Leo And Company

AN: This story is a mix between "PAW Patrol" and one of my favorite Disney movies, "Oliver And Company". I hope you enjoy it. Oh, this is also a musical story, so please, if you're reading this, keep that in mind.

Casting[]

Chapter 1: Once Upon A Time In Adventure City[]

The streets and sidewalks of Adventure City were full of hurrying cars and people getting to where they need to be. But on one street corner, someone had left a small cardboard box with four kittens inside. As time went by, people thought the kittens were cute and adopted them all, except one. Nobody picked the orange kitten. The kitten was alone, scared, and very hungry. But then, one day, something that smells so delicious grabbed his nose.

"Mmm, what's that yummy smell?" he said as his mouth began to water. He climbed out of the box and could see a man selling hot dogs. The cat walked cheerfully up to the stand and was about to take a string of hot dogs when…

"Hey, beat it! You're scaring off my customers!" the vendor said, grabbing the kitten and throwing it into an alley.

"Oh, how am I going to get those hot dogs now?!" the kitten moaned over the grumble of his stomach.

"Lemme help you out, kiddo."

The kitten turned around and started to turn pale; there, leaning against a dumpster… was a dog!

Chapter 2: Learning A Thing Or Two About Rhythm[]

Frozen in fear, the kitten trembled at the sight of the dog. He was a Dalmatian with black spots that looked like puffs of smoke, and he wore a red bandanna around his neck. Quickly, the kitten backed away as his hackles stood up.

"Get away from me!"

"Whoa, whoa, relax. I don't eat cats. Too much fur for my taste. You know, I saw what happened, and to me, it looks like you need some advice."

"How do you mean?" the kitten asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, put it this way, kid. You need to master your skills with a little bit of rhythm. City's got a beat that you need to hook into. Once you're one with the beat, you can do anything."

"Gosh. Do you think I can do it?" the kitten asked in wonder as the two animals walked up to the alley entrance.

"Absitively Posolutely," the Dalmatian said, rubbing the kitten's head with a paw. "Now here's the plan: you distract the vendor while I get us some grub. You feelin' that rhythm now?"

"Uhh…"

At the rumble of a nearby jackhammer, the kitten's face lit up.

"Yeah, I can feel it! When do we get those hot dogs?"

"Right. Now."

With a sudden bark and growl, the Dalmatian chased the kitten up the vendor. The kitten jumped into the vendor's shirt while the Dalmatian grabbed a string of hot dogs and wrapped it around his neck. At the sight of this, the kitten jumped out of the vendor's shirt and took off after the Dalmatian, leaving the vendor to angrily shake his fist.

Chapter 3: Why Should I Worry?[]

As the two animals walked down the sidewalk, they talked about how well they worked together.

"You really got that rhythm, kid," the Dalmatian said with a smile.

"Uh, thanks. You, too. So, when are we going to eat?"

"I'm sorry, 'we'?"

"Yeah. I'm hungry."

The Dalmatian rubbed the back of his head with a paw.

"Uh, kid, I hate to tell you this, but the dynamic duo is now the dynamic uno."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that our partnership no longer exists."

The kitten was left in shock. But it was a shock of anger.

"Hey, you're not being fair!"

"Fairs are for tourists, kid. You may as well consider it as a free lesson in street-savior faire from Adventure City's coolest quadruped. TTYL."

And with that, the Dalmatian ran off, laughing. But the kitten was hot on his tail.

"I helped you get those! Half of them are mine!"

Smirking, the Dalmatian stopped, turned around, and swung the hotdogs with from his paw.

"Oh, really? If you really do want them, come and get them."

The Dalmatian howled and leaped from car roof to car roof with the kitten close behind.

"But I'm warning you, kid."

And then, the Dalmatian started to sing:

DALMATIAN: ♪One Minute, I'm In Central Park♪

The kitten continued to chase him.

DALMATIAN: ♪Then I'm Down On Delancey Street♪

The Dalmatian hopped onto a cement truck and started to prance around on it.

DALMATIAN: ♪From The Bowery To St. Mark's♪

The Dalmatian flipped off the truck.

DALMATIAN: ♪There's A Syncopated Beat♪

Somehow, the Dalmatian stuck to the side of the truck and sat down as the drum continued to roll.

DALMATIAN: ♪I Said, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo♪

The kitten finally caught up to the Dalmatian. But before it could grab a hot dog, the Dalmatian leaped over the kitten, who then fell into some wet cement.

DALMATIAN: ♪I'm Street-Wise, I Can Improvise♪

The Dalmatian slid down the chute and landed in the cement, too.

DALMATIAN ♪I Said, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo♪

The Dalmatian pranced past the cat and leaped over a sign.

DALMATIAN: ♪I'm Street-Smart. I've Got Adventure City Heart♪

The kitten climbed onto top of the sign and could see the Dalmatian pushing his hind legs up against water coming out of a fire hydrant.

DALMATIAN: ♪Why Should I Worry? Why Should I Care?♪

The kitten jumped down from the sign and ran up to the Dalmatian.

DALMATIAN: ♪I May Not Have A Dime, But I've Got Street-Savior Faire♪

As the kitten continued to run up to the Dalmatian, the dog released the water, sent it pushing the kitten, and walked off as he continued to sing.

DALMATIAN: ♪Why Should I Worry? Why Should I Care? It's Just Bebopulation, And I've Got Street-Saviour Faire♪

Because the kitten got all wet, his fur was all puffed up. Further up the block, he could see the hot dogs sticking out from under a sunglasses stand.

DALMATIAN: ♪The Rhythm Of The City, And Once You Get It Down, Then You Can Own This Town♪

The kitten ran up as fast as he could, but he didn't notice the Dalmatian hiding under the tablecloth, too. Just as the kitten was about to grab one, the Dalmatian used the hot dogs to pull the cloth, flinging the sunglasses up in the air.

DALMATIAN: ♪You Can Wear The Crooooown♪

Once he got a pair of sunglasses on, the Dalmatian walked off as he continued to sing.

DALMATIAN: ♪Why Should I Worry? Tell Me, Why Should I Care?♪

As the Dalmatian walked off, two female dogs flirted with him.

DALMATIAN: ♪Say, I May Not Have Dime, Oh, But I've Got Street-Savior Faire♪

The Dalmatian hopped onto a piano being lifted up by a crane and picked at the keys with his tail.

DALMATIAN: ♪Why Should I Worry? Why Should I Care? It's Just Doo-Wopulation, And I've Got Street-Savior Faire♪

FEMALE DOGS: ♪Everything Goes, Everything Fits♪

The Dalmatian grabbed some flowers with his tail.

DALMATIAN: ♪They Love Me At The Chelsea, They Adore Me At The Ritz♪

The Dalmatian threw the flowers down to the two female dogs, who giggled and blushed.

DALMATIAN: ♪Why Should I Worry? Why Should I Care?♪

The Dalmatian noticed the kitten on windowsill. The kitten jumped onto the piano, but before he could grab the hot dogs, he slipped and fell into a box of tomatoes.

DALMATIAN: ♪Even When I Cross That Line, I've Got Street-Savior Faire♪

The Dalmatian jumped onto a passing truck. The kitten jumped onto a truck, too, and continued to chase the Dalmatian, who was howling to the rhythm of the song. All the dogs took notice and ran up to follow him. When he headed to an alley, they all let out a loud howl. But as the Dalmatian made his way though the alley, he didn't notice someone following him.

Chapter 4: Meet The Gang[]

In a rundown barge at the docks, a gang of dogs were minding their own business. Two dogs, a lovely Cockapoo named Skye and a lovable Mixed Breed named Rocky were sleeping, a dramatic English Bulldog named Rubble was watching TV, and a hilarious Chihuahua named Tracker was dancing to some salsa music.

"Tracker, will you please turn that down?!" Rubble growled, glaring at the Chihuahua. "I'm trying to watch the show!" Tracker glared back at the Bulldog. As Rubble continued watch the show, he mimicked the character on the screen. But then…

"Hey, Ruben, whatcha watchin'?" Tracker asked eagerly, suddenly sitting in front of the bulldog. "Does he get the girl?" Rubble rolled his eyes and pushed the chihuahua away.

"Be quiet, you rat."

"Hey, amigo, this is dull, if you ask me. How about we watch some boxing?! I wanna see action!"

Rubble pushed Tracker away again.

"Hey, Ruben, que paso?! You're getting slow!"

As Tracker laughed, Rubble was taken aback by what the Chihuahua had called him.

"For your information, my name is not Ruben. It's Rubble."

"No joke, huh? So, what is it that you brought in for us today, Ruh-bale?"

The Bulldog scoffed.

"None of your business!"

Having just woken up, Rocky walked up proudly with a busted tennis racket in his mouth. At the sight, Rubble rolled his eyes.

"Good show, Rocky. All we need now is the court and net."

Rocky placed a paw on his chin.

"I wonder if this place is big enough for that."

Tracker scoffed.

"Oh, come on, amigo, what we actually need here is some stuff with the best quality imaginable, like this."

The Chihuahua picked up an old wallet. At the sight, Rubble smirked.

"Shredded leather."

"Shredded what?! It's a wallet."

"Garbage, if you ask me."

"Okay, that does it, Ruben. You have brought harm to my pride. And that. Means. Death!"

Hearing this, Skye yawned and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, knock it off, you two," she yawned, walking up to the loot box. "Ryder's not going to be very happy about this. Anyway, Rubble, you got the food, didn't you? It was your turn."

"Uh, no, heh," Rubble chuckled nervously, but his friends all moaned and glared at him. Tracker rolled his eyes.

"Newspaper burritos again," he groaned.

"Hey, now."

The four dogs looked to see the Dalmatian leaning against with the hot dogs tied around his neck.

"Chillax, Marshall fans. Say hello to your dinner," he said, and flung the hot dogs at his friends. "Hot dogs a lá Marshall." The dogs howled in excitement and started to eat.

"So, how'd you get them this time, Marshy baby?" Skye asked.

"Well, let me tell ya, Skye. It wasn't easy. Only I could've done it."

"Did you have to fight for it?!" Tracker asked eagerly.

"Well, picture the city: Eighth and Broadway. The crowds are hustling, the traffic is roaring, and the hot dogs are sizzling."

"I love a story with food in it," Rocky said as his mouth began to water, while the others rolled their eyes.

"Enter Marshall, one bad pup who was not only out for himself, but community minded," the Dalmatian continued. "But he's not the only one out there. Enter the opposition." Skye rolled her eyes.

"An orange, ugly, psychotic monster, with razor-sharp claws, dripping fangs, and nine lives, all starving."

The dogs started to tremble in fear.

"He comes at me with burning eyes. I knew it was the end of me. And all of a sudden…"

Before Marshall could continue, something fell through the ceiling, startling the dogs and sent them running for cover.

Chapter 5: The Fight[]

"Gang war! Look out!" Tracker said in horror, running around in circles. Peeking out from behind a pile of cardboard boxes, he and Skye could see something moving around in a jacket.

"What is it?" Skye asked nervously as she and Tracker slowly walked up to the jacket. Tracker sniffed around it.

"I wonder what…"

Suddenly, something grabbed his nose.

"An alien!" Tracker shouted in horror, running behind a plank. Slowly, something orange crawled out from a pocket.

"Chillax, you guys," Skye scoffed. "It's no alien. It's just a kitten."

"¡Ay, Madre, un Gato!" Tracker cried in disgust. All the dogs, except Marshall, who saw the whole thing from behind a recliner, surrounded the kitten.

"How did you get here?!" Skye growled. The kitten was nervous and could feel his heart pounding.

"I w-w-was j-j-j-just f-f-f-following this d-d-dog," he stuttered in a timid voice.

"He's lying! He's lying!" Tracker shouted repeatedly. Skye rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Tracker," she said, kicking him back with her hind leg.

"Why on Earth would a cat follow a dog?!" Rocky growled.

"Look, I just wanted some of the hotdogs I helped him get," the kitten explained.

"He's a spy!" Tracker proclaimed, holding a knife and fork in his paws. "Let's eat him!"

"I mean, I saw him come dow—— Hey, there he is!"

The four dogs looked to see Marshall sitting on the recliner, watching some baseball.

"Hey, uh, kid. What took ya so long?"

"Relax, kid," Skye told the kitten gently as the other dogs surrounded Marshall, howling with laughter.

"Marshall, razor-sharp claws?!"

"Dripping fangs?!"

"I don't know about you, but I kinda like those burning eyes," Skye said as her eyelids fluttered flirtatiously.

"Hey, keep it on the DL, you guys," Marshall said. "Game's on." But Tracker wasn't listening.

"Marshall, top dog, got help from a kitten?!" the chihuahua chuckled, turning off the TV.

"Hey, Tracker, can you knock it off, please?"

"Aw, come on, Marshall, I want to see the kitty in action."

This gave Marshall an idea.

"Hey, Tracker, look!"

The minute Tracker's face was turned…

"YAH!!!"

Marshall pounced on the Chihuahua and the two rolled into Rubble. Rocky grinned excitedly.

"Oh, boy, a dog pile!" he exclaimed and landed on his friends. Skye rolled her eyes.

"Oh, what a bunch of overgrown…"

But before she could finish, Tracker flew straight into her. She glared at her friends.

"Okay, that's it!" she said and dove in. Scared, the kitten hopped into the loot box for cover. Just when the fight couldn't last any longer…

"Okay, you guys, that's enough!"

All the dogs stopped fighting and looked to see their master, Ryder, holding a box of dog biscuits. He also had a worried expression on his face.

"What do we do?! Humdinger's going to be here any minute! And I don't have the money he—— Hey, get off!"

In excitement, the dogs ran up to their master and pounced on him, licking him while eating some of the dog biscuits. Poking his head out from the loot box, the kitten saw the whole thing in surprise. But just when Ryder and his dogs thought nothing could ruin the moment…

HONK, HONK!!!!!

Ryder gasped in horror; he knew whose horn that was.

"Humdinger!"

Chapter 6: Humdinger[]

Nearing a panic attack, Ryder frantically picked up the loot box, dug through it, and pulled out…

"A kitten?! How am I going to use a kitten to pay Humdinger?!"

At that moment, the door burst open, and everyone looked to see two growling dogs. On the left was a Doberman in a dark blue spiked collar named Claw. On the right was a Portuguese Water Dog in a purple spiked collar named Moby. The two escorted the nervous Ryder up the steps and turned to the stern dogs with evil grins.

"Do you guys miss us?!" Moby chortled as the kitten nervously watched from behind a crate.

——

Nervously, Ryder stepped in front of a purple limousine and gulped.

"I am so screwed."

As Ryder walked to the left side of the car, a window rolled down, revealing Humdinger, wearing a purple suit and a purple top hat. He also had a cigar in his mouth.

"Uh, hi, Humdinger," Ryder said nervously. "Good evening."

"Never mind that, Ryder. Where's. My. Money?"

"Ah, yes, that," Ryder smiled, handing Humdinger the loot box. "But I have something better than money." Humdinger rolled up his window, dug through the loot box, and pulled out the wallet. In shame, he closed the box and opened his window.

"I don't want your trash, Ryder!" he shouted, pushing the box out the window. Ryder was about fall over, but held onto a rearview mirror, which then broke off and fell into the water.

"Accident! Sorry!" Ryder wailed and was about to fall over, when Humdinger grabbed his shirt and reeled him in.

"As you know, I lent you money. And now, I don't see it. Do you know what happens if I don't see my money?"

Humdinger rolled up his window with Ryder's neck in the way.

"People whom I lent it to get hurt. Or to be specific, you."

A puff of smoke from Humdinger's cigar surrounded Ryder's face, making him cough.

"Do I make myself CLEAR?!"

"Clear!" Ryder wheezed.

——

In the barge, the two watchdogs examined the area.

"You know, Skye, if I want to be completely honest," Moby smirked as his brother sniffed around the place, "I don't know why you want to hang out at this dump when you should live uptown with someone like moi." As Claw picked up a scent, Skye scoffed.

In your dreams, she thought.

"I don't know about you, but I think using one's entire vocabulary in a single sentence is a rather bad idea," Rubble mused. Tracker laughed and high-pawed the Bulldog. But Moby wasn't pleased.

"You got something to say to me, fat boy?!"

"Uhh…"

Tracker growled and was about to charge at the Portuguese Water Dog, but Rocky pulled him back. At the sight, Moby chortled and shook his head.

"Go ahead. Let him go."

"How about you pick on someone your own size?" Rocky growled, and Moby lunged him.

"Like you, mutt?"

"Hey, now, Moby," Marshall said. "This isn't us losing our sense of humor, is it?"

"Nope. I've still got my sense of humor."

The Portuguese Water Dog kicked a crate into the TV, breaking it.

"See? I find that hilarious. Don't you?"

——

Ryder fell onto his knees, praying that Humdinger will give him another chance.

"Oh, please! I will get you the money! Please! Please! Oh, please!"

Humdinger took his cigar out of his mouth.

"Fine. Three sunrises. Three sunsets. Three days."

Ryder added them all together and got his final answer.

"Nine?" he said with a hopeful smile.

"Nope," Humdinger said, shaking his head as he rolled the window up. "Three." Ryder could not believe what he had heard.

"Just three?! Oh, can't this get any worse?!"

Humdinger must've heard him because he blasted his horn, startling Ryder, who then fell into the water.

——

As Moby tried to flirt with Skye, he heard his master's horn.

"Yo, Moby, check it out."

Claw found where his mystery scent was coming from: the kitten! Moby scoffed.

"Leave it, Claw. It's time to go."

But Claw wouldn't listen.

"I love kittens. In fact, I love to eat them."

Frightened, the kittens raised his paw and…

SWIPE!

"OUCH!!!"

The kitten had scratched Claw's nose! Furious, the two watchdogs cornered the kitten up against a wall, when all of a sudden, Marshall butted in.

"Get out of my way, Marshall!" Moby growled furiously.

"That's enough, Moby!"

All the dogs came to aid their friend. Humdinger's horn blasted again.

"Run along, Moby," Skye smirked. "Your master is calling." Not wanting to keep their master waiting, the two watchdogs scoffed and left. But before Moby made it up the steps, he stopped and turned around.

"This isn't over, Marshall. We're going to make you all pay for this, starting with that cat."

At those words, as the two watchdogs walked up the steps, the kitten felt as if all of his color was drained. Tracker ran up.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I am not scared of you."

But the two watchdogs ignored him and left. At the sight, Tracker felt pleased.

"Maybe now they'll think twice before messing with us again."

"All right, kid," Marshall chortled, rubbing the kitten's head with a paw. "Ol' Marsh can really pick 'em, eh?"

Just then, the door opened, and in came an upset and soaked Ryder.

Chapter 7: Bedtime[]

"I can't believe it!" Ryder moaned, sitting on the recliner. "Three days! I'll never get the money by the time my three days are up!"

The dogs felt sorry for their master and tried their best to cheer him up. They tucked him in, and Rocky gave him a dog biscuit.

"Thanks, guys," he said with a small smile. "Oh, I just remembered. I saw Claw's nose. Who did that?"

Marshall picked up the kitten and handed him to his owner.

"You?! Wow, that took a lot of guts."

Ryder yawned and stretched his arms.

"Big day tomorrow."

Rocky came up with a book in his mouth.

"No, Rocky," Ryder said, making his Mixed Breed whine. "On second thought, sure. But just one chapter tonight." The animals surrounded Ryder and listened to the story.

——

At last, it was time for bed. As everyone snoozed happily, the kitten noticed Marshall asleep on his own. The kitten ran up to the Dalmatian and snuggled next to him. At first, Marshall was surprised, but then noticed Skye watching with a smile. Marshall looked down at his new friend, shrugged, and fell asleep.

Chapter 8: Streets Of Gold[]

The next morning, Ryder and the animals rode through the streets of Adventure City on his ATV.

"Okay, guys, this is it," he told them. "We have two days left to get the money, or we're toast. Marshall, I need you to show the new kid how we do things around here. And above all, as you do your work, I want you all to keep one thing in mind…"

After making a sharp turn into an alley, the animals hopped off.

"…dead men never buy dog food. So be polite and get to work."

That being said, Ryder left.

"Okay, guys, remember," Marshall said sternly. "If Humdinger doesn't see cold hard money soon, we're Portuguese Water Dog and Doberman food. I think we'll start on Columbus Avenue. Let's go." The animals left the alley and headed down the street.

"What kind of work do we do around here?" the kitten asked.

"Investment banking!" Tracker said, giving Rubble an apple. "Have you ever read about us in the Wall Street Journal?"

"Oh, yeah," Rubble added. "Captains Of Industry."

"Hey, can I join you in that?"

"Hey, now," Marshall smiled. "When you got your pals, you got all ya need." Skye stopped and looked down at the kitten.

"We need to teach you how to do things around here."

As Skye walked ahead, she started to sing:

SKYE: ♪Ooh, Yeah, Now Listen Up, You've Got A Lot To Learn♪

Before the kitten could cross the road, Skye stopped him with her paw.

SKYE: ♪And If You Don't Learn, You Don't Eat♪

Marshall grabbed a baguette that fell out of a passing truck and handed it to Tracker.

SKYE: ♪But If You're Tough And Always Use Your Head, You'll Feel Right At Home On The Street♪

The kitten caught up to Skye and walked next to her.

SKYE: ♪When You've Got Talent, Everything Is Free. Watch How We Do Things, Ooh, I Guarantee♪

The animals came up to another crosswalk and the dogs dance as they walked through the crosswalk.

SKYE: ♪You're going to See How The Best Survive, We Make An Art Out Of Staying Alive♪

The kitten decided to copy his friends. But just as he was halfway across, the cars zoomed past him, making him duck for cover.

SKYE: ♪If You Do Just That, You're Told, These Are Streets Of Gold♪

Marshall grabbed the kitten and quickly caught up with the others.

SKYE: ♪Every Boulevard Is A Miracle Mile, You'll Take The Town And You'll Take It By Style♪

The kitten continued his way down the street, when a street dog popped out of nowhere and chased him. But luckily, the gang growled, making the street dog whimper and scurry away.

SKYE: ♪If You Play It Brave And Bold, These Are Streets Of Gold♪

The animals laughed and made their way down the sidewalk, when all of a sudden, Marshall skidded to a stop and the others crashed into him.

"Well, well, well," he smirked.

Chapter 9: Limo Crashers[]

The animals looked ahead and could see see a light tan limo cruising down the street.

"Now listen up," Marshall said as the animals huddled up together. "Rocky, I need you to give me a fender-bender at two lights. Tracker, you're in charge of electronics. Skye, you're working the crowd with me. And, Rubble?"

Rubble smiled proudly.

"My public awaits."

"Hey, what about me?!" the kitten asked, for he wanted to be part of the action.

"Stay with Tracker. Okay? Let's go."

The kitten and Tracker hopped onto the back of the limo.

——

Inside the limo, in the backseat, a little girl named Katie was reading a note from her mom and dad.

"'After a bit of sightseeing'," she read the note, "'we left Adventure Bay by car for the confer…'"

"'Conference', Katie," Butch, the chauffeur, corrected.

"Oh, yes, conference. 'In Barkingburg on Wednesday. Katie, I don't think your dad and I will make it…'" At that moment, Katie's voice started to trail off, and Butch took notice.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Mom and Dad are staying even longer," she sighed sadly. "I doubt they'll even make it home in time for my birthday." All of a sudden…

THUD!

"What just happened?!" Katie said in surprise. "Did we just hit a pothole?"

"I don't know," Butch shrugged. "But I'm going to go check it out."

——

As Rocky dizzily ran into an alley, Rubble strutted up to the front of the limo and acted like the car had hit him. Once Butch was out of the car, the kitten and Tracker hopped in, and got to work.

"Hey, Tracker, how can I help?" the kitten asked as the Chihuahua chewed on the wires.

"How about you be a lookout and warn me if the driver's coming back?"

"Okay."

The kitten jumped onto the dashboard and heard a whirring sound. He turned to see what it was and gulped.

"Uh, Tracker? There's something back here."

"Hey, quit screwing around. Just one more wire, okay?"

"But—— Whoa!"

The kitten slipped on the ignition key, starting the car and giving Tracker a bad shock, sending him flying out of the vehicle. Seeing this, Rubble ran off to catch up to his friends.

——

The kitten tried to escape. But he was caught in the wires.

"Oh, you poor little kitten," Katie smiled, helping the cat free himself from the wires.

——

Peeking out from a pile of trash, the dogs looked around.

"Where's the kid?" Skye asked. Dizzy and covered in soot, Tracker came out of the pile, coughing.

"He's probably still in the car!"

Skye could feel her body fill with worry.

"Oh, that poor little kid."

"You were supposed to keep an eye on him, Tracker!" Marshall growled, glaring at the chihuahua.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, it's hard to watch anything when you're getting fried!"

"What are we going to do, Marsh?!" Skye asked.

"Okay, Tracker, you're with me," Marshall said, climbing out of the pile. "The rest of you, return to Ryder." And with that, Marshall and Tracker took off after the limo.

Chapter 10: A New Home[]

Katie and Butch took the kitten home to their place: a mansion on 5th Avenue. Katie wanted to adopt the kitten. Butch, however, was hesitant.

"Listen, Katie, I know he's cute and all, but we can't just take a stray off the street. Besides, what will your parents think?"

"Oh, I'm sure they won't mind. Really."

Butch sighed and shook his head as he walked up the stairs.

"Delores is not going to like this."

——

Butch opened a bright-pink door and turned on the lights in the room.

"Rise and shine, Delores," he said, slowly leaving the room. "Your public awaits."

Yawning, Delores, a fluffy, white poodle, crawled out of bed, walked up to a fancy vanity, and plopped down in front of it. Slowly opening her eyes, she started to sing:

DELORES: ♪Girl, We've Got Work, To Do♪

Delores got a case of light-pink eyeshadow and put some on both her eyelids.

DELORES: ♪Pass Me The Paint, And Glue♪

Delores slowly rolled the curlers out of her fur.

DELORES: ♪Perfect Isn't Easy, But, It's, Meeeeeeeeee♪

Delores felt more awake than she had ever been.

DELORES: ♪When One Knows The World Is Watching, One Does What One Must♪

Delores took a hairbrush and ran it through every inch of her fur.

DELORES: ♪Some Minor Adjustments, Darling, Not For My Vanity, But For Humanity♪

Delores paraded around the room and stopped to look at her trophies.

DELORES: ♪Each Little Step, A Pose. See How The Breeding Shows♪

Delores walked up to big pillow in front of a bunch of pictures and plopped down on it.

DELORES: ♪Sometimes, It's Too Much, For Even Meeeeeeeeee. But When All The World Says Yes, Then Who Am I To Say No?♪

Delores picked up a small picture of a beagle and kissed it.

DELORES: ♪Don't Ask A Mutt To Strut Like Showgirl♪

Tossing the picture, Delores hopped off the pillow, hid behind a curtain, and popped her head out.

DELORES: ♪No, Girl, You Need A Pro♪

Delores opened a window to let some fresh air in.

DELORES: ♪Not A Flea Or A Flaw, Take A Peak At That Paw♪

Dolores strolled into her closet and scrolled through it.

DELORES: ♪Perfection Becomes Me, N'est-ce Pas?♪

Finding the perfect collar, Delores exited the closet and walked up to her panel divider.

DELORES: ♪Unrivaled, Unruffled, I'm Beauty-Unleashed, Yeah! Jaws Drop, Hearts Stop, So Classic And Classy We're Not Talking Lassie♪

Delores stepped onto the balcony. She vocalized nice and loud. Her singing grabbed the attention of some neighboring dogs. As the dogs cheered her on, she reached into a tree, grabbed a yellow flower, and put it in her hair.

DELORES: ♪Though Many Covet My Bone And Bowl, They're Barking Up The Wrong Tree♪

Delores hopped onto the fence of the balcony and walked around it.

DELORES: ♪You Pretty Pups All Over The City, I Have Your Hearts And You Have My Pity♪

Delores left the balcony and walked up to a mirror next to her door.

DELORES: ♪Pretty Is Nice, But Still, It's Just Pretty♪

Delores took the flower out of her hair, put it in a vase, and strutted down the stairs.

DELORES: ♪Perfect, My Dears, Is Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee♪

When Delores finished the song, she struck a pose.

——

In the kitchen, Katie was making food for the kitten, which Butch noticed.

"Say, uh, Katie, do you think cat food would work?"

Katie laughed.

"Don't be silly. He'll love this."

"Now hold on a minute. I still think we should tell your… EW!" Butch sighed upon stepping on an egg. As he wiped it off his shoe, the phone rang. Rolling his eyes, he left to answer it, while Katie finished the kitten's food.

"Oeufs al a Katie avec Cocoa Krispies. Eat up."

"Oh, Katie, it's your parents!" Butch called. Katie smiled and left the room.

——

As Butch talked on the phone, Delores strutted past him.

"Uh, Delores, I wouldn't go in there if I were you," he warned her. Katie bolted out of the kitchen. Despite Butch's warning, Delores headed into the kitchen, while Butch handed Katie the phone.

——

"WHAT?!" Delores said in shock when she saw the kitten eating out of her bowl. She called out for Butch, but he couldn't hear her, much to her dismay.

"Looks like I'll be doing this myself," she muttered and loomed over the kitten. "Hello." The kitten looked up and smiled.

"Hello."

"I hope you won't think I'm being rude, but do you, by any chance, know whose bowl you're eating from?"

The kitten placed a paw on his chin.

"Yours?"

Delores formed a toothy grin.

"Oh, aren't you very clever? By the way, do you also know whose home this is?"

The kitten backed away and gulped.

"I think it's Katie's."

Delores chortled.

"Well, it may be Katie's home, but everything, from the doorknobs down…"

Delores's smile turned into a frown.

"…IS MINE!!! You get me?!"

The kitten nodded fast with a nervous smile.

"Oh, Delores."

The two animals looked up as Katie returned to the kitchen.

"I can see that you've met Leo. He sure is cute, isn't he? Oh, hey, I have great news. Mom and Dad said I can keep him. I have no doubt that you two will be best friends."

Leo looked up at his new owner with a smile, but Delores rolled her eyes.

——

Marshall and Tracker rendezvoused the others, who were just outside a pawnshop.

"Well, where is he?" Skye asked.

"Tailed him all the way to Park," Marshall panted. "Never had a chance."

"You amigos should've seen this place," Tracker added. "There's probably two-hundred people who live there."

"Come on, you guys," Skye said, sitting down. "We can't let him take the heat for us."

"Sí! If we don't get him out, he'll get tortured."

"Agreed," Rubble added, standing firm as if he was a statue. "What are we waiting for?!"

"I hear ya," Rocky said with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown. "But what about Ryder? We only have until tomorrow night to pay Humdinger back." Rubble hung his head and sighed.

"Alas, our beloved benefactor is going to be tortured."

Tracker rolled his eyes.

"Oh, stop the negative thoughts, Ruben!"

At that last word, Rubble's body began to fill with rage.

"For the thousandth time," he said softly before shouting at the top of his lungs, "IT. IS. RUBBLE!!!"

"Okay, stop!" Marshall said, butting in. "We got a job to do. First, we'll get him back. Then, we'll help Ryder. Deal?" The dogs howled and huddled in.

Chapter 11: Good Company[]

In the parlor, Katie was about to practice piano, and Leo was sitting next to her.

"Stay next to me, Leo. I need to practice now."

As Katie played the piano, she looked down at Leo with a smile and started to sing:

KATIE: ♪You And Me, Together, We'll Be♪

Leo hopped onto his owner's lap and nuzzled her.

KATIE: ♪Forever, You'll See♪

Leo hopped onto the piano and fiddled with the sheet music, making Katie chuckle.

KATIE: ♪We Two, Can Be Good Company, You And Me, Yes, Together, We Two♪

Unbeknownst to either of them, Delores watched with a scowl. Unable to take it anymore, she scoffed and left.

KATIE: ♪Together, That's You, Forever With Me. We'll Always Be Good Company, You And Me, Yes, Together, We'll Be♪

——

Later, Katie took Leo through the park. The two did everything together. They rowed in the lake, got some ice cream, and went for a ride on a horse wagon.

——

At a local pet shop, Katie got Leo a new bowl and a new collar with a golden tag that had both his name and their address. Leo couldn't be more happy than he was in his life.

——

That night, Katie and Leo crawled into bed.

KATIE: ♪You And Me, Together, We'll Be, Forever, You'll See, We'll Always Be Good Company, You And Me, Just Wait And Seeeee♪

As he saw the two fall asleep with a smile, Butch turned off the lights and quietly closed the door.

Chapter 12: "Rescuing" Leo[]

The next morning, when Katie left for school, the dogs snuck into the house. Once inside, they were all left in awe, except Marshall.

"Look, guys, I know this place is nice, but remember, we're here for the kid. Got it, Tracker?"

Everyone looked to see Tracker resting on the sofa.

"Right."

"Good. Now let's find the kid and get out of here."

——

Upstairs, Delores was in her room, sitting at her vanity.

"'I love you, Leo. Play with Delores.' I'd love to play with that little furball, all right. AAAHHH!!!"

When Delores noticed Marshall standing behind her, she felt her body fill with fear.

"Get away! Stay away from me!"

"Whoa, whoa, chillax," Marshall said, trying to calm her down. "You're barking up the wrong tree. I'm not after you." Hearing this, Delores's fear turned to surprise and disgust.

"You're not?! Well, why not?! What gives?! Am I not good enough for ya?! I mean, do even know who I am?"

Grabbing Marshall by his bandanna, Delores dragged him over to her trophies and medals.

"Fifty-six blue ribbons, fourteen regional trophies," she said softly before shouting in his face, "Six-time national champion!" Marshall rubbed his ear with a paw while rolling his eyes.

"Ooh, sounds very impressive," he groaned sarcastically. "Right, guys?" Delores turned her head around fast to see his friends, including Tracker, whose eyes sparkled.

"Very impressive," he said before taking Delores's paw and kissing it. "Hola, senora. My name is Tracker." Delores growled.

"Get away from me, you little bug-eyed creep!"

The dogs started to explore the room.

"Hey, uh, who's Harris?" Skye asked, noticing an autographed picture of a Labrador. Delores swiped the photo out of Skye's paw.

"None of your business!"

Delores looked to see Rubble on her bed, eating some dog biscuits.

"You, tubby, off the bed! Now!"

Rocky saw a container of light blue powder and sniffed it.

"Get away from that——"

Before Delores could finish, Rocky sneezed, and light-blue dust flew everywhere. That was when Delores was starting to lose her patience.

"Okay, that. Is. It! You five get out of here! NOW!"

Marshall huffed.

"Chillax, champ! We'll leave the minute we get our cat."

Delores scoffed.

"Oh, puh-lease. If you think I'm being intimidated by some flea-bitten dog pound reje——"

All of a sudden, Delores froze and formed a toothy grin.

"Wait. Your cat? Oh, I must be ridiculous. You must be the friends he's always talking about. Come on."

The dogs followed Delores into Katie's room and found Leo asleep on the bed. When Skye saw how happy Leo looked asleep, she started to reconsider.

"There he is," Delores smirked. "Now hurry!" Quickly, she picked Leo up and tossed him into a pillowcase.

"Take the fire escape!"

With Leo inside the pillowcase, Marshall and his friends ran down the fire escape, but Tracker, being the last, stopped, turned around, and smirked at Delores.

——

"Hey, where's Tracker?" Marshall asked, stopping. Turned around, he looked up and…

POW!

Tracker fell down the steps and landed with a thud.

"Ooh, I think she likes me," he said dizzily. Marshall rolled his eyes as they ran.

I sincerely doubt that, Tracker, he thought.

Chapter 13: Ryder's Plan[]

Back at the barge, the dogs howled in triumph. But Leo was confused.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on, you guys?!" Leo exclaimed.

"Why, that was just the rescue of the century," Tracker chortled.

"Not to mention Tracker and Ms. Six-Time National Champion," Marshall said, swishing his tail around. But Skye noticed the look on Leo's face.

"You doing okay?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, but——"

"Oh, of course you're fine, you're back with your Tío Tracker!" Tracker laughed, kissing Leo.

"Hey! I was happy back there! Why'd you take me away?!"

The dogs looked at each other in confusion.

"Look, we rescued you, kid," Rocky explained. "We brought your home."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I have another home now and someone who loves me!"

Marshall raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, kid? You're in the gang. The gang means family. We took a lot of guts getting you out of there."

Leo knew Marshall was right.

"Look, I'm sorry. But all I ever wanted was——"

"What? This place isn't good enough for ya? You don't want to mix with the riff-raff?"

"No! I like you all. But there was a little girl, and… I just want to go back."

Skye sighed.

"We never should've taken him, Marshall."

Marshall rolled his eyes.

"You want to leave, kid? Fine," he said, walking by. "There's the door. Go on. I'm not stopping you."

"Hey, Marshall, amigo, lighten up," Tracker pleaded.

"You lighten up! If he doesn't like it here, let him go."

As Marshall plopped onto the recliner, Leo looked up at his friends sadly. He sighed and headed to the stairs. Before he made it up, he paused and turned toward Marshall, who had his back turned on them. Leo headed up the stairs, but at that moment, Ryder appeared and picked him up.

"Oh, man," he moaned and sat on the bottom step. "I'll never get the money by tonight." He felt something dangling from Leo's neck. He looked down and saw his kitten tag.

"So that's where you've been. Looks like you've been doing okay for yourself, Leo. I bet your owner spends more money on cat food than we do. All of those dollars and…"

All of sudden, Ryder's face brightened.

"That's it! I know what to do! We're saved."

Quick as he could, Ryder grabbed a pencil and a sheet of paper and started writing.

Chapter 14: Leo's Gone![]

That afternoon, Katie returned home from school and looked all over for Leo.

"Leo! I'm home! Leo? Leo, where are you? Hey, Delores, can you help?"

Rolling her eyes, Delores stretched and strutted all over the house, "looking" for Leo.

"Oh, where could he be?" she said, pretending to feel worried. "He's not here."

——

Continuing her search for her kitten, Katie found a sheet of paper in the mail slot and read it aloud. By the time she finished reading it, Delores walked up.

"Oh, Delores!" Katie said with fear, hugging her poodle. "Leo's been taken!" Delores began to snicker. But the minute she heard "We're going to get him back", she gasped.

Chapter 15: Last Chance[]

That evening, Ryder, Marshall, and Leo arrived at Humdinger's warehouse and headed inside. Humdinger was in his office on the phone with a client when Ryder entered.

"Oh, hello, Ryder", Humdinger smiled, noticing this. "Come on in. I will be with you soon." Humdinger babbled into the phone and hung up before turning to Ryder.

"So, Ryder," he said with a toothy grin, "did you, by any chance, bring me some money." Ryder shook his head.

"No, but, I…"

Humdinger moaned and placed his head on his desk.

"Oh, what am I going to do with you?" he said as Claw Moby quietly growled.

"But, Humdinger, please——"

"I don't want to hear it!" Humdinger shouted, looming over Ryder. "You don't got the money!" And with that, Humdinger snapped his fingers, and Moby and Claw charged at Ryder. But Marshall pushed them out of the way. However, the watchdogs attacked Marshall!

"Humdinger, I have someone coming by tonight!" Ryder exclaimed. But Humdinger just ignored him.

"Okay, I have someone who is coming by tonight with the money I owe you!"

At the word "money", Humdinger snapped his finger, and Moby and Claw walked away from an unconscious Marshall.

"Really?" Humdinger smirked, examining Leo's tag. "Well, well, well, you're moving up, Ryder. I am giving you twelve hours."

Ryder petted his unconscious dog.

"Oh, and, Ryder…"

Ryder looked up and glared at Humdinger, who was taking a puff of his cigar.

"…this is your last chance."

Chapter 16: He Took Katie![]

About an hour later, Ryder paced around impatiently for the person with the money. Not too far away, Marshall limped towards his friends.

"Oh, Marshy…" Skye said worriedly.

"Hey, they never laid a paw on me," he bragged.

——

Ryder looked down at his watch.

"What could be keeping them?"

All of a sudden…

"Excuse me?"

Ryder jumped and hid behind a crate. He stuck his head out and saw a nervous Katie standing alongside Delores, who tried her best to ignore a flirting Tracker.

"What are you doing out here?" Ryder asked Katie, hiding Leo in the crate by standing in front of it.

"I came to find my kitten."

"Your kitten?!"

Ryder couldn't believe what he had heard.

"Somebody stole him," Katie explained. "This is all I've got to get him back." Ryder was surprised to see that Katie had brought a piggy bank.

"Sounds awful," Ryder sighed with a hand behind his back.

"Yeah, and who would want to steal a poor defenseless kitten?"

"Perhaps he…"

Before could continue, Katie collapsed and began to cry quietly. Ryder could see this. He sighed.

"Hey," he said, reaching into a crate. "I found a little kitten. Who knows? Maybe he's yours!"

Katie looked and gasped.

"Leo!"

Leo jumped into his owner's arms and nuzzled her.

Ryder couldn't help but smile. But just when he thought nothing could ruin the moment, a bright light appeared, and a car sped past. It was Humdinger! Ryder and the animals watched in horror as Humdinger grabbed Katie, pulled her into his car, and tossed Leo out the window.

"Humdinger, stop! You can't do that!" Ryder shouted.

"Shut up, Ryder!" Humdinger shouted. "You may as well consider our account, terminated!" And he took off, cackling.

——

"Wh-wh-what happened?" Leo said woozily, but it wasn't long before he realized what had happened. "He took Katie!"

"Don't worry, kiddo," Marshall said with confidence. "We'll get her back."

"You will?!"

"Of course we will. Let's go!"

Feeling triumphant, Leo and his friends sped off to rescue Katie. Ryder tried to follow, but his ATV keep backfiring.

"Note to self: try to get insurance on this thing," he muttered.

Chapter 17: Rescuing Katie[]

"No good, Marshall," Rubble panted after looking around the warehouse for a way in. "It's locked up everywhere."

"There's gotta be a way in," Marshall grumbled. He looked up and saw a window.

"Bingo!"

——

In his office, Humdinger tied a whimpering Katie to a chair with a rope.

"Now, now, little girl, don’t worry, your mommy and daddy will pay plenty to you back," he cackled.