"Great! Another fine mess you've gotten us into!"

It wasn't every Friday night that Rocky found himself tied up with another person, dangling above a tank of ravenous sharks, inside an abandoned building in Barkingburg, but today was unfortunately one of those days. What was supposed to be a simple Mission PAW had now become a week-long goose chase looking for Sweetie, resulting in Rocky's current predicament.

The pup he was tied to, was quick to respond.

"How was I supposed to know that she had knock-out gas in her pup-pack?" Chase said, with an undertone of annoyance in his voice.

"Oh I don't know… maybe because we've fought her like two dozen times!" Rocky shouted back.

Out of the shadows came the one who put the two of them in their situation in the first place. Swaying as she walked towards them, she couldn't help but smirk at them with her smug little snout.

"Looks like you're about to go swimming with the sharks, Chase." Rocky couldn't help but think her annoying British accent was a little some sultry than usual.

"You're the one who's swimming, Sweetie", replied Chase. "Doggy paddling with the crooked paws of crime."

"Spare me your morality, will you? Who deserves this precious symbol of royal superiority more than I?" she said, twirling the crown of Barkingburg on her left paw. "Surely not the princess in that musty old castle I… rescued the crown from." A sinister smile spread itself like jelly across her face as she said those last few words.

"OK, Chase, what's it gonna be? Spy-bait to distract the sharks, or a high frequency spy-machine to scramble their brains?" Rocky asked, impatient with the trash-talking.

Chase completely ignored him. "You've let larceny taint your loveliness, Sweetie."

"MY PETS WILL SOON SILENCE THAT INSOLENT TONGUE O- did you just call me lovely?"

"Less talk, more gadget belt! Are you even listening to me?" Rocky pleaded.

"Lovely, yes, but evil too," Chase went on. "Give up this life of crime, Sweetie. Allow me to… rehabilitate you."

Rocky rapidly looked back and forth at Chase, then Sweetie, then back at Chase again. The realization hit him like a bag of bricks shot out of a tank.

"Are you two flirting?" He couldn't help but sound disgusted as he said that F-word.

The conversation went on.

"Aww, always trying to clip my claws, Chase. Which is why I must clip you! Permanently!"

"Not if I collar you first."

The satisfied smiles on both their faces as they trash talked each other only filled Rocky with even more revulsion.

"You are! You're flirting! Flirterers!" Perhaps Rocky's reaction was just a bit immature, but that's the enemy Chase is smooth talking to!

Before Rocky could say any further, Chase pulled out a small blade and in one smooth motion, cut the ropes that were tying the two of them, grabbed onto Rocky, launched a grappling hook at the ceiling, and landed the two of them safely on the ground. As he got his bearing and balance, Chase quickly scanned the room for Sweetie and saw her attempting to escape from a window, with both the crown and Bubsy. He made immediate pursuit, giving no thought to his friend and teammate he left behind.

"Hey! So should I just..!" shouted Rocky out onto the rooftops, before giving up. "Guess I'm using the stairs" he mumbled, already dreading the 2936 steps the journey down was going to take.

Meanwhile, Chase had begun his pursuit, following Sweetie and she leaped from rooftop to rooftop. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult for Chase to catch up to and grab Sweetie, since the pampered life of a royal doesn't exactly keep you in top shape. But right as he did, she leaped off the edge of the building they were on, taking him down with her into the busy night streets of Barkingburg.

Chase silently thanked God when they landed on a flower cart with a sign reading "Bob's Roses". Chase couldn't help but feel bad for Bob, whoever he was, until he realized that during the crash he had let go of Sweetie.

"Flowers? You shouldn't have," said Sweetie as she ran off, crown on her head, red rose in her jaws.

The hunt was back on, and even back on the city rooftops, somehow. Maybe it makes it more exciting, Chase thought to himself, eyes locked on his target. They soon began to approach the edge of the cityscape, Sweetie had ran herself right into a dead end, finally finishing this little game (or so he thought).

Sweetie halted on the edge of a small apartment building, and feeling satisfied with his work Chase started moving towards her. His imposing figure drew closer until he was practically right next to her. Before he could do anything, however, Sweetie pulled and pushed him off the edge. As he fell, Sweetie got out a rope she had and threw it towards him, ensnaring him by his back-left paw. Barely saved from certain disaster by the girl he was supposed to capture, and dangling by his foot only a few feet above the ground, Chase was certainly flustered, and definitely not in the hotshot mindset he was just earlier.

Leaping down to the pavement, Sweetie moved towards Chase like a spider admiring a fly she had caught in her web. She got close and whispered into his ear, "I don't care what the others say. You're fun. If you play your cards right, maybe we can go out like this again tomorrow." She then slipped a note into one of the pockets on his uniform and gave him a lick goodbye, before fleeing with the crown. "You'll know how to find me!"

It was only a few minutes later than Rocky ran up to Chase, panting from the exhaustion searching for Chase and Sweetie had caused him. He looked Chase up and down, then sighed. "I can't believe you two."

"Ease up, Rocky," replied Chase. "She's only a thief. It's not like she's a violent psychopath."

"Are you forgetting how she nearly turned us into shark kibble back there!?" said Rocky. "Man, you have so got the hots for her."

"No way," said Chase back, very clearly lying through his teeth. "My only interest in her is in rehabilitation."

"So letting her escape is part of your reform therapy?" Rocky asked sarcastically. "We're gonna have to try that one on Humdinger next time."

"Don't worry," explained Chase, as he put his paw into his pocket. He pulled out the note Sweetie had placed in there. "I have a hunch we'll know where to find her soon."

The note read: 555-0129 XOXO CALL ME~