PAW Patrol: Lockdown

Chapter 12- The Perfect Creature

Rubble's kennel lurched violently, another powerful slam ricocheting off the inner walls. Zuma jumped backward, confused and terrified, feral instincts screaming at him to run yet he remained paralyzed in fear. Marshall and Rocky quickly withdrew back into their own kennels as the noise sounded again. Whatever was inside Rubble's den, it was angry and powerful, charging itself into every surface to break free from the prison. The shutter door that acted as the entrance to the kennel was meaningless, a display of power was in order. The creature wanted to break out, tear down the walls, and rip its scaffolding to shreds. It wasn't just a desire to escape, it wanted to reveal itself.

Chase could hardly believe what he was hearing, and with every effort in his small body, he pushed back the crippling horror inside and called out to the Labrador. "Zuma! Get back!"

The Lab finally came to, snapping back to reality as he shook his head. He quickly turned tail and ran, charging away from the kennel and diving into his own. Chase took a few steps back, looking to the door of the tower, mind racing if he could get there in time.

Another bang. The kennel's walls began to jut out awkwardly, slightly bending. A lingering feeling began to possess the air around them, a horrific shriek of confusion and terror. Chase's heartbeat skipped over itself, its own thumps feeling like punches to the head, his breathing intensifying as his mind fought to keep control of his body. His vision seemed to blur, but this time, he knew he wasn't going crazy.

Feroxmalis was real.

He couldn't abandon his friends, not now. Holding his breath, the shepherd turned and charged as fast as he could to Marshall's kennel. The Dalmatian was cowering in the back, keeping his face hidden in his paws as if looking up was a death sentence.

Chase entered the kennel swiftly and nearly threw himself against the wall, almost flattening himself against it. His heart beating like mad, he slowly moved his head, looking out from the firefighter's den. The banging had stopped, and the creature went silent. What was Feroxmalis? Dog? Human? He thought back to the image Cyrus had slipped him so long ago, he remembered seeing what he only assumed was a normal dog. Only the head was visible in the photo, but it was assumed to be the only part of the body intact. Everything from the neck down was all bone, blood, veins, and muscle, that was what Cyrus had said. Chase couldn't say anything from his view, just the still-standing kennel that had belonged to a now-deceased bulldog.

"What's it doing...?" Chase muttered to himself, daring to push himself a little farther out. The noise had gone silent, was the monster truly unable to escape the kennel?

"Chase." He heard behind him, nearly making him jump. Marshall had picked his head up ever so slightly, exposing his vulnerable blue eyes. "W- what is that thing?" His voice could barely keep up with his own breaths.

"I-" the shepherd tried to explain. "Uh- stay here. I need to call Cyrus..."

The sentence had barely left his mouth when Chase stopped cold, a realization hitting him like a car on the road. The only way to contact the ACG now was through the special pup tag they had given him.

A pup tag which he had thrown aside in the Boiler Room, along with his only weapon.

"Shit-" Chase said quietly, darting his eyes around as he cursed himself over and over for discarding the only means of communication he had. He had to get back to Skye, get back and retrieve his gun and tag, he just had to get back to the elevator.

"Chase..." Marshall quivered, starting to hyperventilate.

"Just stay in here," growled the shepherd, as he took a step outside the kennel into the rain.