PAW Patrol: Pups Give Vance A Chance
Chapter 1: As Tough As Bacon
The glass windows of the Lookout tower's observation deck glinted in the morning sunlight as Ryder stepped up to the main computer, stretching his arms upward and yawning. As he gazed upon the screen, the digitally displayed time of day ticked over from fifty-nine minutes past eight to nine o'clock. The spiky-haired youth smiled to himself; he was right on time for work, as always.
"I have a feeling it's going to be a good day," he said quietly to himself, allowing himself one more quick stretch before straightening his red and white jacket with pale blue highlights. No sooner had he done this when the computer screen lit up with the PAW Patrol emblem, indicating an incoming call. Ryder pressed a button on the control panel and a live feed of a familiar face appeared on-screen.
"PAW Patrol, what's your emergency?" the ten year-old genius said automatically, having long since drilled the professional greeting into himself. "Oh, hi, Mayor Goodway!" he then said brightly, instantly recognising Adventure Bay's most prominent political figure. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm glad you asked, Ryder, for there's something very important I have to discuss with you," the Mayor said, the familiar head of a chicken suddenly popping up behind the woman in a blue cardigan, peering over her shoulder with a short, abrupt squawk. "Oh, and don't worry; it's not about my darling Chickaletta this time," Goodway went on, chuckling knowingly. "Dear thing's been fit as a fiddle lately, and hasn't gotten herself into an ounce of trouble. Isn't that right, my little chicky-pooh?" she went on affectionately, glancing away from the camera of her device for a moment as she tenderly stroked the dull-witted bird's head crest.
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Ryder enquired, knowing full well from experience just how easily distracted the Mayor tended to get once her pet chicken got involved in any given situation.
"Hmm? Ah, yes!" Mayor Goodway exclaimed, seeming to have momentarily forgotten that she was on the line with the local emergency service squad. "Well, you see, Ryder…"
Ryder listened intently as the Mayor of Adventure Bay explained the situation to him, occasionally nodding his head and going "Uh-huh" or "Hmm" or "I see." He wasn't trying to tune the Mayor out or anything like that; he was just used to how Goodway tended to ramble when she explained things. "Wait, really?" he all but spluttered suddenly, his chocolate brown eyes going wide in surprise.
"I'm afraid so, Ryder," Goodway told him. She then smiled encouragingly at the boy. "If anyone can do it, it's you and those remarkable pups of yours. Can I count on your help in this matter?"
For a long moment, Ryder appeared lost in thought, his gaze averted and his expression serious. Finally, he looked up at the screen and smiled. "No job is too big, no pup is too small," he declared confidently, giving a nod to confirm that he was in.
"Magnificent!" Goodway declared approvingly. "I'll have my secretary send you an email with the finer details shortly! Good luck, PAW Patrol!" On that note, the screen returned to its usual blue screensaver, indicating that the call had ended. Once he was alone with his thoughts once more, Ryder let out his breath in a low whoosh.
"That's quite the task she's assigned me. Assigned us, I should say," he mused aloud quietly. He then straightened up. "Still, the PAW Patrol has taken on tougher assignments without backing out halfway through." He pulled out his Pup Pad - the tablet-like device that he used to communicate with and assign tasks to his dogs. "I'll call the pups now, make sure they're fully briefed on the situation."
The grassy lawn that bordered the Lookout tower was ripe with the sounds of playful barks and excited giggles as the pups chased a soccer ball around, most of them being uninterested in scoring goals with the thing, preferring to try and keep it away from their peers while occasionally chewing on it with their healthy white canines.
"I got it!" Skye called out, the creamy-coloured aviator pup giggling madly as she herded the ball away from Rocky, who was in hot pursuit. The grey-furred recycling dog was about to call out the voice-activated claw arm built into his Pup Pack so he could use it to lift Skye off the ground and leave her helpless while he ran off with the ball when all five of the pups currently playing around suddenly stopped in their tracks at the sound of an artificially amplified bark.
"Okay, that's enough!" Chase called, the police dog's voice echoing loudly through his megaphone, which he lowered as the other dogs turned to give him their attention. "Come on, guys," the brown-furred German Shepard pleaded, "Soccer practice is supposed to be a team building exercise. It's not about just chasing the ball all over the place and trying to keep it to yourself."
"Works for me!" Rubble declared brightly, the construction bulldog suddenly hurrying forward to pick up the soccer ball in his teeth and run off with it while Skye was distracted, causing her to cry out in protest.
"Hey!" the cockapoo exclaimed in annoyance, starting after Rubble. The other pups, sans Chase, just laughed, Marshall, Zuma and Rocky all finding Skye's indignant, pouty cry to be hilarious. Chase just sighed in resignation, knowing that his friends weren't going to take the game seriously. He then smiled; if you can't beat 'em, join them. With that thought in mind, the cunning police dog started to march around the edge of the small area where the two goalposts were set up, pretending to be merely surveying the other pups as they went about acting like… well, pups. As Rocky ran past with the ball, the recycling pup having managed to get it away from Rubble, Chase made his move, suddenly darting forward with surprising speed and tackling Rocky, sending both of them sprawling on the grass, Rocky ultimately coming to a stop on his back, with Chase moving quickly to pin him down. Rocky gulped as he looked up at Chase, knowing exactly what was coming. Chase just grinned at his fellow pup before starting to move his free front paw in a circular motion, causing the mixed breed to laugh helplessly at the sensation; Rocky was very ticklish… and wasn't exactly subtle about it.
"HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!" Rocky positively wailed with laughter, his squeaky voice sounding even more shrill than usual. "Dirty play, Chase!" he cried between giggles. "You know I can't say no to a good tummy tickle!"
"Oh, I haven't even started yet," Chase assured him, sounding deviously mischievous. He moved his paw downward, reaching the spot where Rocky's rear left leg connected to his torso, and began to rub gently yet vigorously with his paw.
"Wh-Whuh?!" Rocky exclaimed as his leg suddenly went haywire, the limb flailing about completely out of its owner's control. "St-Stop that!" he spluttered. Then his eyes rolled back slightly and his tongue began to loll out the side of his mouth. "Actually, don't stop," he then said a little thickly. "That feels really…" The mixed breed trailed off, suddenly feeling a great sense of euphoria. "O-Oh, yeah, that's the spot," he declared contentedly. The other pups just laughed and laughed at the goofy scene before them, the soccer ball now resting motionless on the grass, all but forgotten.
The tag on Chase's collar suddenly beeped, momentarily flickering with a faint light. The same thing happened with the other pups' tags simultaneously.
"PAW Patrol, to the lookout!" the voice of Ryder declared, the boy's voice emanating from a speaker built into each Pup Tag. The pups glanced at each other, realising what this meant.
"Ryder needs us!" they all exclaimed in perfect unison. Chase unpinned Rocky, helping his fellow pup to his feet before the group started to run towards the Lookout. As he went, Marshall tripped over the soccer ball, somehow managing to land on top of it and unintentionally begin rolling forward, balanced precariously atop the black and white hexagon-patterned sphere.
"Whoa! Whoaaaaaa!" the clumsy Dalmatian cried as he went rolling across the grass, unable to stop himself. Meanwhile, the other pups had already assembled in the elevator just inside the Lookout tower, waiting to take it up to the observation deck. Marshall came rolling into the tower's interior, still flailing about in a state of bewilderment and mild panic atop the speeding soccer ball. The pupils of all the other pups' eyes shrunk as they realised what was about to happen, their ears drooping.
"Oh, no, not again," Chase groaned. "Marshall, look out!"
"WHOAAAAA!"
CRASH.
Sure enough, Marshall, soccer ball and all, barrelled straight into the other pups, resulting in all six of them ending up in a sprawled heap within the elevator. "MARSHALL!" Chase, Skye, Rubble, Rocky and Zuma all shouted in exasperation.
"Heh. Sorry," Marshall said meekly, his rear end now squashed against the side of Rubble's face, much to the bulldog's annoyance. "But hey, you saw me rollin'. You hatin'?"
The other pups just groaned loudly at Marshall's outdated pop culture reference that was meant to pass for a joke, but then they all shared a laugh anyway as the elevator doors slid shut with a soft mechanical ding, for the members of the PAW Patrol weren't the type to hold grudges.
At least, not usually…
The elevator began to rise upward, soon passing behind the large PAW Patrol emblem emblazoned on the front of the tower. By the time the elevator had moved past the emblem, the pups were inexplicably standing in formation, fully decked out in their respective uniforms, as though they hadn't just been sprawled in a big heap mere seconds ago.
The elevator reached the observation deck, the doors sliding open. The pups leapt out to stand in a row before the big computer, which Ryder was waiting expectantly in front of. Chase took a step forward. "PAW Patrol, ready for action, Ryder, sir!" he declared.
"Thanks for hurrying, pups," Ryder said, pressing a button on his Pup Pad, the screen of the big computer synced to it and showing what was displayed on the smaller device for the pups to see. "Mayor Goodway has tasked us with a very important mission: Rehabilitating a convicted criminal."
Most of the pups gasped, Rubble looking slightly confused. "Re… What?" he asked after a moment.
"You mean wike, taking a bad guy and twying to turn them good?" Zuma enquired, addressing Ryder.
"That's right, Zuma," Ryder confirmed, sliding his finger across the Pup Pad screen as he spoke, causing the big computer's monitor to display an animated image of a familiar individual - one that made Sky draw a sharp intake of breath, taking a step back. The cartoonish figure depicted on screen was a dark skinned, young adult human woman with bulky purple glasses, elaborately styled green hair and a maniacal grin on her face.
"It can't be!" the cockapoo whispered, grimacing apprehensively.
"As you know, the disgraced scientist Victoria Vance threatened the safety of Adventure City and its people with her Meteor Magnet," Ryder went on, now having the full attention of all the pups, Chase in particular on high alert, the police dog anxious at the prospect of dealing with a known criminal. "We managed to stop her and destroy the meteors she had summoned with the powers of our Mighty Crystals. After she was arrested, Doctor Vance was imprisoned to await trial. Earlier this morning, she was tried and sentenced to two months of community service. That's where we come in, pups," the boy elaborated. "At Mayor Goodway's request, the PAW Patrol will oversee Doctor Vance's sentence for at least the first two weeks, during which time she will assist at the Lookout in various ways."
The pups immediately broke into an uproar at the final part of Ryder's explanation, each of them aghast at the idea of a known criminal - a dangerously intelligent and resourceful one, no less - walking around their base, their home.
"A supew viwwan?! In the Wookout?!" Zuma positively yelped, his speech impediment making his words a little difficult to interpret, especially over the sounds of the other dogs going into full-on meltdown mode around him. "That's compwetewy cwazy!"
"With all due respect, Ryder, sir, are you sure that's a good idea?" Chase asked, stepping forward once more.
"I… I won't share my Pup Treats with her! I'm sorry, Ryder, but I just won't do it!" Rubble declared wildly, the naive bulldog completely missing the point of why everyone else was upset.
"I'll bet she doesn't even separate her plastics from her papers!" Rocky cried, causing Marshall to roll his eyes at the recycling dog's obsession with his combined hobby and profession before the Dalmatian stepped forward to offer his own input on the situation.
"Ryder, that crazy scientist hates us!" the fire pup reminded the young human. "We're the ones who threw her in jail! If we bring her here, she'll probably try to bring the PAW Patrol down from the inside!"
"Everyone! Everyone, please! PUPS!" Ryder shouted, trying to bring about order, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears for the most part.
"Allow me, Ryder, sir!" Chase said, readying his megaphone again. "ATTENTION, PUPS! CALM DOWN!" he barked into the sound amplifying device. The cacophony of shouting amongst the other pups quickly ceased, Marshall, Rubble, Rocky and Zuma taking a moment to line themselves back up in formation, awkwardly mumbling apologies to Ryder, their gazes downcast, ashamed that they had lost their composure so completely while on duty. Only Skye had been silent through the whole ordeal, not speaking a word, not moving an inch. She was visibly trembling, however, a mixture of fear and barely contained outrage present in her eyes.
"I know that it's risky, bringing a baddie onto the premises," Ryder assured the pups, "But Mayor Goodway wouldn't have given us this assignment if she didn't think we could handle it."
"You could tell me it was Chickaletta's idea and I'd believe you," Marshall muttered cynically, causing Rocky and Zuma to snigger. Chase cast the three of them a disapproving look.
"The Mayor has faith in us, pups - just as I have faith in you," Ryder concluded, giving the pups a stern look, yet also an encouraging nod. "With all of that out of the way, let's continue the briefing." The boy swiped at the screen of the Pup Pad again, bringing up various images on the big monitor that proved relevant to his next words. "Chase, as a police dog, it'll be up to you to escort Doctor Vance here and make sure she doesn't try to escape in transit."
"Chase is on the case!" the pup clad in blue declared proudly, holding his head high.
"Skye, I'd like you to provide air support for Chase," Ryder continued. "Be ready to grab Doctor Vance with your harness if she tries to make a run for it."
Rather than Skye calling out one of her catchphrases, an uncomfortable moment of silence ensued, much to the confusion of Ryder and the male pups. All eyes turned to look at the resident aviator pup, who was sitting there with her gaze downcast.
"Skye, did you hear what I just said?" Ryder asked, wondering if the cockapoo had been distracted by her own thoughts. "I'd like you to provide air support for—"
"No."
Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Zuma, and Rocky all gasped at Skye's single word response to Ryder's command; none of them had ever dared to defy a direct order from their leader before. Not without a very good reason, at least, and certainly not to the young human's face.
"Skye?" Ryder managed after a moment, sounding genuinely taken aback.
"I won't do it, Ryder," Skye said, looking up at her owner. "I'm sorry, but I…" She hung her head once more. "I can't."
"You… can't?" Ryder repeated. He didn't sound angry - just confused, if not a little concerned.
"I… I'm, sorry, Ryder, but…" Skye struggled to form the words, her voice audibly cracking. "I just don't want anything to do with that… that woman. Not after what she did to us. What she did to me." She gazed up at Ryder once more, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to flow forth. If Ryder had been taken aback by Skye's defiance, that was nothing compared to how shocked he appeared at the sight of Skye, one of the bravest, most valiant and most strong willed pups in the PAW Patrol, on the verge of breaking down and crying.
Ryder set his Pup Pad down on the control panel and strode forward, and Skye's ears visibly drooped as he approached. Was he about to shout at her, to punish her?
"R-Ryder, sir, please wait!" Chase started, the police dog also fearing what might be about to happen, but the human boy ignored him. Skye screwed her eyes shut, expecting the worst.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she wailed, tears flowing down the sides of her muzzle. "I'm not trying to defy you, Ryder! Honest! It's just that—!"
The cockapoo was momentarily bewildered when Ryder, far from doing or saying anything to express anger or disapproval, instead got down on one knee, gently wrapped his arms around the only female dog in the room, and pulled her close in a tender, deeply compassionate hug. Skye's eyes flew open, the aviator seeming unable to believe what was happening… and then she broke down into sobs, letting out little animalistic whines as Ryder gently stroked her fur, the other pups looking on, none of them sure of what to do, what to say.
"I know that you went through a lot on that day, Skye," Ryder said in a gentle, soothing tone. "I know it was tough. I know it was scary, but I promise you," the boy continued, reaching under the pup's chin and gingerly lifting her head up so that she'd meet his gaze, "I will not let her hurt you again. You, or any of my pups. You'll always be safe while I'm around, Skye."
"She took away your powers, but she didn't take away what truly makes you strong, Skye," Chase inputted, stepping up beside his not-so-secret crush. "Even without powers, you're brave."
"You're courageous!" Rubble added encouragingly, putting on a big, goofy yet earnest smile - the kind that only he could manage.
"Dude, that means the exact same thing," Zuma pointed out, but Rubble ignored him.
"You're kind and caring," Rocky said, leaning around to meet Skye's gaze, a warm smile on the mixed breed's muzzle.
"You've got a heart of gold!" Marshall declared. "No, wait - a heart of steel!" He quickly corrected himself. "No, no, wait - a heart of… bacon!"
Everyone stared at him.
"Bacon?" Ryder repeated, unable to keep the amused chuckle out of his voice. The other pups, including Skye, sniggered.
"What? I like bacon. It… It tastes good," Marshall concluded in an awkward mumble, quickly realising how silly his words sounded out loud.
Skye reached up with one paw and wiped her eyes. "So… you're saying you think I'd taste good?" she asked dully, a deadpan expression on her face as she stared at the Dalmatian.
If dogs could blush, Marshall's entire face would surely have gone bright red. "…No," he said at last, sounding beyond embarrassed.
"Busted!" Zuma called out without missing a beat, and everyone laughed. Even Marshall himself managed an embarrassed chuckle.
"Well, if you all believe in me…" Skye said, smiling now. She straightened up as Ryder broke off the hug, stood as tall as a pup could and declared, "Then this bacon-hearted puppy's gotta fly!"
The other pups cheered.
"Alright!" Ryder declared enthusiastically. "PAW Patrol is on a roll" On that note, the boy ran to the nearby metal pole that stood erected in the centre of a hole in the floor on one side of the room, twirling around it for a moment before grabbing ahold and sliding down it, descending out of sight, heading down towards the garage with a confident smile on his face.
Chase and Skye, meanwhile, proceeded down the nearby slide, which took them outside of the Lookout tower, the pups soon circling around the building's exterior while a voice of unknown origin enthusiastically chanted "Go! Go! Go!" Chase reached the end of the slide first, leaping off to land smartly in his specialised police van.
"Chase!" a voice announced, the vehicle configuring to display various types of easily accessible traffic control gear, a seatbelt fastening itself around the German Shepard's torso before he sped off towards the main road.
"Skye!" that same voice proclaimed as the aviator pup did a mid-air flip before landing in her compact helicopter, the aerodynamic blades extending from the transport and soon unfolding and clicking into place in the ideal position. Skye started the motor and was soon lifting off the ground, her goggles already down over her eyes.
As Chase and Skye approached the front of the Lookout tower, Ryder emerged from the garage on his vibrant red quad bike, the boy suited up complete with helmet and protective elbow and knee pads. Together, the trio set off into the streets, heading for Town Hall, where Mayor Goodway and a certain mad scientist awaited…
And that's Chapter 1! This is my first attempt at a PAW Patrol fanfic, and I hope you're all enjoying it so far.
Stay tuned for Chapter 2!
