Someone moved from beside him, and he barely registered Chase dashing towards Marshall's side, screaming his name.

He was in shock, and he couldn't do anything but watch as his police dog frantically searched for any sign of life from the unconscious dalmatian.

"Marshall?" Chase whimpered as he pumped the dalmatian's chest using his front paws. "Marshall, buddy, please wake up. This isn't funny anymore."

When Ryder finally found it in himself to move, he gently grabbed the distraught police dog away from the lifeless body.

"He's gone, Chase. He's gone," he whispered, cradling Chase close to him as the shepherd struggled to get out from his tight grip.

"NO!" Chase screamed at him as he desperately tried to get to Marshall. "MARSHALL ISN'T DEAD! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE HE'S DEAD!"

"HE'S DEAD, CHASE!" Ryder screamed back at him, tears gathering in his eyes. "I KNOW YOU'RE HURT, BUT HOW ABOUT ME?! HOW ABOUT RUBBLE?! HOW ABOUT THE OTHERS WHEN THEY HEAR OF THIS NEWS?! HOW ABOUT EVEREST?!"

As much as Ryder wanted to just break down crying on the forest floor, they still have a job to finish. Because even with one pup down, they still have to get the job done.

"Chase," Ryder said softly, tilting the shepherd's chin so he could look into his amber eyes. "Marshall is dead, and we can't change that. All we can do now is to finish what we've started so we can go back to the Lookout and grieve properly, okay?"

Chase's eyes were still brimmed with tears, but there was a glint of determination in them. "We'll stop this fire, Ryder sir. For Marshall."

"For Marshall," Ryder whispered, glancing at the lifeless dalmatian beside him. "For Marshall."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rubble just kept quiet as Ryder and Chase talked.

He wasn't as close to Marshall as the two were, but his friend's death still crushed him.

Here was the guy who introduced him to his favorite superhero, the guy who cheered him up when he's sad, and the guy who was the first pup to make him feel at home at the Lookout.

He was the light of everyone's world, and now he was dead.

Rubble watched as Ryder scooped up Marshall's body in his arms and made his way back to the truck where the others were waiting.

"Is that Marshall?" Skye asked in concern.

"What happened? Is he okay?"

Rubble couldn't help but let out a whimper at Zuma's question. No, he's not okay. He's dead, Zuma. Marshall's dead.

"Pups..." Ryder whispered, setting the body on the ground. "Marshall's dead."

Silence. Not even the raging fire made a sound as Ryder's words sunk in with everyone's heads. Rubble could see that everyone was shocked at the revelation.

Rocky was the one who broke the silence. "Marshall's dead?"

His voice cracked in the end, and it was obvious that he's one step away from breaking down on the ground in tears. Rubble whimpered and went to nuzzle Rocky.

"Hey, hey, listen," Ryder said softly as knelt down on the ground so he could look at them in the eye. "I know you're all devastated what happened. I am too. But we still have a fire to tackle, and I know that Marshall wouldn't want to leave this fire burning."

"But Ryder," Skye whimpered. "Without Marshall, who's gonna lead us?"

"I will. I may not be as good as Marshall in firefighting, but I can lead you guys in fire rescues until..." Ryder paused, swallowing hard. "Until Blaze or Snow is old enough to take their father's place."

"But for now, we're gonna put out this fire. For Marshall."

"For Marshall," Chase said with utmost determination.

"For Marshall!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rubble went to help Ryder in aiming the hose where the fire was the thickest while the other pups used the hoses in their pup packs to take care of the smaller fires.

The bulldog sneaked a look at their owner and saw that the brunette had tears streaming down his cheeks. It was the moment Rubble realized that Marshall's death had hit him hard, perhaps harder than anyone on the team.

"Ryder?" Rubble called out quietly.

"Y-yeah, Rubble?" Ryder answered while trying to discreetly wipe his tears away.

"What happens now?" the construction dog whimpered. "Marshall is g-gone. Are we gonna replace him? Do we have to replace him?"

Ryder didn't speak at first, but when he did, his voice was shaky. "Marshall was my very first pup. I can't... I don't want to replace him. But I know I have to. I..."

Ryder shook his head and went back to focus on the fire. "You pups... you mean so much to me, much more than you realize. I can't imagine ever replacing you guys. You're practically my family."

"I know, Ryder," Rubble said softly. "I know."

The two continued to spray water on the fire in silence until there was no fire left. The rest of the Paw Patrol regrouped by Jake's Cabin, where they saw the two climbers resting. Robert looked really guilty and avoided eye contact with any of them.

Ryder noticed this and gave the two a strained smile. "It's okay, Robert. Marshall knew the risks when he first joined the Paw Patrol."

"Let's just get you both to the hospital," he said softly. "Chase? Can you push the button to deploy the mini ambulance?"

Rubble tried to hold back tears. The addition of the mini ambulance in the fire truck was actually Marshall's idea after he got injured in a fire rescue.

Chase seemed to remember this as well because he sneaked a look in his direction before clicking the said button on the main control, watching as the side of the ultimate fire truck opened to release the mini ambulance.

"Can I drive them there?" Rubble asked his owner.

"Of course, Rubble. Drive safely, okay? We'll meet you back at the Lookout."

Ryder was oddly gentle today, but the bulldog could understand where he was coming from. They just lost Marshall today, and they can't afford to lose another.

"I will, Ryder. I promise."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There will be a continuation of Rubble's POV in the next chapter, followed by Everest's POV. You'll also catch a glimpse of Blaze and Snow, who are Marshall and Everest's twin pups.