"You don't deserve love!"

Humdinger punched him in the chest, and then did it again despite the shouts of protests from the audience.

"Stop!" Chase rushed forward and tried to get him off, only for Humdinger to grab him by his ears and throw him onto the original five.

"Ryder, don't listen to him!" Carlos pleaded as he tried to get closer, only for the kittens to tackle him to the ground, "Argh, get off me you hissy fits! Ryder, it's okay!"

"No it's not okay when you start thinking that this world would accept a pathetic fleshbag like you!" Humdinger slapped Ryder and kicked him back.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" The Duke of Barkingburg demanded as he stormed over. "You are not to hurt others this way."

"Oh yeah!? Well I don't care!" He punched the duke back. "Look at this, you reject! Everyone's getting hurt because of you! Everyone hates you now!"

"No that's not true—" Everest protested.

"They're lying!" Humdinger grabbed Ryder by his collar and made him look at the people around. "You're pathetic, useless and self-centered. Why else would all these people get hurt?"

"You are a speck of dust who always forgets his place, so I'm going to find the newcomer and beat him up like how I did to your old crush and make you understand that YOU are a waste of space!"

And that... was when he finally snapped.

Ryder... finally snapped.

With a loud agonised scream, he rushed forward and got Galaxy Weapon 6 out before stabbing his dad on the chest.

As he watched the other writhe in agony, he pulled out the bloodied sword and turned to the others, eyes slowly turning a crimson red.

Then, he screamed again and a dark mist began to surround him as his clothes began to change.

Steven could only watch with a pale face on as Ryder then destroyed a wall with a blast and floated out, leaving huge chaos in his wake.

"Ryder!" Steven was about to chase after him when he tripped on the so-called Mayor of Foggy Bottom and fell onto the ground.

"No!" A new voice suddenly yelled, and they turned to see three kids rushing in.

"Gigant Saver, go after him!" The new kid yelled.

"You got it, Pilseung!" A huge robot yelled back before he zoomed through the debris and headed after Ryder.

Pilseung was his name, Steven noted quietly as he got up, and the mayor shot up and roughly pushed him aside before limping off, only to be grabbed by Carlos.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Carlos angrily yelled at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, trying to pass off as innocent.

"You think you can just burst in and assault your own son!?" Carlos was angrier though. He had come to this event to talk to Ryder about it, and yet this jerk had hurt him AGAIN! "You think you have a right to act innocent when you've abused him all his life!? When you beat me up just to prove a point to him, you absolute trashbag!? I still have the wounds to prove it! You and your wife are the worst!"

"WHAT?!" Wild Cat's eyes widened in shock.

Everest gaped, and so did Tracker, Tuck, Ella, and Rex.

What?

Humdinger... was his dad...

And he had been abused?...

Suddenly everything made sense.

How had they not realised it?

"I... I knew it..."

Everyone's eyes then turned to Steven, whose legs had lost their power as he mumbled, "I knew he was hurting... I knew it was Humdinger who was causing it... But... I didn't act on it."

"Me? Cause Ryder pain?" Humdinger scoffed, slowly inching to the exit as he spoke. "You're delusional. Maybe it's your relationship with him that's doing that—"

A new silence echoed as Carlos punched him, followed by the Princess using her heels to pressure his foot.

"SHUT UP YOU EVIL PIECE OF TRASH!" Carlos snarled. "You're the one causing people pain! I've been trying to tell Ryder to tell everyone about his past, but he refuses, saying that he can handle it! BUT NO! YOU SHOW UP EVERY F*CKING TIME TO HURT HIM! DO YOU TAKE PRIDE IN HURTING OTHERS?! IS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE SO USELESSLY ARROGANT AND STUPID?! WHATEVER IT IS, YOU DESERVE TO ROT IN A F*CKING DUNGEON!"

"I agree with him!" The Princess' eyes narrowed. "You're the reason he ran off!"

"As if! He just ran off because it was convenient for him—"

And suddenly, Steven's legs moved, and he punched Humdinger down.

He could feel his skin growing pink, but he didn't care.

For once, he was feeling rage AND calm at the same time.

"Get out right now. People like you disgust me so much I don't even want to waste my f*cking energy on you," he growled. "You never admit your wrongs, and you always pin it on others like Ryder. How you and your f*cking wife gave birth to a kind soul like Ryder I will never know. He deserves the world, no, the universe for what you did to him. And I..."

He remembered the time he had spent with his crush. Ryder's smile. His laugh. Everything about him was just... so rawly authentic.

And there was no way he was going to let that die out. Ever.

"I won't let you hurt him. I will go after him, and I will do whatever it takes to let him know that he's loved. I want to let him know... That I love him. With every single fiber of my being."

"Steven..."

A small tug made him look down to look at Everest, who gave a determined smile as she said, "Me too."

"Count me in!" Tracker and Carlos said together.

"We are totally in!" Tuck and Ella then chorused.

"We're not going to leave Ryder to suffer alone!" Rex declared.

"Guys..." he smiled back.

"I share the sentiment. If I have to get dirty, so be it," the Princess agreed.

"Indeed. He has done many a good deed for the kingdom as the leader of the PAW Patrol AND a friend. It is time we repay him," the Duke nodded.

"And we're in too," a new hand placed itself on his shoulder, making them turn to see the three kids.

"Our first language isn't English, but we got the gist, and we want to help," the female spoke.

"Yeah!" The brunette male smiled. "I'm Kang Taeyang, by the way."

"And I'm Oh Pilseung," Pilseung nodded to them.

"I'm Rosie from Unicorn. It is nice to meet all of you, and I apologise for dragging you into our mess."

Their mess?

He suddenly remembered White's words, and said, "Wait, are you from the Unicorn planet whose king used both Galaxy Weapon 1 and 6?"

She nodded, "Steven Universe, I assume. I have heard of your exploits. I'm afraid that your friend got dragged into our battle against Demonseu..."

"Demonseu? Who's that?" A new voice asked, and everyone turned once more to see a hay blonde female walk in.

"Cousin Cheetah!" Humdinger was about to hug her when she kicked him back, "Ow!"

"I'm not going to lie anymore," she snapped at him. "I won't let your words control me ever again."

"Wait, are you an aunt of Ryder's?" The Princess asked.

"I am. I need to join the team, too."

Steven saw the hesitation in the others' eyes, and she quickly said, "It's for Ryder... I know I haven't been the best person. I know I'm selfish, rotten, and all the other things... I let my cousin do as he wished."

"HEY!"

Promptly ignoring him, she turned to Steven and said, "I want to help. However I can do it, I will. He deserves happiness for everything he's been through."

Steven looked at her, and what he saw wasn't malice in any way.

It was an earnest desire. One that was fueled by regret and guilt.

Who was he to say no to her?

"Alright then," he smiled, and held out his hand. "Steven Universe."

"Layla Humdinger," she introduced herself and shook his hand, before she turned to the other pups and bowed. "I know I have done wrong to you, but I beg of you to let me join."

The team looked at each other.

But then Everest sighed, "I guess it should be fine."

Tracker nodded, and soon the others slowly agreed to it.

Well, all of them except for the original six, who, now that Steven thought about it, had been quiet. TOO quiet.

"Wait, where's Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, Skye and Rubble?" He asked.

Everyone actually stopped.

And as their eyes scanned the room, Steven's stomach grew butterflies from their cocoons.

They... must have gone with Ryder...

"Ha... hahaahaha.... HAHHAHAHA!"

Everyone's heads swiveled over to the laughing mayor of Foggy Bottom, who seemed... amused by this display.

Steven's anger burned once more. This guy was crazy!

"Y-You never even realised it... Hihihihihi!" He giggled, a crazed look in his eyes as he looked at them. "And you call yourselves his friends.... AHHAAHAHAHHAHA!"

"You little...!"

Layla suddenly punched him on the face, and kicked him straight on the face with the sole of her running shoe, knocking him out in one blow.

"He's such a jerk," she scowled. "How I put up with him is a mystery. And to think I was the same way... No wonder you hate me."

"Not anymore," Tracker grinned.

Steven could feel the atmosphere lighten up. Welp, that was one way to earn their respect; punch the abusive dad and knock him out before he could make up flimsy excuses for what he did to Ryder.

He smiled slightly. That was good, but it didn't solve the problem they still had; how to catch up with Ryder and stop him before this Demonseu dude used him for his evil plans.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked once everyone had settled down.

"I think we can still catch up to Gigant Saver if we hurry," Pilseung offered.

"I also sent Sonic Stealth to help," Taeyang added. "He's good with going invisible, so they should be fine for now."

"That's great," Steven sighed. "Anyway, if they went with Ryder, their puptags should also be with them. Unless they reach a place we can't go to."

"Perhaps we can check it out," Carlos suggested. "The PAW Patroller should be enough."

"Good point," he nodded, and his footsteps moved to head outside, the others following as he headed up the stairs and rushed to the control center of the Patroller, "Robo-Dog, we have a situation! Can you find out where Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rocky, Zuma or Rubble are?!"

The robot looked up, but he sensed the urgency, and quickly brought up a map that showed them where they were.

"Where on earth is that?!" Wild Cat gaped.

"The South Pole!" Pilseung and Everest chorused at the same time, before sharing a surprised glance.

"You've been there before?" Everest asked.

"I was there to help a penguin," he answered. "Did you live there before?"

"Totally!" She grinned.

"Then we have two guides to help us navigate through the ice!" Rosie exhaled in relief. "That's great!"

"So it's off to the Pole?" Layla asked.

"The Pole we go," Steven nodded.

"Let's get ready to head there," Taeyang stretched.

"Alright. We'll need to gear up then," Steven turned to everyone.

"How do we do that, though? Ryder was the one who made all the gear," Carlos asked.

Steven frowned slightly. He had a point. Ryder was the one who had made almost all the gear. How would they—

He snapped his fingers, and grinned, "I have an idea."