PAW Patrol: Lockdown

Chapter 21- Dogfights

 "What?" Chase tilted his head, slightly lowering the gun.

"As you probably expect, Archline has rather... unconventional ways of testing their experiments. Feroxmalis is... some kind of bioweapon, I think." She shrugged, "it started as a dog, just like you and me, but then it was just... test after test, experiment after experiment... you couldn't even tell it was meant to be a dog anymore. I think they planned on selling the creature after it was perfected."

"Sell it? To who?"

Liberty chuckled, "who knows? Terrorists, corrupt governments, the army?" She listed off, "anyone willing to pay top dollar for a creature with enough power to win a war." Her face darkened, fearing the potential for such a monstrous animal, "Dutch, the leading executive of the foundation, denied any isolated testing. He always said it wasn't 'genuine' enough, that basic tests wouldn't do it." A low growl emitted from her as she spoke, "so instead, he decided to unleash the monster into Adventure Bay and watch its statistics."

"Holy shit," Chase faltered at the revelation. Whoever this twisted dog was, he heartlessly gave the command to drop a lethal monster into an innocent city. All for the sole purpose of science, whoever had to die for it.

The Dachshund continued, "they implanted some kind of... device into its body, something to track it and keep its movements on record. But we underestimated how smart that thing really is, within minutes it located the implant and tore it out." Her voice was filled with spite, "when that happened, Dutch looked at me and asked me if I wanted to go on a scouting mission."

"You did say you worked for them," Chase put it together, "but as what?"

"If you're thinking of a scientist, then no," Liberty waved her paw, "I was a... intern of sorts."

"But wouldn't you have been in danger too by being here?"

"Of course I am! After Dutch threw me out, he instantly turned around and hired the ACG to quarantine the town so Feroxmalis could be contained." She scoffed, "so he obviously knew it was dangerous, he just needed someone disposable to hopefully bring back a few samples."

Keeping the gun steady, although lowering it away from his captive, Chase thought intently as confusion barreled through him. "You mean to tell me... this is all some kind of test?" His voice rose as he spoke, "those fuckers just dropped a vicious killer into Adventure Bay for the whole purpose of a test?!"

Liberty was growing antsy the more unhinged Chase got, fearing his use of a weapon. "It... yes, I guess. Yeah..." she stuttered apologetically, "I'm sorry..."

"And Cyrus and rest of the ACG, they knew about this?!"

"I... don't think so," she looked aside, "they do know Feroxmalis must be contained and not damaged, and they're not allowed to warn anyone else in Adventure Bay, per Dutch's orders. But I don't think they know it was released on purpose."

Disgusted and enraged, Chase bristled his fur as his paw fought to pull the trigger. Killing Liberty would be pointless, if not detrimental, yet his anger was surfacing to its boiling point. All he could muster out in his animosity was one simple question: "So... where's Ryder in all this?"

Liberty went silent, an action that nearly shouted its own answer more than her words could communicate. It was obvious Chase was going to hate the answer, but he didn't know what to expect at this point. Nothing made sense to him anymore, and although he itched to save his family, another side of him was festering for answers.

"He said he was going into the mountains," he continued, voice low, "but after everything, I don't know what to believe now." He lowered his torn ears in sorrow, "everything is just..." he shook his head, "different... ruined. So where is he?"