Ryder made his way downstairs anyway, stubborn as always.

Marshall caught him the second he stepped into the kitchen.

Rubble, Zuma, and Rocky were already there too, sleepy but waking up fast at the sight of Ryder walking around like nothing happened.

Marshall's ears lowered instantly. "Ryder... you're supposed to be resting."

Ryder lifted his good hand in surrender. "I'm okay," he insisted. "I'm just making breakfast."

Marshall planted himself between Ryder and the counter. "You have broken ribs, dude."

"I know," Ryder said, exhaling carefully. "But I can still pour kibble."

Zuma frowned. "You're gonna hurt yourself."

Ryder gave him a look that was half soft, half stubborn. "I'll sit after," he promised. "Just let me do this one thing."

Chase walked in mid-argument and immediately stiffened. "Ryder sir—"

"I'm fine," Ryder said quickly before Chase could spiral. He forced a smile. "Seriously. I just wanted a normal morning."

That word—normal—hit all of them.

They let him pour the bowls. They let him make toast for himself. But Marshall didn't stop watching him for even a second, like he was waiting for Ryder to wobble.

When breakfast was done, Ryder sat down and tried to relax.

Outside the windows, the sun was bright and the town looked calm.

It almost felt like the nightmare had been a bad dream.

Almost.

After breakfast, the pups decided they needed to burn off the anxious energy they'd been carrying for days.

Soccer sounded like a good distraction.

They went outside and started a game in the yard, barking and chasing the ball back and forth. Rubble was surprisingly aggressive, skidding through the grass like a tiny bulldozer. Zuma played defense like he was guarding the ocean. Rocky kept calling plays like a coach.

Skye, of course, kept doing tiny flips every time she scored, just because she could.

Ryder sat on the steps with a blanket over his legs, smiling faintly as he watched them. The laughter helped. The normal helped.

But every time he breathed too deep, pain reminded him he wasn't healed.

And every time he looked at Chase, he could see Chase wasn't either.

Chase kept glancing toward the road like he expected someone to come up the hill again.

Like his body didn't believe danger was gone.

A few hours later, a cabin near Jake's Mountain—about as far as you could get from the Lookout—went up in flames.

Smoke poured into the sky.

And the phone rang at exactly the right moment.

Inside the Lookout, Ryder's pup pad buzzed.

Ryder answered quickly. "Ryder here."

Jake's voice came through frantic and loud, wind and crackling fire behind him. "Ryder! You need to come fast! There's a cabin on fire and—I think there are people inside!"

Ryder's stomach dropped.

"We're on our way," Ryder said, instantly slipping back into leader mode. "No fire is too big, no pup is too small. PAW Patrol to the Lookout!"

"Ryder needs us!" the pups barked, racing for the elevator.

Marshall, as always, tripped—this time over a chew toy—and took everybody down like dominoes as they crashed into the elevator in a tangled heap of paws and yelps.

Marshall groaned. "Never fails."

Skye giggled. Even Rocky cracked a smile.

They geared up fast. Pup packs clicked. Collars glowed. Helmets snapped into place.

At the top, Chase stood tall. "PAW Patrol ready for action, Ryder sir."

Ryder's gaze sharpened on the screen feed. Smoke was thick. Flames were climbing. Jake was pacing with panic in the camera view.

"Alright, pups. This is an ultimate fire rescue," Ryder said, voice steady. "Cabin fire at Jake's Mountain. Possible people trapped."

He looked at Marshall. "Marshall, you're leading this. You take point on the fire."

Marshall nodded hard. "I'm ready for a ruff-ruff rescue!"

Ryder started to assign the others too, because his instincts screamed for full coverage—

But Marshall cut in, voice firm. "Ryder. Stay here."

Ryder hesitated. He hated it. He hated hearing it.

But he also knew Marshall was right.

Ryder swallowed the frustration and nodded once. "Okay. I'll coordinate from here."

Marshall slid down the chute. The rest followed, engines roaring as they raced toward Jake's Mountain.

Ryder watched the screens and forced himself to stay calm.

He tracked wind direction. He watched flame spread. He listened to radio chatter.

The pups did everything right.

Marshall blasted foam across the roofline. Rocky secured weak supports so the structure didn't collapse. Rubble cleared debris to make a safe path. Skye scanned from above, checking for anyone trapped. Zuma handled water supply, hauling hoses and keeping the team hydrated.

It was fast. It was clean.

It was professional.

And when they entered the cabin to search...

No one was inside.

Ryder's fingers tightened on the desk.

That's... weird.

He didn't even get to finish the thought.

Because behind him—

The elevator pinged.

Ryder turned.

And his blood went cold.

Jim stood at the top of the elevator like he belonged there.

Like he hadn't been a nightmare Ryder escaped years ago.

Ryder's whole body trembled, but he forced himself to stand anyway, jaw tight.

"W-what are you doing here?" Ryder asked.

Jim smiled. Not friendly. Not even close.

"We have unfinished business," Jim said, stepping forward. "Now I don't want trouble, so you're coming with me."

Ryder swallowed hard, forcing air into lungs that still hurt. "No," he said, voice shaking but real. "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

Jim's eyebrows lifted like he was amused.

"I figured you'd say that," Jim replied calmly. Then he pulled out his phone. "So I had my accomplice take something of yours."

He played a video.

Ryder's stomach dropped through the floor.

Katie was trapped in a cage, hands gripping the bars, face pale. Mayor Humdinger stood nearby, smirking like this was a game.

"Katie..." Ryder breathed.

Jim's grin widened. "Now if you want your little girlfriend to live..." His voice lowered. "You'll come with me."

Ryder's mind raced—alarm button, emergency broadcast, call the pups back—

But Katie's eyes on that screen shattered every option except one.

Ryder nodded once, stiffly.

Jim stepped closer. "Good."

Ryder walked into the elevator beside him.

The doors shut.

And the Lookout swallowed the sound.

At Jake's Mountain, the pups wrapped the mission up quickly, proud of how smoothly it went.

But the fact that no one had been inside the cabin didn't feel like a win.

It felt staged.

Chase felt it in his bones.

They raced back.

Chase ran into the Lookout first, already calling out, "Ryder sir! Mission complete!"

No answer.

Chase's stomach dropped.

He sprinted through the kitchen, the control room, the medical room.

Nothing.

Chase growled under his breath. "Ugh... not again."

The others rushed in behind him.

"What's wrong?" Rocky demanded. "Where's Ryder?"

"I don't know," Chase snapped. "Rocky—security cameras. Now."

Rocky didn't hesitate. "Yes sir."

Marshall's ears lowered, guilt flashing across his face. "I told him to stay here..."

Skye whispered, almost to herself, "Ryder wouldn't just leave."

Rocky pulled up the footage.

And froze.

"Oh no," Rocky breathed.

Chase's head whipped toward the screen. "What?"

Rocky's voice went tight. "Chase... you're gonna want to see this."

They crowded around.

The footage showed the elevator opening.

Jim stepping out.

Ryder stiffening.

Jim showing him the video.

Ryder walking into the elevator—

Then disappearing.

Skye's eyes filled instantly. "Why is it always Ryder?" she whispered, voice breaking.

Rubble whimpered, pressing into Zuma like he didn't know what else to do.

Zuma forced himself to breathe. "He still has his pup pad, right? Can't we track him?"

Rocky's paws flew over the keyboard.

Then his face fell.

He stared at the screen like it was mocking him.

"The signal..." Rocky whispered. "It's coming from the Lookout."

Chase's ears pinned back. "He left it."

Marshall's voice was tight. "Smart kid."

The pup pad started ringing—loud, urgent, relentless.

Chase snapped to it and answered instantly. "PAW Patrol."

Mayor Goodway's voice came through panicked. "Chase! I was expecting Ryder— but you need to come quickly! There are robots destroying the town!"

Chase's gaze flicked to the pups.

They were already in position.

Already furious.

"We're on it, Mayor," Chase said, voice hard with determination. "No robot is too much, no pup is too small."

He ended the call and turned to his team.

"All paws on deck," Chase said.

And this time, it wasn't a catchphrase.

It was war.

Skye launched first, eyes burning. "This puppy's gotta fly!"

Rubble stomped a paw. "Rubble on the double!"

Zuma's voice went steady. "Let's dive in!"

Rocky's jaw tightened. "Green means go!"

Marshall squared up. "I'm ready for a ruff-ruff rescue!"

Chase's eyes flashed. "Chase is on the case." His voice dropped, fierce and focused. "PAW Patrol is on a roll."

They hit the slide.

Engines roared.

And Adventure Bay—already under attack—was about to find out what the PAW Patrol looked like when they weren't just rescuing.

They were fighting for Ryder.