"Chase, buddy?" Chase heard a voice behind him and whirled around, angry.
"What do you want, Marshall." Chase snapped at him. "I thought I told everypup to leave me alone!"
Chase...we're best friends, right?" Marshall said.
"I'm not your friend." Chase spat. Marshall looked visibly hurt.
OH, was that really necessary? Chase asked.
No, but it's fun to hurt you guys. You all will spend the rest of your worthless lives paying for stealing my property.
"Talk to me. This isn't you, I know it isn't. At first, I was determined not to talk to you, or do anything with you. I hated you. Well, for a hot minute. But now, looking back on it all, I was just upset. You don't act like this. You've never been like this. And as your best friend, I'd know. So tell me, what's going on?" Chase opened his mouth to tell him, but then he felt an excruciating pain in his mind. No, don't do that, Chase. Jason told him.
"It's none of your business."
"Chase...stop shutting us all out. Something is wrong with you, something is wrong with your mind. Ever since we escaped from Jason, you've been acting weird. Are you still trying to get your mind back? It did take a long time for Jason to leave you alone, so we will understand if you need some space to become yourself again.
Stupid pup. He thinks I left. I never did.
I know that, bitch. Chase replied.
"Just leave me alone, before I hurt you as well!" Chase barked at him, showing his fangs.
"You'd never hurt me," Marshall said.
"Yes, I would," Chase replied, springing to his paw and knocking Marshall over.
"What are you doing?!" Marshall shouted at him.
"You test my patience, pup. Go away, or I will hurt you worse than I hurt Zuma!"
"No! You're gonna tell me what's going on!" Marshall shouted. "I've had enough of this drama! You obviously are not yourself, and I am going to find out why today! I won't lose you. Not my best friend. Not my brother! I'll be out here all day if I have to be!" Marshall jumped up and kicked Chase in the stomach, sending him flying.
"So you want to fight do you?" Chase asked.
"No, I don't!" Marshall said. He began crying. "I don't want to do this, but I will if I have to!"
Chase came back, flying at him faster than a speeding bullet. Marshall was still prepared and tripped him before he got close enough, sending him sprawling in the dirt. He was not prepared, however, for a lightning bolt to come from the sky and knock him flat. Chase was upon him in a moment, claws drawn. Marshall sprang back to his paws, having a great pain tolerance, stamina, and endurance, to name a few. He fought paw to paw with Chase.
"Now, I'm going to tear your heart about, and bury it in the backyard!" Chase shouted. "Just let me get close enough!"
This is all just a game to you, isn't it? All you want is division and pain to rule!
Shut up, Chase. I'm enjoying the show.
What are we, television!?
Yep.
"Tell me! Stop fighting me!" Marshall yelled at him.
"Shut up!" Chase shouted back.
"Will you just listen for once?" Marshall cried. Marshall saw something in Chase's eyes flicking. What's going on with him?! Then, the look was gone, and Chase went back to his murderous persona. His claws struck out, and he tore a long gash down Marshall's side.
Suddenly, Marshall's eyes gleamed in anger, and the ground around him lit in a blaze of fury, fueled by the overwhelming pain in his side.
"I'm so sick and tired of your attitude! I'm so sick of your actions! Stop trying to hurt us! Stop trying to hurt me! AND I'M SICK AND TIRED OF ALWAYS BEING THE PEACEMAKER! WHAT IF I'M UPSET, HUH?! YOU THINK I NEVER GET ANGRY?!" Chase had to jump back to avoid being burned. But Marshall's fire spread and spread until the entire hillside was burning. "Come on then, Chase! Come burn in hell with me..." Marshall taunted. Chase looked behind him and a towering wall of fire blocked his escape route. The fire kept coming closer, forcing the two pups together.
"Let me go, Marshall!" Chase shouted.
"No! I'll keep this up until you tell me! You've gone way out of control! This isn't you! Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way! Either way, this ends today!"
He's catching on, figuring it out. Marshall is smarter than I took him for. Sigh... Chase, you're gonna have to kill him. He can't be allowed to figure it out!
No! I won't hurt him! I won't kill my brother! Chase shouted at Jason.
Yes, you will. He's catching on, he's figuring out that this isn't you. If he spreads this suspicion to everyone else, soon, they will figure out my secret.
You are lucky Marcus believed that once we got away, you'd lose your power over me! If they didn't think that, they would already be on to you! The only reason they think this is because you are using my, meaning your, anger, to make me do erratic things! You are tricking everyone! But my brother is smart, once he figures things out, they will know not to trust me! And if they don't trust me, then you can't hurt them!
That's why we are gonna get rid of this...errr...problem...now.
Chase ran straight towards Marshall, knocking him into the fire. His pelt erupted in flames but didn't burn. His cool, blue eyes turned red and became flames of fire.
"You really thought that would work, didn't you?" Marshall asked. The heat from the fire made Chase feel like he was in an oven set on self-clean.
Marshall fended off Chase, all the while his mind scrambling to put it together. Chase started acting like this after we left. He seemed slightly resentful of Rocky even then. But what did Rocky do to him?! Chase was feeling apathetic...he had no feeling...come on Marshall! Something is missing! You know what it is! Marshall was so caught up in his thoughts that he wasn't prepared for the lightning strike Chase conjured. He was shocked into reality. He vanished into the flames and appeared behind Chase. He pushed Chase onto the ground, tears streaming from his eyes.
"What happened to you?" he cried. "When...when did you stop loving us...loving me?" Chase staggered to his paws and ran around Marshall. Chase couldn't get too close, and the flames still burned, but he could still electrocute him. Wait...I think I'm getting something...
_________________________________________________________
Marshall's mind...
"Marshall...I can't...I don't know how much longer...I can hold on..." Chase murmured.
"Don't worry, Chase. One day, we're gonna get out of here. And when we do, you'll have your mind back. I hope Rocky figures something out...quickly." Marshall said.
"It's buzzing in my brain. Every day, I feel myself losing more and more control over myself...like...I'm alive, but I'm not."
"Just....hold on for us, Chase. Don't let him win."
"But what is he does?"
"Then we will face it together, okay?" More swirling memories.
Marshall's mind...
It's too much...too long...I can't fight anymore. Chase thought as the pups ran for their lives.
"You can do it, buddy. We're almost free! Don't give in, just a little longer!" Marshall panted, barely able to breathe, Chase pushed back again.
Give in, Chase.
Never.
________________________________________________________
Chase lashed out at Marshall.
Kill him. Jason demanded. Stop fighting me! You will murder Marshall, and you will do it now! I command you!
Marshall staggered back, only to be hit by the largest strike of lightning yet. The fires instantly disappeared, dying with its master. Marshall felt himself slipping away.
"I'm sorry, Chase," he whispered. "I was only trying to help you..." Chase stood over him, claws extended.
"Goodbye, Marshall." he spat. "I hope you had a good life, because now...it's over." The pups, who couldn't see anything through the fire, could finally see what was happening. And now they wish they couldn't. Chase had one paw on Marshall's chest, growling ferociously.
________________________________________________________
Chase's mind...
Zuma and Michael came back, laying Rocky down before them.
"Is he..." Zuma asked very quietly. Marshall took his pulse and nodded sadly. Zuma's howl of grief completely crushed Chase.
You win. I don't want to fight anymore. Chase surrendered. I just can't...I don't have it in me. It hurts too badly. Why should I fight for freedom, when this pup had to die to give it to us? Do what you want...I'm done. An invasive feeling filled Chase's mind, and the dull buzzing went away, along with the mental agony.
Good choice pup....good choice. Jason sang to him.
___________________________________________________________
"I know you are in there somewhere, Chase." Marshall gasped. "Please...come back to us..."
"I'm sorry, Marshall. I can't." Chase said, tears running down his cheeks.
I want you to feel the pain as you murder your best friend. He's inspiring you to fight back...but with him gone...you have no one. Chase closed his eyes, unable to watch as he drew his arm in an arc that would slice Marshall's throat and end his life.
____________________________________________________________
Rocky and Zuma went up to the second floor with Ryder. Ryder walked out and Rocky followed his lead. Rocky bent down and let Zuma off of him.
"We need to talk, guys," Ryder said sternly. "I know Chase has been acting..."
"No, Ryder." Rocky cut him off. "I'm not about to sit here and be lectured by you. Chase beat me up, beat up Zuma, and completely destroyed his self-esteem! If I hadn't built it back up, that would still be the case!"
"Yes...but..." Ryder was cut off again.
"He tripped me on purpose, almost broke my nose, and lied about it! He broke Zuma's ribs, that's why he still can't walk! I was able to help him some, but he'll have to do most of the work. But he can't even do that, because Chase injured him so badly, he can't muster enough energy as of yet to do so!" Rocky continued. "So I bring Zuma in his beaten up, abused state to get something to eat. I accidentally bump into Chase on the way to the kitchen. Chase decides to hit me. I hit him back. End of story." Rocky finished.
"But you freaking threw him through the glass!" Ryder shouted. "He could've died from blood loss!
"TELL THAT TO ZUMA! Because If I hadn't been so worried about Zuma yesterday, he'd already be burning in hell." Rocky shot back.
"But you...you can't just..." Ryder ran his fingers through his hair, unable to speak.
"Am I not allowed to defend myself?" Rocky asked. "Am I not allowed to defend the ones I love?"
Damn, Rocky. You're good at this. Zuma cheered.
Thanks. I don't normally get into arguments, but when I do, I normally always win.
"But, Zuma, you refused to help your own teammate!" Ryder exclaimed.
"He's not my teammate. Not anymore." Zuma scoffed. "Furthermore, I did help him. Only as a favor to Mawshall."
"But you still..." Ryder was cut short, as flames suddenly circled the Lookout.
"Umm...Wocky, dude?" Zuma asked. "I know you are upset but..."
"This isn't me, Zuma. It's Marshall." Rocky replied. "I'd better go see what's going on. We'll continue this conversation later." Ryder said, running to the pole while Rocky, carrying Zuma, ran to the slide. They heard fighting the moment they got to the bottom.
"Marshall! Marshall what are you doing?!" Skye shouted. All they heard was furious fighting, the flames too high to see through and too hot to get close to. But after a while, the flames suddenly disappeared.
"Chase! Again?!" Rocky shouted. "For the love of God...!"
"I'm sorry, Marshall. I can't," he said. He swung his paws down. Marshall closed his eyes as he waited for death to come...but it never did. He dared a look at Chase. He was standing on his hindpaws, shaking his head.
"I SAID NO! I WILL NOT KILL MY BROTHER!" he shouted. He gave a long cry of agony and fell to the ground.
"Marshall, run... get out of here... I can't hold him.... off... forever..."
"What?" Marshall asked. "What's going on!"
"Marshall, I'm begging you...don't trust me...Jason...is still controlling my mind..." Chase began, tossing and turning and churning the grass and dirt up with his paws. All the pups surrounded him, and their eyes got big.
"Chase...he doesn't have a choice..." Skye murmured, looking like she was about to cry.
"I should've killed him before we left." Rocky shouted. "All this time, I've been fighting, even hurting my friend, who was forced to do his bidding! I should've just killed JASON!" Rocky began cursing up a storm, and nature obeyed him. A large storm began forming, and the wind began whipping at the grass, and the trees. Small tornadoes touched down, and debris flew through the air.
Marcus ran to Chase's side.
"Chase...I need you to breathe," he said. Chase was tossing his head, and pawing at the ground, and gasping for breath.
"I can't...Marcus...I'm...slipping again..." Chase murmured. "Please...someone kill me...don't make me go back..."
"What?!" Skye asked. "Kill you!"
"I...can't be...trusted...he knows...everything...I know...I had to call...Ahhhh!" Chase screamed, as pain seared through his mind. But he forced himself to keep fighting. "...the FBI....I had to....turn Rocky in! You've gotta....run, dude....you've gotta....getaway....He wants you..." Chase screamed again in agony. He couldn't see anything but white. "...for your power! You can't trust me...please...don't let him take me again...just kill me..." Chase begged. "Don't make me hurt you again!"
"Hold on....you're stronger than him! Fight him! Fight him!" Skye shouted.
"You can do it, Chase! We believe in you!" Marshall said, staggering to his paws and Zuma healed him. "We aren't going to kill, you Chase. We need you, we need the real Chase back!" The fire relit itself, Marshall's energy, and Rocky's wind giving it the strength it needed.
"Guys...I can't do it..." Chase sighed. "I'm sorry..." Marcus put a paw over Chase's head comfortingly. His paws glowed gray, and images and sounds from Chase's mind swirled through his own.
"I...I sense him..." Marcus said. "I sense Jason in Chase's mind. He's been here for a long time..."
"How?" Rubble asked.
"I don't know...I just have this feeling. I think...I think I can talk to him!" Marcus said.
"No is not the time to question your powers! If you can save Chase, do it!" Marshall shouted. Chase's eyes flickered, and it was evident he was losing the war....again...
Jason...I don't know if you can hear me, but I command you to leave Chase be! Let him go!"
Marcus? What are you doing here? Jason replied.
That is none of your concern. Marcus replied. Let him go. Now.
I'll never let him go. And with what power do you have to tell me what to do? Marcus felt a surge of energy in his body.
"Yes, you will! I command you, by my own power, to let Chase go!"
Chase suddenly screamed in pain, and his body fell still. Marcus stumbled backward.
"What...what was that?" Rubble asked.
"I...I don't know..." Marcus said. "I just felt this power. I felt like I could command him to stop. And...it worked...:"
Chase got to his paws.
"He's gone..." he breathed.
"What!?" Marcus asked.
"He's gone. He's not in my mind anymore! I'm free! I can speak freely...I can control my own body now!" Suddenly, Marcus was picked up and Chase hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much!"
"Umm...you're welcome?" Marcus asked. "I don't know what I did, though..."
"We will figure it out later. But whatever you did...you saved him." Ryder said, scratching him behind his ear.
Zuma soon had Chase fixed up.
"There. I healed everything, but your mind is still in shambles. If I don't fix that, you awe gonna have mental pwoblems and amnesia. I'm putting you into a magically induced sleep. This will allow my powers to heal your mind." Chase began feeling dizzy.
"Sleep now..." Zuma said.
"No...I can't...where is Rocky...I have to talk to him..." Chase murmured, fighting to keep his eyes open. "
"Rocky!" Marcus called. "Chase wants to talk to you." Rocky ran over and sat beside his boyfriend.
"Chase...I'm sorry..." Rocky began.
"No, Rocky...I understand." Chase said. "Chase had me turn you in. I'm sorry...I couldn't stop myself...they're coming for you, Rocky...you have to leave...now..." Rocky gasped and stumbled back.
"Zuma...I want you...to know." Chase's voice became very quiet. "I'd never say...all those things about you...I wanted to die...I'm sorry for hurting you..." Zuma hugged him.
"It's okay, Chase. I forgive you," he said. "Now sleep." Chase closed his eyes and passed out.
Suddenly, sirens were heard. Shit... Rocky thought. Rocky looked down and saw that the entire hillside had been surrounded by a barricade of S.W.A.T vehicles.
"Rocky of the Paw Patrol! You are surrounded!" Rocky heard through a megaphone. "Come down with your paws up, or we will come up and take you by force!" Zuma immediately clung to Rocky and trembled, burying his snout in Rocky's chest.
"I'm not coming down there! I won't let you take me!" Rocky shouted, wrapping his forepaws around Zuma and hugging him close. He nuzzled Zuma's head, and all the pups but Marshall were confused at Rocky's uncharacteristic (or so they thought) affection for Zuma.
Not again...not again! Zuma screamed mentally. Don't leave me again. I can't bear it. I can't!
"Hush, Zumi," Rocky murmured softly. "It's gonna be alright." He stared at one of the vehicles with a death glare. It erupted into flames, exploding violently. Warning shots were fired.
"Guys...get inside," he commanded. "Take Zuma with you. Don't let him out of the Lookout, he'll get himself killed."
"No! Don't make me leave you!" Zuma cried. "I want to help!"
"I'm sorry, Zuma," Rocky said. Marshall helped Zuma get inside, and Marcus carried Chase.
Rocky took a deep breath after they were gone. "I'm not going down without a fight!" he said, standing his ground. "You're outclassed, and outmatched. Just go now and I'll let you go."
"Let us go? We are the ones with the weapons."
The special agents pulled their guns and pointed them at Rocky. Rocky put his paws up. Suddenly, the wind began to blow. Thunder boomed, and lightning cracked.
"Do you know who you are dealing with?" Rocky asked. "I command nature itself. If that isn't a superior weapon, I don't know what it is. Go away, or face the consequences. I'm warning you, I will kill each and every one of you if you try to kill me."
"Ha! There is no way he is doing that. Besides, what's a little bad weather?" one man asked.
"So...will you leave me alone?" Rocky asked. The man replied by shooting Rocky multiple times in the chest and side. Rocky didn't even flinch, even as blood streamed from his pelt and onto the grass. His eyes gleamed with a power he didn't normally possess. The agents stood unnerved, as they were sure Rocky was a dead dog by now.
"Wrong answer." Rocky sang. Then all hell broke loose.
Hiiiiiiii!
Marshall suspects something is up with Chase, and he demands Chase to tell him what is going on with him. Chase fights him instead, by command of Jason, and tries to kill him. Marshall puts up a good fight, but with Chase being under mind control, pain and exhaustion don't affect him as much. Chase does whatever Jason tells him, but when ordered to kill Marshall, his best friend, (he even considers Marshall his brother), Chase refuses. He fights back with strength gained from not wanting to hurt Marshall anymore.
In his tortured, agonized condition, Chase tells his friends of Jason's actions, and that he can't be trusted. He also warns Rocky that he was forced to rat him out.
As Chase fights to take his possessed body back, Marcus says he can feel Jason's presence in Chase when he touched him.
And so, like the Loric and their Legacies, Marcus's power kicked in when he really needed it, though no one is sure what it is yet. (I base most of the pups' powers off of the Lorien Garde's powers.)
Marcus commands Jason out of Chase. He is forced out, and Chase is given his mind back. Zuma heals him but has to put him to sleep to put his mind back together. Before he passes out though, Chase warns Rocky again and apologizes to Zuma, who understands completely.
It was a nice thought, but you've gotta be quicker than that if you want to escape from Johnny Law. So now, the Lookout is surrounded, and Rocky tells everyone to go inside. He takes special care to calm down Zuma, then he tells the pups not to let Zuma out, as he will get himself killed. And now Rocky is squaring up with multiple squads of agents. Who will win this match? And what will the pups do now? Find out next.
The next chapter will be up soon. Cya!