Different Horizons-A Paw Patrol Story

Chapter Twenty-Two

The following morning, Ryder woke up to the sound of an alarm. He sat up on the bed and looked around. The room they gave him was spacious. A long drawer chest with nine drawers and a mirror on top of it sat across from the bed. A nightstand was to Ryder's left, and a couch was to his left. A television hung on the wall, with a coffee table between it and the sofa.

Ryder looked at the time, which read five o'clock. He got up and began opening some of the drawers. Last night, some people entered his room and filled the drawers with enough clothes to last two weeks. He now had multiple shirts, tees, jeans, socks, underwear, and jackets. In the bathroom that came with the room, towels, and hygiene products were put by the sink. Ryder grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and went to take a shower.

After his shower, Ryder got out and combed his hair. He tried standing it straight up like he used to, but it didn't seem right, so he combed it over. He wore a white shirt, black basketball shorts, his watch, and his sneakers.

Ryder looked in the mirror. That was who he was now. In this reality, Ryder was no longer a ten-year-old boy who cared for a team of rescue dogs. He was older and was supposed to lead a group of adults to save a city from supervillains. If someone on the street told them the same story, Ryder would've thought twice before believing them. Ryder had to keep his composure, though. He walked out of the room and into the hallway.

Ryder walked out of the room and looked up and down the hallway, but it was bare of people. He figured it would be empty since it was still early morning. Ryder walked to the right and up a flight of stairs to the third floor. He wanted to work out for a bit before the day started. Ryder had been working out here and there back in Adventure Bay but has yet to get into a routine. Ryder figured that while he and the team were stuck there for a bit, he could focus on working out more.

Ryder reached the third-floor door and was about to open it when he heard a noise inside. It sounded like grunting and punches landing, so Ryder prepared himself. He forced the door open and ran inside. He stopped when he saw the source of the noise. The men were wearing boxing gloves and headgear. They were throwing some punches around at each other. He recognized one of them as Bruce. They met briefly at dinner last night. But Ryder couldn't tell who the other one was.

Bruce noticed Ryder and stood up straight. He signaled to Ryder, and the other man turned to look at him. The man was well-built with a tan skin tone. He wore a sweaty blue shirt, black shorts, and a golden chain around his neck. It wasn't until he took off his headgear that Ryder realized who it was.

"Ryder!" Chase mumbled with a smile.

"Chase," Ryder said. "What are you doing up?" Chase mumbled something, but Ryder couldn't understand him. "What? I can't understand you."

Chase removed one of his gloves, reached into his mouth, and pulled out a mouthpiece. "Bruce was teaching me how to fight."

"How to box, Chase," Bruce corrected.

"Right, sorry, Bruce," Chase apologized.

"That's alright, Chase. Just remember. Anyone can fight, whether they're skilled or not. But I'm teaching how to box, not to start fights, but to end them. Boxing, or any martial arts, should be used to protect yourself from others, not the other way around."

"Or to protect others, right?" Chase asked. Bruce nodded in agreement. Chase turned to Ryder. "I'm getting the hang of it."

"I see that," Ryder said. "My dad would put me in boxing classes when I was younger. I'm a little rusty, but I could go a round with you. If that's with you, Bruce."

"Of course," Bruce replied as he took off his gloves. "But I must say, Chase has a bit of spring in his step. He was a quick and strong learner."

Bruce tossed Ryder the gloves and headgear. Bruce also gave Ryder a new mouthpiece, which was still in plastic wrapping. Ryder put on the gear and got in a circle with Chase.

"Alright, this is a clean round," Bruce announced. "The first to fall loses. And go!"

Ryder and Chase circled each other. They spun around for a second before Chase took the first swing. He went for the side of Ryder's head, who dodged it and returned with a punch in the stomach. Chase bent over in a groan but recovered just as quickly. Ryder tried to go for another punch, but Chase blocked it with his arm. He tossed Ryder's arm up and punched him in the side of the ribs. Ryder tumbled to the side before stabilizing himself. Chase tried the same move as Ryder, but Ryder sidestepped. As Chase passed by him, Ryder got him in the stomach. Chase got up and faced Ryder.

"Are you okay, Chase," Ryder asked.

"Never better, Ryder, sir," Chase replied.

"Good," Ryder said. He lowered himself to the and spun in a circle with his leg extended, knocking Chase off his feet and onto his back. "Just had to be sure."

"Ryder is the winner," Bruce announced.

"Yep, he sure is," Chase agreed. Ryder offered his hand to stand up, which Chase accepted. "That was fun."

"Surprisingly, I agree," Ryder said as he removed the equipment.

An alarm went off in the room, followed by a man's voice, "All personnel, please report to the dining room for breakfast."

"Well, I guess that's enough training for today," Bruce said.

"Thank you, Bruce," Chase said.

"It was my pleasure. I am happy to teach you everything there is to know."

"Well, let's go downstairs and eat," Ryder said. "Gabriel and Ainsley should be arriving soon. And we're going to discuss battle plans with them today."