Flicker (PAW Patrol Fanfiction)

18 | Sacrifices

Night Five Part 3

It was nighttime in Adventure Bay and almost everyone is in a partying mood. Marshall had just received a letter of acceptance in a local medical school, and everyone gathered at the Lookout to celebrate.

Almost everyone was happy.

Almost.

"Marshall, can I go talk to you for a bit?" Ryder asked the black-haired boy.

"Sure, what do you need, Ryder?" Marshall asked with the ever-present smile on his face.

"I mean in private," the older boy said. "Meet me at the top of the Lookout."

Marshall's smile faded a bit as he watched Ryder ascend the elevator. He wondered what could be so important that he wanted to talk so badly.

"Marshall? Aren't you gonna join us?" Chase asked, seeing his usually-happy friend looking so pensive.

"Ryder wants to talk to me alone. Can you tell the others? I'll join you guys later," Marshall said before stepping into the elevator.

"We heard a lot of shouting, and next thing we knew, Ryder was running towards his ATV and drove away from the Lookout," Chase said, glaring at the younger boy who refused to meet his eyes. "And you know what happened the next morning."

Marshall could remember that day clearly. They had found Ryder's broken ATV on the shore of Adventure Beach, but no sign of the owner. They had searched for over 24 hours before declaring him dead.

"Whatever happened during that conversation, it broke him," Chase said with a pointed glare at the younger boy, prompting him to explain.

"Ryder, he- he doesn't want me to go," Marshall whispered, on the verge of tears. "He doesn't want me to go train at the hospital, because that will mean that I'm gonna leave the Lookout permanently."

"And?"

"H-he didn't take it well that I'll still do it. I p-p-promised that I'll visit him b-but he just sh-shouted at me. I-I don't think he was l-listening anymore. H-he just screamed that p-people always leave him and that I was just the s-s-same as them a-and that h-he couldn't h-handle someone else leaving h-him," the younger boy sobbed. "I-It's all my f-f-fault. I sh-shouldn't have accepted th-the offer."

"Marsh..." Chase said, shaking his head. "I-I don't know what to believe anymore. You were the murderer and you said you didn't kill them. Then you said that Ryder screamed at you, which is impossible. The next thing you'll say is that Ryder's alive and he's the one who trapped us here."

Marshall stayed silent and looked away from him, occasionally hiccupping.

"...you really think that, do you?" Chase whispered. "After all the things that happened, you'd think that Ryder's alive and killing us all?!"

"IT'S THE ONLY EXPLANATION, CHASE!" Marshall screamed, almost desperately. "It's the only way he would know how to enter the Lookout! Or about... my family..."

"Your family?" Chase snapped out. "You're fucking acting like none of us had any families! And you were fucking exiled! Why the fuck would you care?!"

"BECAUSE MY SISTER IS ONLY THREE AND I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO HER JUST BECAUSE HER BROTHER IS A FUCKING FAGGOT AND IN LOVE WITH HIS BEST FRIEND!"

It was silent in the room after Marshall's outburst, and his eyes widened when he realized what he said.

"Wait, you love me?" Chase asked after a few moments. "Skye was right? You love me?"

"Always has been," Marshall muttered. "I never said anything cause I know you love Skye and vice versa. I didn't want to take that away from you two."

"But you still took Skye away from me," the police cadet said. "And I can't forgive you from that."

"Even if I did, I had no choice," Marshall sobbed. "I'm not afraid of dying, but I'd do anything for my family."

"But we're your family!" Chase cried out. "We became your family the moment your family exiled you! I am your brother, Marshall! Even if you killed our friends, you're still my best friend- my family!"

"I know," the EMT-in-training smiled through his tears. "That's why I'm doing this."

Marshall pulled out the Jagdkommando knife that he was given to. He stared at the knife intensely. If Ryder gave him that, then he doesn't want Chase to survive the night. But why?

The black-haired boy looked up at the person he loved so much. Chase was staring at him with fear as his eyes darted from the knife to his best friend.

"Marshall, wha-"

He didn't get to finish as Marshall raised the knife up in the air...

...and stabbed himself.

Chase cried out in shock and horror as the knife twisted Marshall's stomach, blood and flesh coming out of the hole in large amounts. He didn't have enough time to react as the younger boy weakly removed the knife and collapsed on the floor.

"M-Marshall..." he whispered as he knelt down beside the bloody body of his best friend.

"Ch-chase..." Marshall croaked out. "I-I'm sorry."

"Why?" Chase, whimpered. "Why did you do this? I-I was ready to sacrifice myself for you to have a good life."

"B-because I l-love you, Chase," the younger boy whispered. "J-just promise me s-something."

"Anything."

"T-take care of my sister," Marshall breathed out. "Take her away and care for her like she's your own. Tell her the mistakes I've made, and don't let her take the same path as I did."

"I-I promise," Chase whispered, which made the younger boy smile despite himself.

"T-thank you," he whispered as his eyes fluttered shut. But before he lost consciousness, he felt something on his lips.

Chase did something he thought he would never do. He leaned down and kissed Marshall on the lips, letting the younger boy experience it before he dies.

He only parted when he couldn't feel his friend's heartbeat. And even then, he never let go of him. He just buried his head on his best friend's unmoving chest.

And for the first time since Ryder's death, Chase cried.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gasp! I updated! OwO

By the way, there are only two chapters left: Day Six and Epilogue. I might do additional scenes though.

Hopefully, I can finish Flicker before 2021 to make way for my upcoming book: Adventure Bay High. Yes, you read it right. I'm going to make a story about the classic High School AU featuring Chase x Marshall as the main pairing!

But for now, I gotta focus on finishing Flicker.