Cherish || A Chase x Sweetie Fanfiction ||

(S3-C14) • The Past Leeches •

Chase shuffled in place, the killer headache stabbing him every second as he opened his eyes.

"Ryder?" he called, a paw on his temple to keep himself from wobbling about.

The teenager stood with his back turned, his hand in his pockets. His shadow that leaned on the wall had its mouth moving, occuring to the brown pup that his owner was speaking to someone around the corner just out of view.

Chase attempted to stand up straight. His success was short-lived though, for his ankles felt like they had weights attached, barely able to stay on his feet. He trudged forth with the help of the wall beside him, however, determined to reach the only place where light showed visibility. Everything else was pitch black. A whole lot of untouchable and endless nothing. There was only forward.

As Chase was able to grab the corner where Ryder stood in front of him, he smiled.

"Ryder?" he called, the conversing male tilting his head upwards slightly after hearing the voice.

"Oh, Chase. Nice to see you up and about," the teenager replied, unmoving from his spot. He remained facing whoever he was talking to prior to Chase's arrival.

"Yeah, uh..." The Shepherd turned his head away, having some thoughts in his mind needing to be said. "I have been keeping secrets. Maybe now is the time to apologize for everything I've done."

Slowly, Ryder removed his hands from his pockets, laying them vertically flat to his sides. "Don't worry, buddy. Whatever you may have done, I forgive you."

"Really?" Chase's voice came out as hopeful. He knew their leader would understand.

"Yes, I do."

As the human spoke that reply, there came that awkward burst of emptiness. It was an eerie silence, Chase's patience tested from how long the two stood without a word.

However, as the pup tried to open his mouth, he was relieved to see Ryder raise a foot to turn, facing towards him. He could hear himself let out a phew.

As Ryder finished his action, Chase had to take a step back, almost falling to his side from the dizziness he was still enduring, his mouth open from horrification.

His leader was standing in front of him, his fist balled and face incredibly furious that it was almost disfigured. His veins looked like they were about to pop.

"Don't worry, Chase. You won't mess up anymore, for we have found a replacement for you."

"What?" Chase forced out a single chuckle. "You can't replace me."

"Can't I?"

The human stepped up, reaching his hand behind the corner wall to his right where he was previously looking at, but when he pulled his arm back, Chase's eye widened.

"Why do you have a pipe in your hand?" Chase took limping steps backwards, almost tumbling several times but his anxiety saved him during those moments. He felt like if he fell, something bad was going to happen, and from Ryder's dragging of the metal on the tiles, it did seem like it.

Chase decided maybe this wasn't the best time to talk to his owner and he turned around to escape, only to catch sight of those he never wished to see again, standing before him in a blocking line.

"Remember us, Chase?" Skye had her eyebrows furrowed and one side of her teeth were showing, clenched and angry. The whole PAW Patrol team was, excluding the bulldog. Rubble was replaced by a featureless silhouette of his same shape and form, existing without breath yet stood as if it was alive.

Chase questioned how they were there in Barkingburg, but when he turned his attention to his surroundings, the darkness evaporated, now designed with how their Lookout looked like. Everything was the same, with the only difference being the approaching mixed breed, out of his wheelchair, who opened his mouth to speak.