Beyond the home

Chapter 19: Long time no see

The terrier would have continued sleeping if the machines weren't beeping like crazy.

"Shut...up." She said, hoping they would indeed be quiet.

"I'll turn the volume down then." She heard, which made her open her eyes.

"L-Lucy?" "Hey, Sweetie. Long time no see." The girl smiled, as she patted her head.

"How-" "You called for help, so we came, but Ryder already saved you," Lucy said. "Timur is still cleaning up the mess and so I'm keeping you company."

"But...I thought...Ryder-" "He changed, probably." Lucy said. "Although he saved you, I still don't trust him."

"Okay." "Now rest, my little pup." Sweetie chuckled.

"I'm not a little pup anymore." "Oh, for me you'll be one forever." Lucy laughed, scratching Sweetie's ear. "Now res-"

*knock* *knock*

The door opened and they both looked at the door, only to see Ryder, looking very different, and with a bouquet in his hands.

"Hello." He nervously said as he closed the door. 

"Hey, Ryder," Sweetie said. "Thanks...for the rescue."

"It was nothing, really." Ryder said, placing the bouquet in the vase. "It was a team rescue."

"Team?" Sweetie asked. "The Paw Patrol has been disbanded, wasn't it?"

"We...it still is, but everyone came nonetheless," Ryder said. "Except Chase."

"Yeah...I know." Sweetie said.

"Chase? What happened?" Lucy asked.

"Chase...changed," Sweetie said. "He...I don't even know what really happened with him."

"He was seen at the lookout tower." "I know, but...I thought he was with me in the Air Patroller." Sweetie said. "He was just a hologram."

Sweetie sighed, and looked out of the window, seeing the sunrise.

"Now Timur will hate me for failing a simple mission for being emotional." Sweetie said as the two shook their heads.

"He won't, he would never, and you know that," Lucy said. "He trusts you, and...he said you probably know what really happened...or was meant to happen."

Her destroyed collar. It summoned an EMP wave upon destruction in a giant radius, knocking out location, internet, and other signals for a good minute.

"Is there any news about the laboratory here?" Sweetie asked.

"No one knows," Ryder said. "The police are going inside soon, so we'll know. But I doubt it's connected."

"Chase used me as a jammer for signals, making him able to legally get something out of there because I know he has some connections there," Sweetie said the words that came out of the hologram repeated in her mind. "Lucy, we need to protect the Crystal Lands."

"Don't worry, it's already happening. No one will get to them." Lucy said. "But you need to rest." 

"Princess is right, Sweetie, you should rest. We found you in a pretty bad shape, and we still don't know what the fuel did to you." Ryder said. "But you will be alright in a few days...or weeks."

Weeks? Sweetie thought. I can't have Chase running freely around the world...if not the universe.

"I need to speak to Timur, right now." "When he finishes. He said he would come to see you." Lucy said. "But I'll try to rush him." 

They both soon left her alone in the room, allowing her to think in silence.

Chase is on a run, wanting...something. Sweetie thought. He could be on his way to take Valerie...or hurt someone...or anything.

She knew what he had in possession; a broken watch capable of anything. And she would be calm if she didn't know what would Timur give Porsha access to...basically anything.

But she mainly thought if she was right. If Chase targeted Adventure City just to make Sweetie a living EMP bomb, or was it an accident? The laboratory was also in her mind; he did have some friends in the laboratory, doing research on infinite energy. 

*knock* *knock*

"Come in." She said, looking at the door, which opened. It surprised her who stood there.

"Mum!" Valerie came running to her, jumping on the bed and immediately hugging Sweetie, who repeated the affection.

"Hey, sweetie pie." Sweetie said, kissing her forehead as she lifted her head up to eye the person. "Hi, Timur."

"Hey, Sweetie. How are you feeling?" He asked as he came close to them.

"Much better now, with my little demon here with me." Sweetie laughed, as Valerie chuckled. "How are the damages?"

"Don't worry about anything, Sweetie. Rest." Timur said as she noticed a box in his hand.

"And Nooshy?" "Safe at home, being engulfed in hugs by everyone," Timur said. "And...this is for you."

He put the box next to her, as she looked at it, while Timur stood up and was leaving.

"And Valerie?" Sweetie said, hoping he knew what was she talking about.

"The hospital is guarded on every step, and I'll come in the evening to pick her up if you want," Timur said. "Have fun, girls." 

Sweetie waved, hearing soft snores coming from her pup. Sweetie chuckled, as she looked at the box again.

"Jarvis, unlock." She whispered, making the lock on the box unlock, and the box opened. 

She was greeted by a beautiful dark purple collar with a beautiful design consisting of all kinds of Sweetie's favorite things, paired with a tag; but an empty one. However, the biggest surprise was the next thing;

Busby.

She knew it wasn't her old toy, but this one looked exactly like it. And seeing it next to her new collar, she knew the toy wasn't just a toy. It could be anything. Maybe a bomb.

Hoping her head wasn't hurt, she thought of making the collar attached to her neck, which it immediately did, perfectly adjusting to her neck to be almost floating. But immediately, a hologram appeared in thin air.

'Chase is on the run, and it could be fatal to the whole universe. Having full access to everything, I suppose the watch was repaired, but modified, and I can't locate it. And if you are thinking I must remove every access for the watch, I can't. The identificators for the watch are baked inside every controller, so nothing would work if I removed it, not even your access codes.'

She read it, trying to piece it all together.

'When you will be healed, you can help me find him, but I rather not. He is a danger to me, to you, to everyone, and I want to minimize the risk of anyone being hurt. You have so much in your life, and I can't let you lose it. I understand Chase is your husband, someone who went with you everywhere, but he is a threat now, a real one.'

She wasn't angry, she knew he was right.

'If you want to tell me that I have many things in my life too...but I don't. My mother and father are the only ones who talk to me, my brother hates me, and my girlfriend wants to break up with me. No, Sweetie, 

I unleashed a threat into the universe, and I'll be the one to stop it.'