Revenge (PAW Patrol Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Clone number oh-three-five. It was his identification. It was also his cover. As Rubble patrolled the halls, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety swept him, just like it had every day he passed the lab. He had watched his friends become tortured. Shocked, burned, nearly drowned. Humdinger was ruthless. Rubble was forced to watch without emotion. If he shed even one tear, he would have gotten caught.

Today was no different. As he passed the room, memories filled his young brain, threatening to break his cover once more. He shook his head, though. Have to do this for them. He continued on, their screams echoing in the back of his mind.

As he rounded the corner, a Chase-clone nodded his head. Surprisingly, the clones weren't all that bad. In fact, he had become friends with some of them. They weren't perfect, no matter what Humdinger said.

This particular Chase-clone, for instance. His scent was slightly off, so much so, Rubble could tell him apart from a line up. He also acted differently. He had emotions. He confessed this to Rubble some nights ago.

How he wished to live outside the compound. To see sunlight. To smell the freshness of the air. Looks like Humdinger done goofed, Rubble chuckled inwardly. He frowned. Here was a perfectly normal pup, albeit a clone, stuck in here with the rest of them. If Humdinger had found out, he'd be destroyed instantly.

This Chase-clone was also intelligent, much like the original Chase. He knew Rubble wasn't a clone. And yet, he hadn't reported it. Why? Rubble didn't know. What Rubble hoped was that he could help him.

For the past month, Rubble has studied and analyzed Humdinger's patterns, as well as the clones. He has trained his hearing to know exactly when they would walk down certain corridors. After all this time, he knew where his friends had to be. There was one doorway at the end of the third hall on the third sub-level that neither Humdinger, clone, nor guard entered.

Rubble had finally managed to slip away, hopefully unnoticed. He trotted down the hall, growing more and more anxious. He didn't know what to expect. As he was about to open the door, a feeling of dread overcame him. What if they're dead? What if Humdinger just... threw their bodies in here? What if I'm alone? He started to shake with fear.

"Hey!" a voice half-yelled. Wiping his face of emotion, as if on instinct, he turned to face to source. He sat on his haunches, looking as mindlessly as possible. "Rubble?" It was the Chase-clone. Even so, Rubble sniffed the air before returning to his regular self.

"Duey?" Rubble said. He couldn't possible call the clone 'Chase' and he didn't feel right calling him a clone. So, he gave him what no other clone had: a name. For he deserved it, as unique as he was, in his own right. "What are you doing down here?"

"I saw you come down. What's up?" It amazed Rubble how much Duey was like Chase, down to his demeanor. He had to remind himself that it wasn't him.

"Why doesn't anyone go down this hall? It's always unguarded."

"This is where Marilyn is. She's not allowed to leave this hallway." Rubble opened his mouth, mouthing 'Oh'. "Yeah, Humdinger's orders." He chuckled. "She really hates him."

"Do you, by any chance, know where Humdinger disposed of my friends?"

"I know that you were practically given to Marilyn by one of the guards." Duey looked at the door. "You don't think...?"

"No, that'd be stupid. There's no way-" The doorknob turned. Duey resumed his 'patrol' mode, walking back up the hall. Rubble was about to follow, when-

"Rubble?" Marilyn said. "Is that you?"

***

Her 'room' was nothing more than a ten-by-ten square. As far as Rubble could tell, there were no cameras, much to his relief. Sadly, though, Ryder and the pups were not there. "I thought you were dead!" Marilyn said, hugging him. "You're the only really friend I have."