-Author's note: Hey there, I recently had an idea for a new fic in the T.U.F.F. Puppy universe. It is an alternative squeal to my second fanfic "Blow it up". So here we basically starting an alternative universe/timeline at that point. So imagine that the third of that trilogy, "Fall and Rise", did not happen and instead, the events here take place.
Anyway, don't want to bother you for too long, just give you the basics you need. Also, maybe it's helpful to know the first two parts ("A new hero" and "Blow it up") but it should be readable without them too. Especially because I want to go over these two parts again remastering them in a way, but I digress. Anyhow, hope you have fun and tell me what you think :)-

It isn't easy describing the emptiness. After all, it's a tricky thing for the mind to even imagine. If you start with a normal room, let's say a living room and you extract every essential part like the couch, TV, and so on and so forth, you would still be stuck with an empty room, a confined space, which wouldn't live up to the void's nature.

Instead, you have to subtract the room itself from the equation and even the concept must yield from the mind. And still, this wouldn't be enough, as the mind likes to imagine color at that point, like dark blue, black, or even white. But the void itself does not possess color. It itself is was and will be the distilled essence of nothingness.

An ordinary mind will always have problems with the void, the brain is trained to find patterns and tends to make some up if there are simply none. It needed a special kind of mind to bear this kind of view or rather lack of it without slowly going insane.

Dudley was someone with this kind of mind. He was a white dog, some would say mutt, and a frequent visitor of the void. Although these visits were mostly not of his own volition as someone or something requested his attendance.

The seeker of Dudley's company called himself the advisor and would have been described as a human by those few on Dudley's planet who even had a concept of that. But the advisor was no simple human though, he was more like a grey imminence of transcendental power that lurked in the shadows and made himself present just if needed.

The void possessed nothing, no shape, and no object, and still, the advisor had put something in there. At least from his point of view, it was a necessity, an act of grace, towards a being so behind on the evolutionary timeline. Two couches and a coffee table stood there or floated. The positioning of things was always coupled with uncertainty in the void.

Both Dudley and the advisor sat on the couches facing each other. One of them held a tacky teacup in his hand while the other had a simple coffee mug.
"Well…" The advisor said and put the teacup down on the coffee table. "You are wearing a nice suit."
The compliment reached Dudley, but he let it bounce off him unblinkingly.

"Two years and this is your starter?" Dudley took a sip from his mug.
"My mood demanded a casual conversation start for a change." Said the advisor slowly and smiled widely. "After all, you have a premonition about why you are here, do you not?"
"Something happened again I guess." Shrugged the dog. "Isn't that always the case? Someone is doing something very weird and you call me."

"Indeed Dudley, indubitable." The advisor nodded and Dudley suddenly looked very confused at him. He now wore the same suit, black with a black tie, as he did instead of the usual robe-like attire. Dudley simply shook his head, he should have been used to these shenanigans by now. Still the two years since their last meeting had lulled his mind into a sense of normality . "But as I said, let us begin casual, or are you in a hurry?"

"I'd like to be home before five." he sighed and looked at his watch. The hands on the clock weren't moving, at least that was a bonus, the void didn't know time.
"That should not be an issue." Complacently the advisor leaned back on the couch. "Tell me a little something, how is the cosmos treating you?"

Dudley imitated the behavior of his host and also leaned back. "If you want to know how I am doing, quite good. I moved into a new apartment with Kitty. It's a shorter commute but the rent is a lot higher. Also, since you didn't bother me with training or missions anymore, I had time to pick up playing guitar again."
"Ah, what a riveting tale." The advisor said bored.

"What do you expect? Hunting criminals is my day job, I think I deserve some boredom and stability in my time off." Dudley rolled his eyes.
"Oh, believe me, I really like to grant you more ennui, but some recent events came to my attention and I must rely on my executive hand again."

"Sam… please." Dudley sighed and the advisor did the same but for a different reason. He never should have allowed Dudley to give him a name. "I don't want to do this anymore."
"As I said, I comprehend the state you are in and you deserve your boredom but… how should I put it, I would not be here if not necessary."

Dudley looked up the muscles in his body tensed. "Is it so bad?"
"You could not grasp how wrong things are… Events are set into motion and I am greatly cut in my options."
"Your folks again?"

The advisor nodded. "The more often I intervene the fewer things I can do before the continuum stops me. The axiom is no intervention in the business of non-ascended species. And my protection and meddling for this world are eyed very critical."
"Isn't this already kind of bad then?" Dudley pointed around into the void.

"Yes and no… the term intervention has some leeway. I can talk if the number of people stays small and the secret is kept. I can even right a wrong if the circumstances allow it."
"That's a weird way of saying that you can sometimes do something," Dudley concluded and emptied his mug.

"Indeed but, as mentioned, just if the circumstances are right. So do not rely on me too much."
"Got it, if I want to still have a world I better do what you… uhm… suggest?"
"Yes, like always." Sam smiled widely but quickly his smile vanished again. "I think we will need a few more hands this time, if we like it or not."

"Reinforcement?" Dudley leaned forward. "It would be nice to not work alone for a change, who do you have in mind? A new trainee? Do I get a trainee?!" he suddenly seemed excited about the new opportunity of having someone work for him.

"Ah, I like your enthusiasm. But I do not think she will need such rigorous training like you." The advisor leaned slowly forward while talking. They looked each other deep in the eyes which sent a shiver done Dudley's spine. "Ms. Katswell will be the one." Immediately the dog leaned back on the couch crossing his arms like an angry child.

"No, veto, no." He stated firmly. "It is hard enough to keep Kitty out of that, I don't want her to be dragged into this madness."
"This is not a negotiable term." The advisor calmly grabbed the teacup and took a sip. "You see the things set in motion are not even in our hands. See will notice cracks in the façade soon and if that happens there is a choice she will have to make."

"Could you stop being so cryptic? For once?!" Dudley had his hands rubbing his forehead, his mind was racing as he tried to put the words together into something that made sense.
"No, I cannot. There are rules I must abide by. If I tell you details that could alter the events… even though you have a special talent for altering things I foresee." The advisor grinned mischievously.
"So this is… You basically saying FYI to me right now." Dudley peaked through his fingers that covered his face.

"No and yes…" Before Sam could inhale and break into a longer explanation Dudley banged his fist onto the table.
"It's always no and yes with you, give me a definitive answer already!" The answer he got was a stare and then a continuation of the intake of air by his conversation partner.

"I just want to warn you. The things you will encounter are incredibly old and powerful. And because it is you I am talking to I advise you to not touch a thing."
"Not the slightest bit helpful and a bit insulting." Dudley sighed and got up from the couch. "I think we are done here, and if you think I will let Kitty be pulled into this mark my words: I'd rather die than have her involved in that."

"What a great epitaph that would make." The advisor laughed loudly.
"As always, you are a delight to talk to Sam." Dudley frowned while walking further into the void.
"I think you know the way out, also, a last piece of advice…"
"I don't want to hear it." The dog reached with his hand into the nothing and opened a door that revealed that there was a lot of concrete on the other side of the void.

Wordlessly he stepped through it and closed it behind him leaving back a smiling advisor who drank the last sip of tea from his cup before ending the sentence he was interrupted.
"… there was an accident on Maxwell Boulevard, you better take the freeway if you want to be home in time."

-Well, so much for the first chapter, hope you had fun. As always, tell me what you think in the reviews and stay tuned for more :) -