Ace walked down the empty dirt road like he always had for what seemed like all of his life. Unlike most of the other dogs, Ace had no owner or anyone that would care for him. All he could do was walk alone and hope that some caring person would find him. But moving on!
Ace was getting tired, and the hot sun was burning through his long blonde fur. There was no shade or source of water nearby, so Ace's chance of continuing his life-long journey was starting to slim. After a few more minutes of walking, Ace's legs gave out. There on the ground, Ace cried. But not even his tears could cool him down, for they would evaporate as soon as they came out.
"Please!" Ace cried, "I need some help!" At that exact moment, a green flash surrounded the entire area, and a silhouette of a dog appeared before him.
"He's the one, alright," it said, examining Ace. "But he looks like he could die at any moment."
"Well, hurry up and take him to HQ!" said a voice from an earpiece that the dog was wearing.
The silhouette lifted Ace onto his back. "Hang on, kid," it said, "Try to stay alive, okay?" Ace was a bit surprised at what was happening, but he didn't object to the sudden abduction. So he just gave in, and passed out.
"I think he's awake!" someone shouted. Ace recognized the voice as the same dog who had taken him to shelter. He opened his eyes and looked around. There was only one person in the room, and that was a Kelpie. Ace jumped to his feet and stared the Kelpie straight in his eyes.
"Where am I!?" he demanded. The Kelpie smiled.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to know who I am first?" the Kelpie said. "But if you must know, this is the Headquarters for the Canine Branch of the Super-powered Animals of the Universe, or S.A.U (Pronounced "Saw") for short. I'm Ranger, and you are?" Ranger extended a paw of welcoming.
"I'm Ace," Ace replied, shaking the paw. "This place sounds important…"
"It is," Ranger said, "Dogs from different countries, planets, galaxies, and even time-periods gather here to fight crime. That's why you're here!"
"ME!?" Ace cried. "Why me? This is for the Super-powered, right? I have no powers. The only thing I can do is sit on command!"
"Oh, but you do have powers, you just haven't discovered them yet." Just then, a Gray Daschound came running through the door.
"Is it true, Ranger? Is the new recruit awake?" The Daschound was running so fast that instead of stopping when he applied his brakes, he slid straight into the wall.
"Ummm… Yeah, that's Speedy, he's the brains around here." Ranger said, as Speedy walked over to the two.
"It's nice to meet you, Ace!" Speedy said. "I over heard the conversation, and it's true! You have powers, they just need to be awakened."
"Do you know when they'll awaken?" Ace asked Speedy.
"Probably during the G5-Power Test. But even if you fail-which rarely happens- you'll still be in the force!"
"Speaking of which," Ranger said to Speedy, "shouldn't we be heading towards the test room?"
"Oh, you're right! See you later, Ace! Ranger, show Ace to the test room." And with those last words, the Daschound ran out of the room at Mach 2.
"Stay close, Ace, this place huge and it's easy to get lost in."
Ace was but a small dot within the large crowd of canines, who were all talking, joking and playing around. Ace decided to walk through the crowd and take a look at the other recruits. At one point Ace had stepped on the paw of a white dog with a cape.
"Hey, what in the- huh?" he said, looking down at the Retriever puppy.
"I-I'm sorry, honest!" Ace stammered.
The dog just smiled and said, "It's okay, little guy; I know you didn't mean to."
"Thank you, sir!" Ace said. Before the white dog could say another word, the lights dimmed and Speedy stepped onto the stage.
"Welcome, all, to the Test Room of the Canine Unit of the S.A.U.! Here, you will be tested for hidden powers and abilities. We now ask that you all go into the lobby and wait to be called to the Test Room. All clear? Good, you may depart."
Ace decided to stay close to the white dog, since he felt nervous around everyone else. The other dogs were chatting by the time the 8th dog was called. Ace and the white dog just sat and waited.
As a husky-wolf hybrid, apparently named Balto, stepped out of the test room, the intercom called out for the next dog. "Krypto! Please report the Test Room Stage!" The white dog turned to Ace, winked, and said, "Wish me luck, kid." Ace nodded and smiled, happy to know the dog's name. That was when he turned his attention to Balto.
Balto was lying down in a corner. Every now and then he'd sigh and become misty-eyed. Ace, against his own better judgment walked over to the hybrid.
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but it something the matter?" Ace asked.
Balto looked up in surprise. "Huh? Oh, hey there. Yeah, but I don't think you could understand it…"
"It's okay, you can tell me."
"Well, I was in the middle of a picnic with my wife's family. And then all of a sudden, this Daschound appears out of nowhere and transported me here. All I can do is sit here and worry about my family…" Balto's eyes began to mist again.
"I understand you," Ace confirmed. "All you want to do is go back to your family, right?" Balto nodded. Before Ace could speak again, the intercom called out his name. Ace bided farewell to Balto and started to walk towards the door, but that journey didn't last long.
"Wait! There's no way I can get through here! I'll get trampled!"
"I can take care of that, Ace," Balto assured, and lifted him by the scruff of the neck. It didn't take long for Balto to reach the door. Once they reached their destination, Ace thanked Balto. "No problem!" Balto said and turned to leave. Ace looked the door for a couple of seconds before walking through the door.