PAW Patrol: Frozen Fire || FF Book Two

(C9) A Grim Reunion

"No I haven't seen the Dalmatian ever since the fire we caused. The stupid dog went in and saved everyone in the building but got caught in an explosion." The mysterious figure that saw Everest replied to the driver's question. "Wait you said they saved everyone? Is it possible my dogs who ran away five years ago ended up in the accursed Paw Patrol team? I've heard of two of their members, Chase and Ryder, Ryder is seemingly the leader of the damned group. One second, I'm going to pull over and look at their entire member list." The driver exclaimed with a snarl.

The mysterious driver pulled their car over, going to the Paw Patrol website and clicking the "Members" tab. Scrolling with their phone, they read out the list of members. "Ryder, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Zuma, Rocky, Marshall, Everest, Tracker." Their eyes popped with the realization that capturing the dogs that ran away wouldn't be as easy as they thought, being part of an elite rescue team. But that also put an evil idea in their head. "I'm going to set up a rescue that would need Marshall and Everest's specialties and only them, their website says Marshall is their fire pup/medic pup and Everest is the mountain rescue pup, I'll think of something." The figure said as they started driving again with only one destination in mind: Adventure Bay.

Katie slowly walked around her clinic and saw Everest outside in her snowcat talking to Chase. "So Chase, how's Marshall?" The husky asked the German Shepard, knowing there probably wasn't any news but she had to check.

But in that moment, Katie walked up and said: "Let's go check as a group, okay?" She offered the two pups, knowing they'd agree to that. "Yeah that sounds good Katie" they both replied as the three started walking to the Emergency Care room. But at the door, they heard a whimper come from inside it and a soft growl. Instantly, Chase burst open the door to see Marshall awake, curled into a ball growling lowly, but not at them. He hadn't even noticed they were there. "Marshall you're awake!" Everest shouted as she jumped up onto the bed, and curled up with Marshall, with Chase following up quickly. "H-Hey Marshall, you okay?" Katie asked, not sure of what happened. "I... I don't know Katie.... I saw this strange figure while I was sleeping, they shot Everest dead, said I failed her, and then slit my neck. I really hope it's just a nightmare... b-but even if they were in my head, those words stung." He softly said as he put his face in Everest's fur, with Everest noticing the similarities between both of their nightmares.

Instantly Katie went from being happy Marshall was awake to comforting the sobbing pup. "Hey Marshall, listen to me. It's just a nightmare, you aren't alone and you never will be. Everest had a similar nightmare but reversed while you were still in a coma." Katie reassured the Dalmatian, who seemed to stop sobbing for a moment as he thought.

"I know it's just a nig-nightmare, but-" Marshall stopped for a moment, as if he was going to regret what he was about to say. Katie noticed that he clenched his paws and started sobbing loudly, as if he was about to break down. "I know it's just a nightmare... but I STILL FEEL LIKE I'VE FAILED YOU EVEREST, CHASE, RYDER, ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE. I'm a useless klut-mmph-." Marshall's rant was cut off by Everest putting a paw over his snout, before she started to tear up. "Marshall... you haven't failed any of us, everyone you saved from Mr. Porter's is okay, you saved everyone. You're not a klutz, and you haven't failed anyone here, least of all me you silly pup." She replied, and like magic, Marshall calmed down and started to babble out apologies incoherently with emotions running high.

"Marshall it's okay." Katie assured as she rubbed the crying pups back. "Oh by the way Everest and Chase. Marshall can go home later this morning but he needs to stay at the lookout to heal, these burns and wounds are pretty nasty from the explosion. Make sure to tell Ryder he needs to be off duty for a week or so" Katie instructed the two pups. Chase then clicked his pup tag to get in contact with Ryder. "Call Ryder." Chase said while activating his tag.

Ryder had been resting, trying to think about what got Marshall and Everest to have these kinds of nightmares, and from how Everest described it, it sounded like a twisted recollection of a traumatic event with dark twists. And of course, Marshall's health was also at the forefront of the Paw Patrol leader's mind, when he suddenly heard his pup pad ring, the emblem of Chase's tag filling the screen with a beeping sound. "Incoming call from Chase." Ryder clicked his tag and asked what's going on. "Ryder Marshall can go home today" Chase began, Ryder already feeling very happy, but Chase didn't say everything he could tell. "Okay Chase, what else is there?" Ryder asked his police pup. "Katie said he has to stay at the lookout and off duty for a week or so to heal. So we'll need a backup fire pup in case of an emergency. Zuma and Everest are already our backup medics as you know so we're fine there."

Ryder put his hand up to his chin, thinking about this. "Okay Chase, I'll come by and pick Marshall up. Is Everest with you?"  Chase replied quickly. "Yeah, she's been laying down next to Marshall. I'll tell Katie you're on your way, Chase out." Ryder heard as the call disconnected.

"Okay pups! I'm heading to bring Marshall home, he'll be off duty for around a week but he's recovering." Ryder told everyone at the lookout as he started his ATV up to drive to Katie's.

Ryder parked his ATV and saw Marshall limping slightly next to Chase, Everest and Katie. "Well Ryder, Marshall's good to go home." Katie told Ryder as he hugged Marshall who jumped into Ryder's arms. "Okay Katie, thank you for taking care of Marshall." Ryder said, deeply appreciative of everything Katie does for them. Chase and Everest also jumped into their vehicles to drive back with Ryder. The drive was quick and silent with everyone glad Marshall was doing better now, but he still had a bit of recovery to get through.

"Boss, I see the two targets." The figure with the binoculars said over the radio as they spotted Marshall and Everest. "Where are you right now?" They continued to ask the other person as they drove while smoking. "I'm entering Adventure Bay now, I'm going to set up a fake rescue on the mountain, and it's going be a real avalanche, and I'm going to have you call the team and tell them there's an avalanche on the mountain and there might be people still there." The driver said with a sadistic grin on their face. "You can't run or hide forever Marshall and Everest, duty calls" they said as the radio transmission cut.

To be continued. So Marshall is heading back to the lookout, and our mysterious figures are planning a fake rescue to lure Marshall and Everest to the mountain. These figure's identities will also be revealed soon.