PAW Patrol: Marshall Gone Missing.

Chapter 35

Ryder looked at the Pup-Pad in his hands, as tears from his eyes dripped down on the screen. Marshall was gone. One of his pups was gone.

He failed. He failed Marshall and the rest of the team. A part of him wanted to throw his Pup-Pad to the floor, head downstairs, and scream at the others for what they had done. It was their fault Marshall ran away! It was their fault he died! It was their fault they couldn't save him!

But as much as Ryder wanted to do that, he couldn't. He loved his pups. All of them were important, even when they made a mistake. They never meant to have Marshall leave on purpose, nor did they want him dead. He saw the regret in their eyes, and this new news would destroy them. He never would wish this on anyone; to lose someone that they cared about so much.

He didn't even know what he was going to tell Blaze and Misty. They trusted him to look after Marshall, but he let them down. He let their only son die. Not in the face of duty, but in the cold and harsh forest where he had been devoured by a bear. Ryder knew there was always danger when he stared Paw Patrol. His father even lost three different pups in Rescue Rover's before replacing them.

Ryder swore that would never happen with Paw Patrol, but that promise was now broken. They were more than a team, they were a family. This was even truer for Rocky, Zuma, and Rubble who didn't have parents like Marshall or Skye or Chase. And now they had to mourn the loss of one of their own.

Skye sounded all broken up, but she could also hear the whimpering cries of Chase. Marshall had been one of the key rocks for the police pup after Trigger had died in the line of duty. And now that he had lost another important figure in his life, what was that going to do to Chase mentally?

He didn't know how the other Pups would take it. Still, it was best to tell them now as delaying would help no one. Taking the elevator down, Ryder watched as all the Pups zoomed towards him with anticipation.

"Did they find him?" asked Zuma.

"Is he okay?!" Asked Rocky.

He looked at all three of them while clenching his fist. He knew once he told them the truth, nothing would ever be the same for all of them again. "I'm sorry, pups... but we found Marshall's tag with a lot of blood on it... in a bear's cave." Their eyes widen with horror. "Because of this... Marshall has been declared... d-deceased."

"NOOOOO!" shouted Rubble as he ran away, right outside. Ryder knew where he was going. Whenever Rubble got upset he locked himself in his doghouse and refused to come out. He didn't blame Rubble. In fact, Ryder himself wanted to lock himself in his room and just cry.

"I... I can't believe it..." muttered Rocky, tears in his eyes. "Not Marshall. Tell me they at least found his body!" Ryder shook his head as Rocky began to weep. "Marshall... Marshall... I'm so sorry... I don't know if you can hear me up there, but I am so sorry..."

"W-W-W-Wocky..." whispered Zuma whose lip as trembling as his eyes began to water. "You... you said... you said he'd be... a-a-allwright..."

Rocky shook his head and looked at Zuma. "I... I... I'm sorry..."

"It's not fair....it's not fair! It's not fair!" screamed Zuma as he dived into Rocky's arms. "Wwwaaaaahhhh! Aaaaaahhhhh! Mawshall!"

Ryder turned away. He just went back to elevator and rode it all the way up. He could still hear Zuma's wails.

He couldn't do this. He needed help.

He turned on his puppad and called for his father. A few rings later, he saw his dad ready to greet him, but showed concern when he saw his son crying. "Ryder?! What happened?!"

"D-D-Dad," whimpered Ryder as he fell to his knees. "I... I lost a friend..."