Chapter 2:

It was past noon when the team returned to their large aircraft carrier HQ, which was still connected to the docks. Huge ramps provided easy access to and from the land and Chase smiled as the giant carrier came into view; it was an impressive sight that never failed to amaze him.

The pups drove their vehicles onto the aircraft carrier and into the parking garage. After turning off their engines, they jumped down from their vehicles and walked through the large garage to the narrow hallways that lined the ship. The cool blue metal felt pleasant on Chase's pads as they made their way to the armory first to remove their uniforms.

Chase stepped onto the pad in his designated area, and robot arms immediately extended and removed his hat and vest. Each pup following suit, stepped in their areas of the armory and subsequently had their outfits removed. The heavy smell of smoke and debris clung to Chase's clothes and remained on his fur even after the vest was removed.

When they finished, they made their way to the pups' relaxation room, or as they called it, the pup's common room, which was used for enjoyment and play. A place where they frequently headed after missions.

Ryder led the group, who were all happily discussing the events of the afternoon, proudly touting their roles and how well they performed at the fire and complimenting others.

Entering the room they immediately sought out spots to lie down. Chase flopped on his side onto a soft carpet spread nicely across the cool blue metal floor. Several reinforced porthole windows lined the exterior wall, offering a scenic view of their surroundings. The sun bounced playfully off the rolling waves, making Chase blink from the sun's brightness, making his eyes water worse than they already were.

Inside were several couches perfect for puppies and an oversized bean bag, each facing different directions. A large TV on the right of the entrance often played their favorite shows or recent news events.

Next, in one corner to the left of the room was a small kitchenette stocked with their favorite snacks or drinks, including a treat dispenser for the pups and a metal table countertop stuck to the floor. Ryder also stored his food there and often made meals with another door connecting to a larger adjoining kitchen.

Soft lighting created a sense of belonging and invited everyone to relax after a challenging mission. Small pictures of their team and recent missions hung on the walls, creating a great environment to bond and calm down after a day's work.

Chase watched as Rocky got a ball from the basket of toys near the corner and began to toss it around. Zuma followed suit, and they chased it together. Ryder crashed on a couch, and Marshall jumped up close by him; Rubble moved towards the treat dispenser, and Skye went to look out the window.

"Dudes," Zuma started as Rocky nabbed the ball from his paws, "That was a nasty fire; you know it makes me wish I still had my water paws!" Zuma held out his paws as if to shoot water again, but to Zuma's dismay, the area around remained painfully dry.

"Agreahd," Rocky slurred, a ball still in half of his mouth; he spat it out on the floor and continued, "I would have been able to use my cool magnetic paws!"

Chase smiled, and a pang of joy hit his chest at the sight of his friends having fun. "I would have just run into the building and saved everyone with my super speed!" Chase said with a smile.

Then he sighed, remembering fondly his powers. He closed his eyes and remembered the feeling of racing wherever he wanted. He remembered his paws speeding across the city; it felt like no other. "How I wish I could run that fast again!" Chase thought.

Unfortunately, Chase also remembered when the crystals from the meteorite that gave them their superpowers, ran out of energy. Whatever power the rocks had given seemed tied to that cosmic event, and the crystals simply didn't have the energy to maintain their powers anymore or for the long term. At least, that was how Chase remembered Ryder explaining it. The crystals, now drained of power, were displayed in the armory as a reminder of their heroic deeds.

"And I…" Rubble said, backing up, "Would have been able to turn into a wrecking ball!" He ran and tumbled across the floor in a ball before ramming into the couch. The team laughed as he picked himself up.

"We were trying to SAVE the buildings, not destroy them!" Marshall emphasized with a smile.

"What? I didn't say I would hit the buildings!" Rubble giggled, and the rest of the team joined in on his laughter.

"It's a shame that those crystals ran out of power…" Skye said, continuing the conversation, "I want to fly again and have my super paws." She looked down at her paws as if remembering the past.

"Hey…" Chase said, a smile across his face, "Just because you can't fly doesn't mean you aren't super."

Skye giggled and returned the smile, "Thanks, Chase. Not as super as you are, though! I saw you jump straight into that window; that was incredible!"

"Ya dude, that was pretty wicked!" Zuma added in, wagging his tail.

"What happened in the building?" Marshall asked, sitting up, "I was going to try and get my ladder up there, but then you just shot in!"

Chase wagged his tail and erected his ears, excited to have his team so proud of him, "Well…at first, I realized I was a bit hasty, and I didn't have a good landing, so I tumbled into a cabinet."

"Ooo, ouch!" Rubble added for effect.

Chase smiled and for a moment he felt the pain run through his back again as if still at the scene. "Ya, I'll be feeling that for a while…" Chase thought.

"Thankfully though, Marshall gave me a great entrance with that water cannon," Chase said as Marshall gave him a salute with his paw.

He then continued the story but as he did so, his breathing quickened, and his lungs felt heavy from the fire's thick smoke; even still, he managed to finish it.

"Great job Chase and great rescue everyone!" Ryder told them all as Chase finished explaining, "I'm proud of you pups! And that you're safe," Ryder said, looking at Chase with a smile.

Chase felt a warmth in his heart from his team's concern. And he returned the smile at Ryder as the team cheered around him.

"Alright, Chase," Ryder continued, quieting everyone down and leaning forward from his lounged position, "You said you had some details on the fire; what did you and Marshall find?"

"Yes, I do. Marshall and I did find something," Chase began explaining, "When I landed…err…crashed into the building, I did notice that it had a sprinkler system, but no water was coming out." The team nodded as he continued, "So I asked Marshall about where the fire might have started. We went around the building and saw that it had started from the back. I peeked into the room where we thought it had begun, and it looked like it was an electrical room; there was a ton of torn-up equipment in there."

"Whoa!" Rocky said, "They should have been checking those more regularly. It must have been old."

"True…" Chase started, "But it was as if there was something more…I can't seem to place a paw on it though."

"Was there something more, Chase?" Ryder inquired.

"It's just…I also got a whiff of something," Chase said, "Very slight, but much like an animal, a dog if I'm not wrong."

"Many dogs hang out in buildings, Chase," Rubble added.

"Still, if Chase had a hunch, I don't think we should take it lightly." Skye retorted.

"Thanks," Chase said, smiling at Skye, "It might have been nothing, but I wanted to mention it."

"I would have wanted you to look at it, Rocky," Chase added, turning to Rocky, "But the fire was still too fresh." Chase coughed again; his throat still felt as if cinders were inside it, and talking too much seemed to ignite them all over again.

Rocky smiled, "That's okay!"

"Rocky is the smartest pup when it comes to building anything; he could turn anyone's old trash into his treasure. The only one who can do it better is Ryder," Chase thought.

"Great work, pups," Ryder said, patting Marshall on the head, who was sitting close by, "I'll make sure to get that over to the right authorities so they can investigate it properly."

Chase nodded in agreement, proud he could help.

"But, in the meantime," Ryder said, standing up, "All of us need a bath; I can smell each of you from anywhere on the ship!" Ryder wrinkled his nose and shook his head as if to clear the strong smell from his head.

The pups laughed, and Chase immediately became aware of the smell on his fur; his powerful nose picking up each scent and fume in the room. He too wrinkled his nose as he sniffed the strong odor.

"Yes!" Marshall exclaimed.

"No!" Rocky shouted, to no one's surprise. "I-I'll just put on a nice spray to hide the scent! T-The smell will wear off!" Rocky stammered, clearly trying to find any excuse to avoid the water he so feared.

Ryder smiled and raised an eyebrow as Rocky stammered more excuses, "I-I'll…"

"Take a bath," Zuma said, interrupting him dryly with a tilt of his head.

Rocky sighed and hung his head. The team giggled, as Rocky had to admit defeat and accept his fate for getting into the water.

They made their way down the halls, and near the pup's sleeping quarters to a washroom with tile flooring and water hoses for the pups to clean; usually with Ryder's assistance. They used pressure plates, which, when pressed, would shoot water from overhead shower heads and get the pups wet. Ryder then helped the pups wash, much to Rocky's dismay, who tried his best to be last and almost succeeded in sneaking away several times.

Chase's turn arrived, and he entered the warm water that felt great on his irritated skin. It soaked him thoroughly, and he smiled happily as Ryder washed and cleaned his ears. "This is the best part…oh right there!" Chase thought smiling and turning his head for Ryder to scratch behind his ear.

After a good wash, Ryder finished getting the soot and grime off Chase's fur and Chase jumped out onto a towel that was placed on the floor, giving himself a shake to get the free water droplets from his fur.

"The water is great, dude; just enjoy it!" Zuma told Rocky as Chase finished and his turn arrived. Zuma always took as long as he could whenever it came to water, whereas Rocky did his absolute best to avoid it at all costs.

Ryder removed Rocky's collar and then Rocky shakily stepped over to the hose, "Just get this over with!" he complained.

Ryder began and washed him down. Rocky kept shaking himself, and Ryder would have to hold up his hand to block the droplets from hitting him, but eventually, each pup was washed and cleaned.

"I hate the smell of wet dogs…" Rocky pouted as he rubbed his head against a towel, trying hard to get the water from his ears. His fur was matted and wet, and Chase couldn't help but roll his eyes with a smile as Rocky complained.

"Oh, relax," Marshall told him, who was drying himself off, his short white fur shooting off in all directions, "No way you would have wanted to smell like a chimney all day."

"Hey…" Rocky replied as he continued to dry himself, "I-it would have worn off…eventually."

"A long eventually," Skye said, butting in with a smile.

Ryder snickered at the pup's banter. "Alright, pups," Ryder laughed, "I'm going to clean up. You guys have some time to enjoy yourselves and get ready if we get another call. Oh, and Chase, you should rest; being in smoke that long can cause some real problems."

Chase nodded; he was still feeling slightly under the weather, but at least his eyes had stopped watering after he had been cleaned up a bit. "I guess I should be glad it wasn't worse than it is," Chase thought with a smile.

Ryder left the room and headed for his washroom, which was down and adjacent to his quarters; while each of the pups finished drying themselves and headed to their various sections of the ship to do whatever suited them best for the time being.

"I think I'll go get some fresh air," Skye told them as she began to walk towards the ship's exit, which led to the top.

Rocky and Rubble seemed to like the idea, and the three left towards the deck to enjoy some time outside.

Chase wanted to go back to the common room and relax. Marshall and Zuma followed him down the tight corridors of the ship to the common room they had been in just moments ago. Chase preferred to relax in the common room as opposed to his quarters so that he could enjoy some of the team's company.

He immediately chose a nice spot on the couch and, with a yawn, laid his head down. His muscles felt tired from the rescue and his back, throat, and lungs still ached, but he was pleasantly enjoying the feeling of his clean fur.

Marshall and Zuma started a conversation nearby, discussing different aspects of recent missions and interests. As much as Chase would have loved to join in, he figured resting his throat would be the best course of action if another mission brought them out again, and he wanted to be in peak condition.

As time passed, the rest of the afternoon was uneventful, much to Chase's surprise, as he was used to constantly being on the move. Thankfully, this gave a bit of time for the pups to enjoy themselves, and before long, the sun was already retreating over the horizon.

A while later, Chase made his way to the top of the carrier to enjoy the sunset. He moved towards the back and sat on top of the carrier, looking at the sun retreat just over the horizon. Skye followed and sat close by on his left, while Rubble laid down on his right.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Skye said aloud, not even turning to look at him. Her eyes fixated on the last beams of the sun.

Chase smiled and gave her a quick glance before looking back at the sky. "It is. The colors are amazing," Chase said, squinting his eyes a bit as the left of the sunlight drew further away and he could already feel the sun's warmth begin to dissipate from his fur.

"Ya, Chase," Skye agreed, "I wish that I could take my helicopter and chase it sometimes."

"You know, I just love how big it is," Rubble said, perking his head up, clearly enjoying the view.

Chase smiled and returned his gaze just as the sun's last rays disappeared beyond the horizon. The pups sat for a moment in comfortable silence before Ryder broke it, calling for them to come down into the ship. Not waiting, they each turned around and headed back in to prepare for the night.

It was summer in Adventure City, and the sun went down late. It was nearly 9 o'clock when the pups gathered and headed to their sleeping quarters together.

Usually, the pups tried to go to bed in the early hours so they would be rested for the challenges that came throughout the day and in the early morning.

The pups jumped into their beds that were inlaid within the walls. Each bed had a color-coded blanket and was specified to each pup.

"Good night, pups!" Ryder said and flicked the lights off, leaving the door ajar. Chase turned and pulled his sheets up. "Ow! Not there," Chase winced as he flipped onto his back and felt pain shoot down it, "Something is definitely bruised." He flipped onto his side but felt his lungs struggling for breath, "Not there either…this is going to be a long night."

He flipped around for a few moments, trying to find the right angle to sleep, and eventually found it. Finally, he closed his eyes, the blue backlight from his cubie gently humming as he and the others fell asleep.

It was a peaceful and quiet night, one that seemed to pass almost too quickly as Chase's ear suddenly flicked up and he was woken with a start. A pounding on the door alerted him and he sat up, immediately awake. Rubble gasped and flipped from his bed as Ryder quickly opened the metal door that enclosed the pup's sleeping quarters.

"Ryder!" Rubble said with a giggle, "Can't you at least give a better warning next time?"

Ryder smiled as the pups each began to wake, "Sorry about that, pups, but it looks like the city needs us yet again. Let's suit up!"

Chase smirked and was the first to jump down to the floor; already, the fogginess in his head from a deep sleep began to clear, "Oh, I'm always up for some action, Ryder, sir!" He stood tall and puffed out his chest.

"Atta' Boy Chase!" Ryder smiled. The other pups followed suit and moved from their beds, some sleepier than others.

"Let's go!" Ryder said with a clenching of his fist as he and the others followed him to the armory.

Just as they had done previously, the team stepped on the pads and the metal hands swooped in and quickly gave each pup their vests and utility gear needed for missions.

"Paw Patrol, ready for action, Ryder, sir!" Chase exclaimed as the team jumped out of their pads and onto the floor and lined up.

"Let's head to the bridge; I'll explain everything there," Ryder told them as they ran off.

The team quickly followed Ryder up the elevator and to the bridge, where a large table with holographic buildings was located. Several red caution signs and beeping sounds accompanied the buildings and streets, revealing the current situation in the city and showing a detailed simulation of current issues.

Chase looked away from the table for a moment and out the front window of the bridge. He saw that the sun was just beginning to rise over the city and he blinked to clear his hazy eyes. "It's so early…" Chase yawned, "At least some sleep helped clear my head from yesterday."

"Good morning, pups," Ryder began as they gathered around the table, a few yawns still being shared amongst them, "It's bright and early but the city never truly sleeps; it looks like we have several traffic lights going haywire on the main street, leading to some bad traffic problems."

"Green means go!" Rocky shouted with a wag of his tail as they looked over the holographic depictions of the city.

"Unfortunately," Ryder began, making Rocky tilt his head, "That's the problem. All the traffic lights are giving off different signals, and several reported car accidents have already happened. Pups, we need to head down there and get a hold of the situation."

Each pup smiled and nodded in agreement. "Chase, you are going to have to put up some clear lines and help traffic through the intersections. Marshall, you are going to back up Chase and make sure those intersections get moving."

"Chase is on the case!" He barked, mentally preparing himself for the mission.

"Ready for a ruff-ruff rescue!" Marshall yelped after Chase.

"Rubble, Rocky, we have several car accidents; we are going to need you to help clear away debris and assist those in trouble," Ryder explained.

"Rubble on the double!" Rubble exclaimed.

"Don't lose it, reuse it!" Rocky said, following Rubble.

"Skye, we need your eyes in the sky to give overhead air surveillance on the situation! And Zuma, I need you to help get anyone to safety. There is a waterway nearby, so stay vigilant!"

"Let's take to the sky!" Skye yelped.

"Let's dive in!" Zuma barked back.

After the briefing, Chase and the others sprinted after Ryder to the massive loading bay on the aircraft carrier. As they neared, the vast metal doors swung open, revealing their vehicles lined up and ready for launch.

"Wow," Chase breathed, "I never get tired of seeing that."

The team nodded in agreement, the heavy haze of sleep lifting as they dashed to their vehicles. Chase leaped into his police car, readying himself as the bay doors above them opened. His vehicle's pad lifted high into the air and out through the roof. He glanced to his left, spotting Marshall's fire engine rising through the floor and onto the runway.

"Chase, Marshall, ready for launch!" the voice announced.

Chase and Marshall howled with excitement. Chase slammed his paws on the pedals, his car revving as the voice commanded, "Go!" The catapult beneath them launched Chase and Marshall from the runway. Chase howled happily, the wind whipping through his fur as he sped off in his open-top vehicle.

Before long, the others had joined Chase. Ryder had taken the lead as they drove their way quickly toward the intersections. Sirens blared, and the streets blurred as the team raced through the busy roads.

Chase glanced up and saw that several large storm clouds gathering in the distance. "It looks like it's gonna be a rainy day!" Chase barked into his radio.

"Oh good! Some rain will feel great!" Zuma responded happily.

"I hope it doesn't rain while we are out!" Rocky said, his voice was high and a little wary.

"It looks a little far off; we should have a few hours!" Skye replied from her high spot in the air, and Rocky breathed a sigh of relief into the mic.

"Let's hope it is, rain would make this mission much harder," Chase thought and refocused on the road as they navigated through the city. Soon, they hit a massive traffic jam leading to the crowded intersections.

"Skye, we need you to help find a path through these interactions," Ryder voiced through the radio.

"No problem, Ryder," She replied, soaring off to scout the crowded streets. "Ryder, I think I have something; take the next right, and you'll be able to squeeze past this road, then you can cut through a building's parking lot!"

"Got it!" Ryder confirmed, quickly veering right, with Chase close behind. Chase was laser-focused on the mission, knowing they were nearing the critical roads.

With quick thinking and skillful navigation, the team finally reached their destination. Chase surveyed the area and pinpointed the problematic traffic lights. The main street was clogged, and the signal kept switching, causing panic among the drivers. This street was a major artery for the city, close to the waterline, and heavily trafficked throughout the day.

"Ryder!" Chase yelled, "That's the main traffic light, I'll go take control of that situation!"

"Right, Chase," Ryder replied, "I'll go see about getting that light fixed. The rest of you head out!"

Ryder zoomed off on his four-wheeler, and the team howled in unity and headed in their various directions.

"Follow me, Marshall!" Chase called out. With some tight maneuvering, was able to get his police car into the middle of the busy intersection. "This is probably one of the biggest intersections I'll ever take command of," Chase gulped. He took a deep breath and focused on the moment, "No intersection too big!"

"Arf, megaphone!" he barked, and a megaphone popped out from his vehicle. "Alright, everyone, please remain calm, we will have this light fixed soon! Please follow my directions in an orderly manner so we can all get through this!" Chase announced through the megaphone.

Several cheers from the car windows reassured Chase that this would work out. He sat down, held out a flat paw, and with the other, beckoned a line of cars to start moving. Slowly but surely, the vehicles began to flow through the intersection.

"Thank you, Paw Patrol!" A lady shouted from her car as she passed. Others voiced their appreciation too, as the lines began to move. Chase smiled, timing each direction for about 25 seconds before switching paws to halt one way and start the other.

"Marshall," Chase said, holding his paws out, "Cover this for me. I need to check on another busy intersection. Just follow what I'm doing and let each way go for about 20 to 25 seconds."

"Sure, I'm all fired up! Let's do this!" Marshall replied, taking over Chase's position atop the car and helping to move traffic.

"Arf, motorcycle!" Chase barked, pressing a button on his car dash. The front of his car opened up, revealing a sleek, blue motorcycle. "This should make it easier to move around," Chase told Marshall as he jumped onto his motorcycle. "Let me know if you need anything!"

"Will do," Marshall reassured him.

Chase drove off as Skye's voice came through the radio, "Zuma! We have a problem. A car has gone off the intersection and is in the water."

"Don't worry, dudes, I'm on my way," Chase heard Zuma reply. Chase looked to his right and saw Zuma's boat speeding off across the block, hugging the water's edge. "Go get 'em, Zuma!" Chase thought to himself as he headed toward the next intersection.

Zuma quickly jumped into action, his boat hovering down the busy street. To his right, a barricade blocked the way to the sea below. He maneuvered to the edge and looked over the side. A car had gone off and was beginning to sink into the water; the passengers inside were panicking as the car started to submerge. "I'll have to move fast! It looks like the car is already going under!" Zuma thought.

"Let's dive in!" Zuma announced. He sped over the broken railing and into the water, his raft splashing heavily as he landed. "Arf, submarine!" he barked, pressing a button with his paw. His airboat split into two pieces: the top half transformed into a submarine and slipped underwater, while the bottom half stayed as a life raft for rescued civilians.

It was dark underwater, and Zuma saw the passengers pounding on the windows, trying to escape. The car was just beginning to sink as he moved forward, fully in his element. He piloted downward, using the two metal arms from his sub to latch onto the vehicle and stop it from sinking further. "Arf, glass breaker!" An arm with a glass breaker attachment shot from his pack. "Arf, scuba gear!" He quickly pressed a button and fell backward out of his vehicle and into the water.

The cold immediately soaked into the exposed bits of his fur, but Zuma had gotten used to this over years of experience in the water. He was grateful for his sleek black and orange wetsuit which covered the majority of his body, and his visor, which allowed him to see clearly underwater. Zuma swam closer to the car, his wetsuit letting in a thin film of water that kept him warm even in the cold ocean.

His heart pounded in his chest as he saw the fear in the eyes of the man and the two children inside. The man appeared to be in his late 30s, and the kids, two boys, looked younger than ten. "You'll be okay!" Zuma shouted in his mind as if the others could hear him.

With a paw, Zuma beckoned those inside to stay clear. He quickly moved back from the window and, with a swift motion, activated the glass breaker on his pack. The tool extended and shattered the window with a sharp crack.

Water immediately began to fill the car. Moving swiftly, Zuma beckoned the kids toward him and quickly pulled them out through the shattered window trying his best to avoid broken pieces of glass. "Careful, dudes!" Zuma thought, moving a large piece away with his paw. The man in the front unbuckled himself and, with frantic movements, swam out the back window.

Zuma and the family broke through the surface, gasping for air. He helped them board his raft and removed his mouthpiece. "Are you dudes alright? Was anyone cut on the glass?"

The kids shook their heads, and the man replied, "No, thanks, Paw Patrol! I don't know how we would have gotten out without you!" The kids voiced their appreciation too, much to Zuma's delight.

"We are always here to help!" Zuma told the family. His fur was matted and his front paws were cold, but everyone was safe. "Ryder," Zuma said into the intercom on his collar, "The family is secure. Bringing them back to shore!"

"Great job, Zuma!" Ryder replied, relief evident in his voice.

"I can help pull out the car, Zuma!" Skye told him. She then lowered a cable and hooked a winch to the sunken car, with the help of Zuma, as the family remained in the hovercraft. Using her heavy thrusters, she pulled the car from the water and back onto the road, much to the father's joy.

"This pup's gotta fly!" She yelped through the radio as the family's car returned to dry land, water pouring from every side.

"Great work, Skye!" Zuma barked into his mic.

"You too, Zuma!" Skye replied.

While Zuma and Skye took care of the car, the rest of the team rushed with precise coordination to complete their assigned tasks. Rocky and Rubble had found several cars that had crashed and were cleaning up the mess, helping remove debris from the road. The large arms on Rocky's machine extended, picking up any large pieces of debris, before throwing them in the back of his compactor. Rubble used his frontloader to move other bits of the broken cars out of the road.

As the team continued their tasks, Chase moved to another intersection to direct traffic. He was atop his motorcycle, using his paws to manage the flow. "Ryder! Any luck getting these lights fixed?" Chase asked through his collar radio.

"I think so, Chase," Ryder replied, "There should be a power grid station close by."

"Good, because we don't have enough paws to deal with all these intersections!" Chase told him, flipping his paws to allow the other lane to pass. "The traffic is too heavy, this won't get anywhere if we can't fix those lights." Chase thought.

"Don't worry, I'm on it. I have the power grid located." Ryder responded.

Rocky was still busy clearing up debris when Ryder's voice came into his collar radio. "Rocky! I think I know where the problem is; come to my position, and let's see if we can fix this."

"You got it, Ryder!" Rocky howled, flipping his truck around and heading toward Ryder's location. "I wonder what he found!" Rocky thought, carefully navigating his large truck through the heavy traffic.

Before long, Rocky reached Ryder, who was near a controller box at the side of an intersection. "Ryder! Is this it?" Rocky asked.

"It should be, Rocky; let's see if we can find the issue." Rocky and Ryder jumped from their vehicles, and Ryder opened the panel. "Arf, light!" Rocky's shoulder pads lit up, illuminating the inside of the box.

Ryder poked around for a while before finding what he was looking for. "I think I see the problem! Rocky, see this?" Ryder pointed out a small black box attached to several wiring systems.

"Is it that little black thing?" Rocky asked.

"Yes," Ryder said. He carefully disconnected the small device from the wiring. Then, he pulled out his pup pad, a device he used to communicate with the pups. Connecting it to the wiring system, Ryder scanned the code on the screen. "I think I found the issue," Ryder said, not looking up from his device. "This device is scrambling the signal; now that it's turned off, things should return to normal."

Rocky looked over the pup pad, trying to understand the information, but it all looked like gibberish to him. "Chase," Rocky asked into his collar, "have the lights returned to normal?"

Chase was still in the middle of the intersection when his ear caught Rocky's voice. Chase turned his head, looked at the lights, and noticed they were already returning to their regular times. Smiling proudly, he said, "They're working again, Rocky!" He put his paws down and jumped back onto the seat of his bike just as Skye's voice came through his collar.

"It looks like cars are beginning to move from up here, Ryder," Skye reported.

"Great work, pups, let's meet up on my position!" Ryder instructed.

Chase quickly drove his bike back to the intersection where his car was parked and returned the motorcycle to its compartment. Marshall jumped from Chase's car and headed back to his truck. Together, they drove with the rest of the team to Ryder's location near the control box.

Zuma arrived just before Chase and Marshall, his large watercraft still wet and slippery from the rescue. "Hey, that was a great rescue, Zuma!" Skye said as she landed her helicopter nearby.

"Thanks, Skye!" Zuma responded, "Thanks for reporting it so quickly!"

Skye smiled and nodded.

Chase moved past his team and got closer to Ryder as they all began to crowd together to get a better look at what had caused such a panic.

"What was the issue, Ryder, sir?" Chase asked inquisitively, moving closer to Ryder.

"It was this," Ryder said, pointing to the small device in his hand, "It looks like this small little box was scrambling the signals."

"You mean that little device caused all that trouble?" Rubble asked with a tilt of his head, his prominent cheeks flopping as he spoke.

"Can I take a look at it?" Chase asked, moving toward Ryder and the device. "Arf notepad!" The notepad flipped from his pack and Ryder held the device down for Chase to take a look at. Chase noted down the general design on his notepad but then caught a strong scent of an animal. It rushed into his nostrils, and he sniffed the device several more times, trying to remember the smell.

"What is it, Chase?" Zuma asked.

"Did your super sniffer pick something up?" Marshall asked with a tilt of his head.

"What was it? What was it?!" Chase thought to himself, "I know I recognize that scent…" Entirely focused, he flipped through his notes, forgetting to respond to the team's questions. Suddenly, the idea shot into his head like a softball.

"That's it!" Chase shouted, jumping up and surprising the team. "This same smell was the one I smelled yesterday! It was just so faint I barely made it out, but I'm sure this was the same dog smell. I didn't think to mention it when I told you the story yesterday, but thinking about it now, I'm certain of it!"

"Great job, Chase, that nose of yours doesn't lie," Ryder said, giving Chase a pat on the head with his free hand. Chase smiled and wagged his tail.

"But if this same individual was at the scene of the fire or here at the traffic signals…what would a dog have to do with it? It doesn't make any sense," Ryder pondered aloud.

"Maybe we can bring that little piece back to HQ with us and see if we can find anything else on it!" Rocky barked.

"Sure, pups. Let's head back and investigate this device," Ryder began but was cut short by the distant sound of lightning overhead. "Pups, it looks like it's going to rain. Let's get back to HQ!"

Chase moved to jump into his vehicle when a raindrop landed squarely on his muzzle. He blinked and wiggled his nose, looking up as more rain followed. "It's going to start coming down hard it looks like." Chase thought as the rest of the team quickly boarded their vehicles and headed out as the rain intensified.

Driving off, the team rode in silence, except for Rocky who was already beginning to grumble about how his fur was getting wet and the sound of their wheels picking up water and spraying it across the road. The rain began to pour heavily, making visibility cumbersome.

Just as they rounded a corner, Ryder told the team to stop, and they quickly pulled over to the side of the road. "What's the hold-up?" Rubble asked through their collar radios. Chase, second in line, looked over his car to see Ryder pulling out his phone.

"I'm getting a call, pups; let's see what's up," Ryder responded.

"Paw Patrol, what is your emergency?!" Ryder asked, raising his voice to be heard over the heavy rainfall. Chase listened closely, the rain now coming down in torrents around them.

"Oh, Paw Patrol, thanks for answering so quickly," the voice on the other line began. It was a woman's voice, and Chase could hear her clearly in a panic. "We need the Paw Patrol; we have an issue! Near the water plant, streets are flooding; it looks like several storm drains have begun to overfill!"

"That happened fast! You just get somewhere safe and tell as many people as you can to do the same. The Paw Patrol is on its way!" Ryder assured her before hanging up.

"Well, pups, we have another problem on our hands. This piece of equipment will have to wait. Are you up for another rescue?" Ryder asked. The team responded with enthusiastic barks and yelps, their fur growing wetter by the moment. "I know you're tired and now, wet, but we can't wait. After all, no job is too big, no pup is too small!"

Chase barked excitedly, and his heart began to pound in his chest. This morning's events weren't nearly enough to get him worn out. And looking around him, he could see the same determination in his teammates.

Ryder pulled a heavier jacket from the back of his four-wheeler and slipped it on. Ryder swerved his four-wheeler around without hesitation, and the team quickly followed.

"Let's go, pups, follow me; I'll prep you each on the way," Ryder said speeding off and waving his armed backend them to follow.

"It looks like today is going to be quite a day!" Chase thought as he pressed his paw down hard on the pedal, speeding off behind Ryder, his fur already getting damper by the second. He activated the lights on his police car, and the sirens blared.

With a howl from each pup, they sped off toward their next destination in Adventure City.

Hello everyone!

Merry Christmas!
I hope you all had a great year! Thanks so much for reading!

This took longer because of how long it took to edit, but I hope you enjoy this second part! Stay tuned for more coming soon!

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