a spot behind, leaving the sidecar empty. Ryder watched on closely and timidly, trying to anticipate their next move. He motioned for the pups to be ready.
"Dwayne!" Gasket tried to keep her voice below a whisper. The Great Dane flinched before darting his eyes to her.
"Follow me when I charge and be ready to cover us with that gun."
Dwayne simply nodded before returning his gaze back to Ryder, his eyes filled with a new sense of courage.
There was a stare down for a moment while Gasket reved her bike. Marshall began to shake, he felt he had to go ahead and do something but this girl seemed to have some affect on him worse than Everest or Ella, the two he considered his crushes though he'd never admit it. They were getting older and Ryder said it was normal for them to start feeling like this, even the Dalmatian himself studied on it as part of his medical knowledge, but to actually experience it chilled him and made all his studying seem pointless. What was it about this Husky? She was scruffy and rude, yet her eyes seemed pure and imaginative, but they also burned with aggression and something else, exhaustion?
Gasket's left ear twitched when Chase and Rocky rounded the building, now was the time. She squeezed the handlebar with a death grip and her lips pulled back into a snarl at Marshall.
"Marshall!"
Everything happened so fast but time seemed to slow for the Dalmatian. Fear caught him and he locked up as soon he saw Gasket dart in his direction. He froze just like Chase did, a shame the German Shepherd still lives with and that Marshall will live with. He heard the shouts in the moment but couldn't move, the only reaction he had was to crumble up when gasket drove by and the sidecar slammed into the side of his vehicle, severely denting it. But what happened next broke him out of his state.
Using Rocky's truck, Chase pushed it to max speed right at Dwayne in a blind fury. Dwayne couldn't retreat fast enough and struggled to line up a shot. He panicked and bailed off his bike just before Chase made contact with the back tire, causing it to flip and crash just past Marshall's firetruck.
Gasket couldn't stop herself from shooting a look behind her, a sight that filled her with terror. "Dwayne!"
She immediately turned around despite Hubcap's protests and went back to help her fellow pack mate, unaware of the hazard she was moving towards.
Marshall looked around at the chaos but a smell from the wrecked bike fired alarms in him, a gas leak. He noticed sparks coming from the batteries now scattered across the road from trashed sidecar. The puddle of fuel was creeping straight for it and Gasket wouldn't be able to miss it. He dashed out, no, he wasn't freeze, not this time.
Chase saw him and noticed the danger. Forgetting Dwayne, he hopped out of the truck and made a dash for his friend. "Marshall! Wait!"
"Hey! Stop!" Marshall cried, overpowering the her affect as she glanced his way.
Marshall's fearful expression would be the last thing she sees before a shooting wall of flame and heat overpowered her vision, something hit her muzzle with enough force to knock her out.
Dammit Chase!
"Get off me!"
Chase jumped back in surprise as Marshall lurched from underneath him, it was rare to hear that tone from the Dally.
Marshall darted over to where the two pups were launched, Hubcap was recovering and crawling away but Gasket laid motionless, her fur smoldering in spots along her sides. A small trail of blood trinkled from her mouth, the sight sending Marshall into medic mode.
Startled by the fuel explosion, Dwayne eventually snapped out of it noticing Gasket's bike fell right before him. He lifted it up and mounted it to see if still works, it took a few cranks to wheeze on, there was clearly damage but nothing Gasket can't fix… Gasket?
Dwayne saw her on the ground with Marshall over her patting her sides to kill the lingering flames, he had to get her out of here and now was the time. The other pups and Ryder moved over to the burning wreckage and attempted to control it anyway the could, which is all the could do with Marshall occupied. Dwayne pressed down on the handlebars and made for Gasket, it was now or never.
Marshall cursed himself as he had to leave her to get his first aid kit out of his fire truck. It basic unlike his medic pup pack, but he would be able to treat the burns. His heart raced as he frantically dug around for it, body trembling. She still had a pulse but seeing her there bleeding filled him with a fear he'd never felt before. He eventually found the kit and pulled it out in his teeth before turning to back to Gasket, what he saw caused him to drop it on the ground.
"HEY!"
Dwayne urgently yet carefully pulled Gasket on the bike and laid her on the seat in front of him, it was a tight fit and he couldn't go as fast as he wanted but she wouldn't fall off.
"She needs medical attention, stop!"
Marshall's cries were in vain as Dwayne ignored everything and drove off in desperation.
"NO! WAIT–!" Another voice yelled out but was quickly silenced.
"Paws behind your back!" Chase wrestled with the small bulldog and locked his cuffs down to its smallest setting. Hubcap snarled and wriggled, his fur was burnt in some places but he didn't appear to be severely injured.
"Marshall! We need you bud!" Ryder called, their efforts to control the fire failing.
Marshall grumbled in frustration and readied his water cannon.
A wave of relief hit Dwayne as he made it out of the city limits but it quickly faded when he noticed Gasket's condition. Her bleeding had stopped but she looked horrible, her fur was singed on almost half her body and one of her fangs appeared chipped on her upper jaw, something hit her. Her vest was practically ruined.
Looking at her now, he was second guessing his move to take her out of the care of Marshall who could probably have helped her, but then she would have been arrested with Hubcap. Call him selfish but he didn't want that and she wouldn't have liked it either.
They made it out at least, and whatever happens will happen.